¹⁷ Israel’s Light will become a fire,
and its Holy One, a flame.^(A)
In one day it will burn and consume Assyria’s thorns and thistles.^(B)

³⁰ Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting;
they sit in their strongholds.
Their might is exhausted;
they have become like women.^(A)
Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze,
her gate bars are shattered.^(B)
31 Messenger races to meet messenger,^(C)
and herald to meet herald,
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his city has been captured
from end to end.^(D)
32 The fords have been seized,^(E)
the marshes set on fire,
and the fighting men are terrified.

Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished,^(A)
and her high gates set ablaze.
The peoples will have laboured for nothing;^(B)
the nations will weary themselves only to feed the fire.