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.

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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

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