12. your mother shall be utterly shamed,and she who bore you shall be disgraced.Behold, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
13. Because of the wrath of the Lord she shall not be inhabitedbut shall be an utter desolation; everyone who passes by Babylon shall be appalled, and hiss because of all her wounds.
14. Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow;shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord.
15. Raise a shout against her all around;she has surrendered;her bulwarks have fallen; her walls are thrown down.For this is the vengeance of the Lord:take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done.
16. Cut off from Babylon the sower,and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people,and every one shall flee to his own land.
17. “Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
18. Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing punishment on the king of Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria.
19. I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and his desire shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.
20. In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none, and sin in Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.
21. “Go up against the land of Merathaim,and against the inhabitants of Pekod.Kill, and devote them to destruction,declares the Lord,and do all that I have commanded you.
22. The noise of battle is in the land,and great destruction!
23. How the hammer of the whole earthis cut down and broken! How Babylon has becomea horror among the nations!
24. I set a snare for you and you were taken, O Babylon,and you did not know it;you were found and caught,because you opposed the Lord.
25. The Lord has opened his armoryand brought out the weapons of his wrath,for the Lord God of hosts has a work to doin the land of the Chaldeans.