You contendedwith them by banishingthem, by drivingthem away.With His fiercewindHe has expelled[them] on the dayof the eastwind.
"Would He contendwith me by the greatnessof [His] power?No,surelyHe would payattentionto me.
For He Himselfknowsour frame;He is mindfulthat we are [but] dust.
He will not alwaysstrive[with us], Norwill He keep[His anger] forever.
O LORD,rebukeme not in Your wrath,And chastenme not in Your burninganger.
O LORD,do not rebukeme in Your anger,Norchastenme in Your wrath.
For the wrathof manshall praiseYou; With a remnantof wrathYou will girdYourself.
But He, being compassionate,forgave[their] iniquityand did not destroy[them]; And oftenHe restrainedHis angerAnd did not arouseallHis wrath.
Wherewill you be strickenagain,[As] you continuein [your] rebellion?The wholeheadis sickAnd the wholeheartis faint.
So it will be that whenthe Lordhas completedallHis workon MountZionand on Jerusalem,[He will say], "I will punishthe fruitof the arrogantheartof the kingof Assyriaand the pompof his haughtiness."
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whereis the certificateof divorceBy whichI have sentyour motheraway?Orto whomof My creditorsdid I sellyou? Behold,you were soldfor your iniquities,And for your transgressionsyour motherwas sentaway.
"For a briefmomentI forsookyou, But with greatcompassionI will gatheryou.
"For I will not contendforever,Norwill I alwaysbe angry;For the spiritwould growfaintbeforeMe, And the breath[of those whom] I have made.
You meethim who rejoicesin doingrighteousness,Who remembersYou in Your ways.Behold,You were angry,for we sinned,[We continued] in them a longtime;And shall we be saved?
Correctme, O LORD,but with justice;Not with Your anger,orYou will bringme to nothing.
For I am with you,' declaresthe LORD,'to saveyou; For I will destroycompletelyallthe nationswhereI have scatteredyou, OnlyI will not destroyyou completely.But I will chastenyou justlyAnd will by nomeansleaveyou unpunished.'
In that timeit will be saidto thispeopleand to Jerusalem,"A scorchingwindfrom the bareheightsin the wildernessin the directionof the daughterof My people--not to winnowand not to cleanse,
For thussaysthe LORD,"The wholelandshall be a desolation,Yet I will not executea completedestruction.
"O JacobMy servant,do not fear,"declaresthe LORD,"For I am with you. For I will makea fullendof allthe nationsWhereI have drivenyou, Yet I will not makea fullendof you; But I will correctyou properlyAnd by nomeansleaveyou unpunished."
For the Lordwill not rejectforever,
For ifHe causesgrief,Then He will havecompassionAccording to His abundantlovingkindness.
But it was pluckedup in fury;It was castdownto the ground;And the eastwinddriedup its fruit.Its strongbranchwas tornoffSo that it withered;The fireconsumedit.
Thoughhe flourishesamongthe reeds,An eastwindwill come,The windof the LORDcomingup from the wilderness;And his fountainwill becomedryAnd his springwill be driedup; It will plunder[his] treasuryof everypreciousarticle.
Listento the wordof the LORD,O sonsof Israel,For the LORDhas a caseagainstthe inhabitantsof the land,Becausethereis nofaithfulnessor kindnessOr knowledgeof Godin the land.
Notemptationhas overtakenyou but such as is common to man;and Godis faithful,whowill not allowyou to be temptedbeyondwhatyou are able,but with the temptationwill providethe way of escapealso,so that you will be ableto endureit.
In thisyou greatly rejoice,even though nowfor a little while,ifnecessary,you have been distressedby varioustrials,
