They are like the heat of the desert. You stopped the noisy shouts of our enemies. You kept them from winning the battle over us and singing about it. You are like the shadow of a cloud that cools the earth.

你要压制外邦人的喧哗，好像干燥地的热气下落；禁止强暴人的凯歌，好像热气被云影消化。

如干旱地的热气，你要制止外邦人的喧嚷，残暴者的歌要停止，好像热气因云的阴影而消失。

如干旱地的热气，你要制止外邦人的喧嚷，残暴者的歌要停止，好像热气因云的阴影而消失。

又像沙漠中的热气。但你平息外族人的喧哗，止息残暴之徒的歌声，好像云朵消去酷热。

你抑制外族人的喧哗，好像减低干旱之地的炎热；你禁止强暴者的凯歌，好像热气因云彩而消散。

你压下外族人的喧哗，就像压下荒漠的炎热；你止息强横者的凯歌，就像云影止息了炎热。

你要壓制外邦人的喧嘩，好像乾燥地的熱氣下落；禁止強暴人的凱歌，好像熱氣被雲影消化。

如乾旱地的熱氣，你要制止外邦人的喧嚷，殘暴者的歌要停止，好像熱氣因雲的陰影而消失。

如乾旱地的熱氣，你要制止外邦人的喧嚷，殘暴者的歌要停止，好像熱氣因雲的陰影而消失。

又像沙漠中的熱氣。但你平息外族人的喧嘩，止息殘暴之徒的歌聲，好像雲朵消去酷熱。

你抑制外族人的喧嘩，好像減低乾旱之地的炎熱；你禁止強暴者的凱歌，好像熱氣因雲彩而消散。

好像炎熱在乾透了之地上，炎熱由密雲的陰影而減輕；傲慢人的喧鬧你抑制住了；強橫人的誇勝曲你使它低落了。

你壓下外族人的喧嘩，就像壓下荒漠的炎熱；你止息強橫者的凱歌，就像雲影止息了炎熱。

爾將息外族之喧譁、若去炎蒸於旱地、止強暴之凱歌、若散酷熱於雲影、

異邦之民、鼓譟而來、強暴之徒、謳歌以至、爾挫其銳氣、猶之曠野炎烝、爾覆以天雲。

外邦暴君諠譁、主必制之、如除炎熱於乾旱之地、強暴人逞勝奏凱、主必使之止息、如雲陰消除炎熱、

and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

like heat in a dry place. You subdue the noise of the foreigners; as heat by the shade of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is put down.

or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.

like heat in a dry land, you will subdue the uproar of barbarians. As the shade of a cloud cools the heat of the day, so he will silence the song of the violent.

Like heat in a dry land, You subdue the uproar of foreigners; Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, the song of the ruthless is silenced.

You will reduce the noise of aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.

As the heat in a dry place wilt thou bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

like heat in a dry land, You subdue the uproar of barbarians. As the shade of a cloud cools the heat of the day, so He silences the song of the violent.

Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place;[ even] the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

like heat in a dry land, you humble the boasting foreigners. Just as the shadow of a cloud causes the heat to subside, so he causes the song of tyrants to cease.

As the heat in a dry place you will bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the dreaded ones will be brought low.

“ A certain king will do as he pleases. He will honor himself. He will put himself above every god. He will say things against the greatest God of all. Those things have never been heard before. He will have success until God is not angry anymore. What God has decided to do must take place.The king will not show any respect for the gods his people have always worshiped. There is a god desired by women. He will not respect that god either. He will not have respect for any god. Instead, he will put himself above all of them.In place of them, he will worship a god of war. He will honor a god his people have not known before. He will give gold and silver to that god. He will bring jewels and expensive gifts to it.He will attack the strongest forts. A new god will help him do it. He will greatly honor those who recognize him as their leader. He will make them rulers over many people. And he will give them land as a reward.“ A king in the south will go to war against him. It will happen at the time of the end. The king who will honor himself will rush out against him. He will come with chariots and horsemen. He will attack with a lot of ships. He will lead his army into many countries. He will sweep through them like a flood.He will also march into the beautiful land of Israel. Many countries will fall. But Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be saved from his mighty hand.His power will reach out into many countries. Even Egypt will not escape.He will gain control of all Egypt’s riches. He will take their gold and silver treasures. The people of Libya and Cush will be under his control.But reports from the east and the north will terrify him. He will march out with great anger to destroy many people and wipe them out.He will set up his royal tents. He will put them between the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful holy mountain of Zion. But his end will come. And no one will help him.

