20-21. Mourning women! Oh, listen to God’s Message!Open your ears. Take in what he says.Teach your daughters songs for the deadand your friends the songs of heartbreak.Death has climbed in through the window,broken into our bedrooms.Children on the playgrounds drop dead,and young men and women collapse at their games.
22. Speak up! “God’s Message:“‘Dead bodies everywhere, scattered at randomlike sheep and goat dung in the fields,Like wheat cut down by reapersand left to rot where it falls.’”
23-24. God’s Message:“Don’t let the wise brag of their wisdom.Don’t let heroes brag of their exploits.Don’t let the rich brag of their riches.If you brag, brag of this and this only:That you understand and know me.I’m God, and I act in loyal love.I do what’s right and set things right and fair,and delight in those who do the same things.These are my trademarks.”God’s Decree.
25-26. “Stay alert! It won’t be long now”—God’s Decree!—“when I will personally deal with everyone whose life is all outside but no inside: Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab. All these nations are big on performance religion—including Israel, who is no better.”