35 The Lord says, “Sword, kill the people living in Babylon. Sword, kill the king’s officials and the wise men of Babylon.
36 Sword, kill the priests of Babylon. They will be like fools. Sword, kill the soldiers of Babylon. They will be full of fear.
37 Sword, kill the horses and chariots of Babylon. Sword, kill all the soldiers hired from other countries. They will be like frightened women. Sword, destroy the treasures of Babylon. Those treasures will be taken away.
38 Sword, strike the waters of Babylon. Those waters will be dried up. Babylon has many, many idols. These idols show that the people of Babylon are foolish. So bad things will happen to them.
39 Babylon will never again be filled with people. Wild dogs, ostriches, and other desert animals will live there. But no one will live there ever again.
40 God completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them. In the same way no one will live in Babylon, and no one will ever go to live there.” This is what the Lord says.
41 “Look! There are people coming from the north. They come from a powerful nation. Many kings are coming together from all around the world.