Jeremiah 50
1 The word that YHWH has spoken concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet:
This is the word that Yahweh declared about Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of 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.
“Report to the nations and cause them to listen. Lift up a signal and cause them to listen. Do not conceal it. Say, 'Babylon is taken. Bel is made ashamed. Marduk is dismayed. Its idols are put to shame; its images are dismayed.'
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.
A nation from the north will arise against it, and make her land a desolation. No one will live in it; both man and beast will flee away.
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—this is Yahweh's declaration—the people of Israel and the people of Judah will come together to go with weeping and seek Yahweh 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 will ask the way to Zion and will set off toward it, saying, We will go and join ourselves to Yahweh in an everlasting covenant that will 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 a lost flock. Their shepherds have led them astray in the mountains; they have turned them around from hill to hill. They went, they forgot the place where they had lived.
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.
Everyone who went out to them devoured them. Their adversaries said, 'We are not guilty, because they sinned against Yahweh, their true home—Yahweh, the hope of their ancestors.'
8 Move from the midst of Babylon, And go out from the land of the Chaldeans; And be as male goats before a flock.
Leave from the midst of Babylon; go out from the land of the Chaldeans; be like male goats that leave before the rest of the flock does.
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 see, I am about to set in motion and raise up a group of great nations from the north against Babylon. They will arrange themselves against her. Babylon will be captured from there. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.
10 And Chaldea has been for a spoil, All her spoilers are satisfied,” A declaration of YHWH.
Chaldea will become plunder. All those who plunder it will be satisfied—this is Yahweh's declaration.
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,
You rejoice, you celebrate the plundering of my inheritance; you jump around like a calf stamping in its pasture; you neigh like a powerful horse.
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.
So your mother will be greatly ashamed; the one who bore you will be embarrassed. See, she will be the least of nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and 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 Yahweh's anger, Babylon will not be inhabited, but will be a complete devastation. Everyone who passes by will shudder because of Babylon and will hiss because all of its wounds.
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.
Arrange yourselves against Babylon all around her. Everyone who bends a bow must shoot at her. Do not keep back any of your arrows, for she has sinned against Yahweh.
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 a shout against her all around! She has surrendered; her towers have fallen; her walls are torn down, for this is Yahweh's vengeance. Take vengeance on her! Do to her just as she has done!
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.
Destroy both the farmer who sows seed and the one who uses a sickle at the time of harvest in Babylon. Let each person turn back to his own people from the oppressor's sword; let them flee to their 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 is a sheep scattered and driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him; then after this, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon broke 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 Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says this: See, I am about to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I 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.
I will restore Israel to his homeland; he will graze on Carmel and Bashan. Then he will be satisfied in the hill country of 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, says Yahweh, iniquity will be looked for in Israel, but none will be found. I will inquire about the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant that I spare.”
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.
“Arise against the land of Merathaim, against it and the ones inhabiting Pekod. Put them to the sword and set them apart for destruction—this is Yahweh's declaration—do everything that I am commanding you.
22 A noise of battle [is] in the land, And of great destruction.
The sounds of battle and enormous destruction are in the land.
23 How it has been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How Babylon has been for a desolation among nations!
How the hammer of all the lands has been cut apart and destroyed. How Babylon has become a destroyed place among 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 set a trap for you and you were taken, Babylon, and you did not know it! You were found and captured, because you opposed Yahweh.
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.
Yahweh has opened his armory and is bringing out the weapons for carrying out his anger. There is work for the Lord Yahweh of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come in to her from the extremity, Open her storehouses, Raise her up as heaps, and devote her, Let her have no remnant.
Attack her from far away. Open her granaries and pile her up like heaps of grain. Set her apart for destruction. Leave no remnant of her.
27 Slay all her cows, they go down to slaughter, Woe [is] on them, for their day has come, The time of their inspection.
Kill all her bulls. Send them down to the place of slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come—the time for 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.
There is the sound of those fleeing, of those who are survivors, from the land of Babylon. These will report the vengeance of Yahweh our God for Zion, and 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.
“Summon the archers against Babylon—all those who bend their bows. Camp against her, and let no one escape. Repay her for what she has done. Do to her by the measure she has used. For she had defied Yahweh, 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.
So her young men will fall in the city squares, and all her fighting men will be destroyed on that day —this is Yahweh's declaration.”
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.
“See, I am against you, proud one—this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts— for your day has come, proud one, the time when I will punish you.
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.
So the proud ones will stumble and fall. No one will raise them up. I will light a fire in their cities; it will devour everything around 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.
Yahweh of hosts says this: The people of Israel are oppressed, together with the people of Judah. All the ones who captured them still hold them; 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.
The one who rescues them is strong. Yahweh of hosts is his name. He will truly plead their case, in order to bring rest to the land, and to bring strife to the ones inhabiting 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;
A sword is against the Chaldeans—this is Yahweh's declaration— and against the inhabitants of Babylon, her leaders, and 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;
A sword against those who say empty words! They will become fools! A sword against her soldiers! They will be filled with terror.
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;
A sword is coming against their horses, their chariots and all of the people who are in the midst of Babylon, so they will become like women. A sword is coming against her storerooms, and they will 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 coming on her waters, so they will become dry. For she is a land of worthless idols, and they act like people made insane by their dreadful 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.
So desert beasts with the jackals will inhabit there, and the young of ostriches will live in her. For all time, she will no longer be inhabited. From generation to generation, she will not be lived in.
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.
Just as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors—this is Yahweh's declaration— no one will live there; no person will stay in her.”
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.
“See, a people is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the farthest parts 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 will pick up bows and spears. They are cruel and have no compassion. Their sound is like the sea roar, and they are riding on horses, set out in order as men for battle, against you, 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 heard the reports about them and his hands fell limp in distress. Anguish seized him like a woman giving birth.
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! He goes up like a lion from the heights of the Jordan to the enduring grazing place For I will quickly cause them to run from it, and I will put someone who will be chosen in charge of it. For who is like me, and who will summon me? What shepherd is able to resist 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?
So listen to the plans that Yahweh has decided against Babylon, the plans that he has planned against the land of the Chaldeans. They will certainly be dragged away, even the smallest flock. Their pasturelands will be turned into ruined places.
46 From the sound of Babylon having been captured, The earth has been shaken, And a cry has been heard among nations!”
At the sound of conquered Babylon the earth shakes, and their shout of distress is heard among the nations.”
