Israel has forgotten his Maker and built royal palaces, and Judah has built many fortified cities. But I will send fire on their cities; it will consume their royal citadels.

(2:2) The watchmen of Nineveh shout: ¹  “An enemy who will scatter you ²  is marching out ³  to attack you!” ⁴  “Guard ⁵  the rampart! ⁶  Watch the road! Prepare yourselves for battle! ⁷  Muster your mighty strength!” ⁸ 

Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold.

He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.

In Susa the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

It lives on a rock and spends the night there, on a rocky crag ¹  and a fortress. ² 

But the Lord delivers the godly; ¹  he protects them in times of trouble. ² 

Walk around ¹  Zion! Encircle it! Count its towers!

Indeed, ¹  you are ²  my shelter, a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. ³ 

May there be peace inside your defenses, and prosperity ¹  inside your fortresses! ² 

The next day they let ¹  the horsemen ²  go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. ³ 

All of these cities were fortified by high walls, gates, and locking bars; ¹  in addition there were a great many open villages. ² 

Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the king’s storehouses; Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the field, in the cities, in the towns, and in the towers.

I then put in charge over Jerusalem ¹  my brother Hanani and Hananiah ²  the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do.

Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses, jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. ¹  Her time is almost up, ²  her days will not be prolonged. ³ 

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 

It will be like a dream, a night vision. There will be a horde from all the nations that fight against Ariel, those who attack her and her stronghold and besiege her.

For the fortress is neglected; the once-crowded ¹  city is abandoned. Hill ²  and watchtower are permanently uninhabited. ³  Wild donkeys love to go there, and flocks graze there. ⁴ 

The Lord said to me, ¹  “I have made you like a metal assayer to test my people like ore. ²  You are to observe them and evaluate how they behave.” ³ 

Her towns ¹  will be captured. Her fortresses will be taken. At that time the soldiers of Moab will be frightened like a woman in labor. ²