“ People have heard me groan. But no one is here to comfort me. My enemies have heard about all my troubles. What you have done makes them happy. So please judge them, just as you said you would. Let them become like me.

听见我叹息的有人；安慰我的却无人！我的仇敌都听见我所遭的患难；因你做这事，他们都喜乐。你必使你报告的日子来到，他们就像我一样。

有人听见我叹息，却无人安慰我！我所有的仇敌听见我的患难就喜乐，因这是你所做的。你使你所宣告的日子来临，愿他们像我一样。

有人听见我叹息，却无人安慰我！我所有的仇敌听见我的患难就喜乐，因这是你所做的。你使你所宣告的日子来临，愿他们像我一样。

“人们听见我的哀叹，却无人安慰我。敌人看见你降给我的灾难，都幸灾乐祸。愿你应许的审判之日来临，叫他们像我一样受苦！

有人听见我的唉哼，却没有人安慰我，我所有的仇敌都听见我的灾难；你作了这事，他们就欢乐。愿你使你所宣告的日子来临那时，他们就必像我一样。

聽見我歎息的有人；安慰我的卻無人！我的仇敵都聽見我所遭的患難；因你做這事，他們都喜樂。你必使你報告的日子來到，他們就像我一樣。

有人聽見我嘆息，卻無人安慰我！我所有的仇敵聽見我的患難就喜樂，因這是你所做的。你使你所宣告的日子來臨，願他們像我一樣。

有人聽見我嘆息，卻無人安慰我！我所有的仇敵聽見我的患難就喜樂，因這是你所做的。你使你所宣告的日子來臨，願他們像我一樣。

「人們聽見我的哀歎，卻無人安慰我。敵人看見你降給我的災難，都幸災樂禍。願你應許的審判之日來臨，叫他們像我一樣受苦！

有人聽見我的唉哼，卻沒有人安慰我，我所有的仇敵都聽見我的災難；你作了這事，他們就歡樂。願你使你所宣告的日子來臨那時，他們就必像我一樣。

『人聽見我歎息，卻沒有人安慰我；我的仇敵聽見我遭的患難，都高興你作了這事，願你使你宣告的日子來到，他們就像我一樣。

維彼聞我咨嗟、無人慰藉兮、諸敵聞我遘難、悅爾所行兮、爾所宣告之日既至、彼乃與我相同兮、

維彼人斯、聞予嗟嘆、不加慰藉、敵聞爾降災於予、反增喜色、爾已定命、降災於彼、與余無異言、必有應兮。

人聞我嗟嘆、不加慰藉、我一切敵聞我遘災、為主所降、反增欣喜、我一切敵聞我遘災為主所降反增欣喜或作我一切敵聞我遘災則皆欣喜此乃主所使主已宣告其日將至、我敵遭災、與我無異、斯言望主應驗、

“ People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me.

“ They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am.

“ Others heard my groans, but no one turned to comfort me. When my enemies heard about my troubles, they were happy to see what you had done. Oh, bring the day you promised, when they will suffer as I have suffered.

People have heard me groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they are glad that you have caused it. Bring on the day you have announced, so that they may become like me.

They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me, All my enemies have heard of my disaster; They are joyful that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, So that they will become like me.

“ They have heard that I sigh, But no one comforts me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; They are glad that You have done it. Bring on the day You have announced, That they may become like me.

They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.

People have heard me groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my misfortune; they are glad that You have caused it. Bring on the day You have announced, so that they may become like me.

They have heard that I sigh:[ there is] none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done[ it]: thou wilt bring the day[ that] thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.

They have heard that I groan, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have brought it about. Bring about the day of judgment that you promised so that they may end up like me!ת( Tav)

“ They have heard that I sigh. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble. They are glad that you have done it. You will bring the day that you have proclaimed, and they will be like me.

Her people have committed many sins. They have become impure. All those who honored Jerusalem now look down on her. They all look at her as if she were a naked woman. The city groans and turns away in shame.

“ 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.

“ That’s why I am weeping. Tears are flowing from my eyes. No one is near to comfort me. No one can heal my spirit. My children don’t have anything. My enemies are much too strong for me.”

