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.

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 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.

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.

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.

“ How Babylon is fallen— great Babylon, praised throughout the earth! Now she has become an object of horror among the nations.

I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever.

“ Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust. For your days of sitting on a throne have ended. O daughter of Babylonia, never again will you be the lovely princess, tender and delicate.Take heavy millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, and strip off your robe. Expose yourself to public view.You will be naked and burdened with shame. I will take vengeance against you without pity.”Our Redeemer, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, is the Holy One of Israel.“ O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms.For I was angry with my chosen people and punished them by letting them fall into your hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You oppressed even the elderly.You said,‘ I will reign forever as queen of the world!’ You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.“ Listen to this, you pleasure loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say,‘ I am the only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.’Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic.“ You felt secure in your wickedness.‘ No one sees me,’ you said. But your‘ wisdom’ and‘ knowledge’ have led you astray, and you said,‘ I am the only one, and there is no other.’So disaster will overtake you, and you won’t be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won’t be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will strike you suddenly, one for which you are not prepared.“ Now use your magical charms! Use the spells you have worked at all these years! Maybe they will do you some good. Maybe they can make someone afraid of you.All the advice you receive has made you tired. Where are all your astrologers, those stargazers who make predictions each month? Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds.But they are like straw burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from the flame. You will get no help from them at all; their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.And all your friends, those with whom you’ve done business since childhood, will go their own ways, turning a deaf ear to your cries.

But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced. Come, drink and be exposed! Drink from the cup of the Lord’s judgment, and all your glory will be turned to shame.

“ All the princes of the north and the Sidonians are there with others who have died. Once a terror, they have been put to shame. They lie there as outcasts with others who were slaughtered by the sword. They share the shame of all who have descended to the pit.

Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote,and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon,“ Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar,“ Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king— your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar— made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers of Babylon.This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him,“ Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar?I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom.My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it.I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”Daniel answered the king,“ Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace.But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.“ You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone— gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!So God has sent this hand to write this message.“ This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.This is what these words mean: Mene means‘ numbered’— God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.Tekel means‘ weighed’— you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.Parsin means‘ divided’— your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty two.

Isaiah son of Amoz received this message concerning the destruction of Babylon:“ Raise a signal flag on a bare hilltop. Call up an army against Babylon. Wave your hand to encourage them as they march into the palaces of the high and mighty.I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task. Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger, and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”Hear the noise on the mountains! Listen, as the vast armies march! It is the noise and shouting of many nations. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called this army together.They come from distant countries, from beyond the farthest horizons. They are the Lord’s weapons to carry out his anger. With them he will destroy the whole land.Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived— the time for the Almighty to destroy.Every arm is paralyzed with fear. Every heart melts,and people are terrified. Pangs of anguish grip them, like those of a woman in labor. They look helplessly at one another, their faces aflame with fear.For see, the day of the Lord is coming— the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger. The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it.The heavens will be black above them; the stars will give no light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will provide no light.“ I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty.I will make people scarcer than gold— more rare than the fine gold of Ophir.For I will shake the heavens. The earth will move from its place when the Lord of Heaven’s Armies displays his wrath in the day of his fierce anger.”Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd. They will try to find their own people and flee to their own land.

After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.He gave a mighty shout:“ Babylon is fallen— that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,“ Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart,‘ I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,“ How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble.She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies— that is, human slaves.“ The fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry.“ All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again.”The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,“ How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!” And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance.They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say,“ Where is there another city as great as this?”And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out,“ How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.”Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,“ Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

“ Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.“ I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.

The Lord gave Jeremiah the prophet this message concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians.This is what the Lord says:“ Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced.For a nation will attack her from the north and bring such destruction that no one will live there again. Everything will be gone; both people and animals will flee.“ In those coming days,” says the Lord,“ the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.“ My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.All who found them devoured them. Their enemies said,‘ We did nothing wrong in attacking them, for they sinned against the Lord, their true place of rest, and the hope of their ancestors.’“ But now, flee from Babylon! Leave the land of the Babylonians. Like male goats at the head of the flock, lead my people home again.For I am raising up an army of great nations from the north. They will join forces to attack Babylon, and she will be captured. The enemies’ arrows will go straight to the mark; they will not miss!Babylonia will be looted until the attackers are glutted with loot. I, the Lord, have spoken!“ You rejoice and are glad, you who plundered my chosen people. You frisk about like a calf in a meadow and neigh like a stallion.But your homeland will be overwhelmed with shame and disgrace. You will become the least of nations— a wilderness, a dry and desolate land.Because of the Lord’s anger, Babylon will become a deserted wasteland. All who pass by will be horrified and will gasp at the destruction they see there.“ Yes, prepare to attack Babylon, all you surrounding nations. Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows. For she has sinned against the Lord.Shout war cries against her from every side. Look! She surrenders! Her walls have fallen. It is the Lord’s vengeance, so take vengeance on her. Do to her as she has done to others!Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands.“ The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.”Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:“ Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.And I will bring Israel home again to its own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.In those days,” says the Lord,“ no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.“ Go up, my warriors, against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you,” says the Lord.“ Let the battle cry be heard in the land, a shout of great destruction.Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations!Listen, Babylon, for I have set a trap for you. You are caught, for you have fought against the Lord.The Lord has opened his armory and brought out weapons to vent his fury. The terror that falls upon the Babylonians will be the work of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.Yes, come against her from distant lands. Break open her granaries. Crush her walls and houses into heaps of rubble. Destroy her completely, and leave nothing!Destroy even her young bulls— it will be terrible for them, too! Slaughter them all! For Babylon’s day of reckoning has come.Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon, as they tell in Jerusalem how the Lord our God has taken vengeance against those who destroyed his Temple.“ Send out a call for archers to come to Babylon. Surround the city so none can escape. Do to her as she has done to others, for she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed,” says the Lord.“ See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people,” says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.“ Your day of reckoning has arrived— the day when I will punish you.O land of arrogance, you will stumble and fall, and no one will raise you up. For I will light a fire in the cities of Babylon that will burn up everything around them.”This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged. Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go.But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest!“ The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord.“ It will strike the people of Babylon— her officials and wise men, too.The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered.A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.“ Soon Babylon will be inhabited by desert animals and hyenas. It will be a home for owls. Never again will people live there; it will lie desolate forever.I will destroy it as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns,” says the Lord.“ No one will live there; no one will inhabit it.“ Look! A great army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are rising against you from far off lands.They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. As they ride forward on horses, they sound like a roaring sea. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, Babylon.The king of Babylon has heard reports about the enemy, and he is weak with fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped him, like those of a woman in labor.“ I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?”Listen to the Lord’s plans against Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed.The earth will shake with the shout,“ Babylon has been taken!” and its cry of despair will be heard around the world.