Do not let them say to themselves, ¹  “Aha! We have what we wanted!” ²  Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”

he will perish forever, like his own excrement; ¹  those who used to see him will say, ‘Where is he?’

Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

They will proclaim ¹  the power of your awesome acts! I will declare your great deeds!

They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom; they will tell about your power,

Will they not ¹  instruct you and ²  speak to you, and bring forth words ³  from their understanding? ⁴ 

Men of understanding say to me – any wise man listening to me says –

Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, ¹  those whom he delivered ²  from the power ³  of the enemy,

Let the family ¹  of Aaron say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!”

Let the loyal followers of the Lord ¹  say, “Yes, his loyal love endures!”

These people make promises in the name of the Lord. ¹  But the fact is, ²  what they swear to is really a lie.” ³ 

When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ ¹  –

That is why those who speak in proverbs ¹  say, “Come to Heshbon, let it be built. Let the city of Sihon be established! ² 

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience ¹  your deliverance say continually, ²  “May the Lord be praised!” ³ 

My enemies ask this cruel question about me, ¹  ‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ ² 

Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants be avenged among the nations! ¹ 

If they say, “Come with us! We will ¹  lie in wait ²  to shed blood; ³  we will ambush ⁴  an innocent person ⁵  capriciously. ⁶ 

Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. ¹  Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. ² 

Yet the children born during your time of bereavement will say within your hearing, ‘This place is too cramped for us, ¹  make room for us so we can live here.’ ² 

“When that time comes, people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but the children’s teeth have grown numb.’ ¹