< Jeremiah 50 >

1 The word that YHWH has spoken concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet:
The word which Jehovah spake concerning Babylon, and concerning the land of the Chaldaeans, by Jeremiah the prophet.
2 “Declare among nations, and sound, And lift up an ensign, sound, do not hide, Say, Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Merodach has been broken, Her grievous things have been put to shame, Her idols have been broken.
Tell ye among the nations, and proclaim, and lift up a standard! Proclaim ye; conceal it not; Say ye, “Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is in consternation, Her idols are confounded, Her images are in consternation.”
3 For a nation from the north has come up against her, It makes her land become a desolation, And there is not an inhabitant in it. From man even to beast, They have moved, they have gone.
For out of the North cometh up against her a nation Which shall make her land desolate, So that none shall dwell therein; Both man and beast are fled, They are gone.
4 In those days, and at that time,” A declaration of YHWH, “Sons of Israel come in, They and sons of Judah together, Going on and weeping they go, And they seek their God YHWH.
In those days, and at that time, saith Jehovah, The children of Israel shall come, They and the children of Judah together; They shall go weeping on their way, And shall seek Jehovah their God.
5 They ask the way [to] Zion, Their faces [are] toward that place: Come in, and we are joined to YHWH, A perpetual covenant—never forgotten.
They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward; They shall come, and shall join themselves to Jehovah In a perpetual covenant, that shall not be forgotten.
6 My people have been a perishing flock, Their shepherds have caused them to err, Causing them to go back [on] the mountains, They have gone from mountain to hill, They have forgotten their crouching-place.
My people have been lost sheep; Their shepherds have caused them to go astray; They have caused them to wander upon the mountains; They have gone from mountain to hill, They have forgotten their fold.
7 All finding them have devoured them, And their adversaries have said: We are not guilty, Because that they sinned against YHWH, The habitation of righteousness, And the hope of their fathers—YHWH.
All that found them devoured them; For their adversaries said, “We shall not be held guilty,” Because they had sinned against Jehovah, The fold of safety, and the hope of their fathers, Jehovah.
8 Move from the midst of Babylon, And go out from the land of the Chaldeans; And be as male goats before a flock.
Flee ye out of Babylon, And go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, And be ye like he-goats before the flock!
9 For behold, I am stirring up, And am causing to come up against Babylon, An assembly of great nations from [the] land of the north, And they have set in array against her, From there she is captured, Its arrow—as a skillful hero—does not return empty,
For, behold, I will raise up and bring against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the land of the North, And they shall set themselves in array against her, And then shall she be taken; Their arrows shall be as those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain.
10 And Chaldea has been for a spoil, All her spoilers are satisfied,” A declaration of YHWH.
And Chaldaea shall be a spoil; All that spoil her shall have their fill, saith Jehovah.
11 “Because you rejoice, because you exult, O spoilers of My inheritance, Because you increase as a heifer [at] the tender grass, And cry aloud as bulls,
Because ye rejoiced and exulted, O ye plunderers of my inheritance, Because ye wantoned like a thrashing heifer, And neighed like a stallion,
12 Your mother has been greatly ashamed, She who bore you has been confounded, Behold, the last of nations [is] a wilderness, A dry land, and a desert.
Your mother is utterly confounded; She that bore you is put to shame. Behold, the end of the nations, A wilderness, a dry land, a desert!
13 Because of the wrath of YHWH it is not inhabited, And it has been a desolation—all of it. Everyone passing by at Babylon is astonished, And hisses because of all her plagues.
Because of the wrath of Jehovah, she shall not be inhabited, She shall be wholly desolate; Every one that passeth by Babylon shall be amazed, And hiss on account of all her plagues.
14 Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, All you treading a bow, Shoot at her, have no pity on the arrow, For she has sinned against YHWH.
Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: All ye that bend the bow, shoot at her; Spare not the arrows! For she hath sinned against Jehovah.
15 Shout against her all around, She has given forth her hand, Her foundations have fallen, Her walls have been thrown down, For it [is] the vengeance of YHWH, Be avenged of her, as she did—do to her.
