Jeremiah 50

1 This is the word that the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans:

The word that the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by means of Jeremiah the prophet.

2 “Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’

Announce ye among the nations, and publish, and lift up a standard; publish, conceal not; say, Babylon is captured, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is broken in pieces; put to shame are her idols; broken in pieces are her images.

3 For a nation from the north will come against her; it will make her land a desolation. No one will live in it; both man and beast will flee.”

For there is come up against her a nation out of the north, which will change her land into a desert, so that there shall not be any one dwelling therein: both man and beast are fled away, they are departed.

4 “In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.

In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, shall the children of Israel come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping shall they go, and the Lord their God shall they seek.

5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.

After Zion shall they ask, with their faces on the way thitherward, [saying, ] Come: and they will join themselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

6 My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.

Lost sheep were my people; their shepherds had caused them to go astray, they had let them roam wildly on the mountains: from mountain to hill did they go, they forgot their resting-place.

7 All who found them devoured them, and their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’

All that found them devoured them; and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of righteousness, and the hope of their fathers, the Lord.

8 Flee from the midst of Babylon; depart from the land of the Chaldeans; be like the he-goats that lead the flock.

Fly away out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be ye as the he-goats before the flocks.

9 For behold, I stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north. They will line up against her; from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.

For, lo, I will awaken and cause to come up against Babylon an assemblage of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in battle-array against her; from there shall she be captured: their arrows are as those of a skilful mighty one, none of which ever returneth in vain.

10 Chaldea will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,”

And Chaldea shall be given up to spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the Lord.

11 “Because you rejoice, because you sing in triumph— you who plunder My inheritance— because you frolic like a heifer treading grain and neigh like stallions,

Though ye rejoice, though ye be glad, O ye plunderers of my heritage, though ye be grown fat as the heifer at grass, and neigh as stud-horses:

12 your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who bore you will be disgraced. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

Your mother is made greatly ashamed; she that bore you is put to the blush; behold, the end of nations shall be wilderness, dry land, and desert.

13 Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will become completely desolate. All who pass through Babylon will be horrified and will hiss at all her wounds.

Because of the wrath of the Lord shall it not be inhabited, and it shall be wholly desolate: every one that passeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss over all her wounds.

14 Line up in formation around Babylon, all you who draw the bow! Shoot at her! Spare no arrows! For she has sinned against the LORD.

Put yourselves in battle-array against Babylon round about, all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare not the arrows: for against the Lord hath she sinned.

15 Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender; her towers have fallen; her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take out your vengeance upon her; as she has done, do the same to her.

Shout against her round about; she hath stretched out her hand: fallen are her foundations, thrown down are her walls; for it is the vengeance of the Lord; take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, so do unto her.

16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time. In the face of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest; because of the wasting sword shall they turn about every one to his people, and every one to his own land shall they flee.

17 Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

A scattered lamb is Israel; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria devoured him; and this last one broke his bones, [even] Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon.

18 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

Therefore thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will inflict punishment on the king of Babylon and on his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

19 I will return Israel to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his soul will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

And I will bring Israel back again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan: and upon the mountain of Ephraim and Gil'ad shall his soul be satisfied.

20 In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, a search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for Judah’s sins, but they will not be found; for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.

In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for, and it shall not be there; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I will leave remaining.

21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the residents of Pekod. Kill them and devote them to destruction. Do all that I have commanded you,”

Against the land of twofold rebellion—even against it go thou up, and against the inhabitants of the country of punishment: lay in ruins and utterly destroy their offspring, saith the Lord, and do in accordance with all that I have commanded thee.

22 “The noise of battle is in the land— the noise of great destruction.

A sound of battle [is heard] in the land, and of great destruction.

23 How the hammer of the whole earth lies broken and shattered! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!

How is cut asunder and broken the hammer of all the earth! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

24 I laid a snare for you, O Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it. You were found and captured because you challenged the LORD.

I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also captured, O Babylon, while thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hadst entered into a contest against the Lord.

25 The LORD has opened His armory and brought out His weapons of wrath, for this is the work of the Lord GOD of Hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

The Lord hath opened his treasury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for it is a work for the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, in the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Come against her from the farthest border. Break open her granaries; pile her up like mounds of grain. Devote her to destruction; leave her no survivors.

Come against her from the end of the earth, open her garners; tread her down as sheaves of corn, and destroy her utterly: let there not be left of her a remnant even.

27 Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come— the time of their punishment.

Destroy all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: Woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

28 Listen to the fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, declaring in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance for His temple.

There is the voice of those that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to tell in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance for his temple.

29 Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

Call together the archers against Babylon; all ye that bend the bow, encamp against her round about; let there be no escape for her: recompense her according to her work; in accordance with all that she hath done, do unto her; for against the Lord hath she acted presumptuously, against the Holy One of Israel.

30 Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets, and all her warriors will be silenced in that day,”

therefore shall her young men fall in her streets, and all her men of war shall perish on that day, saith the Lord.

31 “Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts, “for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

Behold, I am against thee, O presumptuous one! saith the Lord, the Eternal of hosts; for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee [with punishment].

32 The arrogant one will stumble and fall with no one to pick him up. And I will kindle a fire in his cities to consume all those around him.”

And the presumptuous shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all his environs.

33 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together: and all that took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to dismiss them.

34 Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.

Their Redeemer is strong; The Lord of hosts is his name: he will surely contend in their cause, in order that he may give rest to the land, and make the inhabitants of Babylon tremble.

35 A sword is against the Chaldeans, declares the LORD, against those who live in Babylon, and against her officials and wise men.

The sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the Lord, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her princes, and against her wise men.

36 A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror.

The sword is against the lying soothsayers, and they shall be made foolish: the sword is against her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.

37 A sword is against her horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst, and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered.

The sword is against their horses, and against their chariots, and against all the confederates that are in the midst of her, and they shall become as women: the sword is against her treasures, and they shall be plundered.

38 A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols.

The drought is against her waters, and they shall be dried up; for it is the land of graven images, and with their horrid idols do they play the madman.

39 So the desert creatures and hyenas will live there and ostriches will dwell there. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation.

Therefore shall martens dwell [there] with jackals, and the ostriches shall dwell therein: and it shall be not inhabited any more for ever; and it shall not be dwelt in from generation to generation.

40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighbors,” declares the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there.

Like the overthrow by God of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors, saith the Lord, so shall no man dwell there, nor shall any son of man sojourn therein.

41 Behold, an army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are stirred up from the ends of the earth.

Behold, a people cometh from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be awakened from the farthest ends of the earth.

42 They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Babylon.

Bow and lance do they firmly grasp; they are cruel, and show not any mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and upon horses do they ride, placed in array, like one man, for the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

43 The king of Babylon has heard the report, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor.

The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands are grown feeble: anguish hath taken fast hold of him, pangs as of a woman in travail.

44 Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan to the watered pasture. For in an instant I will chase Babylon from her land. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? For who is like Me, and who can challenge Me? What shepherd can stand against Me?”

Behold, like a lion shall he come up from the overflow of the Jordan unto the strong habitation; for I will hasten them [and] make them suddenly prevail over her, and him who is chosen will I array against her; for who like me? and who will challenge me to battle? and who is that shepherd that can stand before me?

45 Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies He has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.

Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, that he hath resolved against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall drag them away; surely he will devastate over them their habitation.

46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.

At the noise of the conquest of Babylon the earth quaketh, and the outcry is heard among the nations.