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.

我必召北方的众族和我仆人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒来攻击这地和这地的居民，并四围一切的国民。我要将他们尽行灭绝，以致他们令人惊骇、嗤笑，并且永久荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

看哪，我必召北方的众族和我仆人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒前来攻击这地和这地的居民，并四围所有的国民。我要将他们尽行灭绝，以致他们令人惊骇、嗤笑，并且永久荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

看哪，我必召北方的众族和我仆人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒前来攻击这地和这地的居民，并四围所有的国民。我要将他们尽行灭绝，以致他们令人惊骇、嗤笑，并且永久荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

我要召集北方各族和我的仆人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒，去攻击这片土地和其中的居民以及周围各国。我要彻底毁灭他们，使他们的下场很可怕、令人嗤笑、土地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

看哪！我要打发人去征召北方的众族，和我的仆人巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒，领他们来攻击这地和这地的居民，以及周围的列国；我要把他们彻底消灭，使他们成为令人惊骇，受人嗤笑的对象，和永远荒废的地方。”这是耶和华的宣告。

我必召北方的眾族和我僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來攻擊這地和這地的居民，並四圍一切的國民。我要將他們盡行滅絕，以致他們令人驚駭、嗤笑，並且永久荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

看哪，我必召北方的眾族和我僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒前來攻擊這地和這地的居民，並四圍所有的國民。我要將他們盡行滅絕，以致他們令人驚駭、嗤笑，並且永久荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

看哪，我必召北方的眾族和我僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒前來攻擊這地和這地的居民，並四圍所有的國民。我要將他們盡行滅絕，以致他們令人驚駭、嗤笑，並且永久荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

我要召集北方各族和我的僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，去攻擊這片土地和其中的居民以及周圍各國。我要徹底毀滅他們，使他們的下場很可怕、令人嗤笑、土地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

看哪！我要打發人去徵召北方的眾族，和我的僕人巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，領他們來攻擊這地和這地的居民，以及周圍的列國；我要把他們徹底消滅，使他們成為令人驚駭，受人嗤笑的對象，和永遠荒廢的地方。”這是耶和華的宣告。

你就看吧，我一定要差遣人去徵取北方的眾族，永恆主發神諭說，我必差遣人去見我的僕人、巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒，引他們來攻擊這地和這地的居民，以及四圍這些列國；我必把他們盡行毁滅歸神，使他們成了令人驚駭、令人嗤笑、永被羞辱的對象。

我必遣召北方諸族、及我僕巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒、導之以攻斯土、與其居民、暨四周諸國、我必滅之、使之令人駭異、為人嗤笑、永久荒蕪、耶和華言之矣、

我必使我僕巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒、率北方之眾、攻斯土之民、及四周鄰國、滅之殆盡、使見之者駭愕、皆作怨聲。

我必使我僕巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒、奉我遣率北方各族、來攻斯地與其居民、及四周之鄰國、必滅之殆盡、使其地永為荒涼、令人驚駭恥笑、此乃主所言、

I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord,“ and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin.

behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

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.

I am going to send for all the families of the north’— this is the LORD’s declaration—‘ and send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror and scorn, and ruins forever.

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the Lord,‘ and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations; and I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and hissing, and an everlasting place of ruins.

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord,‘ and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith Jehovah, and I will send unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

I am going to send for all the families of the north’— this is the Lord’s declaration—‘ and send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them a desolation, a derision, and ruins forever.

Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

So I, the LORD, affirm that I will send for all the peoples of the north and my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and all the nations that surround it. I will utterly destroy this land, its inhabitants, and all the nations that surround it and make them everlasting ruins. I will make them objects of horror and hissing scorn.

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,” says Yahweh,“ and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around. I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

I am about to send for all the armies in the northern kingdoms,” announces the Lord.“ Their kings will come to Jerusalem. They will set up their thrones at the very gates of the city. They will attack all the walls that surround the city. They will go to war against all the towns of Judah.

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.

So their land will become a horrible thing. People will make fun of it again and again. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will shake their heads.

