“Israel
Has not been forsaken!
Judah
Has not been forsaken
By their God,
Yahweh of hosts!
Even though their land
Is full of guilt
Against the Holy One
Of Israel,
Flee!
From the midst
Of Babylon!
Save your lives!
Each one of you!
Do not perish!
Because of her guilt!
This is the time
Of Yahweh’s vengeance.
He is repaying her
What is due.”
Yahweh declares, via Jeremiah, that the Israelites and Judeans should not worry. They have not been forsaken, left behind like widows, even though the land is full of guilty ones, who have sinned against the Holy One of Israel. They should flee Babylon. They should save their lives. They will not perish because of the guilt of Babylon. Yahweh would be bringing vengeance and repaying Babylon for what she had done.
