The final triumph and prosperity of Jerusalem

Forgiveness and prosperity

18 Therefore the Lord waits

to show unto you his favour,

and therefore he arises

to reveal his pity upon you;

for the Lord is God of justice:

happy all who long for him.

19 For, O people of Zion who dwell in Jerusalem,

tears will be yours no more.

He will show you his gracious favour;

at the (faintest) sound of your cry,

he will answer you, soon as he hears it.

20 And though the Lord may give unto you

scant measure of bread and scarceness of water,

yet your teacher no more will withdraw,

but your eyes will behold your teacher.

21 When you swerves to right of left,

you will hear a voice behind you.

‘This is the way: walk here.’

22 And your images you will defile –

whether carved and plated with silver,

or molten and covered with gold.

Like an unclean thing you will scatter them,

saying to them, ‘Begone.’

23 Rain he will give for your seed,

wherewith you sow the ground;

and the wheat that springs from the ground

will rich and abundant be.

In that day will your cattle

graze over pastures broad.

24 The oxen and asses that till the ground

will feast upon salted provender,

that with shovel and fork has been winnowed.

25 On every lofty mountain,

on every hill that is high,

will be streams of running water,

on the day of vast slaughter and falling towers.

26 And the moonlight will be as the sunlight,

and the sun will be sevenfold brighter than now,

in the day that the Lord upbinds

the hurt of his people,

and heals the wound that has smitten them.

The glorious triumph

27 Behold, the Lord comes from afar

in thick rising clouds and with anger that blazes,

with lips that are filled with rage,

and tongue like devouring fire,

28 with breadth like a rushing torrent,

that reaches up to the neck,

to sift till the nations are sifted to nothing,

to bridle their jaws and to lead them to ruin.

29 Then a song you will sing like the song

in the night of a holy festival;

and gladness of heart will be yours,

as is his, who, to sound of flute,

sets forth for the Mount of the Lord,

to (worship) the rock of Israel.

30 The Lord will utter his glorious voice,

he will bring down his arm in the sight of all,

in furious indignation,

and flame of devouring fire,

in cloud-burst and rain-storm and hailstones.

31 At the thunder-voice of the Lord,

when he smiles with the rod,

will Assyria be stricken with terror.

32 And each stroke of the rod of destiny,

that the Lord lays upon him,

will fall to the music of timbrel and lute;

and with brandished arm he will fight against them.

33 For already a pyre is prepared,

constructed wide and deep,

piled high with blazing wood,

and fired by the breath of the Lord,

as by a stream of brimstone.