1  O God, ^dthe nations have come into your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple;

they have laid Jerusalem in ^eruins.

2  They have given the ^fbodies of your servants

to the birds of the heavens for food,

the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

3  They have poured out their blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there was ^gno one to bury them.

4  We have become a taunt to our neighbors,

^hmocked and derided by those around us.

5  ⁱHow long, O Lord? ^jWill you be angry forever?

Will your jealousy burn like fire?

6  ^kPour out your anger on the nations

that do not know you,

and on the kingdoms

that do not call upon your name!

7  ^lFor they have devoured Jacob

and laid waste his habitation.

8  Do not ^mremember against us our former iniquities;¹

let your compassion come speedily ⁿto meet us,

for we are brought very low.

9  ^oHelp us, O God of our salvation,

for the glory of your name;

deliver us, and ^patone for our sins,

^qfor your name’s sake!

10  Why should the nations say,

^r“Where is their God?”

Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants

be known among the nations before our eyes!

11  ^sLet the groans of the prisoners come before you;

according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!

12  Return ^tsevenfold into the lap of our neighbors

the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!

13  But we your people, the ^usheep of your pasture,

^vwill give thanks to you forever;

from generation to generation we will recount your ^wpraise.

15  ^mBlow the trumpet in Zion;

ⁿconsecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly;

16  gather the people.

Consecrate the congregation;

assemble the ^oelders;

gather the children,

even nursing infants.

Let the bridegroom leave his room,

and the bride her chamber.

17  ^pBetween the vestibule and the altar

^qlet the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep

and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,

and make not your heritage a ^rreproach,

a byword among the nations.¹

Why should they say among the peoples,

^s‘Where is their God?’”

18  Then the Lord became ^tjealous for his land

and had pity on his people.

19  The Lord answered and said to his people,

“Behold, I am sending to you

^ugrain, wine, and oil,

and you will be satisfied;

and I will no more make you

a reproach among the nations.

20  “I will remove the northerner far from you,

and drive him into a parched and desolate land,

his vanguard² into the ^veastern sea,

and his rear guard³ into the ^wwestern sea;

the ^xstench and foul smell of him will rise,

for he has done great things.

21  “Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice,

for ^ythe Lord has done great things!

22  Fear not, you ^zbeasts of the field,

for the ^apastures of the wilderness are green;

the tree bears its fruit;

the ^bfig tree and vine give their full yield.

23  “Be glad, O children of Zion,

and rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given the early rain for your vindication;

he has poured down for you abundant rain,

^cthe early and the latter rain, as before.

24  “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;

the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25  I will restore⁴ to you the years

that the ^dswarming locust has eaten,

the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,

^emy great army, which I sent among you.

26  “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the Lord your God,

who has dealt wondrously with you.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

27  You shall know that I am ^fin the midst of Israel,

and ^gthat I am the Lord your God and there is none else.

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

^s“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25  but the word of the Lord remains forever.”