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"Woe to the rebelliouschildren," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to addsin to sin;
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The oracle concerning the beasts of the Negev. Through a land of distress and anguish, From where come lioness and lion, viper and flyingserpent, They carry their riches on the backs of youngdonkeys And their treasures on camels'humps, To a people who cannotprofit them;
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Whosay to the seers, "You must not see visions"; And to the prophets, "You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasantwords, Prophesyillusions.
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Whose collapse is like the smashing of a potter'sjar, So ruthlessly*shattered That a sherd will not be found among its pieces To takefire from a hearth Or to scoopwater from a cistern."
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For thus the LordGOD, the HolyOne of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing,
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And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses," Therefore* you shall flee! "And we will ride on swift horses," Therefore* those who pursue you shall be swift.
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Onethousand will flee at the threat of one man; You will flee at the threat of five, Until* you are left as a flag on a mountaintop And as a signal on a hill.
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Therefore the LORDlongs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to havecompassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
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O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weepnolonger. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.
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Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will nolongerhide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher.
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And you will defile your gravenimagesoverlaid with silver, and your moltenimagesplated with gold. You will scatter them as an impurething, and say to them, "Be gone!"
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Then He will give you rain for the seedwhich you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomypasture.
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The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seventimes brighter, like the light of sevendays, on the day the LORDbinds up the fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted.
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Behold, the name of the LORDcomes from a remoteplace; Burning is His anger and dense is His smoke; His lips are filled with indignation And His tongue is like a consumingfire;
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His breath is like an overflowingtorrent, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nationsback and forth in a sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads to ruin.
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You will havesongs as in the night when you keep the festival, And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute, To go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
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And the LORD will cause His voice of authority to be heard, And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierceanger, And in the flame of a consumingfire In cloudburst, downpour and hailstones.
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For at the voice of the LORDAssyria will be terrified, When He strikes with the rod.
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32
And everyblow of the rod of punishment, Which the LORD will lay on him, Will be with the music of tambourines and lyres; And in battles, brandishingweapons, He will fight them.
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For Topheth has long been ready, Indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, A pyre of fire with plenty of wood; The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire.