³ “Prepare your shields, large and small,
    and ·march out [advance] for battle!
⁴ Harness the horses
    and ·get on them [^Lmount the steeds]!
·Go to your places for battle [Take your station]
    and put on your helmets!
·Polish [Burnish] your spears.
    Put on your ·armor [coats of mail]!
⁵ What do I see?
    That army is terrified,
and the soldiers ·are running away [have turned back].
    Their warriors are defeated.
They ·run away [flee] quickly
    without looking back.
    There is terror on every side [6:5; 20:3, 10; 49:29]!” says the Lord.
⁶ “The fast runners cannot ·run away [flee];
    the strong soldiers cannot escape.
They stumble and fall
    in the north, by the Euphrates River.
⁷ Who is this, rising up like the Nile River,
    like ·strong, fast rivers [rivers whose waters surge]?
⁸ Egypt rises up like the Nile River,
    like ·strong, fast rivers [rivers whose waters surge].
Egypt says, ‘I will rise up and cover the earth.
    I will destroy cities and the people in them!’
⁹ ·Horsemen [or Horses], ·charge into battle [advance]!
    ·Chariot drivers [or Chariots], drive hard!
·March on [^LGo out], brave soldiers—
    soldiers from the countries of Cush [^CEthiopia] and Put [^CLibya] who carry shields,
soldiers from Lydia [^Cfrom eastern Asia Minor] who ·use [^Lgrasp and draw] bows.

¹⁰ “But that day belongs to the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
    At that time he will give ·those people [his foes] the punishment they deserve.
The sword will ·kill [^Ldevour] until it is ·finished [satisfied; sated],
    until it ·satisfies its thirst for [^Lgets satiated/drunk with] their blood.
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] will offer a sacrifice
    in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River [^CBabylon].

¹¹ “Go up to Gilead and get some balm [8:22],
    ·people [^Lvirgin daughter] of Egypt!
You have prepared many medicines,
    ·but they will not work [in vain];
    you will not be healed.
¹² The nations have heard of your ·shame [humiliation],
    and your cries fill all the earth.
One warrior has ·run into [^Lstumbled over] another;
    both of them have fallen down together!”

¹⁴ “·Announce this message [Declare] in Egypt, and ·preach it [^Lmake it heard] in Migdol.
    ·Preach it [^LMake it heard] also in the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes [44:1]:
‘·Get ready for war [Take your stations and be ready],
    because the ·battle is [^Lsword devours] all around you.’
¹⁵ Egypt, why ·were your warriors killed [was it swept away; or has Apis fled; ^Cthe sacred bull of Egypt]?
    They could not stand because the Lord pushed them down.
¹⁶ They stumbled again and again
    and fell over each other.
They said, ‘Get up. Let’s go back
    to our own people and our homeland.
    ·We must get away from our enemy’s sword [^L…because of the destroyer’s/oppressor’s sword]!’
¹⁷ ·In their homelands those soldiers [^LThere they] called out,
    ‘The king of Egypt is only a lot of noise.
He missed his chance [^Cfor glory]!’”

¹⁸ The King’s name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
    He says, “As surely as I live,
one [^Ca powerful leader] will come.
    He will be like Mount Tabor among the mountains,
    like Mount Carmel by the sea [^Cdistinctive and majestic mountains].
¹⁹ ·People [^LDaughter] of Egypt, pack your things
    to be taken away as ·captives [exiles],
because Memphis will be ·destroyed [a desolation].
    It will be a ruin, and no one will live there.

²⁰ “Egypt is like a beautiful ·young cow [heifer],
    but a ·horsefly [gadfly] is coming
    from the north [^CBabylon] to attack her [^Cthough small, gadflies are annoying].
²¹ ·The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army [^LIts mercenaries]
    are like fat calves,
because even they all turn and ·run away [flee] together;
    they do not stand [^Cstrong against the attack].
Their ·time of destruction [^Lday of their devastation/calamity] is coming;
    ·they will soon be punished [^Lthe time of their punishment].
²² Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to escape.
    The ·enemy [^Larmy] comes closer and closer.
They come against it [^CEgypt] with axes
    like men who cut down trees.
²³ They will ·chop [cut] down her forest [^CEgypt’s army]
    ·as if it were a great forest [or for they cannot be numbered; ^Ccould refer either to the Babylonians or the Egyptians],” says the Lord.
“There are more [^Cenemy soldiers] than locusts;
    there are too many to count.
²⁴ The people of Egypt will be ·ashamed [humiliated].
    They will be handed over to the enemy from the north [^CBabylon].”

“See, waters are rising from the north [^Crepresenting the overwhelming force of the Babylonians].
    They will become like an overflowing ·stream [torrent]
and will cover the whole country ·like a flood [^Land its fullness],
    even the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone living in that country
    will cry for help;
    the people will ·cry painfully [wail].
³ They will hear the sound of the ·running horses [^Lhoofs of the chargers]
    and the noisy chariots
    and the rumbling chariot wheels.
·Parents [Fathers] will not ·help their children to safety [turn back for their children],
    because ·they will be too weak to help [^Ltheir hands will be weak].
⁴ The ·time [^Lday] has come
    to destroy all the Philistines.
It is time to ·destroy [^Lcut off] all who ·are left alive [survive]
    who could help the cities of Tyre and Sidon [^Cthe two most important Phoenician cities; the Philistines, Egypt’s allies, could no longer help them].
The Lord will soon destroy the Philistines,
    ·those left alive from the island of Crete [^Lthe remnant of the coastline of Caphtor].
⁵ ·The people from the city of Gaza will be sad and shave their heads [^LBaldness will come to Gaza].
    The people from the city of Ashkelon will be made silent.
·Those left alive [Remnant] from the valley,
    how long will you ·cut [gash] yourselves [^Ca mourning ritual]?

