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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

Judgment against Babylon

51 This is what the Lord says:

“Look, I’m going to stir up a destroying wind
    against Babylon and the inhabitants of Leb-kamai.[a]
I’ll send foreigners to Babylon,
    and they’ll winnow her,
        and devastate[b] her land.
They’ll come against her from every side
    on the day of her[c] disaster.
Don’t let the archer[d] bend the bow;
    don’t let him rise up in his armor.
Don’t spare her young men.
    Completely destroy her entire army.
The slain will fall in the land of Chaldea,
    pierced through in her streets.
Indeed, Israel and Judah haven’t been
    abandoned[e] by their[f] God,
by the Lord of the Heavenly Armies,
    although their land is full of guilt
        against the Holy One of Israel.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:1 I.e. a cryptogram for Chaldea
  2. Jeremiah 51:2 Lit. empty out
  3. Jeremiah 51:2 The Heb. lacks her
  4. Jeremiah 51:3 Lit. one who bends the bow
  5. Jeremiah 51:5 Lit. widowed
  6. Jeremiah 51:5 Lit. his