"Raiseyour battlecryagainsther on everyside!She has givenherselfup, her pillarshave fallen,Her wallshave been torndown.For thisis the vengeanceof the LORD:Takevengeanceon her; As she has done[to others, so] doto her.
Allthe officials,the mightymen,and alsoallthe sonsof KingDavidpledgedallegianceto KingSolomon.
"Nowdo not stiffenyour necklike your fathers,but yieldto the LORDand enterHis sanctuarywhichHe has consecratedforever,and servethe LORDyour God,that His burningangermay turnawayfrom you.
To executevengeanceon the nationsAnd punishmenton the peoples,
O LORD,Godof vengeance,Godof vengeance,shineforth!
He puton righteousnesslike a breastplate,And a helmetof salvationon His head;And He puton garmentsof vengeancefor clothingAnd wrappedHimself with zealas a mantle.
Accordingto [their] deeds,soHe will repay,Wrathto His adversaries,recompenseto His enemies;To the coastlandsHe will makerecompense.
To proclaimthe favorableyearof the LORDAnd the dayof vengeanceof our God;To comfortallwho mourn,
"For the dayof vengeancewas in My heart,And My yearof redemptionhas come.
For that daybelongs to the LordGODof hosts,A dayof vengeance,so as to avengeHimself on His foes;And the swordwill devourand be satiatedAnd drinkits fillof their blood;For there will be a slaughterfor the LordGODof hosts,In the landof the northby the riverEuphrates.
"Drawup your battlelinesagainstBabylonon everyside,Allyou who bendthe bow;Shootat her, do not be sparingwith [your] arrows,For she has sinnedagainst the LORD.
The LORDhas openedHis armoryAnd has broughtforththe weaponsof His indignation,For it is a workof the LordGODof hostsIn the landof the Chaldeans.
"Behold,one will comeup like a lionfrom the thicketof the Jordanto a perenniallywatered pasture;for in an instantI will make them runawayfrom it, and whoeveris chosenI will appointoverit. For whois likeMe, and whowill summonMe [into court]? And whothenis the shepherdwhocan standbeforeMe?"
Sharpenthe arrows,fillthe quivers!The LORDhas arousedthe spiritof the kingsof the Medes,BecauseHis purposeis againstBabylonto destroyit; For it is the vengeanceof the LORD,vengeancefor His temple.
The LORDof hostshas swornby Himself:"SurelyI will fillyou with a populationlike locusts,And they will cryout with shoutsof victory overyou."
"But I will repayBabylonand allthe inhabitantsof Chaldeafor alltheir evilthat they have donein Zionbefore your eyes,"declaresthe LORD.
"Behold,I am againstyou, O destroyingmountain,Who destroysthe wholeearth,"declaresthe LORD,"And I will stretchout My handagainstyou, And rollyou downfrom the crags,And I will makeyou a burntout mountain.
The mightymenof Babylonhave ceasedfighting,They stayin the strongholds;Their strengthis exhausted,They are becoming[like] women;Their dwellingplacesare seton fire,The barsof her [gates] are broken.
Thereforethussaysthe LORD,"Behold,I am going to pleadyour caseAnd exactfullvengeancefor you; And I will dryup her seaAnd makeher fountaindry.
"I will punishBelin Babylon,And I will make whathe has swallowedcomeout of his mouth;And the nationswill nolongerstreamto him. Eventhe wallof Babylonhas fallendown!
Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"The broadwallof Babylonwill be completelyrazedAnd her highgateswill be seton fire;So the peopleswill toilfor nothing,And the nationsbecomeexhausted[only] for fire."
Fleefrom the midstof Babylon,And eachof you savehis life!Do not be destroyedin her punishment,For thisis the LORD'Stimeof vengeance;He is going to renderrecompenseto her.
and say,'Justsoshall Babylonsinkdownand not riseagain becauseof the calamitythat I am going to bringupon her; and they will becomeexhausted.'"Thusfarare the wordsof Jeremiah.
We have submittedto Egypt[and] Assyriato getenoughbread.
Now he despisedthe oathby breakingthe covenant,and behold,he pledgedhis allegiance,yet didallthesethings;he shall not escape.'"
"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 jealousand avengingGodis the LORD;The LORDis avengingand wrathful.The LORDtakesvengeanceon His adversaries,And He reserveswrathfor His enemies.
"For in the wayyou judge,you will be judged;and by your standardof measure,it will be measuredto you.
becausetheseare daysof vengeance,so that all thingswhich are writtenwill be fulfilled.
Nevertakeyour ownrevenge,beloved,but leaveroomfor the wrath[of God], for it is written,"VENGEANCEIS MINE,I WILL REPAY,"saysthe Lord.
But ifour unrighteousnessdemonstratesthe righteousnessof God,whatshall we say?The Godwho inflictswrathis not unrighteous,is He? (I am speakingin humanterms.)
Vengeanceis Mine, and retribution,In due timetheir footwill slip;For the dayof their calamityis near,And the impendingthingsare hasteningupon them.'
IfI sharpenMy flashingsword,And My handtakesholdon justice,I will rendervengeanceon My adversaries,And I will repaythose who hateMe.
"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."
dealingout retributionto thosewho do not knowGodand to thosewho do not obeythe gospelof our LordJesus.
For judgment[will be] mercilessto one who has shownnomercy;mercytriumphs overjudgment.
So the peopleshouted,and [priests] blewthe trumpets;and when the peopleheardthe soundof the trumpet,the peopleshoutedwith a greatshoutand the wallfelldownflat,so that the peoplewentup into the city,everymanstraightahead,and they tookthe city.
"It shall be that when they makea longblastwith the ram'shorn,and when you hearthe soundof the trumpet,allthe peopleshall shoutwith a greatshout;and the wallof the citywill falldownflat,and the peoplewill goup everymanstraightahead."
for they pouredout the bloodof saintsand prophets,and You have giventhem bloodto drink.They deserveit."
"Payher backevenas she has paid,and give back [to her] doubleaccordingto her deeds;in the cupwhichshe has mixed,mixtwice as muchfor her.
BECAUSEHIS JUDGMENTSARE true AND RIGHTEOUS;for He has judgedthe greatharlotwhowas corruptingthe earthwith her immorality,and HE HAS AVENGEDTHE BLOODOF HIS BOND-SERVANTSON HER."
But Samuelsaid,"As your swordhas madewomenchildless,soshall your motherbe childlessamongwomen."And SamuelhewedAgagto piecesbeforethe LORDat Gilgal.
