For the landof my people[in which] thorns[and] briarsshall comeup; Yea,for allthe joyfulhouses[and for] the jubilantcity.
A fruitfullandinto a saltwaste,Becauseof the wickednessof those who dwellin it.
You whowere fullof noise,You boisteroustown,you exultantcity;Your slainwere not slainwith the sword,Nordid they diein battle.
Is thisyour jubilant[city], Whose originis from antiquity,Whose feetused to carryher to colonizedistantplaces?
The LORDof hostshas plannedit, to defilethe prideof allbeauty,To despiseallthe honoredof the earth.
There is an outcryin the streetsconcerningthe wine;Alljoyturnsto gloom.The gaietyof the earthis banished.
For the fortifiedcityis isolated,A homesteadforlornand forsakenlike the desert;Therethe calfwill graze,And thereit will liedownand feedon its branches.
Thornswill comeup in its fortifiedtowers,Nettlesand thistlesin its fortifiedcities;It will also be a hauntof jackals[And] an abodeof ostriches.
"For tenacresof vineyardwill yield[only] onebath[of wine], And a homerof seedwill yield[but] an ephahof grain."
"I will layit waste;It will not be prunedor hoed,But briarsand thornswill comeup. I will also chargethe cloudsto rainnorainon it."
"Insteadof the thornbushthe cypresswill comeup, And insteadof the nettlethe myrtlewill comeup, And it will be a memorialto the LORD,For an everlastingsignwhich will not be cutoff."
Then I said,"Lord,howlong?"And He answered,"Untilcitiesare devastated[and] withoutinhabitant,Housesare withoutpeopleAnd the landis utterlydesolate,
And it will comeabout in that day,that everyplacewherethere used to be a thousandvines,[valued] at a thousand[shekels] of silver,will becomebriarsand thorns.
"For thussaysthe LORDGodof Israelconcerningthe housesof thiscity,and concerningthe housesof the kingsof Judahwhich are brokendown[to make a defense] againstthe siegerampsand againstthe sword,
The Chaldeansalso burnedwith firethe king'spalaceand the housesof the people,and they brokedownthe wallsof Jerusalem.
Then the kingof Babylonstruckthem downand putthem to deathat Riblahin the landof Hamath.So Judahwas ledawayinto exilefrom its land.
Also the highplacesof Aven,the sinof Israel,will be destroyed;Thornand thistlewill growon their altars;Then they will sayto the mountains,"Coverus!" And to the hills,"Fallon us!"
OrI will stripher nakedAnd exposeher as on the daywhen she was born.I will also makeher like a wilderness,Makeher like desertlandAnd slayher with thirst.
For behold,they will gobecauseof destruction;Egyptwill gatherthem up, Memphiswill burythem. Weedswill takeovertheir treasuresof silver;Thorns[will be] in their tents.
