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)

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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

51 Thus says Yahweh:

“Look, I am going to stir up against Babylon
    and against the inhabitants of Leb-qamai a destructive wind.
And I will send winnowers to Babylon,
    and they will winnow her,
and they will lay waste her land,
    for they will be against her from all sides on the day of disaster.
Let not him who bends the bow shoot his bow,
    and let him not rise high in his body armor.
And you must not spare her young men;
    destroy her whole army.
And they will fall slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
    and pierced through in her streets.
For neither Israel nor Judah is a widower from their God,
    from Yahweh of hosts,
though their land is full of guilt
    against the Holy One of Israel.”

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