<p class="poetry">They howl in the streets because of what happened to the wine;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">all joy turns to sorrow;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">celebrations disappear from the earth.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even if the forest is destroyed<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the city is annihilated,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">He pursues them and passes by unharmed;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he advances with great speed.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Let your private parts be exposed!p> <p class="poetry">Your genitals will be on display!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will get revenge;p> <p class="poetry">I will not have pity on anyone,&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For you ignore<n id="1" /> the God who rescues you;p> <p class="poetry">you pay no attention to your strong protector.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So this is what happens:p> <p class="poetry">You cultivate beautiful plantsp> <p class="poetry">and plant exotic vines.<n id="3" />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">Disaster will overtake you;p> <p class="poetry">you will not know how to charm it away.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Destruction will fall on you;p> <p class="poetry">you will not be able to appease it.p> <p class="poetry">Calamity will strike you suddenly,p> <p class="poetry">before you recognize it.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">There will be some left behind,p> <p class="poetry">like when an olive tree is beaten &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">two or three ripe olives remain toward the very top,p> <p class="poetry">four or five on its fruitful branches,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel.p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who created the sky &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he is the true God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who formed the earth and made it;p> <p class="poetry">he established it,p> <p class="poetry">he did not create it without order,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he formed it to be inhabited &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I am the <sc>Lordsc>, I have no peer.p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the high and exalted one says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who rules<n id="1" /> forever, whose name is holy:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I dwell in an exalted and holy place,p> <p class="poetry">but also with the discouraged and humiliated,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in order to cheer up the humiliatedp> <p class="poetry">and to encourage the discouraged.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies told me this:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Many houses will certainly become desolate,p> <p class="poetry">large, impressive houses will have no one living in them.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Indeed this is what the <sc>Lordsc> told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people:<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">It will be as when one gathers the grain harvest,p> <p class="poetry">and his hand gleans the ear of grain.p> <p class="poetry">It will be like one gathering the ears of grainp> <p class="poetry">in the Valley of Rephaim.p>

<p class="poetry">For the bed is too short to stretch out on,p> <p class="poetry">and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">He is your constant source of stability;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he gives all this to those who fear him.<n id="3" />p>

Certainly you will not refuse one of my master&#8217;s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">I look, but there is no one,p> <p class="poetry">among them there is no one who serves as an adviser,p> <p class="poetry">that I might ask questions and receive answers.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, your fasting is accompanied by<n id="1" /> arguments, brawls,p> <p class="poetry">and fistfights.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not fast as you do today,p> <p class="poetry">trying to make your voice heard in heaven.p>

<p class="poetry">Your officials are rebels,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they associate with<n id="2" /> thieves.p> <p class="poetry">All of them love bribery,p> <p class="poetry">and look for<n id="3" /> payoffs.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They do not take up the cause of the orphan,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">or defend the rights of the widow.<n id="6" />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>