Babylon Judged for Sins against Israel

51 This is what the Lord says:

“Behold, I am going to stir up
[a]The (A)spirit of a destroyer against Babylon
And against the inhabitants of [b]Leb-kamai.
I will send [c]foreigners to Babylon so that they may (B)winnow her
And devastate her land;
For they will be opposed to her on every side
On the day of her disaster.
Let not [d]him who [e](C)bends his bow [f]bend it,
Nor let him rise up in his (D)coat of armor.
Do not spare her young men;
Devote all her army to destruction.
They will fall down [g]dead in the land of the Chaldeans,
And (E)pierced through in their streets.”

For (F)neither Israel nor Judah has been [h]forsaken
By his God, the Lord of armies,
Although their land is (G)full of guilt
[i]Before the Holy One of Israel.
(H)Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And each of you save his life!
Do not (I)perish in her [j]punishment,
For this is the (J)Lords time of vengeance;
He is going to (K)repay to her what she deserves.
Babylon has been a golden (L)cup in the hand of the Lord,
Intoxicating all the earth.
The (M)nations have drunk of her wine;
Therefore the nations are (N)going insane.
Suddenly (O)Babylon has fallen and been broken;
(P)Wail over her!
(Q)Bring [k]balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;
Abandon her and (R)let’s each go to his own country,
For her judgment has (S)reached to heaven
And it rises to the clouds.
10 The Lord has (T)brought [l]about our vindication;
Come and let’s (U)recount in Zion
The work of the Lord our God!

11 (V)Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers!
The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes,
Because His plan is against Babylon to destroy it;
For it is the (W)vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for His temple.
12 (X)Lift up a signal flag against the walls of Babylon;
Post a strong guard,
Station [m]sentries,
Set up an ambush!
For the Lord has both (Y)planned and performed
What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
13 You who (Z)live by many waters,
Abundant in (AA)treasures,
Your end has come,
The [n]measure of your [o](AB)end.
14 The (AC)Lord of armies has sworn by Himself:
“I will certainly fill you with a [p]population like (AD)locusts,
And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

15 It is (AE)He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom,
And by His understanding He (AF)stretched out the heavens.
16 When He utters His (AG)voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens,
And He makes the (AH)clouds ascend from the end of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
And brings out (AI)wind from His storehouses.
17 (AJ)Every person is stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his [q]idols,
For his cast metal images are (AK)deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.
18 They are (AL)worthless, a work of mockery;
At the time of their punishment they will perish.
19 The (AM)portion of Jacob is not like these;
For He is the [r]Maker of everything,
And of the [s]tribe of His inheritance;
The (AN)Lord of armies is His name.
20 He says, “You are My [t](AO)war-club, My weapon of war;
And with you I (AP)shatter nations,
And with you I destroy kingdoms.
21 With you I (AQ)shatter the horse and his rider,
And with you I shatter the (AR)chariot and its rider,
22 And with you I shatter (AS)man and woman,
And with you I shatter the old man and (AT)youth,
And with you I shatter the young man and virgin,
23 And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock,
And with you I shatter the farmer and his team,
And with you I shatter governors and officials.

24 “But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of (AU)Chaldea for (AV)all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord.

25 “Behold, (AW)I am against you, mountain of (AX)destruction
That destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord,
“And I will stretch out My hand against you,
And roll you down from the rocky cliffs,
And I will make you a (AY)burnt out mountain.
26 They will not take from you even a stone for a corner
Nor a stone for foundations,
But you will be (AZ)desolate forever,” declares the Lord.

27 (BA)Lift up a signal flag in the land,
Blow a trumpet among the nations!
Consecrate the nations against her,
Summon against her the (BB)kingdoms of (BC)Ararat, Minni, and (BD)Ashkenaz;
Appoint an officer against her,
Bring up the (BE)horses like bristly locusts.
28 Consecrate the nations against her,
The kings of the Medes,
[u]Their governors and all [v]their officials,
And every land [w]under their control.
29 So the (BF)land quakes and writhes,
For the plans of the Lord against Babylon stand,
To make the land of Babylon
[x]A (BG)desolation without inhabitants.
30 The (BH)warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting,
They stay in the strongholds;
(BI)Their strength is [y]exhausted,
They are becoming (BJ)like women;
Their homes are set on fire,
The (BK)bars of her gates are broken.
31 One [z](BL)courier runs to meet [aa]another,
And one [ab](BM)messenger to meet [ac]another,
To tell the king of Babylon
That his city has been captured from end to end;
32 The river crossing places have been seized,
And they have burned the marshes with fire,
And the men of war are terrified.

