1 T hus said Jehovah: Lo, I am stirring up against Babylon, And the inhabitants of Leb -- My withstanders, A destroying wind,

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 A nd I have sent to Babylon fanners, And they have fanned it, and they empty its land, For they have been against it, Round about -- in the day of evil.

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 L et not the treader tread his bow, Nor lift himself up in his coat of mail, Nor have ye pity on her young men, Devote ye to destruction all her host.

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 A nd fallen have the wounded in the land of the Chaldeans, And the pierced-through in her streets.

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

5 F or, not forsaken is Israel and Judah, By its God -- by Jehovah of Hosts, For their land hath been 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 F lee ye from the midst of Babylon, And deliver ye each his soul, Be not cut off in its iniquity, For a time of vengeance it to Jehovah, Recompence He is rendering to her.

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 A golden cup Babylon in the hand of Jehovah, Making drunk all the earth, Of its wine drunk have nations, Therefore boast themselves do nations.

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 S uddenly hath Babylon fallen, Yea, it is broken, howl ye for it, Take balm for her pain, if so be it may 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 healed Babylon, and she was not healed, Forsake her, and we go, each to his land, For come unto the heavens hath its judgment, And it hath been lifted up unto the clouds.

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 J ehovah hath brought forth our righteousnesses, Come, and we recount in Zion the work of Jehovah our God.

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 C leanse ye the arrows, fill the shields, Stirred up hath Jehovah the spirit of the kings of Madia, For against Babylon His device to destroy it, For the vengeance of Jehovah it, The vengeance of His temple.

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 U nto the walls of Babylon lift up an ensign, Strengthen the watch, Establish the watchers, prepare the ambush, For Jehovah hath both devised and done that which He spake, Concerning the inhabitants 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 dweller on many waters, abundant in treasures, Come in hath thine end, the measure of thy dishonest gain.

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

14 S worn hath Jehovah of Hosts by Himself, That, Surely I have filled thee men as the cankerworm, And they have cried against thee -- shouting.

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 T he maker of earth by His power, The establisher of the world by His wisdom, Who by His understanding stretched 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 A t the voice He giveth forth, A multitude of waters in the heavens, And He causeth vapours to come up from the end of the earth, Lightnings for rain He hath made, And He bringeth out wind from His treasures.

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 B rutish hath been every man by knowledge, Put to shame hath been every refiner by a graven image, For false his molten image, 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 V anity they -- work of errors, In the time of their inspection they perish.

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 N ot like these the portion of Jacob, For He former of all things, And the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts 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 A n axe thou to me -- weapons of war, And I have broken in pieces by thee nations, And I have destroyed by thee kingdoms,

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 A nd I have broken in pieces by thee horse and its rider, And I have broken in pieces by thee chariot and its charioteer,

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

22 A nd I have broken in pieces by thee man and woman, And I have broken in pieces by thee old and young, And I have broken in pieces by thee young man and virgin,

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 A nd I have broken in pieces by thee shepherd and his drove, And I have broken in pieces by thee husbandman and his team, And I have broken in pieces by thee governors and prefects.

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 A nd I have recompensed to Babylon, And to all inhabitants of Chaldea, All the evil that they have done in Zion, Before your eyes -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

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 L o, I against thee, O destroying mount, An affirmation of Jehovah, That is destroying all the earth, And I have stretched out My hand against thee, And I have rolled thee from the rocks, And given thee for a burnt 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 A nd they take not out of thee a stone for a corner, And a stone for foundations, For desolations age-during art thou, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 ye up an ensign in the land, Blow a trumpet among nations, Sanctify against it nations, Summon against it the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, Appoint against it an infant head, Cause the horse to ascend as the rough cankerworm.

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 S anctify against it the nations with the kings of Media, Its governors and all its prefects, And all the land of its dominion.

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 A nd shake doth the land, and it is pained, For stood against Babylon have the purposes of Jehovah, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.

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 C eased have the mighty of Babylon to fight, They have remained in strongholds, Failed hath their might, they have become woman, They have burnt her tabernacles, Broken have been her bars.

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 R unner to meet runner doth run, And announcer to meet announcer, To announce to the king of Babylon, For, captured hath been his city -- at the extremity.

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 A nd the passages have been captured, And the reeds they have burnt with fire, And the men of war have been troubled.

