28. Prepare the nations to do battle against her.Prepare the kings of the Medes.Prepare their governors and all their leaders.Prepare all the countries they rule to do battle against her.
29. The earth will tremble and writhe in agony.For the Lord will carry out his plan.He plans to make the land of Babyloniaa wasteland where no one lives.
30. The soldiers of Babylonia will stop fighting.They will remain in their fortified cities.They will lose their strength to do battle.They will be as frightened as women.The houses in her cities will be set on fire.The gates of her cities will be broken down.
31. One runner after another will come to the king of Babylon.One messenger after another will come bringing news.They will bring news to the king of Babylonthat his whole city has been captured.
32. They will report that the fords have been captured,the reed marshes have been burned,the soldiers are terrified.
33. For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says,‘Fair Babylon will be like a threshing floorwhich has been trampled flat for harvest.The time for her to be cut down and harvestedwill come very soon.’
34. “King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylondevoured me and drove my people out.Like a monster from the deep he swallowed me.He filled his belly with my riches.He made me an empty dish.He completely cleaned me out.”