27. Kill all the young men in Babylon;let them be killed like animals.How terrible it will be for them, because the time has come for their defeat;it is time for them to be punished.
28. Listen to the people running to escape the country of Babylon!They are telling Jerusalemhow the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deservesfor destroying his Temple.
29. “Call for the archersto come against Babylon.Tell them to surround the city,and let no one escape.Pay her back for what she has done;do to her what she has done to other nations.Babylon acted with pride against the Lord,the Holy One of Israel.
30. So her young men will be killed in her streets.All her soldiers will die on that day,” says the Lord.
31. “Babylon, you are too proud, and I am against you,”says the Lord God All-Powerful.“The time has comefor you to be punished.
32. Proud Babylon will stumble and fall,and no one will help her get up.I will start a fire in her towns,and it will burn up everything around her.”
33. This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:“The people of Israeland Judah are slaves.The enemy took them as prisonersand won’t let them go.
34. But God is strong and will buy them back.His name is the Lord All-Powerful.He will surely defend them with powerso he can give rest to their land.But he will not give rest to those living in Babylon.”
35. The Lord says,“Let a sword kill the people living in Babylonand her officers and wise men!