<p class="poetry">Is there idolatry<n id="1" /> in Gilead?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Certainly its inhabitants<n id="3" /> will come to nothing!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?p> <p class="poetry">Surely their altars will be like stones heaped up on a plowed field!p>

<p class="poetry">The vine has dried up;p> <p class="poetry">the fig tree languishes &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the pomegranate, date, and apple<n id="1" /> as well.p> <p class="poetry">In fact,<n id="2" /> all the trees of the field have dried up.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the joy of the people<n id="3" /> has dried up!p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to the cattle groan!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The herds of livestock wander around in confusion<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because they have no pasture.p> <p class="poetry">Even the flocks of sheep are suffering.p>

<p class="poetry">Even the wild animals<n id="1" /> cry out to you;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for the river beds<n id="3" /> have dried up;p> <p class="poetry">fire has destroyed<n id="4" /> the grassy pastures.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Like fire they devour everything in their path;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">a flame blazes behind them.p> <p class="poetry">The land looks like the Garden of Eden<n id="2" /> before them,p> <p class="poetry">but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">for nothing escapes them!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;But surely I gave<n id="1" /> you no food to eat in any of your cities;p> <p class="poetry">you lacked food everywhere you live.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Still you did not come back to me.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is speaking!p>

<p class="poetry">You stood aloof<n id="1" /> while strangers took his army<n id="2" /> captive,p> <p class="poetry">and foreigners advanced to his gates.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">When they cast lots<n id="4" /> over Jerusalem,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">you behaved as though you were in league<n id="6" /> with them.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>

<p class="poetry">But you will become drunk<n id="1" /> with shame, not majesty.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Now it is your turn to drink and expose your uncircumcised foreskin!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">The cup of wine in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s right hand<n id="4" /> is coming to you,p> <p class="poetry">and disgrace will replace your majestic glory!p>

And,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all, &#8216;though such a thing may seem to be difficult in the opinion of the small community of those days, will it also appear difficult to me?&#8217; asks the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.p>

I will take away their abominable religious practices;<n id="1" /> then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God,<n id="2" /> like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

Next I eradicated the three shepherds in one month,<n id="1" /> for I ran out of patience with them and, indeed, they detested me as well.

&#8220;I am about to make Jerusalem<n id="1" /> a cup that brings dizziness<n id="2" /> to all the surrounding nations; indeed, Judah will also be included when Jerusalem is besieged.

Moreover, Judah will fight at<n id="1" /> Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered up<n id="2" /> &#8211; gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance.

&#8220;Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent to which you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your<n id="1" /> instruction.&#8221;p>

Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?&#8221; Saul replied, &#8220;I am terribly troubled! The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He does not answer me &#8211; not by the prophets nor by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do.&#8221;p>

The real mother<n id="1" /> spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused.<n id="2" /> She said, &#8220;My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don&#8217;t kill him!&#8221;<n id="3" /> But the other woman said, &#8220;Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">When<n id="1" /> the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food,<n id="2" /> was attractive<n id="3" /> to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise,<n id="4" /> she took some of its fruit and ate it.<n id="5" /> She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.<n id="6" />

And the <sc>Lordsc> God said, &#8220;Now<n id="1" /> that the man has become like one of us,<n id="2" /> knowing<n id="3" /> good and evil, he must not be allowed<n id="4" /> to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The Nephilim<n id="1" /> were on the earth in those days (and also after this)<n id="2" /> when the sons of God were having sexual relations with<n id="3" /> the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children.<n id="4" /> They were the mighty heroes<n id="5" /> of old, the famous men.<n id="6" />p>