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

Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon and against those who dwell among those rebelling against Me a destroying wind and spirit;

2 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.

And I will send to Babylon strangers or winnowers who will winnow her and will empty her land; for in the day of calamity they will be against her on every side.

3 D o 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.

Against him who bends let the archer bend his bow, and against him who lifts himself up in his coat of mail. And spare not her young men; devote and utterly destroy her entire host.

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

Thus they shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and wounded in her streets.

5 F or 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.

For Israel has not been widowed and forsaken, nor has Judah, by his God, the Lord of hosts, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

6 R un 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.

Flee out of the midst of Babylon! Let every man save his life! Let not destruction come upon you through her sin and guilt. For it is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; He will render to her a recompense.

7 B abylon 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.

Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, making all the earth drunken. The nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.

8 A ll 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.

Babylon has suddenly fallen and is shattered (destroyed)! Wail for her! Get balm for her pain; if so she may be healed!

9 W e 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.

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, for her guilt and the judgment against her reach to heaven and are lifted even to the skies.

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

The Lord has brought forth and made known the righteousness; come and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.

11 M ake 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.

Make clean and sharp the arrows, take up the shields or coats of armor! The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, for His purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it; for that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of His temple.

12 L ift 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.

Set up a standard or signal upon the walls of Babylon! Make the watch and blockade strong, set the guards, prepare the ambushes! For the Lord has both purposed and done that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

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

O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, and the line measuring your life is cut.

14 T he 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

The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself, saying, Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, and they will lift up a song and shout over you.

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

He made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

16 W hen 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.

When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

17 N o 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.

Every man has become stupid and brutelike, without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by the images he has made; for his molten idols are a lie, and there is no breath in them.

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

They are worthless (emptiness, falsity, futility), a work of delusion and worthy of derision; in the time of their inspection and punishment they shall perish.

19 H e 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.

Not like these is He Who is the Portion of Jacob, for He is the One Who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—the Lord of hosts is His name.

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

You are My battle-ax or maul and weapon of war—for with you I break nations in pieces, with you I destroy kingdoms,

21 W ith you I break in pieces the horse and its rider.

With you I break in pieces the horse and his rider, with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer,

22 W ith 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.

With you I break in pieces man and woman, with you I break in pieces old man and youth, with you I break in pieces young man and maiden,

23 W ith 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

With you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock, with you I break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen, and with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.

24 “ 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.

And I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil that they have done in Zion—before your very eyes, says the Lord.

25 “ 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.

Behold, I am against you, says the Lord, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth. I will stretch out My hand over and against you and roll you down from the crags and will make you a burnt-out mountain.

26 N ot 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.

And they shall not take your cracked stones for a cornerstone, or any stone for foundations, but you shall be waste and desolate forever, says the Lord.

27 L ift 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.

Set up a standard or signal in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare and dedicate the nations for war against her; call against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a marshal against her; cause the horses to come up like locusts.

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

Prepare and dedicate the nations for war against her—the kings of Media, with their governors and commanders (deputies), and every land of their dominion.

29 T he 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.

The land trembles and writhes in pain and sorrow, for the purposes of the Lord against Babylon stand—to make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.

30 T he 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.

The mighty warriors of Babylon have ceased to fight; they have remained in their holds. Their might has failed; they have become like women. Her dwelling places are burned up; her bars are broken.

31 O ne 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.

One post shall run to meet another and one messenger to meet another to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every side and to its farthest end,

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

And that the passages are stopped, and the great marshes they have burned with fire, and the men of war are frightened.

33 T he 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.”

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; yet a little while and the time of harvest shall come to her.

34 “ 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.

Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has crushed us, he has made us an empty vessel. Like a monster he has swallowed us up, he has filled his belly with our delicacies; he has rinsed us out and cast us away.

35 M ay 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.

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

36 S o 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.

Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her lake or great reservoir and make her fountain dry.

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

And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place of jackals, a horror (an astonishing desolation) and a hissing, without inhabitant.

38 T ogether the people of Babylon make noise like young lions. They sound like a lion’s young ones.

They shall be roaring together like young lions, they shall be growling like lions’ whelps.

39 B ut 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.

When the revelers are inflamed, I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk, that they may rejoice and fall asleep to a perpetual sleep and not waken, says the Lord.

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

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

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

How Sheshach is taken! And the praise of the whole earth is surprised and seized! How Babylon has become an astonishing desolation and a horror among the nations!

42 T he sea has come up over Babylon. She has been covered with its many big waves.

The sea has come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the tumult and multitude of its waves.

43 H er 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.

Her cities have become a desolation and a horror, a land of drought and a wilderness, a land in which no one lives, nor does any son of man pass through it.

44 A nd 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.

And I will punish and execute judgment upon Bel in Babylon and take out of his mouth what he has swallowed up. The nations will not flow any more to him. Yes, the wall of Babylon has fallen!

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

My people, come out of the midst of her! And let every man save his life from the fierce anger of the Lord!

46 D o 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.

And beware, lest your heart faint and you be afraid at the report (rumor) heard in the land; for in one year shall one report come and in another year another report, and violence shall be in the land, ruler against ruler.

47 S o 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.

Therefore behold, the days will come when I will execute judgment and punishment upon the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be confounded and put to shame, and all her slain will fall in the midst of her.

48 T hen 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.

Then heaven and earth and all that is in them shall sing for joy over Babylon, for the destroyers shall come against her from the north, says the Lord.

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

As Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all land.

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

You who have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still! remember the Lord from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

51 W e 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.

We are confounded and ashamed, for we have heard reproach; confusion and shame have covered our faces, for strangers have come into the sacred parts of the sanctuary of the Lord.

52 “ 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.

Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will execute judgment upon idols and images, and throughout all her land the wounded will groan.

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

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height (her lofty stronghold), yet destroyers will come upon her from Me, says the Lord.

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

The sound of a cry from Babylon, and great destruction and ruin from the land of the Chaldeans!

55 F or 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.

For the Lord is destroying Babylon and laying her waste and stilling her great voice. And the waves roar like great waters, the noise of their voices is raised up.

56 F or 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.

For the destroyer is coming upon her, upon Babylon; and her mighty warriors are taken, their bows are broken in pieces; for the Lord is a God of recompense; He will surely requite.

57 “ 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.

And I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her governors and her commanders (deputies) and her mighty warriors; and they will sleep a perpetual sleep and not waken, says the King—the Lord of hosts is His name.

58 T he 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

Thus says the Lord of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown and made bare, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; the peoples shall labor in vain, and the nations to satisfy the fire, and they shall be weary.

59 T his 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.

The word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now this Seraiah was chief chamberlain or quartermaster.

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

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

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

And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When you come to Babylon, see to it that you read all these words.

62 A nd 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.’

Then say, O Lord, You have spoken concerning this place that it shall be cut off, so that nothing shall remain and dwell in it, neither man nor beast; but it shall be desolate forever.

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

And it shall be that when you have finished reading this book, you shall bind a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates.

64 A nd 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.

Then say, Thus will Babylon sink and not rise because of the evil that I will bring upon her; and will be weary (hopelessly exhausted). Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.