Jeremiah 51 ~ Jeremiah 51

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

The Lord says, “See, I will raise up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and against the people of Chaldea.

2 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.

I will send strangers to destroy Babylon like a wind that blows straw away. For they will be against her on every side and leave her land empty in the day of her trouble.

3 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.

Do not let the bow-man use his bow. Do not let him stand up in his heavy battle-clothes. Do not leave her young men alive, but destroy all of her army.

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

They will fall down dead in the land of Babylon and be killed in their streets.”

5 F or 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.

For Israel and Judah have not been left alone by their God, the Lord of All, even though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

6 F lee 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.

Run away from Babylon! Let every man save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, for it is time for the Lord to punish her. He will make her pay for her sins.

7 B abylon 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.

Babylon has been a gold cup in the Lord’s hand, making all the earth drunk. The nations have drunk her wine, and so the nations have gone wild.

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

All at once Babylon has fallen and been broken. Cry over her with a loud voice. Bring healing oil for her pain. It may be that she will be healed.

9 W e 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.

We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Leave her alone, and let each of us go to his own country. For she is being judged from as far as heaven and lifted even to the skies.

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

The Lord has taken our guilt away. Come and let us make the work of the Lord our God known in Zion.

11 S harpen 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.

Make the arrows sharp! Take the body-coverings! The Lord has moved the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because He is planning to destroy Babylon. It is the punishment of the Lord, the punishment for what was done to His house of worship.

12 L ift 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.

Lift up a flag on the walls of Babylon. Have many keep watch. Put the watchmen in their places. And get men ready to fight against her by surprise. For the Lord has both planned and done what He said about the people of Babylon.

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

O you who live by many waters and have many riches, your end has come. Your life is being cut off.

14 T he 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.”

The Lord of All has promised by Himself, saying, “For sure I will fill you with men, as with many locusts. And they will call out that they have won the war against you.” A Song of Praise

15 I t 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.

He made the earth by His power. He made the world by His wisdom. And by His understanding He spread out the heavens.

16 W hen 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.

When He speaks, there is a storm of waters in the heavens. He makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and brings the wind from His store-houses.

17 A ll 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.

No man thinks well, and he is without learning. Every man who works with gold is put to shame by his false gods. For the objects of worship that he makes are false, and there is no breath in them.

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

They are of no worth, a false show. At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed.

19 T he 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.

He Who is the Share of Jacob is not like these. For He is the Maker of All. And Israel is the family who receives His gifts. The Lord of All is His name.

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

He says, “You are My battle-ax which I use in war. With you I destroy countries. With you I destroy nations.

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

With you I break in pieces the horse and its rider.

22 A nd 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,

With you I destroy the war-wagon and its driver. With you I destroy man and woman. With you I destroy old man and boy. With you I destroy young man and young woman.

23 A nd 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.

With you I destroy the shepherd and his flock. With you I destroy the farmer and his oxen. And with you I destroy rulers and captains. Babylon Is Punished

24 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.

“I will punish Babylon and all the people of Chaldea for all their sins that they have done in Zion in front of your eyes,” says the Lord.

25 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.

“See, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth,” says the Lord. “I will put out My hand against you and roll you down from the high rocks. I will make you a burned-out mountain.

26 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.

Not even a stone will be taken from you for a corner stone, or a stone to be used to build upon. But you will be a waste forever,” says the Lord.

27 L ift 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.

Lift up a flag in the land! Sound the horn among the nations! Make the nations ready to fight against Babylon. Call against her the nations of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Choose a captain to go against her. Bring up the horses like many locusts.

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

Make the nations ready to fight against her. Make ready the kings of the Medes, their rulers and captains, and every land under their rule.

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

The land shakes and moves in its pain. For the Lord’s plans against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a waste land without people.

30 T he 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.

The powerful soldiers of Babylon have stopped fighting. They stay in their strong-places. Their strength is gone. They have become like women. Their houses are set on fire, and the iron parts of her gates are broken.

31 O ne 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;

One man with news runs to meet another, and he runs to meet another. They run to tell the king of Babylon that his city has been taken from end to end.

