Study Desk

"Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor!" says the LORD. "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you, And has conceived a plan against you.

Their camels shall be for booty, And the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, And I will bring their calamity from all its sides," says the LORD.

"Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it."

For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,' says the LORD; "And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.

For out of the north a nation comes up against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, Both man and beast.

For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against BabylonAn assembly of great nations from the north country,And they shall array themselves against her;From there she shall be captured.Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; [fn] None shall return in vain.

"Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, spare no arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD.

Shout against her all around; She has given her hand, Her foundations have fallen, Her walls are thrown down; For it is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance on her. As she has done, so do to her.

Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him who handles the sickle at harvest time. For fear of the oppressing sword Everyone shall turn to his own people, And everyone shall flee to his own land.

In those days and in that time," says the LORD, "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I preserve.

How the hammer of the whole earth has been cut apart and broken! How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations! I have laid a snare for you;

The LORD has opened His armory, And has brought out the weapons of His indignation; For this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans.

Slay all her bulls, Let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their punishment.

"Call together the archers against Babylon.All you who bend the bow, encamp against it all around;Let none of them escape. [fn] Repay her according to her work;According to all she has done, do to her;For she has been proud against the Lord,Against the Holy One of Israel.

"Behold, I am against you,O most haughty one!" says the Lord God of hosts;"For your day has come,The time that I will punish you. [fn]

They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

"Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain [fn] of the JordanAgainst the dwelling place of the strong;But I will make them suddenly run away from her.And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her?For who is like Me?Who will arraign Me?And who is that shepherdWho will withstand Me?"

And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around.

For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."

Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD's vengeance; He shall recompense her.