The Lord spread out a cloud to cover his people. He gave them a fire to light up the night.

All of them call out to you. They say,‘ You have become weak, just as we are. You have become like us.’Your grand show of power has been brought down to the grave. The noise of your harps has come down here along with your power. Maggots are spread out under you. Worms cover you.“ King of Babylon, you thought you were the bright morning star. But now you have fallen from heaven! You once brought down nations. But now you have been thrown down to the earth!You said in your heart,‘ I will go up to the heavens. I’ll raise my throne above the stars of God. I’ll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet. I’ll set up my throne on the highest slopes of Mount Zaphon.I will rise above the tops of the clouds. I’ll make myself like the Most High God.’But now you have been brought down to the place of the dead. You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit.“ Those who see you stare at you. They think about what has happened to you. They say to themselves,‘ Is this the man who shook the earth? Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear?

I wish you would open up your heavens and come down to us! I wish the mountains would tremble when you show your power!Be like a fire that causes twigs to burn. It also makes water boil. So come down and make yourself known to your enemies. Cause the nations to shake with fear when they see your power!

What if Babylon reached all the way to the heavens? What if it made its high walls even stronger? I would still send destroyers against it,” announces the Lord.“ The noise of people screaming comes from Babylon. A terrible sound comes from its land. It is the sound of a mighty city being destroyed.I will destroy Babylon. I will put an end to all its noise. Waves of enemies will sweep through it like great waters. The roar of their voices will fill the air.A destroying army will come against Babylon. The soldiers in the city will be captured. Their bows will be broken. I am the Lord God who pays people back. I will pay them back in full.I will make Babylon’s officials and wise men drunk. I will do the same thing to its governors, officers and soldiers. They will lie down and die. They will never wake up,” announces the King. His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.

People might attack you. But I will not be the cause of it. Those who attack you will give themselves up to you.“ I created blacksmiths. They fan the coals into flames of fire. They make weapons that are fit for their work. I also created those who destroy others.But no weapon used against you will succeed. People might bring charges against you. But you will prove that they are wrong. Those are the things I do for my servants. I make everything right for them,” announces the Lord.

The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice. He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them. It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire. It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail.The voice of the Lord will tear the Assyrians apart. He will strike them down with his scepter.He will strike them with his club to punish them. Each time he does, his people will celebrate with the music of harps and tambourines. He will use his powerful arm to strike down the Assyrians in battle.In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, Topheth has been prepared for a long time. It has been made ready for the king of Assyria. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide. It has plenty of wood for the fire. The breath of the Lord will be like a stream of burning sulfur. It will set the wood on fire.

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple speaking to the seven angels.“ Go,” it said.“ Pour out the seven bowls of God’s great anger on the earth.”The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. Ugly and painful sores broke out on people. Those people had the mark of the beast and worshiped its statue.The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. It turned into blood like the blood of a dead person. Every living thing in the sea died.The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water. They became blood.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.”Then I heard the altar reply. It said,“ Lord God who rules over all, the way you judge is true and fair.”The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire.They were burned by the blazing heat. So they spoke evil things against the name of God, who controlled these plagues. But they refused to turn away from their sins. They did not give glory to God.The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The kingdom of the beast became very dark. People chewed on their tongues because they were suffering so much.They spoke evil things against the God of heaven. They did this because of their pains and their sores. But they refused to turn away from the sins they had committed.The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its water dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs. They came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet.They are spirits of demons that perform signs. They go out to gather the kings of the whole world for battle. This battle will take place on the great day of the God who rules over all.“ Look! I am coming like a thief! Blessed is anyone who stays awake and keeps their clothes on. Then they will be ready. They will not be caught naked and so be put to shame.”Then the evil spirits gathered the kings together. In the Hebrew language, the place where the kings met is called Armageddon.The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne. It said,“ It is done!”Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, thunder and a powerful earthquake. There has never been an earthquake as terrible as this. One like this hasn’t happened while human beings have lived on earth.The great city split into three parts. The cities of the nations crumbled and fell. God remembered Babylon the Great. He gave Babylon the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger.

