15. People yell at them, “Get out of here, dirty old men!Get lost, don’t touch us, don’t infect us!”They have to leave town. They wander off.Nobody wants them to stay here.Everyone knows, wherever they wander,that they’ve been kicked out of their own hometown.
16. God himself scattered them.No longer does he look out for them.He has nothing to do with the priests;he cares nothing for the elders.
17. We watched and watched,wore our eyes out looking for help. And nothing.We mounted our lookouts and lookedfor the help that never showed up.
18. They tracked us down, those hunters.It wasn’t safe to go out in the street.Our end was near, our days numbered.We were doomed.
19. They came after us faster than eagles in flight,pressed us hard in the mountains, ambushed us in the desert.
20. Our king, our life’s breath, the anointed of God,was caught in their traps—Our king under whose protectionwe always said we’d live.
21. Celebrate while you can, O Edom!Live it up in Uz!For it won’t be long before you drink this cup, too.You’ll find out what it’s like to drink God’s wrath,Get drunk on God’s wrathand wake up with nothing, stripped naked.
22. And that’s it for you, Zion. The punishment’s complete.You won’t have to go through this exile again.But Edom, your time is coming:He’ll punish your evil life, put all your sins on display.