Bible in 90 Days

⁷ So I will be like a lion^(A) to them,
    like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
⁸ Like a bear robbed of her cubs,^(B)
    I will attack them and rip them open;
like a lion^(C) I will devour them—
    a wild animal will tear them apart.^(D)

⁹ “You are destroyed, Israel,
    because you are against me,^(E) against your helper.^(F)
10 Where is your king,^(G) that he may save you?
    Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
    ‘Give me a king and princes’?^(H)
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,^(I)
    and in my wrath I took him away.^(J)
12 The guilt of Ephraim is stored up,
    his sins are kept on record.^(K)
13 Pains as of a woman in childbirth^(L) come to him,
    but he is a child without wisdom;
when the time^(M) arrives,
    he doesn’t have the sense to come out of the womb.^(N)

¹⁴ “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;^(O)
    I will redeem them from death.^(P)
Where, O death, are your plagues?
    Where, O grave, is your destruction?^(Q)

“I will have no compassion,
¹⁵     even though he thrives^(R) among his brothers.
An east wind^(S) from the Lord will come,
    blowing in from the desert;
his spring will fail
    and his well dry up.^(T)
His storehouse will be plundered^(U)
    of all its treasures.
¹⁶ The people of Samaria^(V) must bear their guilt,^(W)
    because they have rebelled^(X) against their God.
They will fall by the sword;^(Y)
    their little ones will be dashed^(Z) to the ground,
    their pregnant women^(AA) ripped open.”^[a]

⁴ “I will heal^(AM) their waywardness^(AN)
    and love them freely,^(AO)
    for my anger has turned away^(AP) from them.
⁵ I will be like the dew^(AQ) to Israel;
    he will blossom like a lily.^(AR)
Like a cedar of Lebanon^(AS)
    he will send down his roots;^(AT)
6     his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,^(AU)
    his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.^(AV)
7 People will dwell again in his shade;^(AW)
    they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom^(AX) like the vine—
    Israel’s fame will be like the wine^(AY) of Lebanon.^(AZ)
8 Ephraim, what more have I^[d] to do with idols?^(BA)
    I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;^(BB)
    your fruitfulness comes from me.”

⁹ Who is wise?^(BC) Let them realize these things.
    Who is discerning? Let them understand.^(BD)
The ways of the Lord are right;^(BE)
    the righteous walk^(BF) in them,
    but the rebellious stumble in them.

⁵ Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!
    Wail, all you drinkers of wine;^(BR)
wail because of the new wine,
    for it has been snatched^(BS) from your lips.
⁶ A nation has invaded my land,
    a mighty army without number;^(BT)
it has the teeth^(BU) of a lion,
    the fangs of a lioness.
⁷ It has laid waste^(BV) my vines
    and ruined my fig trees.^(BW)
It has stripped off their bark
    and thrown it away,
    leaving their branches white.

⁸ Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth^(BX)
    grieving for the betrothed of her youth.
⁹ Grain offerings and drink offerings^(BY)
    are cut off from the house of the Lord.
The priests are in mourning,^(BZ)
    those who minister before the Lord.
¹⁰ The fields are ruined,
    the ground is dried up;^(CA)
the grain is destroyed,
    the new wine^(CB) is dried up,
    the olive oil fails.^(CC)

¹¹ Despair, you farmers,^(CD)
    wail, you vine growers;
grieve for the wheat and the barley,^(CE)
    because the harvest of the field is destroyed.^(CF)
12 The vine is dried up
    and the fig tree is withered;^(CG)
the pomegranate,^(CH) the palm and the apple^[f] tree—
    all the trees of the field—are dried up.^(CI)
Surely the people’s joy
    is withered away.

