Break the arm ¹  of the wicked and evil man! Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds, ²  which he thought you would not discover. ³ 

The roof of my mouth ¹  is as dry as a piece of pottery; my tongue sticks to my gums. ²  You ³  set me in the dust of death. ⁴ 

When evil men attack me ¹  to devour my flesh, ²  when my adversaries and enemies attack me, ³  they stumble and fall. ⁴ 

For they do not understand the Lord’s actions, or the way he carries out justice. ¹  The Lord ²  will permanently demolish them. ³ 

My whole body is sick because of your judgment; ¹  I am deprived of health because of my sin. ² 

He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; ¹  he shatters ²  the bow and breaks ³  the spear; he burns ⁴  the shields with fire. ⁵ 

You allowed men to ride over our heads; we passed through fire and water, but you brought us out into a wide open place. ¹ 

Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant; I am your lowest slave. ¹  You saved me from death. ² 

Listen, O heavens, pay attention, O earth! ¹  For the Lord speaks: “I raised children, ²  I brought them up, ³  but ⁴  they have rebelled ⁵  against me!

From the soles of your feet to your head, there is no spot that is unharmed. ¹  There are only bruises, cuts, and open wounds. They have not been cleansed ²  or bandaged, nor have they been treated ³  with olive oil. ⁴ 

Ephraim’s leader is Samaria, and Samaria’s leader is the son of Remaliah. If your faith does not remain firm, then you will not remain secure.” ¹ 

“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with chiseled stone; the sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.” ¹ 

I will break Assyria ¹  in my land, I will trample them ²  underfoot on my hills. Their yoke will be removed from my people, the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. ³ 

For the sovereign master, ¹  the Lord who commands armies, has planned a day of panic, defeat, and confusion. ²  In the Valley of Vision ³  people shout ⁴  and cry out to the hill. ⁵ 

You saw the many breaks in the walls of the city of David; ¹  you stored up water in the lower pool.

Indeed, ¹  you have made the city ²  into a heap of rubble, the fortified town into a heap of ruins; the fortress of foreigners ³  is no longer a city, it will never be rebuilt.

The fortified city (along with the very tops of your ¹  walls) ²  he will knock down, he will bring it down, he will throw it down to the dusty ground. ³ 

The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, ¹  the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, ²  situated ³  at the head of a rich valley, the crown of those overcome with wine. ⁴ 

Your treaty with death will be dissolved; ¹  your agreement ²  with Sheol will not last. ³  When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by, ⁴  you will be overrun by it. ⁵ 

So this sin will become your downfall. You will be like a high wall that bulges and cracks and is ready to collapse; it crumbles suddenly, in a flash. ¹