Jeremiah 50-51

New International Version

² “Announce and proclaim^(C) among the nations,
    lift up a banner^(D) and proclaim it;
    keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;^(E)
    Bel^(F) will be put to shame,^(G)
    Marduk^(H) filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
    and her idols^(I) filled with terror.’
³ A nation from the north^(J) will attack her
    and lay waste her land.
No one will live^(K) in it;
    both people and animals^(L) will flee away.

⁴ “In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together^(M)
    will go in tears^(N) to seek^(O) the Lord their God.
⁵ They will ask the way^(P) to Zion
    and turn their faces toward it.
They will come^(Q) and bind themselves to the Lord
    in an everlasting covenant^(R)
    that will not be forgotten.

⁶ “My people have been lost sheep;^(S)
    their shepherds^(T) have led them astray^(U)
    and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill^(V)
    and forgot their own resting place.^(W)
7 Whoever found them devoured^(X) them;
    their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,^(Y)
for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
    the Lord, the hope^(Z) of their ancestors.’

⁸ “Flee^(AA) out of Babylon;^(AB)
    leave the land of the Babylonians,
    and be like the goats that lead the flock.
⁹ For I will stir^(AC) up and bring against Babylon
    an alliance of great nations^(AD) from the land of the north.^(AE)
They will take up their positions against her,
    and from the north she will be captured.^(AF)
Their arrows^(AG) will be like skilled warriors
    who do not return empty-handed.
¹⁰ So Babylonia^[b] will be plundered;^(AH)
    all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the Lord.

¹¹ “Because you rejoice and are glad,
    you who pillage my inheritance,^(AI)
because you frolic like a heifer^(AJ) threshing grain
    and neigh like stallions,
¹² your mother will be greatly ashamed;
    she who gave you birth will be disgraced.^(AK)
She will be the least of the nations—
    a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.^(AL)
13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
    but will be completely desolate.^(AM)
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;^(AN)
    they will scoff^(AO) because of all her wounds.^(AP)

¹⁴ “Take up your positions around Babylon,
    all you who draw the bow.^(AQ)
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,^(AR)
    for she has sinned against the Lord.
¹⁵ Shout^(AS) against her on every side!
    She surrenders, her towers fall,
    her walls^(AT) are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance^(AU) of the Lord,
    take vengeance on her;
    do to her^(AV) as she has done to others.^(AW)
16 Cut off from Babylon the sower,
    and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword^(AX) of the oppressor
    let everyone return to their own people,^(AY)
    let everyone flee to their own land.^(AZ)

¹⁷ “Israel is a scattered flock^(BA)
    that lions^(BB) have chased away.
The first to devour^(BC) them
    was the king^(BD) of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones^(BE)
    was Nebuchadnezzar^(BF) king^(BG) of Babylon.”

“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
    as I punished the king^(BH) of Assyria.^(BI)
19 But I will bring^(BJ) Israel back to their own pasture,
    and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied^(BK)
    on the hills^(BL) of Ephraim and Gilead.^(BM)
20 In those days, at that time,”
    declares the Lord,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
    but there will be none,^(BN)
and for the sins^(BO) of Judah,
    but none will be found,
    for I will forgive^(BP) the remnant^(BQ) I spare.

²¹ “Attack the land of Merathaim
    and those who live in Pekod.^(BR)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy^[c] them,”
declares the Lord.
    “Do everything I have commanded you.
²² The noise^(BS) of battle is in the land,
    the noise of great destruction!
²³ How broken and shattered
    is the hammer^(BT) of the whole earth!^(BU)
How desolate^(BV) is Babylon
    among the nations!
²⁴ I set a trap^(BW) for you, Babylon,
    and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured^(BX)
    because you opposed^(BY) the Lord.
²⁵ The Lord has opened his arsenal
    and brought out the weapons^(BZ) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
    in the land of the Babylonians.^(CA)
26 Come against her from afar.^(CB)
    Break open her granaries;
    pile her up like heaps of grain.^(CC)
Completely destroy^(CD) her
    and leave her no remnant.
²⁷ Kill all her young bulls;^(CE)
    let them go down to the slaughter!^(CF)
Woe to them! For their day^(CG) has come,
    the time^(CH) for them to be punished.
²⁸ Listen to the fugitives^(CI) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion^(CJ)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,^(CK)
    vengeance for his temple.^(CL)

²⁹ “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.^(CM)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.^(CN)
Repay^(CO) her for her deeds;^(CP)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied^(CQ) the Lord,
    the Holy One^(CR) of Israel.
³⁰ Therefore, her young men^(CS) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
³¹ “See, I am against^(CT) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day^(CU) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
³² The arrogant^(CV) one will stumble and fall^(CW)
    and no one will help her up;^(CX)
I will kindle a fire^(CY) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

“The people of Israel are oppressed,^(CZ)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.^(DA)
34 Yet their Redeemer^(DB) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty^(DC) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause^(DD)
    so that he may bring rest^(DE) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

³⁵ “A sword^(DF) against the Babylonians!”^(DG)
    declares the Lord—
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise^(DH) men!
³⁶ A sword against her false prophets!
    They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!^(DI)
    They will be filled with terror.^(DJ)
37 A sword against her horses and chariots^(DK)
    and all the foreigners in her ranks!
    They will become weaklings.^(DL)
A sword against her treasures!^(DM)
    They will be plundered.
³⁸ A drought on^[d] her waters!^(DN)
    They will dry^(DO) up.
For it is a land of idols,^(DP)
    idols that will go mad with terror.

