Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned ¹ ) and were unable to speak the language of Judah.

Although I am innocent, ¹  my mouth ²  would condemn me; ³  although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse. ⁴ 

But ¹  I would strengthen ²  you with my words; ³  comfort from my lips would bring ⁴  you relief.

If you sin, how does it affect God? ¹  If your transgressions are many, what does it do to him? ² 

A person with great anger bears the penalty, ¹  but if you deliver him from it once, you will have to do it again. ² 

The one who robs ¹  his father and mother and says, “There is no transgression,” is a companion ²  to the one ³  who destroys.

Indeed, the waters of Dimon ¹  are full of blood! Indeed, I will heap even more trouble on Dimon. ²  A lion will attack ³  the Moabite fugitives and the people left in the land.

So now, do not mock, or your chains will become heavier! For I have heard a message about decreed destruction, from the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies, against the entire land. ¹ 

We all growl like bears, we coo mournfully like doves; we wait for deliverance, ¹  but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

That is how ¹  they have grown fat and sleek. ²  There is no limit to the evil things they do. ³  They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor.

The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. ¹  And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! ² 

You may feel as secure as a bird nesting in the cedars of Lebanon. But oh how you ¹  will groan ²  when the pains of judgment come on you. They will be like those of a woman giving birth to a baby. ³ 

ו (Vav) The punishment ¹  of my people ²  exceeded that of ³  of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment with no one to help her. ⁴ 

He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these!”

But she increased her prostitution. She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red, ¹ 

The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. ¹  The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, ²  and then you will experience confusion. ³ 

But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God,

“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth ¹  and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! It ¹  is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom they come.

So ¹  the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs ²  rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned.