Study Desk

The Lord says, "At that time the people of Israel and Judah will come together. They will cry and look for the Lord their God.

I will soon bring against Babylon many great nations from the north. They will take their places for war against it, and it will be captured by people from the north. Their arrows are like trained soldiers who do not return from war with empty hands.

"Take your positions for war against Babylon, all you soldiers with bows. Shoot your arrows at Babylon! Do not save any of them, because Babylon has sinned against the Lord .

Babylon, I set a trap for you, and you were caught before you knew it. You fought against the Lord , so you were found and taken prisoner.

Kill all the young men in Babylon; let them be killed like animals. How terrible it will be for them, because the time has come for their defeat; it is time for them to be punished.

Listen to the people running to escape the country of Babylon! They are telling Jerusalem how the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deserves for destroying his Temple.

"Call for the archers to come against Babylon. Tell them to surround the city, and let no one escape. Pay her back for what she has done; do to her what she has done to other nations. Babylon acted with pride against the Lord , the Holy One of Israel.

"Babylon, you are too proud, and I am against you," says the Lord God All-Powerful. "The time has come for you to be punished.

Their armies have bows and spears. The soldiers are cruel and have no mercy. As the soldiers come riding on their horses, 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.

"Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River to attack a strong pen for sheep, 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, no one who can take me to court. None of their leaders can stand up against me."

Don't let the Babylonian soldiers prepare their bows to shoot. Don't even let them put on their armor. Don't feel sorry for the young men of Babylon, but completely destroy her army.

"Run away from Babylon and save your lives! Don't stay and be killed because of Babylon's sins. It is time for the Lord to punish Babylon; he will give Babylon the punishment she deserves.

Babylon has suddenly fallen and been broken. Cry for her! Get balm for her pain, and maybe she can be healed.

"Sharpen the arrows! Pick up your shields! The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because he wants to destroy Babylon. The Lord will punish them as they deserve for destroying his Temple.

Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Bring more guards. Put the watchmen in their places, and get ready for a secret attack! The Lord will certainly do what he has planned and what he said he would do against the people of Babylon.

"But I will pay back Babylon and all the Babylonians for all the evil things they did to Jerusalem in your sight," says the Lord .

People will not find any rocks in Babylon big enough for cornerstones. People will not take any rocks from Babylon to use for the foundation of a building, because your city will be just a pile of ruins forever," says the Lord .

"Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon. Call these kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to fight against her. Choose a commander to lead the army against Babylon. Send so many horses that they are like a swarm of locusts.

Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon— the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officers, and all the countries they rule.

Babylon did terrible things to hurt us. Now let those things happen to Babylon," say the people of Jerusalem. "The people of Babylon killed our people. Now let them be punished for what they did," says Jerusalem.