"I was angrywith My people,I profanedMy heritageAnd gavethem into your hand.You did not showmercyto them, On the agedyou madeyour yokeveryheavy.
Then Davidsaidto Gad,"I am in greatdistress.Let us nowfallinto the handof the LORDfor His merciesare great,but do not let me fallinto the handof man."
Whereasmy fatherloadedyou with a heavyyoke,I will addto your yoke;my fatherdisciplinedyou with whips,but I [will discipline you] with scorpions.'"
But a prophetof the LORDwas there,whose name[was] Oded;and he wentout to meetthe armywhich cameto Samariaand saidto them, "Behold,because the LORD,the Godof your fathers,was angrywith Judah,He has deliveredthem into your hand,and you have slainthem in a rage[which] has evenreachedheaven.
Therefore He broughtup againstthem the kingof the Chaldeanswho slewtheir youngmenwith the swordin the houseof their sanctuary,and hadnocompassionon youngmanor virgin,oldmanor infirm;He gave[them] allinto his hand.
Thosewho had escapedfrom the swordhe carriedawayto Babylon;and they were servantsto him and to his sonsuntilthe ruleof the kingdomof Persia,
But becauseour fathershad provokedthe Godof heavento wrath,He gavethem into the handof Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon,the Chaldean,[who] destroyedthistempleand deportedthe peopleto Babylon.
For they have persecutedhim whomYou Yourselfhave smitten,And they tellof the painof those whom You have wounded.
I sendit against a godlessnationAnd commissionit againstthe peopleof My furyTo capturebootyand to seizeplunder,And to tramplethem downlike mudin the streets.
Their littleonesalso will be dashedto piecesBefore their eyes;Their houseswill be plunderedAnd their wivesravished.
Who madethe worldlike a wildernessAnd overthrewits cities,Who did not allowhis prisonersto [go] home?'
Which used to strikethe peoplesin furywith unceasingstrokes,Which subduedthe nationsin angerwith unrestrainedpersecution.
"So I will pollutethe princesof the sanctuary,And I will consignJacobto the banand Israelto revilement.
"They seize[their] bowand javelin;They are crueland havenomercy.Their voiceroarslike the sea;And they rideon horses,Marshalledlike a manfor the battleAgainstyou, O daughterof Babylon.
"The yokeof my transgressionsis bound;By His handthey are knittogether.They have comeupon my neck;He has made my strengthfail.The Lordhas givenme into the handsOf [those against whom] I am not ableto stand.
"They have heardthat I groan;Thereis nooneto comfortme; Allmy enemieshave heardof my calamity;They are gladthat You have done[it]. Oh, that You would bringthe daywhich You have proclaimed,That they may becomelikeme.
The Lordhas swallowedup; He has not sparedAllthe habitationsof Jacob.In His wrathHe has throwndownThe strongholdsof the daughterof Judah;He has brought[them] downto the ground;He has profanedthe kingdomand its princes.
The presenceof the LORDhas scatteredthem, He will not continueto regardthem; They did not honorthe priests,They did not favorthe elders.
Princeswere hungby their hands;Elderswere not respected.
Speakto the houseof Israel,"Thussaysthe LordGOD,'Behold,I am about to profaneMy sanctuary,the prideof your power,the desireof your eyesand the delightof your soul;and your sonsand your daughterswhomyou have leftbehindwill fallby the sword.
"By the abundanceof your tradeYou were internallyfilledwith violence,And you sinned;Therefore I have castyou as profaneFrom the mountainof God.And I have destroyedyou, O coveringcherub,From the midstof the stonesof fire.
"Becauseof violenceto your brotherJacob,You will be covered[with] shame,And you will be cutoffforever.
"Becausejustas you drankon My holymountain,Allthe nationswill drinkcontinually.They will drinkand swallowAnd becomeas if they had neverexisted.
Then the angelof the LORDsaid,"O LORDof hosts,howlongwill You havenocompassionfor Jerusalemand the citiesof Judah,with whichYou have beenindignanttheseseventyyears?"
"But I am veryangrywith the nationswho are at ease;for while I was only a littleangry,they furtheredthe disaster."
"For in the wayyou judge,you will be judged;and by your standardof measure,it will be measuredto you.
a nationof fiercecountenancewhowill havenorespectfor the old,norshowfavorto the young.
For judgment[will be] mercilessto one who has shownnomercy;mercytriumphs overjudgment.
