1 T he word that Jehovah hath spoken concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet:

The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:

2 ` Declare ye among nations, and sound, And lift up an ensign, sound, do not hide, Say ye: Captured hath been Babylon, Put to shame hath been Bel, Broken hath been Merodach, Put to shame have been her grievous things, Broken have been her idols.

“ Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal it but say, ‘ Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; Her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’

3 F or come up against her hath a nation from the north, It maketh her land become a desolation, And there is not an inhabitant in it. From man even unto beast, They have moved, they have gone.

For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away!

4 I n those days, and at that time, An affirmation of Jehovah, Come in do sons of Israel, They and sons of Judah together, Going on and weeping they go, And Jehovah their God they seek.

“In those days and at that time,” declares the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek.

5 Z ion they ask the way, Thitherward their faces: Come in, and we are joined unto Jehovah, A covenant age-during -- not forgotten.

They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

6 A perishing flock hath My people been, Their shepherds have caused them to err, the mountains causing them to go back, From mountain unto hill they have gone, They have forgotten their crouching-place.

“My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill And have forgotten their resting place.

7 A ll finding them have devoured them, And their adversaries have said: We are not guilty, Because that they sinned against Jehovah, The habitation of righteousness, And the hope of their fathers -- Jehovah.

“All who came upon them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said, ‘ We are not guilty, Inasmuch as they have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness, Even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’

8 M ove ye from the midst of Babylon, And from the land of the Chaldeans go out. And be as he-goats before a flock.

“Wander away from the midst of Babylon And go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; Be also like male goats at the head of the flock.

9 F or, lo, I am stirring up, And am causing to come up against Babylon, An assembly of great nations from a land of the north, And they have set in array against her, From thence she is captured, Its arrow -- as a skilful hero -- returneth not empty,

“For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon A horde of great nations from the land of the north, And they will draw up their battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior Who does not return empty-handed.

10 A nd Chaldea hath been for a spoil, All her spoilers are satisfied, An affirmation of Jehovah.

“ Chaldea will become plunder; All who plunder her will have enough,” declares the Lord.

11 B ecause thou rejoicest, because thou exultest, O spoilers of Mine inheritance, Because thou increasest as a heifer the tender grass, And dost cry aloud as bulls,

“Because you are glad, because you are jubilant, O you who pillage My heritage, Because you skip about like a threshing heifer And neigh like stallions,

12 A shamed hath been your mother greatly, Confounded hath she been that bare you, Lo, the hindermost of nations a wilderness, A dry land, and a desert.

Your mother will be greatly ashamed, She who gave you birth will be humiliated. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, A wilderness, a parched land and a desert.

13 B ecause of the wrath of Jehovah it is not inhabited, And it hath been a desolation -- all of it. Every passer by at Babylon is astonished, And doth hiss because of all her plagues.

“Because of the indignation of the Lord she will not be inhabited, But she will be completely desolate; Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified And will hiss because of all her wounds.

14 S et yourselves in array against Babylon round about, All ye treading a bow, Shoot at her, have no pity on the arrow, For against Jehovah she hath sinned.

“Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on every side, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, do not be sparing with your arrows, For she has sinned against the Lord.

15 S hout against her round about, She hath given forth her hand, Fallen have her foundations, Thrown down have been her walls, For it the vengeance of Jehovah, Be avenged of her, as she did -- do ye to her.

“Raise your battle cry against her on every side! She has given herself up, her pillars have fallen, Her walls have been torn down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord: Take vengeance on her; As she has done to others, so do to her.

16 C ut off the sower from Babylon, And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, Because of the oppressing sword, Each unto his people -- they turn, And each to his land -- they flee.

“Cut off the sower from Babylon And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From before the sword of the oppressor They will each turn back to his own people And they will each flee to his own land.

17 A scattered sheep is Israel, lions have driven away, At first, devour him did the king of Asshur, And now, at last, broken his bone Hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.

“Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

18 T herefore thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Lo, I am seeing after the king of Babylon, And after his land, As I have seen after the king of Asshur;

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.

19 A nd I have brought back Israel unto his habitation, And he hath fed on Carmel, and on Bashan. And in mount Ephraim, and on Gilead is his soul satisfied.

And I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.

20 I n those days, and at that time, An affirmation of Jehovah, Sought is the iniquity of Israel, and it is not, And the sin of Judah, and it is not found, For I am propitious to those whom I leave!

In those days and at that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.’

21 A gainst the land of Merathaim: Go up against it, and unto the inhabitants of Pekod, Waste and devote their posterity, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do according to all that I have commanded thee.

“Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Slay and utterly destroy them,” declares the Lord, “And do according to all that I have commanded you.

22 A noise of battle in the land, and of great destruction.

“The noise of battle is in the land, And great destruction.

23 H ow hath it been cut and broken, The hammer of the whole earth! How hath Babylon been for a desolation among nations!

“How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations!

24 I have laid a snare for thee, And also -- thou art captured, O Babylon, And thou -- thou hast known, Thou hast been found, and also art caught, For against Jehovah thou hast stirred thyself up.

