1 T hus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the heart of those that rise against me, a destroying wind;

Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The spirit of a destroyer.

2 a nd I will send unto Babylon strangers, who shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

“I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of her calamity.

3 A gainst him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his coat of mail; and spare not her young men: destroy utterly all her host.

“ Let not him who bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction.

4 A nd the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

“They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And pierced through in their streets.”

5 F or Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of Jehovah of hosts; for their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the Lord of hosts, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel.

6 F lee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every man his life; be ye not cut off in her iniquity: for this is the time of Jehovah's vengeance: he shall render unto her a recompence.

Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the Lord’s time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her.

7 B abylon hath been a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore have the nations become mad.

Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, Intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad.

8 B abylon is suddenly fallen and ruined. Howl over her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.

9 W e have treated Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country; for her judgment reacheth unto the heavens, and is lifted up to the skies.

We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, For her judgment has reached to heaven And towers up to the very skies.

10 J ehovah hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of Jehovah our God.

The Lord has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion The work of the Lord our God!

11 S harpen the arrows; take the shields. Jehovah hath stirred 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 of his temple.

Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The Lord has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; For it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for His temple.

12 L ift up a banner towards the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set the watchmen, prepare the ambushes; for Jehovah hath both devised and done that which he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Place men in ambush! For the Lord has both purposed and performed What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

13 T hou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy rapacity.

O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your end.

14 J ehovah of hosts hath sworn by himself, I will assuredly fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall raise a shout against thee.

The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

15 H e hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.

16 W hen he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the end of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain And brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

17 E very man is become brutish, so as to have no knowledge; every founder is put to shame by the graven image, for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.

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

They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish.

19 T he portion of Jacob is not like them; for it is he that hath formed all things: and is the rod of his inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is his name.

The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And of the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of hosts is His name.

20 T hou art my maul, weapons of war: and with thee I will break in pieces the nations, and I will with thee destroy kingdoms;

He says, “You are My war-club, My weapon of war; And with you I shatter nations, And with you I destroy kingdoms.

21 a nd with thee I will break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee I will break in pieces the chariot and its driver;

“With you I shatter the horse and his rider, And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider,

22 a nd with thee will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter old man and youth, And with you I shatter young man and virgin,

23 a nd with thee will I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces governors and rulers.

And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and prefects.

24 A nd I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea, in your sight, all their evil which they have done in Zion, saith Jehovah.

“But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord.

25 B ehold, I am against thee, mount of destruction, saith Jehovah, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burning mountain.

“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord, “And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags, And I will make you a burnt out mountain.

26 A nd they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; for thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith Jehovah.

“They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever,” declares the Lord.

27 L ift up a banner in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare nations against her; call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the bristly caterpillars.

Lift up a signal in the land, Blow a trumpet among the nations! Consecrate the nations against her, Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz; Appoint a marshal against her, Bring up the horses like bristly locusts.

28 P repare nations against her, the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their rulers, yea, all the land of their dominion.

Consecrate the nations against her, The kings of the Medes, Their governors and all their prefects, And every land of their dominion.

29 A nd the land trembleth and is in pain; for the purposes of Jehovah against Babylon do stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.

So the land quakes and writhes, For the purposes of the Lord against Babylon stand, To make the land of Babylon A desolation without inhabitants.

30 T he mighty men of Babylon have ceased to fight, they are sitting in the fortresses; their might hath failed, they are become as women: they have set her dwelling places on fire; her bars are broken.

The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They stay in the strongholds; Their strength is exhausted, They are becoming like women; Their dwelling places are set on fire, The bars of her gates are broken.

31 C ourier runneth to meet courier, and messenger to meet messenger, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city is taken from end to end;

One courier runs to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To tell the king of Babylon That his city has been captured from end to end;

32 a nd the passages are seized, and the reedy places are burnt with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

The fords also have been seized, And they have burned the marshes with fire, And the men of war are terrified.

