The swordwill whirlagainst their cities,And will demolishtheir gate barsAnd consume[them] becauseof their counsels.
Thus they becameuncleanin their practices,And playedthe harlotin their deeds.
ManytimesHe would deliverthem; They, however, were rebelliousin their counsel,And [so] sankdownin their iniquity.
For beforethe harvest,as soon as the budblossomsAnd the flowerbecomesa ripeninggrape,Then He will cutoffthe sprigswith pruningknivesAnd remove[and] cutawaythe spreadingbranches.
For the fortifiedcityis isolated,A homesteadforlornand forsakenlike the desert;Therethe calfwill graze,And thereit will liedownand feedon its branches.
"Woeto the rebelliouschildren,"declaresthe LORD,"Who executea plan,but not Mine,And makean alliance,but not of My Spirit,In orderto addsinto sin;
So the LORDcutsoffheadand tailfrom Israel,[Both] palmbranchand bulrushin a singleday.
"They will devouryour harvestand your food;They will devouryour sonsand your daughters;They will devouryour flocksand your herds;They will devouryour vinesand your figtrees;They will demolishwith the swordyour fortifiedcitiesin whichyou trust.
"A swordagainstthe Chaldeans,"declaresthe LORD,"And againstthe inhabitantsof BabylonAnd againsther officialsand her wisemen!
Her gateshave sunkinto the ground,He has destroyedand brokenher bars.Her kingand her princesare among the nations;The lawis nomore.Also,her prophetsfindNovisionfrom the LORD.
and sayto the forestof the Negev,'Hearthe wordof the LORD:thussaysthe LordGOD,"Behold,I am about to kindlea firein you, and it will consumeeverygreentreein you, as well as everydrytree;the blazingflamewill not be quenchedand the wholesurfacefrom southto northwill be burnedby it.
Therefore a tumultwill ariseamong your people,And allyour fortresseswill be destroyed,As ShalmandestroyedBeth-arbelon the dayof battle,[When] motherswere dashedin pieceswith [their] children.
The thing itselfwill be carriedto AssyriaAs tributeto KingJareb;Ephraimwill be seizedwith shameAnd Israelwill be ashamedof its own counsel.
Samariawill be heldguilty,For she has rebelledagainst her God.They will fallby the sword,Their littleoneswill be dashedin pieces,And their pregnantwomenwill be rippedopen.
SinceIsraelis stubbornLike a stubbornheifer,Can the LORDnowpasturethem Like a lambin a largefield?
Ephraimis joinedto idols;Lethim alone.
I will also bringupon you a swordwhich will executevengeancefor the covenant;and when you gathertogether into your cities,I will sendpestilenceamongyou, so that you shall be deliveredinto enemyhands.
I will laywasteyour citiesas well and will makeyour sanctuariesdesolate,and I will not smellyour soothingaromas.
You, however, I will scatteramong the nationsand will drawout a swordafteryou, as your landbecomesdesolateand your citiesbecomewaste.
The LordGODhas swornby Himself,the LORDGodof hostshas declared:"I loathethe arroganceof Jacob,And detesthis citadels;Therefore I will deliverup [the] cityand allit contains."
"I will also cutoffthe citiesof your landAnd teardownallyour fortifications.
"For behold,the dayis coming,burninglike a furnace;and allthe arrogantand everyevildoerwill be chaff;and the daythat is comingwill setthem ablaze,"saysthe LORDof hosts,"sothat it will leavethem neitherrootnorbranch."
"It shall besiegeyou in allyour townsuntilyour highand fortifiedwallsin whichyou trustedcomedownthroughoutyour land,and it shall besiegeyou in allyour townsthroughoutyour landwhichthe LORDyour Godhas givenyou.
Outsidethe swordwill bereave,And insideterror--Bothyoungmanand virgin,The nurslingwith the manof grayhair.
