18. Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to punish the king of Babylon and his land just as I punished the king of Assyria.
19. I will return Israel to his grazing land, and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan;he will be satisfiedin the hill country of Ephraim and of Gilead.
20. In those days and at that time —this is the Lord’s declaration —one will search for Israel’s guilt,but there will be none,and for Judah’s sins,but they will not be found,for I will forgive those I leave as a remnant.
21. “Go against the land of Merathaim,and against those living in Pekod.Put them to the sword;completely destroy them —this is the Lord’s declaration —do everything I have commanded you.
22. The sound of war is in the land —a great destruction.
23. How the hammer of the whole earthis cut down and smashed!What a horror Babylon has becomeamong the nations!
24. Babylon, I laid a trap for you, and you were caught, but you did not even know it.You were found and capturedbecause you fought against the Lord.
25. The Lord opened His armoryand brought out His weapons of wrath, because it is a task of the Lord God of Hostsin the land of the Chaldeans.
26. Come against her from the most distant places. Open her granaries;pile her up like mounds of grainand completely destroy her.Leave her no survivors.
27. Put all her young bulls to the sword;let them go down to the slaughter.Woe to them, because their day has come,the time of their punishment.
28. “There is a voice of fugitives and those who escapefrom the land of Babylonannouncing in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,the vengeance for His temple.
29. Summon the archers to Babylon,all who string the bow;camp all around her; let none escape.Repay her according to her deeds; just as she has done, do the same to her,for she has acted arrogantly against the Lord,against the Holy One of Israel.
30. Therefore, her young men will fallin her public squares;all the warriors will perish in that day.This is the Lord’s declaration.
31. Look, I am against you, you arrogant one —this is the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts —because your day has come,the time when I will punish you.
32. The arrogant will stumble and fall with no one to pick him up.I will set fire to his cities,and it will consume everything around him.”
33. This is what the Lord of Hosts says:Israelites and Judeans alike have been oppressed.All their captors hold them fast; they refuse to release them.
34. Their Redeemer is strong;Yahweh of Hosts is His name.He will fervently plead their case so that He might bring rest to the earthbut turmoil to those who live in Babylon.
35. A sword is over the Chaldeans —this is the Lord’s declaration —against those who live in Babylon,against her officials, and against her sages.
36. A sword is against the diviners,and they will act foolishly.A sword is against her heroic warriors,and they will be terrified.
37. A sword is against his horses and chariotsand against all the foreigners among them, and they will be like women. A sword is against her treasuries,and they will be plundered.