Bible in 90 Days
The Restoration of Israel
11 “On that day I will (A)raise up the fallen [a](B)shelter of David,
And wall up its (C)gaps;
I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the (D)days of old;
12 (E)So that they may [b]possess the remnant of (F)Edom
And all the [c]nations who are (G)called by My name,”
Declares the Lord who does this.
13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When the (H)plowman will overtake the reaper,
And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;
When the (I)mountains will drip grape juice,
And all the hills will come apart.
14 I will also (J)restore the fortunes of My people Israel,
And they will (K)rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;
They will also (L)plant vineyards and drink their wine,
And make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will also plant them on their land,
And (M)they will not be uprooted again from their land
Which I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.
Edom Will Be Humbled
1 The vision of Obadiah.
This is what the Lord [d]God says concerning (N)Edom—
(O)We have heard a report from the Lord,
And a (P)messenger has been sent among the nations saying,
“(Q)Arise, and let’s go up against her for battle”—
2 “Behold, I will make you (R)small among the nations;
You are greatly despised.
3 The (S)arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
The one who lives in the clefts of [e]the (T)rock,
On the height of his dwelling place,
Who says in his heart,
‘(U)Who will bring me down to earth?’
4 Though you (V)make your home high like the eagle,
Though you set your nest among the (W)stars,
From there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.
5 “If (X)thieves came to you,
If [f]robbers by night—
Oh how you will be ruined!—
Would they not steal only [g]until they had enough?
If grape-pickers came to you,
(Y)Would they not leave some gleanings?
6 Oh how Esau will be (Z)searched,
And his hidden treasures searched out!
7 All the (AA)people [h]allied with you
Will send you to the border,
And the people at peace with you
Will deceive you and overpower you.
They who eat your (AB)bread
Will set an ambush for you.
(There is (AC)no understanding [i]in him.)
8 Will I not on that day,” declares the Lord,
“(AD)Eliminate wise men from Edom,
And understanding from the mountain of Esau?
9 Then your (AE)warriors will be filled with terror, (AF)Teman,
So that everyone will be (AG)eliminated from the mountain of Esau by murder.
10 “Because of (AH)violence to your brother Jacob,
Shame will cover you,
(AI)And you will be eliminated forever.
11 On the day that you (AJ)stood aloof,
On the day that strangers carried off his wealth,
And foreigners entered his gate
And (AK)cast lots for Jerusalem—
(AL)You too were as one of them.
12 (AM)Do not [j]gloat over your brother’s day,
The day of his misfortune.
And (AN)do not rejoice over the sons of Judah
On the day of their destruction;
Yes, (AO)do not [k]boast
On the day of their distress.
13 Do not enter the gate of My people
On the (AP)day of their disaster.
You indeed, do not [l]gloat over their catastrophe
On the day of their disaster.
And do not (AQ)lay a hand on their wealth
On the day of their disaster.
14 Do not (AR)stand at the crossroads
To eliminate their survivors;
And do not hand over their refugees
On the day of their distress.
The Day of the Lord and the Future
15 “For the (AS)day of the Lord is near for all the nations.
(AT)Just as you have done, it will be done to you.
Your (AU)dealings will return on your own head.
16 For just as you (AV)drank on (AW)My holy mountain,
All the nations (AX)will drink continually.
They will drink [m]to the last drop,
And become as if they had never existed.
17 But on Mount (AY)Zion there will be those who escape,
And it will be holy.
And the house of Jacob will [n](AZ)possess their [o]property.
18 Then the house of Jacob will be a (BA)fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau will be like stubble.
And they will set [p]them on fire and consume [q]them,
So that there will be (BB)no survivor of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.
19 Then those of the [r]Negev will [s](BC)possess the mountain of Esau,
And those of the [t]Shephelah the (BD)Philistine plain;
Also, (BE)they will [u]possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,
And Benjamin the territory of Gilead.
20 And the exiles of this army of the sons of Israel,
Who are among the Canaanites as far as (BF)Zarephath,
And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad,
Will [v]possess the (BG)cities of the Negev.
21 [w]The (BH)deliverers will ascend Mount Zion
To judge the mountain of Esau,
And the (BI)kingdom will be the Lord’s.