Today the Assyrians have stopped at Nob. They are shaking their fists at Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem.The Assyrian soldiers are like trees in a forest. The Lord who rules over all will chop them down. The Lord will cut off their branches with his great power. He will chop the tall trees down. He will cut down even the highest ones.The Mighty One will chop down the forest with his ax. He will cut down the cedar trees in Lebanon.

The Lord says to me,“ I will look down from heaven, where I live. I will be as quiet as summer heat in the sunshine. I will be as quiet as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

He will go out to cause the nations to believe lies. He will gather them from the four corners of the earth. He will bring Gog and Magog together for battle. Their troops are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore.They marched across the whole earth. They surrounded the place where God’s holy people were camped. It was the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up.

They will not get hungry or thirsty. The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them. The God who has tender love for them will guide them. Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.

“ People of Babylon, you have stolen what belongs to me. That has made you glad and full of joy. You dance around like a young cow on a threshing floor. You neigh like stallions.Because of that, you will bring great shame on your land. Your whole nation will be dishonored. It will become the least important of the nations. It will become a dry and empty desert.Because I am angry with it, no one will live there. It will be completely deserted. All those who pass by Babylon will be shocked. They will make fun of it because of all its wounds.“ All you who shoot arrows, take up your battle positions around Babylon. Shoot at it! Do not spare any arrows! Its people have sinned against me.Shout against them on every side! They are giving up. The towers of the city are falling. Its walls are being pulled down. The Lord is paying back its people. So pay them back yourselves. Do to them what they have done to others.

All its people roar like young lions. They growl like lion cubs.They are stirred up. So I will set a feast in front of them. I will make them drunk. And they will shout and laugh. But then they will lie down and die. They will never wake up,” announces the Lord.“ I will lead them down like lambs to be put to death. They will be like rams and goats that have been killed.“ Babylon will be captured! The whole earth was very proud of it. But it will be taken over by others! It will be a deserted place among the nations.Babylon’s enemies will sweep over it like an ocean. Like roaring waves they will cover it.The towns of Babylon will be empty. It will become a dry and desert land. No one will live there. No one will even travel through it.

You, all your troops and the many nations with you will march up to attack them. All of you will advance like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering their land.”“‘ The Lord and King says,“ At that time some ideas will come to you. You will make evil plans.You will say,‘ I will march out against a land whose villages don’t have walls around them. I’ll attack those peaceful people. I’ll do this when they aren’t expecting it. None of their villages has walls or gates with metal bars on them.I will rob those people. I’ll steal everything they have. Then I’ll turn my attention to the destroyed houses where people are living again. They have returned there from other nations. Now they are rich. They have plenty of livestock and all kinds of goods. They are living in Israel. It is the center of the earth.’The people of Sheba and Dedan will speak to you. So will the traders of Tarshish and all its villages. They will say,‘ Have you come to rob us? Have you gathered your huge army together to steal our silver and gold? Are you going to take away from us our livestock and goods? Do you plan to carry off everything we have?’ ” ’“ Son of man, prophesy. Tell Gog,‘ The Lord and King says,“ A time is coming when my people Israel will be living in safety. You will see that it is a good time to attack them.So you will come from your place in the far north. Many nations will join you. All their men will be riding on horses. You will have a huge and mighty army.They will advance against my people Israel. They will be like a cloud covering their land. Gog, in days to come I will bring you against my land. Then the nations will know me. I will use you to prove to them how holy I am.”“‘ Here is what the Lord and King says to Gog.“ In the past I spoke about you through my servants, the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.Here is what will happen in days to come. You will attack the land of Israel. That will stir up my burning anger,” announces the Lord and King.“ At that time my burning anger will blaze out at you. There will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky and the wild animals will tremble with fear. They will tremble with fear because of what I will do. So will every creature that moves along the ground. And so will all the people on earth. The mountains will come crashing down. The cliffs will break into pieces. Every wall will fall to the ground.I will punish you on all my mountains,” announces the Lord and King.“ Your men will use their swords against one another.I will judge you. I will send a plague against you. A lot of blood will be spilled. I will send heavy rain, hailstones and burning sulfur down to the earth. They will fall on you and your troops. They will also come down on the many nations that are helping you.That will show how great and holy I am. I will make myself known to many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” ’“ Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Tell him,‘ The Lord and King says,“ Gog, I am against you. You are the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal.But I will turn you around. I will drag you along. I will bring you from the far north. I will send you against the mountains of Israel.Then I will knock your bow out of your left hand. I will make your arrows drop from your right hand.You will fall dead on the mountains of Israel. You and all your troops will die there. So will the nations that join you. I will feed you to all kinds of birds that eat dead bodies. So they and the wild animals will eat you up.You will fall dead in the open fields. I have spoken,” announces the Lord and King.“ I will send fire on the land of Magog. It will burn up the people who live in safety on the coast. So they will know that I am the Lord.“‘ “I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I will no longer let them treat my name as if it were not holy. Then the nations will know that I am the Holy One in Israel. I am the Lord.The day I will judge you is coming. You can be sure of it,” announces the Lord and King.“ It is the day I have spoken about.“‘ “At that time those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and light a fire. They will use it to burn up the weapons. That includes small and large shields. It also includes bows and arrows, war clubs and spears. It will take seven years to burn all of them up.People will not gather wood from the fields. They will not cut down the forests. Instead, they will burn the weapons. And they will rob those who robbed them. They will steal from those who stole from them,” announces the Lord and King.

