7 

Alas for us, alas!

As when the fruit is gathered,

and the vintage gleaned,

there is no bunch of grapes to eat,

no choice morsel of a fig,

2 

so the devout have vanished from the land,

not one honest soul remains;

everyone lurks for bloodshed,

each man preys upon his fellow.

3 

They have quick fingers for foul play;

the judge must handle a bribe,

the high official acts as be pleases,

and between them they baffle justice.

4 

The best of them are no better than briars,

the straightest are like thorns twisted in a hedge.

Their hour of punishment is coming;

it will be wrack and ruin.

5 

Never trust your fellow,

never confide in a friend;

keep your secret close

from the wife of your own bosom.

6 

For sons insult their fathers,

girls defy their mothers,

daughters-in-law defy their mothers-in-law,

and a man’s household are his enemies.

7 

As for me, I will look out for the Eternal,

I will await my saviour God;

my God will aid me.

8 

Exult not over me, my enemies;

though I fall, I rise,

though I sit in darkness, the Eternal is my light.

9 

For my sin against him,

the Eternal’s anger I must bear,

until he takes my part

and vindicates my right;

then will he bring me out to light,

and I shall see him triumphing.

10 

My foes shall be confounded at the sight;

“Where is your God?” they sneer to-day,

but then my eyes will gloat on them,

crushed underfoot like muddy clay.

11 

The day comes for your walls to be mended,

the day for frontiers to be far extended,

12 

the day when folk come home to you

from Assyria and from Egypt,

from Egypt even to the Euphrates,

from sea to sea, from range to range,

13 

though all the world lies desolate

in retribution for its pagan ways.

14 

O shepherd, guide thy people,

thine own flock,

so lonely, lonely like a wild patch

within a garden.

Let Bashan and let Gilead be their pasture

as in days of old;

15 

and grant us to behold

wonders as at thy coming out of Egypt.

16 

Let the nations despair of their might,

at the sight!

Let them cover their mouths,

struck dumb and deaf,

17 

let them grovel in the dust like serpents,

crawling creatures,

and creep out trembling from their holes,

in terror before thee, our God!

18 

Who is a God like thee?--forgiving sins

and passing over wrong,

in the survivors of thy folk,

not holding to thine anger for all time,

delighting to be merciful;

19 

thou wilt have pity upon us again,

and wash off our iniquities.

Thou wilt sink all our sins deep in the sea;

20 

thou wilt prove faithful to Jacob

and loving to Abraham,

as from of old thou hast sworn to our fathers.