“And the inhabitant of this coastland shall say in that day, ‘See, such is our expectation, wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the sovereign of Ashshur. And how do we escape?’ ”
O Expectation of Yisra’ĕl, its Saviour in time of distress, why should You be like a stranger in the land, or like a traveller who turns aside to lodge?
saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their calamity they say, ‘Arise and save us.’
“But where are your mighty ones that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, see if they save you in the time of your calamity. Because your mighty ones have become as many as your cities, O Yehuḏah.
And you, do not fear, O Ya‛aqoḇ My servant,’ declares יהוה, ‘nor be discouraged, O Yisra’ĕl. For look, I am saving you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. And Ya‛aqoḇ shall return, and have rest and be at ease, with no one to trouble him.
“Is it naught to you, All you who pass by? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain, Which has been brought on me, Which יהוה has inflicted on me In the day of His burning displeasure.
How shall I admonish you, To what shall I compare you, O daughter of Yerushalayim? To what shall I liken you to comfort you, O maiden daughter of Tsiyon? For your breach is as great as the sea. Who shall heal you?
And the crookedness of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Seḏom, Which was overthrown in a moment, And no hands were wrung over her!
“Now at that time Miḵa’ĕl shall stand up, the great head who is standing over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of distress, such as never was since there was a nation, until that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book,
“And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our rulers who judged us, by bringing upon us great evil. For under all the heavens there has not been done like what was done to Yerushalayim.
“And the children of Yehuḏah and the children of Yisra’ĕl shall be gathered together, and appoint for themselves one head, and shall come up out of the earth, for great is the day of Yizre‛ĕl!
And יהוה shall give forth His voice before His army, for His camp is very great, for mighty is the doer of His word. For the day of יהוה is great and very awesome, and who does bear it?
I heard, and my body trembled, My lips quivered at the sound, Rottenness came into my bones. And I trembled within myself, That I might rest for the day of distress, To come upon the people who would attack us.
“For look, the day shall come, burning like a furnace, and all the proud, and every wrongdoer shall be stubble. And the day that shall come shall burn them up,” said יהוה of hosts, “which leaves to them neither root nor branch.
“For in those days there shall be distress, such as has not been from the beginning of creation which Elohim created until this time, nor ever shall be.