"Ah,swordof the LORD,Howlongwill you not be quiet?Withdrawinto your sheath;Be at restand staystill.
Then Abnercalledto Joaband said,"Shall the sworddevourforever?Do you not knowthat it will be bitterin the end?Howlongwill you refrainfrom tellingthe peopleto turnbackfrom followingtheir brothers?"
The LORDcommandedthe angel,and he puthis swordbackin its sheath.
Arise,O LORD,confronthim, bringhim low;Delivermy soulfrom the wickedwith Your sword,
Is the axeto boastitself overthe one who chopswith it? Is the sawto exaltitself overthe one who wieldsit? [That would be] like a clubwieldingthose who liftit, [Or] like a rodlifting[him who] is not wood.
Woeto Assyria,the rodof My angerAnd the staffin whose handsis My indignation,
"On allthe bareheightsin the wildernessDestroyershave come,For a swordof the LORDis devouringFrom one endof the landeven to the other;Thereis nopeacefor anyone.
Howlongis the landto mournAnd the vegetationof the countrysideto wither?For the wickednessof those who dwellin it, Animalsand birdshave been snatchedaway,Because[men] have said,"He will not seeour latterending."
"I will appointoverthem fourkinds[of doom]," declaresthe LORD:"the swordto slay,the dogsto dragoff, and the birdsof the skyand the beastsof the earthto devourand destroy.
"You shall sayto them, 'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,"Drink,be drunk,vomit,falland risenomore becauseof the swordwhichI will sendamongyou."'
Howlongmust I seethe standardAnd hearthe soundof the trumpet?
"Cursedbe the one who doesthe LORD'Sworknegligently,And cursedbe the one who restrainshis swordfrom blood.
"A swordagainstthe Chaldeans,"declaresthe LORD,"And againstthe inhabitantsof BabylonAnd againsther officialsand her wisemen!
"Or[if] I should bringa swordon that countryand say,'Let the swordpassthrough the countryand cutoffmanand beastfrom it,'
Return[it] to its sheath.In the placewhereyou were created,in the landof your origin,I will judgeyou.
"Awake,O sword,againstMy Shepherd,And againstthe man,My Associate,"Declaresthe LORDof hosts."Strikethe Shepherdthat the sheepmay be scattered;And I will turnMy handagainstthe littleones.
SoJesussaidto Peter,"Putthe swordinto the sheath;the cupwhichthe Fatherhas givenMe, shall I not drinkit?"
When the threecompaniesblewthe trumpetsand brokethe pitchers,they heldthe torchesin their lefthandsand the trumpetsin their righthandsfor blowing,and cried,"A swordfor the LORDand for Gideon!"
