1On that day, Leviathan,27.1 Leviathan: God's victory over this monster sometimes stands for God's power over all creation and sometimes for his defeat of his enemies, especially Egypt.27.1: Job 41.1; Ps 74.14; 104.26.

the sea monster,

will squirm and try to escape,

but the LORD will kill him

with a cruel, sharp sword.

Protection and forgiveness

The LORD said:

2At that time you must sing

about a fruitful27.2 fruitful: Some Hebrew manuscripts have “lovely”. vineyard.

3I, the LORD, will protect it

and always keep it watered.

I will guard it day and night

to keep it from harm.

4I am no longer angry.

But if it produces thorns,

I will go to war against it

and burn it to the ground.

5Yet if the vineyard depends

on me for protection,

it will become my friend

and be at peace with me.

6Some day Israel will take root

like a vine.

It will blossom and bear fruit

that covers the earth.

7I, the LORD, didn't punish and kill

the people of Israel

as fiercely as I punished

and killed their enemies.

8I carefully measured out

Israel's punishment27.8 I…punishment: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

and sent the scorching heat

to chase them far away.

9There's only one-way

that Israel's sin and guilt

can be completely forgiven:

they must crush the stones

of every pagan altar

and place of worship.

The LORD will bring his people together

10Fortress cities are left

like a desert

where no one lives.

Cattle walk through the ruins,

stripping the trees bare.

11When broken branches

fall to the ground,

women pick them up

to feed the fire.

But these people are so stupid

that the God who created them

will show them no mercy.

12The time is coming when the LORD will shake the land between the River Euphrates and the border of Egypt, and one by one he will bring all his people together. 13A loud trumpet will be heard. Then the people of Israel who were dragged away to Assyria and Egypt will return to worship the LORD on his holy mountain in Jerusalem.