“ But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.

“耶和华说：‘我早先所做的，古时所立的，就是现在藉你使坚固城荒废，变为乱堆，这事你岂没有听见吗？

‘你岂没有听见我早先所定、古时所立、现今实现的事吗？就是让你去毁坏坚固的城镇，使它们变为废墟；

‘你岂没有听见我早先所定、古时所立、现今实现的事吗？就是让你去毁坏坚固的城镇，使它们变为废墟；

“‘难道你不知道这是我在太初所定、在亘古就筹划好的吗？如今我实现了所定的计划——借着你使坚城沦为废墟。

你没有听过吗？在远古我已决定，在古时我已筹划，现在我要实现，就是你使设防城变成乱堆。

耶和華說，我早先所做的，古時所立的，就是現在藉你使堅固城荒廢，變為亂堆，這事你豈沒有聽見嗎？

『你豈沒有聽見我早先所定、古時所立、現今實現的事嗎？就是讓你去毀壞堅固的城鎮，使它們變為廢墟；

『你豈沒有聽見我早先所定、古時所立、現今實現的事嗎？就是讓你去毀壞堅固的城鎮，使它們變為廢墟；

「『難道你不知道這是我在太初所定、在亙古就籌畫好的嗎？如今我實現了所定的計劃——藉著你使堅城淪為廢墟。

你沒有聽過嗎？在遠古我已決定，在古時我已籌劃，現在我要實現，就是你使設防城變成亂堆。

永恆主說：『你豈沒有聽見從遠古我就制定，在古日我就計畫，到現在我就作成，使堡壘城荒廢，變為倒壞的亂堆？

耶和華曰、爾豈未聞我於元始所為、上古所定、今則成之、使爾毀堅城為瓦礫、

耶和華云、爾豈不聞、自古以來、作之者我、定之者亦我、今爾變城垣而為瓦礫、乃我使之然。

主曰、如是之事、乃我自元始所作、自上古所定、爾豈未之聞乎、今爾使鞏固之城、變為瓦礫、亦為我所使、

“‘ Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.

“‘ But I, the Lord, say,“ Haven’t you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone.

“ Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins,

Have you not heard? I designed it long ago; I planned it in days gone by. I have now brought it to pass, and you have crushed fortified cities into piles of rubble.

‘ Have you not heard? Long ago I did it; From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it about, That you would turn fortified cities into ruined heaps.

‘ Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.

Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

Have you not heard? I designed it long ago; I planned it in days gone by. I have now brought it to pass, and you have crushed fortified cities into piles of rubble.

Hast thou not heard long ago[ how] I have done it,[ and] of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities[ into] ruinous heaps.

Certainly you must have heard! Long ago I worked it out, In ancient times I planned it; and now I am bringing it to pass. The plan is this: Fortified cities will crash into heaps of ruins.

Haven’t you heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

“ But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall.

“ What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger.I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.

“ I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.

“ In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.I will call a swift bird of prey from the east— a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.

But can the ax boast greater power than the person who uses it? Is the saw greater than the person who saws? Can a rod strike unless a hand moves it? Can a wooden cane walk by itself?

Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.

But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.