1 Y ahweh says: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against those who dwell in Lebkamai, 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 I will send to Babylon strangers, who shall winnow her; and they shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her around.

“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 who bends let the archer bend his bow, and against him who lifts himself up in his coat of mail: and don’t spare her young men; utterly destroy all her army.

“ 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 T hey shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and 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 Yahweh of Armies; though 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 middle of Babylon, and save every man his life; don’t be cut off in her iniquity: for it is the time of Yahweh’s vengeance; he will render to her a recompense.

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 has been a golden cup in Yahweh’s hand, who made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are 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 destroyed: wail for 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 would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go everyone into his own country; for her judgment reaches to heaven, and is lifted up even 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 Y ahweh has produced our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of Yahweh our God.

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

11 M ake sharp the arrows; hold firm the shields: Yahweh has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it: for it is the vengeance of Yahweh, 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 S et up a standard against the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set the watchmen, prepare the ambushes; for Yahweh has both purposed and done that which he spoke concerning 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 Y ou who dwell on many waters, abundant in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.

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

14 Y ahweh of Armies has sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill you with men, as with the canker worm; and they shall lift up a shout against you.

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 has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens:

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 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 lightning for the rain, and brings the wind out of his treasuries.

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 has become brutish without knowledge. Every goldsmith is disappointed by his 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 these; for he is the former of all things; and is the tribe of his inheritance: Yahweh of Armies 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 Y ou are my battle ax and weapons of war: and with you will I break in pieces the nations; and with you will I 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 you will I break in pieces the horse and his rider;

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

22 a nd with you will I break in pieces the chariot and him who rides therein; and with you will I break in pieces man and woman; and with you will I break in pieces the old man and the youth; and with you will I break in pieces the young man and the virgin;

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 you will I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; and with you will I break in pieces the farmer and his yoke; and with you will I break in pieces governors and deputies.

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 I will render to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, says Yahweh.

“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 you, destroying mountain, says Yahweh, which destroys all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand on you, and roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burnt 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 T hey shall not take of you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but you shall be desolate for ever, says Yahweh.

“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 S et up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz: appoint a marshal against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough canker worm.

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 against her the nations, the kings of the Medes, its governors, and all its deputies, and 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 T he land trembles and is in pain; for the purposes of Yahweh 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 forborne to fight, they remain in their strongholds; their might has failed; they are become as women: her dwelling places are set 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 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 every quarter:

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 reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are frightened.

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

33 F or Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is 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 ebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has, like a monster, swallowed me up, he has filled his maw with my delicacies; he has 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 on Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and, My blood be on 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 Yahweh says: Behold, I will plead your cause, and take vengeance for you; and I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain 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 B abylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for 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; they shall growl as lions’ cubs.

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

39 W hen they are heated, I will make their feast, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, says Yahweh.

“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 male goats.

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

41 H ow is Sheshach taken! and the praise of the whole earth seized! how is Babylon become a desolation 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 has come up on 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 in which no man dwells, neither does any 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 I will execute judgment on Bel in Babylon, and I will bring out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more to him: yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

“ 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 M y people, go away from the middle of her, and save yourselves every man from the fierce anger of Yahweh.

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

46 D on’t let your heart faint, neither fear for the news that shall be heard in the land; for news shall come one year, and after that in another year shall come news, and violence in the land, 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, the days come, that I will execute judgment on the engraved images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be confounded; and all her slain shall fall in the middle 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 T hen the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come to her from the north, says Yahweh.

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

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

50 Y ou who have escaped the sword, go, don’t stand still; remember Yahweh 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 W e are confounded, because we have heard reproach; confusion has covered our faces: for strangers have come into the sanctuaries of Yahweh’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 T herefore behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will execute judgment on her engraved images; and through all 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 sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her, says Yahweh.

“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 of 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 Yahweh lays Babylon waste, and destroys out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is uttered:

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 destroyer has come on her, even on Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, their bows are broken in pieces; for Yahweh is a God of recompenses, he will surely 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 I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her governors and her deputies, and her mighty men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake up, says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies.

“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 Y ahweh of Armies says: The wide walls of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the peoples shall labor for vanity, 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 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. Now Seraiah was chief quartermaster.

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 J eremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come on Babylon, even all these words that are written concerning 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 J eremiah said to Seraiah, When you come to Babylon, then see that you 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, Yahweh, you have spoken concerning this place, to cut it off, that no one shall dwell therein, neither man nor animal, but that it shall be desolate forever.

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 I t shall be, when you have finished reading this book, that you shall bind a stone to it, and cast it into the middle 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 you shall say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise again because of the evil that I will bring on her; and they shall be weary. Thus far are 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.