The Fall of Babylon

21 The oracle of the wilderness of the sea:

As storm winds passing over in the Negev,

⌊it comes⌋a 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 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;

pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman giving birth.

I am ⌊too bent to hear⌋,b

I am ⌊too dismayed to see⌋.c

4 My ⌊mind⌋d staggers; fear terrifies me;

the twilight ⌊I desired⌋e ⌊brought⌋f me fear.

5 Set out the table in order!

Spread out the rugs!g

Eat! drink!

Rise up, commanders;

smearh the shield!

6 For the Lord said this to me:

“Go, set a watchman in position.

He must announce what he sees.

7 Wheni he sees riders,j

a pair of horsemen,

ridersk of donkeys,l

ridersm of camels,n

⌊then⌋o he must listen attentively,

paying attention, paying ⌊special⌋p attention.”

8 Thenq the ⌊watchman⌋r called,

“Lord, I am standing on the watchtower continually by day,

and I am standing at my post ⌊throughout⌋s the night.

9 And look at this! A man’s chariot is coming,

a pair of horsemen!”

Thent he responded and said,

“It has fallen! Babylon has fallen!

And all the images of her gods areu smashed on the ground!”

10 My downtrodden people

and the son of my threshing floor,

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