Because of their distress, they turned back to the Lord God of Israel. They sought him and he responded to them. ¹ 

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the former exiles ¹  were building a temple for the Lord God of Israel,

“Therefore, ¹  I will not refrain my mouth; ²  I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain ³  in the bitterness of my soul.

His ¹  anger has torn me ²  and persecuted ³  me; he has gnashed at me with his teeth; my adversary locks ⁴  his eyes on me.

And surely, he drew you ¹  from the mouth of distress, to a wide place, unrestricted, ²  and to the comfort ³  of your table filled with rich food. ⁴ 

Then ¹  my enemy will say, “I have defeated him!” Then ²  my foes will rejoice because I am upended.

When evil men attack me ¹  to devour my flesh, ²  when my adversaries and enemies attack me, ³  they stumble and fall. ⁴ 

Do not turn me over to my enemies, ¹  for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. ² 

You are my hiding place; you protect me from distress. You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. ¹  (Selah)

How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults? Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

They did not remember what he had done, ¹  how he delivered them from the enemy, ² 

Therefore, the sovereign Lord who commands armies, ¹  the powerful ruler of Israel, ²  says this: “Ah, I will seek vengeance ³  against my adversaries, I will take revenge against my enemies. ⁴ 

Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are prepared. ¹  The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, ²  and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. ³ 

Then the Lord provoked ¹  their adversaries to attack them, ²  he stirred up ³  their enemies –

Yet the children born during your time of bereavement will say within your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for us, ¹  make room for us so we can live here.’ ² 

He repays them for what they have done, dispensing angry judgment to his adversaries and punishing his enemies. ¹  He repays the coastlands. ² 

I will ignite a fire in Egypt; Syene ¹  will writhe in agony, Thebes will be broken down, and Memphis will face enemies every day.

Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. ¹  Then they will seek me; ²  in their distress they will earnestly seek me.

Lift your hand triumphantly against your adversaries; ¹  may all your enemies be destroyed! ² 

Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from ¹  their adversaries.