12. But your mother will be greatly ashamed.The woman who gave birth to you will be disgraced.Babylon, you will be the least important nation.You will become a parched desert.
13. No one will live in Babylon because of the Lord’s anger.It will be completely abandoned.Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrifiedand hiss at all its wounds.
14. “Take up your positions around Babylon, all you archers with bows.Shoot at it; don’t save any arrows,because the people of Babylon have sinned against the Lord.
15. Shout a war cry against them on every side.They’ll surrender.Their towers will fall and their walls will be torn down.Since this is the Lord’s vengeance, take revenge against them.Do to them what they did to others.
16. Don’t allow anyone in Babylon to plant or harvest.Everyone will turn to his own people and flee to his own homelandbecause of the enemies’ swords.
17. “The people of Israel are like scattered sheep that lions have chased.The first to devour them was the king of Assyria.The last to gnaw at their bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
18. “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says:I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his landas I punished the king of Assyria.