47 Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

48 Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord.

49 As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

50 Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

51 We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord's house.

52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the Lord.

54 A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

55 Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

56 Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the Lord God of recompences shall surely requite.

57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

58 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

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47 For the time will surely come
    when I will punish the idols(A) of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced(B)
    and her slain will all lie fallen within her.(C)
48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
    will shout(D) for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north(E)
    destroyers(F) 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.(G)
50 You who have escaped the sword,
    leave(H) and do not linger!
Remember(I) the Lord in a distant land,(J)
    and call to mind Jerusalem.”

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

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

54 “The sound of a cry(Q) comes from Babylon,
    the sound of great destruction(R)
    from the land of the Babylonians.[a]
55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
    he will silence(S) her noisy din.
Waves(T) of enemies will rage like great waters;
    the roar of their voices will resound.
56 A destroyer(U) will come against Babylon;
    her warriors will be captured,
    and their bows will be broken.(V)
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
    he will repay(W) in full.
57 I will make her officials(X) and wise(Y) men drunk,(Z)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep(AA) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,(AB) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

58 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Babylon’s thick wall(AC) will be leveled
    and her high gates(AD) set on fire;
the peoples(AE) exhaust(AF) themselves for nothing,
    the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”(AG)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:54 Or Chaldeans