16. Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, Because of the oppressing sword, Each unto his people--they turn, And each to his land-- they flee.
17. A scattered sheep is Israel, lions have driven away, At first, devour him did the king of Asshur, And now, at last, broken his bone Hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.
18. Therefore thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Lo, I am seeing after the king of Babylon, And after his land, As I have seen after the king of Asshur;
19. And I have brought back Israel unto his habitation, And he hath fed on Carmel, and on Bashan. And in mount Ephraim, and on Gilead is his soul satisfied.
20. In those days, and at that time, An affirmation of Jehovah, Sought is the iniquity of Israel, and it is not, And the sin of Judah, and it is not found, For I am propitious to those whom I leave!
21. Against the land of Merathaim: Go up against it, and unto the inhabitants of Pekod, Waste and devote their posterity, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do according to all that I have commanded thee.
22. A noise of battle [is] in the land, and of great destruction.
23. How hath it been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How hath Babylon been for a desolation among nations!
24. I have laid a snare for thee, And also--thou art captured, O Babylon, And thou-- thou hast known, Thou hast been found, and also art caught, For against Jehovah thou hast stirred thyself up.
25. Jehovah hath opened His treasury, And He bringeth out the weapons of His indignation, For a work [is] to the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, In the land of the Chaldeans.
26. Come ye in to her from the extremity, Open ye her storehouses, Raise her up as heaps, and devote her, Let her have no remnant.
27. Slay all her kine, they go down to slaughter, Woe [is] on them, for come hath their day, The time of their inspection.