¹⁵ Alas for that^(CQ) day!
    For the day of the Lord^(CR) is near;
    it will come like destruction from the Almighty.^[g](CS)

¹⁶ Has not the food been cut off^(CT)
    before our very eyes—
joy and gladness^(CU)
    from the house of our God?^(CV)
17 The seeds are shriveled
    beneath the clods.^[h](CW)
The storehouses are in ruins,
    the granaries have been broken down,
    for the grain has dried up.
¹⁸ How the cattle moan!
    The herds mill about
because they have no pasture;^(CX)
    even the flocks of sheep are suffering.^(CY)

¹⁹ To you, Lord, I call,^(CZ)
    for fire^(DA) has devoured the pastures^(DB) in the wilderness
    and flames have burned up all the trees of the field.
²⁰ Even the wild animals pant for you;^(DC)
    the streams of water have dried up^(DD)
    and fire has devoured the pastures^(DE) in the wilderness.

Let all who live in the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord^(DI) is coming.
It is close at hand^(DJ)—
²     a day of darkness^(DK) and gloom,^(DL)
    a day of clouds^(DM) and blackness.^(DN)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
    a large and mighty army^(DO) comes,
such as never was in ancient times^(DP)
    nor ever will be in ages to come.

³ Before them fire^(DQ) devours,
    behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,^(DR)
    behind them, a desert waste^(DS)—
    nothing escapes them.
⁴ They have the appearance of horses;^(DT)
    they gallop along like cavalry.
⁵ With a noise like that of chariots^(DU)
    they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire^(DV) consuming stubble,
    like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

⁶ At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;^(DW)
    every face turns pale.^(DX)
7 They charge like warriors;^(DY)
    they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,^(DZ)
    not swerving^(EA) from their course.
⁸ They do not jostle each other;
    each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
    without breaking ranks.
⁹ They rush upon the city;
    they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;^(EB)
    like thieves they enter through the windows.^(EC)

¹⁰ Before them the earth shakes,^(ED)
    the heavens tremble,^(EE)
the sun and moon are darkened,^(EF)
    and the stars no longer shine.^(EG)
11 The Lord^(EH) thunders^(EI)
    at the head of his army;^(EJ)
his forces are beyond number,
    and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;^(EK)
    it is dreadful.
    Who can endure it?^(EL)

¹³ Rend your heart^(EO)
    and not your garments.^(EP)
Return^(EQ) to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and compassionate,^(ER)
slow to anger and abounding in love,^(ES)
    and he relents from sending calamity.^(ET)
14 Who knows? He may turn^(EU) and relent^(EV)
    and leave behind a blessing^(EW)—
grain offerings and drink offerings^(EX)
    for the Lord your God.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet^(EY) in Zion,^(EZ)
    declare a holy fast,^(FA)
    call a sacred assembly.^(FB)
16 Gather the people,
    consecrate^(FC) the assembly;
bring together the elders,^(FD)
    gather the children,
    those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom^(FE) leave his room
    and the bride her chamber.
¹⁷ Let the priests, who minister^(FF) before the Lord,
    weep^(FG) between the portico and the altar.^(FH)
Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord.
    Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,^(FI)
    a byword^(FJ) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?^(FK)’”

“I am sending you grain, new wine^(FN) and olive oil,^(FO)
    enough to satisfy you fully;^(FP)
never again will I make you
    an object of scorn^(FQ) to the nations.

²⁰ “I will drive the northern horde^(FR) far from you,
    pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
    and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench^(FS) will go up;
    its smell will rise.”

Surely he has done great things!
²¹     Do not be afraid,^(FT) land of Judah;
    be glad and rejoice.^(FU)
Surely the Lord has done great things!^(FV)
22     Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
    for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.^(FW)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
    the fig tree^(FX) and the vine^(FY) yield their riches.^(FZ)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
    rejoice^(GA) in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
    because he is faithful.^(GB)
He sends you abundant showers,^(GC)
    both autumn^(GD) and spring rains,^(GE) as before.
²⁴ The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow^(GF) with new wine^(GG) and oil.