Jonah’s Disobedience
1 The word of the Lord came to (BJ)Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to (BK)Nineveh, the great city, and (BL)cry out against it, because their (BM)wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah got up to flee to (BN)Tarshish (BO)from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to (BP)Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and [x]boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.
4 However, the (BQ)Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea, so that the ship was about to [y]break up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried out to (BR)his [z]god, and they (BS)hurled the [aa]cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it [ab]for them. But Jonah had gone below into the stern of the ship, had lain down, and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, (BT)call on your god! Perhaps your (BU)god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”
7 And each man said to his mate, “Come, let’s (BV)cast lots so that we may [ac]find out on whose account this catastrophe has struck us.” So they cast lots, and the (BW)lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “(BX)Tell us, now! On whose account has this catastrophe struck us? What is your (BY)occupation, and where do you come from? What is your country, and from what people are you?” 9 So he said to them, “I am a (BZ)Hebrew, and I (CA)fear the Lord (CB)God of heaven who (CC)made the sea and the dry land.”
10 Then the men became extremely afraid, and they said to him, “[ad]How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was (CD)fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will become calm [ae]for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm [af]for you, because I know that (CE)on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men [ag]rowed desperately to return to land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming even stormier against them. 14 Then they cried out to the (CF)Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for (CG)You, Lord, have done as You pleased.”
15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea (CH)stopped its raging. 16 Then the men became extremely afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made (CI)vows.
17 [ah]And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the (CJ)stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.
Jonah’s Prayer
2 [ai]Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God (CK)from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said,
“I (CL)called out of my distress to the Lord,
And He answered me.
I called for help from the [aj]depth of (CM)Sheol;
You heard my voice.
3 For You (CN)threw me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the current flowed around me.
All Your (CO)breakers and waves passed over me.
4 So I said, ‘I have been (CP)cast out [ak]of Your sight.
Nevertheless I will look again (CQ)toward Your holy temple.’
5 (CR)Water encompassed me to the [al]point of death.
The (CS)deep flowed around me,
Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 I (CT)descended to the base of the mountains.
The earth with its (CU)bars was around me forever,
But You have (CV)brought up my life from [am]the pit, Lord my God.
7 While [an]I was (CW)fainting away,
I (CX)remembered the Lord,
And my (CY)prayer came to You,
Into (CZ)Your holy temple.
8 Those who (DA)are followers of worthless [ao]idols
Abandon their faithfulness,
9 But I will (DB)sacrifice to You
With a voice of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed I will (DC)pay.
(DD)Salvation is from the Lord.”
10 Then the Lord commanded the (DE)fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.
Nineveh Repents
3 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to (DF)Nineveh, the great city, and (DG)proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was [ap]an (DH)exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he (DI)cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a (DJ)fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his robe from himself, (DK)covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the [aq]dust. 7 And he issued a (DL)proclamation, and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: No person, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat, or drink water. 8 But every person and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and people are to (DM)call on God vehemently, and they are to (DN)turn, each one from his evil way, and from the violence which is in their hands. 9 (DO)Who knows, God may turn and relent, and turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw their deeds, that they (DP)turned from their evil way, then (DQ)God relented of the disaster which He had declared He would [ar]bring on them. So He did not do it.
Jonah’s Displeasure Rebuked
4 But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became (DR)angry. 2 Then he (DS)prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not [as]what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I (DT)fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a (DU)gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster. 3 So now, Lord, please (DV)take my [at]life from me, for death is (DW)better to me than life.” 4 But the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?”
5 Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of [au]it. There he made a shelter for himself and (DX)sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. 6 So the Lord God designated a [av]plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to [aw]relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah [ax]was overjoyed about the plant. 7 But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it (DY)withered. 8 And when the sun came up God designated a scorching (DZ)east wind, and the (EA)sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “(EB)Death is better to me than life!”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!” 10 Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which [ay]came up overnight and perished [az]overnight. 11 Should I not also (EC)have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not (ED)know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many (EE)animals?”
Destruction in Israel and Judah
1 The (EF)word of the Lord which came to (EG)Micah of Moresheth in the days of (EH)Jotham, (EI)Ahaz, and (EJ)Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and which he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem.
2 Hear, you peoples, all of [ba]you;
(EK)Listen carefully, earth and [bb]all it contains,
And may the Lord [bc]God be a (EL)witness against you,
The Lord from His holy temple.
