Delphi Septuagint

by Lancelot C L Brenton (ed)

  [11] Prepare the arrows; fill the quivers: the Lord has stirred up the spirit of the king of the Medes: for his wrath is against Babylon, to destroy it utterly; for it is the Lord’s vengeance, it is the vengeance of his people. [12] Lift up a standard on the walls of Babylon, prepare the quivers, rouse the guards, prepare the weapons: for the Lord has taken the work in hand, and will execute what he has spoken against the inhabitants of Babylon, [13] dwelling on many waters, and amidst the abundance of her treasures; thine end is come verily into thy bowels. [14] For the Lord has sworn by his arm, saying,I will fill thee with men as with locusts; and they that come down shall cry against thee.

  [15] The Lord made the earth by his power, preparing the world by his wisdom, by his understanding he stretched out the heaven. [16] At his voice he makes a sound of water in the heaven, and brings up clouds from the extremity of the earth; he makes lightnings for rain, and brings light out of his treasures. [17] Every man has completely lost understanding; every goldsmith is confounded because of his graven images: for they have cast false gods, there is no breath in them. [18] They are vain works, objects of scorn; in the time of their visitation they shall perish. [19] Not such is Jacob’s portion; for he that formed all things, he is his inheritance; the Lord is his name.

  [20] Thou scatterest for me the weapons of war: and I will scatter nations by thee, and will destroy kings by means of thee. [21] And by thee I will scatter the horse and his rider; and by thee I will scatter chariots and them that ride in them. [22] And by thee I will scatter youth and maid; and by thee I will scatter man and woman. [23] And by thee I will scatter the shepherd and his flock; and by thee I will scatter the husbandman and his husbandry; and by thee I will scatter leaders and the captains. [24] And I will recompense to Babylon and to all the Chaldeans that dwell there all their mischiefs that they have done to Sion before your eyes, saith the Lord.

  [25] Behold, I am against thee, the ruined mountain, that destroys the whole earth; and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will roll thee down upon the rocks, and will make thee as a burnt mountain. [26] And they shall not take from thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for a foundation: for thou shalt be a desolation for ever, saith the Lord.

  [27] Lift up a standard in the land, sound the trumpet among the nations, consecrate the nations against her, raise up kings against her by me, and that for the people of Achanaz; set against her engines of war; bring up against her horses as a multitude of locusts. [28] Bring up nations against her, even the king of the Medes and of the whole earth, his rulers, and all his captains. [29] The earth has quaked and been troubled, because the purpose of the Lord has risen up against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, and uninhabitable. [30] The warrior of Babylon has failed to fight; they shall sit there in the siege; their power is broken; they are become like women; her tabernacles have been set on fire; her bars are broken. [31] One shall rush, running to meet another runner, and one shall go with tidings to meet another with tidings, to bring tidings to the king of Babylon, that his city is taken. [32] At the end of his passages they were taken, and his cisterns they have burnt with fire, and his warriors are going forth.

  [33] For thus saith the Lord, The houses of the king of Babylon shall be threshed as a floor in the season; yet a little while, and her harvest shall come.

  [34] He has devoured me, he has torn me asunder, airy darkness has come upon me; Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon has swallowed me up, as a dragon has he filled his belly with my delicacies. [35] My troubles and my distresses have driven me out into Babylon, shall she that dwells in Sion say; and my blood shall be upon the Chaldeans dwelling there, shall Jerusalem say.

  [36] Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will judge thine adversary, and I will execute vengeance for thee; and I will waste her sea, and dry up her fountain. [37] And Babylon shall be a desolation, and shall not be inhabited. [38] For they rose up together as lions, and as lions’ whelps. [39] In their heat I will give them a draught, and make them drunk, that they may be stupified, and sleep an everlasting sleep, and not awake, saith the Lord. [40] And bring thou them down as lambs to the slaughter, and rams with kids.

