Daily Bread

10 Woe^(A) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,^(B)
2 to deprive^(C) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^(D)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.^(E)
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,^(F)
    when disaster^(G) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?^(H)
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴ Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^(I)
    or fall among the slain.^(J)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(K)
    his hand is still upraised.

“‘By the strength of my hand^(AK) I have done this,^(AL)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;^(AM)
    like a mighty one I subdued^[a] their kings.^(AN)
14 As one reaches into a nest,^(AO)
    so my hand reached for the wealth^(AP) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;^(AQ)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.^(AR)’”

¹⁵ Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?^(AS)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club^(AT) brandish the one who is not wood!
¹⁶ Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease^(AU) upon his sturdy warriors;^(AV)
under his pomp^(AW) a fire^(AX) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
¹⁷ The Light of Israel will become a fire,^(AY)
    their Holy One^(AZ) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns^(BA) and his briers.^(BB)
18 The splendor of his forests^(BC) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,^(BD)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
¹⁹ And the remaining trees of his forests^(BE) will be so few^(BF)
    that a child could write them down.

“My people who live in Zion,^(BU)
    do not be afraid^(BV) of the Assyrians,
who beat^(BW) you with a rod^(BX)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵ Very soon^(BY) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath^(BZ) will be directed to their destruction.^(CA)”

²⁶ The Lord Almighty will lash^(CB) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian^(CC) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff^(CD) over the waters,^(CE)
    as he did in Egypt.
²⁷ In that day^(CF) their burden^(CG) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke^(CH) from your neck;^(CI)
the yoke^(CJ) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.^[c]

²⁸ They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;^(CK)
    they store supplies^(CL) at Mikmash.^(CM)
29 They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.^(CN)”
Ramah^(CO) trembles;
    Gibeah^(CP) of Saul flees.^(CQ)
30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim!^(CR)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!^(CS)
31 Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
³² This day they will halt at Nob;^(CT)
    they will shake their fist^(CU)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,^(CV)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³ See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off^(CW) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,^(CX)
    the tall^(CY) ones will be brought low.^(CZ)
34 He will cut down^(DA) the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon^(DB) will fall before the Mighty One.^(DC)