<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will kill all the archers of Elam,p> <p class="poetry">who are the chief source of her military might.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">At the sound of the approaching horsemen and archersp> <p class="poetry">the people of every town will flee.p> <p class="poetry">Some of them will hide in the thickets.p> <p class="poetry">Others will climb up among the rocks.p> <p class="poetry">All the cities will be deserted.p> <p class="poetry">No one will remain in them.p>

<p class="poetry">Go ahead and<n id="1" /> charge into battle, you horsemen!p> <p class="poetry">Drive furiously, you charioteers!p> <p class="poetry">Let the soldiers march out into battle,p> <p class="poetry">those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields,p> <p class="poetry">and those from Lydia<n id="2" /> who are armed with the bow.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Take up your battle positions all around Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">all you soldiers who are armed with bows.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Shoot<n id="2" /> all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For she has sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not give her archers time to string their bowsp> <p class="poetry">or to put on their coats of armor.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not spare any of her young men.p> <p class="poetry">Completely destroy<n id="2" /> her whole army.p>

<p class="poetry">For a destroyer is attacking Babylon.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Her warriors will be captured;p> <p class="poetry">their bows will be broken.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> is a God who punishes;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">he pays back in full.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.p> <p class="poetry">They are cruel and show no mercy.p> <p class="poetry">They sound like the roaring seap> <p class="poetry">as they ride forth on their horses.p> <p class="poetry">Lined up in formation like men going into battlep> <p class="poetry">to attack you, Daughter Zion.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.p> <p class="poetry">Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They have become powerful in the land,p> <p class="poetry">but they have not done so by honest means.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, they do one evil thing after another<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and do not pay attention to me.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Call for archers<n id="1" /> to come against Babylon!p> <p class="poetry">Summon against her all who draw the bow!p> <p class="poetry">Set up camp all around the city!p> <p class="poetry">Do not allow anyone to escape!p> <p class="poetry">Pay her back for what she has done.p> <p class="poetry">Do to her what she has done to others.p> <p class="poetry">For she has proudly defied me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the Holy One of Israel.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.p> <p class="poetry">They are cruel and show no mercy.p> <p class="poetry">They sound like the roaring seap> <p class="poetry">as they ride forth on their horses.p> <p class="poetry">Lined up in formation like men going into battle,p> <p class="poetry">they are coming against you, fair Babylon!<n id="1" />p>