  [41] How has the boast of all the earth been taken and caught in a snare! how has Babylon become a desolation among the nations! [42] The sea has come up upon Babylon with the sound of its waves, and she is covered. [43] Her cities are become like a dry and trackless land; not so much as one man shall dwell in it, neither shall a son of man lodge in it. [44] And I will take vengeance on Babylon, and bring forth out of her mouth what she has swallowed down, and the nations shall no more be gathered to her: [45] 46 [47] 48 [49] and in Babylon the slain men of all the earth shall fall. [50] Go forth of the land, ye that escape, and stay not; ye that are afar off, remember the Lord, and let Jerusalem come into your mind. [51] We are ashamed, because we have heard our reproach; disgrace has covered our face; aliens are come into our sanctuary, even into the house of the Lord.

  [52] Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will take vengeance upon her graven images: and slain men shall fall in all her land. [53] For though Babylon should go up as the heaven, and though she should strengthen her walls with her power, from me shall come they that shall destroy her, saith the Lord. [54] A sound of a cry in Babylon, and great destruction in the land of the Chaldeans: [55] for the Lord has utterly destroyed Babylon, and cut off from her the great voice sounding as many waters: he has consigned her voice to destruction. [56] For distress has come upon Babylon, her warriors are taken, their bows are useless: for God recompenses them. [57] The Lord recompenses, and will make her leaders and her wise men and her captains completely drunk, saith the King, the Lord Almighty is his name.

  [58] Thus saith the Lord, The wall of Babylon was made broad, but it shall be completely broken down, and her high gates shall be burnt with fire; and the peoples shall not labour in vain, nor the nations fail in their rule.

  [59] THE WORD WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED THE PROPHET JEREMIAS to say to Saraeas son of Nerias, son of Maasaeas, when he went from Sedekias king of Juda to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. And Saraeas was over the bounties. [60] And Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evils which should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. [61] And Jeremiah said to Saraeas, When thou art come to Babylon, and shalt see and read all these words; [62] then thou shalt say, O Lord God, thou hast spoken against this place, to destroy it, and that there should be none to dwell in it, neither man nor beast; for it shall be a desolation for ever. [63] And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt cease from reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone upon it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates; [64] and shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and not rise, because of the evils which I bring upon it.

  Chapter 29

  [1] THUS SAITH THE LORD AGAINST THE PHILISTINES;

  [2] Behold, waters come up from the north, and shall become a sweeping torrent, and it shall sweep away the land, and its fulness; the city, and them that dwell in it: and men shall cry and all that dwell in the land shall howl, [3] at the sound of his rushing, at the sound of his hoofs, and at the rattling of his chariots, at the noise of his wheels: the fathers turned not to their children because of the weakness of their hands, [4] in the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines: and I will utterly destroy Tyre and Sidon and all the rest of their allies: for the Lord will destroy the remaining inhabitants of the islands. [5] Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ascalon is cast away, and the remnant of the Enakim.

  [6] How long wilt thou smite, O sword of the Lord? how long will it be ere thou art quiet? return into thy sheath, rest, and be removed. [7] How shall it be quiet, whereas the Lord has given it a commission against Ascalon, and against the regions on the sea-coast, to awake against the remaining countries!

  [7] CONCERNING IDUMEA, thus saith the Lord; There is no longer wisdom in Thaeman, counsel has perished from the wise ones, their wisdom is gone, [8] their place has been deceived. D
ig deep for a dwelling, ye that inhabit Daedam, for he has wrought grievously: I brought trouble upon him in the time at which I visited him. [9] For grape-gatherers are come, who shall not leave thee a remnant; as thieves by night, they shall lay their hand upon thy possessions.

  [10] For I have stripped Esau, I have uncovered their secret places; they shall have no power to hide themselves, they have perished each by the hand of his brother, my neighbour, and it is impossible [11] for thy fatherless one to be left to live, but I shall live, and the widows trust in me.

  [12] For thus saith the Lord; They who were not appointed to drink the cup have drunk it; and thou shalt by no means be cleared: [13] for by myself I have sworn, saith the Lord, that thou shalt be in the midst of her an impassable land, and a reproach, and a curse; and all her cities shall be desert for ever.

  [14] I have heard a report from the lord, and he has sent messengers to the nations, saying,Assemble yourselves, and come against her; rise ye up to war. [15] I have made thee small among the nations, utterly contemptible among men. [16] Thine insolence has risen up against thee, the fierceness of thine heart has burst the holes of the rocks, it has seized upon the strength of a lofty hill; for as an eagle he set his nest on high: thence will I bring thee down.

