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1For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts, but the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.
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2"Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life!
3Be not cut off in her punishment,
4for this is the time of the LORD's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her.
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Babylon was
5a golden cup in the LORD's hand,
6making all the earth drunken;
7the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad.
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8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;
9wail for her!
10Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.
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We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed.
11Forsake her, and
12let us go each to his own country, for
13her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies.
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14The LORD has brought about our vindication;
15come, let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.
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16"Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields!
17The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of
18the Medes, because
19his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it,
20for that is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for
21his temple.
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22"Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon;
23make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes;
24for the LORD has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
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25O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.
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26The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: Surely I will fill you with men,
27as many as locusts,
28and they shall raise the shout of victory over you.
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29"It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.