<p class="poetry">Those who think they are wise are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who think they possess understanding.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> has this to say about Josiah&#8217;s son, King Jehoiakim of Judah:p> <p class="poetry">People will not mourn for him, saying,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;This makes me sad, my brother!p> <p class="poetry">This makes me sad, my sister!&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">They will not mourn for him, saying,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Poor, poor lord! Poor, poor majesty!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The filthy,<n id="1" /> stained city is as good as dead;p> <p class="poetry">the city filled with oppressors is finished!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;You there!<n id="1" /> Flee from the northland!&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;for like the four winds of heaven<n id="2" /> I have scattered you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.

He put the corpse into his own tomb, and they<n id="1" /> mourned over him, saying, &#8220;Ah, my brother!&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who pull sin as with cart ropes.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who are champions<n id="1" /> at drinking wine are as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">who display great courage when mixing strong drinks.p>

<p class="poetry">Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who are always instituting unfair regulations,<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">a cudgel with which I angrily punish.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The land of buzzing wings is as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the one beyond the rivers of Cush,p>

<p class="poetry">Danger awaits one who says<n id="1" /> to his father,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;What in the world<n id="2" /> are you fathering?&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">and to his mother,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;What in the world are you bringing forth?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he who starts<n id="2" /> a town by unjust deeds.p>

&#8220;Escape, Zion, you who live among the Babylonians!&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">Therefore, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the powerful ruler of Israel,<n id="2" /> says this:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Ah, I will seek vengeance<n id="3" /> against my adversaries,p> <p class="poetry">I will take revenge against my enemies.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who get up early to drink beer are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who keep drinking long after darkp> <p class="poetry">until they are intoxicated with wine.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Ariel is as good as dead<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">Ariel, the town David besieged!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Keep observing your annual rituals,p> <p class="poetry">celebrate your festivals on schedule.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The leaders of my people are sure to be judged.<n id="2" /> They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">How long will you cry out,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Oh, sword of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">how long will it be before you stop killing?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Go back into your sheath!p> <p class="poetry">Stay there and rest!&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Kill all her soldiers!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them be slaughtered!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They are doomed,<n id="3" /> for their day of reckoning<n id="4" /> has come,p> <p class="poetry">the time for them to be punished.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Woe to the city guilty of bloodshed!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">She is full of lies;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">she is filled with plunder;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">she has hoarded her spoil!<n id="4" />p>