³⁹ “So desert creatures^(DQ) and hyenas will live there,
    and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
    or lived in from generation to generation.^(DR)
40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah^(DS)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.^(DT)

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north;^(DU)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred^(DV) up from the ends of the earth.^(DW)
42 They are armed with bows^(DX) and spears;
    they are cruel^(DY) and without mercy.^(DZ)
They sound like the roaring sea^(EA)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.^(EB)
43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
    and his hands hang limp.^(EC)
Anguish has gripped him,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(ED)
44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets^(EE)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen^(EF) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?^(EG)
    And what shepherd can stand against me?”

⁴⁵ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
    what he has purposed^(EH) against the land of the Babylonians:^(EI)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
⁴⁶ At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;^(EJ)
    its cry^(EK) will resound among the nations.

“See, I will stir^(EL) up the spirit of a destroyer
    against Babylon^(EM) and the people of Leb Kamai.^[e]
2 I will send foreigners^(EN) to Babylon
    to winnow^(EO) her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
    in the day^(EP) of her disaster.
³ Let not the archer string his bow,^(EQ)
    nor let him put on his armor.^(ER)
Do not spare her young men;
    completely destroy^[f] her army.
⁴ They will fall^(ES) down slain in Babylon,^[g]
    fatally wounded in her streets.^(ET)
5 For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken^(EU)
    by their God, the Lord Almighty,
though their land^[h] is full of guilt^(EV)
    before the Holy One of Israel.

⁶ “Flee^(EW) from Babylon!
    Run for your lives!
    Do not be destroyed because of her sins.^(EX)
It is time^(EY) for the Lord’s vengeance;^(EZ)
    he will repay^(FA) her what she deserves.
⁷ Babylon was a gold cup^(FB) in the Lord’s hand;
    she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
    therefore they have now gone mad.
⁸ Babylon will suddenly fall^(FC) and be broken.
    Wail over her!
Get balm^(FD) for her pain;
    perhaps she can be healed.

⁹ “‘We would have healed Babylon,
    but she cannot be healed;
let us leave^(FE) her and each go to our own land,
    for her judgment^(FF) reaches to the skies,
    it rises as high as the heavens.’

¹⁰ “‘The Lord has vindicated^(FG) us;
    come, let us tell in Zion
    what the Lord our God has done.’^(FH)

¹¹ “Sharpen the arrows,^(FI)
    take up the shields!^(FJ)
The Lord has stirred up the kings^(FK) of the Medes,^(FL)
    because his purpose^(FM) is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,^(FN)
    vengeance for his temple.^(FO)
12 Lift up a banner^(FP) against the walls of Babylon!
    Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,^(FQ)
    prepare an ambush!^(FR)
The Lord will carry out his purpose,^(FS)
    his decree against the people of Babylon.
¹³ You who live by many waters^(FT)
    and are rich in treasures,^(FU)
your end has come,
    the time for you to be destroyed.^(FV)
14 The Lord Almighty has sworn by himself:^(FW)
    I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts,^(FX)
    and they will shout^(FY) in triumph over you.

¹⁵ “He made the earth by his power;
    he founded the world by his wisdom^(FZ)
    and stretched^(GA) out the heavens by his understanding.^(GB)
16 When he thunders,^(GC) the waters in the heavens roar;
    he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain^(GD)
    and brings out the wind from his storehouses.^(GE)

¹⁷ “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;^(GF)
    they have no breath in them.
¹⁸ They are worthless,^(GG) the objects of mockery;
    when their judgment comes, they will perish.
¹⁹ He who is the Portion^(GH) of Jacob is not like these,
    for he is the Maker of all things,
including the people of his inheritance^(GI)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name.

²⁰ “You are my war club,^(GJ)
    my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter^(GK) nations,^(GL)
    with you I destroy kingdoms,
²¹ with you I shatter horse and rider,^(GM)
    with you I shatter chariot^(GN) and driver,
²² with you I shatter man and woman,
    with you I shatter old man and youth,
    with you I shatter young man and young woman,^(GO)
23 with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
    with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
    with you I shatter governors and officials.^(GP)

²⁵ “I am against^(GS) you, you destroying mountain,
    you who destroy the whole earth,”^(GT)
declares the Lord.
“I will stretch out my hand^(GU) against you,
    roll you off the cliffs,
    and make you a burned-out mountain.^(GV)
26 No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone,
    nor any stone for a foundation,
    for you will be desolate^(GW) forever,”
declares the Lord.

