<t /><p class="bodytext">King David went in, sat before the <sc>Lordsc>, and said, &#8220;Who am I, O <sc>Lordsc> God, and what is my family,<n id="1" /> that you should have brought me to this point?

<p class="bodytext">When he approached her, the woman asked, &#8220;Are you Joab?&#8221; He replied, &#8220;I am.&#8221; She said to him, &#8220;Listen to the words of your servant.&#8221; He said, &#8220;Go ahead. I&#8217;m listening.&#8221;

I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city<n id="1" /> in Israel. Why should you swallow up the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s inheritance?&#8221;p>

&#8220;Go, tell David, &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.&#8217;&#8221;p>

Now I&#8217;d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don&#8217;t refuse me.&#8221;<n id="1" /> She said, &#8220;Go ahead and ask.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Now, O <sc>Lordsc> my God, you have made your servant king in my father David&#8217;s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">I also have understanding<n id="1" /> as well as you;p> <p class="poetry">I am not inferior to you.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Who does not know such things as these?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I also could speak<n id="1" /> like you,p> <p class="poetry">if<n id="2" /> you were in my place;p> <p class="poetry">I could pile up<n id="3" /> words against youp> <p class="poetry">and I could shake my head at you.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Hear my prayer, O <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">Listen to my cry for help!p> <p class="poetry">Do not ignore my sobbing!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;p> <p class="poetry">I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, I and the sons whom the <sc>Lordsc> has given me<n id="1" /> are reminders and object lessons<n id="2" /> in Israel, sent from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, who lives on Mount Zion.p>

<p class="poetry">I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,p> <p class="poetry">and there was no other god among you.p> <p class="poetry">You are my witnesses,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;that I am God.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc>, your protector,<n id="1" /> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who formed you in the womb:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc>, who made everything,p> <p class="poetry">who alone stretched out the sky,p> <p class="poetry">who fashioned the earth all by myself,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I made the earth,p> <p class="poetry">I created the people who live<n id="1" /> on it.p> <p class="poetry">It was me &#8211; my hands<n id="2" /> stretched out the sky,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I give orders to all the heavenly lights.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">It is me &#8211; I stir him up and commission him;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make all his ways level.p> <p class="poetry">He will rebuild my city;p> <p class="poetry">he will send my exiled people home,p> <p class="poetry">but not for a price or a bribe,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

&#8220;I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming<n id="1" /> to gather all the nations and ethnic groups;<n id="2" /> they will come and witness my splendor.

The <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Do not say, &#8216;I am too young.&#8217; But go<n id="1" /> to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But you, Jeremiah,<n id="1" /> get yourself ready!<n id="2" /> Go and tell these people everything I instruct you to say. Do not be terrified of them, or I will give you good reason to be terrified of them.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Come back to me, my wayward sons,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;for I am your true master.<n id="1" /> If you do,<n id="2" /> I will take one of you from each town and two of you from each family group, and I will bring you back to Zion.

<p class="poetry">Raise a signal flag that tells people to go to Zion.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Run for safety! Do not delay!p> <p class="poetry">For I am about to bring disaster out of the north.p> <p class="poetry">It will bring great destruction.<n id="2" />p>

Do you think this temple I have claimed as my own<n id="1" /> is to be a hideout for robbers?<n id="2" /> You had better take note!<n id="3" /> I have seen for myself what you have done! says the <sc>Lordsc>.