Alas, oh land of whirring wings Which lies beyond the rivers of 1 aCush,
2Which sends envoys by the sea, Even in apapyrus vessels on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation 1 btall and smooth, To a people cfeared 2far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide.
3aAll you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, As soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, byou will see it, And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it.
4For thus the LORD has told me, "I will look 1from My adwelling place quietly Like dazzling heat in the 2 bsunshine, Like a cloud of cdew in the heat of harvest."
5For abefore the harvest, as soon as the bud 1blossoms And the flower becomes a ripening grape, Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives And remove and cut away the spreading branches.
6They will be left together for mountain birds aof prey, And for the beasts of the earth; And the birds of prey will spend the summer feeding on them, And all the beasts of the earth will spend harvest time on them.
7At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the LORD of hosts 1From a apeople 2tall and smooth, Even from a people feared 3far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation, Whose land the rivers divide-- To the bplace of the name of the LORD of hosts, even Mount Zion.