1 T hus says the Lord: “Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind.

¶ Thus hath the LORD said; Behold, I raise up against Babylon and against her inhabitants that rise up against me from the heart, a destroying wind.

2 A nd 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.

And I will send unto Babylon fanners that shall fan her and shall empty her land; for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

3 A gainst 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.

I shall say to the archer that bends his bow and unto him that lifts himself up in his brigandine, Spare ye not her young men; utterly destroy all her host.

4 T hus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets.

Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans and those that are thrust through in her streets.

5 F or 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.”

For Israel and Judah have not been made widows of their God, of the LORD of the hosts, though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

6 F lee 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.

Flee out of the midst of Babylon and deliver each one his soul that ye not perish because of her iniquity, for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.

7 B abylon 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.

Babylon has been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand that made all the earth drunken: the Gentiles have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

8 B abylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.

Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed; howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

9 W e 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.

We applied the medicine to Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go each one into his own land; for her judgment is come unto heaven and is lifted up even to the clouds.

10 T he Lord has revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.

The LORD has brought our righteousness to light; come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

11 M ake 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.

Make bright the arrows; gather the shields; the LORD has awakened the spirit of the kings of the Medes; for his thought is against Babylon to destroy her; for it is vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.

12 S et 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.

Set up the banner upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes; for the LORD has deliberated and shall put into effect that which he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

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

O thou that dwellest among many waters, rich in treasures, thine end is come, the measure of thy covetousness.

14 T he 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.”

The LORD of the hosts has sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men as with locusts; and they shall sing the song of the winepress against thee.

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

He is the one who makes the earth by his power; he upholds the world by his wisdom and extends the heavens by his intelligence;

16 W hen 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.”

he who gives with his voice a multitude of waters from heaven, then he causes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; he makes lightnings with the rain and brings forth the wind out of his treasures.

17 E veryone 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.

Every man has become carnal and is without knowledge; let every founder be ashamed of the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

18 T hey are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

They are vanity, the work of errors; in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

19 T he 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.

The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the Former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance; the LORD of the hosts is his name.

20 “ 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;

Thou art my hammer, O weapons of war: for with thee I will break in pieces the Gentiles, and with thee I will destroy kingdoms;

21 W ith you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider;

and with thee I will break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee I will break in pieces the chariots and their riders;

22 W ith 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;

with thee also I will break in pieces men and women; and with thee I will break in pieces old and young; and with thee I will break in pieces young men and virgins;

23 W ith 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.

I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee I will break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee I will break in pieces dukes and princes.

24 “ 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.

And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, said the LORD.

25 “ 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.

Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, said the LORD, which destroys all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand upon thee and roll thee down from the rocks and will make thee a burnt mountain.

26 T hey 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.

And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, said the LORD.

27 S et 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.

Set ye up a banner in the land, blow the shofar among the Gentiles, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as raised up locusts.

28 P repare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion.

Prepare the nations against her: the kings of Media, the captains thereof, and all the princes thereof, and all the land of their dominion.

29 A nd 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.

And the land shall tremble and sorrow for every thought of the LORD is confirmed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

30 T he 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.

The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight; they have remained in their holds; their might has failed; they became as women: the enemies have burned her dwellingplaces; they have broken her bars.

31 O ne 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;

One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken in all places,

32 T he passages are blocked, The reeds they have burned with fire, And the men of war are terrified.

And the fords were taken, and they have burned the reeds with fire, and the men of war were astounded.

33 F or 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.”

For thus hath the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel said: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor; it is now time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

34 “ 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.

Nebuchadrezzar 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 dragon; he has filled his belly with my delicates; he has cast me out.

35 L et 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.

The violence against me and my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

36 T herefore 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.

Therefore thus hath the LORD said: Behold, I judge thy cause and shall take thy vengeance; and I will dry up her sea and make her flowing waters dry.

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

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and a hissing, without an inhabitant.

38 T hey shall roar together like lions, They shall growl like lions’ whelps.

They shall roar together like lions; they shall roar as lions’ whelps.

39 I n 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.

In their heat I will place their feasts before them, and I will make them drunken that they may rejoice and sleep an eternal sleep and not wake, said the LORD.

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

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

41 “ Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!

How is Sheshach a prey! and how is she who was the praise of the whole earth taken! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the Gentiles!

42 T he sea has come up over Babylon; She is covered with the multitude of its waves.

The sea is come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

43 H er cities are a desolation, A dry land and a wilderness, A land where no one dwells, Through which no son of man passes.

Her cities were devastated, the land dry and desert, a land in which no man dwells, neither shall any son of man pass thereby.

44 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.

And I will visit Bel himself in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up; and the Gentiles shall not flow together any more unto him; and the wall of Babylon shall fall.

45 “ My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the Lord.

Come out of the midst of her, my people, and save each one his life from the fierce anger of the LORD.

46 A nd 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),

And lest your heart faint, and ye fear because of the news that shall be heard in the land; in one year shall the news come, and after that in the next year shall come the rumour, and then shall come the violence in the land, and the ruler over him who rules.

47 T herefore 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.

Therefore, behold, the days come that I will visit the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be ashamed, and all her dead shall fall in the midst of her.

48 T hen 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.

Then the heavens and the earth and all that is therein shall sing praises over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come unto her from the north, said the LORD.

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

As Babylon has caused the dead of Israel to fall, so because of Babylon the dead of all the earth fell.

50 Y ou who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the Lord afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.

Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, do not tarry: remember the LORD for many days, and remember Jerusalem.

51 W e are ashamed because we have heard reproach. Shame has covered our faces, For strangers have come into the sanctuaries of the Lord ’s house.

We are ashamed, because we have heard the reproach; confusion has covered our faces; for strangers are come against the sanctuaries of the LORD’s house.

52 “ 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.

Therefore, behold, the days come, said the LORD, that I will visit her graven images; and through all her land the wounded unto death shall groan.

53 T hough 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.

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strength upon high, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, said the LORD.

54 T he sound of a cry comes 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 B ecause 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,

Because the LORD destroys Babylon and takes out of her the many thunders, her waves shall roar; like many waters shall be the sound of their voice:

56 B ecause 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.

because the destroyer is come against her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, their bow is broken: for the LORD God of recompenses shall surely requite.

57 “ 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.

And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men; and they shall sleep an eternal sleep and shall not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of the hosts.

58 T hus 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

Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly cast down, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and peoples and nations shall labour in vain in the fire to save her, and they shall become weary.

59 T he 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.

¶ The word which Jeremiah the prophet sent to Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was the chief steward of the bedchambers.

60 S o Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon.

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

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

And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon and shalt see and shalt read all these things;

62 t hen 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.’

then thou shalt say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that no one shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

63 N ow 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.

And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates;

64 T hen 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.

and thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be overcome. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.