I will hand over all the wealth of this city to their enemies. I will hand over to them all the fruits of the labor of the people of this city and all their prized possessions, as well as all the treasures of the kings of Judah. Their enemies will seize it all as plunder ¹  and carry it off to Babylon.

They burned down the Lord’s temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. ¹  They burned all its fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items.

All their neighbors assisted ¹  them with silver utensils, ²  gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention ³  all the voluntary offerings.

O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? ¹  Rescue ²  me ³  from their destructive attacks; guard my life ⁴  from the young lions!

The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag ¹  of seed, will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain. ² 

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power ¹  belongs to God and does not come from us.

Jehoshaphat and his men ¹  went to gather the plunder; they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing ²  and valuable items. They carried away everything they could. ³  There was so much plunder, it took them three days to haul it off. ⁴ 

Even though he flourishes like a reed plant, ¹  a scorching east wind will come, a wind from the Lord rising up from the desert. As a result, his spring will dry up; ²  his well will become dry. That wind ³  will spoil all his delightful foods in the containers in his storehouse.

with the harvest of the earth and its fullness and the pleasure of him who resided in the burning bush. ¹  May blessing rest on Joseph’s head, and on the top of the head of the one set apart ²  from his brothers.

At the beginning of the year King Nebuchadnezzar ordered him to be brought ¹  to Babylon, along with the valuable items in the Lord’s temple. In his place he made his relative ²  Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Look! ¹  Even if ²  they flee from the destruction, Egypt will take hold ³  of them, and Memphis will bury them. The weeds will inherit the silver they treasure ⁴  – thorn bushes will occupy their homes. ⁵ 

The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted ¹  for the ephod and the breastpiece,

if I looked at the sun ¹  when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,

(the ransom price for a human life ¹  is too high, and people go to their final destiny), ² 

O Lord, they crush your people; they oppress the nation that belongs to you. ¹ 

Listen to my instruction ¹  so that you may be wise, ²  and do not neglect it.

ז (Zayin) Jerusalem ¹  remembers, ²  when ³  she became a poor homeless person, ⁴  all her treasures that she owned in days of old. ⁵  When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, ⁶  none of her allies came to her rescue. ⁷  Her enemies ⁸  gloated over ⁹  her; they sneered at her downfall.

On that day there will be no light – the sources of light in the heavens will congeal. ¹ 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ¹