What if Babylon reached all the way to the heavens? What if it made its high walls even stronger? I would still send destroyers against it,” announces the Lord.

巴比伦虽升到天上，虽使他坚固的高处更坚固，还有行毁灭的从我这里到他那里。这是耶和华说的。”

巴比伦虽升到天上，虽使它坚固的高处更坚固，我也要差毁灭者到它那里。这是耶和华说的。

巴比伦虽升到天上，虽使它坚固的高处更坚固，我也要差毁灭者到它那里。这是耶和华说的。

即使巴比伦城高耸入云，堡垒坚不可摧，我仍要差遣毁灭者攻击它。这是耶和华说的。

即使巴比伦升到天上，即使它在高处建造难以进侵的堡垒，但必有行毁灭的从我这里去攻击它。”这是耶和华的宣告。

巴比倫雖升到天上，雖使她堅固的高處更堅固，還有行毀滅的從我這裏到她那裏。這是耶和華說的。

巴比倫雖升到天上，雖使它堅固的高處更堅固，我也要差毀滅者到它那裏。這是耶和華說的。

巴比倫雖升到天上，雖使它堅固的高處更堅固，我也要差毀滅者到它那裏。這是耶和華說的。

即使巴比倫城高聳入雲，堡壘堅不可摧，我仍要差遣毀滅者攻擊它。這是耶和華說的。

即使巴比倫升到天上，即使它在高處建造難以進侵的堡壘，但必有行毀滅的從我這裡去攻擊它。”這是耶和華的宣告。

就使巴比倫升到天上，就使她叫堅固的高處更鞏固而不可扳，仍必有行毁滅者從我這裏去攻擊她：這是永恆主發神諭說的。

耶和華曰、巴比倫雖及於天、高其城垣、俾成鞏固、我必遣殘賊者臨之、

耶和華曰、巴比倫雖築高垣、上凌霄漢、我必使敵破之、

主曰、巴比倫雖崇高及天、峻垣甚固、我必遣敵來毀之、

Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,” declares the Lord.

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord.

Though Babylon reaches as high as the heavens and makes her fortifications incredibly strong, I will still send enemies to plunder her. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her tall fortresses, destroyers will come against her from me. This is the LORD’s declaration.

Though Babylon ascends to the heavens, And though she fortifies her lofty stronghold, Destroyers will come from Me to her,” declares the Lord.

Though Babylon were to mount up to heaven, And though she were to fortify the height of her strength, Yet from Me plunderers would come to her,” says the Lord.

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, saith Jehovah.

Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her tall fortresses, destroyers will come against her from Me. This is the Lord’s declaration.

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength,[ yet] from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky and fortifies her elevated stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,” says the LORD.

Though Babylon should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet destroyers will come to her from me,” says Yahweh.

You live in the safety of the rocks. You live on top of the hills. But the terror you stir up has now turned against you. Your proud heart has tricked you. You build your nest as high as an eagle does. But I will bring you down from there,” announces the Lord.

Then they said,“ Come on! Let’s build a city for ourselves. Let’s build a tower that reaches to the sky. We’ll make a name for ourselves. Then we won’t be scattered over the whole earth.”

If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there.Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east. Suppose I travel to the west where it sinks into the ocean.Your hand would always be there to guide me. Your right hand would still be holding me close.

You live in the safety of the rocks. You make your home high up in the mountains. But your proud heart has tricked you. So you say to yourself,‘ No one can bring me down to the ground.’You have built your home as high as an eagle does. You have made your nest among the stars. But I will bring you down from there,” announces the Lord.

“ Babylon, I am against you. Your kingdom is like a destroying mountain. You have destroyed the whole earth,” announces the Lord.“ I will reach out my hand against you. I will roll you off the cliffs. I will make you like a mountain that has been burned up.

The Lord who rules over all says,“ Babylon’s thick walls will fall down flat. Its high gates will be set on fire. The nations wear themselves out for no reason at all. Their hard work will only be burned up in the flames.”

I will stir up great nations that will join forces against Babylon. I will bring them from the land of the north. They will take up their battle positions against Babylon. They will come from the north and capture it. Their arrows will be like skilled soldiers. They will not miss their mark.So the riches of Babylon will be taken away. All those who steal from it will have more than enough,” announces the Lord.

