Even the Babylonians will have to serve many nations and many great kings. I will give them the punishment they deserve for all their own hands have done.”
Listen to the loud noise in the mountains, the sound of many people. Listen to the noise among the kingdoms, the sound of nations gathering together. The Lord All-Powerful is calling his army together for battle.
Nations will take the Israelites back to their land. Then those men and women from the other nations will become slaves to Israel in the Lord’s land. In the past the Israelites were their slaves, but now the Israelites will defeat those nations and rule over them.
Listen to the loud noise coming from the city; hear the noise from the Temple. It is the Lord punishing his enemies, giving them the punishment they should have.
All nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and grandson. Then the time will come for Babylon to be defeated, and many nations and great kings will make Babylon their servant.
I will soon bring against Babylon many great nations from the north. They will take their places for war against it, and it will be captured by people from the north. Their arrows are like trained soldiers who do not return from war with empty hands.
“Run away from Babylon and save your lives! Don’t stay and be killed because of Babylon’s sins. It is time for the Lord to punish Babylon; he will give Babylon the punishment she deserves.
The time of punishment has come, the time to pay for sins. Let Israel know this: You think the prophet is a fool, and you say the spiritual person is crazy. You have sinned very much, and your hatred is great.