‘ Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord,‘ for their wrongdoing, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

七十年满了以后，我必刑罚巴比伦王和那国民，并迦勒底人之地，因他们的罪孽使那地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

七十年满了以后，我必惩罚巴比伦王和那国，并迦勒底人之地，因他们的罪孽使那地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

七十年满了以后，我必惩罚巴比伦王和那国，并迦勒底人之地，因他们的罪孽使那地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

七十年后，我要报应巴比伦王和他国民迦勒底人的罪，使他们的土地永远荒凉。这是耶和华说的。

“七十年满了以后，我要按着他们的罪孽惩罚巴比伦王和那国，就是迦勒底人之地，使它永远荒凉。”这是耶和华的宣告。

七十年滿了以後，我必刑罰巴比倫王和那國民，並迦勒底人之地，因他們的罪孽使那地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

七十年滿了以後，我必懲罰巴比倫王和那國，並迦勒底人之地，因他們的罪孽使那地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

七十年滿了以後，我必懲罰巴比倫王和那國，並迦勒底人之地，因他們的罪孽使那地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

七十年後，我要報應巴比倫王和他國民迦勒底人的罪，使他們的土地永遠荒涼。這是耶和華說的。

“七十年滿了以後，我要按著他們的罪孽懲罰巴比倫王和那國，就是迦勒底人之地，使它永遠荒涼。”這是耶和華的宣告。

『七十年滿了以後，永恆主發神諭說，我必察罰巴比倫王以及那國，我必鑒察他們的罪孽，察罰迦勒底人之地，使它永遠荒涼。

七十年既竟、我必罰巴比倫王與其國、及迦勒底人之地、使之永久荒蕪、以治其罪、耶和華言之矣、

耶和華又曰、七十年之期既屆、我降罰於巴比倫之君民、治其罪戾、使迦勒底土地荒蕪、歷久若此。

七十年之期既畢、我降罰於巴比倫王與迦勒底民、治其罪戾、使迦勒底土地永為荒蕪、此乃主所言、

“ But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord,“ and will make it desolate forever.

“‘ But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do this when the 70 years are over,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will make that land a desert forever.

Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste.

“ Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.“ I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.

When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’— this is the LORD’s declaration—‘ the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.

‘ Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the Lord;‘ and I will make it a perpetual desolation.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever.

When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’— this is the Lord’s declaration—‘ the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished,[ that] I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

“‘ But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon an everlasting ruin. I, the LORD, affirm it!

“ It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh,“ for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever.

And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

“ For this is what the Lord says:‘ When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:“ This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:‘ The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to rebuild for Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

and say,‘ You, Lord, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing living in it, whether man or animal; but it will be a permanent desolation.’And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you shall tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,and say,‘ Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again, because of the disaster that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’ ” To this point are the words of Jeremiah.