33 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says:
“The daughter of Babylon is like a (BN)threshing floor
At the time that [ad]it is tread down;
In just a little while the time of (BO)harvest will come for her.”

34 “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has (BP)devoured me, he has crushed me,
He has set me down like an (BQ)empty vessel;
He has (BR)swallowed me like a monster,
He has filled his stomach with my delicacies;
He has washed me away.
35 May the (BS)violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,”
The [ae]inhabitant of Zion will say;
And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,”
Jerusalem will say.

36 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“Behold, I am going to (BT)plead your case
And (BU)take vengeance for you;
And (BV)I will dry up her [af]sea
And make her fountain dry.
37 (BW)Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals,
An (BX)object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.
38 They will roar together like (BY)young lions,
They will growl like lions’ cubs.
39 When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet
And (BZ)make them drunk, so that they may rejoice in triumph,
And may (CA)sleep a perpetual sleep
And not wake up,” declares the Lord.
40 “I will bring them down like [ag]lambs (CB)to the slaughter,
Like rams together with male goats.

41 “How [ah](CC)Sheshak has been captured,
And (CD)the praise of the whole earth has been seized!
How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!
42 The [ai](CE)sea has come up over Babylon;
She has been engulfed by its roaring waves.
43 Her cities have become an (CF)object of horror,
A dry land and a desert,
A land in which (CG)no one lives
And through which no [aj]one of mankind passes.
44 (CH)I will punish Bel in Babylon,
And I will make what he has swallowed (CI)come out of his mouth;
And the nations will no longer (CJ)stream toward him.
Even the (CK)wall of Babylon has fallen down!

45 (CL)Come out from her midst, My people,
And each of you (CM)save yourselves
From the fierce anger of the Lord.
46 Now, (CN)so that your heart does not grow faint,
And you are not afraid at the (CO)report that will be heard in the land—
For the report will come in [ak]one year,
And after that [al]another report in [am]another year,
And violence will be in the land
With (CP)ruler against ruler—
47 Therefore behold, days are coming
When I will punish the (CQ)idols of Babylon;
And her whole land will be (CR)put to shame.
And all her slain will fall in her midst.
48 Then (CS)heaven and earth and everything that is in them
Will shout for joy over Babylon,
Because (CT)the destroyers will come to her from the north,”
Declares the Lord.

49 (CU)Indeed, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel,
As (CV)the slain of all the earth have also fallen for Babylon.
50 You (CW)who have escaped the sword,
Go! Do not stay!
(CX)Remember the Lord from far away,
And let Jerusalem [an]come to your mind.
51 (CY)We are ashamed because we have heard rebuke;
Disgrace has covered our faces,
Because (CZ)strangers have entered
The holy places of the Lords house.

52 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will punish her (DA)idols,
And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.
53 Though Babylon (DB)ascends to the heavens,
And though she fortifies [ao]her lofty stronghold,
Destroyers will come from (DC)Me to her,” declares the Lord.

54 The (DD)sound of an outcry from Babylon,
And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55 For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon,
And He will make her loud [ap]noise vanish from her.
And their (DE)waves will roar like many waters;
The clamor of their voices [aq]sounds forth.
56 For the (DF)destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon,
And her warriors will be captured,
Their (DG)bows shattered;
For the Lord is a God of (DH)retribution,
He will fully repay.
57 “I will (DI)make her leaders and her wise men drunk,
Her governors, her officials, and her warriors,
So that they will sleep a (DJ)perpetual sleep and not wake up,”
(DK)Declares the King, whose name is the Lord of armies.

58 This is what the Lord of armies says:

“The broad (DL)wall of Babylon will be completely demolished,
And her high (DM)gates will be set on fire;
So the peoples will (DN)labor for nothing,
And the nations become (DO)exhausted only for fire.”

