They ¹  reached up to the sky, then dropped into the depths. The sailors’ strength ²  left them ³  because the danger was so great. ⁴ 

The wealth of a rich person is like ¹  a fortified city, ²  but the poor are brought to ruin ³  by ⁴  their poverty.

The Lord works ¹  everything for its own ends ²  – even the wicked for the day of disaster. ³ 

Fearing the Lord ¹  leads ²  to life, ³  and one who does so will live ⁴  satisfied; he will not be afflicted ⁵  by calamity.

The one who guards his mouth and his tongue ¹  keeps his life ²  from troubles. ³ 

Divide your merchandise ¹  among seven or even eight ²  investments, ³  for you do not know ⁴  what calamity ⁵  may happen on earth.

Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, ¹  who pull sin as with cart ropes. ² 

Then the Lord said, “This means ¹  destruction will break out from the north on all who live in the land.

Not one of them will survive. ¹  I will bring disaster on those men from Anathoth who threatened you. ²  A day of reckoning is coming for them.” ³ 

But if that nation I threatened stops doing wrong, ¹  I will cancel the destruction ²  I intended to do to it.

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sin has been your downfall! ¹ 

You refuse to believe a day of disaster will come, ¹  but you establish a reign of violence. ² 

I left here full, ¹  but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. ²  Why do you call me ‘Naomi,’ seeing that ³  the Lord has opposed me, ⁴  and the Sovereign One ⁵  has caused me to suffer?” ⁶ 

“Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse ¹  before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.” ² 

You thoroughly defeated Edom ¹  and it has gone to your head! ²  Gloat over your success, ³  but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” ⁴ 

Others will then answer, ¹  ‘Because they abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors, ²  who led them out of Egypt. They embraced other gods whom they worshiped and served. ³  That is why he brought all this disaster down on them.’”

May the godly strike me in love and correct me! May my head not refuse ¹  choice oil! ²  Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. ³ 

Surely, no one ¹  knows his appointed time! ²  Like fish that are caught in a deadly ³  net, and like birds that are caught in a snare – just like them, all people ⁴  are ensnared ⁵  at an unfortunate ⁶  time that falls upon them suddenly.

They continually say ¹  to those who reject what the Lord has said, ²  ‘Things will go well for you!’ ³  They say to all those who follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you!’

But when they came in and took possession of it, they did not obey you or live as you had instructed them. They did not do anything that you commanded them to do. ¹  So you brought all this disaster on them.