Babylon Will Be Punished

1 This is the message+ that I was given about Babylon:

2From high on a barren hill

give a signal, shout the orders,

and point the way

to enter the gates

of Babylon's proud rulers.

3The Lord has commanded

his very best warriors

and his proud heroes

to show how angry he is.

4Listen to the noisy crowds

on the mountains!

Kingdoms and nations

are joining forces.

The Lord All-Powerful

is bringing together

an army for battle.

5From a distant land

the Lord is coming

fierce and furious—

he brings his weapons

to destroy the whole earth.

6 Cry and weep!

The day is coming

when the mighty Lord

will bring destruction.

* 7All people will be terrified.

Hands will grow limp;

courage will melt away.

8Everyone will tremble with pain

like a woman giving birth;

they will stare at each other

with horror on their faces.

There Will Be No Mercy

9I, the Lord,

will show no mercy or pity

when that time comes.

In my anger I will destroy

the earth and every sinner

who lives on it.

10 Light will disappear

from the stars in the sky;

the dawning sun will turn dark,

and the moon

will lose its brightness.

11I will punish this evil world

and its people

because of their sins.

I will crush the horrible pride

of those who are cruel.

12Survivors will be harder to find

than the purest gold.

13I, the Lord All-Powerful,

am terribly angry—

I will make the sky tremble

and the earth shake loose.

14Everyone will run

to their homelands,

just as hunted deer run,

and sheep scatter

when they have no shepherd.

15Those men who are captured

will be killed by a sword.

16They will see their children

beaten against rocks,

their homes robbed,

and their wives abused.

17The Medes+ can't be bought off

with silver or gold,

and I'm sending them

to attack Babylonia.

18Their arrows will slaughter

the young men;

no pity will be shown

to babies and children.

The Lord Will Destroy Babylon

19 The city of Babylon

is glorious and powerful,

the pride of the nation.

But it will be like the cities

of Sodom and Gomorrah

after I, the Lord,

destroyed them.

20No one will live in Babylon.

Even nomads won't camp nearby,

and shepherds won't let

their sheep rest there.

21 Only desert creatures,

hoot owls, and ostriches

will live in its ruins,

and goats+ will leap about.

22Hyenas and wolves will howl

from Babylon's fortresses

and beautiful palaces.

Its time is almost up!