Listen! I am going to put a spirit in the king of Assyria. He will hear a report that will make him return to his own country, and I will cause him to die by the sword there.’ ”
This is a message about the Desert by the Sea: Disaster is coming from the desert like wind blowing in the south. It is coming from a terrible country.
The Lord says, “City of Babylon, go down and sit in the dirt. People of Babylon, sit on the ground. You are no longer the ruler. You will no longer be called tender or beautiful.
Look, the punishment from the Lord will come like a storm. His anger will be like a hurricane. It will come swirling down on the heads of those wicked people.
I will bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the skies. I will scatter its people everywhere the four winds blow; its captives will go to every nation.
“Attack the land of Merathaim. Attack the people who live in Pekod. Chase them, kill them, and completely destroy them. Do everything I commanded you!” says the Lord.
“Call for the archers to come against Babylon. Tell them to surround the city, and let no one escape. Pay her back for what she has done; do to her what she has done to other nations. Babylon acted with pride against the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
I will soon bring against Babylon many great nations from the north. They will take their places for war against it, and it will be captured by people from the north. Their arrows are like trained soldiers who do not return from war with empty hands.
But it was pulled up by its roots in anger and thrown down to the ground. The east wind dried it up. Its fruit was torn off. Its strong branches were broken off and burned up.
Israel is doing well among the nations, but the Lord will send a wind from the east, coming from the desert, that will dry up his springs and wells of water. He will destroy from their treasure houses everything of value.
This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “After he has honored me and sent me against the nations who took your possessions—because whoever touches you hurts what is precious to me—