Jeremiah 50

1 The word that Jehovah spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet.

The word which the Lord said about Babylon, about the land of the Chaldaeans, by Jeremiah the prophet.

2 "Declare among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and do not conceal: say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is disappointed, Marduk is dismayed; her images are disappointed, her idols are dismayed.

Give it out among the nations, make it public, and let the flag be lifted up; give the word and keep nothing back; say, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is broken, her images are put to shame, her gods are broken.

3 For out of the north there comes up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell in it: they are fled, they are gone, both man and animal.

For out of the north a nation is coming up against her, which will make her land waste and unpeopled: they are in flight, man and beast are gone.

4 In those days, and in that time,' says Jehovah, 'the children of Israel shall come, they and the people of Judah together; they shall go on their way weeping, and shall seek Jehovah their God.

In those days and in that time, says the Lord, the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will go on their way weeping and making prayer to the Lord their God.

5 They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned toward it. They will come and join themselves to Jehovah in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.

They will be questioning about the way to Zion, with their faces turned in its direction, saying, Come, and be united to the Lord in an eternal agreement which will be kept in mind for ever.

6 My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.

My people have been wandering sheep: their keepers have made them go out of the right way, turning them loose on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, having no memory of their resting-place.

7 All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, "We are not guilty, because they have sinned against Jehovah, the habitation of righteousness, even Jehovah, the hope of their fathers."

They have been attacked by all those who came across them: and their attackers said, We are doing no wrong, because they have done evil against the Lord in whom is righteousness, against the Lord, the hope of their fathers.

8 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the male goats before the flocks.

Go in flight out of Babylon, go out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and be like he-goats before the flocks.

9 For, look, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in array against her; from there she shall be taken. Their arrows shall be like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.

For see, I am moving and sending up against Babylon a band of great nations from the north country: and they will put their armies in position against her; and from there she will be taken: their arrows will be like those of an expert man of war; not one will come back without getting its mark.

10 Chaldea shall be a prey: all who prey on her shall be satisfied,' says Jehovah.'

And the wealth of Chaldaea will come into the hands of her attackers: all those who take her wealth will have enough, says the Lord.

11 Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you who plunder my heritage, because you are wanton as a heifer that treads out the grain, and neigh as strong horses;

Because you are glad, because you are lifted up with pride, you wasters of my heritage, because you are playing like a young cow put out to grass, and you make a noise like strong horses;

12 your mother shall be utterly disappointed; she who bore you shall be confounded: look, she shall be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

Your mother will be put to shame; she who gave you birth will be looked down on: see, she will be the last of the nations, a waste place, a dry and unwatered land.

13 Because of the wrath of Jehovah she shall not be inhabited, but she shall be wholly desolate: everyone who goes by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

Because of the wrath of the Lord no one will be living in it, and it will be quite unpeopled: everyone who goes by Babylon will be overcome with wonder, and make sounds of fear at all her punishments.

14 "Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she has sinned against Jehovah.

Put your armies in position against Babylon on every side, all you bowmen; let loose your arrows at her, not keeping any back: for she has done evil against the Lord.

15 Shout against her all around: she has submitted herself; her towers are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah: take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her.

Give a loud cry against her on every side; she has given herself up, her supports are overturned, her walls are broken down: for it is the payment taken by the Lord; give her payment; as she has done, so do to her.

16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn everyone to his people, and they shall flee everyone to his own land."'

Let the planter of seed be cut off from Babylon, and everyone using the curved blade at the time of the grain-cutting: for fear of the cruel sword, everyone will be turned to his people, everyone will go in flight to his land.

17 'Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.

Israel is a wandering sheep; the lions have been driving him away: first he was attacked by the king of Assyria, and now his bones have been broken by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon.

18 Therefore thus says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: "Look, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

So this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: See, I will send punishment on the king of Babylon and on his land, as I have given punishment to the king of Assyria.

19 I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.

And I will make Israel come back to his resting-place, and he will get his food on Carmel and Bashan, and have his desire in full measure on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.

20 In those days, and in that time, says 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 them whom I leave as a remnant."'"

In those days and in that time, says the Lord, when the evil-doing of Israel is looked for, there will be nothing; and in Judah no sins will be seen: for I will have forgiveness for those whom I will keep safe.

21 "Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: kill and utterly destroy after them," says Jehovah, "and do according to all that I have commanded you.

Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the people of Pekod; put them to death and send destruction after them, says the Lord, and do everything I have given you orders to do.

22 A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

There is a sound of war in the land and of great destruction.

23 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut apart and broken. How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations.

How is the hammer of all the earth cut in two and broken! how has Babylon become a waste among the nations!

24 I have laid a snare for you, and you are also taken, Babylon, and you weren't aware: you are found, and also caught, because you have striven against Jehovah.