“ Please pay attention to all their sinful ways. Punish them as you have punished me. You judged me because I had committed so many sins. I groan all the time. And my heart is weak.”

All those who pass by clap their hands and make fun of you. They laugh at you and shake their heads at the city of Jerusalem. They say,“ Could that be the city that was called perfect and beautiful? Is that the city that brought joy to everyone on earth?”

The roads to Zion are empty. No one travels to her appointed feasts. All the public places near her gates are deserted. Her priests groan. Her young women are sad. And Zion herself weeps bitterly.

But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy. Attackers gathered against me when I didn’t even know it. They kept on telling lies about me.

Jerusalem weeps bitterly at night. Tears run down her cheeks. None of her friends comforts her. All those who were going to help her have turned against her. They have become her enemies.

People of Edom, be joyful. You who live in the land of Uz, be glad. But the cup of the Lord’ s anger will also be passed to you. Then you will become drunk. Your clothes will be stripped off.People of Zion, the time for you to be punished will come to an end. The Lord won’t keep you away from your land any longer. But he will punish your sin, people of Edom. He will show everyone the evil things you have done.

“ 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.”

A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,“ Son of man, turn your attention to the Ammonites. Prophesy against them.Tell them,‘ Listen to the message of the Lord and King. He says,“ You laughed when my temple was made‘ unclean.’ You also laughed when the land of Israel was completely destroyed. You mocked the people of Judah when they were taken away as prisoners.So I am going to hand you over to the people of the east. They will set up their tents in your land. They will camp among you. They will eat your fruit. They will drink your milk.I will turn the city of Rabbah into grasslands for camels. Ammon will become a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”The Lord and King says,“ You clapped your hands. You stamped your feet. Deep down inside, you hated the land of Israel. You were glad because of what happened to it.So I will reach out my powerful hand against you. I will give you and everything you have to the nations. I will bring you to an end among the nations. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”The Lord and King says,“ Moab and Edom said,‘ Look! Judah has become like all the other nations.’So I will let Moab’s enemies attack its lower hills. They will begin at the border towns. Those towns include Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. They are the glory of that land.I will hand Moab over to the people of the east. I will also give the Ammonites to them. And the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations.I will punish Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”The Lord and King says,“ Edom got even with Judah. That made Edom very guilty.”The Lord continues,“ I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will kill its people and their animals. I will completely destroy it. They will be killed by swords from Teman all the way to Dedan.I will use my people Israel to pay Edom back. They will punish Edom because my anger against it is great. They will know how I pay back my enemies,” announces the Lord and King.The Lord and King says,“ Deep down inside them, the Philistines hated Judah. So the Philistines tried to get even with them. They had been Judah’s enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them.”The Lord continues,“ I am about to reach out my hand against the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites. I will destroy those who remain along the coast.You can be sure that I will pay them back. I will punish them because my anger against them is great. When I pay them back, they will know that I am the Lord.”

Moab, you laughed at Israel, didn’t you? Were Israel’s people caught among robbers? Is that why you shake your head at them? Is that why you make fun of them every time you talk about them?

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.

That was a time of trouble for your relatives. So you shouldn’t have been happy about what happened to them. The people of Judah were destroyed. So you should not have been happy about it. You should not have laughed at them so much when they were in trouble.You should not have marched through the gates of my people’s city when they were in trouble. You shouldn’t have been happy about what happened to them. You should not have stolen their wealth when they were in trouble.

Huge numbers of soldiers are gathered in the valley where the Lord will hand down his sentence. The day of the Lord is near in that valley.

“ 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.

I said,“ Don’t let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall. Don’t let them brag when my feet slip.”

All Jerusalem’s people groan as they search for bread. They trade their treasures for food just to stay alive. Jerusalem says,“ Lord, look at me. Think about my condition. Everyone looks down on me.”Jerusalem also says,“ All you who are passing by, don’t you care about what has happened to me? Just look at my condition. Has anyone suffered the way I have? The Lord has brought all this on me. He has made me suffer. His anger has burned against me.

