I, the Lord, have dedicated these soldiers for this task. Yes, I have called mighty warriors to express my anger, and they will rejoice when I am exalted.”

我吩咐我所挑出来的人；我招呼我的勇士，就是那矜夸高傲之辈，为要成就我怒中所定的。

我吩咐我所分别为圣的人，召唤我的勇士，就是我那狂喜高傲的人，为要执行我的怒气。

我吩咐我所分别为圣的人，召唤我的勇士，就是我那狂喜高傲的人，为要执行我的怒气。

我已向我拣选的士兵发出命令，我已号召我的勇士去倾倒我的烈怒，他们因我的胜利而欢喜。

我向我特选的军兵下了命令；我也呼召了我的勇士，就是我那些骄傲自夸的人，去执行我在怒气中所要作的。

为了成就我的怒气，我已吩咐我所分别出来的人，我已召唤我的勇士，就是那些为我威荣欢腾的人。

我吩咐我所挑出來的人；我招呼我的勇士－就是那矜誇高傲之輩，為要成就我怒中所定的。

我吩咐我所分別為聖的人，召喚我的勇士，就是我那狂喜高傲的人，為要執行我的怒氣。

我吩咐我所分別為聖的人，召喚我的勇士，就是我那狂喜高傲的人，為要執行我的怒氣。

我已向我揀選的士兵發出命令，我已號召我的勇士去傾倒我的烈怒，他們因我的勝利而歡喜。

我向我特選的軍兵下了命令；我也呼召了我的勇士，就是我那些驕傲自誇的人，去執行我在怒氣中所要作的。

我吩咐我那些獻身軍人；我呼召了我的勇士，我那些耀武揚威的高傲者，來執行我忿怒中所要作的。

為了成就我的怒氣，我已吩咐我所分別出來的人，我已召喚我的勇士，就是那些為我威榮歡騰的人。

我已命我所區別者、召我驕樂之傑士、以洩我忿、

主有傑士、召為執事、以洩其憤、莫不踴躍、樂奏其能。

我命我所備之人至、召我勇士、即樂我威嚴者來、代我行刑以洩我怒、

I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath— those who rejoice in my triumph.

The Lord has commanded the soldiers he prepared for battle. He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon. They will be happy when he wins the battle for them.

I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.

I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my warriors, who celebrate my triumph, to execute my wrath.

I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have also called for My warriors Who boast in My eminence, To execute My anger.

I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger— Those who rejoice in My exaltation.”

I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for mine anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

I have commanded My chosen ones; I have also called My warriors, who exult in My triumph, to execute My wrath.

I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger,[ even] them that rejoice in my highness.

I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, my boasting, arrogant ones.

I have commanded my consecrated ones; yes, I have called my mighty men for my anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

Come quickly, all you nations everywhere. Gather together in the valley.” And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!

“ You are my battle ax and sword,” says the Lord.“ With you I will shatter nations and destroy many kingdoms.With you I will shatter armies— destroying the horse and rider, the chariot and charioteer.With you I will shatter men and women, old people and children, young men and young women.With you I will shatter shepherds and flocks, farmers and oxen, captains and officers.“ I will repay Babylon and the people of Babylonia for all the wrong they have done to my people in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.

Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,“ Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart,‘ I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”

So King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which were stored in the treasury.But it was at the fortress at Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found. This is what it said:“ Memorandum:“ In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem.“ Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet.Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury.Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God.”So King Darius sent this message:“ Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar bozenai, and your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates River— stay away from there!Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work.“ Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs, without delay, from my taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not be interrupted.“ Give the priests in Jerusalem whatever is needed in the way of young bulls, rams, and male lambs for the burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven. And without fail, provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil as they need each day.Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the welfare of the king and his sons.“ Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house. Then they will be lifted up and impaled on it, and their house will be reduced to a pile of rubble.May the God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this Temple.“ I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed with all diligence.”Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar bozenai and their colleagues complied at once with the command of King Darius.So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia.The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius’s reign.The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile.During the dedication ceremony for the Temple of God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed. And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel.Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses.On April 21 the returned exiles celebrated Passover.The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their corrupt practices to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.