59 The [ar]command that Jeremiah the prophet [as]gave Seraiah the son of (DP)Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with (DQ)Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (And Seraiah was quartermaster.) 60 Jeremiah (DR)wrote [at]on a single scroll all the disaster which would come against Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. 61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud, 62 and say, ‘You, Lord, have [au]promised concerning this place to (DS)cut it off, so that there will be (DT)nothing living in it, [av]whether man or animal; but it will be a permanent desolation.’ 63 And as soon as you finish reading this [aw]scroll, you shall tie a stone to it and (DU)throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, 64 and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and (DV)not rise again, because of the disaster that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become (DW)exhausted.’” (DX)To this point are the words of Jeremiah.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:1 Or a destroying wind
  2. Jeremiah 51:1 Cryptic name for Chaldea; or the heart of those who rise up against Me
  3. Jeremiah 51:2 Some ancient versions winnowers
  4. Jeremiah 51:3 I.e., the Chaldean defender
  5. Jeremiah 51:3 Lit step(s) on; MT in order to string
  6. Jeremiah 51:3 Lit step(s) on; MT in order to string
  7. Jeremiah 51:4 Lit killed; or wounded
  8. Jeremiah 51:5 Lit widowed
  9. Jeremiah 51:5 Lit From
  10. Jeremiah 51:6 Or penalty for wrongdoing
  11. Jeremiah 51:8 Or balsam resin
  12. Jeremiah 51:10 Lit forth
  13. Jeremiah 51:12 Or watchmen
  14. Jeremiah 51:13 Lit cubit
  15. Jeremiah 51:13 Lit being cut off
  16. Jeremiah 51:14 Or mankind
  17. Jeremiah 51:17 Or images
  18. Jeremiah 51:19 Lit Fashioner
  19. Jeremiah 51:19 Or scepter; cf. Num 24:17
  20. Jeremiah 51:20 Lit shatterer
  21. Jeremiah 51:28 Lit her
  22. Jeremiah 51:28 Lit her
  23. Jeremiah 51:28 Lit of his dominion
  24. Jeremiah 51:29 Or An object of horror
  25. Jeremiah 51:30 Lit dried up
  26. Jeremiah 51:31 Lit runner
  27. Jeremiah 51:31 Lit runner
  28. Jeremiah 51:31 Lit announcer
  29. Jeremiah 51:31 Lit announcer
  30. Jeremiah 51:33 Lit of treading it
  31. Jeremiah 51:35 Lit inhabitress
  32. Jeremiah 51:36 Or broad river
  33. Jeremiah 51:40 Or young rams
  34. Jeremiah 51:41 Cryptic name for Babylon
  35. Jeremiah 51:42 Or broad river
  36. Jeremiah 51:43 Lit son of man
  37. Jeremiah 51:46 Lit the
  38. Jeremiah 51:46 Lit the
  39. Jeremiah 51:46 Lit the
  40. Jeremiah 51:50 Lit come upon your heart
  41. Jeremiah 51:53 Lit the height of her strength
  42. Jeremiah 51:55 Or voice
  43. Jeremiah 51:55 Lit is given
  44. Jeremiah 51:59 Lit word
  45. Jeremiah 51:59 Lit commanded
  46. Jeremiah 51:60 Or in...book
  47. Jeremiah 51:62 Lit spoken
  48. Jeremiah 51:62 Lit from man even to beast
  49. Jeremiah 51:63 Or book