3 For behold, the Lord is (EM)coming forth from His place.
He will come down and (EN)tread on the high places of the [bd]earth.
4 (EO)The mountains will melt under Him
And the valleys will be split,
Like wax before the fire,
Like water poured down a steep place.
5 All this is due to the [be]wrongdoing of Jacob
And the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the [bf](EP)wrongdoing of Jacob?
Is it not (EQ)Samaria?
What is the (ER)high [bg]place of Judah?
Is it not Jerusalem?
6 For I will make Samaria a (ES)heap of ruins [bh]in the open country,
(ET)Planting places for a vineyard.
I will (EU)hurl her stones down into the valley,
And (EV)lay bare her foundations.
7 All of her (EW)idols will be crushed,
All of her earnings will be burned with fire,
And all of her images I will make desolate;
For she collected them from a (EX)prostitute’s earnings,
And to the earnings of a prostitute they will return.
8 Because of this I must mourn and wail,
I must go (EY)barefoot and naked;
I must do mourning like the (EZ)jackals,
And a mourning like the ostriches.
9 For her (FA)wound is incurable,
For (FB)it has come to Judah;
It has reached the (FC)gate of my people,
Even to Jerusalem.
10 (FD)Do not tell it in Gath,
Do not weep at all.
At [bi]Beth-le-aphrah roll yourself in the dust in mourning.
11 [bj]Go on your way, inhabitant of [bk]Shaphir, in (FE)shameful nakedness.
The inhabitant of [bl](FF)Zaanan does not [bm]escape.
The mourning of [bn]Beth-ezel: “He will take from you its [bo]support.”
12 For the inhabitant of [bp]Maroth
[bq](FG)Waits for something good,
Because a disaster has come down from the Lord
To the (FH)gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the chariot to the team of horses,
You inhabitant of (FI)Lachish—
She was the beginning of sin
To the daughter of Zion—
Because in you were found
The (FJ)rebellious acts of Israel.
14 Therefore you will give parting (FK)gifts
In behalf of Moresheth-gath;
The houses of (FL)Achzib will become a [br](FM)deception
To the kings of Israel.
15 Moreover, I will bring on you
The one who takes possession,
You inhabitant of [bs](FN)Mareshah.
The glory of Israel will enter (FO)Adullam.
16 Shave yourself (FP)bald, yes, cut off your hair,
Because of the children of your delight;
Extend your baldness like the eagle,
For they will (FQ)go from you into exile.
Woe to Oppressors
2 Woe to those who (FR)devise wrongdoing,
Who practice evil on their beds!
[bt](FS)When morning comes, they do it,
Because it is in the (FT)power of their hands.
2 They (FU)covet fields, so they (FV)seize them;
And houses, so they take them.
They [bu](FW)exploit a man and his house,
A person and his inheritance.
3 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am (FX)planning against this (FY)family a catastrophe
From which you (FZ)cannot remove your necks;
And you will not walk (GA)haughtily,
For it will be an (GB)evil time.
4 On that day they will (GC)take up against you a [bv]song of mocking
And [bw](GD)utter a song of mourning and say,
‘We are completely (GE)destroyed!
He exchanges the share of my people;
How He removes it from me!
To the apostate He (GF)apportions our fields.’
5 Therefore you will have no one [bx](GG)applying a measuring line
For you by lot in the assembly of the Lord.
6 ‘(GH)Do not prophesy,’ so they prophesy.
But if [by]they do (GI)not prophesy about these things,
(GJ)Insults will not be turned back.
7 Is it being said, house of Jacob:
‘Is the Spirit of the Lord (GK)impatient?
Are these His works?’
Do My words not (GL)do good
For the one (GM)walking rightly?
8 [bz]Recently My people have arisen as an (GN)enemy—
You (GO)strip the robe off the garment
From (GP)unsuspecting passers-by,
From those returned from war.
9 You (GQ)evict the women of My people,
Each one from her pleasant house.
From her children you take My (GR)splendor forever.
10 Arise and go,
For this is no place (GS)of rest
Because of the (GT)uncleanness that brings on destruction,
A painful destruction.
11 If someone walking after wind and (GU)falsehood
Had lied and said,
‘I will prophesy to you about (GV)wine and liquor,’
He would become a prophet to (GW)this people.
