<p class="poetry">The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He does this so he can build his nest way up highp> <p class="poetry">and escape the clutches of disaster.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;You who force your neighbor to drink wine<n id="1" /> are as good as dead<n id="2" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">you who make others intoxicated by forcing them to drink from the bowl of your furious anger,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">so you can look at their genitals.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who also accumulate landed property<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">until there is no land left,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and you are the only landowners remaining within the land.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who turn darkness into light and light into darkness,p> <p class="poetry">who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The many nations massing together are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who make a commotion as loud as the roaring of the sea&#8217;s waves.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The people making such an uproar are as good as dead,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">those who make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The splendid crown of Ephraim&#8217;s drunkards is doomed,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the withering flower, its beautiful splendor,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">situated<n id="3" /> at the head of a rich valley,p> <p class="poetry">the crown of those overcome with wine.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those who try to hide their plans from the <sc>Lordsc> are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who do their work in secret and boast,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Who sees us? Who knows what we&#8217;re doing?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;The rebellious<n id="1" /> children are as good as dead,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;those who make plans without consulting me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">who form alliances without consulting my Spirit,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and thereby compound their sin.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The destroyer is as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have not been destroyed!p> <p class="poetry">The deceitful one is as good as dead,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the one whom others have not deceived!p> <p class="poetry">When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed;p> <p class="poetry">when you finish<n id="3" /> deceiving, others will deceive you!p>

<t /><p class="poetry">One who argues with his creator is in grave danger,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">one who is like a mere<n id="2" /> shard among the other shards on the ground!p> <p class="poetry">The clay should not say to the potter,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;What in the world<n id="4" /> are you doing?p> <p class="poetry">Your work lacks skill!&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Sure to be judged<n id="1" /> is the king who builds his palace using injusticep> <p class="poetry">and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing.p> <p class="poetry">He does not pay them for their labor.p>

<p class="poetry">Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There has never been any like it.p> <p class="poetry">It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">but some of them will be rescued out of it.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> spoke about Moab.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Sure to be judged is Nebo! Indeed,<n id="3" /> it will be destroyed!p> <p class="poetry">Kiriathaim<n id="4" /> will suffer disgrace. It will be captured!p> <p class="poetry">Its fortress<n id="5" /> will suffer disgrace. It will be torn down!<n id="6" />p>

This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit but have seen nothing!

<t /><p class="poetry">Woe<n id="1" /> to those who wish for the day of the <sc>Lord!sc>p> <p class="poetry">Why do you want the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s day of judgment to come?p> <p class="poetry">It will bring darkness, not light.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Woe<n id="1" /> to those who live in ease in Zion,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.p> <p class="poetry">They think of themselves as<n id="3" /> the elite class of the best nation.p> <p class="poetry">The family<n id="4" /> of Israel looks to them for leadership.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because they have the power to do so.p>

<p class="poetry">The one who says to wood, &#8216;Wake up!&#8217; is as good as dead<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he who says<n id="2" /> to speechless stone, &#8216;Awake!&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">Can it give reliable guidance?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">It is overlaid with gold and silver;p> <p class="poetry">it has no life&#8217;s breath inside it.p>

<p class="poetry">Those who live by the sea, the people who came from Crete,<n id="1" /> are as good as dead.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has decreed your downfall,<n id="3" /> Canaan, land of the Philistines:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will destroy everyone who lives there!&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Woe to the worthless shepherdp> <p class="poetry">who abandons the flock!p> <p class="poetry">May a sword fall on his arm and his right eye!p> <p class="poetry">May his arm wither completely away,p> <p class="poetry">and his right eye become completely blind!&#8221;p>