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12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
    and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
    for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
    and shower righteousness upon you.’

13 “But you have cultivated wickedness
    and harvested a thriving crop of sins.
You have eaten the fruit of lies—
    trusting in your military might,
believing that great armies
    could make your nation safe.
14 Now the terrors of war
    will rise among your people.
All your fortifications will fall,
    just as when Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel.
Even mothers and children
    were dashed to death there.

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12 Sow(A) righteousness(B) for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;(C)
    for it is time to seek(D) the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness(E) on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,(F)
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.(G)
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors,(H)
14 the roar of battle will rise against your people,
    so that all your fortresses will be devastated(I)
as Shalman(J) devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle,
    when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.(K)

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