“ Yes, they can,” the Lord answers.“ Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers. Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians. Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you. And I will save your people.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.”

‘ Aren’t all my commanders kings?’ he says.‘ I took over Kalno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus.My powerful hand grabbed hold of kingdoms whose people worship statues of gods. They had more gods than Jerusalem and Samaria did.I took over Samaria and its statues of gods. In the same way, I will take Jerusalem and its gods.’ ”The Lord will finish everything he has planned to do against Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Then he’ll say,“ Now I will punish the king of Assyria. I will punish him because his heart and his eyes are so proud.The king of Assyria says,“‘ By my power I have taken over all these nations. I am very wise. I have great understanding. I have wiped out the borders between nations. I’ve taken their treasures. Like a great hero I’ve brought their kings under my control.I’ve taken the wealth of the nations. It was as easy as reaching into a bird’s nest. I’ve gathered the riches of all these countries. It was as easy as gathering eggs that have been left in a nest. Not a single baby bird flapped its wings. Not one of them opened its mouth to chirp.’ ”Does an ax claim to be more important than the person who swings it? Does a saw brag that it is better than the one who uses it? That would be like a stick swinging the person who picks it up! It would be like a war club waving the one who carries it!

“ 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.“‘ But the court will be seated. And the power of that king will be taken away from him. It will be completely destroyed forever.Then the authority, power and greatness of all the kingdoms on earth will be taken from them. And all they had will be given to the holy people of the Most High God. His kingdom will last forever. Every ruler will worship and obey him.’

Jonah had left the city. He had sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.Then the Lord God sent a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the leafy plant.

The Lord will punish the world because it is so evil. He will punish evil people for their sins. He’ll put an end to the bragging of those who are proud. He’ll bring down the pride of those who don’t show any pity.

How terrible it will be for the nations that attack us! The noise of their armies is like the sound of the ocean. How terrible it will be for the nations who fight against us! They are as loud as huge waves crashing on the shore.They sound like the roar of rushing waters. But when the Lord speaks out against them, they run far away. The wind blows them away like straw on the hills. A strong wind drives them along like tumbleweeds.In the evening, the nations terrify us. But before morning comes, they are gone. That’s what happens to those who steal our goods. That’s what happens to those who take what belongs to us.

