God’s Judgment on Babylon
1 This is what the Lord says:
2
2
I will send strangers to Babylon
who will scatter her and strip her land bare,(B)
for they will come against her
from every side in the day of disaster.
3
4 who will scatter her and strip her land bare,(B)
for they will come against her
from every side in the day of disaster.
Those who were slain will fall in the land of the Chaldeans,
those who were pierced through, in her streets.(D)
5 those who were pierced through, in her streets.(D)
For Israel and Judah are not left widowed
by their God, the Lord of Hosts,
though their land is full of guilt
against the Holy One of Israel.(E)
by their God, the Lord of Hosts,
though their land is full of guilt
against the Holy One of Israel.(E)
6
7
8
Suddenly Babylon fell and was shattered.
Wail for her;
get balm(L) for her wound—
perhaps she can be healed.
Wail for her;
get balm(L) for her wound—
perhaps she can be healed.
9
We tried to heal Babylon,
but she could not be healed.
Abandon her!
Let each of us go to his own land,(M)
for her judgment extends to the sky
and reaches as far as the clouds.(N)
but she could not be healed.
Abandon her!
Let each of us go to his own land,(M)
for her judgment extends to the sky
and reaches as far as the clouds.(N)
10
The Lord has brought about our vindication;(O)
come, let’s tell in Zion
what the Lord our God has accomplished.(P)
come, let’s tell in Zion
what the Lord our God has accomplished.(P)
11
Sharpen the arrows!
Fill the quivers!
The Lord has put it into the mind
of the kings of the Medes
because His plan is aimed at Babylon
to destroy her,
for it is the Lord’s vengeance,
vengeance for His temple.(Q)
12 Fill the quivers!
The Lord has put it into the mind
of the kings of the Medes
because His plan is aimed at Babylon
to destroy her,
for it is the Lord’s vengeance,
vengeance for His temple.(Q)
Raise up a signal flag(R)
against the walls of Babylon;
fortify the watch post;
set the watchmen in place;
prepare the ambush.
For the Lord has both planned and accomplished
what He has threatened
against those who live in Babylon.
13
against the walls of Babylon;
fortify the watch post;
set the watchmen in place;
prepare the ambush.
For the Lord has both planned and accomplished
what He has threatened
against those who live in Babylon.
14 The Lord of Hosts has sworn by Himself:
I will fill you up with men as with locusts,
and they will sing the victory song over you.
and they will sing the victory song over you.
15
16
When He thunders,(e)
the waters in the heavens are in turmoil,(W)
and He causes the clouds
to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(X)
the waters in the heavens are in turmoil,(W)
and He causes the clouds
to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(X)
17
18
19
Jacob’s Portion(f) is not like these
because He is the One who formed all things.(AD)
Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;(AE)
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(AF)
because He is the One who formed all things.(AD)
Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;(AE)
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(AF)
20
You are My battle club,
My weapons of war.
With you I will smash nations;
with you I will bring kingdoms to ruin.
21 My weapons of war.
With you I will smash nations;
with you I will bring kingdoms to ruin.
With you I will smash the horse and its rider;
with you I will smash the chariot and its rider.
22 with you I will smash the chariot and its rider.
With you I will smash man and woman;(AG)
with you I will smash the old man and the youth;
with you I will smash the young man and the young woman.
23 with you I will smash the old man and the youth;
with you I will smash the young man and the young woman.
With you I will smash the shepherd and his flock;
with you I will smash the farmer and his ox-team.(g)
With you I will smash governors and officials.
with you I will smash the farmer and his ox-team.(g)
With you I will smash governors and officials.
24 “I will repay Babylon and all the residents of Chaldea for all their evil they have done in Zion before your very eyes.”(AH)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
25
Look, I am against you, devastating mountain—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
you devastate the whole earth.
I will stretch out My hand against you,(AI)
roll you down from the cliffs,
and turn you into a charred mountain.
26 this is the Lord’s declaration—
you devastate the whole earth.
I will stretch out My hand against you,(AI)
roll you down from the cliffs,
and turn you into a charred mountain.
No one will be able to retrieve a cornerstone
or a foundation stone from you,
because you will become desolate forever.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
or a foundation stone from you,
because you will become desolate forever.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
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28
Set apart the nations for battle against her—
the kings of Media,
her governors and all her officials,
and all the lands they rule.
29 the kings of Media,
her governors and all her officials,
and all the lands they rule.
The earth quakes(AL) and trembles
because the Lord’s intentions against Babylon stand:
to make the land of Babylon an uninhabited desolation.
30
31 because the Lord’s intentions against Babylon stand:
to make the land of Babylon an uninhabited desolation.
