² Raise a banner^(E) on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates^(F) of the nobles.
³ I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
    I have summoned my warriors^(G) to carry out my wrath^(H)—
    those who rejoice^(I) in my triumph.

⁴ Listen, a noise on the mountains,
    like that of a great multitude!^(J)
Listen, an uproar^(K) among the kingdoms,
    like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty^(L) is mustering^(M)
    an army for war.
⁵ They come from faraway lands,
    from the ends of the heavens^(N)—
the Lord and the weapons^(O) of his wrath^(P)—
    to destroy^(Q) the whole country.

⁶ Wail,^(R) for the day^(S) of the Lord is near;
    it will come like destruction^(T) from the Almighty.^[a](U)
7 Because of this, all hands will go limp,^(V)
    every heart will melt with fear.^(W)
8 Terror^(X) will seize them,
    pain and anguish will grip^(Y) them;
    they will writhe like a woman in labor.^(Z)
They will look aghast at each other,
    their faces aflame.^(AA)

⁹ See, the day^(AB) of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel^(AC) day, with wrath^(AD) and fierce anger^(AE)—
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.
¹⁰ The stars of heaven and their constellations
    will not show their light.^(AF)
The rising sun^(AG) will be darkened^(AH)
    and the moon will not give its light.^(AI)
11 I will punish^(AJ) the world for its evil,
    the wicked^(AK) for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty^(AL)
    and will humble^(AM) the pride of the ruthless.^(AN)
12 I will make people^(AO) scarcer than pure gold,
    more rare than the gold of Ophir.^(AP)
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;^(AQ)
    and the earth will shake^(AR) from its place
at the wrath^(AS) of the Lord Almighty,
    in the day of his burning anger.^(AT)

¹⁴ Like a hunted^(AU) gazelle,
    like sheep without a shepherd,^(AV)
they will all return to their own people,
    they will flee^(AW) to their native land.^(AX)
15 Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
    all who are caught will fall^(AY) by the sword.^(AZ)
16 Their infants^(BA) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
    their houses will be looted and their wives violated.^(BB)

¹⁷ See, I will stir up^(BC) against them the Medes,^(BD)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.^(BE)
18 Their bows^(BF) will strike down the young men;^(BG)
    they will have no mercy^(BH) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.^(BI)
19 Babylon,^(BJ) the jewel of kingdoms,^(BK)
    the pride and glory^(BL) of the Babylonians,^[b]
will be overthrown^(BM) by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.^(BN)
20 She will never be inhabited^(BO)
    or lived in through all generations;
there no nomads^(BP) will pitch their tents,
    there no shepherds will rest their flocks.
²¹ But desert creatures^(BQ) will lie there,
    jackals^(BR) will fill her houses;
there the owls^(BS) will dwell,
    and there the wild goats^(BT) will leap about.
²² Hyenas^(BU) will inhabit her strongholds,^(BV)
    jackals^(BW) her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,^(BX)
    and her days will not be prolonged.^(BY)

How the oppressor^(C) has come to an end!
    How his fury^[a] has ended!
⁵ The Lord has broken the rod^(D) of the wicked,^(E)
    the scepter^(F) of the rulers,
⁶ which in anger struck down peoples^(G)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued^(H) nations
    with relentless aggression.^(I)
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;^(J)
    they break into singing.^(K)
8 Even the junipers^(L) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”^(M)

⁹ The realm of the dead^(N) below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed^(O) to greet you—
    all those who were leaders^(P) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.^(Q)
10 They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”^(R)
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,^(S)
    along with the noise of your harps;^(T)
maggots are spread out beneath you
    and worms^(U) cover you.^(V)

¹² How you have fallen^(W) from heaven,
    morning star,^(X) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!^(Y)
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend^(Z) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne^(AA)
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,^(AB)
    on the utmost heights^(AC) of Mount Zaphon.^[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;^(AD)
    I will make myself like the Most High.”^(AE)
15 But you are brought down^(AF) to the realm of the dead,^(AG)
    to the depths^(AH) of the pit.^(AI)

¹⁶ Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:^(AJ)
“Is this the man who shook^(AK) the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
¹⁷ the man who made the world a wilderness,^(AL)
    who overthrew^(AM) its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?”^(AN)

¹⁸ All the kings of the nations lie in state,
    each in his own tomb.^(AO)
19 But you are cast out^(AP) of your tomb
    like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,^(AQ)
    with those pierced by the sword,^(AR)
    those who descend to the stones of the pit.^(AS)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
²⁰     you will not join them in burial,^(AT)
for you have destroyed your land
    and killed your people.

