As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.’
How she sits alone, the city once crowded with people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow. The princess among the provinces has been put to forced labour.
I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them #– #the voice of the groom and the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
Why are we just sitting here? Gather together; let’s enter the fortified cities and perish there, for the Lord our God has destroyed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
‘Go down and sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter Chaldea! For you will no longer be called pampered and spoilt.
‘I will make her a swampland and a region for herons, and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.’ This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Look, riders come – horsemen in pairs.’ And he answered, saying, ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen. All the images of her gods have been shattered on the ground.’
The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.