“ Son of man, weep over the huge army of Egypt. Tell the Egyptians they will go down into the earth below. The women singers from the other mighty nations will go down into the grave along with them and others.Tell them,‘ Are you any better than others? Since you are not, go down there. Lie down with those who have not been circumcised.’They will fall dead among those who were killed by swords. Nebuchadnezzar is ready to use his sword against them. Let Egypt be dragged off together with its huge armies.The mighty leaders who are already in the place of the dead will talk about Egypt. They will also speak about the nations that were going to help it. They will say,‘ They have come down here. They are lying down with those who had not been circumcised. They are here with those who were killed by swords.’“ Assyria is there with its whole army. Its king is surrounded by the graves of all its people who were killed by swords.Their graves are deep down in the pit. Assyria’s army lies around the grave of its king. All those who spread terror while they were alive are now dead. They were killed by swords.“ Elam is also there. Its huge armies lie around the grave of its king. All those who spread terror while they were alive are now dead. They were killed by swords. They had not been circumcised. They went down into the earth below. Their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave.A bed is made for Elam’s king among the dead. His huge armies lie around his grave. They had not been circumcised. They were killed by swords. They had spread terror while they were alive. So now their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave. They lie down among the dead.“ Meshek and Tubal are also there. Their huge armies lie around the graves of their kings. None of them had been circumcised. They had spread their terror while they were alive. So they were killed by swords.But they do not lie down with the other dead soldiers of long ago. Those soldiers and their weapons had gone down into the place of the dead. Their swords had been placed under their heads. Their shields rest on their bones. The soldiers of Meshek and Tubal do not lie down with them. This is true even though they had also spread terror while they were alive.“ Pharaoh Hophra, you too will be broken. You will lie down among those who had not been circumcised. You will be there with those who were killed by swords.“ Edom is also there. So are its kings and all its princes. In spite of their power, they lie down with those who were killed by swords. They lie down with those who had not been circumcised. They are there with others who went down into the grave.“ All the princes of the north are there too. So are all the people of Sidon. They went down into the grave in dishonor. While they were alive, they used their power to spread terror. They had never been circumcised. But now they lie down there with those who were killed by swords. Their shame is like the shame of others who go down into the grave.“ Pharaoh and his whole army will see all of them. That will comfort him even though his huge armies were killed by swords.” This is what the Lord and King announces.“ I let Pharaoh spread terror while he was alive. But now he and his huge armies will be buried with those who had not been circumcised. They will lie down there with those who were killed by swords,” announces the Lord and King.

They are like a plant in the sunshine that receives plenty of water. It spreads its new growth all over the garden.It wraps its roots around a pile of rocks. It tries to find places to grow among the stones.But when the plant is pulled up from its spot, that place says,‘ I never saw you.’The life of that plant is sure to dry up. But from the same soil other plants will grow.

Why should the nations say,“ Where is their God?” Show the nations that you punish those who kill your people. We want to see it happen.Listen to the groans of the prisoners. Use your strong arm to save people sentenced to death.Lord, our neighbors have laughed at you. Pay them back seven times for what they have done.

But you have been thrown out of your tomb. You are like a branch that is cut off and thrown away. You are covered with the bodies of those who have been killed by swords. You have been tossed into a stony pit along with them. You are like a dead body that people have walked on.

Walk through this place that has been torn down beyond repair. See how completely your enemies have destroyed the temple!In the place where you used to meet with us, your enemies have shouted,“ We’ve won the battle!” They have set up their flags to show they have beaten us.They acted like people cutting down a forest with axes.They smashed all the beautiful wooden walls with their axes and hatchets.They burned your temple to the ground. They polluted the place where your Name is.They had said in their hearts,“ We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where you were worshiped in the land.We don’t get signs from God anymore. There aren’t any prophets left. None of us knows how long that will last.God, how long will your enemies make fun of you? Will they attack you with their words forever?Why don’t you help us? Why do you hold back your power? Use your strong power to destroy your enemies!God, you have been my king for a long time. You are the only God who can save anyone on earth.You parted the waters of the Red Sea by your power. You broke the heads of that sea monster in Egypt.You crushed the heads of the sea monster Leviathan. You fed it to the creatures of the desert.You opened up streams and springs. You dried up rivers that flow all year long.You rule over the day and the night. You created the sun and the moon.You decided where the borders of the earth would be. You made both summer and winter.Lord, remember how your enemies have made fun of you. Remember how foolish people have attacked you with their words.Don’t hand over Israel, your dove, to those wild animals. Don’t forget your suffering people forever.Honor the covenant you made with us. Horrible things are happening in every dark corner of the land.Don’t let your suffering people be put to shame. May those who are poor and needy praise you.God, rise up. Stand up for your cause. Remember how foolish people make fun of you all day long.Pay close attention to the shouts of your enemies. The trouble they cause never stops.