Let the offspring^(AU) of the wicked^(AV)
    never be mentioned^(AW) again.
²¹ Prepare a place to slaughter his children^(AX)
    for the sins of their ancestors;^(AY)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
    and cover the earth with their cities.

²² “I will rise up^(AZ) against them,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name^(BA) and survivors,
    her offspring and descendants,^(BB)”
declares the Lord.

Like whirlwinds^(C) sweeping through the southland,^(D)
    an invader comes from the desert,
    from a land of terror.

² A dire^(E) vision has been shown to me:
    The traitor betrays,^(F) the looter takes loot.
Elam,^(G) attack! Media,^(H) lay siege!
    I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

³ At this my body is racked with pain,^(I)
    pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;^(J)
I am staggered by what I hear,
    I am bewildered^(K) by what I see.
⁴ My heart^(L) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;^(M)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror^(N) to me.

⁵ They set the tables,
    they spread the rugs,
    they eat, they drink!^(O)
Get up, you officers,
    oil the shields!^(P)

“Go, post a lookout^(Q)
    and have him report what he sees.
⁷ When he sees chariots^(R)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,^(S)
let him be alert,
    fully alert.”

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
    every night I stay at my post.
⁹ Look, here comes a man in a chariot^(U)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon^(V) has fallen,^(W) has fallen!
All the images of its gods^(X)
    lie shattered^(Y) on the ground!’”

¹⁰ My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,^(Z)
    I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
    from the God of Israel.

⁴ Our Redeemer^(M)—the Lord Almighty^(N) is his name^(O)—
    is the Holy One^(P) of Israel.

⁵ “Sit in silence,^(Q) go into darkness,^(R)
    queen city of the Babylonians;^(S)
no more will you be called
    queen^(T) of kingdoms.^(U)
6 I was angry^(V) with my people
    and desecrated my inheritance;^(W)
I gave them into your hand,^(X)
    and you showed them no mercy.^(Y)
Even on the aged
    you laid a very heavy yoke.
⁷ You said, ‘I am forever^(Z)—
    the eternal queen!’^(AA)
But you did not consider these things
    or reflect^(AB) on what might happen.^(AC)

⁸ “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
    lounging in your security^(AD)
and saying to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.^(AE)
I will never be a widow^(AF)
    or suffer the loss of children.’
⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,^(AG) on a single day:
    loss of children^(AH) and widowhood.^(AI)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries^(AJ)
    and all your potent spells.^(AK)
10 You have trusted^(AL) in your wickedness
    and have said, ‘No one sees me.’^(AM)
Your wisdom^(AN) and knowledge mislead^(AO) you
    when you say to yourself,
    ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
¹¹ Disaster^(AP) will come upon you,
    and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
    that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
    will suddenly^(AQ) come upon you.

¹² “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
    and with your many sorceries,^(AR)
    which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
    perhaps you will cause terror.
¹³ All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!^(AS)
    Let your astrologers^(AT) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
    let them save^(AU) you from what is coming upon you.
¹⁴ Surely they are like stubble;^(AV)
    the fire^(AW) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
    from the power of the flame.^(AX)
These are not coals for warmth;
    this is not a fire to sit by.
¹⁵ That is all they are to you—
    these you have dealt with
    and labored^(AY) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
    there is not one that can save^(AZ) you.

² “Announce and proclaim^(C) among the nations,
    lift up a banner^(D) and proclaim it;
    keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;^(E)
    Bel^(F) will be put to shame,^(G)
    Marduk^(H) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
    and her idols^(I) filled with terror.’
³ A nation from the north^(J) will attack her
    and lay waste her land.
No one will live^(K) in it;
    both people and animals^(L) will flee away.

