And the priests, the Lĕwites, rose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard. And their prayer came up to His set-apart dwelling place, to heaven.
But Mosheh pleaded with יהוה his Elohim, and said, “יהוה, why does Your wrath burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with a strong hand?
“Did Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah and all Yehuḏah indeed put him to death? Did he not fear יהוה and seek the favour of יהוה? And the Master relented concerning the evil which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”
But if they are prophets, and if the word of יהוה is with them, let them now make intercession to יהוה of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the House of יהוה, and in the house of the sovereign of Yehuḏah, and at Yerushalayim, shall not go to Baḇel.’
“Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches, Pour out your heart like water Before the face of יהוה. Lift your hands toward Him For the life of your young children, Who languish from hunger At the head of every street.
Let the priests, servants of יהוה, weep between the porch and the slaughter-place. And let them say, “Spare Your people, O יהוה, and do not give Your inheritance to reproach, for the nations to rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their Elohim?’ ”