You have sacrificed to other gods! You have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not obeyed the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not followed his laws, his statutes, and his decrees! That is why this disaster that is evident to this day has happened to you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;From its earliest days Moab has lived undisturbed.p> <p class="poetry">It has never been taken into exile.p> <p class="poetry">Its people are like wine allowed to settle undisturbed on its dregs,p> <p class="poetry">never poured out from one jar to another.p> <p class="poetry">They are like wine which tastes like it always did,p> <p class="poetry">whose aroma has remained unchanged.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will cause enemies to blow through Elam from every directionp> <p class="poetry">like the winds blowing in from the four quarters of heaven.p> <p class="poetry">I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.p> <p class="poetry">There will not be any nation where the refugees of Elam will not go.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a nation from the north<n id="1" /> will attack Babylon.p> <p class="poetry">It will lay her land waste.p> <p class="poetry">People and animals will flee out of it.p> <p class="poetry">No one will inhabit it.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">When that time comes,p> <p class="poetry">no guilt will be found in Israel.p> <p class="poetry">No sin will be found in Judah.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I will forgive those of them I have allowed to survive.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will destroy Babylonia just like I didp> <p class="poetry">Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns.p> <p class="poetry">No one will live there.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No human being will settle in it,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.p> <p class="poetry">They are cruel and show no mercy.p> <p class="poetry">They sound like the roaring seap> <p class="poetry">as they ride forth on their horses.p> <p class="poetry">Lined up in formation like men going into battle,p> <p class="poetry">they are coming against you, fair Babylon!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1489; (<i>Beti>)p> <p class="poetry">The Lord<n id="1" /> destroyed<n id="2" /> mercilessly<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">all the homes of Jacob&#8217;s descendants.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">In his anger he tore downp> <p class="poetry">the fortified cities<n id="5" /> of Daughter Judah.p> <p class="poetry">He knocked to the ground and humiliatedp> <p class="poetry">the kingdom and its rulers.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1506; (<i>Ayini>)p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has done what he planned;p> <p class="poetry">he has fulfilled<n id="1" /> his promise<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">that he threatened<n id="3" /> long ago:<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">He has overthrown you without mercy<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and has enabled the enemy to gloat over you;p> <p class="poetry">he has exalted your adversaries&#8217; power.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle<n id="1" /> before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.

<p class="bodytext">And I said, &#8220;Ah, sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, I have never been ceremonially defiled before. I have never eaten a carcass or an animal torn by wild beasts; from my youth up, unclean meat<n id="1" /> has never entered my mouth.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore, as surely as I live, says the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, because you defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominable practices, I will withdraw; my eye will not pity you, nor will I spare<n id="1" /> you.

Therefore tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: I hereby end this proverb; they will not recite it in Israel any longer.&#8217; But say to them, &#8216;The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled.<n id="1" />

so that the house of Israel will no longer go astray from me, nor continue to defile themselves by all their sins. They will be my people and I will be their God,<n id="1" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;Because you did not remember the days of your youth and have enraged me with all these deeds, I hereby repay you for what you have done,<n id="1" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>. Have you not engaged in prostitution on top of all your other abominable practices?p>

Then you will remember, be ashamed, and remain silent<n id="1" /> when I make atonement for all you have done,<n id="2" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;Say to them: This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Will it prosper?p> <p class="poetry">Will he not rip out its rootsp> <p class="poetry">and cause its fruit to rot<n id="1" /> and wither?p> <p class="poetry">All its foliage<n id="2" /> will wither.p> <p class="poetry">No strong arm or large armyp> <p class="poetry">will be needed to pull it out by its roots.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore I will judge each person according to his conduct,<n id="1" /> O house of Israel, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>. Repent<n id="2" /> and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity.<n id="3" />

But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols,<n id="1" /> nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out<n id="2" /> my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

Groan in silence for the dead,<n id="1" /> but do not perform mourning rites.<n id="2" /> Bind on your turban<n id="3" /> and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip<n id="4" /> and do not eat food brought by others.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>