²⁵ “I will repay you for the years the locusts^(GH) have eaten^(GI)—
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm^[j]—
my great army^(GJ) that I sent among you.
²⁶ You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,^(GK)
    and you will praise^(GL) the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders^(GM) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.^(GN)
27 Then you will know^(GO) that I am in Israel,
    that I am the Lord^(GP) your God,
    and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.^(GQ)

⁹ Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war!^(IA)
Rouse the warriors!^(IB)
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
¹⁰ Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks^(IC) into spears.^(ID)
Let the weakling^(IE) say,
    “I am strong!”^(IF)
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
    and assemble^(IG) there.

Bring down your warriors,^(IH) Lord!

¹² “Let the nations be roused;
    let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,^(II)
for there I will sit
    to judge^(IJ) all the nations on every side.
¹³ Swing the sickle,^(IK)
    for the harvest^(IL) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,^(IM)
    for the winepress^(IN) is full
    and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”

¹⁴ Multitudes,^(IO) multitudes
    in the valley^(IP) of decision!
For the day of the Lord^(IQ) is near
    in the valley of decision.^(IR)
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
    and the stars no longer shine.^(IS)
16 The Lord will roar^(IT) from Zion
    and thunder from Jerusalem;^(IU)
    the earth and the heavens will tremble.^(IV)
But the Lord will be a refuge^(IW) for his people,
    a stronghold^(IX) for the people of Israel.

¹⁸ “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,^(JE)
    and the hills will flow with milk;^(JF)
    all the ravines of Judah will run with water.^(JG)
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house^(JH)
    and will water the valley of acacias.^[o](JI)
19 But Egypt^(JJ) will be desolate,
    Edom^(JK) a desert waste,
because of violence^(JL) done to the people of Judah,
    in whose land they shed innocent blood.
²⁰ Judah will be inhabited forever^(JM)
    and Jerusalem through all generations.
²¹ Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?^(JN)
    No, I will not.^(JO)”

“The Lord roars^(JV) from Zion
    and thunders^(JW) from Jerusalem;^(JX)
the pastures of the shepherds dry up,
    and the top of Carmel^(JY) withers.”^(JZ)

“For three sins of Damascus,^(KA)
    even for four, I will not relent.^(KB)
Because she threshed Gilead
    with sledges having iron teeth,
⁴ I will send fire^(KC) on the house of Hazael^(KD)
    that will consume the fortresses^(KE) of Ben-Hadad.^(KF)
5 I will break down the gate^(KG) of Damascus;
    I will destroy the king who is in^[q] the Valley of Aven^[r]
and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden.^(KH)
    The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,^(KI)”
says the Lord.^(KJ)

“For three sins of Gaza,^(KK)
    even for four, I will not relent.^(KL)
Because she took captive whole communities
    and sold them to Edom,^(KM)
7 I will send fire on the walls of Gaza
    that will consume her fortresses.
⁸ I will destroy the king^[s] of Ashdod^(KN)
    and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand^(KO) against Ekron,
    till the last of the Philistines^(KP) are dead,”^(KQ)
says the Sovereign Lord.^(KR)

“For three sins of Tyre,^(KS)
    even for four, I will not relent.^(KT)
Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom,
    disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,^(KU)
10 I will send fire on the walls of Tyre
    that will consume her fortresses.^(KV)”

“For three sins of Edom,^(KW)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because he pursued his brother with a sword^(KX)
    and slaughtered the women of the land,
because his anger raged continually
    and his fury flamed unchecked,^(KY)
12 I will send fire on Teman^(KZ)
    that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.^(LA)”

“For three sins of Ammon,^(LB)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because he ripped open the pregnant women^(LC) of Gilead
    in order to extend his borders,
¹⁴ I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah^(LD)
    that will consume^(LE) her fortresses
amid war cries^(LF) on the day of battle,
    amid violent winds^(LG) on a stormy day.
¹⁵ Her king^[t] will go into exile,
    he and his officials together,^(LH)”
says the Lord.^(LI)

“For three sins of Moab,^(LJ)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because he burned to ashes^(LK)
    the bones of Edom’s king,
² I will send fire on Moab
    that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth.^[u](LL)
Moab will go down in great tumult
    amid war cries^(LM) and the blast of the trumpet.^(LN)
3 I will destroy her ruler^(LO)
    and kill all her officials with him,”^(LP)
says the Lord.^(LQ)

