50:1–51:64 The prophecy against Babylon (cf. Is. 13:1–14:23; 21:1–9) is the climax of the book. The previous prophecies have served Jeremiah’s purpose of showing that Babylon would prevail over “all the nations” (27:7) for a period. Babylon has appeared up to this point as the instrument of God’s wrath. Finally, however (as in 25:17–26), “the word of the Lord” is uttered against Babylon itself, to show that its own time of judgment must come (25:11, 12). The Hebrew text of Jeremiah has placed the prophecy (actually delivered in 593 b.c.; see 51:59 note) at this point in the book so that the judgment on Babylon may occupy the climactic position. The relative length of the prophecy also shows how important Babylon is in the theology of the book.