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.

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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

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