<p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies has a plan,p> <p class="poetry">and who can possibly frustrate it?p> <p class="poetry">His hand is ready to strike,p> <p class="poetry">and who can possibly stop it?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">O my downtrodden people, crushed like stalks on the threshing floor,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">what I have heardp> <p class="poetry">from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">the God of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">I have reported to you.p>

<p class="poetry">At that time the sovereign master, the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning,p> <p class="poetry">for shaved heads and sackcloth.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies planned it &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">to dishonor the pride that comes from all her beauty,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to humiliate all the dignitaries of the earth.p>

<p class="poetry">At that time<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies will become a beautiful crownp> <p class="poetry">and a splendid diadem for the remnant of his people.p>

<p class="poetry">This also comes from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Just as birds hover over a nest,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies will protect Jerusalem.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will protect and deliver it;p> <p class="poetry">as he passes over<n id="3" /> he will rescue it.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;p> <p class="poetry">survivors will come out of Mount Zion.p> <p class="poetry">The intense devotion of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies<n id="1" /> will accomplish this.p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed, they live in the holy city;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they trust in<n id="2" /> the God of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">whose name is the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

<p class="poetry">I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God,p> <p class="poetry">who churns up the sea so that its waves surge.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies is his name!p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> said to the people of Judah,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="2" /> says: &#8216;You might as well go ahead and add the meat of your burnt offerings to that of the other sacrifices and eat it, too!<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;You have not listened to what I said.<n id="2" />

&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;I will break the yoke of servitude<n id="2" /> to the king of Babylon.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says to all those he sent<n id="2" /> into exile to Babylon from Jerusalem,<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will kill all the archers of Elam,p> <p class="poetry">who are the chief source of her military might.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen! I am opposed to you, you proud city,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed,<n id="3" /> your day of reckoning<n id="4" /> has come,p> <p class="poetry">the time when I will punish you.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="1" /> has solemnly sworn,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will fill your land with enemy soldiers.p> <p class="poetry">They will swarm over it like locusts.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will raise up shouts of victory over it.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">and I will drive you into exile beyond Damascus,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">He is called the God who commands armies!p>

<p class="poetry">This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for they taunted and verbally harassed<n id="2" /> the people of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies.p>

Here then is what the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all says: &#8216;Think carefully about what you are doing.<n id="1" />