<p class="poetry">They will surround Jerusalem<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">like men guarding a field<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because they have rebelled against me,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Kings will come against it with their armies.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will encamp in siege all around it.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Each of them will devastate the portion assigned to him.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not go out into the countryside.p> <p class="poetry">Do not travel on the roads.p> <p class="poetry">For the enemy is there with sword in hand.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They are spreading terror everywhere.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But I will punish you as your deeds deserve,&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will set fire to your palace;p> <p class="poetry">it will burn up everything around it.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You will stumble and fall, you proud city;p> <p class="poetry">no one will help you get up.p> <p class="poetry">I will set fire to your towns;p> <p class="poetry">it will burn up everything that surrounds you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

There were ninety-six pomegranate-shaped ornaments on the sides; in all there were one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments over the latticework that went around it.p>

<p class="poetry">The people I call my own attack me like birds of prey or like hyenas.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">But other birds of prey are all around them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Let all the nations gather together like wild beasts.p> <p class="poetry">Let them come and destroy these people I call my own.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">What do I see?&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The soldiers<n id="3" /> are terrified.p> <p class="poetry">They are retreating.p> <p class="poetry">They have been defeated.p> <p class="poetry">They are overcome with terror;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">they desert quicklyp> <p class="poetry">without looking back.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Make an announcement throughout Egypt.p> <p class="poetry">Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Take your positions and prepare to do battle.p> <p class="poetry">For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Mourn for that nation, all you nations living around it,p> <p class="poetry">all of you nations that know of its fame.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Mourn and say, &#8216;Alas, its powerful influence has been broken!p> <p class="poetry">Its glory and power have been done away!&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Oh, how shattered Moab will be!p> <p class="poetry">Oh, how her people will wail!p> <p class="poetry">Oh, how she will turn away<n id="1" /> in shame!p> <p class="poetry">Moab will become an object of ridicule,p> <p class="poetry">a terrifying sight to all the nations that surround her.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">I will bring terror on you from every side,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;You will be scattered in every direction.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">No one will gather the fugitives back together.p>

<p class="poetry">Their tents and their flocks will be taken away.p> <p class="poetry">Their tent curtains, equipment, and camels will be carried off.p> <p class="poetry">People will shout<n id="1" /> to them,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Terror is all around you!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Take up your battle positions all around Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">all you soldiers who are armed with bows.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Shoot<n id="2" /> all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For she has sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">I will send people to winnow Babylonia like a wind blowing away chaff.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will winnow her and strip her land bare.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">This will happen when<n id="3" /> they come against her from every direction,p> <p class="poetry">when it is time to destroy her.<n id="4" />p>

The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.

For I will soon summon all the peoples of the kingdoms of the north,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8220;They will come and their kings will set up their thrones<n id="1" /> near the entrances of the gates of Jerusalem.<n id="2" /> They will attack all the walls surrounding it, and all the towns in Judah.<n id="3" />

Then people will come here from the towns in Judah, from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the western foothills, from the southern hill country, and from the southern part of Judah. They will come bringing offerings to the temple of the <sc>Lordsc>: burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and incense along with their thank offerings.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">I<n id="1" /> hear many whispering words of intrigue against me.p> <p class="poetry">Those who would cause me terror are everywhere!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They are saying, &#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s publicly denounce him!&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">All my so-called friends<n id="4" /> are just watching forp> <p class="poetry">something that would lead to my downfall.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">They say, &#8220;Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up,p> <p class="poetry">so we can prevail over<n id="6" /> him and get our revenge on him.p>

Fields will again be bought with silver, and deeds of purchase signed, sealed, and witnessed. This will happen in the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, the towns in Judah, the southern hill country, the western foothills, and southern Judah.<n id="1" /> For I will restore them to their land.<n id="2" /> I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>