Jeremiæ 50
1 Verbum quod locutus est Dominus de Babylone et de terra Chaldæorum, in manu Jeremiæ prophetæ.
This is the Lord's message that he told Jeremiah the prophet to give about Babylon and the country of Babylonia.
2 Annuntiate in gentibus, et auditum facite: levate signum, prædicate, et nolite celare: dicite: Capta est Babylon, confusus est Bel, victus est Merodach, confusa sunt sculptilia ejus, superata sunt idola eorum.
Tell everyone the news! Hold up a sign and shout it out, don't hold back! Tell them, Babylon has fallen! Her god Bel is humiliated; the power of her god Marduk is broken; all Babylon's idols are humiliated and their power is broken.
3 Quoniam ascendit contra eam gens ab aquilone, quæ ponet terram ejus in solitudinem, et non erit qui habitet in ea ab homine usque ad pecus: et moti sunt, et abierunt.
A northern nation will come and attack her and turn the country into a wasteland. No one will live there—both people and animals will desert it.
4 In diebus illis, et in tempore illo, ait Dominus, venient filii Israël ipsi et filii Juda simul: ambulantes et flentes properabunt, et Dominum Deum suum quærent:
That's the time when the people of Israel and Judah will join together, weeping as they go to worship the Lord their God, declares the Lord.
5 in Sion interrogabunt viam, huc facies eorum: venient, et apponentur ad Dominum fœdere sempiterno, quod nulla oblivione delebitur.
They will ask the way to Zion, and start going in that direction. They will arrive and commit themselves to the Lord in an everlasting agreement that won't ever be forgotten.
6 Grex perditus factus est populus meus: pastores eorum seduxerunt eos, feceruntque vagari in montibus: de monte in collem transierunt; obliti sunt cubilis sui.
My people are sheep that are lost, led astray by their shepherds, making them wander aimlessly in the mountains. They go from place to place in the mountains and hills, forgetting where they used to rest.
7 Omnes qui invenerunt comederunt eos, et hostes eorum dixerunt: Non peccavimus: pro eo quod peccaverunt Domino decori justitiæ, et exspectationi patrum eorum Domino.
All those who came across them attacked them. Their enemies declared, “We're not to blame! They're the ones who sinned against the Lord, their true resting place; the Lord who was the hope of their forefathers.”
8 Recedite de medio Babylonis, et de terra Chaldæorum egredimini, et estote quasi hædi ante gregem.
Run away from the city of Babylon; get away from the country of Babylonia! Lead the way like the male goats that lead the flock.
9 Quoniam ecce ego suscito, et adducam in Babylonem congregationem gentium magnarum de terra aquilonis, et præparabuntur adversus eam, et inde capietur: sagitta ejus quasi viri fortis interfectoris: non revertetur vacua.
Look! I'm assembling a coalition of strong northern nations who will come and attack Babylon. They will line up in battle against her; she will be conquered from the north. Their arrows will be like the best warriors—they don't miss!
10 Et erit Chaldæa in prædam: omnes vastantes eam replebuntur, ait Dominus.
Babylonia will be plundered—everyone who plunders her will have plenty of loot, declares the Lord.
11 Quoniam exsultatis, et magna loquimini, diripientes hæreditatem meam: quoniam effusi estis sicut vituli super herbam, et mugistis sicut tauri:
Though for now you Babylonians celebrate and sing triumphantly as you plunder my special people, though for now you jump around like a frisky young cow treading out the grain, and neigh like stallions,
12 confusa est mater vestra nimis, et adæquata pulveri, quæ genuit vos: ecce novissima erit in gentibus, deserta, invia, et arens.
you are going to bring shame on your mother, you are going to disgrace the one who gave birth to you. Watch as she becomes the least important of all the nations, a wilderness, a dry desert land.
13 Ab ira Domini non habitabitur, sed redigetur tota in solitudinem: omnis qui transibit per Babylonem stupebit, et sibilabit super universis plagis ejus.
Because of Lord's angry punishment, she will be deserted, completely desolate. Everyone who passes by will be horrified at what has happened to Babylon, and sneer at all her wounds.
14 Præparamini contra Babylonem per circuitum, omnes qui tenditis arcum: debellate eam, non parcatis jaculis, quia Domino peccavit.
All you archers, line up ready for battle around Babylon. Shoot at her! Don't save your arrows, because she has sinned against the Lord.
15 Clamate adversus eam, ubique dedit manum: ceciderunt fundamenta ejus, destructi sunt muri ejus, quoniam ultio Domini est: ultionem accipite de ea: sicut fecit, facite ei.
