You crushed the monster Rahab and killed it; with your mighty strength you defeated your enemies.

Wake up, LORD, and help us! Use your power and save us; use it as you did in ancient times. It was you that cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces.

By the rivers of Babylon we sat down; there we wept when we remembered Zion.

Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy are those who pay you back for what you have done to us---

who take your babies and smash them against a rock.

a time is coming when everything in your palace, everything that your ancestors have stored up to this day, will be carried off to Babylonia. Nothing will be left.

Some of your own direct descendants will be taken away and made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the king of Babylonia."

This is a message about Babylon, which Isaiah son of Amoz received from God.

The LORD has called out his proud and confident soldiers to fight a holy war and punish those he is angry with.

They are coming from far-off countries at the ends of the earth. In his anger the LORD is coming to devastate the whole country.

Everyone's hands will hang limp, and everyone's courage will fail.

The day of the LORD is coming---that cruel day of his fierce anger and fury. The earth will be made a wilderness, and every sinner will be destroyed.

The LORD says, "I will bring disaster on the earth and punish all wicked people for their sins. I will humble everyone who is proud and punish everyone who is arrogant and cruel.

I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place on that day when I, the LORD Almighty, show my anger.

Anyone who is caught will be stabbed to death.

The LORD says, "I am stirring up the Medes to attack Babylon. They care nothing for silver and are not tempted by gold.

Babylonia is the most beautiful kingdom of all; it is the pride of its people. But I, the LORD, will overthrow Babylon as I did Sodom and Gomorrah!

It will be a place where desert animals live and where owls build their nests. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will prance through the ruins.

When he does this, they are to mock the king of Babylon and say: "The cruel king has fallen! He will never oppress anyone again!

who angrily oppressed the peoples and never stopped persecuting the nations they had conquered.

'I am going to send for all the peoples from the north and for my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. I am going to bring them to fight against Judah and its inhabitants and against all the neighboring nations. I am going to destroy this nation and its neighbors and leave them in ruins forever, a terrible and shocking sight. I, the LORD, have spoken.

This is the message that the LORD gave me about the city of Babylon and its people:

"A nation from the north has come to attack Babylonia and will make it a desert. People and animals will run away, and no one will live there."

They will ask the way to Zion and then go in that direction. They will make an eternal covenant with me and never break it.

They are attacked by all who find them. Their enemies say, 'They sinned against the LORD, and so what we have done is not wrong. Their ancestors trusted in the LORD, and they themselves should have remained faithful to him.'

I am going to stir up a group of strong nations in the north and make them attack Babylonia. They will line up in battle against the country and conquer it. They are skillful hunters, shooting arrows that never miss the mark.

The LORD says, "People of Babylonia, you plundered my nation. You are happy and glad, going about like a cow threshing grain or like a neighing horse,

Because of my anger no one will live in Babylon; it will be left in ruins, and all who pass by will be shocked and amazed.

Raise the war cry all around the city! Now Babylon has surrendered. Its walls have been broken through and torn down. I am taking my revenge on the Babylonians. So take your revenge on them, and treat them as they have treated others.

The LORD says, "The people of Israel are like sheep, chased and scattered by lions. First, they were attacked by the emperor of Assyria, and then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia gnawed on their bones.

I will restore the people of Israel to their land. They will eat the food that grows on Mount Carmel and in the region of Bashan, and they will eat all they want of the crops that grow in the territories of Ephraim and Gilead.

The LORD says, "Attack the people of Merathaim and of Pekod. Kill and destroy them. Do everything I command you. I, the LORD, have spoken.

Babylonia hammered the whole world to pieces, and now that hammer is shattered! All the nations are shocked at what has happened to that country.

I have opened the place where my weapons are stored, and in my anger I have taken them out, because I, the Sovereign LORD Almighty, have work to do in Babylonia.

Kill all their soldiers! Slaughter them! The people of Babylonia are doomed! The time has come for them to be punished!"

"Tell the archers to attack Babylon. Send out everyone who knows how to use the bow and arrow. Surround the city and don't let anyone escape. Pay it back for all it has done, and treat it as it has treated others, because it acted with pride against me, the Holy One of Israel.

"Babylonia, you are filled with pride, so I, the Sovereign LORD Almighty, am against you! The time has come for me to punish you.

The LORD Almighty says, "The people of Israel and of Judah are oppressed. All who captured them are guarding them closely and will not let them go.

The LORD says, "Death to Babylonia! Death to its people, to its rulers, to its people of wisdom.

Destroy its horses and chariots! Death to its hired soldiers--- how weak they are! Destroy its treasures; plunder and loot.

"And so Babylon will be haunted by demons and evil spirits, and by unclean birds. Never again will people live there, not for all time to come.

"People are coming from a country in the north, a mighty nation far away; many kings are preparing for war.

The king of Babylonia hears the news, and his hands hang limp. He is seized by anguish, by pain like a woman in labor.

So listen to the plan that I have made against the city of Babylon and to what I intend to do to its people. Even their children will be dragged off, and everyone will be horrified.

The king said, "Your God is the greatest of all gods, the Lord over kings, and the one who reveals mysteries. I know this because you have been able to explain this mystery."

Then he gave Daniel a high position, presented him with many splendid gifts, put him in charge of the province of Babylon, and made him the head of all the royal advisers.

he said, "Look how great Babylon is! I built it as my capital city to display my power and might, my glory and majesty."