Juicios contra Babilonia

51 Así dice el Señor:

«Levanto contra Babilonia
Y contra los habitantes de Leb Camay[a]
El espíritu de un destructor[b](A).
-»Y enviaré extranjeros[c] a Babilonia que la aventarán(B)
Y vaciarán su tierra;
Porque estarán contra ella por todos lados
El día de su tribulación.
-»Que no entese[d] el arquero[e] su arco[f](C),
Ni[g] se levante con su coraza(D);
No perdonen a sus jóvenes;
Entreguen a la destrucción todo su ejército.
-»Caerán muertos[h] en la tierra de los caldeos,
Y traspasados en sus calles(E)».
¶Porque ni Israel ni Judá han sido abandonados
Por[i] su Dios, el Señor de los ejércitos(F),
Aunque su tierra está llena de culpa(G)
Delante del Santo de Israel.
Huyan de en medio de Babilonia(H),
Y salve cada uno su vida.
No perezcan[j] por su culpa[k](I),
Pues este es el tiempo de la venganza del Señor(J);
Él le dará su pago(K).
Copa de oro ha sido Babilonia en la mano del Señor,
Que embriagaba toda la tierra.
De su vino bebieron las naciones(L);
Se enloquecieron, por tanto, las naciones(M).
De repente cae Babilonia y se hace pedazos(N).
Den gemidos por ella,
Traigan bálsamo para su dolor(O);
Quizá se cure(P).
Quisimos curar a Babilonia, pero no ha sanado;
Déjenla, y vayamos cada cual a su tierra(Q),
Porque ha llegado al cielo su juicio(R),
Se ha elevado hasta las nubes.
10 El Señor ha sacado a la luz nuestra justicia(S);
Vengan y contemos en Sión
La obra del Señor nuestro Dios(T).
11 ¶Afilen las flechas, llenen las aljabas;
El Señor ha despertado el espíritu de los reyes de Media,
Porque Su plan contra Babilonia es destruirla(U);
Porque esta es la venganza del Señor, la venganza de Su templo(V).
12 Levanten bandera contra los muros de Babilonia;
Refuercen la guardia,
Pongan centinelas,
Preparen emboscadas;
Porque el Señor ha decidido, y también ejecutará(W)
Lo que habló acerca de los habitantes de Babilonia(X).
13 Oh, tú, que moras junto a muchas aguas(Y),
Rica en tesoros(Z),
Ha llegado tu fin,
El término[l] de tu codicia(AA).
14 El Señor de los ejércitos ha jurado por Sí mismo(AB):
«Ciertamente te llenaré de hombres como langostas(AC),
Y entonarán contra ti gritos de victoria[m]».
15 ¶Él es el que hizo la tierra con Su poder,
El que estableció el mundo con Su sabiduría,
Y con Su inteligencia extendió los cielos(AD).
16 Cuando Él emite Su voz, hay tumulto de aguas en los cielos,
Y hace subir las nubes desde los confines de la tierra.
Él produce los relámpagos(AE) para la lluvia,
Y saca el viento(AF) de Sus depósitos(AG).
17 Toda la humanidad es necia, falta de conocimiento;
Se avergüenza todo orfebre de sus ídolos[n],
Porque sus imágenes fundidas son engaño,
Y no hay aliento en ellas(AH).
18 Vanidad son, obra ridícula;
En el tiempo de su castigo perecerán(AI).
19 No es como estas cosas la porción de Jacob;
Porque Él es el Hacedor[o] de todo,
Y de la tribu[p] de Su heredad;
El Señor de los ejércitos es Su nombre(AJ).
20 Él dice: «Eres Mi mazo(AK), Mi arma de guerra;
Contigo destrozaré naciones(AL),
Contigo destruiré reinos,
21 Contigo destrozaré el caballo y a su jinete(AM),
Contigo destrozaré el carro y al que lo conduce(AN),
22 Contigo destrozaré al hombre y a la mujer,
Contigo destrozaré al anciano y al joven(AO),
Contigo destrozaré al joven(AP) y a la virgen,
23 Contigo destrozaré al pastor y su rebaño,
Contigo destrozaré al labrador y su yunta
Y contigo destrozaré a los gobernadores y a los magistrados[q].
24 ¶»Y pagaré a Babilonia y a todos los habitantes de Caldea(AQ)
Todo el mal que han hecho(AR) en Sión
Delante de los ojos de ustedes», declara el Señor.
25 «Yo estoy contra ti, monte destructor,
Que destruyes toda la tierra», declara el Señor(AS).
«Extenderé Mi mano contra ti(AT),
Te haré rodar desde las peñas
Y te reduciré a monte quemado(AU).
26 -»Y no tomarán de ti piedra angular,
Ni piedra para cimientos,
Pues desolación eterna serás(AV)», declara el Señor.
27 ¶Levanten señal[r] en la tierra(AW),
Toquen trompeta entre las naciones.
Reúnan[s] las naciones contra ella(AX),
Convoquen contra ella los reinos de Ararat(AY), Mini y Asquenaz(AZ);
Nombren contra ella capitán,
Hagan subir caballos(BA) como langostas erizadas.
28 ¶Reúnan[t] a las naciones contra ella,
A los reyes de Media,
A sus gobernadores, a todos sus magistrados[u]
Y a toda la tierra de su dominio.
29 La tierra tiembla y se retuerce,
Porque se cumplen los designios del Señor contra Babilonia(BB)
De hacer de la tierra de Babilonia
Una desolación[v], sin habitantes(BC).
30 Han dejado de luchar los valientes de Babilonia,
Permanecen en las fortalezas;
Se han agotado[w] sus fuerzas(BD),
Se han vuelto como mujeres;
Han sido incendiadas sus moradas(BE),
Rotos están sus cerrojos(BF).
31 Un correo[x] corre al encuentro de otro[y](BG)
Y un mensajero[z] al encuentro de otro[aa](BH),
Para decirle al rey de Babilonia
Que su ciudad ha sido tomada de un extremo al otro.
32 También los vados han sido ocupados,
Y quemados a fuego los juncos[ab],
Y los guerreros están aterrados.

