they will make fun of the king of Babylon. They will say,“ See how the one who crushed others has fallen! See how his anger has come to an end!

你必题这诗歌论巴比伦王说：“欺压人的何竟息灭？强暴的何竟止息？

你必唱这诗歌嘲讽巴比伦王说：“欺压人的竟然灭亡！他的凶暴竟然止息！

你必唱这诗歌嘲讽巴比伦王说：“欺压人的竟然灭亡！他的凶暴竟然止息！

他们必这样讥笑巴比伦王：“暴君灭亡了！暴政结束了！

你必唱出这首诗歌来讽刺巴比伦王，说：“欺压人的，怎么止息了呢！强暴怎么止住了呢！

你必对巴比伦王唱这首讽刺歌：“压迫人的怎么止息了呢？凶暴怎么止息了呢？

你必題這詩歌論巴比倫王說：欺壓人的何竟熄滅？強暴的何竟止息？

你必唱這詩歌嘲諷巴比倫王說：「欺壓人的竟然滅亡！他的兇暴竟然止息！

你必唱這詩歌嘲諷巴比倫王說：「欺壓人的竟然滅亡！他的兇暴竟然止息！

他們必這樣譏笑巴比倫王：「暴君滅亡了！暴政結束了！

你必唱出這首詩歌來諷刺巴比倫王，說：“欺壓人的，怎麼止息了呢！強暴怎麼止住了呢！

你必發表這首言論歌來諷刺巴比倫王說：『啊，壓迫人的怎麼息滅了！狂暴怎麼止息了！

你必對巴比倫王唱這首諷刺歌：「壓迫人的怎麼止息了呢？凶暴怎麼止息了呢？

爾將對巴比倫王作歌曰、殘虐者奚絕乎、強暴者奚息乎、

其日爾當當或作將唱斯歌、以刺巴比倫王、曰、虐遇人者絕矣、強暴之事息矣、

you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!

you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:“ How the oppressor has ceased, the insolent fury ceased!

you will taunt the king of Babylon. You will say,“ The mighty man has been destroyed. Yes, your insolence is ended.

you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has quieted down, and how the raging has become quiet!

that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,“ How the oppressor has ceased, And how the onslaught has ceased!

that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:“ How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!

that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

you will sing this song of contempt about the king of Babylon and say: How the oppressor has quieted down, and how the raging has become quiet!

That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

you will taunt the king of Babylon with these words:“ Look how the oppressor has met his end! Hostility has ceased!

that you will take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say,“ How the oppressor has ceased! The golden city has ceased!”

They will cry out,“‘ How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red! How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls!

I will make those who treat you badly eat the flesh of others. They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine. Then everyone on earth will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob.”

‘ I will march out ahead of you. I will make the mountains level. I will break down bronze gates. I will cut through their heavy iron bars.I will give you treasures that are hidden away. I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel. I am sending for you by name.

“ Then I wanted to know what the fourth animal stood for. It was different from the others. It was the most terrifying of all. It had iron teeth and bronze claws. It crushed everyone it attacked and ate them up. It stomped on anything that was left.I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head. And I wanted to know about the other horn that grew up later. It caused three of the ten horns to fall out. It appeared to be stronger than the others. It had eyes. And its mouth was always bragging.I saw that the horn was at war with God’s holy people. It was winning the battle over them.But then the Eternal God came. He decided in favor of his holy people. So the time came when the kingdom was given to them.“ Here’s how the angel explained it to me. He said,‘ The fourth animal stands for a fourth kingdom. It will appear on earth. It will be different from the other kingdoms. It will eat up the whole earth. It will stomp on it and crush it.The ten horns stand for ten kings. They will come from the fourth kingdom. After them another king will appear. He will be different from the earlier ones. He’ll bring three kings under his control.He’ll speak against the Most High God. He’ll treat God’s holy people badly. He will try to change the times and laws that were given by God. God’s holy people will be placed under his power for three and a half years.

So I will send for all the nations in the north. And I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will bring all of them against this land and against you who live here. They will march out against all the nations that are around this land. I will set apart Judah and the nations around it in a special way to be destroyed. People will be shocked because of them. And they will make fun of them. Those nations will be destroyed forever.I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. I will put an end to the voices of brides and grooms. The sound of grinding millstones will not be heard anymore. And lamps will not be lit anymore.This whole country will become dry and empty. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.“‘ But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do this when the 70 years are over,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will make that land a desert forever.I have spoken against that land. And I will make all these things happen to it. Everything will happen that is written in this book. And I will make everything Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations come true.The people of Babylon will become slaves of many other nations and great kings. I will pay them back for what they have done.’ ”

Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon all the objects from God’s temple. Some of those things were large. Others were small. He carried off the treasures of the temple. He also carried off the treasures that belonged to the king and his officials.

The Lord says,“ Queen city of the Babylonians, go into a dark prison. Sit there quietly. You will not be called the queen of kingdoms anymore.

The city of Babylon is the jewel of kingdoms. It is the pride and glory of the Babylonians. But God will destroy it just as he did Sodom and Gomorrah.

Did he turn the world into a desert? Did he destroy its cities? Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?’