33 F or thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor, at the time of its being trodden; yet a little while, and the time of harvest shall come for her.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor At the time it is stamped firm; Yet in a little while the time of harvest will come for her.”

34 N ebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel; he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away.

35 T he violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitress of Zion say; and, My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

“May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” The inhabitant of Zion will say; And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,” Jerusalem will say.

36 T herefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her spring dry.

Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am going to plead your case And exact full vengeance for you; And I will dry up her sea And make her fountain dry.

37 A nd Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place of jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.

“ Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.

38 T hey shall roar together like young lions, growl as lions' whelps.

“They will roar together like young lions, They will growl like lions’ cubs.

39 W hen they are heated, I will prepare their drink, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith Jehovah.

“When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet And make them drunk, that they may become jubilant And may sleep a perpetual sleep And not wake up,” declares the Lord.

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

“I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams together with male goats.

41 H ow is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth seized! How is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

“How Sheshak has been captured, And the praise of the whole earth been seized! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!

42 T he sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of its waves.

“The sea has come up over Babylon; She has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves.

43 H er cities are become a desolation, a dry land, and a desert, a land wherein no one dwelleth, neither doth a son of man pass thereby.

“Her cities have become an object of horror, A parched land and a desert, A land in which no man lives And through which no son of man passes.

44 A nd I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth what he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon is fallen.

“ I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!

45 G o ye out of the midst of her, my people, and deliver every man his soul from the fierce anger of Jehovah!

“ Come forth from her midst, My people, And each of you save yourselves From the fierce anger of the Lord.

46 l est your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; for a rumour shall come year, and after that a rumour in year, and violence in the earth, ruler against ruler.

“Now so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land— For the report will come one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler—

47 T herefore behold, days are coming when I will punish the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst.

48 A nd the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, shall shout aloud over Babylon; for out of the north the spoilers shall come against her, saith Jehovah.

“Then heaven and earth and all that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, For the destroyers will come to her from the north,” Declares the Lord.

49 A s Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.

50 Y e that have escaped the sword, go, stand not still: remember Jehovah from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

You who have escaped the sword, Depart! Do not stay! Remember the Lord from afar, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.

51 — We are put to shame, for we have heard reproach; confusion hath covered our face: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of Jehovah's house.

We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; Disgrace has covered our faces, For aliens have entered The holy places of the Lord’s house.

52 — Therefore behold, days come, saith Jehovah, that I will punish her graven images; and throughout her land the wounded shall groan.

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will punish her idols, And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.

53 T hough Babylon should mount up to the heavens, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith Jehovah.

“Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens, And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold, From Me destroyers will come to her,” declares the Lord.

54 T he sound of a cry from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans;

The sound of an outcry from Babylon, And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!

55 f or Jehovah spoileth Babylon, and he will destroy out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like great waters, the noise of their voice resoundeth.

For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon, And He will make her loud noise vanish from her. And their waves will roar like many waters; The tumult of their voices sounds forth.

56 F or the spoiler is come against her, against Babylon, and her mighty men are taken; their bows are broken in pieces; for Jehovah, the God of recompences, will certainly requite.

For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, And her mighty men will be captured, Their bows are shattered; For the Lord is a God of recompense, He will fully repay.

57 A nd I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her governors, and her rulers, and her mighty men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts.

“I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,” Declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

58 T hus saith Jehovah of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly laid bare, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; so that the peoples will have laboured in vain, and the nations for the fire: and they shall be weary.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed And her high gates will be set on fire; So the peoples will toil for nothing, And the nations become exhausted only for fire.”

59 T he word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Nerijah, 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 chamberlain.

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

60 A nd Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon.

So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon.

61 A nd Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, see that thou read all these words;

Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud,

62 a nd say, Jehovah, thou hast spoken concerning this place, that thou wilt cut it off, so that none shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

and say, ‘You, O Lord, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’

63 A nd it shall be, when thou hast ended reading this book, thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates;

And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,

64 a nd shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise, because of the evil that I will bring upon it: and they shall be weary. Thus far the words of Jeremiah.

and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.