12 “I will certainly (GX)assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will certainly gather the (GY)remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture
They will be noisy with people.
13 The one who breaks through goes up before them;
They break through, pass through the gate, and go out by it.
So their king passes on before them,
And the Lord at their head.”
Rulers Denounced
3 And I said,
“(GZ)Hear now, you [ca]leaders of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel:
Is it not for you to (HA)know justice?
2 You who hate good and love evil,
Who (HB)tear off their skin from them
And their flesh from their bones,
3 Who (HC)eat the flesh of my people,
Strip off their skin from them,
Smash their bones,
And (HD)chop them up as for the pot,
And as meat in a cauldron!”
4 Then they will (HE)cry out to the Lord,
But He will not answer them.
Instead, He will (HF)hide His face from them at that time
Because they have (HG)practiced evil deeds.
5 This is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who (HH)lead my people astray:
When they have something to bite with their teeth,
They (HI)cry out, “Peace!”
But against him who puts nothing in their mouths
They declare holy war.
6 Therefore it will be (HJ)night for you—without vision,
And darkness for you—without divination.
The (HK)sun will go down on the prophets,
And the day will become dark over them.
7 The seers will be (HL)put to shame,
And the (HM)diviners will be ashamed.
Indeed, they will all (HN)cover their [cb]lips
Because there is (HO)no answer from God.
8 On the other hand, (HP)I am filled with power—
With the Spirit of the Lord—
And with justice and courage
To (HQ)make known to Jacob his rebellious act,
And to Israel his sin.
9 Now hear this, you (HR)heads of the house of Jacob
And rulers of the house of Israel,
Who (HS)despise justice
And twist everything that is straight,
10 Who (HT)build Zion with bloodshed,
And Jerusalem with malice.
11 Her leaders pronounce (HU)judgment for a bribe,
Her (HV)priests teach for pay,
And her prophets divine for money.
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“(HW)Is the Lord not in our midst?
Catastrophe will not come upon us.”
12 Therefore on account of you,
(HX)Zion will be plowed like a field,
(HY)Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the (HZ)mountain of the [cc]temple will become high places of a forest.
Peaceful Latter Days
4 And it will come about in the (IA)last days
That the (IB)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [cd]as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the (IC)peoples will stream to it.
2 (ID)Many nations will come and say,
“(IE)Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that (IF)He may teach us about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For (IG)from Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And He will (IH)judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, [ce]distant nations.
Then they will beat their swords (II)into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift a sword against nation,
And never again will they [cf]train for war.
4 Instead, each of them will (IJ)sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With (IK)no one to make them afraid,
Because the (IL)mouth of the Lord of armies has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples walk,
Each in the (IM)name of his god,
As for us, (IN)we will walk
In the name of the (IO)Lord our God forever and ever.
6 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble those who (IP)limp
And (IQ)gather the scattered,
Those whom I have afflicted.
7 I will make those who limp a (IR)remnant,
And those who [cg]have strayed a mighty nation,
And the (IS)Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
From now on and forever.
8 As for you, [ch](IT)tower of the flock,
[ci]Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come—
Yes, the (IU)former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 “Now, why do you (IV)cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you,
Or has your (IW)counselor perished,
That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
10 (IX)Writhe and scream,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will (IY)go out of the city,
Live in the field,
And go to Babylon.
(IZ)There you will be rescued,
(JA)There the Lord will redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 And now (JB)many nations have been assembled against you
Who say, ‘Let her be defiled,
And let our eyes [cj]gloat over Zion!’
12 But they do not (JC)know the thoughts of the Lord,
And they do not understand His plan;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and (JD)thresh, daughter of Zion,
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs bronze,
So that you may (JE)pulverize many peoples,
And (JF)dedicate to the Lord their unjust profit,
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Birth of the King in Bethlehem
5 “[ck]Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
[cl]They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will (JG)strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2 [cm]But as for (JH)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (JI)you One will come forth for Me to be (JJ)ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are (JK)from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
3 Therefore He will (JL)give them up until the time
When she (JM)who is in labor has given birth.
Then the (JN)remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
4 And He will arise and (JO)shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will [cn]remain,
Because [co]at that time He will be great
To the (JP)ends of the earth.
5 This One (JQ)will be our peace.
When the (JR)Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our [cp]citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
6 They will (JS)shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of (JT)Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will (JU)rescue us from the Assyrian
When he invades our land,
And when he tramples our territory.
