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8  I will listen to what the Lord God will say, ♦︎
   for he shall speak peace to his people and to the faithful,
      that they turn not again to folly.
9  Truly, his salvation is near to those who fear him, ♦︎
   that his glory may dwell in our land.
10  Mercy and truth are met together, ♦︎
   righteousness and peace have kissed each other;
11  Truth shall spring up from the earth ♦︎
   and righteousness look down from heaven.
12  The Lord will indeed give all that is good, ♦︎
   and our land will yield its increase.
13  Righteousness shall go before him ♦︎
   and direct his steps in the way.

Judgement on Israel

⁶ Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Israel,
   and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;^*
because they sell the righteous for silver,
   and the needy for a pair of sandals—
⁷ they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth,
   and push the afflicted out of the way;
father and son go in to the same girl,
   so that my holy name is profaned;
⁸ they lay themselves down beside every altar
   on garments taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God they drink
   wine bought with fines they imposed.

⁹ Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them,
   whose height was like the height of cedars,
   and who was as strong as oaks;
I destroyed his fruit above,
   and his roots beneath.
¹⁰ Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt,
   and led you for forty years in the wilderness,
   to possess the land of the Amorite.
¹¹ And I raised up some of your children to be prophets
   and some of your youths to be nazirites.^*
   Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel?

says the Lord.

¹² But you made the nazirites^* drink wine,
   and commanded the prophets,
   saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’

¹³ So, I will press you down in your place,
   just as a cart presses down
   when it is full of sheaves.^*
14 Flight shall perish from the swift,
   and the strong shall not retain their strength,
   nor shall the mighty save their lives;
¹⁵ those who handle the bow shall not stand,
   and those who are swift of foot shall not save themselves,
   nor shall those who ride horses save their lives;
¹⁶ and those who are stout of heart among the mighty
   shall flee away naked on that day,

says the Lord.

2For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. ²I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself,^{* 3}in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. ⁵For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.