2
"Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal it but say, 'Babylon has been captured, Bel has beenput to shame, Marduk has beenshattered; Her images have beenput to shame, her idols have beenshattered.'
3
"For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be noinhabitant in it. Bothman and beast have wandered off, they have gone away!
4
"In thosedays and at that time," declares the LORD, "the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek.
5
"They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlastingcovenant that will not be forgotten.
6
"My people have becomelostsheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turnaside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill And have forgotten their restingplace.
7
"All who came upon them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said, 'We are not guilty, Inasmuch* as they have sinned against the LORD who is the habitation of righteousness, Even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'
9
"For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up againstBabylon A horde of greatnations from the land of the north, And they will draw up their battlelines against her; From there she will be takencaptive. Their arrows will be like an expertwarrior Who does not returnempty-handed.
11
"Because you are glad, because you are jubilant, O you who pillage My heritage, Because you skipabout like a threshingheifer And neigh like stallions,
12
Your mother will be greatlyashamed, She who gave you birth will be humiliated. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, A wilderness, a parchedland and a desert.
13
"Because of the indignation of the LORD she will not be inhabited, But she will be completelydesolate; Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified And will hissbecause of all her wounds.
14
"Draw up your battlelinesagainstBabylon on everyside, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, do not be sparing with your arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD.
15
"Raise your battlecryagainst her on everyside! She has givenherself up, her pillars have fallen, Her walls have been torndown. For this is the vengeance of the LORD: Takevengeance on her; As she has done to others, so do to her.
16
"Cutoff the sower from Babylon And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From before the sword of the oppressor They will eachturnback to his own people And they will eachflee to his own land.
17
"Israel is a scatteredflock, the lions have driven them away. The firstone who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and thislastone who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon.
18
"Thereforethussays the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.
19
'And I will bringIsraelback to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hillcountry of Ephraim and Gilead.
20
'In thosedays and at that time,' declares the LORD, 'search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'
21
"Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Slay and utterlydestroy them," declares the LORD, "And do according to all that I have commanded you.
24
"I set a snare for you and you were alsocaught, O Babylon, While you yourself were not aware; You have been found and alsoseizedBecause you have engaged in conflict with the LORD."
25
The LORD has opened His armory And has broughtforth the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the LordGOD of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans.
28
There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, Vengeance for His temple.
29
"SummonmanyagainstBabylon, All those who bend the bow: Encampagainst her on everyside, Let there be noescape . Repay her according to her work; According to all that she has done, so do to her; For she has becomearrogantagainst the LORD, Against the HolyOne of Israel.
33
Thussays the LORD of hosts, "The sons of Israel are oppressed, And the sons of Judah as well; And all who took them captive have held them fast, They have refused to let them go.
34
"Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of hosts is His name; He will vigorouslyplead their caseSo that He may bringrest to the earth, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.
37
"A swordagainst their horses and against their chariots And againstall the foreignerswho are in the midst of her, And they will becomewomen! A swordagainst her treasures, and they will be plundered!
39
"Therefore the desertcreatures will live there along with the jackals; The ostriches also will live in it, And it will neveragain be inhabited Or dwelt in from generation to generation.
42
"They seize their bow and javelin; They are cruel and havenomercy. Their voiceroars like the sea; And they ride on horses, Marshalled like a man for the battleAgainst you, O daughter of Babylon.
44
"Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make them runaway from it, and whoever is chosen I will appointover it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And whothen is the shepherdwho can standbefore Me?"
45
Thereforehear the plan of the LORDwhich He has plannedagainstBabylon, and His purposeswhich He has purposedagainst the land of the Chaldeans: surely* they will drag them off, even the littleones of the flock; surely* He will make their pasturedesolatebecause of them.