I called to the LORD, and he heard me. He heard my cries.

He lifted me out of the grave. He lifted me from that muddy place.

He picked me up, put me on solid ground, and kept my feet from slipping.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

Many will see what he did and worship him. They will put their trust in the LORD.

Great blessings belong to those who trust in the LORD.

The Lord says, “Walk up and down the streets of Jerusalem.     Look around and think about these things. Search the public squares of the city. See if you can find one person who does honest things. Find just one who searches for the truth. If you can, I will forgive this city. The people say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’     But they don’t really mean it.” Lord, don’t you look for truth in people? You hit the people of Judah. But they didn’t feel any pain. You crushed them, but they refused to learn what is right. They became more stubborn than a rock. They refused to turn back to God. But I thought, These are only the poor, foolish people. They have not learned the way of the Lord. They do not know what their God wants them to do. So I will go to the leaders of Judah. I will talk to them. Surely they understand the way of the Lord. They know what God wants them to do.” But the leaders had all joined together to break away from the Lord. They broke their ties with him.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues and told people the Good News about the kingdom. And he healed all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. He saw the crowds of people and felt sorry for them because they were worried and helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus said to his followers, “There are many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers to help harvest them. God owns the harvest. Pray to him that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest.”

International Children’s Bible

I looked for someone to build up the walls. I looked for someone to stand before me where the walls are broken to defend these people. Then I would not have to destroy them. But I did not find anyone.

New Living Translation

I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.