“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)

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

⁶ “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)

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)

⁶ 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.

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

“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)”