<p class="lamhebrew">&#1512; (<i>Reshi>)p> <p class="poetry">Look, O <sc>Lordsc>! I am distressed;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my stomach is in knots!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">My heart is pounding<n id="3" /> inside me.p> <p class="poetry">Yes, I was terribly rebellious!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Out in the street the sword bereaves a mother of her children;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Inside the house death is present.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1514; (<i>Tavi>)p> <p class="poetry">Let all their wickedness come before you;p> <p class="poetry">afflict<n id="1" /> themp> <p class="poetry">just as you have afflicted<n id="2" /> me<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because of all my acts of rebellion.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For my groans are many,p> <p class="poetry">and my heart is sick with sorrow.<n id="5" />p>

The people<n id="1" /> to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted,<n id="2" /> and you must say to them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says.&#8217;<n id="3" />

&#8220;Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to the prophets who prophesy from their imagination:<n id="1" /> &#8216;Hear the word of the <sc>Lordsc>!

This is because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies (although I have not grieved him), and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil conduct and preserve his life.

&#8220;Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity<n id="1" /> right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek<n id="2" /> me?

Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!<n id="1" /> Why should you die, O house of Israel?

I did this<n id="1" /> because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">So hearts melt with fear and many stumble.p> <p class="poetry">At all their gates I have stationed the sword for slaughter.p> <p class="poetry">Ah! It is made to flash, it is drawn for slaughter!p>

Can your heart endure,<n id="1" /> or can your hands be strong when I deal with you?<n id="2" /> I, the <sc>Lord,sc> have spoken, and I will do it!

<p class="poetry">Your heart was proud because of your beauty;p> <p class="poetry">you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor.p> <p class="poetry">I threw you down to the ground;p> <p class="poetry">I placed you before kings, that they might see you.p>

<p class="bodytext">But Daniel made up his mind<n id="1" /> that he would not defile<n id="2" /> himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine.<n id="3" /> He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself.

<p class="poetry">They approach him, all the while plotting against him.p> <p class="poetry">Their hearts are like an oven;p> <p class="poetry">their anger smolders all night long,p> <p class="poetry">but in the morning it bursts into a flaming fire.p>

<p class="poetry">They do not pray to me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but howl in distress on their beds;p> <p class="poetry">They slash themselves<n id="2" /> for grain and new wine,p> <p class="poetry">but turn away from me.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">How can I give you up,<n id="1" /> O Ephraim?p> <p class="poetry">How can I surrender you, O Israel?p> <p class="poetry">How can I treat you like Admah?p> <p class="poetry">How can I make you like Zeboiim?p> <p class="poetry">I have had a change of heart!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All my tender compassions are aroused!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Destruction, devastation, and desolation!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Their hearts faint,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">their knees tremble,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">each stomach churns,<n id="4" /> each face<n id="5" /> turns<n id="6" /> pale!<n id="7" />p>

And the <sc>Lordsc> smelled the soothing aroma<n id="1" /> and said<n id="2" /> to himself,<n id="3" /> &#8220;I will never again curse<n id="4" /> the ground because of humankind, even though<n id="5" /> the inclination of their minds<n id="6" /> is evil from childhood on.<n id="7" /> I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.p>

<p class="bodytext">But the soldiers replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You should not do this!<n id="2" /> For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won&#8217;t be too concerned about us.<n id="3" /> Even if half of us should die, they won&#8217;t be too concerned about us. But you<n id="4" /> are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Before I finished praying in my heart,<n id="1" /> along came Rebekah<n id="2" /> with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, &#8216;Please give me a drink.&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">So Esau hated<n id="1" /> Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother.<n id="2" /> Esau said privately,<n id="3" /> &#8220;The time<n id="4" /> of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill<n id="5" /> my brother Jacob!&#8221;p>