35-40 “It’s all-out war in Babylon”—God’s Decree—
    “total war against people, leaders, and the wise!
War to the death on her boasting pretenders, fools one and all!
    War to the death on her soldiers, cowards to a man!
War to the death on her hired killers, gutless wonders!
    War to the death on her banks—looted!
War to the death on her water supply—drained dry!
    A land of make-believe gods gone crazy—hobgoblins!
The place will be haunted with jackals and scorpions,
    night-owls and vampire bats.
No one will ever live there again.
    The land will reek with the stench of death.
It will join Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,
    the cities I did away with.” God’s Decree.
“No one will live there again.
    No one will again draw breath in that land, ever.

* * *

41-43 “And now, watch this! People pouring
    out of the north, hordes of people,
A mob of kings stirred up
    from far-off places.
Flourishing deadly weapons,
    barbarians they are, cruel and pitiless.
Roaring and relentless, like ocean breakers,
    they come riding fierce stallions,
In battle formation, ready to fight
    you, Daughter Babylon!
Babylon’s king hears them coming.
    He goes white as a ghost, limp as a dishrag.
Terror-stricken, he doubles up in pain, helpless to fight,
    like a woman giving birth to a baby.

Read full chapter

39 “So desert creatures(A) and hyenas will live there,
    and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
    or lived in from generation to generation.(B)
40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah(C)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.(D)

41 “Look! An army is coming from the north;(E)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred(F) up from the ends of the earth.(G)

Read full chapter