3
Against her let the archer bend his bow, And lift himself up against her in his armor. Do not spare her young men; Utterly destroy all her army.
4
Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets.
5
For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the Lord of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."
6
Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; He shall recompense her.
7
Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged.
8
Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.
9
We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.
10
The Lord has revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.
11
Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The vengeance for His temple.
12
Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the Lord has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
13
O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.
14
The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself: "Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you."
15
He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.
16
When He utters His voice-- There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: "He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries."
17
Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.
18
They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.
19
The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things; And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. The Lord of hosts is His name.
20
"You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms;
21
With you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider;
22
With you also I will break in pieces man and woman; With you I will break in pieces old and young; With you I will break in pieces the young man and the maiden;
23
With you also I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen; And with you I will break in pieces governors and rulers.
24
"And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight," says the Lord.
25
"Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys all the earth," says the Lord. "And I will stretch out My hand against you, Roll you down from the rocks, And make you a burnt mountain.
26
They shall not take from you a stone for a corner Nor a stone for a foundation, But you shall be desolate forever," says the Lord.
27
Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts.
28
Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion.
29
And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.
30
The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They have remained in their strongholds; Their might has failed, They became like women; They have burned her dwelling places, The bars of her gate are broken.
31
One runner will run to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides;
32
The passages are blocked, The reeds they have burned with fire, And the men of war are terrified.
33
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor When it is time to thresh her; Yet a little while And the time of her harvest will come."