<p class="poetry">Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains,p> <p class="poetry">and a path for the rumble of thunder,p>

<p class="poetry">There is no one to plead your cause.p> <p class="poetry">There are no remedies for your wounds.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There is no healing for you.p>

And you must not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed.&#8217;<n id="1" />p>

Make sure you do not offer burnt offerings in any place you wish,

for you may do so<n id="1" /> only in the place the <sc>Lordsc> chooses in one of your tribal areas &#8211; there you may do everything I am commanding you.<n id="2" />p>

So David asked the <sc>Lordsc> what he should do.<n id="1" /> This time<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc><n id="3" /> said to him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees.<n id="4" />

With the stones he constructed an altar for the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" /> Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs<n id="2" /> of seed.

So David again asked God what he should do.<n id="1" /> This time<n id="2" /> God told him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t march up after them; circle around them and come against them in front of the trees.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">If the anger<n id="1" /> of the ruler flares up<n id="2" /> against you, do not resign<n id="3" /> from your position,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for a calm<n id="5" /> response<n id="6" /> can undo<n id="7" /> great offenses.p>

<p class="poetry">Mourn<n id="1" /> over the land of my people,p> <p class="poetry">which is overgrown with thorns and briers,p> <p class="poetry">and over all the once-happy houses<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the city filled with revelry.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you dear poor people of Egypt.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">there will be no healing for you.p>

<p class="poetry">You who have escaped the sword,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">go, do not delay.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Remember the <sc>Lordsc> in a faraway land.p> <p class="poetry">Think about Jerusalem.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and fortifies her elevated stronghold,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will send destroyers against her,&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

On that day, when Gog invades<n id="1" /> the land of Israel, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, my rage will mount up in my anger.

if the king becomes angry and asks you, &#8216;Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn&#8217;t you realize they would shoot from the wall?

&#8220;Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people: &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of your ancestor David says: &#8220;I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. The day after tomorrow<n id="1" /> you will go up to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.

we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon<n id="1" /> and bring it<n id="2" /> in raft-like bundles<n id="3" /> by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.&#8221;p>

If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain &#8211; instead there will be the kind of plague which the <sc>Lordsc> inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.