Lift up a banner on the top of a bare hill. Shout to the enemy soldiers. Wave for them to enter the gates that are used by the nobles of Babylon.The Lord has commanded the soldiers he prepared for battle. He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon. They will be happy when he wins the battle for them.Listen! I hear a noise in the mountains. It sounds like a huge crowd. Listen! I hear a loud noise among the kingdoms. It sounds like nations gathering together. The Lord who rules over all is bringing an army together for war.They come from lands far away. They come from the farthest places on earth. The Lord and those weapons of his anger are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylon.

I gave it many branches. They made it beautiful. All the trees in my Garden of Eden were jealous of it.’ ”So the Lord and King says,“ The great cedar tree grew very high. Its top was above all the leaves. It was proud of how tall it was.So I handed it over to the Babylonian ruler of the nations. I wanted him to punish it because it was so evil. I decided to get rid of it.

So listen to what the Lord has planned against Babylon. Hear what he has planned against the land of the Babylonians. Their young people will be dragged away. Their grasslands will be shocked at their fate.

“ I have stirred up you kings of the Medes. So sharpen your arrows! Get your shields! I plan to destroy Babylon. I will pay the Babylonians back. They have destroyed my temple.

So heaven and earth and everything in them will shout for joy. They will be glad because of what will happen to Babylon. Armies will attack it from the north. And they will destroy it,” announces the Lord.

The Lord says,“ I will stir up the spirits of destroyers. They will march out against Babylon and its people.I will send other nations against it to separate the straw from the grain. I will send them to destroy Babylon completely. They will oppose it on every side. At that time it will be destroyed.Do not let its soldiers get their bows ready to use. Do not let them put on their armor. Do not spare their young men. Destroy their armies completely.They will fall down dead in Babylon. They will receive deadly wounds in its streets.

I have opened up my storeroom. I have brought out the weapons I use when I am angry. I am the Lord and King who rules over all. I have work to do in the land of the Babylonians.

Their enemies might take them away as prisoners to another country. But there I will command Israel’s enemies to cut them down with swords. I will keep my eye on Israel to harm them. I will not help them.”

You said,‘ I am queen forever!’ But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out.

“ Proud Babylonians, I am against you,” announces the Lord. The Lord who rules over all says,“ Your day to be judged has come. It is time for you to be punished.You proud people will trip and fall. No one will help you up. I will start a fire in your towns. It will burn up everyone around you.”The Lord who rules over all says,“ The people of Israel are being treated badly. So are the people of Judah. Those who have captured them are holding them. They refuse to let them go.But I am strong and will save them. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. I will stand up for them. I will bring peace and rest to their land. But I will bring trouble to those who live in Babylon.

The Lord will stir up the Medes to attack the Babylonians. They aren’t interested in getting silver. They don’t want gold.

He said,“ Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.”

I will send them against the ungodly nation of Judah. I will order them to fight against my own people. My people make me angry. I will order Assyria to take their goods and carry them away. I will order Assyria to walk on my people as if they were walking on mud.But that is not what the king of Assyria plans. It is not what he has in mind. His purpose is to destroy many nations. His purpose is to put an end to them.

“ King of Babylon, you thought you were the bright morning star. But now you have fallen from heaven! You once brought down nations. But now you have been thrown down to the earth!You said in your heart,‘ I will go up to the heavens. I’ll raise my throne above the stars of God. I’ll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet. I’ll set up my throne on the highest slopes of Mount Zaphon.I will rise above the tops of the clouds. I’ll make myself like the Most High God.’But now you have been brought down to the place of the dead. You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit.

“ Enemies of Babylon, attack their land of Merathaim. Make war against those who live in Pekod. Chase them and kill them. Destroy them completely,” announces the Lord.“ Do everything I have commanded you to do.

The Lord says,“ Queen city of the Babylonians, go into a dark prison. Sit there quietly. You will not be called the queen of kingdoms anymore.

“ I have stirred up a king who will come from the north. He lives in the east. He will bring honor to me. He walks all over rulers as if they were mud. He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay.

“ Cyrus is my anointed king. I take hold of his right hand. I give him the power to bring nations under his control. I help him strip kings of their power to go to war against him. I break city gates open so he can go through them. I say to him,‘ I will march out ahead of you. I will make the mountains level. I will break down bronze gates. I will cut through their heavy iron bars.I will give you treasures that are hidden away. I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel. I am sending for you by name.Cyrus, I am sending for you by name. I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob. They are my servant. I am doing it for Israel. They are my chosen people. You do not know anything about me. But I am giving you a title of honor.I am the Lord. There is no other Lord. I am the one and only God. You do not know anything about me. But I will make you strong.