God’s Judgment on the Nations
1 Who is this coming from Edom,
from Bozrah, with his garments stained red?
Who is this who is so splendidly clothed,
marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, the Lord, who is mighty to save,
announcing victory.”
2 Why is your clothing red,
and your garments like that of someone who treads in the wine vat?
3 “I have trodden the wine press alone.
Of the peoples, no one was with me.
Yes, I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath.
Their lifeblood is sprinkled on my garments,
and I have stained all my clothing.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year of my redemption had come.
5 I looked, and there was no one to help;
and I wondered that there was no one to uphold me.
Therefore my own arm brought salvation to me.
My own wrath upheld me.
6 I trod down the peoples in my anger
and made them drunk in my wrath.
I poured their lifeblood out on the earth.”
God’s Mercies Recalled
7 I will tell of the loving kindnesses of the Lord
and the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has given to us
and the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
which he has given to them according to his mercies,
and according to the abundance of his loving kindnesses.
8 For he said, “Surely, they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely,”
so he became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering he suffered,
and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and in his pity he redeemed them.
He bore them
and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
Therefore he turned and became their enemy,
and he himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people, saying,
“Where is he who brought them out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put
his Holy Spirit among them?”
12 Who caused his glorious arm
to be at Moses’ right hand?
Who divided the waters before them,
to make himself an everlasting name?
13 Who led them through the depths,
like a horse in the wilderness,
to keep them from stumbling?
14 As the livestock that go down into the valley,
The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
Prayer for Mercy
15 Look down from heaven
and see from your lofty dwelling place,
glorious and holy.
Where is your zeal and your mighty acts?
The yearning of your heart and your compassion
is restrained toward me.
16 For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, Lord, are our Father.
Our Redeemer from of Old is your name.
17 O Lord, why do you let us wander from your ways
and harden our heart from fear of you?
Return for your servants’ sake,
the tribes of your inheritance.
18 Your holy people possessed it but a little while.
Our adversaries have trodden down your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those over whom you never ruled,
like those who were not called by your name.