Raise the war-shout! She reacheth forth her hand; Her pillars are fallen; Her walls are thrown down; For it is the vengeance of Jehovah. Take ye vengeance upon her! As she hath done, do ye to her!
16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, Because of the oppressing sword, Each to his people—they turn, And each to his land—they flee.
Cut ye off the sower from Babylon, And him that handleth the sickle in harvest-time! Because of the overpowering sword They shall turn every one to his own people, And they shall flee every one to his own land.
17 Israel [is as] a scattered sheep, Lions have driven [him] away, At first, the king of Asshur devoured him, And now, at last, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bone.
Israel hath been like scattered sheep, Which the lions have driven away; First the king of Assyria devoured him, And last, this Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, hath broken his bones.
18 Therefore, thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: Behold, I am seeing after the king of Babylon, And after his land, As I have seen after the king of Asshur;
Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, As I have punished the king of Assyria.
19 And I have brought Israel back to his habitation, And he has fed on Carmel and on Bashan; And his soul is satisfied on Mount Ephraim and on Gilead.
And I will bring back Israel to his own pasture, And he shall feed upon Carmel and Bashan, And satiate himself upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In those days, and at that time,” A declaration of YHWH, “The iniquity of Israel is sought, and it is not, And the sin of Judah, and it is not found, For I am propitious to those whom I leave!
In those days and at that time, saith Jehovah, The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; And the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I cause to be left.
21 Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, And to the inhabitants of Pekod, Dry up and devote their posterity,” A declaration of YHWH, “And do according to all that I have commanded you.
Against the land of Rebellion go ye up, And against the inhabitants of Vengeance! Lay waste and utterly destroy after them, saith Jehovah, And do all which I have commanded thee!
22 A noise of battle [is] in the land, And of great destruction.
The din of battle is in the land, And great destruction.
23 How it has been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How Babylon has been for a desolation among nations!
How is the battle-hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! How is Babylon become an astonishment to all the nations!
24 I have laid a snare for you, And you are also captured, O Babylon, And you have known, You have been found, and are also caught, For you have stirred yourself up against YHWH.
I have laid a snare for thee, And thou hast been caught, O Babylon, When thou wast not aware! Thou hast been found and taken, Because thou hast contended against Jehovah.
25 YHWH has opened His treasury, And He brings out the weapons of His indignation, For a work [is] to Lord YHWH of Hosts, In the land of the Chaldeans.
Jehovah hath opened his armory, And hath brought out the weapons of his indignation; For the Lord Jehovah of hosts performeth a work against the land of the Chaldaeans.
26 Come in to her from the extremity, Open her storehouses, Raise her up as heaps, and devote her, Let her have no remnant.
Come against her from the utmost border! Open ye her barns, Cast her up into heaps, And destroy her utterly; Let nothing of her be left!
27 Slay all her cows, they go down to slaughter, Woe [is] on them, for their day has come, The time of their inspection.
Slay all her bullocks, Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe unto them, For their day is come, The time of their punishment!
28 A voice of fugitives and escaped ones [Is] from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of our God YHWH, The vengeance of His temple.
The voice of them that flee and escape is heard from the land of Babylon, To make known to Zion the vengeance of Jehovah, our God, The vengeance for his temple.
29 Summon archers to Babylon, all treading the bow, Encamp against her all around, Let [her] have no escape; Repay to her according to her work, According to all that she did—do to her, For she has been proud against YHWH, Against the Holy One of Israel.
Call together the archers against Babylon, All ye that bend the bow, encamp ye round about her; Let no one escape; Recompense her according to her work; According to all that she hath done, do ye to her! For she hath exalted herself against Jehovah, Against the Holy One of Israel.
30 Therefore her young men fall in her broad places, And all her men of war are cut off in that day,” A declaration of YHWH.
Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, And all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith Jehovah.
31 “Behold, I [am] against you, O pride,” A declaration of Lord YHWH of Hosts, “For your day has come, the time of your inspection.
Behold I am against thee, thou proud one, saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts; For thy day is come, The time of thy punishment.
32 And pride has stumbled, And he has fallen, and has none raising up, And I have kindled a fire in his cities, And it has devoured all around him.
