Jerusalem

3 Woe to the city of oppressors,
    rebellious and defiled!
² She obeys no one,
    she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
    she does not draw near to her God.
³ Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;
her rulers are evening wolves,
    who leave nothing for the morning.
⁴ Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.
⁵ The Lord within her is righteous;
    he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
    and every new day he does not fail,
    yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Jerusalem remains unrepentant

⁶ ‘I have destroyed nations;
    their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
    with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;
    they are deserted and empty.
⁷ Of Jerusalem I thought,
    “Surely you will fear me
    and accept correction!”
Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed,
    nor all my punishments come upon her.
But they were still eager
    to act corruptly in all they did.
⁸ Therefore wait for me,’
    declares the Lord,
    ‘for the day I will stand up to testify.
I have decided to assemble the nations,
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath on them –
    all my fierce anger.
The whole world will be consumed
    by the fire of my jealous anger.

Restoration of Israel’s remnant

⁹ ‘Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my worshippers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.
¹¹ On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.
¹² But I will leave within you
    the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust in the name of the Lord.
¹³ They will do no wrong;
    they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
    and no one will make them afraid.’