⁴ “In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together^(M)
    will go in tears^(N) to seek^(O) the Lord their God.
⁵ They will ask the way^(P) to Zion
    and turn their faces toward it.
They will come^(Q) and bind themselves to the Lord
    in an everlasting covenant^(R)
    that will not be forgotten.

⁶ “My people have been lost sheep;^(S)
    their shepherds^(T) have led them astray^(U)
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill^(V)
    and forgot their own resting place.^(W)
7 Whoever found them devoured^(X) them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,^(Y)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
    the Lord, the hope^(Z) of their ancestors.’

⁸ “Flee^(AA) out of Babylon;^(AB)
    leave the land of the Babylonians,
    and be like the goats that lead the flock.
⁹ For I will stir^(AC) up and bring against Babylon
    an alliance of great nations^(AD) from the land of the north.^(AE)
They will take up their positions against her,
    and from the north she will be captured.^(AF)
Their arrows^(AG) will be like skilled warriors
    who do not return empty-handed.
¹⁰ So Babylonia^[b] will be plundered;^(AH)
    all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the Lord.

¹¹ “Because you rejoice and are glad,
    you who pillage my inheritance,^(AI)
because you frolic like a heifer^(AJ) threshing grain
    and neigh like stallions,
¹² your mother will be greatly ashamed;
    she who gave you birth will be disgraced.^(AK)
She will be the least of the nations—
    a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.^(AL)
13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
    but will be completely desolate.^(AM)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;^(AN)
    they will scoff^(AO) because of all her wounds.^(AP)

¹⁴ “Take up your positions around Babylon,
    all you who draw the bow.^(AQ)
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,^(AR)
    for she has sinned against the Lord.
¹⁵ Shout^(AS) against her on every side!
    She surrenders, her towers fall,
    her walls^(AT) are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance^(AU) of the Lord,
    take vengeance on her;
    do to her^(AV) as she has done to others.^(AW)
16 Cut off from Babylon the sower,
    and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword^(AX) of the oppressor
    let everyone return to their own people,^(AY)
    let everyone flee to their own land.^(AZ)

¹⁷ “Israel is a scattered flock^(BA)
    that lions^(BB) have chased away.
The first to devour^(BC) them
    was the king^(BD) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones^(BE)
    was Nebuchadnezzar^(BF) king^(BG) of Babylon.”

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king^(BH) of Assyria.^(BI)
19 But I will bring^(BJ) Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied^(BK)
    on the hills^(BL) of Ephraim and Gilead.^(BM)
20 In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be none,^(BN)
and for the sins^(BO) of Judah,
    but none will be found,
    for I will forgive^(BP) the remnant^(BQ) I spare.

²¹ “Attack the land of Merathaim
    and those who live in Pekod.^(BR)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy^[c] them,”
declares the Lord.
    “Do everything I have commanded you.
²² The noise^(BS) of battle is in the land,
    the noise of great destruction!
²³ How broken and shattered
    is the hammer^(BT) of the whole earth!^(BU)
How desolate^(BV) is Babylon
    among the nations!
²⁴ I set a trap^(BW) for you, Babylon,
    and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured^(BX)
    because you opposed^(BY) the Lord.
²⁵ The Lord has opened his arsenal
    and brought out the weapons^(BZ) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
    in the land of the Babylonians.^(CA)
26 Come against her from afar.^(CB)
    Break open her granaries;
    pile her up like heaps of grain.^(CC)
Completely destroy^(CD) her
    and leave her no remnant.
²⁷ Kill all her young bulls;^(CE)
    let them go down to the slaughter!^(CF)
Woe to them! For their day^(CG) has come,
    the time^(CH) for them to be punished.
²⁸ Listen to the fugitives^(CI) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion^(CJ)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,^(CK)
    vengeance for his temple.^(CL)

