Christians do you think this following passage sounds like the word of a loving and caring God?

Did you read the stuff before and after that passage? It says right in there that this is a "cruel" judgment from God against a sinful and wicked people who do evil. Talk to a wife whose husband has left her and their children to go fight against a blood thirsty tyrant. Ask whether her husband is a loving man or a cruel man. Things in this world are not always black and white. Love and mercy require judgment and justice. Would a loving God allow cruel acts like child sacrifice to go unchecked in this world? The Babylonians were not just your everyday atheists next door. You really should read the entire book and look at the overall themes though, not just certain passages. Have you ever seen the joke where there's an employee review done and if you read every other line it's a very negative review? A lot of people treat the Bible that way. Anyway, I believe God is loving and wants what's best for humanity and sometimes that requires harsh judgments.