On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered with dust.

Wild oxen will be slaughtered ¹  along with them, as well as strong bulls. ²  Their land is drenched with blood, their soil is covered with fat.

And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear ¹  the image of the man of heaven.

The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” ¹ 

Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, ¹  and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” ² 

Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves, ¹  when he shouts at ²  them, they will flee to a distant land, driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills, or like dead thistles ³  before a strong gale.

The king tore down the altars the kings of Judah had set up on the roof of Ahaz’s upper room, as well as the altars Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. He crushed them up ¹  and threw the dust in the Kidron Valley.

He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, ¹  and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them.

Your maxims ¹  are proverbs of ashes; ²  your defenses ³  are defenses of clay. ⁴ 

Iron is taken from the ground, ¹  and rock is poured out ²  as copper.

When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will scrape her soil ¹  from her and make her a bare rock.

He also tore down the altar in Bethel ¹  at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. ²  He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole. ³ 

Not so with the wicked! Instead ¹  they are like wind-driven chaff. ² 

On the third day a man arrived from the camp of Saul with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. ¹  When he approached David, the man ²  threw himself to the ground. ³ 

Wail and cry out in anguish, you rulers! Roll in the dust, you who shepherd flocks of people! ¹  The time for you to be slaughtered has come. You will lie scattered and fallen like broken pieces of fine pottery. ² 

They will steal your wealth and loot your merchandise. They will tear down your walls and destroy your luxurious ¹  homes. Your stones, your trees, and your soil he will throw ²  into the water. ³ 

Then ¹  he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

On that day ¹  a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head.

as water wears away stones, and torrents ¹  wash away the soil, ²  so you destroy man’s hope. ³