2 Shake off the dust!\par Put on your wonderful clothes!\par Jerusalem, Daughter of Zion, {\cf2\super [422]} \par you were a prisoner.\par But now, free yourself from the chains\par that are around your neck!\par
2 Shake yourself from the dust; arise, sit [erect in a dignified place], O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.
“The Spirit of the Lord (God) has come to me.\par God chose me to tell good news to people\par that are poor.\par God sent me to tell people who are\par prisoners that they are free,\par and to tell the blind people\par that they can see again.\par God sent me to free the weak people\par from their suffering\par
You people escaped the swords.\par You must hurry and leave Babylon.\par Don’t wait!\par You are in a faraway land.\par But remember the Lord where you are.\par And remember Jerusalem.”\par
\{The Lord’s servant says,\} “The Lord my Master put his Spirit in me. God chose me to tell good news to poor people and to comfort sad people. God sent me to tell the captives that they are free and to tell the prisoners that they have been set free.
Some of the people will be killed by soldiers. Other people will be made prisoners and taken to every country. The holy city of Jerusalem will be walked on by non-Jewish people until their time is finished.
You were \{defeated and\} pulled to the ground. Now, I hear your voice rising from the ground like the voice of a ghost. Your words come like a quiet voice from the dirt.”
I will now use my anger to punish the people that hurt you. Those people tried to kill you. They told you, ‘Bow down before us, and we will walk on you!’ They forced you to bow down before them. And then they walked on your back like dirt. You were like a road for them to walk on.”
Then you will say to yourself,\par ‘Who gave me all these children?\par This is very good!\par I was sad and lonely.\par I was defeated and away from my people.\par So who gave me these children?\par Look, I was left alone.\par Where did all these children come from?’”\par
Run away from Babylon.\par Run to save your lives!\par Don’t stay and be killed\par because of Babylon’s sins!\par It is time for the Lord to punish\par the people of Babylon\par for the bad things they did.\par Babylon will get the punishment\par that she should have.\par
Why? Because you will take away the heavy burden. You will take away the heavy pole on the people’s backs. You will take away the rod that the enemy uses to punish your people. This will be like the time you defeated Midian. {\cf2\super [107]}
\{Assyria {\cf2\super [125]} will bring troubles to you—those troubles will be like weights you have to carry on\} a pole across your shoulder. But, that pole will be taken off your neck. That pole will be broken by your strength (God).
I will destroy the king of Assyria in my country. I will trample (walk on) that king on my mountains. That king made my people be his slaves; he put a yoke {\cf2\super [153]} on their necks. That pole will be taken off Judah’s neck. That burden will be removed.
And the trees growing in the field will produce their fruit. The earth will give its harvest. So the sheep will be safe on their land. I will break the yokes {\cf2\super [275]} on them. I will save them from the power of the people that made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
You people from Zion now live in Babylon.\par Escape! Run away from that city!”\par The Lord All-Powerful said \{these things\}.\par He sent me to the nations\par that stole things from you.\par He sent me to bring \{you\} honor!\par