Disaster is within it; violence ¹  and deceit do not depart from its public square.

You will not be afraid ¹  of sudden ²  disaster, ³  or when destruction overtakes ⁴  the wicked; ⁵ 

Do not give your strength ¹  to women, nor your ways ²  to that which ruins ³  kings.

Let destruction take them by surprise! ¹  Let the net they hid catch them! Let them fall into destruction! ² 

Those who seek my life try to entrap me; ¹  those who want to harm me speak destructive words; all day long they say deceitful things.

Look at the land of the Chaldeans, these people who have lost their identity! ¹  The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals. They erected their siege towers, ²  demolished ³  its fortresses, and turned it into a heap of ruins. ⁴ 

for suddenly their destruction will overtake them, ¹  and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring? ² 

That day will be a day of God’s anger, ¹  a day of distress and hardship, a day of devastation and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and dark skies,

Their slander will bring about their demise. ¹  All who see them will shudder, ² 

The one who winks ¹  his ²  eye causes ³  trouble, and the one who speaks foolishness ⁴  will come to ruin.

A king’s glory is ¹  the abundance of people, but the lack of subjects ²  is the ruin ³  of a ruler.

A person who has friends ¹  may be harmed by them, ²  but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A deceiver’s methods are evil; ¹  he dreams up evil plans ²  to ruin the poor with lies, even when the needy are in the right. ³ 

Remind people ¹  of these things and solemnly charge them ²  before the Lord ³  not to wrangle over words. This is of no benefit; it just brings ruin on those who listen. ⁴ 

Keen insight ¹  wins ²  favor, but the conduct ³  of the unfaithful is harsh. ⁴ 

He flashes ¹  destruction down upon the strong so that destruction overwhelms ²  the fortified places.)

You will defeat every fortified city and every important ¹  city. You must chop down ²  every productive ³  tree, stop up all the springs, and cover all the cultivated land with stones.” ⁴ 

They gave money to the craftsmen and builders to buy chiseled stone and wood for the braces and rafters of the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into disrepair. ¹ 

“Therefore I will judge each person according to his conduct, ¹  O house of Israel, declares the sovereign Lord. Repent ²  and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity. ³ 

He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he thought had defeated him. ¹  He reasoned, ²  “Since the gods of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they caused him and all Israel to stumble.