"Shall I not punishthese[people]," declaresthe LORD,"And on a nationsuchas thisShall I not avengeMyself?
Sois the one who goesin to his neighbor'swife;Whoevertouchesher will not gounpunished.
Thereforethe LordGODof hosts,The MightyOneof Israel,declares,"Ah,I will be relievedof My adversariesAnd avengeMyself on My foes.
"Among the smooth[stones] of the ravineIs your portion,they are your lot;Evento them you have pouredout a drinkoffering,You have madea grain offering.Shall I relentconcerningthesethings?
Thereforethussaysthe LORDGodof Israelconcerningthe shepherdswho are tendingMy people:"You have scatteredMy flockand driventhem away,and have not attendedto them; behold,I am about to attendto you for the evilof your deeds,"declaresthe LORD.
"Indeedthiscityhas beento Me [a] [provocation of] My angerand My wrathfrom the daythat they builtit, even to thisday,so that it should be removedfrom beforeMy face,
"So the LORDwas nolongerableto endure[it], becauseof the evilof your deeds,becauseof the abominationswhichyou have committed;thus your landhas becomea ruin,an objectof horrorand a curse,withoutan inhabitant,as [it is] thisday.
"Goup through her vinerowsand destroy,But do not executea completedestruction;Stripawayher branches,For they are not the LORD'S.
Shall I not punishthese[people]?' declaresthe LORD,'On a nationsuchas thisShall I not avengeMyself?'
But I am fullof the wrathof the LORD;I am wearywith holding[it] in. "Pour[it] out on the childrenin the streetAnd on the gatheringof youngmentogether;For bothhusbandand wifeshall be taken,The agedand the veryold.
For thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Cutdownher treesAnd castup a siegeagainstJerusalem.Thisis the cityto be punished,In whose midstthere is onlyoppression.
"Their tongueis a deadlyarrow;It speaksdeceit;With his mouthone speakspeaceto his neighbor,But inwardlyhe setsan ambushfor him.
"Shall I not punishthem for thesethings?"declaresthe LORD."On a nationsuchas thisShall I not avengeMyself?
We have transgressedand rebelled,You have not pardoned.
[The punishment] of your iniquityhas beencompleted,O daughterof Zion;He will exileyou nolonger.[But] He will punishyour iniquity,O daughterof Edom;He will exposeyour sins!
My eyewill shownopitynorwill I spare.I will repayyou according to your ways,while your abominationsare in your midst;then you will knowthat I, the LORD,do the smiting.
"I will punishher for the daysof the BaalsWhenshe used to offersacrificesto them And adornherself with her earringsand jewelry,And followher lovers,so that she forgotMe," declaresthe LORD.
As for My sacrificialgifts,They sacrificethe fleshand eat[it], [But] the LORDhas takennodelightin them. NowHe will remembertheir iniquity,And punish[them] for their sins;They will returnto Egypt.
For the landhas becomedefiled,therefore I have broughtits punishmentupon it, so the landhas spewedout its inhabitants.
I will also bringupon you a swordwhich will executevengeancefor the covenant;and when you gathertogether into your cities,I will sendpestilenceamongyou, so that you shall be deliveredinto enemyhands.
A jealousand avengingGodis the LORD;The LORDis avengingand wrathful.The LORDtakesvengeanceon His adversaries,And He reserveswrathfor His enemies.
Vengeanceis Mine, and retribution,In due timetheir footwill slip;For the dayof their calamityis near,And the impendingthingsare hasteningupon them.'
"Rejoice,O nations,[with] His people;For He will avengethe bloodof His servants,And will rendervengeanceon His adversaries,And will atonefor His land[and] His people."
