1. The Lord will once again be merciful to his people Israel and choose them as his own. He will let them live in their own land again, and foreigners will come and live there with them.
2. Many nations will help the people of Israel to return to the land which the Lord gave them, and there the nations will serve Israel as slaves. Those who once captured Israel will now be captured by Israel, and the people of Israel will rule over those who once oppressed them.
3. The Lord will give the people of Israel relief from their pain and suffering, and from the hard work they were forced to do.
4. When he does this, they are to mock the king of Babylonia and say:“The cruel king has fallen! He will never oppress anyone again!
5. The Lord has ended the power of the evil rulers
6. who angrily oppressed the peoples and never stopped persecuting the nations they had conquered.
7. Now at last the whole world enjoys rest and peace, and everyone sings for joy.
8. The cypress trees and the cedars of Lebanon rejoice over the fallen king, because there is no one to cut them down, now that he is gone!
9. “The world of the dead is getting ready to welcome the king of Babylonia. The ghosts of those who were powerful on earth are stirring about. The ghosts of kings are rising from their thrones.
10. They all call out to him, ‘Now you are as weak as we are! You are one of us!
11. You used to be honoured with the music of harps, but now here you are in the world of the dead. You lie on a bed of maggots and are covered with a blanket of worms.’