20 In those days and in that time,” says the Lord,
^a“The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none;
And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found;
For I will pardon those ^bwhom I preserve. ‡

21 “Go up against the land of Merathaim, against it,
And against the inhabitants of ^aPekod.
¹Waste and utterly destroy them,” says the Lord,
“And do ^baccording to all that I have commanded you. ‡

23 How ^athe hammer of the whole earth has been cut apart and broken!
How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations! ‡

24 I have laid a snare for you;
You have indeed been ^atrapped, O Babylon,
And you were not aware;
You have been found and also caught,
Because you have ^bcontended against the Lord. ‡