21. Attack the land of Merathaim;crush those living in Pekod.Ruin and destroy them,declares the Lord;do all I have commanded you.
22. There’s the sound of war in the landand enormous devastation.
23. How the hammer of the whole earthhas been broken and shatteredinto pieces!How Babylon has become a wastelandamong the nations!
24. You set a trap for others, Babylon,but you yourself were caughtin it unaware;you have been found and capturedbecause you have defied the Lord.
25. The Lord has opened his arsenaland brought out his brutal weapons.The Lord God of heavenly forceshas a job to doin the land of the Babylonians.
26. Come against her from every side;throw open her granaries;pile her up like stalks of grain;totally destroy her;leave nothing intact.
27. Destroy all her bulls;prepare them for slaughter.How terrible for them!Their time has come,the day of reckoning.
28. A voice of fugitives and refugees,from the land of Babylon,declaring in Zionthe retribution of the Lord our Godbecause of what has been doneto his temple.
29. Send the archers against Babylon,all who draw the bow!Surround herand let no one escape.Pay her back for her deeds;do to her what she’s done to others.She has acted arrogantlytoward the Lord, the holy one of Israel!
30. Therefore, her soldiers will fallin the streets;all her warriors will be silencedon that day,declares the Lord.
31. I’m against you, you arrogant one!declares the Lord Godof heavenly forces.Your day has come,your time of reckoning.
32. The arrogant one will stumble and fall,and no one will help her up.I’ll set your cities on fire,and it will consume all that’s around her.
33. The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:The people of Israel were oppressed,together with the people of Judah.Their captors held themand refused to let them go.
34. Yet their redeemer is strong;the Lord of heavenly forces is his name.He will surely defend their causeand give them rest in the land.But he will unsettlethe people of Babylon.
35. A sword against Babylon and its people,declares the Lord, along with its officials and sages.
36. A sword against its divinersso that they become fools.A sword against its warriorsso that they are terrified.
37. A sword against its horsesand chariots,and the mercenaries in its midstso that they lose courage.A sword against its treasuresso that they are looted.
38. A sword against the water suppliesso that they dry up.It is truly the land of idols,idols about which they have gone utterly mad!