<p class="poetry">Get dressed<n id="1" /> and lament, you priests!p> <p class="poetry">Wail, you who minister at the altar!p> <p class="poetry">Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you servants of my God,p> <p class="poetry">because no one brings grain offerings or drink offeringsp> <p class="poetry">to the temple of your God anymore.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Announce a holy fast;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">proclaim a sacred assembly.p> <p class="poetry">Gather the elders and<n id="2" /> all the inhabitants of the landp> <p class="poetry">to the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">and cry out to the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">I will break the bar<n id="1" /> on the gate of Damascus.p> <p class="poetry">I will remove<n id="2" /> the ruler<n id="3" /> from Wicked Valley,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who holds the royal scepter from Beth Eden.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">The people of Aram will be deported to Kir.&#8221;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has spoken!p>

<p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says this:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers<n id="1" /> will have only a hundred left;p> <p class="poetry">the town<n id="2" /> that marches out with a hundred soldiers<n id="3" /> will have only ten left for the family of Israel.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Seek the <sc>Lordsc> so you can live!p> <p class="poetry">Otherwise he will break out<n id="1" /> like fire against Joseph&#8217;s<n id="2" /> family;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the fire<n id="4" /> will consumep> <p class="poetry">and no one will be able to quench it and save Bethel.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Disaster will be inescapable,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">as if a man ran from a lion only to meet a bear,p> <p class="poetry">then escaped<n id="2" /> into a house,p> <p class="poetry">leaned his hand against the wall,p> <p class="poetry">and was bitten by a poisonous snake.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Woe<n id="1" /> to those who live in ease in Zion,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.p> <p class="poetry">They think of themselves as<n id="3" /> the elite class of the best nation.p> <p class="poetry">The family<n id="4" /> of Israel looks to them for leadership.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Look! I am about to bring<n id="1" /> a nation against you, family<n id="2" /> of Israel.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>, the God who commands armies, is speaking.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;They will oppress<n id="3" /> you all the way from Lebo-Hamath<n id="4" /> to the Stream of the Arabah.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

Don&#8217;t prophesy at Bethel<n id="1" /> any longer, for a royal temple and palace are here!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

So now listen to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s message! You say, &#8216;Don&#8217;t prophesy against Israel! Don&#8217;t preach<n id="1" /> against the family of Isaac!&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;For look, I am giving a commandp> <p class="poetry">and I will shake the family of Israel together with all the nations.p> <p class="poetry">It will resemble a sieve being shaken,p> <p class="poetry">when not even a pebble falls to the ground.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">All this is because of Jacob&#8217;s rebellionp> <p class="poetry">and<n id="1" /> the sins of the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">How has Jacob rebelled, you ask?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Samaria epitomizes their rebellion!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Where are Judah&#8217;s pagan worship centers, you ask?<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">They are right in Jerusalem!<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Does the family<n id="1" /> of Jacob say,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s patience<n id="3" /> can&#8217;t be exhausted &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">he would never do such things&#8217;?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">To be sure, my commands bring a rewardp> <p class="poetry">for those who obey them,<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">I said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen, you leaders<n id="1" /> of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">you rulers of the nation<n id="2" /> of Israel!p> <p class="poetry">You ought to know what is just,<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">In the future<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s Temple Mount will be the most important mountain of all;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it will be more prominent than other hills.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">People will stream to it.p>

<p class="poetry">In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,p> <p class="poetry">I delivered you from that place of slavery.p> <p class="poetry">I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead you.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">You implement the regulations of Omri,p> <p class="poetry">and all the practices of Ahab&#8217;s dynasty;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you follow their policies.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Therefore I will make you an appalling sight,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the city&#8217;s<n id="4" /> inhabitants will be taunted derisively,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and nations will mock all of you.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a son thinks his father is a fool,p> <p class="poetry">a daughter challenges<n id="1" /> her mother,p> <p class="poetry">and a daughter-in-law her mother-in-law;p> <p class="poetry">a man&#8217;s enemies are his own servants.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has issued a decree against you:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Your dynasty will come to an end.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your gods.p> <p class="poetry">I will desecrate<n id="3" /> your grave &#8211; because you are accursed!&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">You march out to deliver your people,p> <p class="poetry">to deliver your special servant.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You strike the leader of the wicked nation,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">laying him open from the lower body to the neck.<n id="3" /> <i>Selahi>.p>