⁶ “·You cry [^LAh], ‘Sword of the Lord,
    how long ·will you keep fighting [^Lbefore you rest]?
Return to your ·holder [sheath].
    Stop and be still.’
⁷ But how can his sword rest
    when the Lord has given it a command?
He has ·ordered [assigned] it
    to attack Ashkelon and the seacoast.”

“·How terrible it will be for the city of [Woe to] Nebo,
    because it will be ·ruined [desolate].
The town of Kiriathaim [Num. 32:37; Josh. 13:19; Ezek. 25:9] will be disgraced and captured;
    the ·strong [fortified] city will be disgraced and shattered.
² Moab will not be praised again.
    Men in the town of Heshbon plan ·Moab’s defeat [^Lits disaster].
    They say, ‘Come, let us ·put an end to [^Lcut off] that nation!’
Town of Madmen you will also be silenced.
    The sword will ·chase [^Lcome after] you.
³ Listen to the cries from the town of Horonaim,
    ·cries of much confusion and destruction [^Ldesolation and great fracture].
⁴ Moab will be broken up.
    ·Her little children will cry for help [or Their cries are heard as far as Zoar].
⁵ Moab’s people go up the path to the town of Luhith,
    crying ·loudly [continually] as they go.
On the road down to Horonaim,
    cries of pain and suffering can be heard.
⁶ ·Run [Flee]! ·Run for [^LEscape with] your lives!
    Go like a ·bush [or wild ass; or Aroer] in the ·desert [wilderness].
⁷ You ·trust [have confidence] in the things you do and in your ·wealth [^Lstorehouses; or arsenals],
    so you also will be captured.
The god Chemosh [^Cthe chief god of Moab] will go into ·captivity [exile]
    and his priests and officers with him.
⁸ The destroyer will come against every town;
    not one town will escape.
The valley will ·be ruined [perish],
    and the high plain will be destroyed,
    as the Lord has said.
⁹ Give ·wings [or salt; ^Ca symbol of complete destruction; Judg. 9:45] to Moab,
    because she will surely leave her land.
Moab’s towns will become ·empty [desolate],
    with no one to live in them.
¹⁰ A curse will be on anyone who ·doesn’t do what the Lord says [^Lis slack in doing the Lord’s work],
    and a curse will be on anyone who holds back his sword from ·killing [^Lblood].

¹¹ “The people of Moab have ·never known trouble [^Lbeen at ease since its youth].
    They are like wine left to settle;
they have never been poured from one jar to another.
    They have not ·been taken into captivity [^Lgone into exile].
So ·they taste as they did before [^Ltheir flavor stands],
    and their ·smell [aroma] has not changed.
¹² ·A time is [^LDays are] coming,” says the Lord,
    “When I will send people to ·pour [decant] you from your jars.
They will empty Moab’s jars
    and smash their jugs [^Ca fitting image since Moab produced much wine; 16:8–10].
¹³ The ·people [^Lhouse] of Israel ·trusted [had confidence in] that god in the town of Bethel [1 Kin. 13:26–33; Amos 7:13],
    and they were ·ashamed [humiliated] when there was no help.
In the same way Moab will be ·ashamed of [humiliated by] their god Chemosh.

¹⁴ “·You cannot [^LHow can you…?] say, ‘We are warriors!
    We are brave men in battle!’
¹⁵ The destroyer of Moab and her towns has arrived.
    Her best young men will be ·killed [slaughtered]!” says the King,
    whose name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
¹⁶ “The ·end [disaster; calamity] of Moab is near,
    and ·she will soon be destroyed [^Lher disaster comes quickly].
¹⁷ All you who live around Moab,
    all you who know ·her [^Lher name], ·cry [mourn] for her.
Say, ‘The ·ruler’s power [^Lstrong scepter] is broken;
    ·Moab’s power and glory are gone [^L…the glorious/beautiful staff].’

¹⁸ “·You people living in the town of [^LEnthroned daughter] Dibon, come down from ·your place of honor [glory]
    and sit on the dry ground,
because the destroyer of Moab has come against you.
    And he has destroyed your ·strong, walled [fortified] cities.
¹⁹ You people living in the town of Aroer,
    stand next to the road and watch.
See the man ·running away [fleeing] and the woman escaping.
    Ask them, ‘What happened?’
²⁰ Moab is filled with ·shame [humiliation], because she is ruined.
    ·Cry [Wail], Moab, cry out!
Announce at the Arnon River
    that Moab is destroyed.
²¹ People on the high plain have been ·punished [judged].
    Judgment has come to these towns:
    Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath;
²²     Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim;
²³     Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon;
²⁴     Kerioth and Bozrah [^Call cities on the Moabite plateau].
    Judgment has come to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
²⁵ Moab’s ·strength [^Lhorn; ^Ca symbol of strength] has been cut off,
    and its arm broken!” says the Lord.

²⁶ “The people of Moab thought they were greater than the Lord,
    so ·punish them until they act as if they are drunk [^Lmake them drunk].
Moab will ·fall and roll around [wallow; or overflow] in its own vomit,
    and people will even make fun of it [^Cthey would drink from the cup of wrath; 25:15–38; Is. 19:14; 51:17; Nah. 1:10].
²⁷ Moab, you made fun of Israel.
    Israel was ·caught [or not found] in the middle of a gang of thieves.
When you spoke about Israel,
    you shook your head [^Cacting as if Moab were better].
²⁸ People in Moab, ·leave your towns empty [^Labandon; forsake]
    and go live among the ·rocks [crags].
Be like a dove that makes its nest
    at the entrance of a cave.

²⁹ “We have heard that the people of Moab are ·proud [arrogant],
    very ·proud [arrogant].
They are proud, very ·proud [arrogant],
    and in their hearts ·they think they are important [^Lare exalted; Ps. 131].”
³⁰ The Lord says,
    “I know ·Moab’s great pride [^Lhis insolence], but it is ·useless [false].
    Moab’s bragging accomplishes nothing.
³¹ So I ·cry sadly [wail] for Moab,
    for everyone in Moab.
    I ·moan [mourn] for the people from the town of Kir Hareseth.
³² I cry with the people of the town of Jazer
    for you, the grapevines of the town of Sibmah.
In the past your vines spread all the way to the sea,
    as far as the sea of Jazer.
But the destroyer has ·taken over [^Lfallen on]
    your ·fruit [summer fruits] and ·grapes [vintage].
³³ Joy and happiness are gone
    from the ·large, rich fields [fruitful/garden lands] of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses.
    No one walks on the grapes with shouts of joy.
There are shouts,
    but not shouts of joy.

³⁴ “Their ·crying [cry for help] can be heard from Moabite towns,
    from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz.
It can be heard from Zoar as far away as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah.
    Even the waters of Nimrim are ·dried up [desolate].
³⁵ I will stop Moab
    from making burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] at the ·places of worship [^Lhigh places; ^Csites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] and from ·burning incense [or making offerings] to their gods,” says the Lord.

³⁶ “My heart ·cries sadly [wails] for Moab like a ·flute [reed-pipe; ^Can instrument that plays funeral songs].
    It ·cries [wails] like a ·flute [reed-pipe] for the people from Kir Hareseth.
    The money they made has all ·been taken away [perished].
³⁷ Every head has been shaved
    and every beard cut off.
Everyone’s hands are ·cut [gashed],
    and everyone wears ·rough cloth around his waist [sackcloth; burlap; ^Cmourning rituals].
³⁸ People are ·crying [mourning] on every roof [^Cflat roofs were living space] in Moab
    and in every public square.
There is nothing but ·sadness [lament],
    because I have broken Moab
    like a jar no one wants [19:1–13; 22:28; Ps. 2:9],” says the Lord.
³⁹ “·Moab [^LHow it] is shattered! The people are ·crying [wailing]!
    ·Moab turns away [^LHow it turns its neck] in ·shame [humiliation]!
People all around her make fun of her.
    The things that happened fill them with great fear [Is. 16:6–12].”

“Look! Someone is coming, like an eagle ·diving down from the sky [swooping down]
    and spreading its wings over Moab [49:22; Ezek. 17:3–4; Hos. 8:1].
⁴¹ The towns of Moab will be captured,
    and the ·strong, walled cities [fortresses] will be ·defeated [seized].
·At that time [^LOn that day] ·Moab’s warriors will be frightened, [^Lthe heart of Moab’s warriors will be]
    like ·a [^Lthe heart of a] woman who is ·having a baby [in labor].
⁴² The nation of Moab will be destroyed,
    because they ·thought they were greater than [magnified themselves over] the Lord.
⁴³ Fear, deep pits, and traps wait for you,
    people of Moab,” says the Lord.
⁴⁴ “People will ·run [flee] from fear,
    but they will fall into the pits.
Anyone who climbs out of the pits
    will be caught in the traps.
I will bring the year of punishment to Moab,” says the Lord.

⁴⁵ “People ·have run [flee] from the ·powerful enemy [^Lstrong]
    and ·have gone to Heshbon for safety [^Lstand in the shadow of Heshbon].
But fire ·started in [^Lhas come out from] Heshbon;
    a ·blaze [^Lflame] has spread from the ·hometown [^Lhouse] of Sihon [^Cearly king of Moab; Num. 21:28].
It ·burned up [^Ldevoured] the ·leaders [or forehead] of Moab
    and ·destroyed those proud people [^Lthe pate of the sons of tumult].
⁴⁶ ·How terrible it is for [Woe to] you, Moab!
    The people of Chemosh [^Cthe chief god of Moab] have been destroyed.
Your sons have been taken ·captive [into exile],
    and your daughters ·have been taken away [into captivity].

⁴⁷ “But in ·days to come [the latter days],
    I will ·make good things happen again to [restore the fortunes of] Moab,” says the Lord.
This ends the judgment on Moab.

“Do you think that Israel has no children?
    Do you think there is no ·one to take the land when the parents die [^Lheir]?
If that were true, why did Molech [^Cthe chief god of Ammon] take Gad’s [^Ca tribe in the north of Israel] land
    and why did Molech’s people settle in Gad’s towns [^Ca bitter reference to the sacrifice of children to Molech]?”
² The Lord says,
“The ·time will come [^Ldays are coming] when I will make Rabbah
    of the Ammonites [^Cits capital], hear the battle cry.
It will become a ·hill covered with ruins [desolate ruin],
    and the ·towns [villages; ^Ldaughters] around it will be burned with fire.
Those people ·forced [dispossessed] Israel out of that land,
    but now Israel will ·force them out [dispossess them]!” says the Lord.
³ “People in the town of Heshbon, ·cry sadly [wail] because the town of Ai is destroyed!
    ·Those who live in [^LDaughters of] Rabbah, cry out!
Put on your ·rough cloth to show your sadness [sackcloth; burlap], and ·cry loudly [mourn; wail].
    Run here and there for safety inside the walls,
because Molech will be taken ·captive [into exile]
    and his priests and officers with him.
⁴ ·You [^LWhy do you…?] brag about your valleys
    and about the fruit in your valleys.
You are like an ·unfaithful [rebellious] ·child [^Ldaughter]
    who ·believes her treasures will save her [^Ltrusts/has confidence in her treasures/arsenals].
    You think, ‘Who would attack me?’
⁵ I will soon bring terror on you
    from everyone around you,”
    says the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
“You will all be ·forced to run [driven] away,
    and no one will be able to gather you.

⁶ “But the time will come
    when I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] the ·Ammonites [^Lsons of Ammon] again,”
    says the Lord.

“Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman [Job 2:11]?
    Can the wise men [^Cof Edom] no longer give good advice?
    Have they lost their wisdom?
⁸ You people living in the town of Dedan,
    ·run away [flee] and hide in deep caves,
because I will bring ·disaster [calamity] on the people of Esau.
    It is time for me to punish them.
⁹ If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines,
    they would leave ·a few grapes [gleanings] behind.
If robbers came at night,
    they would steal only enough for themselves.
¹⁰ But I will strip Esau [^CEdom] bare.
    I will ·find [expose] all their hiding places,
    so they will not be able to hide from me.
The ·children [^Lseed], ·relatives [brothers], and neighbors will die,
    And they [^CEdom] will be no more.
¹¹ ·Leave [Abandon; Forsake] the orphans, and I will ·take care of them [keep them alive].
    Your widows also can ·trust [have confidence] in me.”

¹⁴ I have heard a message from the Lord.
    A ·messenger [herald] has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Gather [^Cyour armies] to attack it!
    ·Get ready [^LRise up] for battle!”

¹⁵ “Soon I will make you the smallest of nations,
    and you will be greatly ·hated [despised] by everyone.
¹⁶ Edom, you ·frightened [terrorized] other nations,
    but your ·pride [arrogance] has ·fooled [deceived] you.
You live in the hollow places of the ·cliff [rock; crag]
    and ·control [seize] the high places of the hills.
Even if you build your home as high as an eagle’s nest,
    I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.

¹⁷ “Edom will be ·destroyed [desolate].
    People who pass by will be shocked to see the destroyed cities,
    and they will ·be amazed [hiss] at all her ·injuries [disasters].
¹⁸ Edom will be ·destroyed [overturned] like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen. 18—19]
    and the towns around them,” says the Lord.
“No one will live there!
    No one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it [^CEdom].

¹⁹ “Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
    to attack ·a strong pen for sheep [or perennial pastures; 50:44],
I will suddenly chase it [^CEdom] from its land.
    Who is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to do this?
·There is no one [^LWho is…?] like me,
    ·no one who [^Lwho…?] can take me to court.
·None of their leaders [^LWho is the shepherd who…?] can stand up against me.”

²⁰ So listen to ·what the Lord has planned to do against Edom [^Lthe counsel/advice of the Lord].
    Listen to ·what he has decided to do to [^Lhis plans against] the people in the town of Teman.
He will surely drag away the young of the flock [^Cthe youth of Edom].
    Their ·hometowns [^Lpasture] will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
²¹ At the sound of their [^CEdom’s] fall, the earth will shake.
    Their cry will be heard all the way to the ·Red [Reed] Sea [50:20; Ex. 10:19].
²² The Lord is like an eagle swooping down
    and spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom’s soldiers will become very frightened,
    like a woman ·having a baby [in labor; 48:40; Ezek. 17:3–4; Hos. 8:1].

“The towns of Hamath and Arpad are ·put to shame [humiliated],
    because they have heard ·bad [disastrous] news.
They ·are discouraged [^Lmelt; ^Cin fear].
    They are troubled like the ·tossing sea [sea that cannot be quieted].
²⁴ The city of Damascus has become weak.
    The people ·want to run away [turn to flee];
    ·they are ready to panic [panic seized them].
·The people feel pain and suffering [^LAnguish and distress have grabbed them],
    like a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor; 48:41; 49:22; 50:43].
²⁵ Damascus was a city of my joy.
    Why have the people not ·left [abandoned; forsaken] that famous city yet?
²⁶ Surely the young men will die in the city squares,
    and all her soldiers will be ·killed [^Lstilled; quieted] ·at that time [^Lon that day],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
²⁷ “I will ·set [kindle a] fire to the walls of Damascus,
    and it will completely ·burn [consume] the ·strong cities [strongholds; citadels] of King Ben-Hadad [^Ca name taken by many kings of Damascus].”

“·Go [^LRise up] and attack the people of Kedar,
    and destroy the ·people of the East [^Lsons of Kedar].
²⁹ Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
    Their belongings will be carried off—
    their tents, all their goods, and their camels.
Men will shout to them,
    ‘Terror on every side [6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5]!’

³⁰ “·Run away [Flee] quickly!
    People in Hazor, ·find a ·good [^Ldeep] place to hide [hide in deep places]!” says the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans against you
    and ·wants to defeat [^Lmakes plans against] you.

³¹ “·Get [^LRise] up! Attack the nation that is ·comfortable [at ease],
    that is ·sure [confident; ^Cthat no one will defeat it],” says the Lord.
“It does not have gates or ·fences [^Lbars; ^Cto protect it].
    Its people live alone.
³² The enemy will ·steal [^Lplunder; despoil] their camels
    and their large herds of cattle as ·war prizes [plunder; booty].
I will scatter the people who ·cut their hair short [shave their temples; Deut. 14:1] to ·every part of the earth [^Lthe wind],
    and I will bring disaster on them from everywhere,” says the Lord.
³³ “The city of Hazor will become a ·home [den; haunt] for ·wild dogs [jackals; 9:11; 10:22];
    it will be ·an empty desert [desolate] forever.
No one will live there,
    and no one will ·stay [sojourn; wander] in it.”

“I will soon break Elam’s bow [Is. 22:6],
    its greatest strength.
³⁶ I will bring the four winds against Elam
    from the four corners of the ·skies [heavens].
I will scatter its people ·everywhere the four winds blow [^Lto all four winds];
    its ·captives [exiles] will go to every nation.
³⁷ I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies,
    who ·want to destroy them [^Lseek their life].
I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] to Elam
    and show them how angry I am!” says the Lord.
“I will send a sword ·to chase Elam [^Lafter them]
    until I have ·killed [ended; annihilated] them all.
³⁸ I will set up my throne in Elam,
    and I will destroy its king and its officers!” says the Lord.

