I used you to smash men and women. I used you to smash old men and young men. I used you to smash young men and young women.

I used you to smash horses and their riders. ¹  I used you to smash chariots and their drivers.

I used you to smash shepherds and their flocks. I used you to smash farmers and their teams of oxen. I used you to smash governors and leaders.” ¹ 

Rather you must destroy their altars, smash their images, and cut down their Asherah poles. ¹ 

O God, break the teeth in their mouths! Smash the jawbones of the lions, O Lord!

The Lord continued, ¹  “Now break the jar in front of those who have come here with you.

You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, ¹  burn up their sacred Asherah poles, ²  and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place.

And I will smash them like wine bottles against one another, children and parents alike. ¹  I will not show any pity, mercy, or compassion. Nothing will keep me from destroying them,’ ²  says the Lord.”

“Babylon, ¹  you are my war club, ²  my weapon for battle. I used you to smash nations. ³  I used you to destroy kingdoms.

Indeed, look! The Lord is giving the command. ¹  He will smash the large house to bits, and the small house into little pieces.

Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, ¹  cut down their sacred Asherah poles, ²  and burn up their idols.

You will break them ¹  with an iron scepter; ²  you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” ³ 

“I will go before you and level mountains. ¹  Bronze doors I will shatter and iron bars ²  I will hack through.

You will drain it dry, ¹  gnaw its pieces, ²  and tear out your breasts, ³  for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.

Their heart is slipping; soon they will be punished for their guilt. The Lord ¹  will break their altars; he will completely destroy their fertility pillars.

And now ¹  they are tearing down ²  all its engravings ³  with axes ⁴  and crowbars. ⁵ 

Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly; in an instant ¹  he will be broken, and there will be no remedy.

Can you people who are like iron and bronze break that iron fist from the north? ¹ 

“You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones ¹  to pieces. ² 

But the time is coming when I will send men against Moab who will empty it out. They will empty the towns of their people, then will lay those towns in ruins. ¹  I, the Lord, affirm it! ²