“For three sins of Judah,^(LR)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because they have rejected the law^(LS) of the Lord
    and have not kept his decrees,^(LT)
because they have been led astray^(LU) by false gods,^[v](LV)
    the gods^[w] their ancestors followed,^(LW)
5 I will send fire^(LX) on Judah
    that will consume the fortresses^(LY) of Jerusalem.^(LZ)”

“For three sins of Israel,
    even for four, I will not relent.^(MA)
They sell the innocent for silver,
    and the needy for a pair of sandals.^(MB)
7 They trample on the heads of the poor
    as on the dust of the ground
    and deny justice to the oppressed.
Father and son use the same girl
    and so profane my holy name.^(MC)
8 They lie down beside every altar
    on garments taken in pledge.^(MD)
In the house of their god
    they drink wine^(ME) taken as fines.^(MF)

⁹ “Yet I destroyed the Amorites^(MG) before them,
    though they were tall^(MH) as the cedars
    and strong as the oaks.^(MI)
I destroyed their fruit above
    and their roots^(MJ) below.
¹⁰ I brought you up out of Egypt^(MK)
    and led^(ML) you forty years in the wilderness^(MM)
    to give you the land of the Amorites.^(MN)

¹¹ “I also raised up prophets^(MO) from among your children
    and Nazirites^(MP) from among your youths.
Is this not true, people of Israel?”
declares the Lord.
¹² “But you made the Nazirites drink wine
    and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.^(MQ)

¹³ “Now then, I will crush you
    as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.^(MR)
14 The swift will not escape,^(MS)
    the strong^(MT) will not muster their strength,
    and the warrior will not save his life.^(MU)
15 The archer^(MV) will not stand his ground,
    the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,
    and the horseman^(MW) will not save his life.^(MX)
16 Even the bravest warriors^(MY)
    will flee naked on that day,”
declares the Lord.

² “You only have I chosen^(NB)
    of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish^(NC) you
    for all your sins.^(ND)”

³ Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
⁴ Does a lion roar^(NE) in the thicket
    when it has no prey?^(NF)
Does it growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing?
⁵ Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
    when no bait^(NG) is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
    if it has not caught anything?
⁶ When a trumpet^(NH) sounds in a city,
    do not the people tremble?
When disaster^(NI) comes to a city,
    has not the Lord caused it?^(NJ)

⁷ Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing
    without revealing his plan^(NK)
    to his servants the prophets.^(NL)

⁸ The lion^(NM) has roared^(NN)—
    who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
    who can but prophesy?^(NO)

⁹ Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod^(NP)
    and to the fortresses of Egypt:
“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria;^(NQ)
    see the great unrest within her
    and the oppression among her people.”

¹⁰ “They do not know how to do right,^(NR)” declares the Lord,
    “who store up in their fortresses^(NS)
    what they have plundered^(NT) and looted.”

“An enemy will overrun your land,
    pull down your strongholds
    and plunder your fortresses.^(NU)”

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s^(NV) mouth
    only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued,
    with only the head of a bed
    and a piece of fabric^[x] from a couch.^[y](NW)”

¹⁴ “On the day I punish^(NY) Israel for her sins,
    I will destroy the altars of Bethel;^(NZ)
the horns^(OA) of the altar will be cut off
    and fall to the ground.
¹⁵ I will tear down the winter house^(OB)
    along with the summer house;^(OC)
the houses adorned with ivory^(OD) will be destroyed
    and the mansions^(OE) will be demolished,^(OF)”
declares the Lord.^(OG)

⁶ “I gave you empty stomachs in every city
    and lack of bread in every town,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.^(OY)

⁷ “I also withheld^(OZ) rain from you
    when the harvest was still three months away.
I sent rain on one town,
    but withheld it from another.^(PA)
One field had rain;
    another had none and dried up.
⁸ People staggered from town to town for water^(PB)
    but did not get enough^(PC) to drink,
    yet you have not returned^(PD) to me,”
declares the Lord.^(PE)

⁹ “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards,
    destroying them with blight and mildew.^(PF)
Locusts^(PG) devoured your fig and olive trees,^(PH)
    yet you have not returned^(PI) to me,”
declares the Lord.