³⁹ “But I will ·make good things happen to [restore the fortunes of] Elam again
    in the ·future [^Llatter days],” says the Lord.

² “·Announce [Proclaim] this to the nations [^Land let them hear].
    Lift up a banner [^Ca battle standard] and ·tell them [make them hear].
    ·Speak the whole message [^LDo not conceal anything] and say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
    The god Bel [^Canother name for Marduk] will be ·put to shame [humiliated],
    and the god Marduk [^Cthe chief god of the Babylonians] will be ·afraid [terrified].
·Babylon’s gods [^LIts images] will be ·put to shame [humiliated],
    and her idols will be ·afraid [terrified]!’
³ A nation from the north will attack Babylon [^CPersia]
    and make it like an ·empty desert [desolation].
No one will live there;
    both people and animals will ·run away [flee].”

⁴ The Lord says, “At that time [^Land in those days]
    the ·people [^Lsons] of Israel and Judah will come together.
    They will cry and ·look for [^Lseek] the Lord their God.
⁵ Those people will ask ·how to go [^Lthe way/path] to ·Jerusalem [^LZion; ^Cthe location of the Temple]
    and will start in that direction.
They will come and join themselves to the Lord.
    They will make an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with him that will last forever,
an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] that will never be forgotten [31:31–34].

⁶ “My people have been like lost sheep.
    Their ·leaders [^Lshepherds] have led them ·in the wrong way [astray]
and made them wander around in the mountains and hills.
    They forgot where their ·resting place [fold] was [Ps. 23].
⁷ Whoever ·saw [^Lfound] my people ·hurt [^Ldevoured] them.
    And those ·enemies [foes] said, ‘We ·did nothing wrong [are not guilty].
Those people sinned against the Lord, their ·true [^Lrighteous] ·resting place [fold],
    the God their fathers ·trusted [hoped in].’

⁸ “·Run away [Flee] from Babylon,
    and leave the land of the ·Babylonians [^LChaldeans].
    Be like the goats that lead the flock.
⁹ I will soon ·arouse [^Lstir up] and bring against Babylon
    ·many great nations [a large assembly of nations] from the north [^Cled by Persia].
They will take their places for war against it,
    and it will be captured ·by people from the north [^Lfrom there].
Their arrows are like trained soldiers
    who do not return [^Cfrom war] with empty hands.
¹⁰ The ·enemy will take all the wealth from the Babylonians [^LChaldeans will be plundered].
    ·Those enemy soldiers will get all they want [^LThe plunderers will be satisfied/sated],” says the Lord.

¹¹ “Babylon, you are excited and happy,
    because you took my ·land [^Linheritance; ^CIsrael].
You ·dance around [run free] like a young cow ·in the grain [during the threshing; Deut. 25:4].
    ·Your laughter is like the neighing of male horses [^LYou neigh like a stallion].
¹² Your mother will be ·very ashamed [humiliated];
    the woman who gave birth to you will be disgraced.
·Soon Babylonia will be the least important of all [^LIt brings up the backside of] the nations.
    She will be an empty, dry ·desert [wilderness].
¹³ Because of the Lord’s anger,
    no one will live there.
    She will be completely ·empty [desolate].
Everyone who passes by Babylon will be shocked.
    They will shake their heads when they see all her injuries.

¹⁴ “Take your positions for war against Babylon,
    all ·you soldiers with [^Lwho draw] bows.
Shoot your arrows at Babylon! Do not ·save any of them [^Lspare any arrows],
    because Babylon has sinned against the Lord.
¹⁵ ·Soldiers around Babylon [^LOn every side], shout the war cry!
    Babylon has surrendered, her ·towers [defenses] have fallen,
    and her walls have been ·torn down [demolished].
The Lord is giving her people the punishment they deserve.
    ·You nations should give her what she deserves;
    do to her what she has done to others [^LJust as it did, they did].
¹⁶ ·Don’t let the people from Babylon plant their crops [^LCut the sower off from Babylon]
    ·or gather [^Lseize the sickle wielder at the time of] the harvest.
·The soldiers treated their captives cruelly [^L…before the sword of the oppressor].
    Now, let everyone ·go back home [^Lturn face toward his people].
Let everyone ·run [flee] to his own country [^Cafter the fall of Babylon, the Persians allowed the exiled people to return to their own lands; Ezra 1].

¹⁷ “The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered
    from being ·chased [driven] by lions.
The first lion to eat them up
    was the king of Assyria [^CSennacherib defeated the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 bc].
The last lion to ·crush [gnaw] their bones
    was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [^Cdefeated the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 bc].”

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his country
    as I punished the king of Assyria [^Cdefeated by Babylon at the end of the seventh century bc].
¹⁹ But I will bring the people of Israel back to their own pasture.
    They will ·eat [feed] on Mount Carmel and in Bashan [^Cparticularly lush areas].
They will ·eat and be full [be sated]
    on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.”
²⁰ The Lord says,
    “At that time and in those days people will try to find Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be no guilt.
People will try to find Judah’s sins,
    but no sins will be found,
because I will leave a ·few people alive from Israel and Judah [remnant],
    and I will forgive their sins.

²¹ “Attack the land of Merathaim.
    Attack the people who live in Pekod [^Calternate names for Babylon].
·Chase them, kill them [^LPut them to the sword], and ·completely destroy [annihilate] them.
    Do everything I commanded you!” says the Lord.

