Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the sovereign Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says: You said “Aha!” about my sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile.

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem ¹  to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away. ² 

Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, ¹  son of Abinoam!

The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed ¹  at Riblah in the territory ²  of Hamath. So Judah was deported from its land.

who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem ¹  with the captives who had been carried into exile with Jeconiah ²  king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile.

Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. ¹  No one will break through our walls, no one will be taken captive, and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares. 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 

He says, ¹  “Build it! Build it! Clear a way! Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

“I looked at the land and saw ¹  that it was an empty wasteland. ²  I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished.

The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed ¹  at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land.

In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, ¹  the word of the Lord came to me:

In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, ¹  the word of the Lord came to me:

In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, ¹  the word of the Lord came to me:

In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, ¹  the word of the Lord came to me:

In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, ¹  the word of the Lord came to me:

All of them intend ¹  to do violence; every face is determined. ²  They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. ³ 

“As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals – I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. ¹ 

So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out ¹  by name men who were leaders in their family groups. ²  They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

“From its earliest days Moab has lived undisturbed. It has never been taken into exile. Its people are like wine allowed to settle undisturbed on its dregs, never poured out from one jar to another. They are like wine which tastes like it always did, whose aroma has remained unchanged. ¹ 

Wail, you people in Heshbon, because Ai in Ammon is destroyed. Cry out in anguish, you people in the villages surrounding ¹  Rabbah. Put on sackcloth and cry out in mourning. Run about covered with gashes. ²  For your god Milcom will go into exile along with his priests and officials. ³