¹⁴ “Come together,^(A) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold^(B) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally^(C)
    will carry out his purpose^(D) against Babylon;^(E)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.^[a]

⁹ All the nations gather together^(A)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold^(B) this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”

²¹ “Attack the land of Merathaim
    and those who live in Pekod.^(A)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy^[a] them,”
declares the Lord.
    “Do everything I have commanded you.
²² The noise^(B) of battle is in the land,
    the noise of great destruction!
²³ How broken and shattered
    is the hammer^(C) of the whole earth!^(D)
How desolate^(E) is Babylon
    among the nations!
²⁴ I set a trap^(F) for you, Babylon,
    and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured^(G)
    because you opposed^(H) the Lord.
²⁵ The Lord has opened his arsenal
    and brought out the weapons^(I) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
    in the land of the Babylonians.^(J)
26 Come against her from afar.^(K)
    Break open her granaries;
    pile her up like heaps of grain.^(L)
Completely destroy^(M) her
    and leave her no remnant.
²⁷ Kill all her young bulls;^(N)
    let them go down to the slaughter!^(O)
Woe to them! For their day^(P) has come,
    the time^(Q) for them to be punished.
²⁸ Listen to the fugitives^(R) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion^(S)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,^(T)
    vengeance for his temple.^(U)

²⁹ “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.^(V)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.^(W)
Repay^(X) her for her deeds;^(Y)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied^(Z) the Lord,
    the Holy One^(AA) of Israel.

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

²⁰ “You are my war club,^(A)
    my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter^(B) nations,^(C)
    with you I destroy kingdoms,
²¹ with you I shatter horse and rider,^(D)
    with you I shatter chariot^(E) and driver,
²² with you I shatter man and woman,
    with you I shatter old man and youth,
    with you I shatter young man and young woman,^(F)
23 with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
    with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
    with you I shatter governors and officials.^(G)

¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning,^(A)
    from ancient times,^(B) what is still to come.^(C)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,^(D)
    and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹ From the east I summon^(E) a bird of prey;^(F)
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned,^(G) that I will do.^(H)

²⁰ “Gather together^(A) and come;
    assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant^(B) are those who carry^(C) about idols of wood,
    who pray to gods that cannot save.^(D)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
    let them take counsel together.
Who foretold^(E) this long ago,
    who declared it from the distant past?^(F)
Was it not I, the Lord?
    And there is no God apart from me,^(G)
a righteous God^(H) and a Savior;^(I)
    there is none but me.

²² “Tell us, you idols,
    what is going to happen.^(A)
Tell us what the former things^(B) were,
    so that we may consider them
    and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,^(C)

⁴ Listen, a noise on the mountains,
    like that of a great multitude!^(A)
Listen, an uproar^(B) among the kingdoms,
    like nations massing together!
The Lord Almighty^(C) is mustering^(D)
    an army for war.
⁵ They come from faraway lands,
    from the ends of the heavens^(E)—
the Lord and the weapons^(F) of his wrath^(G)—
    to destroy^(H) the whole country.