²² “The noise of battle can be heard all over the country;
    it is the noise of ·much destruction [^Lgreat fracture].
²³ ·Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth,
    but how broken and shattered that hammer is now [^LHow cut down and broken is the hammer of the whole earth].
·It is truly the most ruined
    of [^LHow Babylon has become a horror among] all the nations.
²⁴ I set a trap for you [^CBabylon],
    and you were caught before you knew it.
You ·fought against [challenged] the Lord,
    so you were found and ·taken prisoner [captured].
²⁵ The Lord has opened up his storeroom
    and brought out the weapons of his anger,
because the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] has work to do
    in the land of the ·Babylonians [^LChaldeans].
²⁶ Come against it [^CBabylon] from far away.
    Break open her storehouses of grain.
    Pile them up [^Cdead bodies] like heaps of grain.
·Completely destroy Babylon [^LAnnihilate it]
    and ·do not leave anyone alive [^Llet there be no remnant].
²⁷ ·Kill [^LPut to the sword] all its bulls [^Cthe young men in Babylon];
    let them go down to the slaughter [^Ckilled like animals].
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] them, because ·the time has come for their defeat [^Ltheir day has come];
    it is time for them to be punished.
²⁸ Listen to the people ·running [fleeing] to escape the country of Babylon!
    They are telling ·Jerusalem [^LZion; ^Cthe location of the Temple]
how the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deserves
    for destroying his Temple.

²⁹ “Call for ·the archers [^Lall those who draw the bow]
    to come against Babylon.
·Tell them to surround the city [^LCamp all around it],
    and let no one escape.
Pay her back for what she has done;
    do to her what she has done to other nations.
Babylon acted with ·pride [arrogance] against the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.
³⁰ So her young men will be killed in her streets.
    All her soldiers will ·die [^Lbe silenced] on that day,” says the Lord.
³¹ “You [^CBabylon] are too ·proud [arrogant], and I am against you,”
    says the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
“·The time has come [^LYour day is coming]
    ·for you to be punished [^Lthe time of your punishment].
³² The ·proud [arrogant; ^CBabylon] will stumble and fall,
    and no one will help her get up.
I will ·start [kindle] a fire in her towns,
    and it will ·burn up [^Ldevour] everything around her.”

“The people of Israel
    and Judah are ·slaves [oppressed].
·The enemy took them as prisoners [^LTheir captors have seized them]
    and won’t let them go.
³⁴ But ·God is strong and will buy them back [^Ltheir redeemer is strong].
    His name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].
He will surely ·defend them with power [take up their cause/case]
    so he can give rest to their land.
    But ·he will not give rest [turmoil] to those living in Babylon.”

“Let a sword ·kill the people living in Babylon [^Lbe against the Chaldeans]
    and her officers and wise men!
³⁶ Let a sword ·kill [^Lbe against] her ·false prophets [diviners],
    and they will become fools.
Let a sword ·kill [^Lbe against] her warriors,
    and they will be full of terror.
³⁷ Let a sword ·kill [^Lbe against] her horses and chariots
    and all the soldiers hired from other countries!
    Then they will be like women [^Cfrightened].
Let a sword ·attack [^Lbe against] her treasures,
    so they will be ·taken away [^Lplundered].
³⁸ Let a sword ·attack [^Lbe against] her waters
    so they will be dried up.
She is a land of idols,
    and the people go ·crazy [mad] with fear over them.

³⁹ “Desert animals and hyenas will live there,
    and ·owls [or ostriches] will live there [^Critually unclean birds that live in desolate places],
but no people will ever live there again.
    She will never be ·filled with people [resided in] again.
⁴⁰ God ·completely destroyed [^Loverturned] the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
    and ·the towns around them [^Ltheir neighbors; 20:6; 23:13–15; 49:18; Gen. 18–19],” says the Lord.
“In the same way no people will live there [^CBabylon],
    and no human being will stay there.

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north [^CPersia and its allies].
    A powerful nation and many kings
    are ·coming together [^Lstirred up] from all around the world.
⁴² ·Their armies have [^LThey have grabbed] bows and spears.
    The soldiers are ·cruel [fierce; violent] and have no ·mercy [compassion].
As the soldiers come riding on their horses,
    the sound is loud like the ·roaring [thundering] sea.
They stand in their places, ready for battle.
    They are ready to attack you, city of Babylon.
⁴³ The king of Babylon heard ·about those armies [^Lthe news/report],
    and ·he became helpless with fear [^Lhis hands grew slack/feeble].
Distress has gripped him.
    His pain is like that of a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor; 6:22–24].

⁴⁴ “Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
    to attack a ·strong pen for sheep [or perennial pastures],
I will suddenly chase them away [^Cpeople of Babylon from their land].
    Who is the one I have ·chosen [appointed] to do this?
·There is no one [^LWho is…?] like me,
    ·no one who [^LWho…?] can take me to court.
·None of their leaders [^LWho is the shepherd who…?] can stand up against me [49:19].”

⁴⁵ So listen to ·what the Lord has planned to do against Babylon [^Lcounsel/advice of the Lord].
    Listen to ·what he has decided to do to [^Lhis plans against] the people in the city of Babylon.
He will surely drag away the young of the flock [^Cthe youth of Babylon].
    Their ·hometowns [^Lpasture] will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
⁴⁶ At the sound of Babylon’s capture, the earth will shake.
    People in all nations will hear Babylon’s cry of distress.

