<t /><p class="poetry">Surely oppression<n id="1" /> can turn a wise person into a fool;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">likewise,<n id="3" /> a bribe corrupts<n id="4" /> the heart.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.p>

<p class="poetry">The leaders will not be able to run away and hide.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The shepherds of the flocks will not be able to escape.p>

<p class="poetry">They are worthless, objects to be ridiculed.p> <p class="poetry">When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.p>

<p class="poetry">We have overpowered them;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.p> <p class="poetry">We have shattered them as far as Nophah,p> <p class="poetry">which<n id="2" /> reaches to Medeba.&#8221;p>

but who pays back those who hate<n id="1" /> him as they deserve and destroys them. He will not ignore<n id="2" /> those who hate him but will repay them as they deserve!

Furthermore, the <sc>Lordsc> your God will release hornets<n id="1" /> among them until the very last ones who hide from you<n id="2" /> perish.

He<n id="1" /> will afflict you with weakness,<n id="2" /> fever, inflammation, infection,<n id="3" /> sword,<n id="4" /> blight, and mildew; these will attack you until you perish.

Ahab&#8217;s entire family will die. I<n id="1" /> will cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">Call to mind now:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Who,<n id="2" /> being innocent, ever perished?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">And where were upright people<n id="4" /> ever destroyed?<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">But the eyes of the wicked fail,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and escape<n id="2" /> eludes them;p> <p class="poetry">their one hope<n id="3" /> is to breathe their last.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">as water wears away stones,p> <p class="poetry">and torrents<n id="1" /> wash away the soil,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">so you destroy man&#8217;s hope.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">His memory perishes from the earth,p> <p class="poetry">he has no name in the land.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">You destroy<n id="1" /> liars;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the <sc>Lordsc> despises<n id="3" /> violent and deceitful people.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You terrified the nations with your battle cry;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you destroyed the wicked;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you permanently wiped out all memory of them.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The enemy&#8217;s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you destroyed their cities;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">all memory of the enemies has perished.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">for the needy are not permanently ignored,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But<n id="1" /> evil men will die;p> <p class="poetry">the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s enemies will be incinerated<n id="2" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">they will go up in smoke.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">My enemies ask this cruel question about me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;When will he finally die and be forgotten?&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Surely<n id="1" /> one sees<n id="2" /> that even wise people die;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and leave their wealth to others.<n id="5" />p>