²³ How hath it been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How hath Babylon been for a desolation among nations!

²⁰ An axe `art' thou to me -- weapons of war, And I have broken in pieces by thee nations, And I have destroyed by thee kingdoms,

²¹ And I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer,

²² And I have broken in pieces by thee man and woman, And I have broken in pieces by thee old and young, And I have broken in pieces by thee young man and virgin,

²³ And I have broken in pieces by thee shepherd and his drove, And I have broken in pieces by thee husbandman and his team, And I have broken in pieces by thee governors and prefects.

²⁴ And I have recompensed to Babylon, And to all inhabitants of Chaldea, All the evil that they have done in Zion, Before your eyes -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

⁴ That thou hast taken up this simile Concerning the king of Babylon, and said, How hath the exactor ceased,

⁵ Ceased hath the golden one. Broken hath Jehovah the staff of the wicked, The sceptre of rulers.

⁶ He who is smiting peoples in wrath, A smiting without intermission, He who is ruling in anger nations, Pursuing without restraint!

¹² How hast thou fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the dawn! Thou hast been cut down to earth, O weakener of nations.

¹³ And thou saidst in thy heart: the heavens I go up, Above stars of God I raise my throne, And I sit in the mount of meeting in the sides of the north.

¹⁴ I go up above the heights of a thick cloud, I am like to the Most High.

¹⁵ Only -- unto Sheol thou art brought down, Unto the sides of the pit.

¹⁶ Thy beholders look to thee, to thee they attend, Is this the man causing the earth to tremble, Shaking kingdoms?

¹⁷ He hath made the world as a wilderness, And his cities he hath broken down, Of his bound ones he opened not the house.

¹⁶ and saying, Wo, wo, the great city, that was arrayed with fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and gilded in gold, and precious stone, and pearls -- because in one hour so much riches were made waste!