² and in the presence of his associates^(A) and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble^(B)—burned as they are?”

³ Tobiah^(C) the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”^(D)

⁴ Hear us, our God, for we are despised.^(E) Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

² When they had stripped the land clean,^(A) I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive?^(B) He is so small!^(C)”

⁵ Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!^(A)”

³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(A) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^(B)