⁹ “Woe to him who builds^(A) his house by unjust gain,^(B)
    setting his nest^(C) on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!

¹⁶ The terror you inspire
    and the pride^(A) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,^(B)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest^(C) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.

“‘May his place be deserted;
    let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[a](F)

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[b](G)

⁴ Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest^(A) among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,”^(B)
declares the Lord.^(C)

¹³ “Woe^(A) to him who builds^(B) his palace by unrighteousness,
    his upper rooms by injustice,
making his own people work for nothing,
    not paying^(C) them for their labor.
¹⁴ He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace^(D)
    with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
    panels it with cedar^(E)
    and decorates it in red.^(F)

¹⁵ “Does it make you a king
    to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
    He did what was right and just,^(G)
    so all went well^(H) with him.
¹⁶ He defended the cause of the poor and needy,^(I)
    and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know^(J) me?”
    declares the Lord.
¹⁷ “But your eyes and your heart
    are set only on dishonest gain,^(K)
on shedding innocent blood^(L)
    and on oppression and extortion.”^(M)

“They will not mourn^(N) for him:
    ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’
They will not mourn for him:
    ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
¹⁹ He will have the burial^(O) of a donkey—
    dragged away and thrown^(P)
    outside the gates of Jerusalem.”

⁷ You said, ‘I am forever^(A)—
    the eternal queen!’^(B)
But you did not consider these things
    or reflect^(C) on what might happen.^(D)

⁸ “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security^(E)
and saying to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.^(F)
I will never be a widow^(G)
    or suffer the loss of children.’
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,^(H) on a single day:
    loss of children^(I) and widowhood.^(J)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries^(K)
    and all your potent spells.^(L)

¹⁵ You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,^(A)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(B)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie^(C) our refuge
    and falsehood^[a] our hiding place.^(D)”