1:6 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Gaza 1 has committed three crimes 2 –
make that four! 3 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 4
They deported a whole community 5 and sold them 6 to Edom.
1:9 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Tyre has committed three crimes 7 –
make that four! 8 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 9
They sold 10 a whole community 11 to Edom;
they failed to observe 12 a treaty of brotherhood. 13
1:10 So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; 14
fire 15 will consume her fortresses.”
1:11 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Edom has committed three crimes 16 –
make that four! 17 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 18
He chased his brother 19 with a sword;
he wiped out his allies. 20
In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; 21
in his fury he relentlessly attacked them. 22
1:12 So I will set Teman 23 on fire;
fire 24 will consume Bozrah’s 25 fortresses.”
1:13 This is what the Lord says:
“Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes 26 –
make that four! 27 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 28
They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women 29
so they could expand their territory.
1:14 So I will set fire to Rabbah’s 30 city wall; 31
fire 32 will consume her fortresses.
War cries will be heard on the day of battle; 33
a strong gale will blow on the day of the windstorm. 34
1:15 Ammon’s 35 king will be deported; 36
he and his officials 37 will be carried off 38 together.”
The Lord has spoken!
2:1 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Moab has committed three crimes 39 –
make that four! 40 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 41
They burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime. 42
2:2 So I will set Moab on fire, 43
and it will consume Kerioth’s 44 fortresses.
Moab will perish 45 in the heat of battle 46
amid war cries and the blaring 47 of the ram’s horn. 48
2:3 I will remove 49 Moab’s leader; 50
I will kill all Moab’s 51 officials 52 with him.”
The Lord has spoken!
2:4 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions 53 –
make that four! 54 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 55
They rejected the Lord’s law; 56
they did not obey his commands.
Their false gods, 57
to which their fathers were loyal, 58
led them astray.
2:5 So I will set Judah on fire,
and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” 59
2:6 This is what the Lord says:
“Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions 60 –
make that four! 61 – I will not revoke my decree of judgment. 62
They sold the innocent 63 for silver,
the needy for a pair of sandals. 64
2:7 They trample 65 on the dirt-covered heads of the poor; 66
they push the destitute away. 67
A man and his father go to the same girl; 68
in this way they show disrespect 69 for my moral purity. 70
2:8 They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral;
they do so right 71 beside every altar!
They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied;
they do so right in the temple 72 of their God! 73
2:9 For Israel’s sake I destroyed the Amorites. 74
They were as tall as cedars 75
and as strong as oaks,
but I destroyed the fruit on their branches 76
and their roots in the ground. 77
2:10 I brought you up from the land of Egypt;
I led you through the wilderness for forty years
so you could take the Amorites’ land as your own.
2:11 I made some of your sons prophets
and some of your young men Nazirites. 78
Is this not true, you Israelites?”
The Lord is speaking!
2:12 “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; 79
you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’
2:13 Look! I will press you down,
like a cart loaded down with grain presses down. 80
2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; 81
strong men will have no strength left; 82
warriors will not be able to save their lives.
2:15 Archers 83 will not hold their ground; 84
fast runners will not save their lives,
nor will those who ride horses. 85
2:16 Bravehearted 86 warriors will run away naked in that day.”
The Lord is speaking!