  [17] And Idumea shall be a desert: every one that passes by shall hiss at it. [18] As Sodom was overthrown and Gomorrha and they that sojourned in her, saith the Lord Almighty, no man shall dwell there, nor shall any son of man inhabit there. [19] Behold, he shall come up as a lion out of the midst of Jordan to the place of Ætham: for I will speedily drive them from it, and do ye set the young men against her: for who is like me? and who will withstand me? and who is this shepherd, who shall confront me?

  [20] Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, which he has framed against Idumea; and his device, which he has devised against the inhabitants of Thaeman: surely the least of the sheep shall be swept off; surely their dwelling shall be made desolate for them. [21] For at the sound of their fall the earth was scared, and the cry of the sea was not heard. [22] Behold, he shall look upon her as an eagle, and spread forth his wings over her strongholds; and the heart of the mighty men of Idumea shall be in that day as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

  Chapter 30

  [1] CONCERNING THE SONS OF AMMON thus saith the Lord, Are there no sons in Israel? or have they no one to succeed them? wherefore has Melchol inherited Galaad, and why shall their people dwell in their cities? [2] Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will cause to be heard in Rabbath a tumult of wars; and they shall become a waste and ruined place, and her altars shall be burned with fire; then shall Israel succeed to his dominion. [3] Howl, O Esebon, for Gai has perished; cry, ye daughters of Rabbath, gird yourselves with sack-clothes, and lament; for Melchol shall go into banishment, his priests and his princes together.

  [4] Why do ye exult in the plains of the Enakim, thou haughty daughter, that trustest in thy treasures, that sayest, Who shall come in to me? [5] Behold, I will bring terror upon thee, saith the Lord, from all the country round about thee; and ye shall be scattered every one right before him, and there is none to gather you.

  [28] CONCERNING KEDAR THE QUEEN OF THE PALACE, WHOM NABUCHODONOSOR KING OF BABYLON SMOTE, thus saith the Lord;

  Arise ye, and go up to Kedar, and fill the sons of Kedem. [29] They shall take their tents and their sheep, they shall take for themselves their garments, and all their baggage and their camels; and summon ye destruction against them from every side. [30] Flee ye, dig very deep for a dwelling-place, ye that dwell in the palace; for the king of Babylon has framed a counsel, and devised a device against you.

  [31] Rise up, and go up against a nation settled and dwelling at ease, who have no doors, nor bolts, nor bars, who dwell alone. [32] And their camels shall be a spoil, and the multitude of their cattle shall be destroyed: and I will scatter them as chaff with every wind, having their hair cut about their foreheads, I will bring on their overthrow from all sides, saith the Lord. [33] And the palace shall be a resting-place for ostriches, and desolate for ever: no man shall abide there, and no son of man shall dwell there.

  [23] CONCERNING DAMASCUS. Emath is brought to shame, and Arphath: for they have heard an evil report: they are amazed, they are angry, they shall be utterly unable to rest. [24] Damascus is utterly weakened, she is put to flight; trembling has seized upon her. [25] How has she not left my city, they have loved the village? [26] Therefore shall the young men fall in thy streets, and all thy warriors shall fall, saith the Lord. [27] And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the streets of the son of Ader.

  Chapter 31

  [1] Thus has the Lord said concerning MOAB, Woe to Nabau! for it has perished: Cariathaim is taken: Amath and Agath are put to shame. [2] There is no longer any healing for Moab, nor glorying in Esebon: he has devised evils against her: we have cut her off from being a nation, and she shall be completely still: after thee shall go a sword; [3] for there is a voice of men crying out of Oronaim, destruction and great ruin. [4] Moab is ruined, proclaim it to Zogora: [5] for Aloth is filled with weeping: one shall go up weeping by the way of Oronaim; ye have heard a cry of destruction.

  [6] Flee ye, and save your lives, and ye shall be as a wild ass in the desert. [7] Since thou hast trusted in thy strong-hold, therefore thou shalt be taken: and Chamos shall go forth into captivity, and his priests, and his princes together. [8] And destruction shall come upon every city, it shall by no means escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain country shall be completely destroyed, as the Lord has said. [9] Set marks upon Moab, for she shall be touched with a plague-spot, and all her cities shall become desolate; whence shall there be an inhabitant for her? [10] Cursed is the man that does the works of the Lord carelessly, keeping back his sword from blood.