And you can be just as sure that I will sharpen my flashing sword. My hand will hold it when I judge. I will get even with my enemies. I will pay back those who hate me.I will make my arrows drip with blood. My sword will destroy people. It will kill some. It will even kill prisoners. It will cut off the heads of enemy leaders.”You nations, be full of joy. Be joyful together with God’s people. The Lord will get even with his enemies. He will pay them back for killing those who serve him. He will wipe away the sin of his land and people.

“ Babylon’s people have killed my people Israel. They have also killed people all over the earth. So now Babylon itself must fall.

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet. It was about the nations.Here is what the Lord says about Egypt. Here is his message against the army of Pharaoh Necho. He was king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, won the battle over Necho’s army. That happened at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message says,“ Egyptians, prepare your shields! Prepare large and small shields alike! March out for battle!Get the horses and chariots ready to ride! Take up your battle positions! Put on your helmets! Shine up your spears! Put on your armor!What do I see? The Egyptians are terrified. They are pulling back. Their soldiers are losing. They run away as fast as they can. They do not look back. There is terror on every side,” announces the Lord.“ Those who run fast can’t get away. Those who are strong can’t escape. In the north by the Euphrates River they trip and fall.“ Who is this that rises like the Nile River? Who rises like rivers of rushing waters?Egypt rises like the Nile River. It rises like rivers of rushing waters. Egypt says,‘ I will rise and cover the earth. I’ll destroy cities and their people.’Charge, you horses! Drive fast, you chariot drivers! March on, you soldiers! March on, you men of Cush and Put who carry shields. March on, you men of Lydia who shoot arrows.But that day belongs to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. It is a day for me to pay back my enemies. My sword will eat until it is satisfied. It will drink until it is not thirsty for blood anymore. I am the Lord. I am the Lord who rules over all. I will offer a sacrifice. I will offer it in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.“ People of Egypt, go up to Gilead and get some healing lotion. You may try many medicines, but you will not be healed. There isn’t any healing for you.The nations will hear about your shame. Your cries of pain will fill the earth. One soldier will trip over another. Both of them will fall down together.”Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was coming to attack Egypt. Here is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about it. He said,“ Egyptians, here is what I want you to announce in your land. Announce it in the city of Migdol. Also announce it in Memphis and Tahpanhes. Say,‘ Take up your battle positions! Get ready! The sword eats up those around you.’Why are your soldiers lying on the ground? They can’t stand, because I bring them down.They will trip again and again. They will fall over one another. They will say,‘ Get up. Let’s go back home. Let’s return to our own people and our own lands. Let’s get away from the swords that will bring us great harm.’The Egyptian soldiers will cry out,‘ Pharaoh, our king, is only a loud noise. He has missed his chance to win the battle.’“ I am the King. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. Someone will come who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains. He is like Mount Carmel by the Mediterranean Sea. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the King.“ So pack your belongings, you who live in Egypt. You will be taken away from your land. Memphis will be completely destroyed. Its buildings will be broken down. No one will live there.“ Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But Nebuchadnezzar is coming against her from the north. He will bite her like a fly.Hired soldiers are in Egypt’s army. They are like fat calves. All of them will turn and run away. They will not hold their positions. The day of trouble is coming on them. The time for them to be punished is near.The Egyptians will hiss like a snake that is trying to get away. A powerful army will advance against them. Their enemies will come against them with axes. They will be like those who cut down trees.Egypt is like a thick forest. But they will chop it down,” announces the Lord.“ There are more of their enemies than there are locusts. In fact, they can’t even be counted.The nation of Egypt will be put to shame. It will be handed over to the people of the north.”The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I am about to punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh. I will punish Egypt and its gods and kings. And I will punish those who depend on Pharaoh.I will hand them over to those who want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his officers. But later, many people will live in Egypt again as in times past,” announces the Lord.“ People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. Israel, do not be terrified. I will bring you safely out of a place far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they were taken. Your people will have peace and security again. And no one will make them afraid.People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. I am with you,” announces the Lord.“ I will completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will not let you go without any punishment.”

