God

Summon unto Babylon archers, all treading the bow, Encamp against her round about, Let her have no escape; Recompense to her according to her work, According to all that she did--do to her, For unto Jehovah she hath been proud, Unto the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore fall do her young men in her broad places, And all her men of war are cut off in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Lo, I am against thee, O pride, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, For thy day hath come, the time of thy inspection.

And stumbled hath pride, And he hath fallen, and hath no raiser up, And I have kindled a fire in his cities, And it hath devoured all round about him.

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Oppressed are the sons of Israel, And the sons of Judah together, And all their captors have kept hold on them, They have refused to send them away.

Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, He doth thoroughly plead their cause, So as to cause the land to rest, And He hath given trouble to the inhabitants of Babylon.

A sword is for the Chaldeans, An affirmation of Jehovah, And it is on the inhabitants of Babylon, And on her heads, and on her wise men;

As overthrown by God with Sodom, And with Gomorrah, and with its neighbours, An affirmation of Jehovah, none doth dwell there, Nor sojourn in her doth a son of man.

Lo, as a lion he cometh up, Because of the rising of the Jordan, Unto the enduring habitation, But I cause to rest, I cause them to run from off her. And who is chosen? on her I lay a charge, For who is like Me? And who doth convene Me? And who is this shepherd who standeth before Me?

Therefore, hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He counselled concerning Babylon, And His devices that He hath devised Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Drag them out do not little ones of the flock, Doth He not make desolate over them the habitation?

Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am stirring up against Babylon, And the inhabitants of Leb--My withstanders, A destroying wind,

For, not forsaken is Israel and Judah, By its God--by Jehovah of Hosts, For their land hath been full of guilt, Against the Holy One of Israel.

Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, And deliver ye each his soul, Be not cut off in its iniquity, For a time of vengeance it is to Jehovah, Recompence He is rendering to her.

A golden cup is Babylon in the hand of Jehovah, Making drunk all the earth, Of its wine drunk have nations, Therefore boast themselves do nations.

Jehovah hath brought forth our righteousnesses, Come, and we recount in Zion the work of Jehovah our God.

Cleanse ye the arrows, fill the shields, Stirred up hath Jehovah the spirit of the kings of Madia, For against Babylon His device is to destroy it, For the vengeance of Jehovah it is , The vengeance of His temple.

Unto the walls of Babylon lift up an ensign, Strengthen the watch, Establish the watchers, prepare the ambush, For Jehovah hath both devised and done that which He spake, Concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

Sworn hath Jehovah of Hosts by Himself, That, Surely I have filled thee with men as the cankerworm, And they have cried against thee--shouting.

The maker of earth by His power, The establisher of the world by His wisdom, Who by His understanding stretched out the heavens,

At the voice He giveth forth, A multitude of waters are in the heavens, And He causeth vapours to come up from the end of the earth, Lightnings for rain He hath made, And He bringeth out wind from His treasures.

Not like these is the portion of Jacob, For He is former of all things, And Israel is the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts is His name.

An axe art thou to me--weapons of war, And I have broken in pieces by thee nations, And I have destroyed by thee kingdoms,

And I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer,

And I have broken in pieces by thee man and woman, And I have broken in pieces by thee old and young, And I have broken in pieces by thee young man and virgin,

And I have broken in pieces by thee shepherd and his drove, And I have broken in pieces by thee husbandman and his team, And I have broken in pieces by thee governors and prefects.