“I will soon ·cause [arouse; stir up] a destroying ·wind [or spirit]
    against Babylon and the ·Babylonian people [^Linhabitants of Leb Qemai; ^Ca coded reference to Chaldea (Babylon)].
² I will send ·foreign people [strangers; or winnowers] to ·destroy [^Lwinnow] Babylon.
    They will ·destroy [^Lempty] the land.
Armies will surround the city
    when the day of ·disaster [evil; trouble] comes upon her.
³ Don’t let the archers [^Cof Babylon] ·prepare [draw] their bows to shoot.
    Don’t even let them put on their ·armor [coat of mail].
Don’t ·feel sorry for [pity] the young men of Babylon,
    but ·completely destroy [annihilate] her army.
⁴ ·They will be killed [^LCorpses will fall] in the land of the ·Babylonians [^LChaldeans]
    and ·will die [^Lthe wounded] in her streets.
⁵ The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]
    did not ·leave [^Lwidow] Israel and Judah,
even though ·they were completely guilty [^Ltheir land was full of guilt]
    in the presence of the Holy One of Israel.
⁶ “·Run away [Flee] from Babylon
    and ·save your lives [rescue yourselves]!
    Don’t stay and be killed because of Babylon’s sins.
It is time for the Lord to ·punish Babylon [^Lavenge himself];
    he will give Babylon the punishment she deserves.
⁷ Babylon was like a gold cup in the Lord’s hand
    that made the whole earth drunk [^CGod used Babylon to administer his cup of wrath].
The nations drank Babylon’s wine,
    so they went ·crazy [mad].
⁸ Babylon has suddenly fallen and been broken.
    ·Cry [Wail] for her!
Get balm [8:22; 46:11] for her pain,
    and maybe she can be healed.

⁹ “Foreigners in Babylon say, ‘We tried to heal Babylon,
    but she cannot be healed.
So let us leave her and each go to his own country [^Cafter the fall of Babylon, the Persians allowed the exiled people to return to their own lands; Ezra 1].
    Babylon’s ·punishment [judgment] ·is as high as [reaches; touches] the ·sky [heavens];
it ·reaches [^Llifts up] to the ·clouds [or skies].’

¹⁰ “The people of Judah say, ‘The Lord has ·shown us to be right [brought about/forth our vindication].
    Come, let us ·tell [recount] in ·Jerusalem [^LZion; ^Cthe location of the Temple]
what the Lord our God has done.’

¹¹ “Sharpen the arrows!
    ·Pick up your shields [or Fill the quivers]!
The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
    because he ·wants [^Lpurposes] to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will punish them as they deserve
    for destroying his Temple.
¹² Lift up a banner [^Ca battle standard] against the walls of Babylon!
    ·Bring more [^LStrengthen the] guards.
Put the watchmen in their places,
    and ·get ready for a secret attack [prepare an ambush]!
The Lord will certainly do what he has planned
    and what he said he would do against the people of Babylon.
¹³ You [^CBabylon] live near ·much [mighty] water [^Cthe Euphrates]
    and are rich with many treasures,
but your end as a nation has come.
    ·It is time to stop you from robbing other nations [or Your destiny is fixed].
¹⁴ The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] has promised ·in his own name [^Lby himself]:
    ‘I will surely fill you [^CBabylon] with so many men [^Cenemy soldiers] they will be like locusts [46:23; Judg. 6:5; 7:12; Nah. 3:15–17; Rev. 9:7].
They will ·stand [raise] over you and shout their victory.’

¹⁵ “The Lord made the earth by his power.
    He used his wisdom to ·build [^Lestablish] the world
    and his understanding to stretch out the ·skies [heavens; Prov. 3:19–20; 8:22–31].
¹⁶ When he ·thunders [^Lgives forth his voice], the waters in the skies roar.
    He makes ·clouds [mist] rise ·all over [^Lfrom the ends of] the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

¹⁷ “People are so stupid and know so little.
    Goldsmiths are ·made ashamed [humiliated] by their idols,
because those statues are ·only false gods [^Ldeceptive].
    They have no breath in them.
¹⁸ They are worth nothing; ·people make fun of them [or works of delusion].
    ·When they are judged [^LAt the time of their punishment], they will be destroyed.
¹⁹ But Jacob’s Portion [^CGod] is not like the idols.
    He ·made [formed; shaped] everything,
and ·he chose Israel to be his special people [Israel is the tribe of his inheritance].
    The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] is his name.

²⁰ “You are my war club,
    my battle weapon.
I use you to ·smash [shatter; ^Cand so throughout this passage] nations.
    I use you to destroy kingdoms.
²¹ I use you to smash horses and riders.
    I use you to smash chariots and drivers.
²² I use you to smash men and women.
    I use you to smash old people and young people.
    I use you to smash young men and young women.
²³ I use you to smash shepherds and flocks.
    I use you to smash farmers and oxen.
    I use you to smash governors and ·officers [officials; leaders].

“Babylon, you are a destroying mountain,
    and I am against you.
    You have destroyed the whole land.
I will ·put [reach; stretch] my hand out against you.
    I will roll you off the ·cliffs [rocks; crags],
    and I will make you a burned-out mountain.
²⁶ People will not ·find any rocks in Babylon big enough for [^Ltake from you] cornerstones.
    People will not take any rocks from you for a foundation [^Cof a building],
    because your city will be ·just a pile of ruins [a desolation] forever,” says the Lord.

²⁷ “Lift up a banner [^Ca battle standard] in the land!
    Blow the ·trumpet [ram’s horn] among the nations!
·Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon [^LConsecrate the nations against it].
    Call these kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz [^Cnear Lake Urmia and Lake Van to the northwest of Babylon, and part of the coalition against it] against her [^Cto fight].
Choose a commander ·to lead the army against Babylon [^Lagainst it].
    ·Send [^LBring up] so many horses that they are like a swarm of locusts.
²⁸ ·Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon [^LConsecrate the nations against it]—
    the kings of the Medes,
their governors and all their officers,
    and all the countries they rule.
²⁹ The land shakes and ·moves in pain [writhes],
    because the Lord will do what he has planned to Babylon.
He will make Babylon an ·empty desert [desolation],
    where no one will live.
³⁰ Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting.
    They stay in their ·protected cities [strongholds].
Their strength is gone,
    and they have become like women [^Cfrightened].
Babylon’s houses are burning.
    The bars [^Cof its gates] are broken.
³¹ One runner meets another runner;
    messenger meets messenger.
They announce to the king of Babylon
    that his whole city has been captured.
³² The river crossings have been ·captured [seized],
    and the swamplands are burning with fire.
    All of the soldiers [^Cof Babylon] are terribly afraid.”

