1-2. The Lord told me to say:Announce what will happenand don't leave anything out.Raise the signal flags;shout so all nations can hear—Babylon will be captured!Marduk, Babylon's god,will be ashamed and terrified,and his idols broken.
3. The attack on the Babylonianswill come from the north;they and their animals will run,leaving the land empty.
4. The Lord said:People of Israel and Judah,when these things happenyou will weep, and togetheryou will return to your landand worship me,the Lord your God.
5. You will ask the way to Zionand then come and join with mein making an agreementyou won't break or forget.
6. My people, you are lost sheepabandoned by their shepherdsin the mountains.You don't even rememberyour resting place.
7. I am your true pasture land,the one who gave hopeto your ancestors.But you abandoned me,so when your enemies found you,they felt no guiltas they gobbled you up.
8. Escape from Babylonia,my people.Get out of that country!Don't wait for anyone else.
9. In the north I am bringinggreat nations together.They will attack Babylonand capture it.The arrows they shootare like the best soldiers,always finding their target.
10. Babylonia will be conquered,and its enemies will carry offeverything they want.
11. People of Babylonia,you were gladto rob my people.You had a good time,making more noisethan horsesand jumping aroundlike calves threshing grain.
12. The city of Babylonwas like a mother to you.But it will be disgracedand become nothingbut a barren desert.
13. My anger will destroy Babylon,and no one will live there.Everyone who passes bywill be shocked to seewhat has happened.
14. Babylon has rebelled against me.Archers, take your places.Shoot all your arrows at Babylon.
15. Attack from every side!Babylon surrenders!The enemy tears downits walls and towers.I am taking my revengeby doing to Babylon what it didto other cities.
16. There is no one in Babyloniato plant or harvest crops.Even foreigners who lived therehave left for their homelands,afraid of the enemy armies.
17. Israel is a flock of sheepscattered by hungry lions.The king of Assyriafirst gobbled Israel up.Then Nebuchadnezzar,king of Babylonia,crunched on Israel's bones.
18. I, the Lord All-Powerful,the God of Israel,punished the king of Assyria,and I will also punishthe king of Babylonia.
19. But I will bring Israelback to its own land.The people will be like sheepeating their fillon Mount Carmeland in Bashan,in the hill country of Ephraimand in Gilead.
20. I will rescue a few peoplefrom Israel and Judah.I will forgive them so completelythat their sin and guiltwill disappear,never to be found.
21. The Lord said:I have toldthe enemies of Babylonia,“Attack the people of Merathaimand Pekod.Kill them all!Destroy their possessions!”
22. Sounds of warand the noise of destructioncan be heard.
23. Babylonia was a hammerpounding every country,but now it lies broken.What a shock to the nationsof the world!
24. Babylonia challenged me,the Lord God All-Powerful,but that nation doesn't knowit is caught in a trapthat I set.
25. I've brought out my weapons,and with them I will put a curseon Babylonia.
26. Come from far away,you enemies of Babylon!Pile up the grainfrom its storehouses,and destroy it completely,along with everything else.
27. Kill the soldiers of Babylonia,because the time has comefor them to be punished.
28. The Babylonian armydestroyed my temple,but soon I will take revenge.Then refugees from Babylonwill tell about it in Zion.
29. Attack Babylon, enemy archers;set up camp around the city,and don't let anyone escape.It challenged me, the holy God,so do to itwhat it did to other cities.
30. People of Babylon,I, the Lord, promisethat even your best soldierswill lie dead in the streets.
31. Babylon, you should be named,“The Proud One”.But the time has come when I,the Lord All-Powerful,will punish you.
32. You are proud,but you will stumble and fall,and no one will help you up.I will set your villages on fire,and everything around youwill go up in flames.
33. You Babylonians were cruelto Israel and Judah.You took them captive, and nowyou refuse to let them go.
34. But I, the Lord All-Powerful,will rescue and protect them.I will bring peace to their landand trouble to yours.
35. I have declared war on you,your officials, and advisers.
36. This war will provethat your prophetsare liars and fools.And it will frightenyour warriors.
37. Then your chariot horsesand the foreigners in your armywill refuse to go into battle,and the enemy will carry awayeverything you treasure.
38. Your rivers and canalswill dry up.All this will happen,because your landis full of idols,and they have made foolsof you.
39. Never again will people livein your land—only desert animals, jackals,and unclean birds.
40. I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrahand the nearby towns,and I will destroy Babylonjust as completely.No one will live there again.
41. Far to the north,a nation and its allieshave been awakened.They are powerfuland ready for war.
42. Bows and arrows and swordsare in their hands.The soldiers are crueland show no pity.The hoofbeats of their horsesecho like ocean wavescrashing against the shore.The army has lined up for battleand is coming to attack you,people of Babylonia!
43. Ever since your king heardabout this army,he has been weak with fear;he twists and turns in painlike a woman giving birth.
44. Babylonia, I will attack youlike a lion from the forest,attacking sheep in a meadowalong the Jordan.In a moment the flock runs,and the land is empty.Who will I choose to attack you?I will do it myself!No one can force me to fightor chase me away.
45. Listen to my plans for you,people of Babylonia.Your children will be dragged off,and your country destroyed.
46. The sounds of your destructionwill be heard among the nations,and the earth will shake.