“See, I will stir^(A) up the spirit of a destroyer
    against Babylon^(B) and the people of Leb Kamai.^[a]
2 I will send foreigners^(C) to Babylon
    to winnow^(D) her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
    in the day^(E) of her disaster.
³ Let not the archer string his bow,^(F)
    nor let him put on his armor.^(G)
Do not spare her young men;
    completely destroy^[b] her army.
⁴ They will fall^(H) down slain in Babylon,^[c]
    fatally wounded in her streets.^(I)
5 For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken^(J)
    by their God, the Lord Almighty,
though their land^[d] is full of guilt^(K)
    before the Holy One of Israel.

⁶ “Flee^(L) from Babylon!
    Run for your lives!
    Do not be destroyed because of her sins.^(M)
It is time^(N) for the Lord’s vengeance;^(O)
    he will repay^(P) her what she deserves.
⁷ Babylon was a gold cup^(Q) in the Lord’s hand;
    she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
    therefore they have now gone mad.
⁸ Babylon will suddenly fall^(R) and be broken.
    Wail over her!
Get balm^(S) for her pain;
    perhaps she can be healed.

⁹ “‘We would have healed Babylon,
    but she cannot be healed;
let us leave^(T) her and each go to our own land,
    for her judgment^(U) reaches to the skies,
    it rises as high as the heavens.’

¹⁰ “‘The Lord has vindicated^(V) us;
    come, let us tell in Zion
    what the Lord our God has done.’^(W)

¹¹ “Sharpen the arrows,^(X)
    take up the shields!^(Y)
The Lord has stirred up the kings^(Z) of the Medes,^(AA)
    because his purpose^(AB) is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,^(AC)
    vengeance for his temple.^(AD)
12 Lift up a banner^(AE) against the walls of Babylon!
    Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,^(AF)
    prepare an ambush!^(AG)
The Lord will carry out his purpose,^(AH)
    his decree against the people of Babylon.
¹³ You who live by many waters^(AI)
    and are rich in treasures,^(AJ)
your end has come,
    the time for you to be destroyed.^(AK)
14 The Lord Almighty has sworn by himself:^(AL)
    I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts,^(AM)
    and they will shout^(AN) in triumph over you.

² Raise a banner^(E) on a bare hilltop,
    shout to them;
beckon to them
    to enter the gates^(F) of the nobles.
³ I have commanded those I prepared for battle;
    I have summoned my warriors^(G) to carry out my wrath^(H)—
    those who rejoice^(I) in my triumph.

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’^[a](D)
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,^(E)
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.^(F)
3 For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.^(G)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,^(H)
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich^(I) from her excessive luxuries.”^(J)

“‘Come out of her, my people,’^[b](K)
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;^(L)
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,^(M)
    and God has remembered^(N) her crimes.
⁶ Give back to her as she has given;
    pay her back^(O) double^(P) for what she has done.
    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.^(Q)
7 Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.^(R)
In her heart she boasts,
    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;^[c]
    I will never mourn.’^(S)
8 Therefore in one day^(T) her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,^(U)
    for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^(AA)
    you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour^(AB) your doom has come!’

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^(AK)
    dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
    and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!^(AL)
17 In one hour^(AM) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’^(AN)

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,^(AV)
    where all who had ships on the sea
    became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’^(AW)

²⁰ “Rejoice over her, you heavens!^(AX)
    Rejoice, you people of God!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you.”^(AY)

“With such violence
    the great city^(BB) of Babylon will be thrown down,
    never to be found again.
²² The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
    will never be heard in you again.^(BC)
No worker of any trade
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.^(BD)
23 The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.^(BE)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.^(BF)
    By your magic spell^(BG) all the nations were led astray.
²⁴ In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,^(BH)
    of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”^(BI)

⁵ indeed, wine^(A) betrays him;
    he is arrogant^(B) and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
    and like death is never satisfied,^(C)
he gathers to himself all the nations
    and takes captive^(D) all the peoples.

“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
    and makes himself wealthy by extortion!^(F)
    How long must this go on?’
⁷ Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
    Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
    Then you will become their prey.^(G)
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
    the peoples who are left will plunder you.^(H)
For you have shed human blood;^(I)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.^(J)

⁹ “Woe to him who builds^(K) his house by unjust gain,^(L)
    setting his nest^(M) on high
    to escape the clutches of ruin!
¹⁰ You have plotted the ruin^(N) of many peoples,
    shaming^(O) your own house and forfeiting your life.
¹¹ The stones^(P) of the wall will cry out,
    and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

¹² “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed^(Q)
    and establishes a town by injustice!
¹³ Has not the Lord Almighty determined
    that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,^(R)
    that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?^(S)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory^(T) of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.^(U)

¹⁵ “Woe to him who gives drink^(V) to his neighbors,
    pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
    so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
¹⁶ You will be filled with shame^(W) instead of glory.^(X)
    Now it is your turn! Drink^(Y) and let your nakedness be exposed^[a]!^(Z)
The cup^(AA) from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
    and disgrace will cover your glory.
¹⁷ The violence^(AB) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
    and your destruction of animals will terrify you.^(AC)
For you have shed human blood;^(AD)
    you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

¹⁸ “Of what value^(AE) is an idol^(AF) carved by a craftsman?
    Or an image^(AG) that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
    he makes idols that cannot speak.^(AH)
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
    Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’^(AI)
Can it give guidance?
    It is covered with gold and silver;^(AJ)
    there is no breath in it.”^(AK)

²⁰ The Lord is in his holy temple;^(AL)
    let all the earth be silent^(AM) before him.