¹⁰ “I sent plagues^(PJ) among you
    as I did to Egypt.^(PK)
I killed your young men^(PL) with the sword,
    along with your captured horses.
I filled your nostrils with the stench^(PM) of your camps,
    yet you have not returned to me,”^(PN)
declares the Lord.^(PO)

¹¹ “I overthrew some of you
    as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.^(PP)
You were like a burning stick^(PQ) snatched from the fire,
    yet you have not returned to me,”
declares the Lord.^(PR)

¹² “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel,
    and because I will do this to you, Israel,
    prepare to meet your God.”

¹³ He who forms the mountains,^(PS)
    who creates the wind,^(PT)
    and who reveals his thoughts^(PU) to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth^(PV)—
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.^(PW)

² “Fallen is Virgin^(PY) Israel,
    never to rise again,
deserted in her own land,
    with no one to lift her up.^(PZ)”

“Your city that marches out a thousand strong
    will have only a hundred left;
your town that marches out a hundred strong
    will have only ten left.^(QA)”

“Seek^(QB) me and live;^(QC)
5     do not seek Bethel,
do not go to Gilgal,^(QD)
    do not journey to Beersheba.^(QE)
For Gilgal will surely go into exile,
    and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.^[ac](QF)”
⁶ Seek^(QG) the Lord and live,^(QH)
    or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;^(QI)
it will devour them,
    and Bethel^(QJ) will have no one to quench it.^(QK)

⁷ There are those who turn justice into bitterness^(QL)
    and cast righteousness^(QM) to the ground.^(QN)

⁸ He who made the Pleiades and Orion,^(QO)
    who turns midnight into dawn^(QP)
    and darkens day into night,^(QQ)
who calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out over the face of the land—
    the Lord is his name.^(QR)
9 With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold
    and brings the fortified city to ruin.^(QS)

¹⁰ There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court^(QT)
    and detest the one who tells the truth.^(QU)

¹¹ You levy a straw tax on the poor^(QV)
    and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,^(QW)
    you will not live in them;^(QX)
though you have planted lush vineyards,
    you will not drink their wine.^(QY)
12 For I know how many are your offenses
    and how great your sins.^(QZ)

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes^(RA)
    and deprive the poor^(RB) of justice in the courts.^(RC)
13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet^(RD) in such times,
    for the times are evil.^(RE)

¹⁴ Seek good, not evil,
    that you may live.^(RF)
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
    just as you say he is.
¹⁵ Hate evil,^(RG) love good;^(RH)
    maintain justice in the courts.^(RI)
Perhaps^(RJ) the Lord God Almighty will have mercy^(RK)
    on the remnant^(RL) of Joseph.

“There will be wailing^(RM) in all the streets^(RN)
    and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers^(RO) will be summoned to weep
    and the mourners to wail.
¹⁷ There will be wailing^(RP) in all the vineyards,
    for I will pass through^(RQ) your midst,”
says the Lord.^(RR)

²¹ “I hate,^(SA) I despise your religious festivals;^(SB)
    your assemblies^(SC) are a stench to me.
²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings^(SD) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.^(SE)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.^(SF)
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.^(SG)
24 But let justice^(SH) roll on like a river,
    righteousness^(SI) like a never-failing stream!^(SJ)

²⁵ “Did you bring me sacrifices^(SK) and offerings
    forty years^(SL) in the wilderness, people of Israel?
²⁶ You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
    the pedestal of your idols,^(SM)
    the star of your god^[ad]—
    which you made for yourselves.
²⁷ Therefore I will send you into exile^(SN) beyond Damascus,”
    says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty.^(SO)

