10 Poor me, mother, that you gave birth to me—

a man of strife and contention throughout the entire region.

I haven’t lent money or borrowed it

yet they all curse me.

11 Yahweh said,

Won’t I rescue you for good?

Won’t I make your enemies plead with you

in a time of evil and distress?

12 Can anyone break iron—

iron from the north, or bronze?

13 I’ll give your wealth and treasures to your enemies as plunder without them having to pay

as the price for all your sins committed across all your territories.

14 Then I’ll make you serve your enemies in a land that you hadn’t been to before

because the fire of my anger towards you all has been kindled and will burn.

15 Yahweh, you know my situation.

Take note of my situation and bring your vengeance to those harassing me.

Don’t be patient with them and let them take me away.

Know that I suffer reproach for your sake.

16 Your messages were found and I consumed them.

Your message to me made me happy and gave me cause for celebration

because I bear your name, Commander-in-chief Yahweh, god of armies.

17 I didn’t sit among the gathering of the merry makers,

but rather, I enjoyed feeling your presence.

I sat alone because you’d filled me with indignation.

18 Why is my pain ongoing and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?

Will you be like a spring that lets me down when its supply is unreliable?

19 So Yahweh said this:

If you return to me, then I’ll restore you and you’ll stand in front of me

because if you separate out the foolish things from the precious things,

you will be like my mouth. The people will come back to you,

but you yourself mustn’t go back to them.

20 I’ll make you like an impenetrable bronze wall to this people,

and they’ll fight against you.

However, they won’t defeat you,

because I’ll be with you to save you, and to rescue you.

That is Yahweh’s declaration. 21 Then I’ll rescue you from the plots of wicked people

≈ and I’ll buy your freedom from the ruthless people.