33 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“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)

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33 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

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17 the man who made the world a wilderness,(A)
    who overthrew(B) its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?”(C)

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17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

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If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand(A) of the Lord will bring a terrible plague(B) on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.

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For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

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“Is not this the kind of fasting(A) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(B)
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(C) free
    and break every yoke?(D)

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Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

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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.”

18 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king(H) of Assyria.(I)

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17 Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

18 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

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I was angry(A) with my people
    and desecrated my inheritance;(B)
I gave them into your hand,(C)
    and you showed them no mercy.(D)
Even on the aged
    you laid a very heavy yoke.

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I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

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17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm(A) that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.(B)

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17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

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24 Can plunder be taken from warriors,(A)
    or captives be rescued from the fierce[a]?

25 But this is what the Lord says:

“Yes, captives(B) will be taken from warriors,(C)
    and plunder retrieved from the fierce;(D)
I will contend with those who contend with you,(E)
    and your children I will save.(F)
26 I will make your oppressors(G) eat(H) their own flesh;
    they will be drunk on their own blood,(I) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know(J)
    that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(K)
    your Redeemer,(L) the Mighty One of Jacob.(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 25); Masoretic Text righteous

24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

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If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs(A) on your whole country.

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And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

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Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,(A) that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”(B)

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And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

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15 and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.(A) I was only a little angry,(B) but they went too far with the punishment.’(C)

16 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return(D) to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line(E) will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.(F)

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15 And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

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34 “Nebuchadnezzar(A) king of Babylon has devoured(B) us,(C)
    he has thrown us into confusion,
    he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
    and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
    and then has spewed(D) us out.
35 May the violence(E) 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.(F)

36 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“See, I will defend your cause(G)
    and avenge(H) you;
I will dry up(I) her sea
    and make her springs dry.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:35 Or done to us and to our children

34 Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

36 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

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Whoever found them devoured(A) them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,(B)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
    the Lord, the hope(C) of their ancestors.’

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All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.

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