⁹ See, the day^(A) of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel^(B) day, with wrath^(C) and fierce anger^(D)—
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.

¹⁵ Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
    all who are caught will fall^(A) by the sword.^(B)
16 Their infants^(C) will be dashed to pieces before their eyes;
    their houses will be looted and their wives violated.^(D)

¹⁷ See, I will stir up^(E) against them the Medes,^(F)
    who do not care for silver
    and have no delight in gold.^(G)
18 Their bows^(H) will strike down the young men;^(I)
    they will have no mercy^(J) on infants,
    nor will they look with compassion on children.^(K)

³⁵ May the violence^(A) done to our flesh^[a] be on Babylon,”
    say the inhabitants of Zion.
“May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
    says Jerusalem.^(B)

“See, I will defend your cause^(C)
    and avenge^(D) you;
I will dry up^(E) her sea
    and make her springs dry.
³⁷ Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
    a haunt^(F) of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,^(G)
    a place where no one lives.^(H)
38 Her people all roar like young lions,^(I)
    they growl like lion cubs.
³⁹ But while they are aroused,
    I will set out a feast for them
    and make them drunk,^(J)
so that they shout with laughter—
    then sleep forever^(K) and not awake,”
declares the Lord.^(L)
40 “I will bring them down
    like lambs to the slaughter,
    like rams and goats.^(M)

⁴¹ “How Sheshak^[b](N) will be captured,^(O)
    the boast of the whole earth seized!
How desolate^(P) Babylon will be
    among the nations!
⁴² The sea will rise over Babylon;
    its roaring waves^(Q) will cover her.
⁴³ Her towns will be desolate,
    a dry and desert^(R) land,
a land where no one lives,
    through which no one travels.^(S)
44 I will punish Bel^(T) in Babylon
    and make him spew out^(U) what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
    And the wall^(V) of Babylon will fall.

⁴⁵ “Come out^(W) of her, my people!
    Run^(X) for your lives!
    Run from the fierce anger^(Y) of the Lord.
⁴⁶ Do not lose heart^(Z) or be afraid^(AA)
    when rumors^(AB) are heard in the land;
one rumor comes this year, another the next,
    rumors of violence in the land
    and of ruler against ruler.
⁴⁷ For the time will surely come
    when I will punish the idols^(AC) of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced^(AD)
    and her slain will all lie fallen within her.^(AE)
48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
    will shout^(AF) for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north^(AG)
    destroyers^(AH) will attack her,”
declares the Lord.

⁴⁹ “Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
    just as the slain in all the earth
    have fallen because of Babylon.^(AI)
50 You who have escaped the sword,
    leave^(AJ) and do not linger!
Remember^(AK) the Lord in a distant land,^(AL)
    and call to mind Jerusalem.”

⁵¹ “We are disgraced,^(AM)
    for we have been insulted
    and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
    the holy places of the Lord’s house.”^(AN)

⁵² “But days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will punish her idols,^(AO)
and throughout her land
    the wounded will groan.^(AP)
53 Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens^(AQ)
    and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
    I will send destroyers^(AR) against her,”
declares the Lord.

⁵⁴ “The sound of a cry^(AS) comes from Babylon,
    the sound of great destruction^(AT)
    from the land of the Babylonians.^[c]
55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
    he will silence^(AU) her noisy din.
Waves^(AV) of enemies will rage like great waters;
    the roar of their voices will resound.
⁵⁶ A destroyer^(AW) will come against Babylon;
    her warriors will be captured,
    and their bows will be broken.^(AX)
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
    he will repay^(AY) in full.
⁵⁷ I will make her officials^(AZ) and wise^(BA) men drunk,^(BB)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep^(BC) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,^(BD) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

“Babylon’s thick wall^(BE) will be leveled
    and her high gates^(BF) set on fire;
the peoples^(BG) exhaust^(BH) themselves for nothing,
    the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”^(BI)

⁴⁰ As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah^(A)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.^(B)

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north;^(C)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred^(D) up from the ends of the earth.^(E)
42 They are armed with bows^(F) and spears;
    they are cruel^(G) and without mercy.^(H)
They sound like the roaring sea^(I)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.^(J)