“For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Bring up an army ¹  against them and subject them ²  to terror and plunder.

“Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege ¹  to Jerusalem ²  this very day.

I am about to bring foreigners ¹  against you, the most terrifying of nations. They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, ²  and they will defile your splendor.

He and his people with him, the most terrifying of the nations, ¹  will be brought there to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with corpses.

So I poured my anger on them ¹  because of the blood they shed on the land and because of the idols with which they defiled it. ² 

Now they must put away their spiritual prostitution and the pillars of their kings far from me, and then I will live among them forever.

Then all the color drained from the king’s face ¹  and he became alarmed. ²  The joints of his hips gave way, ³  and his knees began knocking together.

There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. They resort to violence and bloodshed. ¹ 

They have committed treason ¹  against the Lord, because they bore illegitimate children. Soon ²  the new moon festival will devour them and their fields.

The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary markers. I will pour out my rage on them like a torrential flood! ¹ 

When Ephraim ¹  spoke, ²  there was terror; ³  he was exalted ⁴  in Israel, but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died.

and they cast lots for my people. They traded ¹  a boy for a prostitute; they sold a little girl for wine so they could drink. ² 

No one can withstand ¹  his indignation! ²  No one can resist ³  his fierce anger! ⁴  His wrath is poured out like volcanic fire, boulders are broken up ⁵  as he approaches. ⁶ 

“Because ¹  you have acted like a wanton prostitute ²  – a seductive mistress who practices sorcery, ³  who ⁴  enslaves ⁵  nations by her harlotry, ⁶  and entices peoples by her sorcery ⁷  –

Your bow is ready for action; ¹  you commission your arrows. ²  Selah. You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. ³ 

Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? ¹  Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ² 

He answered them, ¹  “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

He proclaimed, ¹  “One more powerful than I am is coming after me; I am not worthy ²  to bend down and untie the strap ³  of his sandals.

So ¹  the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising ²  God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told. ³ 

“And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, ¹  and on the earth nations will be in distress, ²  anxious ³  over the roaring of the sea and the surging waves.