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By driving her away, You have dealt with her;
    You blew her away with a fierce blast
As when the east wind comes ripping through.
    You sent her away to live as strangers in a foreign land.
In this way, the people descended from Jacob will have their sins forgiven.
    This is how they’ll pay in full the penalty for their wrongdoing—
When God crumbles all the stones of their altars into dust like chalk,
    and when not one of their sacred poles and incense altars is left standing.

10 The city that had been so strong and vibrant
    is isolated and alone, abandoned, a deserted wilderness.
Calves munch through it, lounging around
    and eating whatever twigs dare to shoot up.

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By warfare[a] and exile(A) you contend with her—
    with his fierce blast he drives her out,
    as on a day the east wind(B) blows.
By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned(C) for,
    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:(D)
When he makes all the altar stones(E)
    to be like limestone crushed to pieces,
no Asherah poles[b](F) or incense altars(G)
    will be left standing.
10 The fortified city stands desolate,(H)
    an abandoned settlement, forsaken(I) like the wilderness;
there the calves graze,(J)
    there they lie down;(K)
    they strip its branches bare.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 27:8 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. Isaiah 27:9 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah