Day 258 of 365

¹For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land. The foreigner will join himself with them, and they will unite with the house of Jacob.

²The peoples will take them, and bring them to their place. The house of Israel will possess them in the Lord's land for servants and for handmaids. They will take as captives those whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

³It will happen in the day that the Lord will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve,

⁴that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased! How the attacker has ceased!"

⁵The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,

⁶who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.

⁷The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet. They break out song.

⁸Yes, the fir trees rejoice with you, with the cedars of Lebanon, saying, "Since you are humbled, no lumberjack has come up against us."

⁹Sheol from beneath has moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, even all the rulers of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

¹⁰They all will answer and ask you, "Have you also become as weak as we are? Have you become like us?"

¹¹Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, with the sound of your stringed instruments. Maggots are spread out under you, and worms cover you.

¹²How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low!

¹³You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!

¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!"

¹⁵Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit.

¹⁶Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms;

¹⁷who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who did not release his prisoners to their home?"

¹⁸All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house.

¹⁹But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot.

²⁰You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evildoers will not be named forever.

²¹Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.

²²"I will rise up against them," says the Lord of hosts, "and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son," says the Lord.

²³"I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water. I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says the Lord of hosts.

²⁴The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, "Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

²⁵that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and tread him under foot on my mountains. Then his yoke will leave them, and his burden leave their shoulders.

²⁶This is the plan that is determined for the whole earth. This is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.

²⁷For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can stop it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"

²⁸This burden was in the year that king Ahaz died.

²⁹Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent's root an adder will emerge, and his fruit will be a fiery flying serpent.

³⁰The firstborn of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety; and I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant will be killed.

³¹Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.

³²What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people will take refuge.

¹The burden of Moab: for in a night, Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nothing.

²They have gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba. Baldness is on all of their heads. Every beard is cut off.

³In their streets, they dress themselves in sackcloth. In their streets and on their housetops, everyone wails, weeping abundantly.

⁴Heshbon cries out with Elealeh. Their voice is heard even to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud. Their souls tremble within them.

⁵My heart cries out for Moab! Her Nazirites flee to Zoar, to Eglath Shelishiyah; for they go up by the ascent of Luhith with weeping; for in the way of Horonaim, they raise up a cry of destruction.

⁶For the waters of Nimrim will be desolate; for the grass has withered away, the tender grass fails, there is no green thing.

⁷Therefore they will carry away the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have stored up, over the brook of the willows.

⁸For the cry has gone around the borders of Moab; its wailing to Eglaim, and its wailing to Beer Elim.

⁹For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more on Dimon, a lion on those of Moab who escape, and on the remnant of the land.

¹Send the lambs for the ruler of the land from Selah to the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.

²For it will be that as wandering birds, as a scattered nest, so will the daughters of Moab be at the fords of the Arnon.

³Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the midst of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Do not betray the fugitive!

⁴Let my outcasts dwell with you! As for Moab, be a hiding place for him from the face of the destroyer. For the extortioner is brought to nothing. Destruction ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land.

⁵A throne will be established in loving kindness. One will sit on it in truth, in the tent of David, judging, seeking justice, and swift to do righteousness.

⁶We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; even of his arrogance, his pride, and his wrath. His boastings are nothing.

⁷Therefore Moab will wail for Moab. Everyone will wail. You will mourn for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth, utterly stricken.

⁸For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness. Its shoots were spread abroad. They passed over the sea.

⁹Therefore I will weep with the weeping of Jazer for the vine of Sibmah. I will water you with my tears, Heshbon, and Elealeh: for on your summer fruits and on your harvest the battle shout has fallen.

¹⁰Gladness is taken away, and joy out of the fruitful field; and in the vineyards there will be no singing, neither joyful noise. Nobody will tread out wine in the presses. I have made the shouting stop.

¹¹Therefore my heart sounds like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts for Kir Heres.

¹²It will happen that when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail.

¹³This is the word that the Lord spoke concerning Moab in time past.

¹⁴But now the Lord has spoken, saying, "Within three years, as a worker bound by contract would count them, the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude; and the remnant will be very small and feeble."

¹My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul.

²Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.

³I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the nations. I will sing praises to you among the peoples.

⁴For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

⁵Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶That your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

⁷God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter.

⁹Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia."

¹⁰Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who has led me to Edom?

¹¹Haven't you rejected us, God? You do not go forth, God, with our armies.

¹²Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.

¹³Through God, we will do valiantly. For it is he who will tread down our enemies.

¹The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

²Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.

³The Lord will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.

⁴He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

⁵He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

⁷The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall.

⁹He who walks blamelessly walks surely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

¹⁰One winking with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

¹²Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

¹⁴Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.

¹⁵The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The labor of the righteous leads to life. The increase of the wicked leads to sin.

¹⁷He is in the way of life who heeds correction, but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.

¹⁸He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool.

¹⁹In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.

²⁰The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

²¹The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.

²²The Lord's blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

²³It is a fool's pleasure to do wickedness, but wisdom is a man of understanding's pleasure.

²⁴What the wicked fear, will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous stand firm forever.

²⁶As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

²⁷The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

²⁸The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish.

²⁹The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

³⁰The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.

³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

³²The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.