Jeremiah 51

1 Thus says YHWH: "Look, I will raise up against Babylon, and against those who dwell in Lebkamai, a destroying wind.

Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, And against them that dwell in the midst of mine adversaries, A destroying wind;

2 I will send to Babylon foreigners who shall winnow her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her around.

And I will send against Babylon winnowers, And they shall winnow her, and empty her land; For they shall come against her on every side.

3 Do not let him who bends the bow bend it; nor not let him rise up in his armor. And do not spare her young men; utterly destroy all her army.

Against him that bendeth, let the archer bend his bow, And against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine! And spare ye not her young men; Destroy ye utterly her whole host!

4 They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and thrust through in her streets.

Thus shall they fall down slain in the land of the Chaldaeans, And thrust through in her streets.

5 "For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, of his God, of YHWH of hosts; though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah abandoned of his God, of Jehovah of hosts; For their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every man his life; do not be cut off in her iniquity: for it is the time of YHWH's vengeance; he will render to her a recompense.

Flee ye out of Babylon, And save ye every man his life, That ye be not cut off in her punishment! For this is the time of Jehovah's vengeance; He will render to her a recompense.

7 Babylon has been a golden cup in YHWH's hand, who made all the earth drunk: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of Jehovah, That made all the earth drunken; The nations have drunken of her wine, Therefore the nations are mad.

8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: wail for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

Babylon is suddenly fallen, and broken; Howl ye over her; Bring ye balm for her wounds, If so be she may be healed.

9 'We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country; for her judgment reaches to heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.'

“We would have healed Babylon, But she cannot be healed. Forsake her, and let us go every one to his own country! For her punishment reacheth to the heavens, And ascendeth even to the skies.”

10 'YHWH has brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of YHWH our God.'

Jehovah hath brought forth our deliverance; Come ye, and let us declare in Zion The work of Jehovah our God.

11 Make sharp the arrows; hold firm the shields: YHWH has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it: for it is the vengeance of YHWH, the vengeance of his temple.

Make sharp the arrows; put on the shields! Jehovah hath roused up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; For his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it; For this is the vengeance of Jehovah, The vengeance for his temple.

12 Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set the watchmen, prepare the ambushes; for YHWH has both purposed and done that which he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

Against the walls of Babylon set up a standard, Make strong the guard, appoint the watchmen, prepare the ambush! For Jehovah deviseth and doeth that which he spake Against the inhabitants of Babylon.

13 You who dwell on many waters, abundant in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.

O thou that dwellest by great waters, That aboundest in treasures, Thine end is come; The measure of thy rapaciousness is full!

14 YHWH of hosts has sworn by himself, saying, "Surely I will fill you with men, as with the canker worm; and they shall lift up a shout against you."

Jehovah of hosts hath sworn by himself, [[saying, ]] Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars, Who shall raise the war-shout against thee.

15 He has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens.

He made the earth by his power, He established the world by his wisdom, And by his understanding he spread out the heavens.

16 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the farthest parts of the earth; he makes lightning for the rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasuries.

When he uttereth his voice there is an abundance of water in the heavens; He causeth clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; He bringeth the wind from his storehouses.

17 Every man has become brutish without knowledge. Every goldsmith is disappointed by his image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Brutish is every man who hath not this knowledge; By his images is every founder put to shame; For his molten work is deceit; There is no breath in it.

18 They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

They are vanity, deceptive work; In the time of their punishment shall they perish.

19 The portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the maker of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; YHWH of hosts is his name.

Not like them is he who is the portion of Jacob; He is the former of all things, And Israel is his allotted inheritance. Jehovah of hosts is his name.

20 "You are my battle axe and weapons of war: and with you will I break in pieces the nations; and with you will I destroy kingdoms;

Thou hast been to me my battle-hammer, My weapon of war. And with thee I broke in pieces the nations, And with thee I destroyed the kingdoms.

21 and with you will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with you will I break in pieces the chariot and its rider.

And with thee I broke in pieces the horse and his rider, And with thee I broke in pieces the chariot and its driver.

