15 Soldiers around Babylon, shout the war cry!Babylon has surrendered, her towers have fallen,and her walls have been torn down.The Lord is giving her people the punishment they deserve.You nations should give her what she deserves;do to her what she has done to others.
16 Don’t let the people from Babylon plant their cropsor gather the harvest.The soldiers treated their captives cruelly.Now, let everyone go back home.Let everyone run to his own country.
17 “The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scatteredfrom being chased by lions.The first lion to eat them upwas the king of Assyria.The last lion to crush their boneswas Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
18 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says:“I will punish the king of Babylon and his countryas I punished the king of Assyria.
19 But I will bring the people of Israel back to their own pasture.They will eat on Mount Carmel and in Bashan.They will eat and be fullon the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.”
20 The Lord says,“At that time people will try to find Israel’s guilt,but there will be no guilt.People will try to find Judah’s sins,but no sins will be found,because I will leave a few people alive from Israel and Judah,and I will forgive their sins.
21 “Attack the land of Merathaim.Attack the people who live in Pekod.Chase them, kill them, and completely destroy them.Do everything I commanded you!” says the Lord.