On that day the songs in the palace will become cries of mourning. There will be dead bodies everywhere. They will be cast out in silence."

Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps.

How terrible it will be for you that stretch out on your luxurious couches, feasting on veal and lamb!

You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest perfumes, but you do not mourn over the ruin of Israel.

Enjoy it with your children, your servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows who live in your towns.

Abigail went back to Nabal, who was at home having a feast fit for a king. He was drunk and in a good mood, so she did not tell him anything until the next morning.

Some ten days later the LORD struck Nabal and he died.

and instructed his servants: "Notice when Amnon has had too much to drink, and then when I give the order, kill him. Don't be afraid. I will take the responsibility myself. Be brave and don't hesitate!"

While they were on their way home, David was told: "Absalom has killed all your sons---not one of them is left!"

Let them eat all they want! God will punish them in fury and anger.

What I saw and heard in the vision has filled me with terror and pain, pain like that of a woman in labor.

My head is spinning, and I am trembling with fear. I had been longing for evening to come, but it has brought me nothing but terror.

The Sovereign LORD Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth.

The Sovereign LORD Almighty himself spoke to me and said, "This evil will never be forgiven them as long as they live. I, the Sovereign LORD Almighty, have spoken."

and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

He turned pale and was so frightened that his knees began to shake.

I will put an end to all her festivities---her annual and monthly festivals and her Sabbath celebrations---all her religious meetings.

Like tangled thorns and dry straw you drunkards will be burned up!

The people of Dibon climb the hill to weep at the shrine. The people of Moab wail in grief over the cities of Nebo and Medeba; they have shaved their heads and their beards in grief.

The people in the streets are dressed in sackcloth; in the city squares and on the rooftops people mourn and cry.

All of them have shaved their heads and cut off their beards. They have all made gashes on their hands, and everyone is wearing sackcloth.

They will put on sackcloth and they will tremble all over. Their heads will be shaved, and they will all be disgraced.

They all mourn bitterly for you, Throwing dust on their heads and rolling in ashes.

They shave their heads for you And dress themselves in sackcloth. Their hearts are bitter as they weep.

The LORD says to his people, "Put on sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter tears as you would for an only child, because the one who comes to destroy you will suddenly attack.

"I will fill the descendants of David and the other people of Jerusalem with the spirit of mercy and the spirit of prayer. They will look at the one whom they stabbed to death, and they will mourn for him like those who mourn for an only child. They will mourn bitterly, like those who have lost their first-born son.

Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her.

When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, "Don't cry."

Make it a day of gloom and thick darkness; cover it with clouds, and blot out the sun.