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 have been put to shame
    because we have heard insults.
Disgrace has covered our faces because foreigners have
    come into the Holy Places of the Lord’s house.

52 “Therefore, look, days are coming,”
    declares the Lord,
“when I’ll punish her idols,
    and throughout her land the wounded will groan.
53 Though Babylon should reach up to the heavens
    and fortify her high fortresses,
from me destroyers will come to her,”
    declares the Lord.

54 “The sound of a cry is coming from Babylon,
    great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans.
55 For the Lord is destroying Babylon,
    and he will make the loud sounds from her disappear.[a]
Their waves will roar like many waters,
    the noise of their voices will sound forth.
56 Indeed, the destroyer is coming against her,
    against Babylon.
Her warriors are captured,
    and her bows are broken.
For the Lord is a God of recompense,
    and he will repay in full.
57 I’ll make their leaders, their wise men,
    their governors, their deputies,
and their warriors drunk so that they sleep forever
    and don’t wake up,”
declares the King
    whose name is the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
58 This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says:

“The broad wall of Babylon will be completely leveled,
    and its high gate set on fire.
and so the peoples toil for nothing,
    and the nations weary themselves only for fire.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:55 Lit. perish