On her forehead was written a name that has a secret meaning: "Great Babylon, the mother of all prostitutes and perverts in the world."

He cried out in a loud voice: "She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She is now haunted by demons and unclean spirits; all kinds of filthy and hateful birds live in her.

The people of Tyre will bring you gifts; rich people will try to win your favor.

This is a message about Tyre. Howl with grief, you sailors out on the ocean! Your home port of Tyre has been destroyed; its houses and its harbor are in ruins. As your ships return from Cyprus, you learn the news.

across the sea to buy and sell the grain that grew in Egypt and to do business with all the nations.

Even the Egyptians will be shocked and dismayed when they learn that Tyre has been destroyed.

Can this be the joyful city of Tyre, founded so long ago? Is this the city that sent settlers across the sea to establish colonies?

The LORD Almighty planned it. He planned it in order to put an end to their pride in what they had done and to humiliate their honored ones.

The LORD has stretched out his hand over the sea and overthrown kingdoms. He has commanded that the Phoenician centers of commerce be destroyed.

(It was the Babylonians, not the Assyrians, who let the wild animals overrun Tyre. It was the Babylonians who put up siege towers, tore down the fortifications of Tyre, and left the city in ruins. )

A time is coming when Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of a king. When those years are over, Tyre will be like the prostitute in the song:

When the seventy years are over, the LORD will let Tyre go back to her old trade, and she will hire herself out to all the kingdoms of the world.

The LORD said to me,

that city which stands at the edge of the sea and does business with the people living on every seacoast. Tell her what the Sovereign LORD is saying: "Tyre, you boasted of your perfect beauty.

They used fir trees from Mount Hermon for timber And a cedar from Lebanon for your mast.

Your sails were made of linen, Embroidered linen from Egypt, Easily recognized from afar. Your awnings were made of finest cloth, Of purple from the island of Cyprus.

The ship's carpenters Were well-trained men from Byblos. Sailors from every seagoing ship Did business in your shops.

Soldiers from Arvad guarded your walls, and troops from Gamad guarded your towers. They hung their shields on your walls. They are the ones who made you beautiful.

You did business in Greece, Tubal, and Meshech and traded your goods for slaves and for articles of bronze.

The people of Rhodes traded with you; people of many coastal lands gave you ivory and ebony in exchange for your goods.

Judah and Israel paid for your goods with wheat, honey, olive oil, and spices.

(SEE 27:18)

The Arabians and the rulers of the land of Kedar paid for your merchandise with lambs, sheep, and goats.

The cities of Haran, Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, the cities of Asshur and Chilmad---they all traded with you.

Your merchandise was carried in fleets of the largest cargo ships. "You were like a ship at sea Loaded with heavy cargo.

All your wealth of merchandise, All the sailors in your crew, Your ship's carpenters and your merchants, Every soldier on board the ship--- All, all were lost at sea When your ship was wrecked.

The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions.

He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain.

She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed.

But I couldn't believe it until I had come and seen it all for myself. But I didn't hear even half of it; your wisdom and wealth are much greater than what I was told.

Praise the LORD your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king of Israel. Because his love for Israel is eternal, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice."

(Hiram's fleet, which had brought gold from Ophir, also brought from there a large amount of juniper wood and jewels.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she asked for, besides all the other customary gifts that he had generously given her. Then she and her attendants returned to the land of Sheba.

in addition to the taxes paid by merchants, the profits from trade, and tribute paid by the Arabian kings and the governors of the Israelite districts.

He also made three hundred smaller shields, overlaying each one of them with nearly four pounds of gold. He had all these shields placed in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.

The throne had six steps leading up to it, with the figure of a lion at each end of every step, a total of twelve lions. At the back of the throne was the figure of a bull's head, and beside each of the two armrests was the figure of a lion. No throne like this had ever existed in any other kingdom.

All of Solomon's drinking cups were made of gold, and all the utensils in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. No silver was used, since it was not considered valuable in Solomon's day.

King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king,

Everyone who came brought him a gift---articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This continued year after year.

During his reign silver was as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar was as plentiful as ordinary sycamore in the foothills of Judah.

and the export of chariots from Egypt. They supplied the Hittite and Syrian kings with horses and chariots, selling chariots for 600 pieces of silver each and horses for 150 each.

So Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Ambassadors will come from Egypt; the Ethiopians will raise their hands in prayer to God.

Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, "What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me.

A giant named Ishbibenob, who was carrying a bronze spear that weighed about seven and a half pounds and who was wearing a new sword, thought he could kill David.

After this there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, during which Sibbecai from Hushah killed a giant named Saph.

Then there was another battle at Gath, where there was a giant who loved to fight. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.

These four were descendants of the giants of Gath, and they were killed by David and his men.

The leaders of the city of Zoan are fools! Egypt's wisest people give stupid advice! How do they dare to tell the king that they are successors to the ancient scholars and kings?

When that time comes, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria. The people of these two countries will travel back and forth between them, and the two nations will worship together.

The LORD Almighty will bless them and say, "I will bless you, Egypt, my people; you, Assyria, whom I created; and you, Israel, my chosen people."

"Mortal man," he said, "tell the ruler of Tyre what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to him: Puffed up with pride, you claim to be a god. You say that like a god you sit on a throne, surrounded by the seas. You may pretend to be a god, but, no, you are mortal, not divine.