Study Desk

"Hazor will become a home for wild dogs, an empty desert forever. No one will live there. No one will stay in that place."

The Lord says, "At that time the people of Israel and the people of Judah will be together. They will cry and cry together, and together, they will go look for the Lord their God.

I will bring many nations together from the north. This group of nations will get ready for war against Babylon. Babylon will be captured by people from the north. Those nations will shoot many arrows at Babylon. Their arrows will be like soldiers who don't come back from war with their hands empty.

"Prepare for war against Babylon. All you soldiers with bows, shoot your arrows at Babylon. Don't save any of your arrows. Babylon has sinned against the Lord .

The Lord says, "At that time people will try hard 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. That is because I am saving a few survivors from Israel and Judah. And I am forgiving them for all their sins."

Babylon, I set a trap for you, and you were caught before you knew it. You fought against the Lord , so you were found and captured.

Kill all the young men in Babylon. Let them be slaughtered like bulls. How terrible for them that their day of defeat has come! It is time for them to be punished.

"Call for the archers. Tell them to attack Babylon. Tell them to surround the city. Don't let anyone escape. Pay her back for the bad things she has done. Do to her what she has done to other nations. Babylon did not respect the Lord . Babylon was very rude to the Holy One of Israel. So punish Babylon.

"Babylon, you are too proud, and I am against you," says the Lord God All-Powerful. "I am against you, and the time has come for you to be punished.

But God will get them back. His name is the Lord God All-Powerful. He will defend them very strongly. He will argue their case so that he can let their land rest. But there will be no rest for those living in Babylon."

Their armies have bows and spears. The soldiers are cruel. They have no mercy. The soldiers come riding on their horses; the sound is as loud as the roaring sea. They stand in their places, ready for battle. They are ready to attack you, city of Babylon.

The Babylonian soldiers will not get to use their bows and arrows. They will not even put on their armor. Don't feel sorry for the soldiers of Babylon. Destroy her army completely!

Run away from Babylon. Run to save your lives! Don't stay and be killed because of Babylon's sins! It is time for the Lord to punish the Babylonians for the bad things they have done. Babylon will get the punishment that she should have.

But Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Cry for her! Get medicine for her pain, and maybe she can be healed.

The Lord got even for us. Come, let's tell about that in Zion. Let's tell what the Lord our God has done.

Lift up a flag against the walls of Babylon. Bring more guards. Put the watchmen in their places. Get ready for a secret attack. The Lord will do what he has planned. He will do what he said he would do against the people of Babylon.

Babylon, you live near much water. You are rich with treasures, but your end as a nation has come. It is time for you to be destroyed.

But I will repay Babylonia and all the Babylonians for all the evil things they did to Zion. I will pay them back so that you can see it, Judah." This is what the Lord said.

People will not take stones from Babylon to use as the foundation of a building. That is because they will not find any stones big enough for cornerstones. Your city will be a pile of broken rocks forever." This is what the Lord said.

"Lift up the war flag in the land! Blow the trumpet in all the nations! Prepare the nations for war against Babylon. Call these kingdoms to come fight against Babylon: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Choose a commander to lead the army against her. Send so many horses that they are like a swarm of locusts.