לְאֹם

…and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

Let the assembled peoples gather around You; take Your seat over them on high.

He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity.

With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out.

He subdues nations beneath us, and peoples under our feet.

You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples justly and lead the nations of the earth. Selah

He gave them the lands of the nations, that they might inherit the fruit of others’ labor,

…kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth,

The people will curse the hoarder of grain, but blessing will crown the one who sells it.

A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;

Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.

The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale.

Come near, O nations, to listen; pay attention, O peoples. Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that springs from it.

“Be silent before Me, O islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come forward and testify; let us together draw near for judgment.

Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.

All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and proclaim to us the former things? Let them present their witnesses to vindicate them, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”

Listen to Me, O islands; pay attention, O distant peoples: The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.

Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation; for a law will go out from Me, and My justice will become a light to the nations; I will bring it about quickly.

Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples.

For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves to fuel the flames.”

Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?