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

The ways to cross the river have been stopped. The water grass has been burned with fire. And the soldiers are filled with fear.

33 F or 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.”

The Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, “The daughter of Babylon is like the grain floor when it is being stepped on and made hard. In a little while her gathering time will come.”

34 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.

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has destroyed me, and has crushed me. He has made me like an empty pot. He has eaten me up like a large, angry animal. He has filled his stomach with my good food, and he has washed me away.

35 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.

May the hurt done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” the person living in Zion will say. “May my blood be upon the people of Babylon,” Jerusalem will say.

36 T herefore 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.

So the Lord says, “See, I will help you in your cause and punish Babylon for you. I will dry up her sea, and make her well dry.

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

Babylon will become a waste place, a place where wild dogs live. She will be an object of trouble and hate, where no people live.

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

Together the people of Babylon make noise like young lions. They sound like a lion’s young ones.

39 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.

But when they are hot, I will give them a special supper and make them drunk. Then they will be happy and fall asleep, and will never wake up,” says the Lord.

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

“I will bring them down like lambs to be killed, like rams and male goats. Babylon Is Destroyed

41 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!

“How Babylon has been taken, the praise of the whole earth taken! How Babylon has become an object of trouble among the nations!

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

The sea has come up over Babylon. She has been covered with its many big waves.

43 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.

Her cities have become an object of trouble, a dry land and a desert. It is a land where no man lives, and where no man passes through.

44 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!

And I will punish the false god of Bel in Babylon. I will make what he has eaten come out of his mouth. The nations will no longer come to him. The wall of Babylon will fall.

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

“Come out of her, My people. Save yourselves from the burning anger of the Lord.

46 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—

Do not let your heart become weak. Do not be afraid at the news that will be heard in the land. For news will come this year, and other news will come the next. There will be fighting in the land, with ruler against ruler.

47 T herefore 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.

So the days are coming when I will punish the false gods of Babylon. Her whole land will be put to shame, and all her dead will fall within her.

48 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.

Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will call out for joy over Babylon. For the destroyers will come to her from the north,” says the Lord.

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

Babylon must fall because of the dead of Israel, just as the dead of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.

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

You who have not been killed by the sword, go! Do not stay! Remember the Lord from far away, and think of Jerusalem.

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

We are ashamed because much has been said against us. Our faces are covered with shame, for strangers have gone into the holy places of the Lord’s house.

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

“But the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish her false gods. And those who are hurt will cry in pain through all her land.

53 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.

Even if Babylon rises to the heavens and makes her high place strong, I will send destroyers against her,” says the Lord.

54 T he sound of an outcry from Babylon, And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!

The sound of a cry comes from Babylon! A noise comes from the land of the Babylonians because much is being destroyed!

55 F or 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.

For the Lord will destroy Babylon. He will quiet her loud voice. Their waves will sound like many waters, and the noise of their voices is loud.

56 F or 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.

For the destroyer is coming against Babylon, and her strong men will be taken. Their bows are broken. For the Lord is a God Who makes the sinner pay for his sin, and He will be sure to punish.

57 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.

“I will make her leaders and her wise men, her rulers, her captains, and her strong men of war drunk. Then they will fall asleep and never wake up,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of All.

58 T hus 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.”

The Lord of All says, “The wide wall of Babylon will be broken to the ground. Her high gates will be set on fire. So the people will work hard for nothing, and because of the fire nations become tired.” Jeremiah’s Word Gets to Babylon

59 T he 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.)

This is the word which Jeremiah the man of God told 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 rule. Seraiah was the head captain of the house.

60 S o 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.

Jeremiah wrote in a book all the trouble that would come upon Babylon. He wrote down all these words which have been written about Babylon.

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

Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words out loud.

62 a nd 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.’

And say, ‘O Lord, You have said that this place will be destroyed, so that there will be nothing living in it, not man or animal. It is to be a waste place forever.’

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

When you have finished reading this book, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates River.

64 a nd 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.

And say, ‘In this way Babylon will go down and not rise again, because of the trouble I am going to bring upon her. And her people will fall.’” The words of Jeremiah end here.