<p class="poetry">&#8220;Moab will be crushed.p> <p class="poetry">Her children will cry out in distress.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Cries of anguish will come from Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians.p>

<p class="poetry">Jerusalem will bring me joy,p> <p class="poetry">and my people will bring me happiness.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The sound of weeping or cries of sorrowp> <p class="poetry">will never be heard in her again.p>

<p class="poetry">Let cries of terror be heard in their housesp> <p class="poetry">when you send bands of raiders unexpectedly to plunder them.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have virtually dug a pit to capture mep> <p class="poetry">and have hidden traps for me to step into.p>

<p class="poetry">May that man be like the cities<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">that the <sc>Lordsc> destroyed without showing any mercy.p> <p class="poetry">May he hear a cry of distress in the morningp> <p class="poetry">and a battle cry at noon.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he<n id="1" /> tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud<n id="2" /> and bitter voice.