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"Isra'el is a stray lamb, driven away by lions. First to devour him was Ashur's king; and the last to break his bones is this N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel."

Therefore Adonai -Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: "I will punish the king of Bavel and his land as I punished the king of Ashur.

I will bring Isra'el back to his pasture, to graze on the Karmel and the Bashan, on the hills of Efrayim and in Gil‘ad until he has his fill.

Adonai has opened his store of arms and brought out the weapons of his wrath; for Adonai Elohei -Tzva'ot has work to do in the land of the Kasdim.

Hear the sound of the fugitives, of those escaping from Bavel, coming to proclaim in Tziyon the vengeance of Adonai our God, vengeance over his temple.

The arrogant [nation] will stumble and fall, and no one will lift him up again. I will set his cities on fire, and it will devour everything around him."

But their redeemer is strong; Adonai -Tzva'ot is his name. He will thoroughly plead their cause, so that he can give rest to the land but unrest to those who live in Bavel.

The king of Bavel has heard news of them; his hands droop, helpless. Anguish seizes hold of him and pain, like a woman in labor.

So hear the plan of Adonai that he has devised against Bavel, and his goals that he will accomplish against the land of the Kasdim: the least of the flock will drag them away; their own pasture will be in shock at them.

Let the archer draw his bow, let him flaunt his coat of mail; do not spare her young men, completely destroy her whole army.

Flee from Bavel, let each one save his life! Don't perish because of her guilt. For the time has come for the vengeance of Adonai ; he will repay her what she deserves.

"We tried to heal Bavel, but she cannot be healed. So leave her alone, and each of us will return to his own country." For the judgment against her rises to the skies and reaches even the clouds.

Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! Adonai roused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because he plans to destroy Bavel. This is the vengeance of Adonai vengeance over his temple.

He made the earth by his power, established the world by his wisdom spread out the sky by his understanding.

When he thunders, the waters in heaven roar, he raises clouds from the ends of the earth, he makes the lightning flash in the rain and brings the wind out from his storehouses.

At this, everyone is proved stupid, ignorant, every goldsmith put to shame by his idol! The figures he casts are a fraud, there is no breath in them,

Ya‘akov's portion is not like these, for he is the one who formed all things, including the tribe he claims as his heritage. Adonai -Tzva'ot is his name.

Prepare the nations against her, the kings of the Medes, his governors and deputies, and all the land he controls.

One runner runs to meet another, messenger to meet messenger, to report to the king of Bavel that every part of his city is taken,

N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel has devoured me, crushed me. He left me like an empty pot. Like a monster, he swallowed me whole. With my delicacies he stuffed his belly; then he rinsed me out.