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

33 F or thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, The daughter of Babylon as a threshing-floor, The time of her threshing -- yet a little, And come hath the time of her harvest.

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 D evoured us, crushed us, hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, He hath set us an empty vessel, He hath swallowed us as a dragon, He hath filled his belly with my dainties, He hath driven us 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 y wrong, and my flesh on Babylon, Say doth the inhabitant of Zion, And my blood on the inhabitants of Chaldea, Say doth Jerusalem.

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 T herefore, thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am pleading thy cause, And I have avenged thy vengeance, And dried up its sea, and made its fountains 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 A nd Babylon hath been for heaps, A habitation of dragons, An astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant.

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

38 T ogether as young lions they roar, They have shaken themselves as lions' whelps.

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

39 I n their heat I make their banquets, And I have caused them to drink, so that they exult, And have slept a sleep age-during, And awake not -- an affirmation of Jehovah.

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 cause them to go down as lambs to slaughter, As rams with he-goats.

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

41 H ow hath Sheshach been captured, Yea, caught is the praise of the whole earth, How hath Babylon been for an astonishment among 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 C ome up against Babylon hath the sea, With a multitude of its billows it hath been covered.

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

43 I ts cities have been for a desolation, A dry land, and a wilderness, A land -- none doth dwell in them, Nor pass over into them doth a son of man.

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 have seen after Bel in Babylon, And I have brought forth that which he swallowed -- from his mouth, And flow no more unto him do nations, Also the wall of Babylon hath fallen.

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 G o forth from its midst, O My people, And deliver ye, each his soul, Because of the fierceness of the anger of Jehovah,

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

46 A nd lest your heart be tender, And ye be afraid of the report that is heard in the land, And come in a year hath the report, And after it in a year the report, And violence in the land, 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 T herefore, lo, days are coming, And I have seen after the graven images of Babylon. And all its land is ashamed, And all its pierced ones do fall in its midst.

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 A nd cried aloud against Babylon Have heavens and earth, and all that in them, For, from the north come to it do the spoilers, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 E ven Babylon to fall, ye pierced of Israel, Even they of Babylon have fallen, Ye pierced of all the earth.

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

50 Y e escaped of the sword, go on, stand not, Remember ye from afar Jehovah, And let Jerusalem come up on your heart.

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 have been ashamed, for we heard reproach, Covered hath shame our faces, For come in have strangers, against the sanctuaries of the house of Jehovah.

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 T herefore, lo, days are coming, An affirmation of Jehovah, And I have seen after its graven images, And in all its land groan doth the wounded.

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 B ecause Babylon goeth up to the heavens, And because it fenceth the high place of its strength, From Me come into it do spoilers, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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 A voice of a cry from Babylon, And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldean.

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

55 F or Jehovah is spoiling Babylon, And hath destroyed out of it a great voice, And sounded have its billows as many waters, Given forth a noise hath their voice.

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 come in against it -- against Babylon -- hath a spoiler, And captured have been its mighty ones, Broken have been their bows, For the God of recompences -- Jehovah -- doth certainly repay.

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 A nd I have caused its princes to drink, And its wise men, its governors, And its prefects, and its mighty ones, And they have slept a sleep age-during, And they awake not -- an affirmation of the king, Jehovah of Hosts His name.

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 hus said Jehovah of Hosts, the wall of Babylon -- The broad one -- is utterly made bare, And her high gates with fire are burnt, And peoples labour in vain, And nations in fire, and have been weary!

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 he word that Jeremiah the prophet hath commanded Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Maaseiah, in his going with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign -- and Seraiah a quiet prince;

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 a nd Jeremiah writeth all the evil that cometh unto Babylon on one book -- all these words that are written concerning 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 A nd Jeremiah saith unto Seraiah, `When thou dost enter Babylon, then thou hast seen, and hast read all these words,

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

62 a nd hast said: Jehovah, Thou, Thou hast spoken concerning this place, to cut it off, that there is none dwelling in it, from man even unto cattle, for it is a desolation age-during.

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 A nd it hath come to pass, when thou dost finish reading this book, thou dost bind to it a stone, and hast cast it into the midst of Phrat,

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 said, Thus sink doth Babylon, and it doth not arise, because of the evil that I am bringing in against it, and they have been weary.' Hitherto words of Jeremiah.

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.