²¹ They devoted^(A) the city to the Lord and destroyed^(B) with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

²¹ Then a mighty angel^(A) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,^(B) and said:

⁴² He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You^(A) have set free a man I had determined should die.^[a](B) Therefore it is your life for his life,^(C) your people for his people.’”

¹⁸ And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ ¹⁹ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder^(A) and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

⁸ He took Agag^(A) king of the Amalekites alive,^(B) and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword.

³ Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally^(A) destroy^[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

¹⁴ The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed.^(A)