7 Then the (JV)remnant of Jacob
Will be among many peoples
Like (JW)dew from the Lord,
Like (JX)showers on vegetation
That do not wait for man,
Or delay for [cq]mankind.
8 The remnant of Jacob
Will be among the nations,
Among many peoples
(JY)Like a lion among the animals of the forest,
Like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
Which, if he passes through,
(JZ)Tramples and (KA)tears,
And there is (KB)no one who can rescue.
9 Your hand will be (KC)lifted up against your adversaries,
And all your enemies will be eliminated.
10 “And it will be on that day,” declares the Lord,
“(KD)That I will eliminate your (KE)horses from among you,
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will also eliminate the (KF)cities of your land,
And tear down all your (KG)fortifications.
12 I will eliminate (KH)sorceries from your hand,
And you will have no fortune-tellers.
13 (KI)I will eliminate your carved images
And your memorial stones from among you,
So that you will no longer bow down
To the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot your [cr](KJ)Asherim from among you,
And destroy your cities.
15 And I will (KK)execute vengeance in anger and wrath
On the nations which have not obeyed.”
God’s Indictment of His People
6 Hear now what the Lord is saying,
“Arise, plead your case [cs]before the mountains,
And let the hills hear your voice.
2 Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the Lord,
And you enduring (KL)foundations of the earth,
Because the (KM)Lord has a case against His people;
And He will dispute with Israel.
3 (KN)My people, (KO)what have I done to you,
And (KP)how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
4 Indeed, I (KQ)brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I (KR)redeemed you from the house of slavery,
And I sent before you (KS)Moses, Aaron, and (KT)Miriam.
5 My people, remember now
What (KU)Balak king of Moab planned
And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
And what happened from (KV)Shittim to (KW)Gilgal,
[ct]So that you might know the (KX)righteous acts of the Lord.”
What God Requires of Mankind
6 (KY)With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with (KZ)burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
7 Does the Lord take pleasure in (LA)thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of [cu]oil?
Shall I give Him my (LB)firstborn for my wrongdoings,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has (LC)told you, mortal one, what is good;
And (LD)what does the Lord require of you
But to (LE)do justice, to (LF)love [cv]kindness,
And to walk [cw](LG)humbly with your God?
9 The voice of the Lord will call to the city—
And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
“[cx]Hear, you tribe. Who has designated [cy]its time?
10 Is there still a person in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of (LH)wickedness,
And a [cz](LI)short measure that is cursed?
11 Can I justify dishonest (LJ)balances,
And a bag of fraudulent weights?
12 For the rich people of [da]the city are full of (LK)violence,
Her residents speak (LL)lies,
And their (LM)tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 So also I will make you (LN)sick, striking you down,
(LO)Making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You will eat, but you will (LP)not be satisfied,
And your filth will be in your midst.
You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping,
But you will (LQ)not save it all,
And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.
15 You will sow but you will (LR)not harvest.
You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil;
And tread out sweet wine, but you will (LS)not drink any wine.
16 The statutes of (LT)Omri
And every work of the house of (LU)Ahab are maintained,
And you (LV)walk by their plans.
Therefore I will give you up for (LW)destruction,
And [db]your inhabitants for [dc](LX)derision,
And you will suffer the (LY)taunting of My people.”
The Prophet Acknowledges Injustice
7 Woe to me! For I am
Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of (LZ)grapes.
There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat,
Nor an (MA)early fig, which [dd]I crave.
2 The [de]godly person has (MB)perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among mankind.
All of them lie in wait for (MC)bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a (MD)net.
3 As for evil, both hands do it (ME)well.
The leader asks for a (MF)bribe, also the judge,
And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul;
So they plot it together.
4 The best of them is like a (MG)thorn bush,
The most upright like a (MH)thorn hedge.
The day [df]when you post your watchmen,
Your (MI)punishment is coming.
Then their (MJ)confusion will occur.
5 Do not (MK)trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a close friend.
Guard [dg]your lips
From her who lies [dh]in your arms.
6 For (ML)son disavows father,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
(MM)A person’s enemies are the people of his own household.
God Is the Source of Salvation and Light
7 But as for me, I will (MN)be on the watch for the Lord;
I will (MO)wait for the God of my salvation.