And the proud one shall stumble and fall, And none shall raise him up; And I will kindle a fire in his cities, And it shall devour all round about him.
33 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: The sons of Israel are oppressed, And the sons of Judah together, And all their captors have kept hold on them, They have refused to send them away.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together, And all that took them captives hold them fast; They refuse to let them go.
34 Their Redeemer [is] strong, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name, He thoroughly pleads their cause, So as to cause the land to rest, And He has given trouble to the inhabitants of Babylon.
But their redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name. He will maintain their cause, So as to give rest to the land, And confusion to the inhabitants of Babylon.
35 A sword [is] for the Chaldeans,” A declaration of YHWH, “And it [is] on the inhabitants of Babylon, And on her heads, and on her wise men;
The sword shall be upon the Chaldaeans, saith Jehovah, And upon the inhabitants of Babylon; And upon her princes, And upon her wise men;
36 A sword [is] on the princes, And they have become foolish; A sword [is] on her mighty ones, And they have been broken down;
The sword upon her lying prophets, and they shall be fools; The sword upon her heroes, and they shall be dismayed;
37 A sword [is] on his horses and on his chariot, And on all the rabble who [are] in her midst, And they have become women; A sword [is] on her treasuries, And they have been spoiled;
The sword upon her horses, and upon her chariots, And against all the allied multitude that is within her, And they shall become women. The sword is upon their treasures, and they shall be plundered;
38 A sword [is] on her waters, and they have been dried up, For it [is] a land of carved images, And they boast themselves in idols.
A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up; For it is a land of graven images, And they put a mad trust in idols.
39 Therefore desert-dwellers dwell with howlers, Indeed, daughters of the ostrich have dwelt in her, And it is not inhabited anymore forever, Nor dwelt in from generation to generation.
Therefore the wild beasts of the desert, with the jackals, shall dwell there, And therein shall the ostrich dwell. And it shall be no more inhabited forever, Neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
40 As the overthrow by God of Sodom, And of Gomorrah, and of its neighbors,” A declaration of YHWH, “None dwell there, Nor does a son of man sojourn in her.
As it was when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighboring cities, saith Jehovah, There shall not a man abide there, Nor any son of man dwell therein.
41 Behold, a people has come from the north, Even a great nation, And many kings are stirred up from the sides of the earth.
Behold, a nation cometh from the North, And a great people and many kings shall rise up from the extremities of the earth.
42 They seize bow and javelin, They [are] cruel, and they have no mercy, Their voice sounds as a sea, and they ride on horses, Set in array as a man for battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
They bear the bow and the javelin; They are cruel, and show no mercy; Their voice roareth like the sea, And they ride upon horses, arrayed like a warrior, Against thee, O daughter of Babylon!
43 The king of Babylon has heard their report, And his hands have been feeble, Distress has seized him; pain as a travailing woman.
The king of Babylon heareth the rumor concerning them, And his hands become feeble; Anguish taketh hold of him, Trembling, as of a woman in travail.
44 Behold, he comes up as a lion, Because of the rising of the Jordan, To the enduring habitation, But I cause to rest, I cause them to run from off her. And who is chosen? I lay a charge on her, For who [is] like Me? And who convenes Me? And who [is] this shepherd who stands before Me?
Behold, like a lion from the pride of Jordan, he cometh up against the habitation of the rock; Suddenly will I drive them from her; And him who is chosen by me will I appoint over her; For who is like me? And who will summon me to trial? And who is the shepherd that will stand up against me?
45 Therefore, hear the counsel of YHWH, That He counseled concerning Babylon, And His plans that He has devised Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Do little ones of the flock not drag them out, Does He not make the habitation desolate over them?
Therefore hear ye the purpose of Jehovah, which he hath formed against Babylon, And the designs which he meditateth against the land of the Chaldaeans; Surely he [[the enemy]] shall drag them forth like feeble sheep, Surely he will come upon them, and make their pastures desolate.
46 From the sound of Babylon having been captured, The earth has been shaken, And a cry has been heard among nations!”
At the noise of the taking of Babylon, the earth trembleth, And the cry is heard among the nations.

< Jeremiah 50 >