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27 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will punish Leviathan [C a sea creature in ancient Near Eastern texts that represents chaos; Job 3:8; 41:1, 12; Ps. 74:14; 104:26], the ·gliding [or swift-moving; or fleeing] ·snake [serpent].
    He will punish Leviathan, the ·coiled [writhing; twisting] ·snake [serpent],
    with his great and hard and powerful sword.
He will kill the ·monster [dragon] in the sea.
·At that time [L In that day]
    sing about the ·pleasant [beautiful; or fruitful] vineyard [C God’s people; 5:1–7].
“I, the Lord, will ·care for [watch over] that vineyard;
    I will water it ·at the right time [regularly; continually].
No one will hurt it,
    because I will guard it day and night.
I am not ·angry [wrathful].
If ·anyone builds a wall of thornbushes in war [or only there were briers and thorns against me!],
    I will march ·to it [against it in battle] and burn it.
But if anyone comes to me for ·safety [refuge; protection]
    and wants to make peace with me,
    ·he should come and [let him] make peace with me.”
In the days to come, ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] will ·be like a plant with good roots [take root];
    Israel will ·grow like a plant beginning to bloom [L blossom and bud].
·Then the world will be filled with their children [L …and fill all the world with fruit].

The Lord Will Send Israel Away

·The Lord has not hurt [L Has the Lord struck down…?] his people as he ·hurt their enemies [L struck down those who struck them];
    ·his people have not [L have they…?] been killed like those who tried to kill them.
He will ·settle his argument with Israel [or oppose her; contend with her] by sending her far away.
    ·Like a hot desert wind [L With his fierce breath in the day of the east wind; C the east wind came from the desert], he will drive her away.
This is how ·Israel’s [L Jacob’s] guilt will be forgiven;
    this is how its sins will be taken away:
·Israel [L He] will crush the rocks of the altar [C pagan altars] to dust,
    and no ·Asherah idols [L Asherahs; C sacred trees or poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah] or ·altars [incense altars] will be left standing.
10 ·At that time [L In that day] the ·strong, walled [fortified] city will be ·empty [desolate]
    an abandoned settlement, empty like a ·desert [wilderness; 17:9; 32:14, 19].
Calves will eat grass there.
    They will lie down there
    and ·eat leaves from [strip bare] the branches.
11 The limbs will become dry and break off,
    so women will use them for firewood.
The people ·refuse to understand [lack understanding/discernment],
    so ·their Creator [the one who made them] will not comfort them;
·their Maker [the one who formed them] will not ·be kind [show favor] to them.

12 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will begin gathering ·his people [L you, sons/children of Israel] one by one from the ·Euphrates River [L flowing River] to the brook of Egypt. He will ·separate them from others as grain is separated from chaff [thresh/L beat them out]. 13 ·At that time [In that day] a great trumpet will be blown. Then those who are ·lost [or perishing] in Assyria and those who ·have run away [were exiled/driven out] to Egypt will come and worship the Lord on that holy mountain in Jerusalem.

27 At that time the Lord will judge Leviathan, the gliding snake.
    He will punish Leviathan, the coiled snake.
The Lord will use his great sword,
    his hard and powerful sword.
He will kill the monster in the sea.

In that day
    people will sing about the pleasant vineyard.
“I, the Lord, will care for that vineyard.
    I will water it at the right time.
No one will hurt it.
    I will guard it day and night.
I am not angry.
If anyone builds a wall of thornbushes in war,
    I will march to it and burn it.
But if anyone comes to me for safety
    and wants to make peace with me,
    he should come and make peace with me.”
In the days to come, the people of Jacob will be like a plant with good roots.
    Israel will grow like a plant beginning to bloom.
    Then the world will be filled with their children.

God “Divorces” Israel

The Lord has not hurt his people as he hurt their enemies.
    His people have not been killed like those who tried to kill them.
The Lord will settle his argument with Israel by sending it far away.
    Like a hot desert wind, he will drive Israel away.
This is how Israel’s guilt will be forgiven.
    This is how its sins will be taken away.
Israel will crush the rocks of the altar to dust.
    No statues or altars will be left standing for the Asherah idols.
10 At that time the strong, walled city will be empty.
    It will be like a desert.
Calves will eat grass there.
    They will lie down there.
    They will eat leaves from the branches.
11 The limbs will become dry and break off.
    Women will use them for firewood.
The people refuse to understand.
    So God will not comfort them.
    Their Maker will not be kind to them.

12 At that time the Lord will begin gathering his people one by one. He will gather all his people from the Euphrates River to the brook of Egypt. He will separate them from others as grain is separated from chaff. 13 Many of my people are now lost in Assyria. Some of my people have run away to Egypt. But at that time a great trumpet will be blown. And all those people will come back to Jerusalem. They will bow down before the Lord on that holy mountain.