Tuesday, December 5

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;

    I will assemble the exiles

    and those I have brought to grief.

7 

I will make the lame my remnant,

    those driven away a strong nation.

The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion

    from that day and forever.

8 

As for you, watchtower of the flock,

    stronghold[a] of Daughter Zion,

the former dominion will be restored to you;

    kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.”

9 

Why do you now cry aloud—

    have you no king[b]?

Has your ruler[c] perished,

    that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?

10 

Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,

    like a woman in labor,

for now you must leave the city

    to camp in the open field.

You will go to Babylon;

    there you will be rescued.

There the Lord will redeem you

    out of the hand of your enemies.

11 

But now many nations

    are gathered against you.

They say, “Let her be defiled,

    let our eyes gloat over Zion!”

12 

But they do not know

    the thoughts of the Lord;

they do not understand his plan,

    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

13 

“Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,

    for I will give you horns of iron;

I will give you hooves of bronze,

    and you will break to pieces many nations.”

You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,

    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.