But the Lord laughs at those who do evil. He knows the day is coming when he will judge them.

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.

“ 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.

Your Lord and King speaks. He is your God. He stands up for his people. He says,“ I have taken from you the cup of my great anger. It made you unsteady on your feet. But you will never drink from that cup again.Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer. They said to you,‘ Fall down flat on the ground. Then we can walk all over you.’ And that is exactly what you did. You made your back like a street to be walked on.”

Lord, remember what the people of Edom did on the day Jerusalem fell.“ Tear it down!” they cried.“ Tear it down to the ground!”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.Happy is the person who grabs your babies and smashes them against the rocks.

“ 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 harm they have done to Lebanon will bring them down. Because they have killed so many animals, animals will terrify them. They have spilled human blood. They have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

“ Son of man, Tyre laughed because of what happened to Jerusalem. The people of Tyre said,‘ Jerusalem is the gateway to the nations. But the gate is broken. Its doors have swung open to us. Jerusalem has been destroyed. So now we will succeed.’ ”

“ 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.

“ But everyone who destroys you will be destroyed. All your enemies will be forced to leave their countries. Those who steal from you will be stolen from. I will take the belongings of those who take things from you.

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.

These are the words of Amos. He was a shepherd from the town of Tekoa. Here is the vision he saw concerning Israel. It came to him two years before the earthquake. At that time Uzziah was king of Judah. Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel. Here are the words of Amos.He said,“ The Lord roars like a lion from Jerusalem. His voice sounds like thunder from Zion. The grasslands of the shepherds turn brown. The top of Mount Carmel dries up.”The Lord says,“ The people of Damascus have sinned again and again. So I will judge them. They used threshing sleds with iron teeth to crush Gilead’s people.So I will send fire to destroy the palace of King Hazael. It will burn up the forts of his son Ben- Hadad.I will break down the city gate of Damascus. I will kill the king who lives in the Valley of Aven, that evil place. He holds the ruler’s scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will be taken away to Kir as prisoners,” says the Lord.The Lord says,“ The people of Gaza have sinned again and again. So I will judge them. They captured whole communities. They sold them to Edom.So I will send fire to destroy the walls of Gaza. It will burn up its forts.I will kill the king of Ashdod. He holds the ruler’s scepter in Ashkelon. I will use my power against Ekron. Every single Philistine will die,” says the Lord and King.The Lord says,“ The people of Tyre have sinned again and again. So I will judge them. They captured whole communities. They sold them to Edom. They did not honor the treaty of friendship they had made.So I will send fire to destroy the walls of Tyre. It will burn up its forts.”The Lord says,“ The people of Edom have sinned again and again. So I will judge them. They chased Israel with swords that were ready to strike them down. They killed the women of the land. They were angry all the time. Their anger was like a fire that blazed out. It could not be stopped.So I will send fire to destroy the city of Teman. It will burn up Bozrah’s forts.”The Lord says,“ The people of Ammon have sinned again and again. So I will judge them. They ripped open the pregnant women in Gilead. They wanted to add land to their territory.So I will set fire to destroy the walls of Rabbah. It will burn up its forts. War cries will be heard on that day of battle. Strong winds will blow on that stormy day.Ammon’s king will be carried away. So will his officials,” says the Lord.

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.The Lord says,“ Tell them,‘ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ Drink from this cup. Get drunk and throw up. Fall down and do not get up again. I am going to send war against you.” ’But they might refuse to take the cup from your hand. They might not want to drink from it. Then tell them,‘ The Lord who rules over all says,“ You must drink from it!I am beginning to bring trouble on the city where I have put my Name. You might think you will not be punished. But you will certainly be punished. I am sending war against everyone who lives on earth,” announces the Lord who rules over all.’

We’ve sinned against the Lord. So he is angry with us. His anger will continue until he takes up our case. Then he’ll do what is right for us. He’ll bring us out into the light. Then we’ll see him save us.Our enemies will see it too. And they will be put to shame. After all, they said to us,‘ Where is the Lord your God?’ But we will see them destroyed. Soon they will be stomped on like mud in the streets.”