<p class="poetry">But the one who will rescue them<n id="1" /> is strong.p> <p class="poetry">He is known as the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will strongly<n id="3" /> champion their cause.p> <p class="poetry">As a result<n id="4" /> he will bring peace and rest to the earth,p> <p class="poetry">but trouble and turmoil<n id="5" /> to the people who inhabit Babylonia.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will cause a destructive wind<n id="1" /> to blowp> <p class="poetry">against<n id="2" /> Babylon and the people who inhabit Babylonia.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;For Israel and Judah will not be forsaken<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">by their God, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the land of Babylonia is<n id="3" /> full of guiltp> <p class="poetry">against the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Get out of Babylonia quickly, you foreign people.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Flee to save your lives.p> <p class="poetry">Do not let yourselves be killed because of her sins.p> <p class="poetry">For it is time for the <sc>Lordsc> to wreak his revenge.p> <p class="poetry">He will pay Babylonia<n id="2" /> back for what she has done.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Babylonia had been a gold cup in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s hand.p> <p class="poetry">She had made the whole world drunk.p> <p class="poetry">The nations had drunk from the wine of her wrath.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">So they have all gone mad.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>, who is the portion of the descendants of Jacob, is not like them.p> <p class="poetry">For he is the one who created everything,p> <p class="poetry">including the people of Israel whom he claims as his own.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He is known as the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;But I will repay Babylonp> <p class="poetry">and all who live in Babyloniap> <p class="poetry">for all the wicked things they did in Zionp> <p class="poetry">right before the eyes of you Judeans,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one will use any of your stones as a cornerstone.p> <p class="poetry">No one will use any of them in the foundation of his house.p> <p class="poetry">For you will lie desolate forever,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The earth will tremble and writhe in agony.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will carry out his plan.p> <p class="poetry">He plans to make the land of Babylonia<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a wasteland where no one lives.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Fair Babylon<n id="1" /> will be like a threshing floorp> <p class="poetry">which has been trampled flat for harvest.p> <p class="poetry">The time for her to be cut down and harvestedp> <p class="poetry">will come very soon.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will stand up for your cause.p> <p class="poetry">I will pay the Babylonians back for what they have done to you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will dry up their sea.p> <p class="poetry">I will make their springs run dry.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">When their appetites are all stirred up,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will set out a banquet for them.p> <p class="poetry">I will make them drunkp> <p class="poetry">so that they will pass out,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they will fall asleep forever,p> <p class="poetry">they will never wake up,&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then heaven and earth and all that is in themp> <p class="poetry">will sing for joy over Babylon.p> <p class="poetry">For destroyers from the north will attack it,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">You who have escaped the sword,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">go, do not delay.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Remember the <sc>Lordsc> in a faraway land.p> <p class="poetry">Think about Jerusalem.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8216;We<n id="1" /> are ashamed because we have been insulted.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Our faces show our disgrace.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For foreigners have invadedp> <p class="poetry">the holy rooms<n id="4" /> in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">Yes, but the time will certainly come,&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;when I will punish her idols.p> <p class="poetry">Throughout her land the mortally wounded will groan.p>

<p class="poetry">Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and fortifies her elevated stronghold,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will send destroyers against her,&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> is ready to destroy Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">and put an end to her loud noise.p> <p class="poetry">Their waves<n id="1" /> will roar like turbulent<n id="2" /> waters.p> <p class="poetry">They will make a deafening noise.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a destroyer is attacking Babylon.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Her warriors will be captured;p> <p class="poetry">their bows will be broken.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> is a God who punishes;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he pays back in full.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I will make her officials and wise men drunk,p> <p class="poetry">along with her governors, leaders,<n id="1" /> and warriors.p> <p class="poetry">They will fall asleep forever and never wake up,&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">says the King whose name is the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="3" />p>