6. "Won't those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won't they make fun of them? They will say to them, " 'How terrible it will be for you who pile up stolen goods! You get rich by cheating others. How long will that go on?
7. Those who owe you money will suddenly rise up. You charge them too much interest. So they will wake up and make you tremble with fear. Then they will take away everything you have.
8. You have robbed many nations. So the nations that are left will rob you. You have spilled man's blood. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.'
9. "How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build their kingdom with money they gained by cheating others. They have tried to make the kingdom as secure as possible. After all, they did not want to be destroyed.
10. They have planned to wipe out many nations. But they have brought shame on their own kingdom. So they must pay with their own lives.
11. The stones in the walls of their homes will cry out. And the wooden beams will echo that cry.
12. "How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build cities by spilling the blood of others. They establish towns by committing crimes.
13. I am the Lord who rules over all. Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire. So the nations wear themselves out for nothing.
14. The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of my glory.
15. "How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They give drinks to their neighbors. They pour the drinks from wineskins until their neighbors are drunk. They want to look at their naked bodies.
16. But the Babylonians will be filled with shame instead of glory. So now it is their turn to drink and be stripped of their clothes. The cup of anger in my powerful right hand is going to punish them. They will be covered with shame instead of glory.
17. The harm they have done to Lebanon will bring them down. Because they have killed so many animals, animals will terrify them. They have spilled man's blood. They have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.