43. Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and arid land,a land where no one lives,where no human being passes through.
44. I will punish Bel in Babylon.I will make him vomit what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even Babylon’s wall will fall.
45. Come out from among her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the Lord’s burning anger.
46. May you not become cowardly and fearfulwhen the report is proclaimed in the land,for the report will come one year,and then another the next year.There will be violence in the landwith ruler against ruler.
47. Therefore, look, the days are coming when I will punish Babylon’s carved images. Her entire land will suffer shame,and all her slain will lie fallen within her.
48. Heaven and earth and everything in themwill shout for joy over Babylonbecause the destroyers from the north will come against her.This is the Lord’s declaration.
49. Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel,even as the slain of all the earth fellbecause of Babylon.
50. You who have escaped the sword, go and do not stand still!Remember the Lord from far away,and let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51. We are ashamedbecause we have heard insults. Humiliation covers our facesbecause foreigners have enteredthe holy places of the Lord’s temple.
52. Therefore, look, the days are coming —this is the Lord’s declaration —when I will punish her carved images,and the wounded will groanthroughout her land.
53. Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her tall fortresses,destroyers will come against her from Me.This is the Lord’s declaration.
54. The sound of a cry from Babylon! The sound of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55. For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon;He will silence her mighty voice.Their waves roar like abundant waters;the tumult of their voice resounds,
56. for a destroyer is coming against her,against Babylon.Her warriors will be captured,their bows shattered,for the Lord is a God of retribution;He will certainly repay.
57. I will make her princes and sages drunk,along with her governors, officials, and warriors.Then they will fall asleep foreverand never wake up. This is the King’s declaration;Yahweh of Hosts is His name.
58. This is what Yahweh of Hosts says:Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished, and her high gates consumed by fire.The peoples will have labored for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire.