“Yes, captives^(A) will be taken from warriors,^(B)
    and plunder retrieved from the fierce;^(C)
I will contend with those who contend with you,^(D)
    and your children I will save.^(E)

“The people of Israel are oppressed,^(A)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.^(B)
34 Yet their Redeemer^(C) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty^(D) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause^(E)
    so that he may bring rest^(F) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

¹⁵ If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender^(A) to you.

¹⁶ “See, it is I who created the blacksmith^(B)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon^(C) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer^(D) to wreak havoc;
¹⁷     no weapon forged against you will prevail,^(E)
    and you will refute^(F) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants^(G) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication^(H) from me,”
declares the Lord.

⁴ say^(A) to those with fearful hearts,^(B)
    “Be strong, do not fear;^(C)
your God will come,^(D)
    he will come with vengeance;^(E)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save^(F) you.”

¹¹ “All who rage^(A) against you
    will surely be ashamed and disgraced;^(B)
those who oppose^(C) you
    will be as nothing and perish.^(D)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
    you will not find them.^(E)
Those who wage war against you
    will be as nothing^(F) at all.

¹³ All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(A)
    and great will be their peace.^(B)

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[a](M)

¹⁷ “Israel is a scattered flock^(A)
    that lions^(B) have chased away.
The first to devour^(C) them
    was the king^(D) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones^(E)
    was Nebuchadnezzar^(F) king^(G) of Babylon.”

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king^(H) of Assyria.^(I)
19 But I will bring^(J) Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied^(K)
    on the hills^(L) of Ephraim and Gilead.^(M)

³⁵ May the violence^(A) done to our flesh^[a] be on Babylon,”
    say the inhabitants of Zion.
“May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
    says Jerusalem.^(B)

“See, I will defend your cause^(C)
    and avenge^(D) you;
I will dry up^(E) her sea
    and make her springs dry.