3-4. When God has given you time to recover from the abuse and trouble and harsh servitude that you had to endure, you can amuse yourselves by taking up this satire, a taunt against the king of Babylon:
28-31. In the year King Ahaz died, this Message came:Hold it, Philistines! It’s too soon to celebratethe defeat of your cruel oppressor.From the death throes of that snake a worse snake will come,and from that, one even worse.The poor won’t have to worry.The needy will escape the terror.But you Philistines will be plunged into famine,and those who don’t starve, God will kill.Wail and howl, proud city!Fall prostrate in fear, Philistia!On the northern horizon, smoke from burned cities,the wake of a brutal, disciplined destroyer.
32. What does one say tooutsiders who ask questions?Tell them, “God has established Zion.Those in need and in trouble find refuge in her.”