Because of all these things, the Master, the Lord All-Powerful, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will punish you, my enemies. You will not cause me any more trouble.
\{At that time, you will sing happy songs. That time\} will be like the nights when you begin a holiday. You are very happy while walking to the Lord’s mountain. You are happy while listening to the flute on the way to worship \{the Lord,\} the Rock {\cf2\super [284]} of Israel.
People are afraid and confused. Say to those people, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!” Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. The Lord will save you.
“Those people hurt you.\par But I will force those people\par to eat their own bodies.\par Their own blood will be\par the wine that makes them drunk.\par Then every person will know that\par the Lord saved you.\par All people will know that\par the Powerful One of Jacob saved you.”\par
The Lord is angry at his enemies.\par So the Lord will give them\par the punishment they deserve.\par The Lord is angry with his enemies.\par So the Lord will punish the people\par in all the faraway places.\par The Lord will give them\par the punishment they deserve.\par
Nations \{will give you everything you need\}.\par It will be like a child\par drinking milk from its mother.\par But you will ‘drink’ riches from kings.\par Then you will know that it is I, the Lord,\par who saves you.\par You will know that the Great God of Jacob protects you.\par
God sent me to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness. God sent me to announce the time when our God will punish evil people. God sent me to comfort sad people.
But God will get those people back.\par His name is the Lord God All-Powerful.\par He will defend those people very strongly.\par He will defend them so that he can let that land rest.\par But there will be no rest\par for the people living in Babylon.”\par
I should punish the people of Judah.”\par This message is from the Lord.\par “You know that I should punish\par that kind of people.\par I should give them the punishment\par that they deserve.”\par
One third of your people will die inside the city from diseases and hunger. One third of your people will die in battle outside the city. And then I will pull out my sword and chase one third of your people into faraway countries.
Only then will I stop being angry at your people. I will know that they have been punished for the bad things they did to me. And they will know that I am the Lord, and that I spoke to them because of my strong love {\cf2\super [45]} for them!”
“The Lord was happy to be good to you and to make your nation grow. In the same way, the Lord will be happy to ruin and destroy you. You are going to take that land to be yours. But people will take you out of that land!
“The whole world should be happy for God’s people!
{Why? Because he helps them}—
he punishes people who kill
his servants.
He gives his enemies
the punishment they deserve.
And he makes his land and people pure. [217] ”
So these bad things will come to her\par in one day:\par death, sad crying, and great hunger.\par She will be destroyed by fire,\par because the Lord God who judges her\par is powerful.\par