My (MP)God will hear me.
8 (MQ)Do not rejoice over me, (MR)enemy of mine.
Though I fall I will (MS)rise;
Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a (MT)light for me.
9 I will endure the rage of the Lord
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He (MU)pleads my case and executes justice for me.
He will bring me out to the (MV)light,
And I will look at His [di](MW)righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see,
And shame will cover her who (MX)said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look at her;
[dj]At that time she will [dk]be (MY)trampled down
Like mud of the streets.
11 It will be a day for (MZ)building your walls.
On that day your boundary will be extended.
12 It will be a day when [dl]they will (NA)come to you
From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
From Egypt even to the Euphrates River,
Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 And the earth will become a (NB)wasteland because of her inhabitants,
On account of the (NC)fruit of their deeds.
14 (ND)Shepherd Your people with Your (NE)scepter,
The flock of Your [dm]possession
Which lives by itself in the woodland,
In the midst of [dn]a fruitful field.
Let them feed in (NF)Bashan and Gilead
(NG)As in the days of old.
15 “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt,
I will show [do](NH)you miracles.”
16 Nations (NI)will see and be ashamed
Of all their might.
They will (NJ)put their hand on their mouth,
Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will (NK)lick up dust like a snake,
Like [dp](NL)reptiles of the earth.
They will come (NM)trembling out of their [dq]fortresses;
To the Lord our God they will come in (NN)trepidation,
And they will be afraid of You.
18 Who is a God like You, who (NO)pardons wrongdoing
And passes over a rebellious act of the (NP)remnant of His [dr]possession?
He does not (NQ)retain His anger forever,
Because He (NR)delights in mercy.
19 He will again take pity on us;
(NS)He will trample on our wrongdoings.
Yes, You will (NT)cast all [ds]their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give [dt](NU)truth to Jacob
And favor to Abraham,
Which You (NV)swore to our forefathers
From the days of old.
God Is Awesome
1 The (NW)pronouncement of (NX)Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:
2 A (NY)jealous and avenging God is the Lord;
The Lord is (NZ)avenging and [du]wrathful.
The Lord takes (OA)vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
3 The Lord is (OB)slow to anger and great in power,
And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
In the (OC)gale and the storm is His way,
And (OD)clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
4 He (OE)rebukes the sea and dries it up;
He dries up all the rivers.
(OF)Bashan and Carmel wither,
The blossoms of Lebanon wither.
5 Mountains (OG)quake because of Him,
And the hills (OH)come apart;
Indeed the earth is (OI)upheaved by His presence,
The (OJ)world and all the inhabitants in it.
6 (OK)Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the (OL)burning of His anger?
His (OM)wrath gushes forth like fire,
And the (ON)rocks are broken up by Him.
7 The Lord is (OO)good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And (OP)He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8 But with an (OQ)overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of [dv]its site,
And will pursue His enemies into (OR)darkness.
9 Whatever you (OS)devise against the Lord,
He will make a (OT)complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
10 Like tangled (OU)thorns,
And like those who are (OV)drunken with their drink,
They are (OW)consumed
Like stubble completely dried up.
11 From you has gone out
One who (OX)plotted evil against the Lord,
A [dw](OY)wicked counselor.
12 This is what the Lord says:
“Though they are at full strength and so they are many,
So also they will be (OZ)cut off and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you (PA)no longer.
13 So now, I will (PB)break his yoke from upon you,
And I will tear your shackles to pieces.”
14 The Lord has issued a command concerning [dx]you:
“[dy]Your name will (PC)no longer be perpetuated.
I will eliminate the (PD)carved image and the cast metal image
From the house of your gods.
I will prepare your (PE)grave,
For you are contemptible.”
15 [dz]Behold, (PF)on the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace!
(PG)Celebrate your feasts, Judah,
Pay your vows.
For (PH)never again will the [ea]wicked one pass through you;
He is (PI)eliminated completely.
The Overthrow of Nineveh
2 [eb]The one who (PJ)scatters has come up against [ec]you.
Keep watch over the fortress, watch the road;
[ed]Bind up your waist, [ee]summon all your strength.
2 For the Lord will restore the (PK)splendor of Jacob
(PL)Like the splendor of Israel,
Even though destroyers have laid waste to them
And (PM)ruined their vines.
