7. All who found them devoured them.Their adversaries said, “We’re not guilty;instead, they have sinned against the Lord,their righteous grazing land, the hope of their ancestors, the Lord.”
8. Escape from Babylon; depart from the Chaldeans’ land.Be like the rams that lead the flock.
9. For I will soon stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country.They will line up in battle formation against her; from there she will be captured.Their arrows will be like those of a skilled warriorwho does not return empty-handed.
10. The Chaldeans will become plunder;all Babylon’s plunderers will be fully satisfied.This is the Lord’s declaration.
11. Because you rejoice,because you sing in triumph —you who plundered My inheritance —because you frolic like a young cow treading grainand neigh like stallions,
12. your mother will be utterly humiliated;she who bore you will be put to shame.Look! She will lag behind all the nations —a dry land, a wilderness, an Arabah.
13. Because of the Lord’s wrath,she will not be inhabited;she will become a desolation, every bit of her.Everyone who passes through Babylonwill be horrifiedand scoff because of all her wounds.
14. Line up in battle formation around Babylon,all you archers!Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow,for she has sinned against the Lord.
15. Raise a war cry against her on every side!She has thrown up her hands in surrender;her defense towers have fallen;her walls are demolished. Since this is the Lord’s vengeance, take out your vengeance on her;as she has done, do the same to her.
16. Cut off the sower from Babylonas well as him who wields the sickle at harvest time.Because of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.
17. Israel is a stray lamb, chased by lions. The first who devoured him was the king of Assyria;the last one who crushed his boneswas Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
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.