The Lover to His Beloved: My darling, you are as beautiful as Tirzah, ¹  as lovely as Jerusalem, ²  as awe-inspiring ³  as bannered armies!

At that time ¹  the Lord who commands armies will become a beautiful crown and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people.

Her fortresses will be overgrown with thorns; thickets and weeds will grow ¹  in her fortified cities. Jackals will settle there; ostriches will live there. ² 

You will be reestablished when I vindicate you. ¹  You will not experience oppression; ²  indeed, you will not be afraid. You will not be terrified, ³  for nothing frightening ⁴  will come near you.

This is what the Lord says, “Promote ¹  justice! Do what is right! For I am ready to deliver you; I am ready to vindicate you openly. ² 

You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal turban in the hand of your God.

You must change ¹  the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly. ² 

Many foreign rulers ¹  will ruin the land where I planted my people. ²  They will trample all over my chosen land. ³  They will turn my beautiful land into a desolate wasteland.

I dressed you in embroidered clothing and put fine leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.

When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life.

It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters.

I made it beautiful with its many branches; all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, envied it.

Then with smooth words he will defile ¹  those who have rejected ²  the covenant. But the people who are loyal to ³  their God will act valiantly. ⁴ 

How precious and fair! ¹  Grain will make the young men flourish and new wine the young women.

What ¹  did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? ²  Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! ³ 

Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ ¹  When it returns, ²  it finds the house ³  empty, swept clean, and put in order. ⁴ 

He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’

They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’

“Woe to you, experts in the law ¹  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You ²  build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves ³  of the righteous.

He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” ¹