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Yahweh Sends Calamity to Babylon

51 Thus says Yahweh:

“Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon
And against the inhabitants of [a]Leb-kamai
[b]The (A)spirit of a destroyer.
I will send [c]strangers to Babylon that they may (B)winnow her
And may empty her land to destruction;
For on every side they will be against her
In the day of her calamity.
[d]Let not [e]him who [f](C)bends his bow [g]bend it,
[h]Nor let him rise up in his (D)scale-armor;
So do not spare her young men;
Devote all her army to destruction.
They will fall down [i]slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
And (E)pierced through in their streets.”

For (F)neither Israel nor Judah has been widowed
By his God, by Yahweh of hosts,
Although their land is (G)full of guilt
[j]Before the Holy One of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:1 Cryptic name for Chaldea; or the heart of those who rise up against Me
  2. Jeremiah 51:1 Or A destroying wind
  3. Jeremiah 51:2 Some versions winnowers
  4. Jeremiah 51:3 M.T. Against him who
  5. Jeremiah 51:3 The Chaldean defender
  6. Jeremiah 51:3 Lit tread(s) (in order to string)
  7. Jeremiah 51:3 Lit tread(s) (in order to string)
  8. Jeremiah 51:3 M.T. Against him who
  9. Jeremiah 51:4 Or wounded
  10. Jeremiah 51:5 Lit From

51 The Lord proclaims:

I’m stirring up a violent wind against Babylon
    and those who live in Leb-qamai.[a]
I will send mercenaries[b] to Babylon
    who will sift her and clear out her land.
They will surround her
    on the day of disaster.
Let the archers draw their bows;
    let them prepare their armor.
Show no mercy to her young men;
    wipe out her entire company!
They will fall wounded in the land of Babylon,
    struck down in her streets.
God, the Lord of heavenly forces,
    hasn’t abandoned Israel and Judah,
        even though they live in a land filled with guilt
            before the holy one of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:1 Or the inhabitants of Leb qamai, a reference to Chaldea (Babylonia); or those who rise up against me
  2. Jeremiah 51:2 Or foreigners