33 Porque así dice el Señor de los ejércitos, el Dios de Israel:

«La hija de Babilonia es como una era
Al tiempo de ser pisoteada(BI);
Dentro de poco, le llegará el tiempo de la siega(BJ)».
34 ¶«Me ha devorado y aplastado Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia(BK),
Me ha dejado como vaso vacío(BL),
Me ha tragado como un monstruo,
Ha llenado su estómago de mis delicias,
Me ha expulsado(BM).
35 -»Caiga sobre Babilonia la violencia hecha a mí y a mi carne(BN)»,
Dirá la moradora de Sión.
«Caiga mi sangre sobre los habitantes de Caldea»,
Dirá Jerusalén.

36 Por tanto, así dice el Señor:

«Yo defenderé tu causa(BO),
Y ejecutaré tu venganza(BP);
Secaré su mar[ac]
Y haré que se sequen sus manantiales(BQ).
37 -»Y Babilonia se convertirá en escombros(BR), en guarida de chacales,
En objeto de horror y de burla, sin habitantes(BS).
38 -»A una rugirán como leones,
Gruñirán como cachorros de león(BT).
39 -»Cuando entren en calor, les serviré su banquete
Y los embriagaré(BU), para que se diviertan,
Duerman un sueño(BV) eterno
Y no despierten», declara el Señor.
40 «Los haré bajar como corderos al matadero(BW),
Como carneros y[ad] machos cabríos.
41 ¶»¡Cómo ha sido tomada(BX) Sesac[ae],
Y arrebatada la gloria de toda la tierra(BY)!
¡Cómo se ha convertido Babilonia en objeto de horror entre las naciones!
42 -»El mar[af] ha subido sobre Babilonia;
Con la multitud de sus olas ha sido cubierta(BZ).
43 -»Sus ciudades se han convertido en desolación,
En sequedal y lugar desolado;
Una tierra en la cual nadie habita(CA),
Y por la cual ningún hijo de hombre pasa(CB).
44 -»Y castigaré a Bel en Babilonia(CC),
Sacaré(CD) de su boca lo que se ha tragado,
Y no afluirán más a él las naciones(CE).
Aun la muralla de Babilonia caerá(CF).
45 ¶»Salgan de en medio de ella, pueblo Mío,
Y salve cada uno su vida
Del ardor de la ira del Señor(CG).
46 -»Y que no desmaye su corazón(CH),
Ni teman al rumor que se oirá en la tierra(CI);
Porque el rumor vendrá un[ag] año,
Y después otro[ah] rumor en otro[ai] año,
Y habrá violencia en la tierra(CJ)
Con gobernante contra gobernante.
47 -»Por tanto, vienen días
En que castigaré a los ídolos(CK) de Babilonia.
Toda su tierra será avergonzada(CL),
Y todos sus muertos caerán en medio de ella.
48 -»Entonces gritarán de gozo sobre Babilonia(CM)
El cielo y la tierra y todo lo que en ellos hay,
Porque del norte vendrán a ella destructores(CN)»,
Declara el Señor.
49 ¶Ciertamente caerá Babilonia por los muertos de Israel(CO),
Como también por Babilonia han caído los muertos de toda la tierra(CP).
50 Los que escaparon de la espada,
Caminen, no se detengan(CQ);
Acuérdense desde lejos del Señor,
Y venga Jerusalén a su memoria[aj](CR).
51 Estamos avergonzados porque hemos oído la afrenta;
La deshonra ha cubierto nuestros rostros(CS),
Porque extranjeros han entrado
En los santuarios(CT) de la casa del Señor.
52 ¶«Por tanto, vienen días», declara el Señor,
«En que castigaré a sus ídolos(CU),
Y por toda su tierra gemirán los heridos de muerte.
53 -»Aunque Babilonia ascienda a los cielos,
Y aunque fortifique en lo alto su baluarte[ak](CV),
De Mi parte llegarán destructores a ella(CW)», declara el Señor.
54 ¶¡Clamor de gritos desde Babilonia,
Y de gran destrucción de la tierra(CX) de los caldeos!
55 Porque el Señor destruirá a Babilonia,
Y hará desaparecer de ella su gran bullicio[al].
Bramarán sus olas como muchas aguas(CY);
Resonará[am] el estruendo de sus voces.
56 Porque viene contra ella, contra Babilonia, el destructor(CZ),
Sus valientes serán apresados,
Quebrados están sus arcos(DA);
Porque Dios es el Señor de retribuciones,
Ciertamente dará la paga(DB).
57 «Yo embriagaré(DC) a sus príncipes y a sus sabios,
A sus gobernantes, a sus magistrados[an] y a sus valientes,
Y dormirán un sueño(DD) eterno y no despertarán»,
Declara el Rey cuyo nombre es el Señor de los ejércitos(DE).

