all the kings in the north, near and far So he sent me to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth, one after the other. They will all drink from the cup of the Lord’ s anger. After they drink, the king of Babylon will drink from it too.

北方远近的诸王，以及天下地上的万国喝了，以后示沙克王也要喝。

北方远近的诸王，以及天下、地面上的万国也一个一个都喝了，以后示沙克王也要喝。

北方远近的诸王，以及天下、地面上的万国也一个一个都喝了，以后示沙克王也要喝。

北方诸王——无论远近、一个接一个，以及天下万国，最后是巴比伦王。

北方远近的列王，一个一个，以及地上的万国，就是在这地面上的列国，都喝了；他们喝了以后，示沙克王也要喝。

北方遠近的諸王，以及天下地上的萬國喝了，以後示沙克王也要喝。

北方遠近的諸王，以及天下、地面上的萬國也一個一個都喝了，以後示沙克王也要喝。

北方遠近的諸王，以及天下、地面上的萬國也一個一個都喝了，以後示沙克王也要喝。

北方諸王——無論遠近、一個接一個，以及天下萬國，最後是巴比倫王。

北方遠近的列王，一個一個，以及地上的萬國，就是在這地面上的列國，都喝了；他們喝了以後，示沙克王也要喝。

北方遠近的列王、一個一個、以及地上萬國、住在這地面上的——都喝了；以後巴比倫王也必喝。

北方遠近諸王、爰及天下萬國、厥後、示沙克王亦飲焉、

北方諸王、無間遐邇、爰及天下列邦、厥後示殺王、亦飲斯爵。

北方諸王、相離或遠或近、及天下萬邦、厥後示沙克示沙克即巴比倫王亦必飲之、

and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other— all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak will drink it too.

all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of Babylon shall drink.

And I gave it to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other— all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon himself drank from the cup of the Lord’s anger.

all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another; that is, all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth. Finally, the king of Sheshak will drink after them.

and to all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are on the face of the ground; and the king of Sheshach shall drink it after them.

all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another; that is, all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Finally, the king of Sheshach will drink after them.

And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which[ are] upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

all the kings of the north, whether near or far from one another; and all the other kingdoms which are on the face of the earth. After all of them have drunk the wine of the LORD’s wrath, the king of Babylon must drink it.

and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the surface of the earth. The king of Sheshach will drink after them.

“ 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.

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.

“ City of Babylon, go down and sit in the dust. Leave your throne and sit on the ground. Queen city of the Babylonians, your life will not be comfortable and easy anymore.Get millstones and grind some flour like a female slave. Take off your veil. Lift up your skirts. Make your legs bare. Wade through the streams.Everyone will see your naked body. Everyone will see your shame. I will pay you back for what you did. I will not spare any of your people.”The one who sets us free is the Holy One of Israel. His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.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.I was angry with my people. I treated them as if they did not belong to me. I handed them over to you. And you did not show them any pity. You even placed heavy loads on their old people.You said,‘ I am queen forever!’ But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out.“ So listen, you who love pleasure. You think you are safe and secure. You say to yourself,‘ I am like a god. No one is greater than I am. I’ll never be a widow. And my children will never be taken away from me.’But both of these things will happen to you in a moment. They will take place on a single day. You will lose your children. And you will become a widow. That is what will happen to you. All your evil magic and powerful spells will not save you.You have felt secure in your evil ways. You have said,‘ No one sees what I’m doing.’ Your wisdom and knowledge lead you astray. You say to yourself,‘ I am like a god. No one is greater than I am.’So horrible trouble will come on you. You will not know how to use your evil magic to make it go away. Great trouble will fall on you. No amount of money can keep it away. Something terrible will happen to you all at once. You will not see it coming ahead of time.“ So keep on casting your magic spells. Keep on practicing your evil magic. You have been doing those things ever since you were a child. Perhaps they will help you. Maybe they will scare your enemies away.All the advice you have received has only worn you out! Let those who study the heavens come forward. They claim to know what is going to happen by watching the stars every month. So let them save you from the trouble that is coming on you.They are just like straw. Fire will burn them up. They can’t even save themselves from the powerful flames. These are not like coals that can warm anyone. This is not like a fire to sit by.They can’t do you any good. You have done business with them ever since you were a child. You have always asked them for advice. All of them are bewildered and continue in their own ways. None of them can save you.”

