“As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him and give him many descendants. And I will cause their numbers to grow greatly. He will be the father of twelve great leaders, and I will make him into a great nation.
The deserts and their cities should praise him. The settlements of Kedar should praise him. The people living in Sela should sing for joy; they should shout from the mountaintops.
All the sheep from Kedar will be given to you; the sheep from Nebaioth will be brought to you. They will be pleasing sacrifices on my altar, and I will make my beautiful Temple more beautiful.
This message is to the tribe of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This is what the Lord says: “Go and attack the people of Kedar, and destroy the people of the East.
He said, “I want you to do this one thing for me. I want each of you to give me a gold earring from the things you took in the fighting.” (The Ishmaelites wore gold earrings.)