<p class="poetry">Therefore you<n id="1" /> will have to say farewell<n id="2" /> to Moresheth Gath.p> <p class="poetry">The residents<n id="3" /> of Achzib<n id="4" /> will be as disappointingp> <p class="poetry">as a dried up well<n id="5" /> to the kings of Israel.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Residents of Mareshah,<n id="1" /> a conqueror will attack you,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the leaders of Israel shall flee to Adullam.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">All this is because of Jacob&#8217;s rebellionp> <p class="poetry">and<n id="1" /> the sins of the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">How has Jacob rebelled, you ask?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Samaria epitomizes their rebellion!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Where are Judah&#8217;s pagan worship centers, you ask?<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">They are right in Jerusalem!<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Residents of Lachish,<n id="1" /> hitch the horses to the chariots!p> <p class="poetry">You<n id="2" /> influenced Daughter Zion<n id="3" /> to sin,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for Israel&#8217;s rebellious deeds can be traced back<n id="5" /> to you!p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I will certainly gather all of you, O Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">I will certainly assemble those Israelites who remain.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will bring them together like sheep in a fold,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">like a flock in the middle of a pasture;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">they will be so numerous that they will make a lot of noise.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen, you leaders<n id="1" /> of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">you rulers of the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel!p> <p class="poetry">You ought to know what is just,<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But I<n id="1" /> am full of the courage that the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s Spirit gives,p> <p class="poetry">and have a strong commitment to justice.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,p> <p class="poetry">and Israel with its sin.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to this, you leaders of the family<n id="1" /> of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">you rulers of the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel!p> <p class="poetry">You<n id="3" /> hate justicep> <p class="poetry">and pervert all that is right.p>

<p class="poetry"><v id="(4:14)" /><n id="1" /> But now slash yourself,<n id="2" /> daughter surrounded by soldiers!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">We are besieged!p> <p class="poetry">With a scepter<n id="4" /> they strike Israel&#8217;s ruler<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">on the side of his face.p>

<p class="poetry">So the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> will hand the people of Israel<n id="2" /> over to their enemies<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">until the time when the woman in labor<n id="4" /> gives birth.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Then the rest of the king&#8217;s<n id="6" /> countrymen will returnp> <p class="poetry">to be reunited with the people of Israel.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">Hear the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s accusation, you mountains,p> <p class="poetry">you enduring foundations of the earth!p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> has a case against his people;p> <p class="poetry">he has a dispute with Israel!<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry"><v id="(5:1)" /> As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">seemingly insignificant<n id="2" /> among the clans of Judah &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">one whose origins<n id="4" /> are in the distant past.<n id="5" />p>