Jeremiah 50:21-46

New International Version

²¹ “Attack the land of Merathaim
    and those who live in Pekod.^(A)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy^[a] them,”
declares the Lord.
    “Do everything I have commanded you.
²² The noise^(B) of battle is in the land,
    the noise of great destruction!
²³ How broken and shattered
    is the hammer^(C) of the whole earth!^(D)
How desolate^(E) is Babylon
    among the nations!
²⁴ I set a trap^(F) for you, Babylon,
    and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured^(G)
    because you opposed^(H) the Lord.
²⁵ The Lord has opened his arsenal
    and brought out the weapons^(I) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
    in the land of the Babylonians.^(J)
26 Come against her from afar.^(K)
    Break open her granaries;
    pile her up like heaps of grain.^(L)
Completely destroy^(M) her
    and leave her no remnant.
²⁷ Kill all her young bulls;^(N)
    let them go down to the slaughter!^(O)
Woe to them! For their day^(P) has come,
    the time^(Q) for them to be punished.
²⁸ Listen to the fugitives^(R) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion^(S)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,^(T)
    vengeance for his temple.^(U)

²⁹ “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.^(V)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.^(W)
Repay^(X) her for her deeds;^(Y)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied^(Z) the Lord,
    the Holy One^(AA) of Israel.
³⁰ Therefore, her young men^(AB) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
³¹ “See, I am against^(AC) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day^(AD) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
³² The arrogant^(AE) one will stumble and fall^(AF)
    and no one will help her up;^(AG)
I will kindle a fire^(AH) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

“The people of Israel are oppressed,^(AI)
    and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
    refusing to let them go.^(AJ)
34 Yet their Redeemer^(AK) is strong;
    the Lord Almighty^(AL) is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause^(AM)
    so that he may bring rest^(AN) to their land,
    but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

³⁵ “A sword^(AO) against the Babylonians!”^(AP)
    declares the Lord—
“against those who live in Babylon
    and against her officials and wise^(AQ) men!
³⁶ A sword against her false prophets!
    They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!^(AR)
    They will be filled with terror.^(AS)
37 A sword against her horses and chariots^(AT)
    and all the foreigners in her ranks!
    They will become weaklings.^(AU)
A sword against her treasures!^(AV)
    They will be plundered.
³⁸ A drought on^[b] her waters!^(AW)
    They will dry^(AX) up.
For it is a land of idols,^(AY)
    idols that will go mad with terror.

³⁹ “So desert creatures^(AZ) and hyenas will live there,
    and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
    or lived in from generation to generation.^(BA)
40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah^(BB)
    along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
    no people will dwell in it.^(BC)

⁴¹ “Look! An army is coming from the north;^(BD)
    a great nation and many kings
    are being stirred^(BE) up from the ends of the earth.^(BF)
42 They are armed with bows^(BG) and spears;
    they are cruel^(BH) and without mercy.^(BI)
They sound like the roaring sea^(BJ)
    as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
    to attack you, Daughter Babylon.^(BK)
43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
    and his hands hang limp.^(BL)
Anguish has gripped him,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.^(BM)
44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets^(BN)
    to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
    Who is the chosen^(BO) one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?^(BP)
    And what shepherd can stand against me?”

⁴⁵ Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
    what he has purposed^(BQ) against the land of the Babylonians:^(BR)
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
    their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
⁴⁶ At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;^(BS)
    its cry^(BT) will resound among the nations.