31. One runner runs to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to tell Babylon’s king that his city has been taken from end to end.
32. The fords have also been seized and the marshes burned with fire, so the warriors are in panic.
33. For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at treading time. A little longer, and the time of harvest for her will come.”
34. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me, crushed me, set me aside like an empty dish, swallowed me up like a dragon, filled his belly with my delicacies, rinsed me away.”
35. The one dwelling in Zion says: “Let the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon!” Jerusalem says: “My blood be on the Chaldeans!”
36. Therefore thus says Adonai: “Yes, I will uphold your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry.
37. Babylon will become heaps, a dwelling for jackals, a horror and a hissing, uninhabited.
38. They roar together like young lions, growl like lions cubs.
39. When they become hot, I will set out a banquet for them and will make them so drunk that they become merry— and then sleep a perpetual sleep and never awake.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
40. “I will drag them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he-goats.
41. How has Sheshach been taken, the praise of the whole earth seized? How has Babylon become a horror among the nations!
42. The sea has risen over Babylon— she is covered with its roaring waves.
43. Her cities became desolation, a dry land, desert, uninhabited land, through which no son of man passes.
44. I will punish Bel in Babylon— What he swallowed I will make him disgorge out of his mouth. Nations will no longer stream to him. Yes, the wall of Babylon has fallen!
45. Come out of her, My people! Each of you, save your soul from the fierce anger of Adonai.
46. Do not be faint-hearted, or be intimidated by the rumor heard in the land— one year one rumor comes, next year, another rumor. Yet violence will be in the land, with ruler against ruler.
47. Therefore behold, days are coming when I will punish Babylon’s idols. Her entire land will be disgraced and all her slain will fall in her midst.
48. Then heaven and the earth and all that is in them will sing for joy over Babylon, for the destroyers from the north will come to her.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
49. Yes, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, even as the slain of all the earth fell to Babylon.
50. Escapees from the sword, go! Do not stand still! Remember Adonai from afar— and make aliyah to Jerusalem in your heart.