The Lord says,“ How terrible it will be for the people of Assyria! They are the war club that carries out my anger.

亚述是我怒气的棍，手中拿我恼恨的杖。

祸哉！亚述，我怒气的棍！他们手中的杖是我的恼恨。

祸哉！亚述，我怒气的棍！他们手中的杖是我的恼恨。

耶和华说：“亚述王有祸了！他是我的愤怒之棍，他手中拿着我发烈怒的杖。

亚述啊！我怒气的棍子，有祸了。他们手中拿着我忿怒的杖。

祸哉！亚述，我怒气的棍！他们手中的杖就是我的愤怒。

亞述是我怒氣的棍，手中拿我惱恨的杖。

禍哉！亞述，我怒氣的棍！他們手中的杖是我的惱恨。

禍哉！亞述，我怒氣的棍！他們手中的杖是我的惱恨。

耶和華說：「亞述王有禍了！他是我的憤怒之棍，他手中拿著我發烈怒的杖。

亞述啊！我怒氣的棍子，有禍了。他們手中拿著我忿怒的杖。

有禍呀，亞述，我怒氣的棍子！他是我忿怒之杖、在我手中。

禍哉！亞述，我怒氣的棍！他們手中的杖就是我的憤怒。

亞述為我震怒之梃、其手所持、乃我忿恚之杖、

我震怒斯民、使亞述人、為杖箠以擊之、亞述人亦有禍矣、

亞述人必受禍、我怒如梃、我忿猶杖、為其手所執、

“ Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath!

Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!

“ What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger.

Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger— the staff in their hands is my wrath.

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation,

“ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.

Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger— the staff in their hands is My wrath.

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, a cudgel with which I angrily punish.

Alas Assyrian, the rod of my anger, the staff in whose hand is my indignation!

Does an ax claim to be more important than the person who swings it? Does a saw brag that it is better than the one who uses it? That would be like a stick swinging the person who picks it up! It would be like a war club waving the one who carries it!

I will crush the Assyrians in my land. On my mountains I will walk all over them. The yokes they put on my people will be removed. The heavy load they put on their shoulders will be taken away.”

The Lord will reach out his powerful hand against the north. He will destroy Assyria. He’ll leave Nineveh totally empty. It will be as dry as a desert.

When you see that happen, your hearts will be filled with joy. Just as grass grows quickly, you will succeed. The Lord will show his power to those who serve him. But he will pour out his anger on his enemies.

The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice. He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them. It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire. It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail.

“ Babylon, you are my war club. You are my weapon for battle. I use you to destroy nations. I use you to wipe out kingdoms.I use you to destroy horses and their riders. I use you to destroy chariots and their drivers.I use you to destroy men and women. I use you to destroy old people and young people. I use you to destroy young men and young women.I use you to destroy shepherds and their flocks. I use you to destroy farmers and their oxen. I use you to destroy governors and officials.“ Judah, I will pay Babylon back. You will see it with your own eyes. I will pay back all those who live in Babylon. I will pay them back for all the wrong things they have done in Zion,” announces the Lord.

They come from lands far away. They come from the farthest places on earth. The Lord and those weapons of his anger are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylon.

Evil people will not always rule the land the Lord gave to those who do right. If they did, those who do right might do what is evil.

Lord, by your power save me from people like that. They belong to this world. They get their reward in this life. May what you have stored up for evil people fill their bellies. May their children’s stomachs be filled with it. And may there even be leftovers for their little ones.

The Lord has taken away the authority of evil people. He has broken the power of rulers.When they became angry, they struck down nations. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again.

The king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus. He will also carry away the goods that were taken from Samaria. That will happen before the boy knows how to say‘ My father’ or‘ My mother.’ ”

From that land he went to Assyria. There he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir and Calah.