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Chapter 51
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Verse 1

This is what the Lord says: 'Behold, I am stirring up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the inhabitants of Leb-qamai.'

Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

Verse 2

I will send strangers against Babylon to scatter her and empty her land, for they will surround her on the day of calamity.

And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

Verse 3

Do not let the archer bend his bow or put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; completely destroy her entire army.

Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

Verse 4

The slain will fall in the land of the Chaldeans, those pierced by the sword in her streets.

Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

Verse 5

For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the Lord of Hosts, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

Verse 6

Flee from Babylon! Save your lives! Do not perish in her punishment, for it is the time of the Lord's vengeance; He will repay her what she has done.

Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

Verse 7

Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, intoxicating the whole earth. The nations drank her wine; therefore, they have gone mad.

Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Verse 8

Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.

Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

Verse 9

We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Leave her, and let each one go to his own land, for her judgment has reached to the heavens and has risen to the skies.

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

Verse 10

The Lord has brought about our vindication. Come, let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.

The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

Verse 11

Sharpen the arrows; fill the quivers! The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy her. This is the Lord's vengeance, the vengeance for His temple.

Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.

Verse 12

Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon! Strengthen the guard, post the watchmen, prepare ambushes, for the Lord has planned and carried out what He purposed against the inhabitants of Babylon.

Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.

Verse 13

You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.

O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

Verse 14

The Lord of Hosts has sworn by Himself, 'Surely, I will fill you with men as numerous as locusts, and they will raise a shout of triumph over you.'

The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

Verse 15

He made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

Verse 16

When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings forth wind from His storehouses.

When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Verse 17

Every human is senseless, lacking knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.

Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Verse 18

They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment, they will perish.

They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Verse 19

The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Creator of all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; the Lord of Hosts is His name.

The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.

Verse 20

You are My war club, My weapon of battle: with you, I shatter nations, and with you, I destroy kingdoms.

Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

Verse 21

With you, I shatter horse and rider; with you, I shatter chariot and driver.

And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

Verse 22

With you, I shatter man and woman; with you, I shatter the old and the young; with you, I shatter the young man and the maiden.

With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

Verse 23

With you, I shatter shepherd and flock; with you, I shatter farmer and oxen; with you, I shatter governors and officials.

I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

Verse 24

Before your eyes, I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil they have done in Zion, declares the Lord.

And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.

Verse 25

Behold, I am against you, the destroying mountain, declares the Lord, you who destroy the whole earth. I will stretch out My hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain.

Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

Verse 26

No stone will be taken from you for a cornerstone or foundation, for you will be desolate forever, declares the Lord.

And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.

Verse 27

Raise a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her. Summon the kingdoms: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her. Bring up horses like swarming locusts!

Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.

Verse 28

Prepare the nations for battle against her—the kings of the Medes, their governors, all their officials, and the whole land of their dominion.

Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

Verse 29

The earth trembles and writhes because the Lord’s plans against Babylon stand firm—to make the land of Babylon a desolate wasteland, without an inhabitant.

And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

Verse 30

The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength has failed; they have become like women. Her dwellings are set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken.

The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

Verse 31

One courier runs to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to announce to the king of Babylon that his entire city is captured.

One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,

Verse 32

The river crossings have been seized, the marshes have been set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified.

And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

Verse 33

This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled; in a little while her harvest time will come.'

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

Verse 34

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has made me an empty vessel. He has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies. He has rinsed me out.

Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

Verse 35

May the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon, says the inhabitant of Zion. May my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea, says Jerusalem.

The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

Verse 36

Therefore, this is what the Lord says: 'Behold, I will defend your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountains dry.'

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

Verse 37

Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt for jackals, a horror and an object of scorn, without inhabitant.

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

Verse 38

They will roar together like young lions; they will growl like lion cubs.

They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.

Verse 39

While they are heated up, I will prepare their feast and make them drunk, so they will revel and then sleep a perpetual sleep, never to wake up, declares the Lord.

In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

Verse 40

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

Verse 41

'How Sheshach has been captured, the glory of the whole earth seized! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!

How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

Verse 42

The sea has risen over Babylon; she is covered by its roaring waves.

The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

Verse 43

Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and barren land where no one lives, and through which no man passes.

Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.

Verse 44

'I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him, and even the wall of Babylon will fall.

And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

Verse 45

Come out of her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the fierce anger of the Lord.

My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.

Verse 46

Do not let your heart grow faint, and do not be afraid of the rumors heard in the land. One year a rumor will come, and the next year another rumor—violence in the land and ruler against ruler.

And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

Verse 47

Therefore, behold, the days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon. Her whole land will be disgraced, and all her slain will fall within her.

Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

Verse 48

Then the heavens and the earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, because out of the north destroyers will come against her, declares the Lord.

Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD.

Verse 49

Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel, just as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.

As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

Verse 50

You who have escaped the sword, go! Do not linger. Remember the Lord from afar, and let Jerusalem come to your mind.

Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

Verse 51

We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; disgrace has covered our faces because foreigners have entered the holy places of the Lord's house.

We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.

Verse 52

'Therefore, behold, the days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will punish her idols, and throughout her land the wounded will groan.'

Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

Verse 53

Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, from Me destroyers will come against her, declares the Lord.

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

Verse 54

The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans.

A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

Verse 55

For the Lord is laying Babylon waste and silencing her loud noise. Her waves roar like mighty waters; the sound of their tumult resounds.

Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

Verse 56

For a destroyer has come against Babylon; her warriors are captured, their bows are broken. For the Lord is a God of retribution; He will fully repay.

Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite.

Verse 57

I will make her officials, wise men, governors, commanders, and warriors drunk, and they will sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of Hosts.

And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

Verse 58

This is what the Lord of Hosts says: The broad walls of Babylon will be utterly demolished, and her high gates burned with fire. The peoples labor in vain; the nations exhaust themselves only to fuel the flames.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

Verse 59

This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster.

The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.

Verse 60

Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the disaster that would come upon Babylon—all these words that are written against Babylon.

So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

Verse 61

And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, 'When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud.'

And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;

Verse 62

Then say, 'O Lord, You have said concerning this place that You will cut it off, so that no one will dwell in it—neither man nor beast—but it will lie desolate forever.'

Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

Verse 63

When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.

And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:

Verse 64

Then you shall say, 'This is how Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I will bring upon her. Her people will grow weary.' This is the end of Jeremiah's words.

And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

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