³¹ One courier^(A) follows another
    and messenger follows messenger
to announce to the king of Babylon
    that his entire city is captured,^(B)

⁵⁷ I will make her officials^(A) and wise^(B) men drunk,^(C)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep^(D) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,^(E) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

³⁹ But while they are aroused,
    I will set out a feast for them
    and make them drunk,^(A)
so that they shout with laughter—
    then sleep forever^(B) and not awake,”
declares the Lord.^(C)

¹¹ “Sharpen the arrows,^(A)
    take up the shields!^(B)
The Lord has stirred up the kings^(C) of the Medes,^(D)
    because his purpose^(E) is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,^(F)
    vengeance for his temple.^(G)

⁹ Both of these will overtake you
    in a moment,^(A) on a single day:
    loss of children^(B) and widowhood.^(C)
They will come upon you in full measure,
    in spite of your many sorceries^(D)
    and all your potent spells.^(E)

⁴ My heart^(A) falters,
    fear makes me tremble;^(B)
the twilight I longed for
    has become a horror^(C) to me.

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

“Go, post a lookout^(F)
    and have him report what he sees.
⁷ When he sees chariots^(G)
    with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
    or riders on camels,^(H)
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^(J)
    with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
    ‘Babylon^(K) has fallen,^(L) has fallen!
All the images of its gods^(M)
    lie shattered^(N) on the ground!’”