The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:“ Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a flag, Do not conceal it. Say,‘ Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; Her idols have been put to shame, her images have been shattered.’For a nation has come up against her from the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Whether people or animals, they have wandered off, they have gone!“ In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord,“ the sons of Israel will come, they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God whom they will seek.They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come so that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.“ My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill, They have forgotten their resting place.All who found them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said,‘ We are not guilty, Since they have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness, The Lord, the hope of their fathers.’“ Wander away from the midst of Babylon And go out from the land of the Chaldeans; Be like male goats at the head of the flock.For behold, I am going to rouse and bring up against Babylon A contingent of great nations from the land of the north, And they will draw up their battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior Who does not return empty handed.Chaldea will become plunder; All who plunder her will have enough,” declares the Lord.“ Because you are glad, because you are jubilant, You who pillage My heritage, Because you skip about like a threshing heifer And neigh like stallions,Your mother will be greatly ashamed, She who gave you birth will be humiliated. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, A wilderness, a dry land and a desert.Because of the wrath of the Lord she will not be inhabited, But she will be completely desolate; Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified And will hiss because of all her wounds.Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on every side, All of you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, do not spare your arrows, For she has sinned against the Lord.Raise your battle cry against her on every side! She has given herself up, her towers have fallen, Her walls have been torn down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord: Take vengeance on her; As she has done to others, so do to her.Eliminate the sower from Babylon And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From the sword of the oppressor Each of them will turn back to his own people And each of them will flee to his own land.“ Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has gnawed his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.Therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says:‘ Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.And I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.In those days and at that time,’ declares the Lord,‘ search will be made for the wrongdoing of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will forgive those whom I leave as a remnant.’“ Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill and completely destroy them,” declares the Lord,“ And do according to everything that I have commanded you.The noise of battle is in the land, And great destruction.How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations!I set a trap for you and you were also caught, Babylon, While you yourself were not aware; You have been found and also seized Because you have engaged in conflict with the Lord.”The Lord has opened His armory And has brought out the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord God of armies In the land of the Chaldeans.Come to her from the farthest border; Open up her barns, Pile her up like heaps of grain And completely destroy her, Let nothing be left to her.Put all her bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment.There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, Vengeance for His temple.“ Summon many against Babylon, All those who bend the bow: Encamp against her on every side, Let there be no escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all that she has done, so do to her; For she has become arrogant against the Lord, Against the Holy One of Israel.Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, And all her men of war will perish on that day,” declares the Lord.“ Behold, I am against you, arrogant one,” Declares the Lord God of armies,“ For your day has come, The time when I will punish you.The arrogant one will stumble and fall With no one to raise him up; And I will set fire to his cities, And it will devour all his surroundings.”This is what the Lord of armies says:“ The sons of Israel are oppressed, And the sons of Judah as well; And all who took them captive have held them firmly, They have refused to let them go.Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of armies is His name; He will vigorously plead their case So that He may bring rest to their land, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.A sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the Lord,“ And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her leaders and her wise men!A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword against her warriors, and they will be shattered!A sword against their horses, against their chariots, And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her, And they will become women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up! For it is a land of idols, And they go insane at frightful images.“ Therefore the desert creatures will live there with the jackals; The ostriches also will live in it. It will never again be inhabited Nor lived in from generation to generation.As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors,” declares the Lord,“ No one will live there, Nor will anyone of mankind reside in it.“ Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be roused from the remote parts of the earth.They seize their bow and javelin; They are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, Drawn up like a man for the battle Against you, daughter of Babylon.The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands hang limp; Distress has gripped him, Agony like a woman in childbirth.“ Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will chase them away from it, and I will appoint over it whoever is chosen. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?”Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has planned against Babylon, and His purposes which He has in mind against the land of the Chaldeans: they will certainly drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; He will certainly make their pasture desolate because of them.At the shout,“ Babylon has been conquered!” the earth quakes, and an outcry is heard among the nations.

“ I will also make it the property of the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of armies.

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution; In due time their foot will slip. For the day of their disaster is near, And the impending things are hurrying to them.’For the Lord will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their strength is gone, And there is none remaining, bond or free.And He will say,‘ Where are their gods, The rock in which they took refuge?Those who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your protection!See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can save anyone from My hand.Indeed, I raise My hand to heaven, And say, as I live forever,If I have sharpened My flashing sword, And My hand has taken hold of justice, I will return vengeance on My adversaries, And I will repay those who hate Me.I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword will devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the long haired leaders of the enemy.’

( For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’ ”

I will stand at my guard post And station myself on the watchtower; And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me, And how I may reply when I am reprimanded.Then the Lord answered me and said,“ Write down the vision And inscribe it clearly on tablets, So that one who reads it may run.For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hurries toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it delays, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay long.“ Behold, as for the impudent one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous one will live by his faith.Furthermore, wine betrays an arrogant man, So that he does not achieve his objective. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all the nations And collects to himself all the peoples.“ Will all of these not take up a song of ridicule against him, Even a saying and insinuations against him And say,‘ Woe to him who increases what is not his— For how long— And makes himself rich with debts!’Will your creditors not rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them.Since you have looted many nations, All the rest of the peoples will loot you— Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.“ Woe to him who makes evil profit for his household, To put his nest on high, To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!You have planned a shameful thing for your house By bringing many peoples to an end; So you are sinning against yourself.For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the rafter will answer it from the framework.“ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, And founds a town with violence!Is it not indeed from the Lord of armies That peoples labor merely for fire, And nations become weary for nothing?For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.“ Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink; To you who mix in your venom even to make your neighbors drunk, So as to look at their genitalia!You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Drink, you yourself, and expose your own foreskin! The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory.For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its animals by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.“ What benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it, Or a cast metal image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols.Woe to him who says to a piece of wood,‘ Awake!’ To a mute stone,‘ Arise!’ That is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet there is no breath at all inside it.But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.”

The pronouncement concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:Lift up a flag on the bare hill, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have also called for My warriors Who boast in My eminence, To execute My anger.A sound of a roar on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of an uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The Lord of armies is mustering the army for battle.They are coming from a distant country, From the farthest horizons, The Lord and the weapons of His indignation, To destroy the whole land.Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every human heart will melt.They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame.Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it.For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.So I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their wrongdoing; I will also put an end to the audacity of the proud And humiliate the arrogance of the tyrants.I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir.Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of armies In the day of His burning anger.And it will be that, like a hunted gazelle, Or like sheep with no one to gather them, Each of them will turn to his own people, And each of them will flee to his own land.