²⁹ “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.^(CM)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.^(CN)
Repay^(CO) her for her deeds;^(CP)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied^(CQ) the Lord,
    the Holy One^(CR) of Israel.
³⁰ Therefore, her young men^(CS) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
³¹ “See, I am against^(CT) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day^(CU) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
³² The arrogant^(CV) one will stumble and fall^(CW)
    and no one will help her up;^(CX)
I will kindle a fire^(CY) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

“The people of Israel are oppressed,^(CZ)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.^(DA)
34 Yet their Redeemer^(DB) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty^(DC) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause^(DD)
    so that he may bring rest^(DE) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

³⁵ “A sword^(DF) against the Babylonians!”^(DG)
    declares the Lord—
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise^(DH) men!
³⁶ A sword against her false prophets!
    They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!^(DI)
    They will be filled with terror.^(DJ)
37 A sword against her horses and chariots^(DK)
    and all the foreigners in her ranks!
    They will become weaklings.^(DL)
A sword against her treasures!^(DM)
    They will be plundered.
³⁸ A drought on^[d] her waters!^(DN)
    They will dry^(DO) up.
For it is a land of idols,^(DP)
    idols that will go mad with terror.

³⁹ “So desert creatures^(DQ) and hyenas will live there,
    and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
    or lived in from generation to generation.^(DR)
40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah^(DS)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.^(DT)

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north;^(DU)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred^(DV) up from the ends of the earth.^(DW)
42 They are armed with bows^(DX) and spears;
    they are cruel^(DY) and without mercy.^(DZ)
They sound like the roaring sea^(EA)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.^(EB)
43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
    and his hands hang limp.^(EC)
Anguish has gripped him,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(ED)
44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets^(EE)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen^(EF) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?^(EG)
    And what shepherd can stand against me?”

⁴⁵ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
    what he has purposed^(EH) against the land of the Babylonians:^(EI)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
⁴⁶ At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;^(EJ)
    its cry^(EK) will resound among the nations.

“See, I will stir^(EL) up the spirit of a destroyer
    against Babylon^(EM) and the people of Leb Kamai.^[e]
2 I will send foreigners^(EN) to Babylon
    to winnow^(EO) her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
    in the day^(EP) of her disaster.
³ Let not the archer string his bow,^(EQ)
    nor let him put on his armor.^(ER)
Do not spare her young men;
    completely destroy^[f] her army.
⁴ They will fall^(ES) down slain in Babylon,^[g]
    fatally wounded in her streets.^(ET)
5 For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken^(EU)
    by their God, the Lord Almighty,
though their land^[h] is full of guilt^(EV)
    before the Holy One of Israel.

⁶ “Flee^(EW) from Babylon!
    Run for your lives!
    Do not be destroyed because of her sins.^(EX)
It is time^(EY) for the Lord’s vengeance;^(EZ)
    he will repay^(FA) her what she deserves.
⁷ Babylon was a gold cup^(FB) in the Lord’s hand;
    she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
    therefore they have now gone mad.
⁸ Babylon will suddenly fall^(FC) and be broken.
    Wail over her!
Get balm^(FD) for her pain;
    perhaps she can be healed.

⁹ “‘We would have healed Babylon,
    but she cannot be healed;
let us leave^(FE) her and each go to our own land,
    for her judgment^(FF) reaches to the skies,
    it rises as high as the heavens.’

¹⁰ “‘The Lord has vindicated^(FG) us;
    come, let us tell in Zion
    what the Lord our God has done.’^(FH)

¹¹ “Sharpen the arrows,^(FI)
    take up the shields!^(FJ)
The Lord has stirred up the kings^(FK) of the Medes,^(FL)
    because his purpose^(FM) is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,^(FN)
    vengeance for his temple.^(FO)
12 Lift up a banner^(FP) against the walls of Babylon!
    Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,^(FQ)
    prepare an ambush!^(FR)
The Lord will carry out his purpose,^(FS)
    his decree against the people of Babylon.
¹³ You who live by many waters^(FT)
    and are rich in treasures,^(FU)
your end has come,
    the time for you to be destroyed.^(FV)
14 The Lord Almighty has sworn by himself:^(FW)
    I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts,^(FX)
    and they will shout^(FY) in triumph over you.