² You say, “I choose the appointed time;^(C)
    it is I who judge with equity.^(D)
3 When the earth and all its people quake,^(E)
    it is I who hold its pillars^(F) firm.^[b]
4 To the arrogant^(G) I say, ‘Boast no more,’^(H)
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.^[c](I)
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
    do not speak so defiantly.^(J)’”

⁶ No one from the east or the west
    or from the desert can exalt themselves.
⁷ It is God who judges:^(K)
    He brings one down, he exalts another.^(L)
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup
    full of foaming wine mixed^(M) with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
    drink it down to its very dregs.^(N)

⁹ As for me, I will declare^(O) this forever;
    I will sing^(P) praise to the God of Jacob,^(Q)
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”^(R)

“For three sins of Judah,^(A)
    even for four, I will not relent.
Because they have rejected the law^(B) of the Lord
    and have not kept his decrees,^(C)
because they have been led astray^(D) by false gods,^[a](E)
    the gods^[b] their ancestors followed,^(F)
5 I will send fire^(G) on Judah
    that will consume the fortresses^(H) of Jerusalem.^(I)”

“For three sins of Israel,
    even for four, I will not relent.^(J)
They sell the innocent for silver,
    and the needy for a pair of sandals.^(K)
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.^(L)
8 They lie down beside every altar
    on garments taken in pledge.^(M)
In the house of their god
    they drink wine^(N) taken as fines.^(O)

⁹ “Yet I destroyed the Amorites^(A) before them,
    though they were tall^(B) as the cedars
    and strong as the oaks.^(C)
I destroyed their fruit above
    and their roots^(D) below.
¹⁰ I brought you up out of Egypt^(E)
    and led^(F) you forty years in the wilderness^(G)
    to give you the land of the Amorites.^(H)

¹¹ “I also raised up prophets^(I) from among your children
    and Nazirites^(J) 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.^(K)

¹³ “Now then, I will crush you
    as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.^(L)
14 The swift will not escape,^(M)
    the strong^(N) will not muster their strength,
    and the warrior will not save his life.^(O)
15 The archer^(P) will not stand his ground,
    the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,
    and the horseman^(Q) will not save his life.^(R)
16 Even the bravest warriors^(S)
    will flee naked on that day,”
declares the Lord.

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

³ Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
⁴ Does a lion roar^(F) in the thicket
    when it has no prey?^(G)
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^(H) is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
    if it has not caught anything?
⁶ When a trumpet^(I) sounds in a city,
    do not the people tremble?
When disaster^(J) comes to a city,
    has not the Lord caused it?^(K)

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

⁸ The lion^(N) has roared^(O)—
    who will not fear?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken—
    who can but prophesy?^(P)