Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head.

I will hand over all the wealth of this city to their enemies. I will hand over to them all the fruits of the labor of the people of this city and all their prized possessions, as well as all the treasures of the kings of Judah. Their enemies will seize it all as plunder ¹  and carry it off to Babylon.

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.

Our inheritance ¹  is turned over to strangers; foreigners now occupy our homes. ² 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

For I consider myself not at all inferior to those “super-apostles.” ¹ 

“Honor your father and mother,” ¹  which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely,

Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? ¹ 

Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. ¹  Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.

All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.

כ (Kaf) All her people groaned as they searched for a morsel of bread. ¹  They exchanged ²  their valuables ³  for ⁴  just enough food to stay alive. ⁵ “Look, O Lord! Consider ⁶  that I have become worthless!”

Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; ¹  shave your foreheads as bald ²  as an eagle, ³  for they are taken from you into exile.

On that day the Lord their God will deliver them as the flock of his people, for they are the precious stones of a crown sparkling over his land.

The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted ¹  for the ephod and the breastpiece,

and throw ¹  your gold ²  in the dust – your gold ³  of Ophir among the rocks in the ravines –

if I looked at the sun ¹  when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,

You sold ¹  your people for a pittance; ²  you did not ask a high price for them. ³ 

They come with red cloth ¹  from Egypt, Ethiopia ²  voluntarily offers tribute ³  to God.

The law you have revealed is more important to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. ¹ 

For wisdom is better than rubies, and desirable things cannot be compared ¹  to her.