1. The Lord will have mercy on Israel and will let them be his chosen people once again. He will bring them back to their own land, and foreigners will join them as part of Israel.
2. Other nations will lead them home, and Israel will make slaves of them in the land that belongs to the Lord. Israel will rule over those who once governed and ill-treated them.
3. The Lord will set you free from your sorrow, suffering, and slavery.
4. Then you will make fun of the king of Babylonia by singing this song:That cruel monster is done for!He won't attack us again.
5. The Lord has crushed the powerof those evil kings,
6. who were furiousand never stopped abusingthe people of other nations.
7. Now all the world is at peace;its people are celebratingwith joyful songs.
8. King of Babylonia,even the cypress treesand the cedars of Lebanoncelebrate and say,“Since you were put down,no one comes alongto chop us down.”
9. The world of the deadeagerly waits for you.With great excitement,the spirits of ancient rulershear about your coming.
10. Each one of them will say,“Now you are just as weakas any of us!
11. Your pride and your musichave ended herein the world of the dead.Worms are your blanket,maggots are your bed.”
12. You, the bright morning star,have fallen from the sky!You brought down other nations;now you are brought down.
13. You said to yourself,“I'll climb to heavenand place my throneabove the highest stars.I'll sit there with the godsfar away in the north.
14. I'll be above the clouds,just like God Most High.”
15. But now you are deepin the world of the dead.
16. Those who see you will stareand wonder, “Is this the manwho made the world trembleand shook up kingdoms?
17. Did he capture every cityand make earth a desert?Is he the one who refusedto let prisoners go home?”
18. When kings die, they are buriedin glorious tombs.
19. But you will be left unburied,just another dead bodylying underfootlike a broken branch.You will be one of manykilled in battle and gone downto the deep rocky pit.
20. You won't be buried with kings;you ruined your countryand murdered your people.You evil monster!We hope that your familywill be forgotten for ever.
21. We will slaughter your sonsto make them pay for the crimesof their ancestors.They won't take over the worldor build citiesanywhere on this earth.
22. The Lord All-Powerful has promised to attack Babylonia and destroy everyone there, so that none of them will ever be remembered again.
23. The Lord will sweep out the people, and the land will become a swamp for wild animals.
24. The Lord All-Powerfulhas made this promise:Everything I have plannedwill happen just as I said.
25. I will wipe out every Assyrianin my country,and I will crush thoseon my mountains.I will free my peoplefrom slaveryto the Assyrians.
26. I have planned thisfor the whole world,and my mighty armcontrols every nation.
27. I, the Lord All-Powerful,have made these plans.No one can stop me now!
28. This message came from the Lordin the year King Ahaz died:
29. Philistines, don't be happyjust because the rodthat punished youis broken.That rod will becomea poisonous snake, and thena flying fiery dragon.
30. The poor and needy will findpastures for their sheepand will live in safety.But I will starve some of you,and others will be killed.
31. Cry and weep in the gatesof your towns,you Philistines!Smoke blows in from the north,and every soldier is ready.
32. If a messenger comesfrom a distant nation,you must say:“The Lord built Zion.Even the poorest of his peoplewill find safety there.”