"A swordagainstthe oraclepriests,and they will becomefools!A swordagainsther mightymen,and they will be shattered!
Now someone toldDavid,saying,"Ahithophelis among the conspiratorswith Absalom."And Davidsaid,"O LORD,I pray,makethe counselof Ahithophelfoolishness."
Then Absalomand allthe menof Israelsaid,"The counselof Hushaithe Architeis betterthanthe counselof Ahithophel."For the LORDhad ordainedto thwartthe goodcounselof Ahithophel,sothat the LORDmight bringcalamityon Absalom.
As he was talkingwith him, the king saidto him, "Have we appointedyou a royalcounselor?Stop!Whyshould you be struckdown?"Then the prophetstoppedand said,"I knowthat Godhas plannedto destroyyou, becauseyou have donethisand have not listenedto my counsel."
Thussaysthe LORDyour Redeemer,the HolyOneof Israel,"For your sakeI have sentto Babylon,And will bringthem alldownas fugitives,Even the Chaldeans,into the shipsin which they rejoice.
Causing the omensof boastersto fail,Makingfoolsout of diviners,Causing wisemento drawbackAnd turningtheir knowledgeinto foolishness,
"I knowhis fury,"declaresthe LORD,"But it is futile;His idleboastshave accomplishednothing.
Behold,He will mountup and swooplike an eagleand spreadout His wingsagainstBozrah;and the heartsof the mightymenof Edomin that daywill be like the heartof a womanin labor.
"Thereforeher youngmenwill fallin her streets,And allher menof warwill be silencedin that day,"declaresthe LORD.
And with you I shatterthe shepherdand his flock,And with you I shatterthe farmerand his team,And with you I shattergovernorsand prefects.
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.
The fordsalso have been seized,And they have burnedthe marsheswith fire,And the menof warare terrified.
Though Nineveh[was] like a poolof waterthroughouther days,Now they are fleeing;"Stop,stop,"But nooneturnsback.
Behold,your peopleare womenin your midst!The gatesof your landare openedwideto your enemies;Fireconsumesyour gate bars.
"And it will comeabout that allwho seeyou Will shrinkfrom you and say,'Ninevehis devastated!Whowill grievefor her?' Wherewill I seekcomfortersfor you?"
by meansof the hypocrisyof liarssearedin their ownconscienceas with a branding iron,
he is conceited[and] understandsnothing;but he has a morbid interestin controversial questionsand disputes about words,out of whichariseenvy,strife,abusive language,evilsuspicions,
And the beastwas seized,and with him the false prophetwho performedthe signsin his presence,by whichhe deceivedthosewho had receivedthe markof the beastand thosewho worshipedhis image;thesetwowere thrownaliveinto the lakeof firewhich burnswith brimstone.
"But for the cowardlyand unbelievingand abominableand murderersand immoral personsand sorcerersand idolatersand allliars,their part[will be] in the lakethat burnswith fireand brimstone,whichis the seconddeath."
Outsideare the dogsand the sorcerersand the immoral personsand the murderersand the idolaters,and everyonewho lovesand practiceslying.