I have put a net for you, and you have been taken, O Babylon, without your knowledge: you have been uncovered and taken because you were fighting against the Lord.

25 Jehovah has opened his armory, and has brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.

From his store-house the Lord has taken the instruments of his wrath: for the Lord, the Lord of armies, has a work to do in the land of the Chaldaeans.

26 Come against her from the utmost border; open her storehouses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly; let nothing of her be left.

Come up against her one and all, let her store-houses be broken open: make her into a mass of stones, give her to the curse, till there is nothing of her to be seen.

27 Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, their day has come, the time of their visitation."

Put all her oxen to the sword; let them go down to death: sorrow is theirs, for their day has come, the time of their punishment.

28 The voice of those who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance of his temple.

The voice of those who are in flight, who have got away safe from the land of Babylon, to give news in Zion of punishment from the Lord our God, even payment for his Temple.

29 "Call together the archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow; camp against her all around; let none of it escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her; for she has been proud against Jehovah, against the Holy One of Israel.

Send for the archers to come together against Babylon, all the bowmen; put up your tents against her on every side; let no one get away: give her the reward of her work; as she has done, so do to her: for she has been uplifted in pride against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

30 Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all her men of war will be brought to silence in that day," says Jehovah.

For this cause her young men will be falling in her streets, and all her men of war will be cut off in that day, says the Lord.

31 "Look, I am against you, you proud one," says Jehovah of hosts; for your day has come, the time that I will visit you.

See, I am against you, O pride, says the Lord, the Lord of armies, for your day has come, the time when I will send punishment on you.

32 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 who are around him."

And pride will go with uncertain steps and have a fall, and there will be no one to come to his help: and I will put a fire in his towns, burning up everything round about him.

33 Thus says Jehovah of hosts: "The children of Israel and the people of Judah are oppressed together; and all who took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to let them go.

This is what the Lord of armies has said: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are crushed down together: all those who took them prisoner keep them in a tight grip; they will not let them go.

34 Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name: he will thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

Their saviour is strong; the Lord of armies is his name: he will certainly take up their cause, so that he may give rest to the earth and trouble to the people of Babylon.

35 A sword is on the Chaldeans," says Jehovah, "and on the inhabitants of Babylon, and on her officials, and on her wise men.

A sword is on the Chaldaeans, says the Lord, and on the people of Babylon, and on her rulers and on her wise men.

36 A sword is on the boasters, and they shall become fools; a sword is on her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.

A sword is on the men of pride, and they will become foolish: a sword is on her men of war, and they will be broken.

37 A sword is on their horses, and on their chariots, and on all the mixed people who are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is on her treasures, and they shall be robbed.

A sword is on all the mixed people in her, and they will become like women: a sword is on her store-houses, and they will be taken by her attackers.

38 A drought is on her waters, and they shall be dried up; for it is a land of engraved images, and they glory over idols.

A sword is on her waters, drying them up; for it is a land of images, and their minds are fixed on false gods.

39 Therefore the wild animals of the desert with the wolves shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall dwell in it: and it shall be no more inhabited forever; neither shall it be lived in from generation to generation.

For this reason the beasts of the waste land with the wolves will make their holes there and the ostriches will be living in it: never again will men be living there, it will be unpeopled from generation to generation.

40 As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities of it," says Jehovah, "so shall no man dwell there, neither shall any son of man live in it."

As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbouring towns were overturned by God, says the Lord, so no man will be living in it, and no son of man will have a resting-place there.

41 "Look, a people comes from the north; and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

See, a people is coming from the north; a great nation and a number of kings will be put in motion from the inmost parts of the earth.

42 They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Babylon.

Bows and spears are in their hands; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice is like the thunder of the sea, and they go on horses; everyone in his place like men going to the fight, against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish has taken hold of him, pains as of a woman in labor.

The king of Babylon has had news of them, and his hands have become feeble: trouble has come on him and pain like the pain of a woman in childbirth.

44 Look, the enemy shall come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoever is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? And who will appoint me a time? And who is the shepherd who can stand before me?"

See, he will come up like a lion from the thick growth of Jordan against the resting-place of Teman: but I will suddenly make them go in flight from her; and I will put over her the man of my selection: for who is like me? and who will put forward his cause against me? and what keeper of sheep will keep his place before me?

45 Therefore hear the counsel of Jehovah, that he has taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: "Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.

So give ear to the decision of the Lord which he has made against Babylon, and to his purposes designed against the land of the Chaldaeans; Truly, they will be pulled away by the smallest of the flock; truly, he will make waste their fields with them.

46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, and the cry is heard among the nations."

At the cry, Babylon is taken! the earth is shaking, and the cry comes to the ears of the nations.