1This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians[1]:2‘Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say, “Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.”3A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No-one will live in it; both people and animals will flee away.4‘In those days, at that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.5They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces towards it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.6‘My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting-place.7Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, “We are not guilty, for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.”8‘Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock.9For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed.10So Babylonia[2] will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,’ declares the Lord.11‘Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing corn and neigh like stallions,12your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations – a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.13Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate. All who pass Babylon will be appalled; they will scoff because of all her wounds.14‘Take up your positions round Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord.15Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the Lord, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others.16Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to their own people, let everyone flee to their own land.17‘Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.’18Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.19But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture, and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan; their appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.20In those days, at that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.21‘Attack the land of Merathaim and those who live in Pekod. Pursue, kill and completely destroy[3] them,’ declares the Lord. ‘Do everything I have commanded you.22The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction!23How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations!24I set a trap for you, Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the Lord.25The Lord has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians.26Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant.27Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished.28Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the Lord our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple.29‘Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all round her; let no-one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.30Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’ declares the Lord.31‘See, I am against you, you arrogant one,’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, ‘for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.32The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no-one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.’33This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go.34Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.35‘A sword against the Babylonians!’ declares the Lord – ‘against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men!36A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror.37A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become weaklings. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered.38A drought on[4] her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.39‘So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation.40As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighbouring towns,’ declares the Lord, ‘so no-one will live there; no people will dwell in it.41‘Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.42They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Babylon.43The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labour.44Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pasture-land, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?’45Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon, what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians: the young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate.46At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations.
Jeremiah 50
English Standard Version
Judgment on Babylon
1The word that the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet: (Isa 13:1; Isa 21:1; Jer 51:59)2“Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, conceal it not, and say: ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.’ (Isa 21:9; Isa 46:1)3“For out of the north a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; both man and beast shall flee away. (Ps 135:8; Jer 1:14; Jer 50:13; Jer 50:23; Jer 51:29; Jer 51:62)4“In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God. (Ezr 8:21; Ps 126:6; Jer 3:18; Jer 31:9; Jer 31:18; Ho 3:5)5They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.’ (Isa 2:3; Jer 31:21; Jer 32:40)6“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold. (Isa 53:6; Jer 50:17; Eze 34:1; Zec 10:2; Mt 18:12; Lu 15:4)7All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the Lord, their habitation of righteousness, the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’ (Jer 14:8; Jer 31:23; Jer 40:2; Jer 50:14)8“Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock. (Isa 48:20; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:45)9For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. (Jer 25:14)10Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, declares the Lord. (Jer 25:12)11“Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage, though you frolic like a heifer in the pasture, and neigh like stallions, (La 4:21)12your mother shall be utterly shamed, and she who bore you shall be disgraced. Behold, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. (Jer 51:43)13Because of the wrath of the Lord she shall not be inhabited but shall be an utter desolation; everyone who passes by Babylon shall be appalled, and hiss because of all her wounds. (Jer 18:16; Jer 50:39)14Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord. (Isa 21:2; Jer 50:7; Jer 50:9; Jer 50:29; Jer 51:3; Jer 51:11)15Raise a shout against her all around; she has surrendered; her bulwarks have fallen; her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord: take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done. (Jos 6:16; Jer 46:10; Jer 50:29; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:11; Jer 51:56; Jer 51:58)16Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land. (Isa 13:14; Jer 46:16; Jer 51:9)17“Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones. (2Ki 17:6; 2Ki 18:13; 2Ki 24:10; 2Ki 24:14; 2Ki 25:1; Isa 5:29; Jer 2:15; Jer 4:7; Jer 50:6; Jer 51:34)18Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing punishment on the king of Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria. (Ps 76:12; Isa 10:12; Isa 14:24; Isa 24:21)19I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and his desire shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead. (Eze 34:13; Mic 7:14)20In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none, and sin in Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant. (Isa 33:24; Isa 40:2; Jer 31:34)21“Go up against the land of Merathaim,[1] and against the inhabitants of Pekod.[2] Kill, and devote them to destruction,[3] declares the Lord, and do all that I have commanded you. (Jer 50:26; Jer 51:3)22The noise of battle is in the land, and great destruction! (Jer 51:54)23How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations! (Isa 14:6; Jer 50:3; Jer 50:13; Re 18:19; Re 18:21)24I set a snare for you and you were taken, O Babylon, and you did not know it; you were found and caught, because you opposed the Lord. (Ps 141:9; Jer 51:31; Da 5:30)25The Lord has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Lord God of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans. (Isa 13:5)26Come against her from every quarter; open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain, and devote her to destruction; let nothing be left of her. (Ne 4:2)27Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come, the time of their punishment. (Ps 22:12; Isa 34:7; Jer 46:21)28“A voice! They flee and escape from the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for his temple. (Ps 64:9; Jer 50:8; Jer 51:10; Jer 51:11; Jer 52:13; Da 5:3; Da 5:23)29“Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her according to all that she has done. For she has proudly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. (Job 16:13; Isa 47:10; Jer 25:14; Jer 50:14)30Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, declares the Lord. (Jer 49:26)31“Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you. (Jer 49:8; Jer 50:27; Jer 50:29)32The proud one shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him up, and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it will devour all that is around him. (Jer 17:27; Jer 50:29)33“Thus says the Lord of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. (Isa 14:17; Jer 50:17)34Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon. (Isa 43:14; Isa 51:22; Jer 10:16; Jer 51:36)35“A sword against the Chaldeans, declares the Lord, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her officials and her wise men! (Jer 51:57; Da 4:6; Da 5:30)36A sword against the diviners, that they may become fools! A sword against her warriors, that they may be destroyed! (Jer 51:57)37A sword against her horses and against her chariots, and against all the foreign troops in her midst, that they may become women! A sword against all her treasures, that they may be plundered! (Isa 45:3; Jer 25:20; Jer 51:30)38A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols. (Isa 44:27; Jer 50:2; Jer 51:36; Jer 51:47; Jer 51:52)39“Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon,[4] and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations. (Isa 13:21)40As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the Lord, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her. (Ge 19:25; Isa 13:19; Jer 51:43)41“Behold, a people comes from the north; a mighty nation and many kings are stirring from the farthest parts of the earth. (Jer 6:22)42They lay hold of bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy. The sound of them is like the roaring of the sea; they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for battle against you, O daughter of Babylon!43“The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands fell helpless; anguish seized him, pain as of a woman in labor.44“Behold, like a lion coming up from the thicket of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make them run away from her, and I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? (Job 41:10; Jer 49:19)45Therefore hear the plan that the Lord has made against Babylon, and the purposes that he has formed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of their flock shall be dragged away; surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. (Isa 14:24; Jer 49:20; Jer 51:11; Jer 51:29)46At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations.” (Jer 49:21)