Jeremiah 50

1 The word that Jehovah hath 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 ye among nations, and sound, And lift up an ensign, sound, do not hide, Say ye: Captured hath been Babylon, Put to shame hath been Bel, Broken hath been Merodach, Put to shame have been her grievous things, Broken have been her idols.

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 come up against her hath a nation from the north, It maketh her land become a desolation, And there is not an inhabitant in it. From man even unto 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, An affirmation of Jehovah, Come in do sons of Israel, They and sons of Judah together, Going on and weeping they go, And Jehovah their God they seek.

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 [To] Zion they ask the way, Thitherward [are] their faces: Come in, and we are joined unto Jehovah, A covenant age-during — not 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 A perishing flock hath My people been, Their shepherds have caused them to err, [To] the mountains causing them to go back, From mountain unto hill they have gone, 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 Jehovah, The habitation of righteousness, And the hope of their fathers — Jehovah.

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 ye from the midst of Babylon, And from the land of the Chaldeans go out. And be as he-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, lo, I am stirring up, And am causing to come up against Babylon, An assembly of great nations from a land of the north, And they have set in array against her, From thence she is captured, Its arrow — as a skilful hero — returneth not 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 hath been for a spoil, All her spoilers are satisfied, An affirmation of Jehovah.

And Chaldaea shall be a spoil; All that spoil her shall have their fill, saith Jehovah.

11 Because thou rejoicest, because thou exultest, O spoilers of Mine inheritance, Because thou increasest as a heifer [at] the tender grass, And dost 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 Ashamed hath been your mother greatly, Confounded hath she been that bare you, Lo, the hindermost 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 Jehovah it is not inhabited, And it hath been a desolation — all of it. Every passer by at Babylon is astonished, And doth hiss 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 round about, All ye treading a bow, Shoot at her, have no pity on the arrow, For against Jehovah she hath sinned.

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 round about, She hath given forth her hand, Fallen have her foundations, Thrown down have been her walls, For it [is] the vengeance of Jehovah, Be avenged of her, as she did — do ye 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 unto 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 A scattered sheep is Israel, lions have driven away, At first, devour him did the king of Asshur, And now, at last, broken his bone Hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

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 Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Lo, 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 back Israel unto his habitation, And he hath fed on Carmel, and on Bashan. And in mount Ephraim, and on Gilead is his soul satisfied.

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, An affirmation of Jehovah, Sought is the iniquity of Israel, 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 unto the inhabitants of Pekod, Waste and devote their posterity, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do according to all that I have commanded thee.

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 hath it been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How hath Babylon 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 thee, And also — thou art captured, O Babylon, And thou — thou hast known, Thou hast been found, and also art caught, For against Jehovah thou hast stirred thyself up.

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 Jehovah hath opened His treasury, And He bringeth out the weapons of His indignation, For a work [is] to the Lord Jehovah 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 ye in to her from the extremity, Open ye 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 kine, they go down to slaughter, Woe [is] on them, for come hath their day, 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 Jehovah our God, 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 unto Babylon archers, all treading the bow, Encamp against her round about, Let [her] have no escape; Recompense to her according to her work, According to all that she did — do to her, For unto Jehovah she hath been proud, Unto 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 fall do her young men in her broad places, And all her men of war are cut off in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 Lo, I [am] against thee, O pride, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, For thy day hath come, the time of thy 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 stumbled hath pride, And he hath fallen, and hath no raiser up, And I have kindled a fire in his cities, And it hath devoured all round about 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 Jehovah of Hosts: Oppressed are the sons of Israel, 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, Jehovah of Hosts [is] His name, He doth thoroughly plead their cause, So as to cause the land to rest, And He hath 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, An affirmation of Jehovah, 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 graven images, And in idols they do boast themselves.

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 dwell do Ziim with Iim, Yea, dwelt in her have daughters of the ostrich, And it is not inhabited any more for ever, Nor dwelt in unto all generations.

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 overthrown by God with Sodom, And with Gomorrah, and with its neighbours, An affirmation of Jehovah, none doth dwell there, Nor sojourn in her doth a son of man.

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 Lo, a people hath 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 Bow and halbert they seize, Cruel [are] they, and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea soundeth, and on horses they ride, Set in array as a man for battle, Against thee, 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 Heard hath the king of Babylon their report, And feeble have been his hands, Distress hath 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 Lo, as a lion he cometh up, Because of the rising of the Jordan, Unto the enduring habitation, But I cause to rest, I cause them to run from off her. And who is chosen? on her I lay a charge, For who [is] like Me? And who doth convene Me? And who [is] this shepherd who standeth 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 ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He counselled concerning Babylon, And His devices that He hath devised Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Drag them out do not little ones of the flock, Doth He not make desolate over them the habitation?

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 voice: Captured was Babylon, Hath the earth been shaken, And a cry among nations hath been heard!

At the noise of the taking of Babylon, the earth trembleth, And the cry is heard among the nations.