For the waters of Nimrim are desolate. Indeed, the grass is withered, the new growth has died, There is no greenery.

“ But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord.“ Behold, I am against you, mountain of destruction That destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord,“ And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the rocky cliffs, And I will make you a burnt out mountain.They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever,” declares the Lord.

Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for the weary animal.They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.“ Listen to Me, house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been carried by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb;Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will carry you! I have done it, and I will bear you; And I will carry you and I will save you.“ To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal, and compare Me, That we would be alike?Those who lavish gold from the bag And weigh silver on the scale, Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it.They lift it on the shoulder, carry it, And set it in its place, and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may shout to it, it cannot answer; It cannot save him from his distress.“ Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you wrongdoers.Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying,‘ My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.“ Listen to Me, you stubborn minded, Who are far from righteousness.I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel.“ Come down and sit in the dust, Virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender and delicate.

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated from his glory.And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying,“ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the excessive wealth of her luxury.”I heard another voice from heaven, saying,“ Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive any of her plagues;for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her offenses.Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.To the extent that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, to the same extent give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart,‘ I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’For this reason in one day her plagues will come, plague and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.“ And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of sexual immorality and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning,standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying,‘ Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’“ And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any more—cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; every kind of citron wood, every article of ivory, and every article made from very valuable wood, bronze, iron, and marble;cinnamon, spice, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, and cargo of horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives.The fruit you long for has left you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and people will no longer find them.The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,saying,‘ Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls;for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and all who make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,‘ What city is like the great city?’And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying,‘ Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich from her prosperity, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”Then a strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,“ So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again.And the sound of harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; and no craftsman of any craft will ever be found in you again; and the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;and the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again; for your merchants were the powerful people of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your witchcraft.And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

I will make you a permanent desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it,at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying,“ Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, going naked and barefoot.Then the Lord said,“ Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and symbol against Egypt and Cush,so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.Then they will be terrified and ashamed because of Cush their hope and Egypt their pride.So the inhabitants of this coastland will say on that day,‘ Behold, such is our hope, where we fled for help to be saved from the king of Assyria; and how are we ourselves to escape?’ ”The pronouncement concerning the wilderness of the sea: As windstorms in the Negev come in turns, It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land.A harsh vision has been shown to me; The treacherous one still deals treacherously, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, Elam, lay siege, Media; I have put an end to all the groaning she has caused.For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. I am so bewildered I cannot hear, so terrified I cannot see.My mind reels, horror overwhelms me; The twilight I longed for has been turned into trembling for me.They set the table, they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;“ Rise up, captains, oil the shields!”For this is what the Lord says to me:“ Go, station the lookout, have him report what he sees.When he sees a column of chariots, horsemen in pairs, A train of donkeys, a train of camels, He is to pay close attention, very close attention.”Then the lookout called,“ Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post.Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one said,“ Fallen, fallen is Babylon; And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground.”My downtrodden people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the Lord of armies, The God of Israel, I make known to you.The pronouncement concerning Edom: One keeps calling to me from Seir,“ Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?”The watchman says,“ Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again.”The pronouncement about Arabia: In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, You caravans of Dedanites.Bring water for the thirsty, You inhabitants of the land of Tema; Meet the fugitive with bread.For they have fled from the swords, From the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, And from the press of battle.For this is what the Lord said to me:“ In a year, as a hired worker would count it, all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end;and the remainder of the number of bowmen, the warriors of the sons of Kedar, will be few; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken.”

Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the shepherds who are tending My people:“ You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not been concerned about them; behold, I am going to call you to account for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord.

In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and revolted against him.

Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them.Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank out of them.They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.Then the king’s face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints loosened and his knees began knocking together.The king called aloud to bring in the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon,“ Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.”Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said,“ O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father— your father the king— appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners.This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel,“ Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.Just now the wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message.But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”Then Daniel replied and said before the king,“ Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages trembled and feared in his presence; whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled.But when his heart was arrogant and his spirit became so overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him.He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,but you have risen up against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine out of them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God in whose hand are your life breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.Then the hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.“ Now this is the inscription that was written:‘ Menē, Menē, Tekēl, Upharsin.’This is the interpretation of the message:‘ Menē’— God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.‘ Tekēl’— you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.‘ Perēs’— your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty two.