“Prepare a slaughtering place for his sonsBecause of the wickedness [the sin, the injustice, the wrongdoing] of their fathers.They must not rise and take possession of the earth,And fill the face of the world with cities.”

They set the table [for the doomed banquet], they spread out the cloth, they eat, they drink;“Rise up, captains [of Belshazzar’s court], oil your shields [for battle, for your enemy is at the gates]!”

A voice of one is calling out,“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness [remove the obstacles];Make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

And it will be said,“Build up, build up, clear the way.Remove the stumbling block out of the way [of the spiritual return] of My people.”

Go through, go through the gates,Clear the way for the people;Build up, build up the highway,Remove the stones, lift up a banner over the peoples.

Like the cattle that go down into the valley [to find better pasture and rest],The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.So You led Your people [O Lord]To make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious name [preparing the way for the acknowledgment of Your name by all nations].

“But you who abandon (turn away from) the Lord,Who forget and ignore My holy mountain (Zion),Who set a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune],And who fill a jug of mixed wine for Meni [the god of fate],