1 Woe is me! For I have become
as when the summer fruit has been gathered,
as when the grapes have been gleaned:
there is no cluster to eat,
no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.
2 The godly has perished from the earth,
and there is no one upright among mankind;
they all lie in wait for blood,
and each hunts the other with a net.
3 Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well;
the prince and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul;
thus they weave it together.
4 The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come;
now their confusion is at hand.
5 Put no trust in a neighbor;
have no confidence in a friend;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms;
6 for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. –Verses 1-6 show where evil leads. At the beginning the action of God is presented as an attempt to get people to go back, to repent of their behaviour and to walk God’s way. But then the terrible things that choosing evil leads to in society are presented!
This is now the hope of those who will trust in God and walk in His ways. Read on! 7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
8 Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be a light to me. – a list of very positive things!
9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me. – I know that I’m not perfect, God has some rough edges to knock off me, and He will!
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
10 Then my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is the LORD your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down
like the mire of the streets. – sadly, in the Bible, everything doesn’t end up ‘well’ for those who refuse to listen to their Creator! It isn’t a novel!
Proverbs 16: 16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Prayer: Please help me to choose aright and not just to drift or float through life.
As I read it! 