The people of Jerusalem say,“ Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has destroyed us. He has thrown us into a panic. He has emptied us out like a jar. Like a snake he has swallowed us up. He has filled his stomach with our rich food. Then he has spit us out of his mouth.”The people continue,“ May the people of Babylon pay for the harmful things they have done to us. May those who live in Babylon pay for spilling the blood of our people.” That’s what the people who live in Zion say.

Now I will hand over all your countries to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is the king of Babylon. I will put even the wild animals under his control.All the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.

“ Babylon, you are my war club. You are my weapon for battle. I use you to destroy nations. I use you to wipe out kingdoms.I use you to destroy horses and their riders. I use you to destroy chariots and their drivers.I use you to destroy men and women. I use you to destroy old people and young people. I use you to destroy young men and young women.I use you to destroy shepherds and their flocks. I use you to destroy farmers and their oxen. I use you to destroy governors and officials.“ Judah, I will pay Babylon back. You will see it with your own eyes. I will pay back all those who live in Babylon. I will pay them back for all the wrong things they have done in Zion,” announces the Lord.

“ You heavens, be glad for this! You people of God, be glad! You apostles and prophets, be glad! God has judged her with the judgment she gave to you.”

“ Won’t those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won’t they make fun of them? They will say to them,“‘ How terrible it will be for you who pile up stolen goods! You get rich by cheating others. How long will this go on?’Those you owe money to will suddenly rise up. They will wake up and make you tremble with fear. Then they will take away everything you have.You have robbed many nations. So the nations that are left will rob you. You have spilled human blood. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.“ How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build their kingdom with money that they gained by cheating others. They have tried to make the kingdom as secure as possible. After all, they did not want to be destroyed.They have planned to wipe out many nations. But they have brought shame on their own kingdom. So they must pay with their own lives.The stones in the walls of their homes will cry out. And the wooden beams will echo that cry.“ How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build cities by spilling the blood of others. They establish towns by doing what is wrong.

The second beast was allowed to give breath to this statue so it could speak. The statue could kill all who refused to worship it.It also forced everyone to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. People great or small, rich or poor, free or slave had to receive the mark.They could not buy or sell anything unless they had the mark. The mark is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Lord, how long do I have to call out for help? Why don’t you listen to me? How long must I keep telling you that things are terrible? Why don’t you save us?Why do you make me watch while people treat others so unfairly? Why do you put up with the wrong things they are doing? I have to look at death. People are harming others. They are arguing and fighting all the time.The law can’t do what it’s supposed to do. Fairness never comes out on top. Sinful people surround those who do what is right. So people are never treated fairly.The Lord replies,“ Look at the nations. Watch them. Be totally amazed at what you see. I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe. You would not believe it even if someone told you about it.I am going to send the armies of Babylon to attack you. They are very mean. They move quickly. They sweep across the whole earth. They take over homes that do not belong to them.They terrify others. They do not recognize any laws but their own. That is how proud they are.Their horses are faster than leopards. They are meaner than wolves at sunset. Their horsemen charge straight into battle. They ride in from far away. They come down like an eagle diving for its food.All of them are ready and willing to destroy others. Their huge armies advance like a wind out of the desert. They gather prisoners like sand.They mock kings and make fun of rulers. They laugh at all the cities that have high walls around them. They build dirt ramps against the walls and capture the cities.

Her sins are piled up to heaven. God has remembered her crimes.Do to her as she has done to others. Pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double dose of what she has poured for others.Give her as much pain and suffering as the glory and wealth she gave herself. She brags to herself,‘ I rule on a throne like a queen. I am not a widow. I will never mourn.’( Isaiah 47:7, 8)But she will be plagued by death, sadness and hunger. In a single day she will suffer all these plagues. She will be burned up by fire. That’s because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.

Then I heard the angel who was in charge of the waters. He said,“ Holy One, the way you judge is fair. You are the God who is and who was.Those who worship the beast have poured out blood. They have poured out the life’s blood of your holy people and your prophets. So you have given blood to drink to those who worship the beast. That’s exactly what they should get.”

Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer. They said to you,‘ Fall down flat on the ground. Then we can walk all over you.’ And that is exactly what you did. You made your back like a street to be walked on.”

The harm they have done to Lebanon will bring them down. Because they have killed so many animals, animals will terrify them. They have spilled human blood. They have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

The noise of battle is heard in the land. It is the noise of a great city being destroyed!It has been broken to pieces. It was the hammer that broke the whole earth. How empty Babylon is among the nations!

I will make all the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. In fact, they will hate them a great deal. They will shake their heads at them. They will curse them and make fun of them. All this will happen no matter where I force them to go.

He has put everyone under your control. He has also given you authority over the wild animals and the birds in the sky. It doesn’t matter where they live. He has made you ruler over all of them. You are that head of gold.

You will be put to shame. The nations will make fun of you. You will serve as a warning to others. They will be shocked when they see you. So I will punish you because I am very angry with you. You will feel the sting of my warning. I have spoken. I am the Lord.

When they became angry, they struck down nations. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again.

Look at how the gold has lost its brightness! See how dull the fine gold has become! The sacred jewels are scattered at every street corner.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people. They are the ones who are witnesses about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very amazed.

You set Israel free from Midian long ago. In the same way, you will break the heavy yoke that weighs Israel down. You will break the wooden beams that are on their shoulders. You will break the rods of those who strike them down.