<p class="poetry">How blessed will be the one who grabs your babiesp> <p class="poetry">and smashes them on a rock!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Their children will be smashed to pieces before their very eyes;p> <p class="poetry">their houses will be lootedp> <p class="poetry">and their wives raped.p>

<p class="poetry">Or why<n id="1" /> was<n id="2" /> I not buried<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like a stillborn infant,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">like infants<n id="5" /> who have never seen the light?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">From the mouths of children and nursing babiesp> <p class="poetry">you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Oppressors treat my<n id="1" /> people cruelly;p> <p class="poetry">creditors rule over them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">My people&#8217;s leaders mislead them;p> <p class="poetry">they give you confusing directions.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8216;Death has climbed in<n id="1" /> through our windows.p> <p class="poetry">It has entered into our fortified houses.p> <p class="poetry">It has taken away our children who play in the streets.p> <p class="poetry">It has taken away our young men who gather in the city squares.&#8217;p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1491; (<i>Daleti>)p> <p class="poetry">The infant&#8217;s tongue sticksp> <p class="poetry">to the roof of its mouth due to thirst;p> <p class="poetry">little children beg for bread,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but no one gives them even a morsel.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You wrongly evict widows<n id="1" /> among my people from their cherished homes.p> <p class="poetry">You defraud their children<n id="2" /> of their prized inheritance.<n id="3" />p>

As for Nob, the city of the priests, he struck down with the sword men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep &#8211; all with the sword.p>

<p class="poetry"><sc>Lordsc>, use your power to deliver me from these murderers,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">from the murderers of this world!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They enjoy prosperity;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">you overwhelm them with the riches they desire.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They have many children,p> <p class="poetry">and leave their wealth to their offspring.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1492; (<i>Hei>)p> <p class="poetry">Her foes subjugated her;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">her enemies are at ease.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> afflicted herp> <p class="poetry">because of her many acts of rebellion.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Her children went awayp> <p class="poetry">captive<n id="4" /> before the enemy.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1499; (<i>Kafi>)p> <p class="poetry">My eyes are worn out<n id="1" /> from weeping;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">my stomach is in knots.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">My heart<n id="4" /> is poured out on the groundp> <p class="poetry">due to the destruction<n id="5" /> of my helpless people;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">children and infants faintp> <p class="poetry">in the town squares.p>

<t /><p class="lamhebrew">&#1512; (<i>Reshi>)p> <p class="poetry">Look, O <sc>Lord!sc> Consider!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Whom have you ever afflicted<n id="2" /> like this?p> <p class="poetry">Should women eat their offspring,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">their healthy infants?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Should priest and prophetp> <p class="poetry">be killed in the Lord&#8217;s<n id="5" /> sanctuary?p>

<p class="poetry"><v id="(14:1)" /><n id="1" /> Samaria will be held guilty,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because she rebelled against her God.p> <p class="poetry">They will fall by the sword,p> <p class="poetry">their infants will be dashed to the ground &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">their<n id="3" /> pregnant women will be ripped open.p>

<p class="poetry">Gather the people;p> <p class="poetry">sanctify an assembly!p> <p class="poetry">Gather the elders;p> <p class="poetry">gather the children and the nursing infants.p> <p class="poetry">Let the bridegroom come out from his bedroomp> <p class="poetry">and the bride from her private quarters.<n id="1" />p>

So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don&#8217;t spare<n id="1" /> them. Put them to death &#8211; man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.&#8217;&#8221;p>

Hazael asked, &#8220;Why are you crying, my master?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;Because I know the trouble you will cause the Israelites. You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, smash their children to bits, and rip open their pregnant women.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">I am as full of anger as you are, <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I am tired of trying to hold it in.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> answered,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Vent it, then,<n id="3" /> on the children who play in the streetp> <p class="poetry">and on the young men who are gathered together.p> <p class="poetry">Husbands and wives are to be included,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">as well as the old and those who are advanced in years.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;So now the <sc>Lordsc>, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel,<n id="1" /> asks, &#8216;Why will you do such great harm to yourselves? Why should every man, woman, child, and baby of yours be destroyed from the midst of Judah? Why should you leave yourselves without a remnant?

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">Get up! Cry out in the night<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when the night watches start!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Pour out your heart<n id="3" /> like waterp> <p class="poetry">before the face of the Lord!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Lift up your hands<n id="5" /> to himp> <p class="poetry">for your children&#8217;s lives;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">they are fainting<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">at every street corner.<n id="8" />p>