<p class="bodytext">When Athaliah heard the royal guard<n id="1" /> shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd<n id="2" /> at the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.

An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the <sc>Lordsc> the tax that Moses, God&#8217;s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.<n id="1" />

The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The <sc>Lordsc> responded favorably to them<n id="1" /> as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.p>

They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city.

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!&#8221;p>

Then the Levites &#8211; Jeshua, Binnui,<n id="1" /> Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani &#8211; stood on the steps and called out loudly<n id="2" /> to the <sc>LORDsc> their God.

But when they gazed intently<n id="1" /> from a distance but did not recognize<n id="2" /> him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">In my distress I called to the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">I cried out to my God.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">From his heavenly temple<n id="2" /> he heard my voice;p> <p class="poetry">he listened to my cry for help.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I jumped to conclusions and said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am cut off from your presence!&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.p>

<p class="poetry">I will remember and weep!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God,p> <p class="poetry">shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival.<n id="2" />p>

I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, &#8220;Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?&#8221;<n id="1" /> I answered, &#8220;Here I am, send me!&#8221;

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">On a bare hill raise a signal flag,p> <p class="poetry">shout to them,p> <p class="poetry">wave your hand,p> <p class="poetry">so they might enter the gates of the princes!p>

<p class="poetry">The people of<n id="1" /> Heshbon and Elealeh cry out,p> <p class="poetry">their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz.p> <p class="poetry">For this reason Moab&#8217;s soldiers shout in distress;p> <p class="poetry">their courage wavers.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You will fall;p> <p class="poetry">while lying on the ground<n id="1" /> you will speak;p> <p class="poetry">from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Judgment will come from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">accompanied by thunder, earthquake, and a loud noise,p> <p class="poetry">by a strong gale, a windstorm, and a consuming flame of fire.p>

<p class="poetry">For people will live in Zion;p> <p class="poetry">in Jerusalem<n id="1" /> you will weep no more.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;p> <p class="poetry">when he hears it, he will respond to you.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> will give a mighty shout<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and intervene in power,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">with furious anger and flaming, destructive fire,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">with a driving rainstorm and hailstones.p>

<p class="bodytext">The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria.

<p class="poetry">Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?p> <p class="poetry">At whom have you shoutedp> <p class="poetry">and looked so arrogantly?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">At the Holy One of Israel!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">A voice says, &#8220;Cry out!&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">Another asks,<n id="1" /> &#8220;What should I cry out?&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">The first voice responds:<n id="2" /> &#8220;All people are like grass,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and all their promises<n id="4" /> are like the flowers in the field.p>