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.

“ 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.

King Belshazzar gave a huge banquet. He invited a thousand of his nobles to it. He drank wine with them.While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to his servants. He commanded them to bring in some gold and silver cups. They were the cups his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar had them brought in so everyone could drink from them. That included the king himself, his nobles, his wives and his concubines.So the servants brought in the gold cups. The cups had been taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles drank from them. So did his wives and concubines.As they drank the wine, they praised their gods. The statues of those gods were made out of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood or stone.Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared. They wrote something on the plaster of the palace wall. It happened near the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote.His face turned pale. He was so afraid that his legs became weak. And his knees were knocking together.The king sent for those who try to figure things out by using magic. He also sent for those who study the heavens. All of them were wise men in Babylon. Then the king spoke to them. He said,“ I want one of you to read this writing. I want you to tell me what it means. Whoever does this will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around his neck. And he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”Then all the king’s wise men came in. But they couldn’t read the writing. They couldn’t tell him what it meant.So King Belshazzar became even more terrified. His face grew more pale. And his nobles were bewildered.The queen heard the king and his nobles talking. So she came into the dining hall.“ King Belshazzar, may you live forever!” she said.“ Don’t be afraid! Don’t look so pale!I know a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. He has understanding and wisdom and good sense just like the gods. He was chief of those who tried to figure things out by using magic. And he was in charge of those who studied the heavens. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him to that position.King Nebuchadnezzar did this because he saw what the man could do. This man’s name is Daniel. Your father called him Belteshazzar. He has a clever mind and knowledge and understanding. He is also able to tell what dreams mean. He can explain riddles and solve hard problems. Send for him. He’ll tell you what the writing means.”So Daniel was brought to the king. The king said to him,“ Are you Daniel? Are you one of the prisoners my father the king brought here from Judah?I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. I’ve also heard that you have understanding and good sense and special wisdom.The wise men and those who practice magic were brought to me. They were asked to read this writing and tell me what it means. But they couldn’t.I have heard that you are able to explain things and solve hard problems. I hope you can read this writing and tell me what it means. If you can, you will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”Then Daniel answered the king. He said,“ You can keep your gifts for yourself. You can give your rewards to someone else. But I will read the writing for you. I’ll tell you what it means.“ Your Majesty, the Most High God was good to your father Nebuchadnezzar. He gave him authority and greatness and glory and honor.God gave him a high position. Then people from every nation became afraid of the king. That was true no matter what language they spoke. The king put to death anyone he wanted to. He spared anyone he wanted to spare. He gave high positions to anyone he wanted to. And he brought down anyone he wanted to bring down.But his heart became very stubborn and proud. So he was removed from his royal throne. His glory was stripped away from him.He was driven away from people. He was given the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass just as an ox does. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until he recognized that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He puts anyone he wants to in charge of them.“ But you knew all that, Belshazzar. After all, you are Nebuchadnezzar’s son. In spite of that, you are still proud.You have taken your stand against the Lord of heaven. You had your servants bring cups from his temple to you. You and your nobles drank wine from them. So did your wives and concubines. You praised your gods. The statues of those gods are made out of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood or stone. They can’t see or hear or understand anything. But you didn’t honor God. He holds in his hand your very life and everything you do.So he sent the hand that wrote on the wall.“ Here is what was written. mene, mene, tekel, parsin“ And here is what these words mean.“ The word Mene means that God has limited the time of your rule. He has brought it to an end.“ The word Tekel means that you have been weighed on scales. And you haven’t measured up to God’s standard.“ 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.”Then Belshazzar commanded his servants to dress Daniel in purple clothes. So they did. They put a gold chain around his neck. And he was made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.That very night Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, was killed.His kingdom was given to Darius the Mede. Darius was 62 years old.

