44. I will punish Bel in Babylon,and I will bring forth from his mouth what he has swallowed up;and the nations will not flow together any more to him.Indeed, the wall of Babylon will fall.
45. My people, go out of her midst,and deliver every man his soulfrom the fierce anger of the Lord,
46. lest your heart grows faint, and you are afraidfor the report that will be heard in the land—for the report will come one year, and after that in another year will come another report,and violence will be in the land,ruler against ruler—
47. therefore the days are comingwhen I will punish the graven images of Babylon;and her whole land will be humiliated,and all her slain will fall in her midst.
48. Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is in it,shall sing for joy over Babylon;for the destroyers will come to herfrom the north,says the Lord.
49. As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall,so at Babylon the slain of all the earth will fall.
50. You who have escaped the sword,go away, do not stand still.Remember the Lord afar off,and let Jerusalem come into your mind.
51. We are humiliatedbecause we have heard reproach.Shame has covered our faces,for strangers have come intothe holy places of the house of the Lord.
52. Therefore, surely the days are coming, says the Lord,when I will punish her graven images,and the mortally wounded shall groanthrough all her land.
53. Though Babylon should mount up to heaven,and though she should fortify the height of her strength,yet from Me will destroyers come to her,says the Lord.
54. A sound of an outcry comes from Babylon,and great destructionfrom the land of the Chaldeans,
55. because the Lord has devastated Babylon,and destroyed the great voice out of her.When her waves roar like great waters,a noise of their voice is uttered.
56. Because the destroyer is coming against her, even upon Babylon,and her mighty men will be captured,every one of their bows are broken.For the Lord is a God of recompense;He will completely repay.