Surely,thussaysthe LORD,"Eventhe captivesof the mightymanwill be takenaway, And the preyof the tyrantwill be rescued;For I will contendwith the onewhocontendswith you, And I will saveyour sons.
And I will blessthose who blessyou, And the one who cursesyou I will curse.And in you allthe familiesof the earthwill be blessed."
Contend,O LORD,with those who contendwith me; Fightagainstthose who fightagainst me.
So it will be in that day,that his burdenwill be removedfrom your shouldersand his yokefrom your neck,and the yokewill be brokenbecauseof fatness.
I sendit against a godlessnationAnd commissionit againstthe peopleof My furyTo capturebootyand to seizeplunder,And to tramplethem downlike mudin the streets.
Whenthe LORDwill havecompassionon Jacoband againchooseIsrael,and settlethem in their own land,then strangerswill jointhem and attachthemselves to the houseof Jacob.
The peopleswill takethem along and bringthem to their place,and the houseof Israelwill possessthem as an inheritancein the landof the LORDas maleservantsand femaleservants;and they will taketheir captorscaptiveand will ruleover their oppressors.
It will becomea signand a witnessto the LORDof hostsin the landof Egypt;for they will cryto the LORDbecauseof oppressors,and He will sendthem a Saviorand a Champion,and He will deliverthem.
For You have beena defensefor the helpless,A defensefor the needyin his distress,A refugefrom the storm,a shadefrom the heat;For the breathof the ruthlessIs like a [rain] storm[against] a wall.
And it will be saidin that day,"Behold,thisis our Godfor whom we have waitedthat He might saveus. Thisis the LORDfor whom we have waited;Let us rejoiceand be gladin His salvation."
For the LORDis our judge,The LORDis our lawgiver,The LORDis our king;He will saveus--
Sayto those with anxiousheart,"Takecourage,fearnot. Behold,your Godwill come[with] vengeance;The recompenseof Godwill come,But He will saveyou."
"Speakkindlyto Jerusalem;And callout to her, that her warfarehas ended,That her iniquityhas been removed,That she has receivedof the LORD'ShandDoublefor allher sins."
Its roaringis like a lioness,and it roarslike younglions;It growlsas it seizesthe preyAnd carries[it] offwith nooneto deliver[it].
"The exilewill soonbe setfree,and will not diein the dungeon,norwill his breadbe lacking.
Thussaysyour Lord,the LORD,even your GodWho contendsfor His people,"Behold,I have takenout of your handthe cupof reeling,The chaliceof My anger;You will neverdrinkit again.
"Allyour sonswill be taughtof the LORD;And the well-beingof your sonswill be great.
"So I will deliveryou from the handof the wicked,And I will redeemyou from the graspof the violent."
"For thussaysthe LORD,'Whenseventyyearshave beencompletedfor Babylon,I will visityou and fulfillMy goodwordto you, to bringyou backto thisplace.
For the LORDhas ransomedJacobAnd redeemedhim from the handof him whowas strongerthanhe.
Even ifhe is not redeemedby these[means], he shall still goout in the yearof jubilee,he and his sonswith him.
"Behold,I am againstyou," declaresthe LORDof hosts."I will burnup her chariotsin smoke,a swordwill devouryour younglions;I will cutoffyour preyfrom the land,and nolongerwill the voiceof your messengersbe heard."
Now thiswill be the plaguewith whichthe LORDwill strikeallthe peopleswhohave goneto waragainstJerusalem;their fleshwill rotwhile they standon their feet,and their eyeswill rotin their sockets,and their tonguewill rotin their mouth.
Then the LORDwill goforthand fightagainst thosenations,as whenHe fightson a dayof battle.
As for you also,because of the bloodof [My] covenantwith you, I have setyour prisonersfreefrom the waterlesspit.
"But no onecanenterthe strongman'shouseand plunderhis propertyunlesshe firstbindsthe strong man,and thenhe will plunderhis house.
But the Jerusalemaboveis free;she is our mother.
the one who practicessinis of the devil;for the devilhas sinnedfrom the beginning.The Sonof Godappearedfor thispurpose, to destroythe worksof the devil.
"Rejoiceoverher, O heaven,and you saintsand apostlesand prophets,becauseGodhas pronouncedjudgmentfor you againsther."