Here is the prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.Lift up a banner on the top of a bare hill. Shout to the enemy soldiers. Wave for them to enter the gates that are used by the nobles of Babylon.The Lord has commanded the soldiers he prepared for battle. He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon. They will be happy when he wins the battle for them.Listen! I hear a noise in the mountains. It sounds like a huge crowd. Listen! I hear a loud noise among the kingdoms. It sounds like nations gathering together. The Lord who rules over all is bringing an army together for war.They come from lands far away. They come from the farthest places on earth. The Lord and those weapons of his anger are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylon.Cry out! The day of the Lord is near. The Mighty One is coming to destroy the Babylonians.Their hands won’t be able to help them. Everyone’s heart will melt away in fear.The people will be filled with terror. Pain and suffering will grab hold of them. They will groan with pain like a woman having a baby. They’ll look at one another in terror. Their faces will burn with shame.The day of the Lord is coming. It will be a terrible day. The Lord’ s burning anger will blaze out. He will make the land dry and empty. He’ll destroy the sinners in it.All the stars in the sky will stop giving their light. The sun will be darkened as soon as it rises. The moon will not shine.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.He’ll make people harder to find than pure gold. They will be harder to find than gold from Ophir.He will make the heavens tremble. He’ll shake the earth out of its place. The Lord who rules over all will show how angry he is. At that time his burning anger will blaze out.Outsiders who live in Babylon will scatter like antelope that are chased by a hunter. They are like sheep that don’t have a shepherd. All of them will return to their own people. They will run back to their own countries.

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority. His glory filled the earth with light.With a mighty voice he shouted,“‘ Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!’( Isaiah 21:9) She has become a place where demons live. She has become a den for every evil spirit. She has become a place where every‘ unclean’ bird is found. She has become a place where every‘ unclean’ and hated animal is found.All the nations have drunk the strong wine of her terrible sins. The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways. The traders of the world grew rich from her great wealth.”Then I heard another voice from heaven. It said,“‘ Come out of her, my people.’( Jeremiah 51:45) Then you will not take part in her sins. You will not suffer from any of her plagues.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.“ The kings of the earth who committed terrible sins with her will weep. They will mourn because they used to share her riches. They will see the smoke rising as she burns.They will be terrified by her suffering. They will stand far away from her. And they will cry out,“‘ How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! How terrible for you, mighty city of Babylon! In just one hour you have been destroyed!’“ The traders of the world will weep and mourn over her. No one buys what they sell anymore.Here is what they had for sale.“ Gold, silver, jewels, pearls. Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth. Every kind of citron wood. All sorts of things made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron, marble.Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense. Wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat. Cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, and human beings sold as slaves.“ The merchants will say,‘ The pleasure you longed for has left you. All your riches and glory have disappeared forever.’The traders who sold these things became rich because of Babylon. When she suffers, they will stand far away. Her suffering will terrify them. They will weep and mourn.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!In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!’“ Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea.They will see the smoke rising as Babylon burns. They will ask,‘ Was there ever a city like this great city?’They will throw dust on their heads. They will weep and mourn. They will cry out,“‘ How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! All who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! In just one hour she has been destroyed!’“ 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.”

“‘ 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.