Shout war-cries against her from every side! She holds up her hands in surrender. Her towers have collapsed; her walls are demolished. This is the Lord paying her back, so you too can pay her back—do the same to her as she did to others.
16 Disperdite satorem de Babylone, et tenentem falcem in tempore messis: a facie gladii columbæ unusquisque ad populum suum convertetur, et singuli ad terram suam fugient.
Stop the sower from sowing in the country of Babylon, and stop the harvester swinging the sickle to reap the grain. Under the threat of the enemies' swords, everyone runs home to their own people, they go back to where they came from.
17 Grex dispersus Israël: leones ejecerunt eum. Primus comedit eum rex Assur: iste novissimus exossavit eum Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis.
The Israelites are a flock that's been chased and scattered by lions. The first on the attack was the king of Assyria; then lastly Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon crushed their bones.
18 Propterea hæc dicit Dominus exercituum, Deus Israël: Ecce ego visitabo regem Babylonis et terram ejus, sicut visitavi regem Assur:
So this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to punish the king of Babylon and his country just like I punished the king of Assyria.
19 et reducam Israël ad habitaculum suum: et pascetur Carmelum et Basan, et in monte Ephraim et Galaad saturabitur anima ejus.
I will lead the Israelites back to their pasturelands, to feed on Carmel and Bashan, to satisfy their appetites on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In diebus illis, et in tempore illo, ait Dominus, quæretur iniquitas Israël, et non erit, et peccatum Juda, et non invenietur: quoniam propitius ero eis quos reliquero.
This will be when the guilt and the sins of Israel and Judah will be looked for, but none will be found, because I will forgive those people who remain that I'm looking after, declares the Lord.
21 Super terram dominantium ascende, et super habitatores ejus visita: dissipa, et interfice quæ post eos sunt, ait Dominus, et fac juxta omnia quæ præcepi tibi.
Go and attack the land of Merathaim, and the people living in Pekod. Kill them with swords, set them apart for destruction, along with everything they leave behind. Make sure you do everything I have ordered you to do, declares the Lord.
22 Vox belli in terra, et contritio magna.
The noise of battle is heard in the country, the noise of terrible destruction.
23 Quomodo confractus est et contritus malleus universæ terræ? quomodo versa est in desertum Babylon in gentibus?
See how the hammer of the whole earth is lying broken in pieces in the ground! The nations look with horror on what Babylon has become!
24 Illaqueavi te, et capta es, Babylon, et nesciebas: inventa es et apprehensa, quoniam Dominum provocasti.
Babylon, I set a trap for you, and you were caught before you realized it. You were hunted down and captured because you fought against the Lord.
25 Aperuit Dominus thesaurum suum, et protulit vasa iræ suæ, quoniam opus est Domino Deo exercituum, in terra Chaldæorum.
In his anger the Lord opened his armory to bring out his weapons, for this is what the Lord God Almighty is doing in the country of Babylonia.
26 Venite ad eam ab extremis finibus; aperite ut exeant qui conculcent eam: tollite de via lapides, et redigite in acervos: et interficite eam, nec sit quidquam reliquum.
Come and attack her from every side! Open her granaries; collect the loot you take from her like piles of grain. Set her apart for destruction; don't leave any survivors.
27 Dissipate universos fortes ejus: descendant in occisionem: væ eis, quia venit dies eorum, tempus visitationis eorum!
Kill all her young bulls with the sword; let them be slaughtered. What a disaster for them, because their time has come when they're punished.
28 Vox fugientium, et eorum qui evaserunt de terra Babylonis, ut annuntient in Sion ultionem Domini Dei nostri, ultionem templi ejus.
(Listen to the refugees and survivors who have returned from Babylonia, announcing in Zion, “The Lord our God is paying them back for what happened to his Temple.”)
29 Annuntiate in Babylonem plurimis, omnibus qui tendunt arcum: consistite adversus eam per gyrum, et nullus evadat: reddite ei secundum opus suum: juxta omnia quæ fecit, facite illi, quia contra Dominum erecta est, adversum Sanctum Israël.
Call up the archers to attack Babylon, yes, all of them! Completely surround her—don't let anyone escape. Pay her back for what she's done, because in her pride she defied the Lord, Israel's Holy One.
30 Idcirco cadent juvenes ejus in plateis ejus, et omnes viri bellatores ejus conticescent in die illa, ait Dominus.
As a result her young men will be killed in the streets; all her soldiers will die that day, declares the Lord.
