“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” announces the Lord. “Swords will kill them. Dogs will drag them away. Birds will eat them up. And wild animals will destroy them.
I will completely destroy this city. I will make it a horrible thing. People will make fun of it. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will laugh at its people because of all their wounds.
Once more fields will be bought in this land. It is the land about which you now say, ‘It is a dry and empty desert. It doesn’t have any people or animals in it. It has been handed over to the armies of Babylon.’
So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from him many times.
“He sent down fire from heaven. It went deep down into my bones. He spread a net to catch me by the feet. He stopped me right where I was. He made me empty. I am sick all the time.
“Here’s how the angel explained it to me. He said, ‘The fourth animal stands for a fourth kingdom. It will appear on earth. It will be different from the other kingdoms. It will eat up the whole earth. It will stomp on it and crush it.
So Jacob’s people will be scattered among many nations. They will be like a lion among the animals in the forest. They’ll be like a young lion among flocks of sheep. Lions attack and tear apart their prey as they move along. No one can keep them from killing what they want.
They will throw dust on their heads. They will weep and mourn. They will cry out, “ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city! All who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! In just one hour she has been destroyed!’