  [11] Moab has been at ease from a child, and trusted in his glory; he has not poured out his liquor from vessel to vessel, and has not gone into banishment, therefore his taste remained in him, and his smell departed not. [12] Therefore, behold, his days come, saith the Lord, when I shall send upon him bad leaders, and they shall lead him astray, and they shall utterly break in pieces his possessions, and shall cut his horns asunder. [13] And Moab shall be ashamed of Chamos, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Baethel their hope, having trusted in them.

  [14] How will ye say, We are strong, and men strong for war? [15] Moab is ruined, even his city, and his choice young men have gone down to slaughter. [16] The day of Moab is near at hand, and his iniquity moves swiftly to vengeance. [17] Shake the head at him, all ye that are round about him; all of you utter his name; say ye, How is the glorious staff broken to pieces, the rod of magnificence!

  [18] Come down from thy glory, and sit down in a damp place: Daebon shall be broken, because Moab is destroyed: there has gone up against thee one to ravage thy strong-hold. [19] Stand by the way, and look, thou that dwellest in Arer; and ask him that is fleeing, and him that escapes, and say, What has happened?

  [20] Moab is put to shame, because he is broken: howl and cry; proclaim in Arnon, that Moab has perished. [21] And judgment is coming against the land of Misor, upon Chelon, and Rephas, and Mophas, [22] and upon Daebon, and upon Nabau, and upon the house of Daethlathaim, [23] and upon Cariathaim, and upon the house of Gaemol, and upon the house of Maon, [24] and upon Carioth, and upon Bosor, and upon all the cities of Moab, far and near. [25] The horn of Moab is broken, and his arm is crushed.

  [26] Make ye him drunk; for he has magnified himself against the Lord: and Moab shall clap with his hand, and shall be also himself a laughing-stock. [27] For surely Israel was to thee a laughing-stock, and was found among thy thefts, because thou didst fight against him. [28] The inhabitants of Moab have left the cities, and dwelt in rocks; they have become as doves nestling in rocks, at the mouth of a cave.

  [29] And I have heard of the pride of Moab, he has greatly heightened his pride and his haughtiness, and his heart has been lifted up.
[30] But I know his works: is it not enough for him? has he not done thus?

  [31] Therefore howl ye for Moab on all sides; cry out against the shorn men in a gloomy place. I will weep for thee, [32] O vine of Aserema, as with the weeping of Jazer: thy branches are gone over the sea, they reached the cities of Jazer: destruction has come upon thy fruits, and upon thy grape-gatherers. [33] Joy and gladness have been utterly swept off the land of Moab: and though there was wine in thy presses, in the morning they trod it not, neither in the evening did they raise the cry of joy. [34] From the cry of Esebon even to Ætam their cities uttered their voice, from Zogor to Oronaim, and their tidings as a heifer of three years old, for the water also of Nebrin shall be dried up.

  [35] And I will destroy Moab, saith the Lord, as he comes up to the altar, and burns incense to his gods. [36] Therefore the heart of Moab shall sound as pipes, my heart shall sound as a pipe for the shorn men; forasmuch as what every man has gained has perished from him. [37] They shall all have their heads shaved in every place, and every beard shall be shaved; and all hands shall beat the breasts, and on all loins shall be sackcloth. [38] And on all the housetops of Moab, and in his streets shall be mourning: for I have broken him, saith the Lord, as a vessel, which is useless. [39] How has he changed! how has Moab turned his back! Moab is put to shame, and become a laughing-stock, and an object of anger to all that are round about him.

  [40] For thus said the Lord; [41] Carioth is taken, and the strong-holds have been taken together. [42] And Moab shall perish from being a multitude, because he has magnified himself against the Lord. [43] A snare, and fear, and the pit, are upon thee, O inhabitant off Moab. [44] he that flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he that comes up out of the pit shall even be taken in the snare: for I will bring these things upon Moab in the year of their visitation.