“I abhor^(TJ) the pride of Jacob^(TK)
    and detest his fortresses;^(TL)
I will deliver up^(TM) the city
    and everything in it.^(TN)”

¹¹ For the Lord has given the command,
    and he will smash^(TR) the great house^(TS) into pieces
    and the small house into bits.^(TT)

¹² Do horses run on the rocky crags?
    Does one plow the sea^[af] with oxen?
But you have turned justice into poison^(TU)
    and the fruit of righteousness^(TV) into bitterness^(TW)—
¹³ you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar^[ag]
    and say, “Did we not take Karnaim^[ah] by our own strength?^(TX)”

¹⁴ For the Lord God Almighty declares,
    “I will stir up a nation^(TY) against you, Israel,
that will oppress you all the way
    from Lebo Hamath^(TZ) to the valley of the Arabah.^(UA)”

⁹ “The high places^(UR) of Isaac will be destroyed
    and the sanctuaries^(US) of Israel will be ruined;
    with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.^(UT)”

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
    and Israel will surely go into exile,^(UY)
    away from their native land.’”^(UZ)

“‘Do not prophesy against^(VM) Israel,
    and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’

“‘Your wife will become a prostitute^(VN) in the city,
    and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
    and you yourself will die in a pagan^[ak] country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,^(VO)
    away from their native land.^(VP)’”

⁴ Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor^(VX) of the land,^(VY)

“When will the New Moon^(VZ) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market^(WA) wheat?”^(WB)—
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating^(WC) with dishonest scales,^(WD)
6 buying the poor^(WE) with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,
    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.^(WF)

⁸ “Will not the land tremble^(WJ) for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.^(WK)

“I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.^(WL)
10 I will turn your religious festivals^(WM) into mourning
    and all your singing into weeping.^(WN)
I will make all of you wear sackcloth^(WO)
    and shave^(WP) your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son^(WQ)
    and the end of it like a bitter day.^(WR)

¹¹ “The days are coming,”^(WS) declares the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
    but a famine^(WT) of hearing the words of the Lord.^(WU)
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
    and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
    but they will not find it.^(WV)

“the lovely young women and strong young men^(WW)
    will faint because of thirst.^(WX)
14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria^(WY)—
    who say, ‘As surely as your god lives, Dan,’^(WZ)
    or, ‘As surely as the god^[am] of Beersheba^(XA) lives’—
    they will fall,^(XB) never to rise again.^(XC)”

“Strike the tops of the pillars
    so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads^(XD) of all the people;
    those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
    none will escape.^(XE)
2 Though they dig down to the depths below,^(XF)
    from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,^(XG)
    from there I will bring them down.^(XH)
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,^(XI)
    there I will hunt them down and seize them.^(XJ)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,^(XK)
    there I will command the serpent^(XL) to bite them.^(XM)
4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
    there I will command the sword^(XN) to slay them.

“I will keep my eye on them
    for harm^(XO) and not for good.^(XP)”^(XQ)

⁵ The Lord, the Lord Almighty—
he touches the earth and it melts,^(XR)
    and all who live in it mourn;
the whole land rises like the Nile,
    then sinks like the river of Egypt;^(XS)
6 he builds his lofty palace^[an](XT) in the heavens
    and sets its foundation^[ao] on the earth;
he calls for the waters of the sea
    and pours them out over the face of the land—
    the Lord is his name.^(XU)

⁷ “Are not you Israelites
    the same to me as the Cushites^[ap]?”^(XV)
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
    the Philistines^(XW) from Caphtor^[aq](XX)
    and the Arameans from Kir?^(XY)

⁸ “Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord
    are on the sinful kingdom.
I will destroy^(XZ) it
    from the face of the earth.
Yet I will not totally destroy
    the descendants of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.^(YA)
9 “For I will give the command,
    and I will shake the people of Israel
    among all the nations
as grain^(YB) is shaken in a sieve,^(YC)
    and not a pebble will reach the ground.^(YD)
10 All the sinners among my people
    will die by the sword,^(YE)
all those who say,
    ‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us.’^(YF)