God’s Sledgehammer Anger

5-8 “Sound the alarm in Judah,
    broadcast the news in Jerusalem.
Say, ‘Blow the ram’s horn trumpet through the land!’
    Shout out—a bullhorn bellow!—
‘Close ranks!
    Run for your lives to the shelters!’
Send up a flare warning Zion:
    ‘Not a minute to lose! Don’t sit on your hands!’
Disaster’s descending from the north. I set it off!
    When it lands, it will shake the foundations.
Invaders have pounced like a lion from its cover,
    ready to rip nations to shreds,
Leaving your land in wrack and ruin,
    your cities in rubble, abandoned.
Dress in funereal black.
    Weep and wail,
For God’s sledgehammer anger
    has slammed into us head-on.

“When this happens”
    God’s Decree—
“King and princes will lose heart;
    priests will be baffled and prophets stand dumbfounded.”

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A lion(A) has come out of his lair;(B)
    a destroyer(C) of nations has set out.
He has left his place
    to lay waste(D) your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins(E)
    without inhabitant.
So put on sackcloth,(F)
    lament(G) and wail,
for the fierce anger(H) of the Lord
    has not turned away from us.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “the king and the officials will lose heart,(I)
the priests will be horrified,
    and the prophets will be appalled.”(J)

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