58 Así dice el Señor de los ejércitos:

«La ancha muralla de Babilonia será totalmente arrasada(DF),
Y sus altas puertas(DG) quemadas;
Los pueblos habrán trabajado en vano,
Y las naciones solo para el fuego(DH) se habrán fatigado(DI)».

59 Mensaje[ao] que el profeta Jeremías mandó a Seraías, hijo de Nerías, hijo de Maasías, cuando fue con Sedequías, rey de Judá(DJ), a Babilonia en el año cuarto de su reinado(DK). (Seraías era jefe de abastecimientos). 60 Escribió, pues, Jeremías en un solo rollo[ap] toda la calamidad que había de venir sobre Babilonia, es decir, todas estas palabras que han sido escritas(DL) acerca de Babilonia.

61 Entonces Jeremías dijo a Seraías: «Tan pronto llegues a Babilonia, lee[aq] en voz alta todas estas palabras, 62 y di: “Oh Señor, Tú has hablado acerca de este lugar, de destruirlo hasta que no quede morador en ella, ya sea hombre o animal[ar], sino que desolación eterna será(DM)”. 63 Y[as] tan pronto termines de leer este rollo[at], le atarás una piedra y lo arrojarás(DN) en medio del Éufrates, 64 y dirás: “Así se hundirá Babilonia y no se levantará más, por la calamidad que traeré sobre ella(DO); extenuados sucumbirán(DP)”». Hasta aquí las palabras(DQ) de Jeremías.

Footnotes

  1. 51:1 O Caldea.
  2. 51:1 O un viento destructor.
  3. 51:2 Otra posible lectura es: aventadores.
  4. 51:3 Lit. pise (para entesar).
  5. 51:3 I.e. el defensor caldeo.
  6. 51:3 En el T.M., Contra el que entesa su arco, entéselo.
  7. 51:3 En el T.M., contra el que.
  8. 51:4 O heridos.
  9. 51:5 Lit. no ha enviudado…de.
  10. 51:6 Lit. No sean silenciados.
  11. 51:6 O en su iniquidad.
  12. 51:13 Lit. codo o medida.
  13. 51:14 I.e. como el cantar de los lagareros.
  14. 51:17 O imágenes talladas.
  15. 51:19 Lit. Formador.
  16. 51:19 O del Cetro.
  17. 51:23 O sátrapas.
  18. 51:27 O bandera.
  19. 51:27 Lit. Consagren.
  20. 51:28 Lit. Consagren.
  21. 51:28 O sátrapas.
  22. 51:29 O objeto de horror.
  23. 51:30 Lit. secado.
  24. 51:31 Lit. corredor.
  25. 51:31 Lit. corredor.
  26. 51:31 Lit. heraldo.
  27. 51:31 Lit. heraldo.
  28. 51:32 Lit. pantanos.
  29. 51:36 O ancho río.
  30. 51:40 Lit. con.
  31. 51:41 O Babilonia.
  32. 51:42 O ancho río.
  33. 51:46 Lit. en el.
  34. 51:46 Lit. el.
  35. 51:46 Lit. el.
  36. 51:50 Lit. su corazón.
  37. 51:53 Lit. fortalezca la cumbre de su poder.
  38. 51:55 O voz.
  39. 51:55 Lit. será dado.
  40. 51:57 O sátrapas.
  41. 51:59 Lit. Palabra.
  42. 51:60 O libro.
  43. 51:61 Lit. mira y lee.
  44. 51:62 Lit. desde el hombre hasta animal.
  45. 51:63 Lit. Y sucederá que.
  46. 51:63 O libro.

