Jeremiah 51:1-9

Revised Standard Version

51 Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer
    against Babylon,
    against the inhabitants of Chalde′a;^[a]
2 and I will send to Babylon winnowers,
    and they shall winnow her,
and they shall empty her land,
    when they come against her from every side
    on the day of trouble.
³ Let not the archer bend his bow,
    and let him not stand up in his coat of mail.
Spare not her young men;
    utterly destroy all her host.
⁴ They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chalde′ans,
    and wounded in her streets.
⁵ For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken
    by their God, the Lord of hosts;
but the land of the Chalde′ans^[b] is full of guilt
    against the Holy One of Israel.

⁶ “Flee from the midst of Babylon,
    let every man save his life!
Be not cut off in her punishment,
    for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance,
    the requital he is rendering her.
⁷ Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand,
    making all the earth drunken;
the nations drank of her wine,
    therefore the nations went mad.
⁸ Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;
    wail for her!
Take balm for her pain;
    perhaps she may be healed.
⁹ We would have healed Babylon,
    but she was not healed.
Forsake her, and let us go
    each to his own country;
for her judgment has reached up to heaven
    and has been lifted up even to the skies.