Study Desk

For Israel and Judah have not been widowed a Of their God, Of Yahweh of hosts, - But, their land, hath been filled with punishment for guilt from the Holy One of Israel

Flee out of the midst of Babylon And deliver ye every man his own life, Be not cut off in her punishment, - For it is Yahweh's, time of avenging, A recompense, is be repaying unto her.

A cup of gold, was Babylon in the hand of Yahweh, Making drunk all the earth, - Of her wine, have the nations drunk, For this cause have the nations been acting as men who are mad.

Suddenly, hath Babylon fallen and been broken, - Howl ye over her Fetch balsam for her pain, Peradventure she shall be healed!

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed, Leave her and let us go every one to his own land, - For her judgment, reacheth unto the heavens, And mounteth as far as the skies.

Polish the arrows, Lay hold of the shields, - Yahweh hath roused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, For against Babylon, his purpose is, to destroy her, - For it is, The avenging of Yahweh, The avenging of his temple.

Against the walls of Babylon, Lift ye up a standard, Strengthen ye the watch, Station the watchmen, Make ready the ambuscades, - For Yahweh hath both planned and also performed that which he had spoken against the inhabitants of Babylon.

By the voice that he uttered, there was a tumult of waters in the heavens, And he caused vapours to ascend from the end of the earth, - Lightnings for the rain, made he, And brought forth wind out of his treasures.

Every son of earth had become too brutish to know, - Every goldsmith, hath been put to shame, by a graven image, - For a falsehood, is his molten image Seeing there is no breath in them:

Not like these, is the portion of Jacob, For the fashioner of all things, is he! And the portion of his inheritance, - Yahweh of hosts, is his name.

A war-club, art thou for me, Weapons of war; Therefore will I Beat down with thee - nations, and Destroy with thee - kingdoms;

So shall they not fetch from thee A stone for a corner nor A stone for a foundation, - For desolations age-abiding, shalt thou become Declareth Yahweh.

Then did the land tremble and was in pain, - For the plans of Yahweh, had been established against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon an astonishment, without inhabitant.

For, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, The daughter of Babylon, is like a threshing, floor at the time of treading her: Yet a little, and the time of harvest shall overtake her.

Then shall shout over Babylon - heavens and earth and all who are therein, - For out of the North, shall come to her the spoilers Declareth Yahweh.

We have turned pale for we have heard a reproach, Confusion, hath covered our faces, - For aliens have entered upon the hallowed places of the house of Yahweh!

For, Yahweh, is spoiling Babylon, And will destroy out of her the loud voice, - Though their waves have roared like many waters, Been uttered the loud boast of their voice.

For there hath come upon her - upon Babylon - a spoiler, And captured are their heroes And broken are their bows, - For, a GOD of recompenses, is Yahweh, He will surely repay.

Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts - The broad walls of Babylon, shall be laid utterly bare, And, her lofty gates, with fire, shall be burned, - And peoples shall labour for emptiness, And populations, for the fire, shall weary themselves.

For it was, because the anger of Yahweh, had come against Jerusalem and Judah until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.