Messenger races to meet messenger,(AO)
and herald to meet herald,
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his city has been captured
from end to end.
32
and herald to meet herald,
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his city has been captured
from end to end.
33 For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:
Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor
at the time it is trampled.(AQ)
In just a little while her harvest time will come.(AR)
at the time it is trampled.(AQ)
In just a little while her harvest time will come.(AR)
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35
says the inhabitant of Zion;
“Let the violence done to me and my family be done to Babylon.
Let my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea,”
says Jerusalem.
“Let the violence done to me and my family be done to Babylon.
Let my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea,”
says Jerusalem.
36 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
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37
Babylon will become a heap of rubble,
a jackals’ den,
a desolation and an object of scorn,(AV)
without inhabitant.
38 a jackals’ den,
a desolation and an object of scorn,(AV)
without inhabitant.
They will roar together like young lions;
they will growl like lion cubs.
39
40 they will growl like lion cubs.
41
42
43
Her cities have become a desolation,(BB)
a dry and arid land,
a land where no one lives,
where no human being passes through.
44 a dry and arid land,
a land where no one lives,
where no human being passes through.
I will punish Bel(BC) in Babylon.
I will make him vomit what he swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him;
even Babylon’s wall will fall.
I will make him vomit what he swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him;
even Babylon’s wall will fall.
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46
May you not become cowardly and fearful
when the report is proclaimed in the land,
for the report will come one year,
and then another the next year.
There will be violence in the land
with ruler against ruler.
47
48 when the report is proclaimed in the land,
for the report will come one year,
and then another the next year.
There will be violence in the land
with ruler against ruler.
Heaven and earth and everything in them
will shout for joy(BG) over Babylon
because the destroyers from the north
will come against her.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
will shout for joy(BG) over Babylon
because the destroyers from the north
will come against her.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
49
Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel,
even as the slain of all the earth fell
because of Babylon.
50 even as the slain of all the earth fell
because of Babylon.
You who have escaped the sword,(BH)
go and do not stand still!
Remember the Lord from far away,
and let Jerusalem come to your mind.
go and do not stand still!
Remember the Lord from far away,
and let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51
We are ashamed
because we have heard insults.(BI)
Humiliation covers our faces
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the Lord’s temple.(BJ)
because we have heard insults.(BI)
Humiliation covers our faces
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the Lord’s temple.(BJ)
52
Therefore, look, the days are coming—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
when I will punish her carved images,
and the wounded will groan
throughout her land.
53 this is the Lord’s declaration—
when I will punish her carved images,
and the wounded will groan
throughout her land.
Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens(BK)
and fortify her tall fortresses,
destroyers will come against her from Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
and fortify her tall fortresses,
destroyers will come against her from Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
54
55
For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon;
He will silence her mighty voice.
Their waves roar like abundant waters;
the tumult of their voice resounds,
56 He will silence her mighty voice.
Their waves roar like abundant waters;
the tumult of their voice resounds,
for a destroyer is coming against her,
against Babylon.
Her warriors will be captured,
their bows shattered,
for the Lord is a God of retribution;
He will certainly repay.
57
against Babylon.
Her warriors will be captured,
their bows shattered,
for the Lord is a God of retribution;
He will certainly repay.
58 This is what Yahweh of Hosts says:
Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished,
and her high gates consumed by fire.
The peoples will have labored for nothing;(BO)
the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire.
and her high gates consumed by fire.
The peoples will have labored for nothing;(BO)
the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire.
59 This is what Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah,(BP) the quartermaster, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign.
60 Jeremiah wrote on one scroll about all the disaster that would come to Babylon;(BQ) all these words were written against Babylon.
61 Jeremiah told Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud.
62 You must say, ‘Lord, You have threatened to cut off(BR) this place so that no one will live in it—man or beast. Indeed, it will remain desolate forever.’
63 When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River.(BS)
64 Then say, ‘In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am bringing on her. They will grow weary.’”
The words of Jeremiah end here.
The words of Jeremiah end here.
Footnotes:
a.
Jeremiah 51:1: Or stir up the spirit of a destroyer
b.
Jeremiah 51:1: Lit heart of my adversaries
c.
Jeremiah 51:1: Chaldeans
d.
Jeremiah 51:3: Hb obscure
e.
Jeremiah 51:16: Lit At His giving of the voice
f.
Jeremiah 51:19: the Lord
g.
Jeremiah 51:23: Lit yoke
h.
Jeremiah 51:27: Hb obscure
i.
Jeremiah 51:34: Lit has rinsed me off
j.
Jeremiah 51:39: LXX reads pass out
Cross references:
AN.
Jeremiah 51:30:
Nahum 3:13