Then tell the Jews,‘ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And I will set his throne over these stones that are buried here. He will set up his royal tent over them.

“ Son of man, King Nebuchadnezzar drove his army in a hard military campaign. The campaign was against Tyre. Their helmets rubbed their heads bare. The heavy loads they carried made their shoulders raw. But he and his army did not gain anything from the campaign he led against Tyre.So I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth. He will take away anything else they have. He will give it to his army.I have given Egypt to him as a reward for his efforts. After all, he and his army attacked Egypt because I told them to,” announces the Lord and King.

Then I will remove Israel from the land. It is the land I gave them. I will turn my back on this temple. I will do it even though I have set it apart for my Name to be there. Then Israel will be hated by all the nations. They will laugh and joke about Israel.This temple will become a pile of stones. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will make fun of it. And they will say,‘ Why has the Lord done a thing like this to this land and temple?’

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.

I say about Cyrus,‘ He is my shepherd. He will accomplish everything I want him to. He will say about Jerusalem,“ Let it be rebuilt.” And he will say about the temple,“ Let its foundations be laid.” ’“ 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,

He lifts up a banner to gather the nations that are far away. He whistles for them to come from the farthest places on earth. Here they come. They are moving very quickly.None of them grows tired. None of them falls down. None of them sleeps or even takes a nap. All of them are ready for battle. Every belt is pulled tight. Not a single sandal strap is broken.The enemies’ arrows are sharp. All their bows are ready. The hooves of their horses are as hard as rock. Their chariot wheels turn like a twister.The sound of their army is like the roar of lions. It’s like the roar of young lions. They growl as they capture what they were chasing. They carry it off. No one can take it away from them.At that time the enemy army will roar over Israel. It will sound like the roaring of the ocean. If someone looks at the land of Israel, there is only darkness and trouble. The clouds will make even the sun become dark.

‘ Some of the members of your family line will be taken away. They will be your own flesh and blood. They will include the children who will be born into your family line. And they will serve the king of Babylon in his palace.’ ”

Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah.Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say,‘ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ Here is what I want you to tell your masters.I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please.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.“‘ “But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague,” announces the Lord.“ I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it.

The Lord says to Jerusalem,“ Look! An army is coming from the land of the north. I am stirring up a great nation. Its army is coming from a land that is very far away.Its 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 marching out to attack you, city of Zion.”We have heard reports about them. And our hands can’t help us. We are suffering greatly. It’s like the pain of a woman having a baby.Don’t go out to the fields. Don’t walk on the roads. Our enemies have swords. And there is terror on every side.My people, put on the clothes of sadness. Roll among the ashes. Mourn with bitter weeping just as you would mourn for an only son. The one who is going to destroy us will come suddenly.

The Lord says,“ People of Benjamin, run for safety! Run away from Jerusalem! Blow trumpets in the city of Tekoa! Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem! Horrible trouble is coming from the north. The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power.

But the commander of the guard found Jeremiah. The commander said to him,“ The Lord your God ordered that this place be destroyed.

The Lord and King says,“ I will put an end to the huge armies of Egypt. I will use Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to do this.He and his armies will attack the land and destroy it. They will not show its people any pity at all. They will use their swords against Egypt. They will fill the land with dead bodies.

“ People of Israel, listen to me,” announces the Lord.“ I am bringing against you a nation from far away. It is an old nation. And it will last for a long time. Its people speak a language you do not know. You can’t understand what they are saying.The bags they carry their arrows in are like an open grave. All their soldiers are mighty.

When our enemy’s horses snort, the noise is heard all the way from the city of Dan. When their stallions neigh, the whole land trembles with fear. They have come to destroy the land and everything in it. The city and everyone who lives there will be destroyed.

The Lord says,“ How terrible it will be for the people of Assyria! They are the war club that carries out my anger.

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.

