“ 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.

耶和华说：“有刀剑临到迦勒底人和巴比伦的居民，并他的首领与智慧人。

有刀剑临到迦勒底人和巴比伦的居民，临到它的领袖与智慧人。这是耶和华说的。

有刀剑临到迦勒底人和巴比伦的居民，临到它的领袖与智慧人。这是耶和华说的。

耶和华说：“敌人要攻击巴比伦的居民及其首领和谋士；

刀剑必攻击迦勒底人，攻击巴比伦的居民，攻击它的领袖和智慧人。”这是耶和华的宣告。

耶和華說：「有刀劍臨到迦勒底人和巴比倫的居民，並她的首領與智慧人。

有刀劍臨到迦勒底人和巴比倫的居民，臨到它的領袖與智慧人。這是耶和華說的。

有刀劍臨到迦勒底人和巴比倫的居民，臨到它的領袖與智慧人。這是耶和華說的。

耶和華說：「敵人要攻擊巴比倫的居民及其首領和謀士；

刀劍必攻擊迦勒底人，攻擊巴比倫的居民，攻擊它的領袖和智慧人。”這是耶和華的宣告。

『永恆主發神諭說：刀劍哪，攻擊迦勒底人哦！攻擊巴比倫的居民哦！攻擊她的首領和智慧人哦！

耶和華曰、刃臨於迦勒底人、與巴比倫居民、及其牧伯哲士、

耶和華曰、災降於迦勒底、巴比倫、及其牧伯哲士。

主曰、刃臨於迦勒底人、與巴比倫居民、及其牧伯哲士、

“ A sword against the Babylonians!” declares the Lord—“ against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men!

“ A sword against the Chaldeans, declares the Lord, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her officials and her wise men!

“ The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord.“ It will strike the people of Babylon— her officials and wise men, too.

A sword is over the Chaldeans— this is the LORD’s declaration— against those who live in Babylon, against her officials, and against her sages.

A sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the Lord,“ And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her leaders and her wise men!

“ A sword is against the Chaldeans,” says the Lord,“ Against the inhabitants of Babylon, And against her princes and her wise men.

A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith Jehovah, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

A sword is over the Chaldeans— this is the Lord’s declaration— against those who live in Babylon, against her officials, and against her sages.

A sword[ is] upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise[ men].

“ Destructive forces will come against the Babylonians,” says the LORD.“ They will come against the people who inhabit Babylonia, against her leaders and her men of wisdom.

“ A sword is on the Chaldeans,” says Yahweh,“ and on the inhabitants of Babylon, on her princes, and on her wise men.

“‘ Sword of the Lord!’ you cry out.‘ How long will it be until you rest? Return to the place you came from. Stop killing us! Be still!’

A sword will flash in their cities. It will destroy the prophets who teach lies. It will bring an end to their plans.

That very night Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, was killed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“ I have stirred up a king who will come from the north. He lives in the east. He will bring honor to me. He walks all over rulers as if they were mud. He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay.

King of the nations, everyone should have respect for you. That’s what people should give you. Among all the wise leaders of the nations there is no one like you. No one can compare with you in all their kingdoms.

Those who think they are wise will be put to shame. They will become terrified. They will be trapped. They have not accepted my message. So what kind of wisdom do they have?

Then a message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,

The Lord will judge with fire and with his sword. He will judge all people. He will put many people to death.

The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish. Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense. How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,“ We’re among the wise men”? How can they say to him,“ We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?Pharaoh, where are your wise men now? Let them tell you what the Lord who rules over all has planned against Egypt.The officials of Zoan have become foolish. The leaders of Memphis have been lied to. The most important leaders in Egypt have led its people astray.

“ How terrible it will be for that worthless shepherd! He deserts the flock. May a sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his powerful arm become weak! May his right eye be totally blinded!”

“ Some prophets are not really prophets at all. I show that their signs are fake. I make those who practice evil magic look foolish. I destroy the learning of those who think they are wise. Their knowledge does not make any sense at all.

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.

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.

So once more I will shock these people with many wonderful acts. I will destroy the wisdom of those who think they are so wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.”

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.

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.