35. “A sword will kill the Babylonians and everyone who lives in Babylon,”declares the Lord.“A sword will kill their officials and their wise men.
36. A sword will kill the false prophets.They will become fools.A sword will kill their soldiers and defeat them.
37. A sword will kill their horses, their chariots,and all the foreigners within their ranks.They will become women.A sword will destroy their treasures, and they will be looted.
38. A drought will diminish their water supply, and it will dry up.Babylon is a land of idols, statues that will go crazy with fear.
39. That is why desert animals will live with hyenas.Desert owls will also live there.It will no longer be inhabited or lived in for generations.
40. Babylon will be like Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighboring citieswhen I, God, destroyed them.No one will live there.No human will stay there,” declares the Lord.
41. “People are going to come from the north.A great nation and many kings will rise from the ends of the earth.
42. They will take hold of bows and spears.They will be cruel and have no compassion.They will sound like the sea when it roars.They will ride horses.They are ready for war, ready to attack you, people of Babylon.
43. The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and he loses courage.Anguish will grip him as pain grips a woman in labor.
44. I will suddenly chase them from their placeslike a lion coming out of the junglealong the Jordan River into pastureland.I will appoint over Babylon whomever I choose.Who is like me? Who can challenge me?Is there any leader who can stand up to me?
45. Listen to the plans that the Lord is making against Babylonand the things he intends to do to the land of the Babylonians.He will surely drag away the little ones of the flock.He will surely destroy the pasture because of the Babylonians.