2 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.
3 The Lord will take away the Israelites’ hard work and will comfort them. They will no longer have to work hard as slaves.
4 On that day Israel will sing this song about the king of Babylon:The cruel king who ruled us is finished;his angry rule is finished!
5 The Lord has broken the scepter of evil rulersand taken away their power.
6 The king of Babylon struck people in angeragain and again.He ruled nations in angerand continued to hurt them.
7 But now, the whole world rests and is quiet.Now the people begin to sing.
8 Even the pine trees are happy,and the cedar trees of Lebanon rejoice.They say, “The king has fallen,so no one will ever cut us down again.”