If the Lord your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors ¹  and gives you all the land he pledged to them, ² 

He makes nations great, ¹  and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses ²  them. ³ 

Deliver me from my distress; ¹  rescue me from my suffering! ² 

May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! ¹  May he live ²  in the tents of Shem and may Canaan be his slave!”

Of Gad he said: Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad. Like a lioness he will dwell; he will tear at an arm – indeed, a scalp. ¹ 

Make your tent larger, stretch your tent curtains farther out! ¹  Spare no effort, lengthen your ropes, and pound your stakes deep. ² 

I run along the path of your commands, for you enable me to do so. ¹ 

For I will drive out ¹  the nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one will covet ²  your land when you go up ³  to appear before the Lord your God three times ⁴  in the year.

You widen my path; ¹  my feet ²  do not slip.

Nor do we boast beyond certain limits ¹  in the work ²  done by others, but we hope ³  that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded ⁴  among you according to our limits, ⁵ 

When the Lord your God extends your borders as he said he would do and you say, “I want to eat meat just as I please,” ¹  you may do so as you wish. ² 

So Death ¹  will open up its throat, and open wide its mouth; ²  Zion’s dignitaries and masses will descend into it, including those who revel and celebrate within her. ³ 

You have made the nation larger, ¹  O Lord, you have made the nation larger and revealed your splendor, ²  you have extended all the borders of the land.

You widen my path; ¹  my feet ²  do not slip.

This is what the Lord says: “Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes ¹  – make that four! ²  – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. ³  They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women ⁴  so they could expand their territory.

Jabez called out to the God of Israel, “If only ¹  you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!” ²  God answered his prayer. ³ 

Shave your heads bald as you mourn for the children you love; ¹  shave your foreheads as bald ²  as an eagle, ³  for they are taken from you into exile.

May he increase your numbers, yours and your children’s! ¹ 

I increased my possessions: ¹  I built houses for myself; ²  I planted vineyards for myself.

And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, ¹  you accomplish nothing ²  by wearing a beautiful dress, ³  decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! ⁴  You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn you. They want to kill you. ⁵