⁴ A ^(A)sound of tumult on the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A sound of the uproar of kingdoms,
Of nations gathered together!
The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle.
⁵ They are coming from a far country,
From the ^[a](B)farthest horizons,
The Lord and His instruments of ^(C)indignation,
To ^(D)destroy the whole land.

¹⁷ Behold, I am going to ^(A)stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not value silver or ^(B)take pleasure in gold.
¹⁸ And their bows will ^[a]mow down the ^(C)young men,
They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb,
Nor will their ^(D)eye pity ^[b]children.
¹⁹ And ^(E)Babylon, the ^(F)beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God ^(G)overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

²¹ “Against the land of ^[a]Merathaim, go up against it,
And against the inhabitants of ^[b](A)Pekod.
Slay and ^[c]utterly destroy them,” declares the Lord,
“And do according to all that I have commanded you.
²² “The ^(B)noise of battle is in the land,
And great destruction.
²³ “How the ^(C)hammer of the whole earth
Has been cut off and broken!
How Babylon has become
An object of horror among the nations!
²⁴ “I ^(D)set a snare for you and you were also ^(E)caught, O Babylon,
While you yourself were not aware;
You have been found and also seized
Because you have engaged in ^(F)conflict with the Lord.”
²⁵ The Lord has opened His armory
And has brought forth the ^(G)weapons of His indignation,
For it is a ^(H)work of the Lord ^[d]God of hosts
In the land of the Chaldeans.
²⁶ Come to her from the ^[e]farthest border;
^(I)Open up her barns,
Pile her up like heaps
And ^[f](J)utterly destroy her,
Let nothing be left to her.
^27 (K)Put all her young bulls to the sword;
Let them ^(L)go down to the slaughter!
Woe be upon them, for their ^(M)day has come,
The time of their punishment.