and the Sabeans<n id="1" /> swooped down<n id="2" /> and carried them all away, and they killed<n id="3" /> the servants with the sword!<n id="4" /> And I &#8211; only I alone<n id="5" /> &#8211; escaped to tell you!&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">and reveal to you the secrets of wisdom &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">for true wisdom has two sides<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">so that you would know<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">that God has forgiven some of your sins.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">you asked,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Who is this who darkens counselp> <p class="poetry">without knowledge?&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">But<n id="2" /> I have declared without understanding<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">things too wonderful for me to know.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, my God, you have accomplished many things;p> <p class="poetry">you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one can thwart you!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I want to declare them and talk about them,p> <p class="poetry">but they are too numerous to recount!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even when I am old and gray,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, do not abandon me,p> <p class="poetry">until I tell the next generation about your strength,p> <p class="poetry">and those coming after me about your power.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">yet a fool keeps on babbling.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one knows what will happen;p> <p class="poetry">who can tell him what will happen in the future?<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved to Her Lover:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Tell me, O you whom my heart<n id="1" /> loves,p> <p class="poetry">where do you pasture your sheep?p> <p class="poetry">Where do you rest your sheep during the midday heat?p> <p class="poetry">Tell me lest<n id="2" /> I wander around<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">beside the flocks of your companions!p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved to the Maidens:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">O maidens of Jerusalem, I command you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">If you find my beloved, what will you tell him?p> <p class="poetry">Tell him that I am lovesick!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The look on their faces<n id="1" /> testifies to their guilt;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Too bad for them!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For they bring disaster on themselves.p>

<p class="bodytext">It was reported to the family<n id="1" /> of David, &#8220;Syria has allied with<n id="2" /> Ephraim.&#8221; They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">But where, oh where, are your wise men?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them tell you, let them find outp> <p class="poetry">what the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies has planned for Egypt.p>

<p class="poetry">I have received a distressing message:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The deceiver deceives,p> <p class="poetry">the destroyer destroys.p> <p class="poetry">Attack, you Elamites!p> <p class="poetry">Lay siege, you Medes!p> <p class="poetry">I will put an end to all the groaning!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Predict how future events will turn out,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so we might know you are gods.p> <p class="poetry">Yes, do something good or bad,p> <p class="poetry">so we might be frightened and in awe.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">All nations gather together,p> <p class="poetry">the peoples assemble.p> <p class="poetry">Who among them announced this?p> <p class="poetry">Who predicted earlier events for us?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;p> <p class="poetry">let them listen and affirm, &#8216;It is true.&#8217;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>

<p class="poetry">Don&#8217;t panic! Don&#8217;t be afraid!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?p> <p class="poetry">You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?p> <p class="poetry">There is no other sheltering rock;<n id="2" /> I know of none.p>

<p class="poetry">I have not spoken in secret,p> <p class="poetry">in some hidden place.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I did not tell Jacob&#8217;s descendants,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Seek me in vain!&#8217;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the one who speaks honestly,p> <p class="poetry">who makes reliable announcements.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">who announces the end from the beginningp> <p class="poetry">and reveals beforehand<n id="1" /> what has not yet occurred,p> <p class="poetry">who says, &#8216;My plan will be realized,p> <p class="poetry">I will accomplish what I desire,&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">I announced them to you beforehand;p> <p class="poetry">before they happened, I predicted them for you,p> <p class="poetry">so you could never say,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;My image did these things,p> <p class="poetry">my idol, my cast image, decreed them.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">All of you, gather together and listen!p> <p class="poetry">Who among them<n id="1" /> announced these things?p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s ally<n id="2" /> will carry out his desire against Babylon;p> <p class="poetry">he will exert his power against the Babylonians.<n id="3" />p>