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NOVEMBER 1
23 How the hammer of the whole earth 31 “Behold, I am against you,
has been cut apart and broken! O most haughty one!” says the Lord
How Babylon has become a desolation GOD of hosts;
among the nations! “For your day has come,
The time that I will punish you.
32 The most proud shall stumble and fall,
And no one will raise him up;
50:23 hammer of the whole earth. The I will kindle a fire in his cities,
description was of Babylon’s former conquer- And it will devour all around him.”
ing force,and God’s breaking the “hammer”He 33 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
had once used. The fact that God used
Babylon as His executioner was no commen- “The children of Israel were oppressed,
dation of that nation (Hab. 1:6,7). Along with the children of Judah;
All who took them captive have held
them fast;
I have laid a snare for you; They have refused to let them go.
You have indeed been trapped, 34 Their Redeemer is strong;
24
O Babylon, The LORD of hosts is His name.
And you were not aware; He will thoroughly plead their case,
You have been found and also caught, That He may give rest to the land,
Because you have contended against And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
the LORD.
25 35 “A sword is against the Chaldeans,”
The LORD has opened His armory,
And has brought out the weapons of says the LORD,
His indignation; “Against the inhabitants of Babylon,
For this is the work of the Lord GOD And against her princes and her wise
of hosts men.
36
In the land of the Chaldeans. A sword is against the soothsayers,
26 Come against her from the farthest and they will be fools.
border; A sword is against her mighty men,
Open her storehouses; and they will be dismayed.
37 A sword is against their horses,
Cast her up as heaps of ruins, Against their chariots,
And destroy her utterly; And against all the mixed peoples who
Let nothing of her be left.
27 are in her midst;
Slay all her bulls, And they will become like women.
Let them go down to the slaughter. A sword is against her treasures, and
Woe to them! they will be robbed.
For their day has come, the time of 38 A drought is against her waters, and they
their punishment. will be dried up.
28 The voice of those who flee and escape For it is the land of carved images,
from the land of Babylon And they are insane with their idols.
Declares in Zion the vengeance of the
39 “Therefore the wild desert beasts shall
LORD our God,
The vengeance of His temple. dwell there with the jackals,
And the ostriches shall dwell in it.
“Call together the archers against It shall be inhabited no more forever,
29
Babylon. Nor shall it be dwelt in from generation
All you who bend the bow, encamp to generation.
against it all around; 40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
Let none of them escape. And their neighbors,” says the LORD,
Repay her according to her work; “So no one shall reside there,
According to all she has done, do to her; Nor son of man dwell in it.
For she has been proud against the 41 “Behold, a people shall come from the
LORD, north,
Against the Holy One of Israel. And a great nation and many kings
Therefore her young men shall fall in Shall be raised up from the ends of the
30
the streets, earth.
And all her men of war shall be cut off 42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
in that day,” says the LORD. They are cruel and shall not show mercy.

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