17. who made the world like a desert and tore down its cities,who didn’t let his prisoners go home?”
18. All the kings of the nations, all of them,have been buried with honor, each in his own tomb.
19. But you are thrown out of your tomb like a rejected branch.You are covered with those who were killed in battle.You go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse.
20. You won’t be joined by the kings in the tomb,because you have destroyed your land and killed your people.The descendants of the wicked will never be mentioned again.
21. Prepare a place to slaughter their sonsbecause of their ancestors’ guilt.They won’t be able to rise, possess the earth,and rebuild cities all over it.
22. “I’ll rise up against them,” declares the Lord of Armies.“I’ll cut off the name of the survivors from Babylon,its offspring and descendants,” declares the Lord.
23. “It will become the possession of herons.It will become pools of water.I’ll sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of Armies.
24. The Lord of Armies has taken an oath:“It will happen exactly as I’ve intended.It will turn out exactly as I’ve planned.
25. I’ll crush Assyria on my land.I’ll trample it underfoot on my mountains.Then its yoke will be removed from my people,and its burden will be removed from their shoulders.”
26. This is the plan determined for the whole earth.This is how he will use his power against all the nations.