<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">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">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="poetry">Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who also accumulate landed property<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">until there is no land left,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and you are the only landowners remaining within the land.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,p> <p class="poetry">who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The many nations massing together are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea&#8217;s waves.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The people making such an uproar are as good as dead,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The splendid crown of Ephraim&#8217;s drunkards is doomed,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the withering flower, its beautiful splendor,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">situated<n id="3" /> at the head of a rich valley,p> <p class="poetry">the crown of those overcome with wine.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who try to hide their plans from the <sc>Lordsc> are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who do their work in secret and boast,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Who sees us? Who knows what we&#8217;re doing?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;The rebellious<n id="1" /> children are as good as dead,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;those who make plans without consulting me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">who form alliances without consulting my Spirit,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and thereby compound their sin.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The destroyer is as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have not been destroyed!p> <p class="poetry">The deceitful one is as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the one whom others have not deceived!p> <p class="poetry">When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;p> <p class="poetry">when you finish<n id="3" /> deceiving, others will deceive you!p>

<t /><p class="poetry">One who argues with his creator is in grave danger,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">one who is like a mere<n id="2" /> shard among the other shards on the ground!p> <p class="poetry">The clay should not say to the potter,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;What in the world<n id="4" /> are you doing?p> <p class="poetry">Your work lacks skill!&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">The sinful nation is as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the people weighed down by evil deeds.p> <p class="poetry">They are offspring who do wrong,p> <p class="poetry">children<n id="3" /> who do wicked things.p> <p class="poetry">They have abandoned the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">and rejected the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They are alienated from him.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who rely on war horses,p> <p class="poetry">and trust in Egypt&#8217;s many chariots<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and in their many, many horsemen.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and do not seek help from the <sc>Lordsc>.p>