God’s Judgment on Babylon

51 This is what the Lord says:

I am about to stir up a destructive wind[a] against Babylon(A)
and against the population of Leb-qamai.[b][c]
I will send strangers to Babylon
who will scatter her and strip her land bare,(B)
for they will come against her
from every side in the day of disaster.
Don’t let the archer string his bow;
don’t let him put on[d] his armor.(C)
Don’t spare her young men;
completely destroy her entire army!
Those who were slain will fall in the land of the Chaldeans,
those who were pierced through, in her streets.(D)
For Israel and Judah are not left widowed
by their God, the Lord of Hosts,
though their land is full of guilt
against the Holy One of Israel.(E)

Leave Babylon;(F)
save your lives, each of you!(G)
Don’t perish because of her guilt.
For this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance—
He will pay her what she deserves.(H)
Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand,(I)
making the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;(J)
therefore, the nations go mad.(K)
Suddenly Babylon fell and was shattered.
Wail for her;
get balm(L) for her wound—
perhaps she can be healed.

We tried to heal Babylon,
but she could not be healed.
Abandon her!
Let each of us go to his own land,(M)
for her judgment extends to the sky
and reaches as far as the clouds.(N)

10 The Lord has brought about our vindication;(O)
come, let’s tell in Zion
what the Lord our God has accomplished.(P)

11 Sharpen the arrows!
Fill the quivers!
The Lord has put it into the mind
of the kings of the Medes
because His plan is aimed at Babylon
to destroy her,
for it is the Lord’s vengeance,
vengeance for His temple.(Q)
12 Raise up a signal flag(R)
against the walls of Babylon;
fortify the watch post;
set the watchmen in place;
prepare the ambush.
For the Lord has both planned and accomplished
what He has threatened
against those who live in Babylon.
13 You who reside by many waters,(S)
rich in treasures,
your end has come,
your life thread is cut.

14 The Lord of Hosts has sworn by Himself:

I will fill you up with men as with locusts,
and they will sing the victory song over you.

15 He made the earth by His power,
established the world(T) by His wisdom,(U)
and spread out the heavens by His understanding.(V)
16 When He thunders,[e]
the waters in the heavens are in turmoil,(W)
and He causes the clouds
to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(X)

17 Everyone is stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his carved image,(Y)
for his cast images are a lie;(Z)
there is no breath in them.(AA)
18 They are worthless,(AB) a work to be mocked.
At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed.(AC)
19 Jacob’s Portion[f] is not like these
because He is the One who formed all things.(AD)
Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;(AE)
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(AF)

20 You are My battle club,
My weapons of war.
With you I will smash nations;
with you I will bring kingdoms to ruin.
21 With you I will smash the horse and its rider;
with you I will smash the chariot and its rider.
22 With you I will smash man and woman;(AG)
with you I will smash the old man and the youth;
with you I will smash the young man and the young woman.
23 With you I will smash the shepherd and his flock;
with you I will smash the farmer and his ox-team.[g]
With you I will smash governors and officials.

24 “I will repay Babylon and all the residents of Chaldea for all their evil they have done in Zion before your very eyes.”(AH)

This is the Lord’s declaration.

25 Look, I am against you, devastating mountain—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
you devastate the whole earth.
I will stretch out My hand against you,(AI)
roll you down from the cliffs,
and turn you into a charred mountain.
26 No one will be able to retrieve a cornerstone
or a foundation stone from you,
because you will become desolate forever.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

27 Raise a signal flag(AJ) in the land;
blow a ram’s horn among the nations;
set apart the nations against her.(AK)
Summon kingdoms against her—
Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a marshal against her;
bring up horses like a swarm[h] of locusts.
28 Set apart the nations for battle against her—
the kings of Media,
her governors and all her officials,
and all the lands they rule.
29 The earth quakes(AL) and trembles
because the Lord’s intentions against Babylon stand:
to make the land of Babylon an uninhabited desolation.
30 Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting;(AM)
they sit in their strongholds.
Their might is exhausted;
they have become like women.
Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze,
her gate bars are shattered.(AN)
31 Messenger races to meet messenger,(AO)
and herald to meet herald,
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his city has been captured
from end to end.
32 The fords have been seized,(AP)
the marshes set on fire,
and the soldiers are terrified.