3 The shields of [ef]his warriors are dyed red,
The warriors are dressed in (PN)scarlet,
The chariots are fitted with [eg]flashing steel
[eh]When he is prepared to march,
And the juniper (PO)spears are brandished.
4 The (PP)chariots drive wildly in the streets,
They rush around in the [ei]public squares;
Their appearance is like torches,
They drive back and forth like lightning flashes.
5 He remembers his (PQ)officers;
They (PR)stumble in their advance,
They hurry to her wall,
And the [ej]mantelet is set up.
6 The gates of the rivers are opened
And the palace sways back and forth.
7 It is set:
She is stripped, she is led away,
And her slave women are (PS)sobbing like the sound of doves,
(PT)Beating their [ek]breasts.
8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,
Yet they are fleeing;
“Stop, stop,”
But (PU)no one turns back.
9 Plunder the silver,
Plunder the (PV)gold!
For there is no end to the treasure—
Wealth from every kind of desirable object.
10 She is (PW)emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste!
(PX)Hearts are melting and knees wobbling!
Also trembling is in [el]the entire body,
And all their (PY)faces have become pale!
11 Where is the den of the lions
And the feeding place of the (PZ)young lions,
Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub went
With nothing to disturb them?
12 The lion tore enough for his cubs,
[em]Killed enough prey for his lionesses,
And filled his lairs with prey
And his dens with torn flesh.
13 “Behold, (QA)I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will (QB)burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will (QC)eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”
Nineveh’s Complete Ruin
3 (QD)Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage;
Her prey does not leave.
2 The (QE)sound of the whip,
The sound of the roar of the wheel,
Galloping horses
And [en]bounding chariots!
3 Horsemen charging,
Swords flashing, (QF)spears gleaming,
(QG)Many killed, a mass of corpses,
And there is (QH)no end to the dead bodies—
They stumble over [eo]the dead bodies!
4 All because of the (QI)many sexual acts of the prostitute,
The charming one, the (QJ)mistress of sorceries,
Who (QK)sells nations by her sexual acts,
And families by her sorceries.
5 “Behold, (QL)I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies;
“And I will [ep](QM)lift up your skirts over your face,
And (QN)show the nations your nakedness,
And the kingdoms your shame.
6 I will (QO)throw filth on you
And (QP)declare you worthless,
And set you up as a (QQ)spectacle.
7 And it will come about that all who see you
Will [eq]shrink from you and say,
‘Nineveh is devastated!
(QR)Who will have sympathy for her?’
Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
8 Are you better than [er](QS)No-amon,
Which was situated by the (QT)canals of the Nile,
With water surrounding her,
Whose rampart was [es]the sea,
Whose wall consisted of [et]the sea?
9 (QU)Ethiopia was her might,
Egypt too, without limits.
(QV)Put and (QW)Lubim were among [eu]her helpers.
10 Yet she (QX)became an exile,
She went into captivity;
Also her (QY)small children were smashed to pieces
(QZ)At the head of every street;
They (RA)cast lots for her honorable men,
And all her great men were bound with shackles.
11 You too will become (RB)drunk,
You will be (RC)hidden.
You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortifications are (RD)fig trees with [ev](RE)ripe fruit—
When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.
13 Behold, your people are (RF)women in your midst!
The gates of your land are (RG)opened wide to your enemies;
Fire consumes your gate bars.
14 (RH)Draw for yourself water for a siege!
(RI)Strengthen your fortifications!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
Take hold of the brick mold!
15 There (RJ)fire will consume you,
The sword will cut you down;
It will (RK)consume you as the creeping locust consumes a crop.
Multiply yourself like the creeping locust,
Multiply yourself like the migratory locust.
16 You have made your (RL)traders more numerous than the stars of heaven—
The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away.
17 Your (RM)courtiers are like the migratory locust.
Your (RN)officials are like a swarm of locusts
Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day.
The sun rises and they flee,
And the place where they are is not known.
18 Your shepherds are (RO)sleeping, O (RP)king of Assyria;
Your (RQ)officers are lying down.
Your people are (RR)scattered on the mountains
And there is no one to gather them.
19 There is (RS)no relief for your collapse,
Your (RT)wound is incurable.
All who hear [ew]about you
Will (RU)clap their hands over you,
For upon whom has your evil not come continually?
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