^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.

² “Lift^(A) up a banner ^(B)on the high mountain,
Raise your voice to them;
^(C)Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

¹⁴ Draw your water for the siege!
^(A)Fortify your strongholds!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
Make strong the brick kiln!
¹⁵ There the fire will devour you,
The sword will cut you off;
It will eat you up like a ^(B)locust.

Make yourself many—like the locust!
Make yourself many—like the swarming locusts!

^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.
^10 (B)Beat your plowshares into swords
And your ^[a]pruning hooks into spears;
^(C)Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ”
¹¹ Assemble and come, all you nations,
And gather together all around.
Cause ^(D)Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.

¹² “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to ^(E)judge all the surrounding nations.
^13 (F)Put in the sickle, for ^(G)the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the ^(H)winepress is full,
The vats overflow—
For their wickedness is great.”

¹⁴ Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For ^(I)the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

¹⁷ The Lord has done what He ^(A)purposed;
He has fulfilled His word
Which He commanded in days of old.
He has thrown down and has not pitied,
And He has caused an enemy to ^(B)rejoice over you;
He has exalted the ^[a]horn of your adversaries.