22 And with you will I break in pieces man and woman; and with you will I break in pieces the old man and the youth; and with you will I break in pieces the young man and the virgin;

With thee I broke in pieces man and woman, And with thee I broke in pieces the old and the young, And with thee I broke in pieces the young man and the maiden.

23 and with you will I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; and with you will I break in pieces the farmer and his yoke; and with you will I break in pieces governors and deputies.

With thee I broke in pieces the shepherd and his flock, And with thee I broke in pieces the husbandman and his team; And with thee I broke in pieces prefects and governors.

24 I will render to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight," says YHWH.

But now before your eyes will I repay to Babylon, And to all the inhabitants of Chaldaea, All the evil which they have done in Zion, saith Jehovah.

25 "Look, I am against you, destroying mountain," says YHWH, "which destroys all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand on you, and roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burnt mountain.

O thou destroying mountain, that destroyest the whole earth, Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah! And I will stretch out my hand against thee, And roll thee down from the rocks, And make thee a burnt mountain,

26 They shall not take of you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but you shall be desolate for ever," says YHWH.

So that none shall take from thee a corner-stone, or a foundation-stone; But thou shalt be a perpetual desolation, saith Jehovah.

27 Set up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz: appoint a marshal against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough canker worm.

Set ye up a standard in the land, Sound a trumpet among the nations; Enlist the nations against Babylon, Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; Appoint captains against her, Cause the horses to come up like the bristled locusts!

28 Prepare against her the nations, the kings of the Medes, its governors, and all its deputies, and all the land of their dominion.

Enlist ye against her the nations, The kings of the Medes, and their prefects, And all their governors, And all the lands under their dominion,

29 The land trembles and is in pain; for the purposes of YHWH against Babylon do stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.

So that the earth shall tremble and quake! For the purpose of Jehovah against Babylon is to be fulfilled, To make the land of Babylon a desolation, without an inhabitant.

30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they remain in their strongholds; their might has failed; they are become as women: her dwelling places are set on fire; her bars are broken.

The mighty men of Babylon refuse to fight; They remain in their stronghold; Their strength hath failed; They have become women; Her habitations are burned; Her bars are broken.

31 One runner will run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every quarter:

Courier runs to meet courier, And messenger to meet messenger, To make known to the king of Babylon, That his city is taken from end to end;

32 and the passages are seized, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are frightened.

That the passages are taken, That the reeds are burned with fire, And that the men of war are struck with terror.

33 For thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden; yet a little while, and the time of harvest shall come for her.

For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon shall be like a thrashing-floor when it is thrashed; Yet a little while, and the time of harvest for her shall come.

34 'Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has, like a monster, swallowed me up, he has filled his maw with my delicacies; he has cast me out.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, hath devoured us; He hath made an end of us; He hath made us empty vessels; He hath swallowed us up like a dragon; He hath filled his maw with our delicacies; He hath cast us out.

35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be on Babylon,' shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, 'My blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea,' shall Jerusalem say.

“The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon!” Shall the inhabitant of Zion say; And, “My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldaeans!” shall Jerusalem say.

36 Therefore thus says YHWH: "Look, I will plead your cause, and take vengeance for you; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry.

Therefore, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will maintain thy cause, And take vengeance for thee; And I will dry up her sea, And make her springs dry.

37 Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.

And Babylon shall become heaps, The dwelling-place of jackals, An astonishment and a hissing, Without an inhabitant.

38 They shall roar together like young lions; they shall growl as lions' cubs.

Together shall they roar like lions; They shall yell like lions' whelps.

39 When they are heated, I will make their feast, and I will make them drunk, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake," says YHWH.

In their heat I will prepare them a drink, And will make them drunk, so that they shall rejoice, And then sleep an everlasting sleep, And awake no more, saith Jehovah.

40 "I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams with he-goats.

41 How is Sheshach taken, and the praise of the whole earth seized. How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations.

How is Sheshach taken! How is the praise of the whole earth fallen! How is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

42 The sea has come up on Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of its waves.

The sea is come up over Babylon; With the roaring of its waves is she covered.

43 Her cities are become a desolation, a dry land, and a desert, a land in which no man dwells, neither does any son of man pass thereby.

