³ “Order^[a] the ^[b]buckler and shield,
And draw near to battle!

¹⁴ Draw your water for the siege!
^(A)Fortify your strongholds!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
Make strong the brick kiln!

^9 (A)Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war!
Wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.

^11 (A)Make^[a] the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
^(B)The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
^(C)For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is ^(D)the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple.
^12 (E)Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon;
Make the guard strong,
Set up the watchmen,
Prepare the ambushes.
For the Lord has both devised and done
What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

⁹ “Be^(A) shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces!
Give ear, all you from far countries.
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
^10 (B)Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, ^(C)but it will not stand,
^(D)For ^[a]God is with us.”