121  I have done what is just and right;

do not leave me to my oppressors.

122  Give your servant ^la pledge of good;

let not ^mthe insolent oppress me.

123  My ⁿeyes long for your salvation

and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.

124  Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,

and ^oteach me your statutes.

125  I am your ^pservant; ^qgive me understanding,

that I may know your testimonies!

126  It is time for the Lord to act,

for your law has been broken.

127  Therefore I ^rlove your commandments

above gold, above fine gold.

128  Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;

I hate every ^sfalse way.

129  Your testimonies are ^twonderful;

therefore my soul ^ukeeps them.

130  The unfolding of your words gives light;

it imparts ^vunderstanding to the simple.

131  I ^wopen my mouth and ^xpant,

because I ^ylong for your commandments.

132  ^zTurn to me and be gracious to me,

as is your way with those who love your name.

133  ^aKeep steady my steps according to your promise,

and let no iniquity ^bget dominion over me.

134  ^cRedeem me from man’s oppression,

that I may keep your precepts.

135  ^dMake your face shine upon your servant,

and ^eteach me your statutes.

136  My eyes ^fshed streams of tears,

because people ^gdo not keep your law.

1  Woe to ^pthe bloody city,

all full of lies and plunder—

^qno end to the prey!

2  The crack of the whip, and ^rrumble of the wheel,

^sgalloping horse and ^tbounding chariot!

3  Horsemen charging,

flashing sword and ^uglittering spear,

^vhosts of slain,

heaps of corpses,

dead bodies without end—

they stumble over the bodies!

4  And all for the countless whorings of the ^wprostitute,

^xgraceful and of deadly charms,

who betrays nations with her whorings,

and peoples with her charms.

5  ^mBehold, I am against you,

declares the Lord of hosts,

and ^ywill lift up your skirts over your face;

and I will make nations look at ^zyour nakedness

and kingdoms at your shame.

6  I will throw filth at you

and ^atreat you with contempt

and make you ^ba spectacle.

7  And all who look at you ^cwill shrink from you and say,

“Wasted is ^dNineveh; ^ewho will grieve for her?”

^fWhere shall I seek comforters for you?

8  ^gAre you better than ^hThebes¹

that sat ⁱby the Nile,

with water around her,

her rampart a sea,

and water her wall?

9  ^jCush was her strength;

Egypt too, and that without limit;

^kPut and the ^lLibyans were her² helpers.

10  ^mYet she became an exile;

she went into captivity;

ⁿher infants were dashed in pieces

at the head of every street;

for her honored men ^olots were cast,

^pand all her great men were bound in chains.

11  ^qYou also will be drunken;

you will go into hiding;

^ryou will seek a refuge from the enemy.

12  All your fortresses are ^slike fig trees

with first-ripe figs—

if shaken they fall

into the mouth of the eater.

13  Behold, your troops

^tare women in your midst.

The gates of your land

are wide open to your enemies;

fire has devoured your bars.

14  ^uDraw water for the siege;

^rstrengthen your forts;

go into the clay;

tread the mortar;

take hold of the brick mold!

15  There will the fire devour you;

the sword will cut you off.

It will ^vdevour you ^wlike the locust.

Multiply yourselves ^wlike the locust;

multiply ^wlike the grasshopper!

16  You increased ^xyour merchants

more than the stars of the heavens.

^wThe locust spreads its wings and flies away.

17  Your ^zprinces are ^wlike grasshoppers,

^ayour scribes³ like clouds of locusts

settling on the fences

in a day of cold—

when the sun rises, they fly away;

no one knows where they are.

18  Your shepherds ^bare asleep,

O king of Assyria;

^cyour nobles slumber.

Your people ^dare scattered on the mountains

with none to gather them.

19  There is no easing your hurt;

^eyour wound is grievous.

All who hear the news about you

^fclap their hands over you.

For ^gupon whom has not come

your unceasing evil?