Daily Bread: Friday, Apr 26, 2024

² “Announce and proclaim^(C) among the nations,
    lift up a banner^(D) and proclaim it;
    keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;^(E)
    Bel^(F) will be put to shame,^(G)
    Marduk^(H) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
    and her idols^(I) filled with terror.’
³ A nation from the north^(J) will attack her
    and lay waste her land.
No one will live^(K) in it;
    both people and animals^(L) will flee away.

⁴ “In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together^(M)
    will go in tears^(N) to seek^(O) the Lord their God.
⁵ They will ask the way^(P) to Zion
    and turn their faces toward it.
They will come^(Q) and bind themselves to the Lord
    in an everlasting covenant^(R)
    that will not be forgotten.

⁶ “My people have been lost sheep;^(S)
    their shepherds^(T) have led them astray^(U)
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill^(V)
    and forgot their own resting place.^(W)
7 Whoever found them devoured^(X) them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,^(Y)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
    the Lord, the hope^(Z) of their ancestors.’

⁸ “Flee^(AA) out of Babylon;^(AB)
    leave the land of the Babylonians,
    and be like the goats that lead the flock.
⁹ For I will stir^(AC) up and bring against Babylon
    an alliance of great nations^(AD) from the land of the north.^(AE)
They will take up their positions against her,
    and from the north she will be captured.^(AF)
Their arrows^(AG) will be like skilled warriors
    who do not return empty-handed.
¹⁰ So Babylonia^[b] will be plundered;^(AH)
    all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the Lord.

¹¹ “Because you rejoice and are glad,
    you who pillage my inheritance,^(AI)
because you frolic like a heifer^(AJ) threshing grain
    and neigh like stallions,
¹² your mother will be greatly ashamed;
    she who gave you birth will be disgraced.^(AK)
She will be the least of the nations—
    a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.^(AL)
13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
    but will be completely desolate.^(AM)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;^(AN)
    they will scoff^(AO) because of all her wounds.^(AP)

¹⁴ “Take up your positions around Babylon,
    all you who draw the bow.^(AQ)
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,^(AR)
    for she has sinned against the Lord.
¹⁵ Shout^(AS) against her on every side!
    She surrenders, her towers fall,
    her walls^(AT) are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance^(AU) of the Lord,
    take vengeance on her;
    do to her^(AV) as she has done to others.^(AW)
16 Cut off from Babylon the sower,
    and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword^(AX) of the oppressor
    let everyone return to their own people,^(AY)
    let everyone flee to their own land.^(AZ)

¹⁷ “Israel is a scattered flock^(BA)
    that lions^(BB) have chased away.
The first to devour^(BC) them
    was the king^(BD) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones^(BE)
    was Nebuchadnezzar^(BF) king^(BG) of Babylon.”

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king^(BH) of Assyria.^(BI)
19 But I will bring^(BJ) Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied^(BK)
    on the hills^(BL) of Ephraim and Gilead.^(BM)
20 In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be none,^(BN)
and for the sins^(BO) of Judah,
    but none will be found,
    for I will forgive^(BP) the remnant^(BQ) I spare.