“I set a snare for you and you were also caught, O Babylon, While you yourself were not aware; You have been found and also seized Because you have engaged in conflict with the Lord.”

25 J ehovah hath opened His treasury, And He bringeth out the weapons of His indignation, For a work to the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, In the land of the Chaldeans.

The Lord has opened His armory And has brought forth the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord God of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans.

26 C ome ye in to her from the extremity, Open ye her storehouses, Raise her up as heaps, and devote her, Let her have no remnant.

Come to her from the farthest border; Open up her barns, Pile her up like heaps And utterly destroy her, Let nothing be left to her.

27 S lay all her kine, they go down to slaughter, Wo on them, for come hath their day, The time of their inspection.

Put all her young bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment.

28 A voice of fugitives and escaped ones from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of Jehovah our God, The vengeance of His temple.

There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, Vengeance for His temple.

29 S ummon unto Babylon archers, all treading the bow, Encamp against her round about, Let have no escape; Recompense to her according to her work, According to all that she did -- do to her, For unto Jehovah she hath been proud, Unto the Holy One of Israel.

“Summon many against Babylon, All those who bend the bow: Encamp against her on every side, Let there be no escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all that she has done, so do to her; For she has become arrogant against the Lord, Against the Holy One of Israel.

30 T herefore fall do her young men in her broad places, And all her men of war are cut off in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah.

“Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, And all her men of war will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord.

31 L o, I against thee, O pride, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah of Hosts, For thy day hath come, the time of thy inspection.

“Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” Declares the Lord God of hosts, “For your day has come, The time when I will punish you.

32 A nd stumbled hath pride, And he hath fallen, and hath no raiser up, And I have kindled a fire in his cities, And it hath devoured all round about him.

“The arrogant one will stumble and fall With no one to raise him up; And I will set fire to his cities And it will devour all his environs.”

33 T hus said Jehovah of Hosts: Oppressed are the sons of Israel, And the sons of Judah together, And all their captors have kept hold on them, They have refused to send them away.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “The sons of Israel are oppressed, And the sons of Judah as well; And all who took them captive have held them fast, They have refused to let them go.

34 T heir Redeemer strong, Jehovah of Hosts His name, He doth thoroughly plead their cause, So as to cause the land to rest, And He hath given trouble to the inhabitants of Babylon.

“Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case So that He may bring rest to the earth, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.

35 A sword for the Chaldeans, An affirmation of Jehovah, And it on the inhabitants of Babylon, And on her heads, and on her wise men;

“A sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the Lord, “And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her officials and her wise men!

36 A sword on the princes, And they have become foolish; A sword on her mighty ones, And they have been broken down;

“A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be shattered!

37 A sword on his horses and on his chariot, And on all the rabble who in her midst, And they have become women; A sword on her treasuries, And they have been spoiled;

“A sword against their horses and against their chariots And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her, And they will become women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!

38 A sword on her waters, and they have been dried up, For it a land of graven images, And in idols they do boast themselves.

“A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up! For it is a land of idols, And they are mad over fearsome idols.

39 T herefore dwell do Ziim with Iim, Yea, dwelt in her have daughters of the ostrich, And it is not inhabited any more for ever, Nor dwelt in unto all generations.

“Therefore the desert creatures will live there along with the jackals; The ostriches also will live in it, And it will never again be inhabited Or dwelt in from generation to generation.

40 A s overthrown by God with Sodom, And with Gomorrah, and with its neighbours, An affirmation of Jehovah, none doth dwell there, Nor sojourn in her doth a son of man.

“As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors,” declares the Lord, “No man will live there, Nor will any son of man reside in it.

41 L o, a people hath come from the north, Even a great nation, And many kings are stirred up from the sides of the earth.

“Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.

42 B ow and halbert they seize, Cruel they, and they have no mercy, Their voice as a sea soundeth, and on horses they ride, Set in array as a man for battle, Against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

“They seize their bow and javelin; They are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, Marshalled like a man for the battle Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 H eard hath the king of Babylon their report, And feeble have been his hands, Distress hath seized him; pain as a travailing woman.

“The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands hang limp; Distress has gripped him, Agony like a woman in childbirth.

44 L o, as a lion he cometh up, Because of the rising of the Jordan, Unto the enduring habitation, But I cause to rest, I cause them to run from off her. And who is chosen? on her I lay a charge, For who like Me? And who doth convene Me? And who this shepherd who standeth before Me?

“ Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make them run away from it, and whoever is chosen I will appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court ? And who then is the shepherd who can stand before Me?”

45 T herefore, hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He counselled concerning Babylon, And His devices that He hath devised Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Drag them out do not little ones of the flock, Doth He not make desolate over them the habitation?

Therefore hear the plan of the Lord which He has planned against Babylon, and His purposes which He has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them.

46 F rom the voice: Captured was Babylon, Hath the earth been shaken, And a cry among nations hath been heard!

At the shout, “Babylon has been seized!” the earth is shaken, and an outcry is heard among the nations.