The <sc>LORDsc> was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the <sc>LORDsc> our God is just<n id="1" /> in all he has done,<n id="2" /> and we have not obeyed him.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">whenever I want to heal Israel,p> <p class="poetry">the sin of Ephraim is revealed,p> <p class="poetry">and the evil deeds of Samaria are exposed.p> <p class="poetry">For they do what is wrong;p> <p class="poetry">thieves break into houses,p> <p class="poetry">and gangs rob people out in the streets.p>

<p class="poetry">Because of all their evil in Gilgal,p> <p class="poetry">I hate them there.p> <p class="poetry">On account of their evil deeds,p> <p class="poetry">I will drive them out of my land.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will no longer love them;p> <p class="poetry">all their rulers are rebels.p>

<p class="poetry">Rush forth with<n id="1" /> the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!p> <p class="poetry">Come, stomp the grapes,<n id="2" /> for the winepress is full!p> <p class="poetry">The vats overflow.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, their evil is great!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">If an alarm sounds<n id="1" /> in a city, do people not fear?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">If disaster overtakes a<n id="3" /> city, is the <sc>Lordsc> not responsible?<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Seek good and not evil so you can live!p> <p class="poetry">Then the <sc>Lordsc>, the God who commands armies, just might be with you,p> <p class="poetry">as you claim he is.p>

<p class="poetry">Hate what is wrong, love what is right!p> <p class="poetry">Promote<n id="1" /> justice at the city gate!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Maybe the <sc>Lordsc>, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on<n id="3" /> those who are left from<n id="4" /> Joseph.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even when their enemies drive them into captivity,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">from there<n id="2" /> I will command the sword to kill them.p> <p class="poetry">I will not let them out of my sight;p> <p class="poetry">they will experience disaster, not prosperity.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You should not have entered the city<n id="1" /> of my people when they experienced distress.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You should not have joined<n id="3" /> in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">You should not have looted<n id="5" /> their wealth when they endured distress.<n id="6" />p>

The sailors said to one another,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s cast lots<n id="2" /> to find out<n id="3" /> whose fault it is that this disaster has overtaken us.<n id="4" />&#8221; So they cast lots, and Jonah was singled out.<n id="5" />

Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly<n id="1" /> to God, and everyone<n id="2" /> must turn from their<n id="3" /> evil way of living<n id="4" /> and from the violence that they do.<n id="5" />

<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">They are determined to be experts at doing evil;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">government officials and judges take bribes,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">prominent men make demands,p> <p class="poetry">and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your destruction is like an incurable wound;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">your demise is like a fatal injury!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">All who hear what has happened to you<n id="3" /> will clap their hands for joy,<n id="4" />p> <p class="bodytext">for no one ever escaped your endless cruelty!<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">You are too just<n id="1" /> to tolerate<n id="2" /> evil;p> <p class="poetry">you are unable to condone<n id="3" /> wrongdoing.p> <p class="poetry">So why do you put up with such treacherous people?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour<n id="5" /> those more righteous than they are?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has removed the judgment against you;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he has turned back your enemy.p> <p class="poetry">Israel&#8217;s king, the <sc>Lordsc>, is in your midst!p> <p class="poetry">You no longer need to fear disaster.p>

But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted.<n id="1" /> I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.p>

<p class="bodytext">When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, &#8220;Praised be the <sc>Lordsc> who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal!<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.&#8221;<n id="2" /> Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.p>

So get up now and go out and give some encouragement to<n id="1" /> your servants. For I swear by the <sc>Lordsc> that if you don&#8217;t go out there, not a single man will stay here with you tonight! This disaster will be worse for you than any disaster that has overtaken you from your youth right to the present time!&#8221;p>

The <sc>Lordsc> God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil,<n id="1" /> every tree that was pleasing to look at<n id="2" /> and good for food. (Now<n id="3" /> the tree of life<n id="4" /> and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil<n id="5" /> were in the middle of the orchard.)p>