Her cities have become a desolation, A dry land and a desert, A land in which no man dwelleth, And which no son of man passeth through.

44 I will execute judgment on Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more to him: yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall."

I will punish Bel at Babylon, And bring forth from his mouth that which he hath swallowed, And the nations shall flow to him no more; Even the wall of Babylon shall fall.

45 "My people, go away from the midst of her, and save yourselves every man from the fierce anger of YHWH.

Go ye out of her, my people, And save ye every man his life From the fierce anger of Jehovah!

46 Do not let your heart faint, neither fear for the news that shall be heard in the land; for news shall come one year, and after that in another year shall come news, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

And let not your heart faint, And fear ye not on account of the rumors which are heard in the land, When in one year a rumor cometh, And after it in another year another rumor, And violence is in the land, Ruler against ruler.

47 Therefore look, the days come, that I will execute judgment on the engraved images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be confounded; and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

Therefore, behold the days come When I will punish the graven images of Babylon, And her whole land shall be confounded; And all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

48 Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come to her from the north," says YHWH.

Then the heavens shall shout over Babylon, And the earth and all that is therein; For out of the North come spoilers against her, saith Jehovah.

49 As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the land.

As Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, So at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the land.

50 You who have escaped the sword, go, do not stand still; remember YHWH from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

Ye that have escaped her sword, go! Tarry not! Remember Jehovah afar off, And let Jerusalem come into your mind!

51 "We are confounded, because we have heard reproach; confusion has covered our faces: for strangers have come into the sanctuaries of YHWH's house."

We have been confounded, because we have heard reproach; Shame hath covered our faces, For strangers have come into the sanctuaries of the house of Jehovah.

52 "Therefore look, the days come," says YHWH, "that I will execute judgment on her engraved images; and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, When I will punish her graven images, And through all her land shall the wounded groan.

53 Though Babylon should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her," says YHWH.

Though Babylon should mount up to the heavens, And make inaccessible the height of her strength, Yet from me shall spoilers come upon her, saith Jehovah.

54 "The sound of a cry from Babylon, and of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans."

Hark! a cry from Babylon, Of great destruction from the land of the Chaldaeans!

55 For YHWH lays Babylon waste, and destroys out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is uttered:

For Jehovah destroyeth Babylon, And bringeth to silence her loud tumult; Their waves roar like great waters; Their tumultuous noise resounds.

56 for the destroyer has come on her, even on Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, their bows are broken in pieces; for YHWH is a God of recompenses, he will surely requite.

For the spoiler is come upon her, upon Babylon; And their mighty men are taken, And all their bows are broken; For Jehovah is a God of retribution; He will surely requite.

57 "I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors and her deputies, and her mighty men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake up," says the King, whose name is YHWH of hosts.

And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, Her prefects, and her governors, and her mighty men; And they shall sleep an everlasting sleep, And shall no more awake, saith the King, Whose name is Jehovah of hosts.

58 Thus says YHWH of hosts: "The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the peoples shall labor for vanity, and the nations for the fire; and they shall be weary."

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be razed to the foundations, And her high gates shall be burned with fire; So that nations shall have labored for naught, And kingdoms have wearied themselves for fire.

59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was chief quartermaster.

The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah, the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. This Seraiah was chief chamberlain.

60 Jeremiah wrote in a scroll all the evil that should come on Babylon, even all these words that are written concerning Babylon.

And Jeremiah wrote all the evil that was to come upon Babylon in one book, all these words that are written concerning Babylon.

61 Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "When you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words,

And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, see that thou read all these words,

62 and say, 'YHWH, you have spoken concerning this place, to cut it off, that none shall dwell in it, neither man nor animal, but that it shall be desolate forever.'

and say, O Jehovah, thou hast spoken against this place to destroy it, so that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall remain desolate forever!

63 It shall be, when you have made an end of reading this scroll, that you shall bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Perath:

And when thou hast made an end of reading this book, bind a stone upon it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates,

64 and you shall say, 'Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again because of the evil that I will bring on her; and they shall be weary.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

and say: So shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again from the evil which I bring upon her. And they shall utterly fail. Thus far the words of Jeremiah.