When the wicked increase, ¹  transgression increases, but the righteous will see ²  their downfall.

God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall through his visit to Joram. ¹  When Ahaziah ²  arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had commissioned ³  to wipe out Ahab’s family. ⁴ 

His vigorous steps ¹  are restricted, ²  and his own counsel throws him down. ³ 

The people of the earth will quake when they hear of their downfall. ¹  Their cries of anguish will be heard all the way to the Gulf of Aqaba. ² 

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sin has been your downfall! ¹ 

He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him. ¹  He reasoned, ²  “Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they caused him and all Israel to stumble.

They worshiped ¹  their idols, which became a snare to them. ² 

I will shock many peoples with you, and their kings will shiver with horror because of you. When I brandish my sword before them, every moment each one will tremble for his life, on the day of your fall.

I gloat in triumph over those who tried to ambush me; ¹  I hear the defeated cries of the evil foes who attacked me. ² 

ז (Zayin) Jerusalem ¹  remembers, ²  when ³  she became a poor homeless person, ⁴  all her treasures that she owned in days of old. ⁵  When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, ⁶  none of her allies came to her rescue. ⁷  Her enemies ⁸  gloated over ⁹  her; they sneered at her downfall.

You should not have entered the city ¹  of my people when they experienced distress. ²  You should not have joined ³  in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress. ⁴  You should not have looted ⁵  their wealth when they endured distress. ⁶ 

Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord this message predicting Baasha’s downfall: ¹ 

Condemn them, ¹  O God! May their own schemes be their downfall! ²  Drive them away ³  because of their many acts of insurrection, ⁴  for they have rebelled against you.

O Lord, shelter me from the power ¹  of the wicked! Protect me from violent men, who plan to knock me over. ² 

Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; ¹  many will be killed in battle.

This sin caused Jeroboam’s dynasty ¹  to come to an end and to be destroyed from the face of the earth.

All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; ¹  they plan ways to harm me.

All day long I feel humiliated ¹  and am overwhelmed with shame, ² 

Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, ¹  when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? ² 

Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly; in an instant ¹  he will be broken, and there will be no remedy.