Here is the message the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. It was about the city of Babylon and the land of Babylon. He said,“ Announce this message among the nations. Lift up a banner. Let the nations hear the message. Do not keep anything back. Say,‘ Babylon will be captured. The god named Bel will be put to shame. The god named Marduk will be filled with terror. Babylon’s gods will be put to shame. The gods its people made will be filled with terror.’A nation from the north will attack it. That nation will destroy Babylon. No one will live there. People and animals alike will run away.“ The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time the people of Israel and Judah will gather together. They will come in tears to me. I am the Lord their God.They will ask how to get to Zion. Then they will turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to me. They will enter into the covenant I make with them. It will last forever. It will never be forgotten.“ My people have been like lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray. They have caused them to wander in the mountains. They have wandered over mountains and hills. They have forgotten that I am their true resting place.Everyone who found them destroyed them. Their enemies said,‘ We aren’t guilty. They sinned against the Lord. He gave them everything they needed. He has always been Israel’s hope.’“ People of Judah, run away from Babylon. Leave the land of Babylon. Be like the goats that lead the flock.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.So the riches of Babylon will be taken away. All those who steal from it will have more than enough,” announces the Lord.“ 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.Do not leave anyone in Babylon to plant the fields. Do not leave anyone to harvest the grain. Let each of them return to their own people. Let them run away to their own land. If they don’t, their enemy’s sword will bring them great harm.“ Israel is like a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first lion that ate them up was the king of Assyria. The last one that broke their bones was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.”The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I punished the king of Assyria. In the same way, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land.But I will bring Israel back to their own grasslands. I will feed them on Mount Carmel and in Bashan. I will satisfy their hunger on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.The days are coming,” announces the Lord.“ At that time people will search for Israel’s guilt. But they will not find any. They will search for Judah’s sins. But they will not find any. That is because I will forgive the people I have spared.“ Enemies of Babylon, attack their land of Merathaim. Make war against those who live in Pekod. Chase them and kill them. Destroy them completely,” announces the Lord.“ Do everything I have commanded you to do.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!Babylon, I set a trap for you. And you were caught before you knew it. You were found and captured. That is because you opposed me.I have opened up my storeroom. I have brought out the weapons I use when I am angry. I am the Lord and King who rules over all. I have work to do in the land of the Babylonians.So come against it from far away. Open up its storerooms. Stack everything up like piles of grain. Completely destroy that country. Do not leave anyone alive there.Kill all Babylon’s strongest warriors. Let them die in battle. How terrible it will be for them! Their time to be judged has come. Now they will be punished.Listen to those who have escaped. Listen to those who have returned from Babylon. They are announcing in Zion how I have paid Babylon back. I have paid it back for destroying my temple.“ 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.“ A sword is coming against the Babylonians!” announces the Lord.“ It is coming against those who live in Babylon. It is coming against their officials and wise men.A sword is coming against their prophets. But they are not really prophets at all! So they will look foolish. A sword is coming against their soldiers! They will be filled with terror.A sword is coming against their horses and chariots! It is coming against all the hired soldiers in their armies. They will become weak. A sword is coming against their treasures! They will be stolen.There will not be any rain for their rivers. So they will dry up. Those things will happen because their land is full of statues of gods. Those gods will go crazy with terror.“ Desert creatures and hyenas will live in Babylon. And so will owls. People will never live there again. It will not be lived in for all time to come.I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. I also destroyed the towns that were near them,” announces the Lord.“ Babylon will be just like them. No one will live there. No human beings will stay there.“ 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.Their soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all. They come riding in on their horses. They sound like the roaring ocean. They are lined up for battle. They are coming to attack you, city of Babylon.The king of Babylon has heard reports about them. His hands can’t help him. He is in great pain. It is like the pain of a woman having a baby.I will be like a lion coming up from the bushes by the Jordan River. I will hunt in rich grasslands. I will chase the people of Babylon from their land in an instant. What nation will I choose to do this? Which one will I appoint? Is anyone like me? Who would dare to argue with me? What leader can stand against me?”So listen to what the Lord has planned against Babylon. Hear what he has planned against the land of the Babylonians. Their young people will be dragged away. Their grasslands will be shocked at their fate.At the news of Babylon’s capture, the earth will shake. The people’s cries will be heard among the nations.