12. I will make man scarcer than gold,and mankind more rare than the gold of Ophir.
13. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,and the earth will shake from its foundations at the wrath of the Lord of Hosts,on the day of His burning anger.
14. Like wandering gazellesand like sheep without a shepherd, each one will turn to his own people,each one will flee to his own land.
15. Whoever is found will be stabbed,and whoever is caught will die by the sword.
16. Their children will be smashed to death before their eyes; their houses will be looted,and their wives raped.
17. Look! I am stirring up the Medes against them, who cannot be bought off with silverand who have no desire for gold.
18. Their bows will cut young men to pieces.They will have no compassion on little ones;they will not look with pity on children.
19. And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms,the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans,will be like Sodom and Gomorrahwhen God overthrew them.
20. It will never be inhabitedor lived in from generation to generation; a nomad will not pitch his tent there,and shepherds will not let their flocks rest there.
21. But desert creatures will lie down there,and owls will fill the houses.Ostriches will dwell there,and wild goats will leap about.
22. Hyenas will howl in the fortresses,and jackals, in the luxurious palaces.Babylon’s time is almost up;her days are almost over.