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.