“The ·city [^Ldaughter] of Babylon is like a threshing floor,
    where people trod [^Con grain at harvest time].
    The time to harvest [^CBabylon] is coming soon.”

³⁴ “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has ·defeated [^Ldevoured; consumed] and ·destroyed [crushed] us.
    We became like an empty jar [^Cprobably a reference to the exile].
He was like a ·giant snake [monster; dragon; Is. 27:1; 51:9; Ezek. 29:3; 32:2; Job 7:1; Ps. 74:13] that swallowed us.
    He filled his stomach with our ·best things [delicacies].
    Then he spit us out.
³⁵ ·Babylon did terrible things to hurt us.
    Now let those things happen to Babylon [^LMay the violence done to me and my flesh be on Babylon],”
    say the people of ·Jerusalem [^LZion; ^Cthe location of the Temple].
“·The people of Babylon killed our people.
    Now let them be punished for what they did [^LMay my blood be on the Chaldeans],” says Jerusalem.

“I will ·soon defend you [^Lpresent your case; ^Caddressed to Judah],
    and make sure that Babylon is punished.
I will dry up Babylon’s sea
    and make her springs become dry [Is. 24:4; Nah. 1:4].
³⁷ Babylon will become a pile of ruins,
    a ·home [den; haunt] for wild dogs [jackals; 9:11; 10:22; 49:33; Lam. 5:18].
People will be shocked and hiss at what happened there.
    No one will live there anymore.
³⁸ Babylon’s people roar like young lions;
    they growl like baby lions.
³⁹ While they are ·stirred [heated] up,
    I will give ·a feast for [drinks to] them
    and make them drunk.
They will shout and laugh.
    And they will sleep forever and never wake up!” says the Lord.
⁴⁰ “I will take them [^Cpeople of Babylon] to be ·killed [slaughtered].
    They will be like lambs,
like sheep and goats [11:19; 12:3].

⁴¹ “How ·Babylon [^LSheshach; ^Can alternate name for Babylon; 25:26] has been ·defeated [captured]!
    The pride of the whole earth has been ·taken captive [seized].
·People from other nations are shocked at what happened to Babylon,
    and the things they see make them afraid [^LHow Babylon has become a horror among the nations].
⁴² The sea has risen over Babylon;
    its ·roaring [tumultuous] waves cover her.
⁴³ ·Babylon’s [^LIts] towns are ·ruined and empty [desolate].
    It has become a dry, desert land,
a land where no one lives.
    People do not even travel through it .
⁴⁴ I will punish the god Bel [^Canother name for Marduk, the chief god of Babylon] in Babylon.
    I will make him spit out what he has swallowed.
Nations will no longer ·come [^Lstream] to Babylon;
    even the wall around the city will fall.

⁴⁵ “Come out of it [^CBabylon], my people!
    ·Run for [Escape with] your lives!
    ·Run [Escape] from the Lord’s great anger.
⁴⁶ Don’t lose ·courage [heart];
    rumors will spread through the land, but don’t be afraid.
One rumor comes this year, and another comes the next year.
    There will be rumors of ·terrible fighting [violence] in the country,
    of rulers fighting against rulers.
⁴⁷ The ·time will surely come [^Ldays are coming]
    when I will punish the idols of Babylon,
and the whole land will be disgraced.
    There will be many ·dead people [corpses] ·lying all around [^Lfalling in its midst].
⁴⁸ Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
    will shout for joy about Babylon.
They will shout because the army comes from the north [^CPersia and its allies]
    to destroy Babylon,” says the Lord.

⁴⁹ “Babylon must fall, because ·she killed people from [^Lof the corpses of] Israel.
    ·She killed people from everywhere on [^L…and the corpses of all the] earth.
⁵⁰ You who have escaped being killed with swords,
    ·leave Babylon [go; flee; depart]! Don’t wait!
    Remember the Lord in the faraway land
and ·think about Jerusalem [^Llet Jerusalem come up in your heart/mind].”

⁵¹ “We people of Judah are disgraced,
    because we have been ·insulted [reproached].
    ·We have been shamed [^LShame/Humiliation covers our face],
because strangers have gone into
    the holy places of the Lord’s Temple [^Lhouse]!”

⁵² So the Lord says, “The ·time is [^Ldays are] coming soon
    when I will punish the idols of Babylon.
Wounded people will ·cry with pain [groan]
    all over that land.
⁵³ Even if Babylon grows until she touches the ·sky [heavens],
    and even if she ·makes her highest cities strong [fortifies her lofty stronghold],
    I will send people to destroy her,” says the Lord.
⁵⁴ “Sounds of people crying are heard in Babylon.
    Sounds of ·people destroying things [great destruction]
    are heard in the land of the Babylonians.
⁵⁵ The Lord is destroying Babylon
    and making the loud sounds of the city become silent.
Enemies come roaring in like ocean waves.
    The roar of their voices is heard all around.
⁵⁶ ·The army has come to destroy [^LDestroyers have come to] Babylon.
    Her soldiers have been captured,
    and their bows are broken,
because the Lord is a God who punishes people for the evil they do.
    He ·gives them the full punishment they deserve [repays them in full].
⁵⁷ I will make Babylon’s rulers and wise men drunk [^Cwith the cup of God’s wrath; 25:15–38],
    and her governors, officers, and soldiers, too.
Then they will sleep forever and never wake up [v. 39],” says the King,
    whose name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts].

“Babylon’s ·thick [broad] wall will be completely ·pulled down [leveled]
    and her high gates burned with fire.
The people will ·work hard [weary themselves], but it won’t help;
    their work will only become fuel for the flames!”