17 Israel is a flock of sheepscattered by hungry lions.The king of Assyriafirst gobbled Israel up.Then Nebuchadnezzar,king of Babylonia,crunched on Israel's bones.
18 I, the Lord All-Powerful,the God of Israel,punished the king of Assyria,and I will also punishthe king of Babylonia.
19 But I will bring Israelback to its own land.The people will be like sheepeating their fillon Mount Carmeland in Bashan,in the hill country of Ephraimand in Gilead.
20 I will rescue a few peoplefrom Israel and Judah.I will forgive them so completelythat their sin and guiltwill disappear,never to be found.
21 The Lord said:I have toldthe enemies of Babylonia,“Attack the people of Merathaimand Pekod.Kill them all!Destroy their possessions!”
22 Sounds of warand the noise of destructioncan be heard.
23 Babylonia was a hammerpounding every country,but now it lies broken.What a shock to the nationsof the world!