At that time the Lord will judge Leviathan, the crooked snake. He will use his great sword, his hard and powerful sword, to punish Leviathan, that twisting, turning snake. He will kill the monster of the sea.
The Lord will settle his argument with Israel by sending the people far away. He will speak harshly to Israel. His words will burn like the hot desert wind.
How will Jacob's guilt be forgiven? What will happen so his sins can be taken away? The rocks of the altar will be crushed to dust; the statues and altars for worshiping false gods will all be destroyed.
The great city will be empty; it will be like a desert. All the people will be gone—they will run away. The city will be like an open pasture. Young cattle will eat grass there. The cattle will eat leaves from the branches of the vines.
The vines will become dry, and the branches will break off. Women will use them for firewood. The people refuse to understand. So God, their Maker, will not comfort them or be kind to them.
At that time the Lord will begin separating his people from others. He will begin at the Euphrates River and will gather his people from there to the River of Egypt. You people of Israel will be gathered together one by one.
Many of my people are now lost in Assyria. Some of my people have run away to Egypt. But at that time a great trumpet will be blown, and all those people will come back to Jerusalem. They will bow down before the Lord on that holy mountain.