'Off' in the Bible

For long ago I broke your yoke;I tore off your chains.You insisted, “I will not serve!”On every high hilland under every green treeyou lie down like a prostitute.

For this is what the Lord says:The whole land will be a desolation,but I will not finish it off.

Lord, don’t Your eyes look for faithfulness?You have struck them, but they felt no pain.You finished them off,but they refused to accept discipline.They made their faces harder than rock,and they refused to return.

I will go to the powerfuland speak to them.Surely they know the way of the Lord,the justice of their God.However, these also had broken the yokeand torn off the chains.

Go up among her vineyard terraces and destroy them,but do not finish them off.Prune away her shoots,for they do not belong to the Lord.

“But even in those days”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will not finish you off.

The corpses of these people will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land, with no one to scare them away.

I will scatter them among the nations that they and their fathers have not known. I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

for Death has climbed through our windows;it has entered our fortresses,cutting off children from the streets,young men from the squares.

Pour out Your wrath on the nationsthat don’t recognize Youand on the familiesthat don’t call on Your name,for they have consumed Jacob;they have consumed him and finished him offand made his homeland desolate.

for I was like a docile lamb led to slaughter.I didn’t know that they had devised plots against me:“Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit;let’s cut him off from the land of the livingso that his name will no longer be remembered.”

And when you ask yourself,“Why have these things happened to me?”It is because of your great guiltthat your skirts have been stripped off,your body exposed.

If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.”

They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the face of the earth. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

I will give away all the wealth of this city, all its products and valuables. Indeed, I will hand all the treasures of the kings of Judah over to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon.

He will be buried like a donkey,dragged off and thrownoutside the gates of Jerusalem.

Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to send you off the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have spoken rebellion against the Lord.’”

Nevertheless, all who devoured you will be devoured,and all your adversaries—all of them—will go off into exile.Those who plunder you will be plundered,and all who raid you will be raided.

Nations, hear the word of the Lord,and tell it among the far off coastlands!Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather him.He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,

Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah including the daughters of the king—all those who remained in Mizpah over whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.

I will kindle a fire in the temples of Egypt’s gods, and he will burn them and take them prisoner. He will clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks lice off his garment, and he will leave there unscathed.

“So now, this is what the Lord, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves? You are cutting off man and woman, child and infant from Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant.

I am watching over them for disaster and not for good, and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine until they are finished off.

There is no longer praise for Moab;they plan harm against her in Heshbon:Come, let’s cut her off from nationhood.Also, Madmen, you will be silenced;the sword will pursue you.

I will devastate Elam before their enemies,before those who want to take their lives.I will bring disaster on them,My burning anger.This is the Lord’s declaration.I will send the sword after themuntil I finish them off.