Jeremiah 51:24-35

“But now,” YAHWEH says, “you will see with your own eyes how I repay you, Babylon and the Chaldeans, for all the wrongs you have done to Zion. I have become your enemy,” says YAHWEH, “O mountain of destruction, destroyer of the whole world! I will unleash my power against you, send you tumbling to the ground, and turn you into a mountain of soot and ashes. I, YAHWEH, declare: After I am through with you, people will not be able to find any among you to rebuild you, not one foundation stone or cornerstone. You will lie desolate forever.” “Raise up a signal flag throughout the world; sound the war trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations to attack her! Assemble the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, Ashkenaz to make war against her. Appoint a commanding officer to lead her enemies in battle; send multitudes of horsemen like swarms of locusts. Prepare the kings of Media, her governors, all her officials, and all the lands they rule to come make war against Babylon.” Then, when YAHWEH executed his plan against Babylon, the earth trembled and convulsed. He determined to make Babylon an uninhabited desert. Babylon’s warriors had enough of fighting, so they stayed inside their forts. With their courage melted away, they have been left like ordinary civilians. Their city gates have been broken through, and her houses are on fire. Courier after courier, messenger after messenger, runs to inform the king of Babylon: One says, “Your city has been taken from every side.” Another says, “The river crossings have been overrun.” And another, “The thickets and reed marshes have all been burned.” And yet another one says, “All your fighting men are gripped with panic.” For YAHWEH, the God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies, says to you: “When people trample down the threshing place, the time of threshing is not far off. The time to harvest Fair Babylon is almost here!” Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, devoured us, chewed us up, and consumed us like a hungry man consumes a meal. Like a monster he swallowed us whole, filled his belly with our delicacies and then expelled us. Let the people of Zion say, “May the violence done to our people fall upon Babylon!” Let Jerusalem say, “May the Chaldeans pay for the crime of shedding my blood!”