Jeremiah 51:34-58

New International Version

³⁴ “Nebuchadnezzar^(A) king of Babylon has devoured^(B) us,^(C)
    he has thrown us into confusion,
    he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
    and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
    and then has spewed^(D) us out.
³⁵ May the violence^(E) done to our flesh^[a] be on Babylon,”
    say the inhabitants of Zion.
“May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
    says Jerusalem.^(F)

“See, I will defend your cause^(G)
    and avenge^(H) you;
I will dry up^(I) her sea
    and make her springs dry.
³⁷ Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
    a haunt^(J) of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,^(K)
    a place where no one lives.^(L)
38 Her people all roar like young lions,^(M)
    they growl like lion cubs.
³⁹ But while they are aroused,
    I will set out a feast for them
    and make them drunk,^(N)
so that they shout with laughter—
    then sleep forever^(O) and not awake,”
declares the Lord.^(P)
40 “I will bring them down
    like lambs to the slaughter,
    like rams and goats.^(Q)

⁴¹ “How Sheshak^[b](R) will be captured,^(S)
    the boast of the whole earth seized!
How desolate^(T) Babylon will be
    among the nations!
⁴² The sea will rise over Babylon;
    its roaring waves^(U) will cover her.
⁴³ Her towns will be desolate,
    a dry and desert^(V) land,
a land where no one lives,
    through which no one travels.^(W)
44 I will punish Bel^(X) in Babylon
    and make him spew out^(Y) what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
    And the wall^(Z) of Babylon will fall.

⁴⁵ “Come out^(AA) of her, my people!
    Run^(AB) for your lives!
    Run from the fierce anger^(AC) of the Lord.
⁴⁶ Do not lose heart^(AD) or be afraid^(AE)
    when rumors^(AF) are heard in the land;
one rumor comes this year, another the next,
    rumors of violence in the land
    and of ruler against ruler.
⁴⁷ For the time will surely come
    when I will punish the idols^(AG) of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced^(AH)
    and her slain will all lie fallen within her.^(AI)
48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
    will shout^(AJ) for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north^(AK)
    destroyers^(AL) will attack her,”
declares the Lord.

⁴⁹ “Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
    just as the slain in all the earth
    have fallen because of Babylon.^(AM)
50 You who have escaped the sword,
    leave^(AN) and do not linger!
Remember^(AO) the Lord in a distant land,^(AP)
    and call to mind Jerusalem.”

⁵¹ “We are disgraced,^(AQ)
    for we have been insulted
    and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
    the holy places of the Lord’s house.”^(AR)

⁵² “But days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will punish her idols,^(AS)
and throughout her land
    the wounded will groan.^(AT)
53 Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens^(AU)
    and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
    I will send destroyers^(AV) against her,”
declares the Lord.

⁵⁴ “The sound of a cry^(AW) comes from Babylon,
    the sound of great destruction^(AX)
    from the land of the Babylonians.^[c]
55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
    he will silence^(AY) her noisy din.
Waves^(AZ) of enemies will rage like great waters;
    the roar of their voices will resound.
⁵⁶ A destroyer^(BA) will come against Babylon;
    her warriors will be captured,
    and their bows will be broken.^(BB)
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
    he will repay^(BC) in full.
⁵⁷ I will make her officials^(BD) and wise^(BE) men drunk,^(BF)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep^(BG) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,^(BH) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

“Babylon’s thick wall^(BI) will be leveled
    and her high gates^(BJ) set on fire;
the peoples^(BK) exhaust^(BL) themselves for nothing,
    the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”^(BM)