"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.'
Then allmenwill fear,And they will declarethe workof God,And will considerwhatHe has done.
Tellof His gloryamong the nations,His wonderfuldeedsamong allthe peoples.
Let allthose be ashamedwho servegravenimages,Who boastthemselves of idols;WorshipHim, allyou gods.
And in that dayyou will say,"Givethanksto the LORD,callon His name.MakeknownHis deedsamong the peoples;Make [them] rememberthat His nameis exalted."
Liftup a standardon the barehill,Raiseyour voiceto them, Wavethe handthat they may enterthe doorsof the nobles.
"Now behold,herecomesa troopof riders,horsemenin pairs."And one said,"Fallen,fallenis Babylon;And allthe imagesof her godsare shatteredon the ground."
and have casttheir godsinto the fire,for they were not godsbut the workof men'shands,woodand stone.So they have destroyedthem.
At that timeMerodach-baladansonof Baladan,kingof Babylon,sentlettersand a presentto Hezekiah,for he heardthat he had beensickand had recovered.
Belhas boweddown,Nebostoopsover;Their imagesare [consigned] to the beastsand the cattle.The thingsthat you carryare burdensome,A loadfor the weary[beast].
Goforthfrom Babylon!Fleefrom the Chaldeans!Declarewith the soundof joyfulshouting,proclaimthis,Sendit out to the endof the earth;Say,"The LORDhas redeemedHis servantJacob."
"You have heard;lookat allthis. And you, will you not declareit? I proclaimto you newthingsfrom thistime,Even hiddenthingswhich you have not known.
Thusyou shall sayto them, "The godsthat did not makethe heavensand the earthwill perishfrom the earthand from underthe heavens."
They are worthless,a workof mockery;In the timeof their punishmentthey will perish.
Hearthe wordof the LORD,O nations,And declarein the coastlandsafaroff,And say,"He who scatteredIsraelwill gatherhim And keephim as a shepherdkeeps his flock."
"Report[it] to the nations,now!ProclaimoverJerusalem,'Besiegerscomefrom a farcountry,And lifttheir voicesagainstthe citiesof Judah.
"Liftup a standardtoward Zion!Seekrefuge,do not stand[still], For I am bringingevilfrom the north,And greatdestruction.
"Declarein Egyptand proclaimin Migdol,Proclaimalso in Memphisand Tahpanhes;Say,'Takeyour standand getyourself ready,For the swordhas devouredthose aroundyou.'
At the shout,"Babylonhas been seized!"the earthis shaken,and an outcryis heardamong the nations.
Liftup a signalagainstthe wallsof Babylon;Posta strongguard,Stationsentries,Placemen in ambush!For the LORDhas bothpurposedand performedWhatHe spokeconcerningthe inhabitantsof Babylon.
Liftup a signalin the land,Blowa trumpetamong the nations!Consecratethe nationsagainsther, Summonagainsther the kingdomsof Ararat,Minniand Ashkenaz;Appointa marshalagainsther, Bringup the horseslike bristlylocusts.
One courierrunsto meetanother,And one messengerto meetanother,To tellthe kingof BabylonThat his cityhas been capturedfrom end[to end];
"I will punishBelin Babylon,And I will make whathe has swallowedcomeout of his mouth;And the nationswill nolongerstreamto him. Eventhe wallof Babylonhas fallendown!
Thereforebehold,daysare comingWhen I will punishthe idolsof Babylon;And her wholelandwill be putto shameAnd allher slainwill fallin her midst.
"Thereforebehold,the daysare coming,"declaresthe LORD,"When I will punishher idols,And the mortallywoundedwill groanthroughouther land.
SuddenlyBabylonhas fallenand been broken;Wailoverher! Bringbalmfor her pain;Perhapsshe may be healed.
Now it cameabout in the thirty-seventhyearof the exileof Jehoiachinkingof Judah,in the twelfthmonth,on the twenty-fifthof the month,that Evil-merodachkingof Babylon,in the [first] yearof his reign,showedfavorto Jehoiachinkingof Judahand broughthim out of prison.
"Thereforehear,O nations,And know,O congregation,whatis among them.
The LordgaveJehoiakimkingof Judahinto his hand,along with someof the vesselsof the houseof God;and he broughtthem to the landof Shinar,to the houseof his god,and he broughtthe vesselsinto the treasuryof his god.
Nebuchadnezzarrespondedand saidto them, "Is it true,Shadrach,Meshachand Abed-nego,that you donot servemy godsor worshipthe goldenimagethat I have setup?
The LORDwill be terrifyingto them, for He will starveallthe godsof the earth;and allthe coastlandsof the nationswill bowdownto Him, everyonefrom his [own] place.
And he criedout with a mightyvoice,saying,"Fallen,fallenis Babylonthe great!She has becomea dwelling placeof demonsand a prisonof everyuncleanspirit,and a prisonof everyuncleanand hatefulbird.
