⁸ So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts] says: “Since you have not listened to my messages, ⁹ I will send for all the ·peoples [clans; families] of the north [^CBabylon],” says the Lord, “along with my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will bring them all against Judah, those who live there, and all the nations around you, too. I will ·completely destroy [annihilate] all those countries and leave them ·in ruins [desolate] forever. ·People will be shocked when they see how badly I have destroyed those countries [^LI will make them a horror and a hissing and an everlasting reproach]. ¹⁰ I will ·bring an end to [banish; cause to perish] the sounds of joy and happiness, the sounds of brides and bridegrooms [7:34; 16:9], and the sound of ·people grinding meal [^Lthe millstone]. And I will take away the light of the lamp. ¹¹ That whole ·area [^Lland] will be an ·empty desert [ruin and desolate], and these nations will ·be slaves of [serve] the king of Babylon [^CNebuchadnezzar] for seventy years [^Cthe exile].