21 Go up against the Meratayim region in Babylon

as well as Pekod’s inhabitants.

Attack them and ensure that they’re eliminated.

That is Yahweh’s declaration—make sure to do everything that I’m commanding you to do.

22 There’s a sound of battle and terrible destruction across the land.

23 How the ‘hammer’ of all the lands has itself been cut apart and destroyed.

How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations.

24 I set a trap for you and you were caught, Babylon, and you didn’t even know it.

You were found and captured, because you went against Yahweh.

25 Yahweh has opened his armoury and is bringing out the weapons for carrying out his anger.

There’s work for the master, Commander-in-chief Yahweh, in Babylon—the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Come to it from far away.

Open its store-houses full of grain.

Pile everything up in heaps.

Completely destroy everything—don’t leave anyone alive.

27 Kill all its young bulls—send them off for slaughter.

They won’t end well because their moment has come—the time for their punishment.

28 There’s the sound of those fleeing—escaping from Babylon

to anounce in Tsiyyon (Zion) that our god Yahweh is taking vengeance—

vengeance for what was done to his temple.

29 Summon the archers against Babylon—all those who use bows and arrows.

Surround it completely and don’t let anyone escape.

Repay it for what it’s done.

Do to it what it did to others

because it had defied Yahweh, Yisrael’s holy one,[ref]

30 so their young men will fall in the city squares,

and all their fighting men will be killed on that day.

That is Yahweh’s declaration.

31 Listen, Commander-in-chief Yahweh declares:

I’m against you, you proud nation

because your time is up, you proud one—

the time has come for me to punish you.

32 So the proud one will stumble and fall,

and no one will be there to help it up.

I’ll light a fire in its cities and it will devour everything around it.

33 Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this:

The Yisrael’s people are oppressed,

as are the people from Yehudah.

All those who captured them have kept hold of them—

they’ve refused to let them go.

34 The one who paid the price to free them is strong.

His name is Commander-in-chief Yahweh.

He’ll successfully plead their case,

in order to bring peace and stability to the land,

and to cause turmoil for Babylon’s inhabitants.

35 Yahweh declares that war is coming to the Babylonians (Heb. Chaldeans)

including its inhabitants, leaders, and wise men.

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