"Then you shall be leftfewin number,whereasyou were as numerousas the starsof heaven,becauseyou did not obeythe LORDyour God.
For he leftto Jehoahazof the armynot morethanfiftyhorsemenand tenchariotsand 10,000footmen,for the kingof Aramhad destroyedthem and madethem like the dustat threshing.
Then he ledawayinto exileallJerusalemand allthe captainsand allthe mightymenof valor,tenthousandcaptives,and allthe craftsmenand the smiths.Noneremainedexceptthe poorestpeopleof the land.
Now the citywas largeand spacious,but the peoplein it were fewand the houseswere not built.
"You madetheir sonsnumerousas the starsof heaven,And You broughtthem into the landWhichYou had toldtheir fathersto enterand possess.
Unlessthe LORDof hostsHad leftus a fewsurvivors,We would be like Sodom,We would be likeGomorrah.
Therefore,a cursedevoursthe earth,and those who livein it are heldguilty.Therefore,the inhabitantsof the earthare burned,and fewmenare left.
Then I said,"Lord,howlong?"And He answered,"Untilcitiesare devastated[and] withoutinhabitant,Housesare withoutpeopleAnd the landis utterlydesolate,
"Yetthere will be a tenthportionin it, And it will againbe [subject] to burning,Like a terebinthor an oakWhosestumpremains whenit is felled.The holyseedis its stump."
and saidto Jeremiahthe prophet,"Pleaselet our petitioncomebeforeyou, and prayfor us to the LORDyour God,[that is] for allthisremnant;becausewe are left[but] a fewout of many,as your own eyes[now] seeus,
I will letlooseamong you the beastsof the field,which will bereaveyou of your childrenand destroyyour cattleand reduceyour number so that your roadsliedeserted.
For thussaysthe LordGOD,"The citywhich goesfortha thousand[strong] Will havea hundredleft,And the one which goesfortha hundred[strong] Will havetenleftto the houseof Israel."
"Unlessthe Lordhad shortened[those] days,nolifewould have been saved;but for the sakeof the elect,whomHe chose,He shortenedthe days.
The LORDyour Godhas multipliedyou, and behold,you are this daylike the starsof heavenin number.
May the LORD,the Godof your fathers,increaseyou a thousand-foldmorethan you are and blessyou, justas He has promisedyou!
"Your fatherswentdownto Egyptseventypersons[in all], and nowthe LORDyour Godhas madeyou as numerousas the starsof heaven.
"The LORDwill scatteryou among the peoples,and you will be leftfewin numberamong the nationswherethe LORDdrivesyou.
