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 will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind.

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.

And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around.

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.

Against her let the archer bend his bow, And lift himself up against her in his armor. Do not spare her young men; Utterly destroy all her army.

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

Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her 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 Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the Lord of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against 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 every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the Lord ’s vengeance; He shall recompense 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 was a golden cup in the Lord ’s hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged.

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

Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take 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 would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the 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 revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare 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.

Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The 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.

Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the Lord has both devised and done What He spoke against 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 covetousness.

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 men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against 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.

He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.

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 multitude of waters in the heavens: “He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”

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.

Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image; For his molded image is falsehood, 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 futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall 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 them, For He is the Maker of all things; And Israel is 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;

“You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will 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 will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you I will break in pieces 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;

With you also I will break in pieces man and woman; With you I will break in pieces old and young; With you I will break in pieces the young man and the maiden;

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.

With you also I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen; And with you I will break in pieces governors and rulers.

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.

“And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight,” says 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 all the earth,” says the Lord. “And I will stretch out My hand against you, Roll you down from the rocks, And make you a burnt 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 shall not take from you a stone for a corner Nor a stone for a foundation, But you shall be desolate forever,” says 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.

Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling 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.

Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his 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.

And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.

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 have remained in their strongholds; Their might has failed, They became like women; They have burned her dwelling places, The bars of her gate 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 runner will run to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides;

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

The passages are blocked, The reeds they have burned 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 When it is time to thresh her; Yet a little while And the time of her harvest will come.”

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 the king of Babylon Has devoured me, he has crushed me; He has made me an empty vessel, He has swallowed me up like a monster; He has filled his stomach with my delicacies, He has spit me out.

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.

Let the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon,” The inhabitant of Zion will say; “And 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 will plead your case and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry.

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

Babylon shall become a heap, A dwelling place for jackals, An astonishment and a hissing, Without an inhabitant.

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

They shall roar together like lions, They shall growl like lions’ whelps.

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.

In their excitement I will prepare their feasts; I will make them drunk, That they may rejoice, And sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake,” says 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 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!

“Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate 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 is covered with the multitude of its 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 are a desolation, A dry land and a wilderness, A land where no one dwells, 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 bring out of his mouth what he has swallowed; And the nations shall not stream to him anymore. Yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

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

“My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself 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.

And lest your heart faint, And you fear for the rumor that will be heard in the land (A rumor will come one year, And after that, in another year A rumor will come, And violence in the land, 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, the days are coming That I will bring judgment on the carved images of Babylon; Her whole land shall be ashamed, And all her slain shall 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 the heavens and the earth and all that is in them Shall sing joyously over Babylon; For the plunderers shall come to her from the north,” says the Lord.

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

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

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, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the Lord afar off, 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. Shame has covered our faces, For strangers have come into the sanctuaries 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,” says the Lord, “That I will bring judgment on her carved images, And throughout all her land the wounded shall groan.

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 were to mount up to heaven, And though she were to fortify the height of her strength, Yet from Me plunderers would come to her,” says the Lord.

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

The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, And 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.

Because the Lord is plundering Babylon And silencing her loud voice, Though her waves roar like great waters, And the noise of their voice is uttered,

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.

Because the plunderer comes against her, against Babylon, And her mighty men are taken. Every one of their bows is broken; For the Lord is the God of recompense, He will surely 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.

“And I will make drunk Her princes and wise men, Her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake,” says 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 walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, And her high gates shall be burned with fire; The people will labor in vain, And the nations, because of the fire; And they shall be weary.” Jeremiah’s Command to Seraiah

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 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. And Seraiah was the 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 book all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon.

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

And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you arrive in Babylon and see it, and read all these words,

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.

then you shall say, ‘O Lord, You have spoken against this place to cut it off, so that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but it shall be desolate forever.’

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;

Now it shall be, when you have finished reading this book, that you shall tie a stone to it and throw it out into 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.

Then you shall say, ‘Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.