31 Ecce ego ad te, superbe! dicit Dominus Deus exercituum: quia venit dies tuus, tempus visitationis tuæ.
Watch out, because I'm against you, you arrogant people! declares the Lord God Almighty. Your time has come when I will punish you.
32 Et cadet superbus, et corruet, et non erit qui suscitet eum: et succendam ignem in urbibus ejus, et devorabit omnia in circuitu ejus.
You arrogant people will trip and fall. Nobody will be there to pick you up. I'm going to set fire to your towns and burn up everything around you.
33 Hæc dicit Dominus exercituum: Calumniam sustinent filii Israël, et filii Juda simul: omnes qui ceperunt eos, tenent: nolunt dimittere eos.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: The people of Israel and Judah are being mistreated. All who captured them are holding onto them, refusing to let them go.
34 Redemptor eorum fortis, Dominus exercituum nomen ejus: judicio defendet causam eorum, ut exterreat terram, et commoveat habitatores Babylonis.
But the one who rescues them is powerful; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will defend them and their cause, so he may bring peace on earth, but trouble to the people of Babylon.
35 Gladius ad Chaldæos, ait Dominus, et ad habitatores Babylonis, et ad principes, et ad sapientes ejus.
A sword is raised to attack the Babylonians, declares the Lord, ready to attack those who live in Babylon, and her officials and wise men.
36 Gladius ad divinos ejus, qui stulti erunt: gladius ad fortes illius, qui timebunt.
A sword is raised to attack her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is raised to attack her soldiers, and they will be terrified.
37 Gladius ad equos ejus, et ad currus ejus, et ad omne vulgus quod est in medio ejus: et erunt quasi mulieres: gladius ad thesauros ejus, qui diripientur.
A sword is raised to attack her horses and chariots, along with all the foreign soldiers with her, and they will become like frightened women. A sword is raised to attack her stores of treasure, and they will be plundered.
38 Siccitas super aquas ejus erit, et arescent, quia terra sculptilium est, et in portentis gloriantur.
A drought has hit her rivers, and they will dry up. For it's a country full of pagan images. These horrible idols drive their worshipers mad.
39 Propterea habitabunt dracones cum faunis ficariis, et habitabunt in ea struthiones: et non inhabitabitur ultra usque in sempiternum, nec exstruetur usque ad generationem et generationem.
Consequently desert animals and hyenas will live there, and it will be a home for owls. It will be uninhabited forever—it won't be lived in from one generation to the next.
40 Sicut subvertit Dominus Sodomam et Gomorrham, et vicinas ejus, ait Dominus, non habitabit ibi vir, et non incolet eam filius hominis.
In the same way that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, declares the Lord, no one will live there, no one will stay there.
41 Ecce populus venit ab aquilone, et gens magna, et reges multi consurgent a finibus terræ.
Look! An army is advancing from the north. A great nation and many kings are coming against you from the distant lands.
42 Arcum et scutum apprehendent: crudeles sunt, et immisericordes: vox eorum quasi mare sonabit, et super equos ascendent, sicut vir paratus ad prælium contra te, filia Babylon.
They're carrying bows and javelins. They are cruel and merciless. When they shout it's like the sea roaring. They ride on horses and attack in formation against you, people of Babylon.
43 Audivit rex Babylonis famam eorum, et dissolutæ sunt manus ejus: angustia apprehendit eum, dolor quasi parturientem.
The king of Babylon has heard the news and he's terrified. He's overcome with fear, in pain like a woman in labor.
44 Ecce quasi leo ascendet, de superbia Jordanis ad pulchritudinem robustam, quia subito currere faciam eum ad illam. Et quis erit electus, quem præponam ei? quis est enim similis mei? et quis sustinebit me? et quis est iste pastor, qui resistat vultui meo?
Watch out! I'm going to come like a lion from the tangled undergrowth beside the Jordan to attack the animals grazing the green pasture. In fact I'm going to chase the Babylonians from their land very quickly. Who will I choose to conquer them? Who is like me? Who can challenge me? Which leader could oppose me?
45 Propterea audite consilium Domini quod mente concepit adversum Babylonem, et cogitationes ejus quas cogitavit super terram Chaldæorum: nisi detraxerint eos parvuli gregum, nisi dissipatum fuerit cum ipsis habitaculum eorum.
So listen to what the Lord has planned to do to Babylon and the country of Babylonia: Their children will be dragged away like lambs from the flock, and because of them their pasture will become a wasteland.
46 A voce captivitatis Babylonis commota est terra, et clamor inter gentes auditus est.
The sound of Babylon's capture will make the earth shake; their cries will be heard throughout the nations.
