Through the Bible – Day 291

₁Who is this coming

from Bozrah in Edom

with clothes stained red?

Who is this hero marching

in his glorious uniform?

“It's me, the LORD!

I have won the battle,

and I can save you!”

₂What are those red spots?

Your clothes look stained

from trampling on grapes.

₃“I alone trampled the grapes!

None of the nations helped.

I trampled nations in my anger

and stained my clothes

with their blood.

₄I did this because I wanted

to take revenge—

the time had come

to rescue my people.

₅No one was there to help me

or to give support;

my mighty arm won the battle,

strengthened by my anger.

₆In my fury I trampled on nations

and made them drunk;

their blood poured out

everywhere on earth.”

₇I will tell about the kind deeds

the LORD has done.

They deserve praise!

The LORD has shown mercy

to the people of Israel;

he has been kind and good.

₈The LORD rescued his people,

and said, “They are mine.

They won't betray me.”

₉It troubled the LORD

to see them in trouble,

and his angel saved them.

The LORD was truly merciful,

so he rescued his people.

He took them in his arms

and carried them all those years.

₁₀Then the LORD's people

turned against him and made

his Holy Spirit sad.

So he became their enemy

and attacked them.

₁₁But his people remembered

what had happened

during the time of Moses.

Didn't the LORD bring them

and their leaders

safely through the sea?

Didn't he give them

his Holy Spirit?

₁₂The glorious power of the LORD

marched beside Moses.

The LORD will be praised for ever

for dividing the sea.

₁₃He led his people across

like horses running wild

without stumbling.

₁₄His Spirit gave them rest,

just as cattle find rest

when led into a valley.

The name of the LORD was praised

for doing these things.

₁₅Please, LORD, look down

from your holy and glorious

home in the heavens

and see what's going on.

Have you lost interest?

Where is your power?

Show that you care about us

and have mercy!

₁₆Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob

have both rejected us.

But you are still our Father;

you have been our protector

since ancient times.

₁₇Why did you make us turn away

from you, our LORD?

Why did you make us want

to disobey you?

Please change your mind!

We are your servants,

your very own people.

₁₈For a little while,

your temple belonged to us;

and now our enemies

have torn it down.

₁₉We act as though you

had never ruled us

or called us your people.

₁Rip the heavens apart!

Come down, LORD;

make the mountains tremble.

₂Be a spark that starts a fire

causing water to boil.

Then your enemies will know

who you are;

all nations will tremble

because you are nearby.

₃Your fearsome deeds

have completely amazed us;

even the mountains shake

when you come down.

₄You are the only God

ever seen or heard of

who works miracles

for his followers.

₅You help all who gladly obey

and do what you want,

but sin makes you angry.

Only by your help

can we ever be saved.

₆We are unfit to worship you;

each of our good deeds

is merely a filthy rag.

We dry up like leaves;

our sins are storm winds

sweeping us away.

₇No one worships in your name

or remains faithful.

You have turned your back on us

and let our sins melt us away.

₈You, LORD, are our Father.

We are nothing but clay,

but you are the potter

who moulded us.

₉Don't be so furious

or keep our sins

in your thoughts for ever!

Remember that all of us

are your people.

₁₀Every one of your towns

has turned into a desert,

especially Jerusalem.

₁₁Zion's glorious and holy temple

where our ancestors praised you

has been destroyed by fire.

Our beautiful buildings

are now a pile of ruins.

₁₂When you see these things,

how can you just sit there

and make us suffer more?

₁I, the LORD, was ready

to answer even those

who were not asking

and to be found by those

who were not searching.

To a nation that refused

to worship me,

I said, “Here I am!”

₂All day long I have reached out

to stubborn and sinful people

going their own way.

₃They keep making me angry

by sneering at me,

while offering sacrifices

to idols in gardens

and burning incense

to them on bricks.

₄They spend their nights

hiding in burial caves;

they eat the meat of pigs,

cooked in sauces

made of stuff unfit to eat.

₅And then they say to others,

“Don't come near us!

We're dedicated to God.”

Such people are like smoke,

irritating my nose all day.

₆I have written this down;

I won't keep silent.

I'll pay them back

just as their sins deserve.

₇I, the LORD, will make them pay

for their sins and for those

of their ancestors—

they have disgraced me

by burning incense

on mountains.

₈Here is what the LORD says:

A cluster of grapes

that produces wine

is worth keeping!

So, because of my servants,

I won't destroy everyone.

₉I have chosen the people

of Israel and Judah,

and I will bless them

with many descendants.

They will settle here

in this land of mountains,

and it will be theirs.

₁₀My people will worship me.

Then the coastlands of Sharon

and the land as far

as Achor Valley

will turn into pasture land

where cattle and sheep

will feed and rest.

₁₁What will I, the LORD, do

if any of you reject me

and my holy mountain?

What will happen to you

for offering food and wine

to the gods you call

“Good Luck” and “Fate”?

₁₂Your luck will end!

I will see to it that you

are slaughtered with swords.

You refused to answer

when I called out;

you paid no attention

to my instructions.

Instead, you did what I hated,

knowing it was wrong.

₁₃I, the LORD God, will give

food and drink to my servants,

and they will celebrate.

But all of you sinners

will go hungry and thirsty,

overcome with disgrace.

₁₄My servants will laugh and sing,

but you will be sad

and cry out in pain.

₁₅I, the LORD God, promise

to see that you are killed

and that my chosen servants use

your names as curse words.

But I will give new names

to my servants.

₁₆I am God! I can be trusted.

Your past troubles are gone;

I no longer think of them.

When you pray for someone

to receive a blessing,

or when you make a promise,

you must do it in my name.

I alone am the God

who can be trusted.

“Exercise is good

for your body,

but religion helps you

in every way.

It promises life

now and for ever.”