The people of Babylon will become slaves of many other nations and great kings. I will pay them back for what they have done.’ ”

因为有多国和大君王必使迦勒底人作奴仆；我也必照他们的行为，按他们手所做的报应他们。”

因为必有许多国家和大君王使迦勒底人作奴仆；我也必照他们的行为，按他们手所做的报应他们。”

因为必有许多国家和大君王使迦勒底人作奴仆；我也必照他们的行为，按他们手所做的报应他们。”

他们必受许多国家和强大君王的奴役，我要按他们的所作所为报应他们。”

因为许多国家和大君王将要奴役迦勒底人，我必按着他们的作为和他们手所作的报应他们。”

因為有多國和大君王必使迦勒底人作奴僕；我也必照他們的行為，按他們手所做的報應他們。」

因為必有許多國家和大君王使迦勒底人作奴僕；我也必照他們的行為，按他們手所做的報應他們。」

因為必有許多國家和大君王使迦勒底人作奴僕；我也必照他們的行為，按他們手所做的報應他們。」

他們必受許多國家和強大君王的奴役，我要按他們的所作所為報應他們。」

因為許多國家和大君王將要奴役迦勒底人，我必按著他們的作為和他們手所作的報應他們。”

因為有許多國許多大王都要使迦勒底人做奴隸；我必照他們的行為、按他們的手所作的來報應他們。』

蓋有多國大王、必使其人服役、我必依其所行、及其手所作以報之、○

邦國眾多、列王顯赫、必使迦勒底人為其服役、視其所行、而加報施。

眾多之邦國、強大之君王、必使迦勒底人為其服役、我必循其所行、視其手所作、而加以報施、

They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”

For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’”

( For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’ ”

( For many nations and great kings shall be served by them also; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)’”

For many nations and great kings shall make bondmen of them, even of them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.

For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’”

For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation too. I will repay them for all they have done!’”

For many nations and great kings will make bondservants of them, even of them. I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.”

“ People of Judah, run away from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of the sins of its people. It is time for me to pay them back. I will punish them for what they have done.

I will stir up great nations that will join forces against Babylon. I will bring them from the land of the north. They will take up their battle positions against Babylon. They will come from the north and capture it. Their arrows will be like skilled soldiers. They will not miss their mark.

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.

“ Look! An army is coming from the north. I am stirring up a great nation and many kings. They are coming from a land that is very far away.

Hear the loud sounds coming from the city! Listen to the noise coming from the temple! I am the one causing it. I am paying back my enemies for everything they have done.

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.So the Lord says,“ I will stand up for you. I will pay the Babylonians back for what they did to you. I will dry up their water supply. I will make their springs run dry.Babylon will have all its buildings knocked down. It will be a home for wild dogs. No one will live there. People will be shocked at it. They will make fun of it.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, 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.“ Babylon, I am against you. Your kingdom is like a destroying mountain. You have destroyed the whole earth,” announces the Lord.“ I will reach out my hand against you. I will roll you off the cliffs. I will make you like a mountain that has been burned up.No rock will be taken from you to be used as the most important stone for a building. No stones will be taken from you to be used for a foundation. Your land will be empty forever,” announces the Lord.“ Nations, lift up a banner in the land of Babylon! Blow a trumpet among yourselves! Prepare yourselves for battle against Babylon. Send the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz against it. Appoint a commander against it. Send many horses against it. Let them be as many as a huge number of locusts.Prepare yourselves for battle against Babylon. Prepare the kings of the Medes. Prepare their governors and all their officials. Prepare all the countries they rule over.

“ 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.”Then a mighty angel picked up a huge rock. It was the size of a large millstone. He threw it into the sea. Then he said,“ That is how the great city of Babylon will be thrown down. Never again will it be found.The songs of musicians will never be heard in you again. Gone will be the music of harps, flutes and trumpets. No worker of any kind will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. Your traders were among the world’s most important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.You were guilty of the murder of prophets and God’s holy people. You were guilty of the blood of all who have been killed on the earth.”

“ Cyrus is my anointed king. I take hold of his right hand. I give him the power to bring nations under his control. I help him strip kings of their power to go to war against him. I break city gates open so he can go through them. I say to him,‘ 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.

Nations will help Israel return to their own land. Israel will possess other nations. They will serve Israel as male and female servants in the Lord’ s land. The Israelites will make prisoners of those who had held them as prisoners. Israel will rule over those who had crushed them.

People of Babylon, you are sentenced to be destroyed. Happy is the person who pays you back according to what you have done to us.

“ Send for men armed with bows and arrows. Send them against Babylon. Set up camp all around it. Do not let anyone escape. Pay it back for what its people have done. Do to them what they have done to others. They have dared to disobey me. I am the Holy One of Israel.You can be sure its young men will fall dead in the streets. All its soldiers will be put to death at that time,” announces the Lord.“ Proud Babylonians, I am against you,” announces the Lord. The Lord who rules over all says,“ Your day to be judged has come. It is time for you to be punished.You proud people will trip and fall. No one will help you up. I will start a fire in your towns. It will burn up everyone around you.”The Lord who rules over all says,“ The people of Israel are being treated badly. So are the people of Judah. Those who have captured them are holding them. They refuse to let them go.But I am strong and will save them. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. I will stand up for them. I will bring peace and rest to their land. But I will bring trouble to those who live in Babylon.

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.I am the Lord who rules over all. Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire. So the nations wear themselves out for nothing.The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of my glory.“ How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They give drinks to their neighbors. They pour the drinks from wineskins until their neighbors are drunk. They want to look at their naked bodies.But the Babylonians will be filled with shame instead of glory. So now it is their turn to drink and be stripped of their clothes. The cup of anger in my powerful right hand is going to punish them. They will be covered with shame instead of glory.

“ The word Peres means that your authority over your kingdom will be taken away from you. It will be given to the Medes and Persians.”