1. The Lord will again show his love to Jacob. He will again choose the people of Israel. He will give them their land. Then the non-Israelites will join the Israelites, and both will become one family—Jacob’s family.
2. Those nations will bring the Israelites back to their land. The men and women from the other nations will become slaves to Israel. In the past, those people forced the Israelites to become their slaves. But in the future the Israelites will defeat those nations, and Israel will then rule over them in the Lord’S land.
3. In the past, you were slaves. People forced you to work hard. But the Lord will take away the hard work you were forced to do.
4. At that time you will begin to sing this song about the king of Babylon: The king was cruel when he ruled us, but now his rule is finished.
5. The Lord breaks the scepter of evil rulers; he takes away their power.
6. In anger, the king of Babylon beat the people. He never stopped beating them. He was an evil ruler who ruled in anger. He never stopped hurting people.
7. But now, the whole country rests and is quiet. Now the people begin to celebrate.