Behold,the siegerampshave reachedthe cityto takeit; and the cityis giveninto the handof the Chaldeanswho fightagainstit, becauseof the sword,the famineand the pestilence;and whatYou have spokenhas cometo pass;and behold,You see[it].
They cameand besiegedhim in AbelBeth-maacah,and they castup a siegerampagainstthe city,and it stoodby the rampart;and allthe peoplewhowere with Joabwere wreakingdestructionin order to topplethe wall.
"Therefore,thussaysthe LORDconcerningthe kingof Assyria,'He will not cometo thiscityor shootan arrowthere;and he will not comebeforeit with a shield,orthrowup a siegerampagainstit.
"They will dieof deadlydiseases,they will not be lamentedor buried;they will be as dungon the surfaceof the groundand cometo an endby swordand famine,and their carcasseswill becomefoodfor the birdsof the skyand for the beastsof the earth."
I will also giveover allthe wealthof thiscity,allits produceand allits costlythings;even allthe treasuresof the kingsof JudahI will giveover to the handof their enemies,and they will plunderthem, takethem away and bringthem to Babylon.
I will sendthe sword,the famineand the pestilenceupon them untilthey are destroyedfrom the landwhichI gaveto them and their forefathers.'"
thussaysthe LORDof hosts,'Behold,I am sendingupon them the sword,famineand pestilence,and I will makethem like split-openfigsthat cannotbe eatendueto rottenness.
I will pursuethem with the sword,with famineand with pestilence;and I will makethem a terrorto allthe kingdomsof the earth,to be a curseand a horrorand a hissing,and a reproachamong allthe nationswhereI have driventhem,
You have saidto me, O LordGOD,"Buyfor yourself the fieldwith moneyand callin witnesses"--although the cityis giveninto the handof the Chaldeans.'"
Thereforethussaysthe LORD,"Behold,I am about to givethiscityinto the handof the Chaldeansand into the handof Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon,and he will takeit.
becauseZedekiahkingof Judahhad shuthim up, saying,"Whydo you prophesy,saying,Thussaysthe LORD,"Behold,I am about to givethiscityinto the handof the kingof Babylon,and he will takeit;
"Nowthereforethussaysthe LORDGodof Israelconcerningthiscityof whichyou say,It is giveninto the handof the kingof Babylonby sword,by famineand by pestilence.'
and he will takeZedekiahto Babylon,and he will be thereuntilI visithim," declaresthe LORD."Ifyou fightagainstthe Chaldeans,you will not succeed"'?"
"For thussaysthe LORDGodof Israelconcerningthe housesof thiscity,and concerningthe housesof the kingsof Judahwhich are brokendown[to make a defense] againstthe siegerampsand againstthe sword,
"Thereforethussaysthe LORD,'You have not obeyedMe in proclaimingreleaseeachmanto his brotherand eachmanto his neighbor.Behold,I am proclaiminga releaseto you,' declaresthe LORD,to the sword,to the pestilenceand to the famine;and I will makeyou a terrorto allthe kingdomsof the earth.
Now it cameabout in the ninthyearof his reign,on the tenth[day] of the tenthmonth,that Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babyloncame,he and allhis army,againstJerusalem,campedagainstit and builta siegewallallaroundit.
On the ninth[day] of the fourthmonththe faminewas so severein the citythat there was nofoodfor the peopleof the land.
For thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Cutdownher treesAnd castup a siegeagainstJerusalem.Thisis the cityto be punished,In whose midstthere is onlyoppression.
For thussaysthe LordGOD,"HowmuchmorewhenI sendMy fourseverejudgmentsagainstJerusalem:sword,famine,wildbeastsand plagueto cutoffmanand beastfrom it!
"Into his righthandcamethe divination,'Jerusalem,'to setbatteringrams,to openthe mouthfor slaughter,to liftup the voicewith a battlecry,to setbatteringramsagainstthe gates,to castup ramps,to builda siegewall.
A ruin,a ruin,a ruin,I will makeit. Thisalsowill be nomore untilHe comeswhoserightit is, and I will giveit [to Him].'
"He will slayyour daughterson the mainlandwith the sword;and he will makesiegewallsagainstyou, castup a rampagainstyou and raiseup a largeshieldagainstyou.
"Then laysiegeagainstit, builda siegewall,raiseup a ramp,pitchcampsand placebatteringramsagainstit allaround.
"They mockat kingsAnd rulersare a laughingmatter to them. They laughat everyfortressAnd heapup rubbleto captureit.
"But did not My wordsand My statutes,whichI commandedMy servantsthe prophets,overtakeyour fathers?Then they repentedand said,As the LORDof hostspurposedto doto us in accordance with our waysand our deeds,soHe has dealtwith us.'"'"
"Heavenand earthwill passaway,but My wordswill not pass away.
I callheavenand earthto witnessagainst you today,that you will surelyperishquicklyfrom the landwhereyou are goingoverthe Jordanto possessit. You shall not livelongon it, but will be utterlydestroyed.
