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14 They have blown the horn and made everything ready,
    but no one goes to battle,
    for my wrath is upon all their multitude.
15 The sword is outside; pestilence and famine are inside;
    those in the field die by the sword;
    those in the city—famine and pestilence devour them.(A)
16 If any survivors escape,
    they shall be found on the mountains
    like doves of the valleys,
all of them moaning over their iniquity.(B)
17 All hands shall grow feeble,
    all knees turn to water.(C)
18 They shall put on sackcloth;
    horror shall cover them.
Shame shall be on all faces,
    baldness on all their heads.(D)
19 They shall fling their silver into the streets;
    their gold shall be treated as unclean.

Their silver and gold cannot save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. They shall not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.(E) 20 From their[a] beautiful ornament, in which they took pride, they made their abominable images, their detestable things; therefore I will make of it an unclean thing to them.(F)

21 I will hand it over to strangers as plunder,
    to the wicked of the earth as spoil;
    they shall profane it.(G)
22 I will avert my face from them
    so that they may profane my treasured[b] place;
the violent shall enter it;
    they shall profane it.(H)
23 Make a chain![c]
For the land is full of bloody crimes;
    the city is full of violence.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 7.20 Syr Symmachus: Heb its
  2. 7.22 Or secret
  3. 7.23 Meaning of Heb uncertain

14 They have blown the horn,
    and everything is ready, but no one goes to battle,
        because my wrath overcomes the whole crowd.
15 Outside, the sword! Inside, plague and famine!
    Whoever is out in the field will die by the sword.
        Whoever is in the city,
        plague and famine will consume them.
16 And those who flee?
    They will turn up on the hills like valley doves,
        all of them moaning, those guilty ones.
17 Every hand will hang limp;
    urine will run down every leg.
18 They will put on mourning clothes,
    and horror will cover them.
    On every face, shame;
    on all their heads, baldness.
19 They will hurl their silver into the street,
    and their gold will seem unclean.
    Their silver and their gold won’t deliver them
        on the day of the Lord’s anger.
They won’t satisfy their appetites or fill their bellies.
    Their guilt will bring them down.

20 From their beautiful ornament, in which they took pride,
    they have made horrible and detestable images!
Therefore, I’ve declared it an unclean thing for them.
21     I’ll hand it over to foreigners as loot taken in war,
    to the earth’s wicked ones as plunder—they will defile it!
22 When I hide my face from my people,
    foreigners will defile my treasured place.
    Violent intruders will invade it; they will defile it!

23 Make a chain!
    The earth is full of perverted justice,
        the city full of violence.

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