51 “We are disgraced,(A)
    for we have been insulted
    and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
    the holy places of the Lord’s house.”(B)

52 “But days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will punish her idols,(C)
and throughout her land
    the wounded will groan.(D)
53 Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens(E)
    and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
    I will send destroyers(F) against her,”
declares the Lord.

54 “The sound of a cry(G) comes from Babylon,
    the sound of great destruction(H)
    from the land of the Babylonians.[a]
55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
    he will silence(I) her noisy din.
Waves(J) of enemies will rage like great waters;
    the roar of their voices will resound.
56 A destroyer(K) will come against Babylon;
    her warriors will be captured,
    and their bows will be broken.(L)
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
    he will repay(M) in full.
57 I will make her officials(N) and wise(O) men drunk,(P)
    her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep(Q) forever and not awake,”
    declares the King,(R) whose name is the Lord Almighty.

58 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Babylon’s thick wall(S) will be leveled
    and her high gates(T) set on fire;
the peoples(U) exhaust(V) themselves for nothing,
    the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:54 Or Chaldeans

51 We are ashamed
because we have heard insults.(A)
Humiliation covers our faces
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the Lord’s temple.(B)

52 Therefore, look, the days are coming—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
when I will punish her carved images,
and the wounded will groan
throughout her land.
53 Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens(C)
and fortify her tall fortresses,
destroyers will come against her from Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

54 The sound of a cry from Babylon!(D)
The sound of great destruction
from the land of the Chaldeans!
55 For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon;
He will silence her mighty voice.
Their waves roar like abundant waters;
the tumult of their voice resounds,
56 for a destroyer is coming against her,
against Babylon.
Her warriors will be captured,
their bows shattered,
for the Lord is a God of retribution;
He will certainly repay.
57 I will make her princes and sages drunk,
along with her governors, officials, and warriors.
Then they will fall asleep forever
and never wake up.(E)
This is the King’s declaration;
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(F)

58 This is what Yahweh of Hosts says:

Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished,
and her high gates consumed by fire.
The peoples will have labored for nothing;(G)
the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire.

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