People of Jerusalem, ¹  go up to Lebanon and cry out in mourning. Go to the land of Bashan and cry out loudly. Cry out in mourning from the mountains of Moab. ²  For your allies ³  have all been defeated.

He also tore down the altar in Bethel ¹  at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. ²  He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole. ³ 

So prophesy and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely because they have made you desolate and crushed you from all directions, so that you have become the property of the rest of the nations, and have become the subject of gossip ¹  and slander among the people,

Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction ¹  and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

God brought them out of Egypt. They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull; they will devour hostile people ¹  and will break their bones and will pierce them through with arrows.

“Get up and thresh, Daughter Zion! For I will give you iron horns; ¹  I will give you bronze hooves, and you will crush many nations.” ²  You will devote to the Lord the spoils you take from them, and dedicate their wealth to the sovereign Ruler ³  of the whole earth. ⁴ 

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, ¹  regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, ²  that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.

So Joshua destroyed ¹  Amalek and his army ²  with the sword. ³ 

You must not muzzle your ¹  ox when it is treading grain.

She was very upset ¹  as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. ² 

This is exactly what happened to him. The people trampled him to death in the city gate.

Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. ¹ 

Sons of senseless and nameless people, ¹  they were driven out of the land with whips. ² 

He does not allow the wicked to live, ¹  but he gives justice to the poor.

Its heart ¹  is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone.

Consequently ¹  the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; ²  he provides safety in times of trouble. ³ 

For we lie in the dirt, with our bellies pressed to the ground. ¹ 

He subdued nations beneath us ¹  and countries ²  under our feet.

They mock ¹  and say evil things; ²  they proudly threaten violence. ³ 

The wild boars of the forest ruin it; ¹  the insects ²  of the field feed on it.