Prophecies against Babylon
1 The word the Lord spoke about Babylon,(A) the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:
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In those days and at that time—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
the Israelites and Judeans will come together,
weeping as they come,
and will seek the Lord their God.(E)
5 this is the Lord’s declaration—
the Israelites and Judeans will come together,
weeping as they come,
and will seek the Lord their God.(E)
They will ask about Zion,
turning their faces to this road.
They will come and join themselves(b) to the Lord
in an everlasting covenant(F) that will never be forgotten.
turning their faces to this road.
They will come and join themselves(b) to the Lord
in an everlasting covenant(F) that will never be forgotten.
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All who found them devoured them.
Their adversaries said, “We’re not guilty;
instead, they have sinned against the Lord,
their righteous grazing land,(I)
the hope of their ancestors,(J) the Lord.”
Their adversaries said, “We’re not guilty;
instead, they have sinned against the Lord,
their righteous grazing land,(I)
the hope of their ancestors,(J) the Lord.”
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For I will soon stir up and bring against Babylon
an assembly of great nations from the north country.
They will line up in battle formation against her;
from there she will be captured.
Their arrows will be like those of a skilled(c) warrior
who does not return empty-handed.
10 an assembly of great nations from the north country.
They will line up in battle formation against her;
from there she will be captured.
Their arrows will be like those of a skilled(c) warrior
who does not return empty-handed.
The Chaldeans will become plunder;
all Babylon’s plunderers will be fully satisfied.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
11 all Babylon’s plunderers will be fully satisfied.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Because you rejoice,
because you sing in triumph—
you who plundered My inheritance—
because you frolic like a young cow treading grain
and neigh like stallions,(L)
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13 because you sing in triumph—
you who plundered My inheritance—
because you frolic like a young cow treading grain
and neigh like stallions,(L)
Because of the Lord’s wrath,
she will not be inhabited;
she will become a desolation, every bit of her.
Everyone who passes through Babylon
will be horrified
and scoff because of all her wounds.(N)
14 she will not be inhabited;
she will become a desolation, every bit of her.
Everyone who passes through Babylon
will be horrified
and scoff because of all her wounds.(N)
Line up in battle formation around Babylon,
all you archers!
Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow,
for she has sinned against the Lord.
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all you archers!
Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow,
for she has sinned against the Lord.
The Return of God’s People
18 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to punish the king of Babylon(U) and his land just as I punished the king of Assyria.
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I will return Israel to his grazing land,
and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan;
he will be satisfied
in the hill country of Ephraim and of Gilead.(V)
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and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan;
he will be satisfied
in the hill country of Ephraim and of Gilead.(V)
The Invasion of Babylon
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“Go against the land of Merathaim,
and against those living in Pekod.
Put them to the sword;
completely destroy them—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
do everything I have commanded you.(Y)
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23 and against those living in Pekod.
Put them to the sword;
completely destroy them—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
do everything I have commanded you.(Y)
How the hammer of the whole earth
is cut down and smashed!
What a horror Babylon has become
among the nations!(AA)
24 is cut down and smashed!
What a horror Babylon has become
among the nations!(AA)
Babylon, I laid a trap for you, and you were caught,(AB)
but you did not even know it.
You were found and captured
because you fought against the Lord.
25 but you did not even know it.
You were found and captured
because you fought against the Lord.
The Lord opened His armory
and brought out His weapons of wrath,(AC)
because it is a task of the Lord God of Hosts
in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 and brought out His weapons of wrath,(AC)
because it is a task of the Lord God of Hosts
in the land of the Chaldeans.
Come against her from the most distant places.(e)
Open her granaries;
pile her up like mounds of grain
and completely destroy her.
Leave her no survivors.
27 Open her granaries;
pile her up like mounds of grain
and completely destroy her.
Leave her no survivors.
Put all her young bulls to the sword;
let them go down to the slaughter.
Woe to them, because their day has come,
the time of their punishment.(AD)
let them go down to the slaughter.
Woe to them, because their day has come,
the time of their punishment.(AD)
The Humiliation of Babylon
28
“There is a voice of fugitives and those who escape
from the land of Babylon
announcing in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,
the vengeance for His temple.(AE)
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30 from the land of Babylon
announcing in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,
the vengeance for His temple.(AE)
Therefore, her young men will fall
in her public squares;
all the warriors will perish in that day.
This is the Lord’s declaration.(AH)
31 in her public squares;
all the warriors will perish in that day.
This is the Lord’s declaration.(AH)
Look, I am against you, you arrogant one—
this is the declaration of
the Lord God of Hosts—
because your day has come,
the time when I will punish you.
32 this is the declaration of
the Lord God of Hosts—
because your day has come,
the time when I will punish you.
The arrogant will stumble and fall
with no one to pick him up.
I will set fire to his cities,
and it will consume everything around him.”(AI)
with no one to pick him up.
I will set fire to his cities,
and it will consume everything around him.”(AI)
The Desolation of Babylon
33 This is what the Lord of Hosts says:
Israelites and Judeans alike have been oppressed.
All their captors hold them fast;(AJ)
they refuse to release them.
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35 All their captors hold them fast;(AJ)
they refuse to release them.
A sword is over the Chaldeans—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
against those who live in Babylon,
against her officials, and against her sages.
36 this is the Lord’s declaration—
against those who live in Babylon,
against her officials, and against her sages.
A sword is against the diviners,
and they will act foolishly.
A sword is against her heroic warriors,
and they will be terrified.
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38 and they will act foolishly.
A sword is against her heroic warriors,
and they will be terrified.
A drought will come on her waters,
and they will be dried up.
For it is a land of carved images,
and they go mad because of terrifying things.(f)(AO)
and they will be dried up.
For it is a land of carved images,
and they go mad because of terrifying things.(f)(AO)
The Conquest of Babylon
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Look! A people comes from the north.
A great nation and many kings will be stirred up
from the remote regions of the earth.(AS)
42 A great nation and many kings will be stirred up
from the remote regions of the earth.(AS)
They grasp bow and javelin.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
Their voice roars like the sea,(AT)
and they ride on horses,
lined up like men in battle formation
against you, Daughter Babylon.
43 They are cruel and show no mercy.
Their voice roars like the sea,(AT)
and they ride on horses,
lined up like men in battle formation
against you, Daughter Babylon.
The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
and his hands fall helpless.
Distress has seized him—
pain, like a woman in labor.(AU)
and his hands fall helpless.
Distress has seized him—
pain, like a woman in labor.(AU)
44 “Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets(h)(AV) of the Jordan to the watered grazing land. Indeed, I will chase Babylon(i) away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like Me? Who will summon Me? Who is the shepherd who can stand against Me?”
45 Therefore, hear the plans that the Lord has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies He has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Certainly the flock’s little lambs will be dragged away; certainly the grazing land will be made desolate because of them.
46 At the sound of Babylon’s conquest the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.(AW)
Footnotes:
a.
Jeremiah 50:3: Lit escape; they will walk
b.
Jeremiah 50:5: LXX; MT reads Come and join yourselves
c.
Jeremiah 50:9: Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read bereaving
d.
Jeremiah 50:12: Lit Look! The last of
e.
Jeremiah 50:26: Lit from the end
f.
Jeremiah 50:38: Or of dreaded gods
g.
Jeremiah 50:39: Or desert demons
h.
Jeremiah 50:44: Lit pride
i.
Jeremiah 50:44: Lit them
Cross references:
AL.
Jeremiah 50:34:
Micah 4:10