"Report[it] to the nations,now!ProclaimoverJerusalem,'Besiegerscomefrom a farcountry,And lifttheir voicesagainstthe citiesof Judah.
Drawnear,O nations,to hear;and listen,O peoples!Let the earthand all it containshear,and the worldand allthat springsfrom it.
Then Isaiahthe prophetcameto KingHezekiahand saidto him, "Whatdid thesemensay,and from wherehave they cometo you?" And Hezekiahsaid,"They have cometo me from a farcountry,from Babylon."
"For, behold,I am callingallthe familiesof the kingdomsof the north,"declaresthe LORD;"and they will comeand they will seteachonehis throneat the entranceof the gatesof Jerusalem,and againstallits wallsroundaboutand againstallthe citiesof Judah.
"Both greatmenand smallwill diein thisland;they will not be buried,they will not be lamented,norwill anyone gashhimself or shavehis headfor them.
"The younglionshave roaredat him, They have roaredloudly.And they have madehis landa waste;His citieshave been destroyed,withoutinhabitant.
Hearthe wordof the LORD,O nations,And declarein the coastlandsafaroff,And say,"He who scatteredIsraelwill gatherhim And keephim as a shepherdkeeps his flock."
Now whenJerusalemwas capturedin the ninthyearof Zedekiahkingof Judah,in the tenthmonth,Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylonand allhis armycameto Jerusalemand laidsiegeto it;
Like watchmenof a fieldthey are againsther roundabout,Becauseshe has rebelledagainst Me,' declaresthe LORD.
"Behold,I am bringinga nationagainstyou from afar,O houseof Israel,"declaresthe LORD."It is an enduringnation,It is an ancientnation,A nationwhose languageyou do not know,Norcan you understandwhatthey say.
Thereforea lionfrom the forestwill slaythem, A wolfof the desertswill destroythem, A leopardis watchingtheir cities.Everyonewho goesout of them will be tornin pieces,Becausetheir transgressionsare many,Their apostasiesare numerous.
"Declareand proclaimamong the nations.Proclaimit and liftup a standard.Do not conceal[it but] say,Babylonhas been captured,Belhas beenputto shame,Mardukhas beenshattered;Her imageshave beenputto shame,her idolshave beenshattered.'
"Thereforehear,O nations,And know,O congregation,whatis among them.
"Hear,O earth:behold,I am bringingdisasteron thispeople,The fruitof their plans,Becausethey have not listenedto My words,And as for My law,they have rejectedit also.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Behold,a peopleis comingfrom the northland,And a greatnationwill be arousedfrom the remotepartsof the earth.
"They seizebowand spear;They are crueland havenomercy;Their voiceroarslike the sea,And they rideon horses,Arrayedas a manfor the battleAgainstyou, O daughterof Zion!"
Behold,listen!The cryof the daughterof my peoplefrom a distantland:"Is the LORDnot in Zion?Is her Kingnot within her?" "Whyhave they provokedMe with their gravenimages,with foreignidols?"
"Into his righthandcamethe divination,'Jerusalem,'to setbatteringrams,to openthe mouthfor slaughter,to liftup the voicewith a battlecry,to setbatteringramsagainstthe gates,to castup ramps,to builda siegewall.