²⁷ “Lift up a banner^(GX) in the land!
    Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Prepare the nations for battle against her;
    summon against her these kingdoms:^(GY)
    Ararat,^(GZ) Minni and Ashkenaz.^(HA)
Appoint a commander against her;
    send up horses like a swarm of locusts.^(HB)
28 Prepare the nations for battle against her—
    the kings of the Medes,^(HC)
their governors and all their officials,
    and all the countries they rule.^(HD)
29 The land trembles^(HE) and writhes,
    for the Lord’s purposes^(HF) against Babylon stand—
to lay waste^(HG) the land of Babylon
    so that no one will live there.^(HH)
30 Babylon’s warriors^(HI) have stopped fighting;
    they remain in their strongholds.
Their strength is exhausted;
    they have become weaklings.^(HJ)
Her dwellings are set on fire;^(HK)
    the bars^(HL) of her gates are broken.
³¹ One courier^(HM) follows another
    and messenger follows messenger
to announce to the king of Babylon
    that his entire city is captured,^(HN)
32 the river crossings seized,
    the marshes set on fire,^(HO)
    and the soldiers terrified.^(HP)”

“Daughter Babylon^(HQ) is like a threshing floor^(HR)
    at the time it is trampled;
    the time to harvest^(HS) her will soon come.^(HT)”

³⁴ “Nebuchadnezzar^(HU) king of Babylon has devoured^(HV) us,^(HW)
    he has thrown us into confusion,
    he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
    and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
    and then has spewed^(HX) us out.
³⁵ May the violence^(HY) done to our flesh^[j] be on Babylon,”
    say the inhabitants of Zion.
“May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
    says Jerusalem.^(HZ)

“See, I will defend your cause^(IA)
    and avenge^(IB) you;
I will dry up^(IC) her sea
    and make her springs dry.
³⁷ Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
    a haunt^(ID) of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,^(IE)
    a place where no one lives.^(IF)
38 Her people all roar like young lions,^(IG)
    they growl like lion cubs.
³⁹ But while they are aroused,
    I will set out a feast for them
    and make them drunk,^(IH)
so that they shout with laughter—
    then sleep forever^(II) and not awake,”
declares the Lord.^(IJ)
40 “I will bring them down
    like lambs to the slaughter,
    like rams and goats.^(IK)

⁴¹ “How Sheshak^[k](IL) will be captured,^(IM)
    the boast of the whole earth seized!
How desolate^(IN) Babylon will be
    among the nations!
⁴² The sea will rise over Babylon;
    its roaring waves^(IO) will cover her.
⁴³ Her towns will be desolate,
    a dry and desert^(IP) land,
a land where no one lives,
    through which no one travels.^(IQ)
44 I will punish Bel^(IR) in Babylon
    and make him spew out^(IS) what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
    And the wall^(IT) of Babylon will fall.

⁴⁵ “Come out^(IU) of her, my people!
    Run^(IV) for your lives!
    Run from the fierce anger^(IW) of the Lord.
⁴⁶ Do not lose heart^(IX) or be afraid^(IY)
    when rumors^(IZ) are heard in the land;
one rumor comes this year, another the next,
    rumors of violence in the land
    and of ruler against ruler.
⁴⁷ For the time will surely come
    when I will punish the idols^(JA) of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced^(JB)
    and her slain will all lie fallen within her.^(JC)
48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
    will shout^(JD) for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north^(JE)
    destroyers^(JF) will attack her,”
declares the Lord.

⁴⁹ “Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
    just as the slain in all the earth
    have fallen because of Babylon.^(JG)
50 You who have escaped the sword,
    leave^(JH) and do not linger!
Remember^(JI) the Lord in a distant land,^(JJ)
    and call to mind Jerusalem.”

⁵¹ “We are disgraced,^(JK)
    for we have been insulted
    and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
    the holy places of the Lord’s house.”^(JL)

⁵² “But days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will punish her idols,^(JM)
and throughout her land
    the wounded will groan.^(JN)
53 Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens^(JO)
    and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
    I will send destroyers^(JP) against her,”
declares the Lord.

⁵⁴ “The sound of a cry^(JQ) comes from Babylon,
    the sound of great destruction^(JR)
    from the land of the Babylonians.^[l]
55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
    he will silence^(JS) her noisy din.
Waves^(JT) of enemies will rage like great waters;
    the roar of their voices will resound.
⁵⁶ A destroyer^(JU) will come against Babylon;
    her warriors will be captured,
    and their bows will be broken.^(JV)
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
    he will repay^(JW) in full.
⁵⁷ I will make her officials^(JX) and wise^(JY) men drunk,^(JZ)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep^(KA) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,^(KB) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

“Babylon’s thick wall^(KC) will be leveled
    and her high gates^(KD) set on fire;
the peoples^(KE) exhaust^(KF) themselves for nothing,
    the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”^(KG)