When I speak to the rivers and say,‘ Dry up!’ they will be dry.When I say of Cyrus,‘ He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command,‘ Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say,‘ Restore the Temple.’”

“ Go up, my warriors, against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you,” says the Lord.“ Let the battle cry be heard in the land, a shout of great destruction.Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations!Listen, Babylon, for I have set a trap for you. You are caught, for you have fought against the Lord.The Lord has opened his armory and brought out weapons to vent his fury. The terror that falls upon the Babylonians will be the work of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.Yes, come against her from distant lands. Break open her granaries. Crush her walls and houses into heaps of rubble. Destroy her completely, and leave nothing!Destroy even her young bulls— it will be terrible for them, too! Slaughter them all! For Babylon’s day of reckoning has come.Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon, as they tell in Jerusalem how the Lord our God has taken vengeance against those who destroyed his Temple.“ Send out a call for archers to come to Babylon. Surround the city so none can escape. Do to her as she has done to others, for she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed,” says the Lord.“ See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people,” says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.“ Your day of reckoning has arrived— the day when I will punish you.O land of arrogance, you will stumble and fall, and no one will raise you up. For I will light a fire in the cities of Babylon that will burn up everything around them.”This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged. Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go.But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest!“ The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord.“ It will strike the people of Babylon— her officials and wise men, too.The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered.A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.“ Soon Babylon will be inhabited by desert animals and hyenas. It will be a home for owls. Never again will people live there; it will lie desolate forever.I will destroy it as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns,” says the Lord.“ No one will live there; no one will inhabit it.“ Look! A great army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are rising against you from far off lands.They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. As they ride forward on horses, they sound like a roaring sea. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, Babylon.The king of Babylon has heard reports about the enemy, and he is weak with fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped him, like those of a woman in labor.“ I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?”Listen to the Lord’s plans against Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed.The earth will shake with the shout,“ Babylon has been taken!” and its cry of despair will be heard around the world.

“ From Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the teacher of the law of the God of heaven. Greetings.“ I decree that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may volunteer to return to Jerusalem with you.I and my council of seven hereby instruct you to conduct an inquiry into the situation in Judah and Jerusalem, based on your God’s law, which is in your hand.We also commission you to take with you silver and gold, which we are freely presenting as an offering to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem.“ Furthermore, you are to take any silver and gold that you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary offerings of the people and the priests that are presented for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.These donations are to be used specifically for the purchase of bulls, rams, male lambs, and the appropriate grain offerings and liquid offerings, all of which will be offered on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God.“ But as for the cups we are entrusting to you for the service of the Temple of your God, deliver them all to the God of Jerusalem.If you need anything else for your God’s Temple or for any similar needs, you may take it from the royal treasury.“ I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River:‘ You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you.You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt.Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons?I also decree that no priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, Temple servant, or other worker in this Temple of God will be required to pay tribute, customs, or tolls of any kind.’“ And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God’s laws to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it.Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.”

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:“ This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:“ The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods.Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah.This is a list of the items that were returned: gold basins 30 silver basins 1,000 silver incense burners 29gold bowls 30 silver bowls 410 other items 1,000In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.They will all agree to give him their power and authority.Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”Then the angel said to me,“ The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”

Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains,to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones. Praise the Lord!

Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,“ Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting,“ Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.”And again their voices rang out:“ Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”Then the twenty four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out,“ Amen! Praise the Lord!”And from the throne came a voice that said,“ Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.”Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:“ Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.

“ And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me,

The Lord held out his hand over the sea and shook the kingdoms of the earth. He has spoken out against Phoenicia, ordering that her fortresses be destroyed.

O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.