For out of the north a nation comes up against her, which shall make her land a waste, and no one shall dwell in it. They shall flee, they shall depart, both man and beast.

Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Waste and exterminate after them, says Jehovah, and do according to all that I have commanded you.

Come against her from the border; open her storehouses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her completely. Let nothing of her be left.

Behold, a people shall come from the north, even a great nation; and many kings shall be aroused from the ends of the earth.

They lay hold on the bow and spear; they are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride on horses, set in array like a man for battle against you, O daughter of Babylon.

And I will make you pass over with your enemies into a land which you do not know. For a fire has been kindled in My anger, which shall burn against you.

Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up a destroying wind against Babylon, and against those dwelling in their midst who rise up against Me.

Do not let the archer tread and bend his bow; nor lift himself up in his armor. And do not spare her young men; utterly destroy all her army.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the Word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Jehovah the God of Heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.

Lift up a banner on the bare mountain, raise the voice to them; wave the hand, so that they may enter the gates of the nobles.

The sound of a multitude in the mountains, as of many people! A tumultuous sound of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! Jehovah of Hosts musters the army for battle.

An intense vision is declared to me: The deceiver deals treacherously, and the plunderer devastates. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media! I have caused all her sighing to cease.

I have raised up one from the north and he shall come; from the sunrise he shall call upon My name. And he shall come against rulers as in a mortar, and as the potter tramples clay.

Thus says Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have strengthened in order to subdue nations before him. And I will loosen the loins of kings, to open before him the gates; and the gates shall not be shut.

And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, Jehovah, who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.

Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around; all you who bend the bow, shoot at her, and spare no arrows; for she has sinned against Jehovah.

Summon the archers against Babylon. All you who bend the bow, camp against it all around; let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her. For she has been proud against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan has not turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

Their bows shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.