⁵² “Therefore, look, days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I’ll punish her idols,
    and throughout her land the wounded will groan.
⁵³ Though Babylon should reach up to the heavens
    and fortify her high fortresses,
from me destroyers will come to her,”
    declares the Lord.

⁵⁴ “The sound of a cry is coming from Babylon,
    great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans.
⁵⁵ For the Lord is destroying Babylon,
    and he will make the loud sounds from her disappear.^[a]
Their waves will roar like many waters,
    the noise of their voices will sound forth.
⁵⁶ Indeed, the destroyer is coming against her,
    against Babylon.
Her warriors are captured,
    and her bows are broken.
For the Lord is a God of recompense,
    and he will repay in full.
⁵⁷ I’ll make their leaders, their wise men,
    their governors, their deputies,
and their warriors drunk so that they sleep forever
    and don’t wake up,”
declares the King
    whose name is the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
⁵⁸ This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says:

“The broad wall of Babylon will be completely leveled,
    and its high gate set on fire.
and so the peoples toil for nothing,
    and the nations weary themselves only for fire.”