Beginning with verse 15, Isaiah is describing a scene of terrible fratricidal war. Proud rulers or leaders are being summarily slaughtered. Verse 15 describes the merciless slaughter of children and verse 16 describes one of the sheer horrors of the war, the ravishing of the women by the brutal conquerors. Now these scenes appear to remind Isaiah of what he was watching in ancient Babylon when his vision was interrupted and he switched over to events just before the Second Coming. So without the slightest explanation or apology, Isaiah switches back to ancient Babylon where the same kind of pillaging, raping and slaughter was taking place. In verse 17 Isaiah clearly states that he is now talking about Medes and Persians who did not come as mercenaries of Cyrus but to conquer a notoriously wicked people. Isaiah says that they destroyed the Babylonians whether men, women or children. They did not even spare expectant mothers.