Becausethe palacehas been abandoned,the populatedcityforsaken.Hilland watch-towerhave becomecavesforever,A delightfor wilddonkeys,a pasturefor flocks;
He burnedthe houseof the LORD,the king'shouse,and allthe housesof Jerusalem;even everygreathousehe burnedwith fire.
Now afterthishe builtthe outerwallof the cityof Davidon the westsideof Gihon,in the valley,even to the entranceof the FishGate;and he encircledthe Ophel[with it] and madeit veryhigh.Then he putarmycommandersin allthe fortifiedcitiesof Judah.
The templeservantslivingin Ophel[made repairs] as faras the frontof the WaterGatetoward the eastand the projectingtower.
They givedrinkto everybeastof the field;The wilddonkeysquenchtheir thirst.
You whowere fullof noise,You boisteroustown,you exultantcity;Your slainwere not slainwith the sword,Nordid they diein battle.
The cityof chaosis brokendown;Everyhouseis shutup sothat nonemay enter.
Desolationis leftin the cityAnd the gateis batteredto ruins.
For You have madea cityinto a heap,A fortifiedcityinto a ruin;A palaceof strangersis a citynomore,It will neverbe rebuilt.
For the fortifiedcityis isolated,A homesteadforlornand forsakenlike the desert;Therethe calfwill graze,And thereit will liedownand feedon its branches.
And her gateswill lamentand mourn,And desertedshe will siton the ground.
In my earsthe LORDof hosts[has sworn], "Surely,manyhousesshall becomedesolate,[Even] greatand fineones,withoutoccupants.
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.
"The wilddonkeysstandon the bareheights;They pantfor airlike jackals,Their eyesfailFor thereis novegetation.
"For thussaysthe LORDGodof Israelconcerningthe housesof thiscity,and concerningthe housesof the kingsof Judahwhich are brokendown[to make a defense] againstthe siegerampsand againstthe sword,
Then the kingof Babylonstruckthem downand putthem to deathat Riblahin the landof Hamath.So Judahwas ledawayinto exilefrom its land.
"Arise,and let us attackby nightAnd destroyher palaces!"
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.
Therefore,on accountof you Zionwill be plowedas a field,Jerusalemwill becomea heapof ruins,And the mountainof the temple[will become] highplacesof a forest.
Thisis the exultantcityWhich dwellssecurely,Who saysin her heart,"I am, and thereis noonebesidesme." Howshe has becomea desolation,A restingplacefor beasts!Everyonewho passesby her will hiss[And] wavehis hand[in contempt].
And the coastwill be For the remnantof the houseof Judah,They will pastureon it. In the housesof Ashkelonthey will liedownat evening;For the LORDtheir Godwill carefor them And restoretheir fortune.
"But whenyou seeJerusalemsurroundedby armies,thenrecognizethat her desolationis near.
and they will fallby the edgeof the sword,and will be led captiveinto allthe nations;and Jerusalemwill be trampled underfoot by the Gentilesuntilthe timesof the Gentilesare fulfilled.