33 For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:

Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor
at the time it is trampled.(AQ)
In just a little while her harvest time will come.(AR)

34 “Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me;
he has crushed me.
He has set me aside like an empty dish;
he has swallowed me like a sea monster;(AS)
he filled his belly with my delicacies;
he has vomited me out,”[i]
35 says the inhabitant of Zion;
“Let the violence done to me and my family be done to Babylon.
Let my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea,”
says Jerusalem.

36 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:

I am about to plead your case(AT)
and take vengeance on your behalf;
I will dry up her sea(AU)
and make her fountain run dry.
37 Babylon will become a heap of rubble,
a jackals’ den,
a desolation and an object of scorn,(AV)
without inhabitant.
38 They will roar together like young lions;
they will growl like lion cubs.
39 While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast,
and I will make them drunk so that they revel.[j](AW)
Then they will fall asleep forever
and never wake up.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
40 I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,
like rams together with male goats.(AX)

41 How Sheshach has been captured,
the praise(AY) of the whole earth seized.
What a horror Babylon has become
among the nations!(AZ)
42 The sea has risen over Babylon;(BA)
she is covered with its turbulent waves.
43 Her cities have become a desolation,(BB)
a dry and arid land,
a land where no one lives,
where no human being passes through.
44 I will punish Bel(BC) in Babylon.
I will make him vomit what he swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him;
even Babylon’s wall will fall.

45 Come out from among her, My people!(BD)
Save your lives, each of you,
from the Lord’s burning anger.
46 May you not become cowardly and fearful
when the report is proclaimed in the land,
for the report will come one year,
and then another the next year.
There will be violence in the land
with ruler against ruler.
47 Therefore, look, the days are coming
when I will punish Babylon’s carved images.(BE)
Her entire land will suffer shame,
and all her slain will lie fallen within her.(BF)
48 Heaven and earth and everything in them
will shout for joy(BG) over Babylon
because the destroyers from the north
will come against her.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

49 Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel,
even as the slain of all the earth fell
because of Babylon.
50 You who have escaped the sword,(BH)
go and do not stand still!
Remember the Lord from far away,
and let Jerusalem come to your mind.

51 We are ashamed
because we have heard insults.(BI)
Humiliation covers our faces
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the Lord’s temple.(BJ)

52 Therefore, look, the days are coming—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
when I will punish her carved images,
and the wounded will groan
throughout her land.
53 Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens(BK)
and fortify her tall fortresses,
destroyers will come against her from Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

54 The sound of a cry from Babylon!(BL)
The sound of great destruction
from the land of the Chaldeans!
55 For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon;
He will silence her mighty voice.
Their waves roar like abundant waters;
the tumult of their voice resounds,
56 for a destroyer is coming against her,
against Babylon.
Her warriors will be captured,
their bows shattered,
for the Lord is a God of retribution;
He will certainly repay.
57 I will make her princes and sages drunk,
along with her governors, officials, and warriors.
Then they will fall asleep forever
and never wake up.(BM)
This is the King’s declaration;
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(BN)

58 This is what Yahweh of Hosts says:

Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished,
and her high gates consumed by fire.
The peoples will have labored for nothing;(BO)
the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire.

59 This is what Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah,(BP) the quartermaster, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign. 60 Jeremiah wrote on one scroll about all the disaster that would come to Babylon;(BQ) all these words were written against Babylon.

61 Jeremiah told Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62 You must say, ‘Lord, You have threatened to cut off(BR) this place so that no one will live in it—man or beast. Indeed, it will remain desolate forever.’ 63 When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River.(BS) 64 Then say, ‘In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am bringing on her. They will grow weary.’”

The words of Jeremiah end here.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:1 Or stir up the spirit of a destroyer
  2. Jeremiah 51:1 Lit heart of my adversaries
  3. Jeremiah 51:1 = Chaldeans
  4. Jeremiah 51:3 Hb obscure
  5. Jeremiah 51:16 Lit At His giving of the voice
  6. Jeremiah 51:19 = the Lord
  7. Jeremiah 51:23 Lit yoke
  8. Jeremiah 51:27 Hb obscure
  9. Jeremiah 51:34 Lit has rinsed me off
  10. Jeremiah 51:39 LXX reads pass out