The Lord your God will send all these curses on you. They will follow you everywhere. They’ll catch up with you. You will be under the Lord’ s curse until you are destroyed. That’s because you didn’t obey him. You didn’t keep the commands and rules he gave you.These curses will remain as signs and awful judgments against you and your children after you forever.You didn’t serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness when times were good.So he will send enemies against you. You will have to serve them. You will be hungry and thirsty. You will be naked and poor. The Lord will put the iron chains of slavery around your necks until he has destroyed you.The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away. It will come from the ends of the earth. It will dive down on you like an eagle. You won’t understand that nation’s language.Its people will look mean. They won’t have any respect for old people. They won’t show any kindness to young people.

In the Lord’ s hand the king’s heart is like a stream of water. The Lord directs it toward all those who please him.

So I took the cup from the Lord’ s hand. I made all the nations to which he sent me drink from it.He sent me to Judah’s kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would use their name in a curse. And that’s how things still are today.Here is a list of the other kings and nations he sent me to. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt his attendants, his officials, all his peopleall the people from other lands who lived there all the kings of Uz the Philistine kings of Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron the Philistines still living in AshdodEdom, Moab, Ammonall the kings of Tyre and Sidon the kings of the islands and other lands along the Mediterranean SeaDedan, Teman, Buz all the other places far away in the eastall the kings of Arabia all the other kings of people who live in the desertall the kings of Zimri, Elam and Mediaall 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.

I will send war against you to punish you for breaking my covenant. When you go back into your cities, I will send a plague among you. You will be handed over to your enemies.I will cut off your supply of bread. Ten women will need only one oven to bake your bread. They will weigh out the bread piece by piece. Even when you eat all of it, it will not be enough to satisfy you.“‘ After all that, suppose you still do not listen to me. And suppose you continue to be my enemy.Then I will be angry with you. I will be your enemy. I myself will again punish you for your sins over and over.You will eat the dead bodies of your sons. You will also eat the dead bodies of your daughters.I will destroy the high places where you worship other gods. I will pull down your incense altars. I will pile up your dead bodies on the lifeless statues of your gods. And I will turn away from you.I will completely destroy your cities. I will destroy your places of worship. The pleasant smell of your offerings will not give me any delight.I myself will destroy your land so completely that your enemies who live there will be shocked.I will scatter you among the nations. I will pull out my sword and hunt you down. Your land and your cities will be completely destroyed.Then the deserted land will enjoy its sabbath years. It will rest. It will not be farmed. It will enjoy its sabbaths. But you will become prisoners in the country of your enemies.The land will rest the whole time it is deserted. It was not able to rest during the sabbaths you lived in it.“‘ Some of you will be left in the lands of your enemies. I will fill your hearts with fear. The sound of a leaf blown by the wind will scare you away. You will run as if you were escaping from swords. You will fall down, even though no one is chasing you.You will trip over one another as if you were running away from the battle. You will run away, even though no one is chasing you. You will not be able to stand and fight against your enemies.While you are still scattered among the nations, you will die. The lands of your enemies will destroy you.You who are left in those lands will become weaker and weaker. You will die because of your sins and the sins of your people who lived before you.“‘ But suppose you admit that both you and your people who lived before you have sinned. You admit the evil and dishonest things you have done against me. And you admit you have become my enemy.What you did made me become your enemy. I let your enemies take you into their land. But suppose you stop being stubborn. You stop being proud. And you pay for your sin.Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob. I will remember my covenant with Isaac. I will remember my covenant with Abraham. I will remember what I said to them about the land.You will leave the land. It will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies deserted because you are not there. You will pay for your sins because you said no to my laws. You turned away from my rules.But even after all that, I will not say no to you or turn away from you. I will not destroy you completely in the land of your enemies. I will not break my covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.Because of you, I will remember the covenant I made with the people of Israel who lived before you. I brought them out of Egypt to be their God. The nations saw me do it. I am the Lord.’ ”These are the orders, the laws and the rules of the covenant the Lord made on Mount Sinai. He made it between himself and the Israelites through Moses.

The Lord and King says,“ From the north I am going to bring Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre. He is the king of Babylon. He is the greatest king of all. He will come with horses and chariots. Horsemen and a great army will be brought along with him.