39. “Babylon will never be filled with people again.Desert animals and hyenas will live there.Owls will live there.But no people will live there ever again.
40. God completely destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrahand the towns around them,” says the Lord.“In the same way no people will live in Babylon.No man will stay there.
41. “Look! An army is coming from the north.It comes from a powerful nation.Many kings are coming together from all around the world.
42. Their armies have bows and spears.The soldiers are cruel and have no mercy.The soldiers come riding on their horses.And the sound is loud like the roaring sea.They stand in their places, ready for battle.They are ready to attack you, city of Babylon.
43. The king of Babylon heard about those armies.And he became helpless because of his fear.His fear is like pain.It is like the pain of a woman having a baby.
44. “A lion will come from the thick bushes near the Jordan River.It will go into the rich pastures where people feed their flocks.I am like that lion! I will suddenly chase the people of Babylon from their land.Who is the one I have chosen to do this?There is no one like me.There is no one who can challenge me.None of their leaders can stand up against me.”