“Has Israel no sons?
    Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek^[a](B) taken possession of Gad?^(C)
    Why do his people live in its towns?
² But the days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry^(D)
    against Rabbah^(E) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,^(F)
    and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
    those who drove her out,^(G)”
says the Lord.
³ “Wail, Heshbon,^(H) for Ai^(I) is destroyed!
    Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth^(J) and mourn;
    rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek^(K) will go into exile,^(L)
    together with his priests and officials.
⁴ Why do you boast of your valleys,
    boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,^(M)
    you trust in your riches^(N) and say,
    ‘Who will attack me?’^(O)
5 I will bring terror on you
    from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
    and no one will gather the fugitives.^(P)

⁶ “Yet afterward, I will restore^(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.

“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?^(U)
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom decayed?
⁸ Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,^(V)
    you who live in Dedan,^(W)
for I will bring disaster on Esau
    at the time when I punish him.
⁹ If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
¹⁰ But I will strip Esau bare;
    I will uncover his hiding places,^(X)
    so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
    also his allies and neighbors,
    so there is no one^(Y) to say,
¹¹ ‘Leave your fatherless children;^(Z) I will keep them alive.
    Your widows^(AA) too can depend on me.’”

¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord;
    an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble yourselves to attack it!
    Rise up for battle!”

¹⁵ “Now I will make you small among the nations,
    despised by mankind.
¹⁶ The terror you inspire
    and the pride^(AI) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,^(AJ)
    who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest^(AK) as high as the eagle’s,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
¹⁷ “Edom will become an object of horror;^(AL)
    all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
    because of all its wounds.^(AM)
18 As Sodom^(AN) and Gomorrah^(AO) were overthrown,
    along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell^(AP) in it.

¹⁹ “Like a lion^(AQ) coming up from Jordan’s thickets^(AR)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like^(AS) me and who can challenge me?^(AT)
    And what shepherd^(AU) can stand against me?”

²⁰ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,^(AV)
    what he has purposed^(AW) against those who live in Teman:^(AX)
The young of the flock^(AY) will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.^(AZ)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;^(BA)
    their cry^(BB) will resound to the Red Sea.^[c]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop^(BC) down,
    spreading its wings over Bozrah.^(BD)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors^(BE)
    will be like the heart of a woman in labor.^(BF)

“Hamath^(BH) and Arpad^(BI) are dismayed,
    for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
    troubled like^[d] the restless sea.^(BJ)
24 Damascus has become feeble,
    she has turned to flee
    and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(BK)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
    the town in which I delight?
²⁶ Surely, her young men^(BL) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced^(BM) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
²⁷ “I will set fire^(BN) to the walls of Damascus;^(BO)
    it will consume^(BP) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.^(BQ)”

“Arise, and attack Kedar
    and destroy the people of the East.^(BU)
29 Their tents and their flocks^(BV) will be taken;
    their shelters will be carried off
    with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
    ‘Terror^(BW) on every side!’

³⁰ “Flee quickly away!
    Stay in deep caves,^(BX) you who live in Hazor,^(BY)”
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar^(BZ) king of Babylon has plotted against you;
    he has devised a plan against you.

³¹ “Arise and attack a nation at ease,
    which lives in confidence,”
declares the Lord,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;^(CA)
    its people live far from danger.
³² Their camels^(CB) will become plunder,
    and their large herds^(CC) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds^(CD) those who are in distant places^[e](CE)
    and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
³³ “Hazor^(CF) will become a haunt of jackals,^(CG)
    a desolate^(CH) place forever.
No one will live there;
    no people will dwell^(CI) in it.”

“See, I will break the bow^(CL) of Elam,
    the mainstay of their might.
³⁶ I will bring against Elam the four winds^(CM)
    from the four quarters of heaven;^(CN)
I will scatter them to the four winds,
    and there will not be a nation
    where Elam’s exiles do not go.
³⁷ I will shatter Elam before their foes,
    before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
    even my fierce anger,”^(CO)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword^(CP)
    until I have made an end of them.
³⁸ I will set my throne in Elam
    and destroy her king and officials,”
declares the Lord.

³⁹ “Yet I will restore^(CQ) the fortunes of Elam
    in days to come,”
declares the Lord.

⁵ The heavens^(E) praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly^(F) of the holy ones.
⁶ For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?^(G)
7 In the council^(H) of the holy ones^(I) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.^(J)
8 Who is like you,^(K) Lord God Almighty?^(L)
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹ You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.^(M)
10 You crushed Rahab^(N) like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered^(O) your enemies.
¹¹ The heavens are yours,^(P) and yours also the earth;^(Q)
    you founded the world and all that is in it.^(R)
12 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor^(S) and Hermon^(T) sing for joy^(U) at your name.
¹³ Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.^(V)

¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;^(W)
    love and faithfulness go before you.^(X)
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk^(Y) in the light^(Z) of your presence, Lord.
¹⁶ They rejoice in your name^(AA) all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
¹⁷ For you are their glory and strength,^(AB)
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.^[d](AC)
18 Indeed, our shield^[e](AD) belongs to the Lord,
    our king^(AE) to the Holy One of Israel.

11 The Lord detests dishonest scales,^(A)
    but accurate weights find favor with him.^(B)

² When pride comes, then comes disgrace,^(C)
    but with humility comes wisdom.^(D)

³ The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.^(E)

⁴ Wealth^(F) is worthless in the day of wrath,^(G)
    but righteousness delivers from death.^(H)

⁵ The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,^(I)
    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.^(J)

⁶ The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
    but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.^(K)

⁷ Hopes placed in mortals die with them;^(L)
    all the promise of^[a] their power comes to nothing.^(M)

⁸ The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.^(N)

⁹ With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
    but through knowledge the righteous escape.^(O)

¹⁰ When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;^(P)
    when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.^(Q)

¹¹ Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,^(R)
    but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.^(S)

¹² Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,^(T)
    but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.^(U)

¹³ A gossip betrays a confidence,^(V)
    but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.^(W)

¹⁴ For lack of guidance a nation falls,^(X)
    but victory is won through many advisers.^(Y)

¹⁵ Whoever puts up security^(Z) for a stranger will surely suffer,
    but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.^(AA)

¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains honor,^(AB)
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ Those who are kind benefit themselves,
    but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

¹⁸ A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
    but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.^(AC)

¹⁹ Truly the righteous attain life,^(AD)
    but whoever pursues evil finds death.^(AE)

²⁰ The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,^(AF)
    but he delights^(AG) in those whose ways are blameless.^(AH)

²¹ Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
    but those who are righteous will go free.^(AI)

²² Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³ The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
    but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴ One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵ A generous^(AJ) person will prosper;
    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.^(AK)

²⁶ People curse the one who hoards grain,
    but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

²⁷ Whoever seeks good finds favor,
    but evil comes to one who searches for it.^(AL)

²⁸ Those who trust in their riches will fall,^(AM)
    but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.^(AN)

²⁹ Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise.^(AO)

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,^(AP)
    and the one who is wise saves lives.

³¹ If the righteous receive their due^(AQ) on earth,
    how much more the ungodly and the sinner!