For the destroyeris comingagainsther, againstBabylon,And her mightymenwill be captured,Their bowsare shattered;For the LORDis a Godof recompense,He will fullyrepay.
But his bowremainedfirm,And his armswere agile,From the handsof the MightyOneof Jacob(From thereis the Shepherd,the Stoneof Israel),
O daughterof Babylon,you devastatedone, How blessedwill be the one whorepaysyou With the recompensewith whichyou have repaidus.
Their swordwill entertheir own heart,And their bowswill be broken.
He makes warsto ceaseto the endof the earth;He breaksthe bowand cutsthe spearin two;He burnsthe chariotswith fire.
ThereHe brokethe flamingarrows,The shieldand the swordand the weaponsof war.Selah.
A harshvisionhas been shownto me; The treacherousone [still] dealstreacherously,and the destroyer[still] destroys.Goup, Elam,laysiege,Media;I have madean endof allthe groaningshe has caused.
For the LORDhas a dayof vengeance,A yearof recompensefor the causeof Zion.
Sayto those with anxiousheart,"Takecourage,fearnot. Behold,your Godwill come[with] vengeance;The recompenseof Godwill come,But He will saveyou."
Accordingto [their] deeds,soHe will repay,Wrathto His adversaries,recompenseto His enemies;To the coastlandsHe will makerecompense.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,'Behold,I am going to breakthe bowof Elam,The finestof their might.
"Chaldeawill becomeplunder;Allwho plunderher will haveenough,"declaresthe LORD.
"A swordagainstthe oraclepriests,and they will becomefools!A swordagainsther mightymen,and they will be shattered!
"But I will repayBabylonand allthe inhabitantsof Chaldeafor alltheir evilthat they have donein Zionbefore your eyes,"declaresthe LORD.
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.
"Then heavenand earthand allthat is in them Will shoutfor joyoverBabylon,For the destroyerswill cometo her from the north,"Declaresthe LORD.
"ThoughBabylonshould ascendto the heavens,And thoughshe should fortifyher loftystronghold,From Me destroyerswill cometo her," declaresthe LORD.
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.
You will recompensethem, O LORD,According to the workof their hands.
"I will strikeyour bowfrom your lefthandand dashdownyour arrowsfrom your righthand.
"Then those who inhabitthe citiesof Israelwill goout and makefireswith the weaponsand burn[them], both shieldsand bucklers,bowsand arrows,warclubsand spears,and for sevenyearsthey will makefiresof them.
"He who graspsthe bowwill not stand[his ground], The swiftof footwill not escape,Norwill he who ridesthe horsesavehis life.
"For the dayof the LORDdrawsnearon allthe nations.As you have done,it will be doneto you. Your dealingswill returnon your own head.
"Becauseyou have lootedmanynations,Allthe remainderof the peopleswill lootyou-- Becauseof humanbloodshedand violencedone to the land,To the townand allits inhabitants.
Vengeanceis Mine, and retribution,In due timetheir footwill slip;For the dayof their calamityis near,And the impendingthingsare hasteningupon them.'
For after allit is [only] justfor Godto repaywith afflictionthosewho afflictyou,
"And the tenhornswhichyou saw,and the beast,thesewill hatethe harlotand will makeher desolateand naked,and will eather fleshand will burnher up with fire.
"Rejoiceoverher, O heaven,and you saintsand apostlesand prophets,becauseGodhas pronouncedjudgmentfor you againsther."
BECAUSEHIS JUDGMENTSARE true AND RIGHTEOUS;for He has judgedthe greatharlotwhowas corruptingthe earthwith her immorality,and HE HAS AVENGEDTHE BLOODOF HIS BOND-SERVANTSON HER."
"The bowsof the mightyare shattered,But the feeblegirdon strength.
