The Fall of Babylon

21 The oracle of the wilderness of the sea:As storm winds passing over in the Negev,

• [fn] from the desert,
  • from a frightful land.
• 2 A hard revelation is told to me;the treacherous deals treacherously,
  • and the destroyer destroys.
• Go up, Elam;
  • lay siege, Media!

I put an end to all of her sighing.

• 3 with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman giving birth.
• I am[fn]
  • I am[fn]
  • 4 [fn] staggers; fear terrifies me; the twilight[fn] [fn] me fear.
  • 5  Spread out the rugs![fn]
  • Eat! drink!
• Rise up, commanders;
  • smear[fn] the shield!
• 6 For the Lord said this to me:“Go, set a watchman in position.
  • He must announce what he sees.
  • 7 [fn] he sees riders,[fn] a pair of horsemen,
• riders[fn] of donkeys,[fn]
  • riders[fn] of camels,[fn]
• [fn] he must listen attentively,
  • paying attention, paying[fn] attention.”
• 8 Then[fn] the watchman[fn] called, “Lord, I am standing on the watchtower continually by day,
  • and I am standing at my post[fn] the night.
  • 9 at this! A man’s a chariot is coming, a pair of horsemen!”

Then[fn] he responded and said,

• “It has fallen! Babylon has fallen!
  • And all the images of her gods are[fn] smashed on the ground!”
  • 10  and the son of my threshing floor,

I will announce to you what I have heard from Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel.