But thisis a peopleplunderedand despoiled;Allof them are trappedin caves,Or are hiddenaway in prisons;They have becomea preywith noneto deliver[them], And a spoil,with noneto say,"Give[them] back!"
To hearthe groaningof the prisoner,To setfreethosewhowere doomedto death,
"Nowconsiderthis,you who forgetGod,OrI will tear[you] in pieces, and therewill be noneto deliver.
Your landis desolate,Your citiesare burnedwith fire,Your fields--strangersare devouringthem in your presence;It is desolation,as overthrownby strangers.
Who madethe worldlike a wildernessAnd overthrewits cities,Who did not allowhis prisonersto [go] home?'
Which sendsenvoysby the sea,Even in papyrusvesselson the surfaceof the waters.Go,swiftmessengers,to a nationtalland smooth,To a peoplefearedfarand wide,A powerfuland oppressivenationWhoselandthe riversdivide.
Then it will be that he who fleesthe reportof disasterwill fallinto the pit,And he who climbsout of the pitwill be caughtin the snare;For the windowsaboveare opened,and the foundationsof the earthshake.
They will be gatheredtogether[Like] prisonersin the dungeon,And will be confinedin prison;And aftermanydaysthey [will] [be] punished.
The earthwill be completelylaidwasteand completelydespoiled,for the LORDhas spokenthisword.
Now in the fourteenthyearof KingHezekiah,Sennacheribkingof Assyriacameup againstallthe fortifiedcitiesof Judahand seizedthem.
Whoamong you will giveearto this?Who will giveheedand listenhereafter?
To openblindeyes,To bringout prisonersfrom the dungeonAnd those who dwellin darknessfrom the prison.
"I have arousedhim in righteousnessAnd I will makeallhis wayssmooth;He will buildMy cityand will letMy exilesgofree,Withoutany paymentor reward,"saysthe LORDof hosts.
Its roaringis like a lioness,and it roarslike younglions;It growlsas it seizesthe preyAnd carries[it] offwith nooneto deliver[it].
"I will putit into the handof your tormentors,Whohave saidto you, 'Liedownthat we may walkover[you].' You have even madeyour backlike the groundAnd like the streetfor those who walkover[it]."
Allyou beastsof the field,Allyou beastsin the forest,Cometo eat.
"Israelis a scatteredflock,the lionshave driven[them] away.The firstone[who] devouredhim was the kingof Assyria,and thislastone[who] has brokenhis bonesis Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon.
Now it cameabout in the thirty-seventhyearof the exileof Jehoiachinkingof Judah,in the twelfthmonth,on the twenty-fifthof the month,that Evil-merodachkingof Babylon,in the [first] yearof his reign,showedfavorto Jehoiachinkingof Judahand broughthim out of prison.
