59 The [a]command that Jeremiah the prophet [b]gave Seraiah the son of (A)Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with (B)Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (And Seraiah was quartermaster.) 60 Jeremiah (C)wrote [c]on a single scroll all the disaster which would come against Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. 61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud, 62 and say, ‘You, Lord, have [d]promised concerning this place to (D)cut it off, so that there will be (E)nothing living in it, [e]whether man or animal; but it will be a permanent desolation.’ 63 And as soon as you finish reading this [f]scroll, you shall tie a stone to it and (F)throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, 64 and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and (G)not rise again, because of the disaster that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become (H)exhausted.’” (I)To this point are the words of Jeremiah.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:59 Lit word
  2. Jeremiah 51:59 Lit commanded
  3. Jeremiah 51:60 Or in...book
  4. Jeremiah 51:62 Lit spoken
  5. Jeremiah 51:62 Lit from man even to beast
  6. Jeremiah 51:63 Or book

Jeremiah’s Command to Seraiah

59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Serai′ah the son of Neri′ah, son of Mahsei′ah, when he went with Zedeki′ah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Serai′ah was the quartermaster. 60 Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, all these words that are written concerning Babylon. 61 And Jeremiah said to Serai′ah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, 62 and say, ‘O Lord, thou hast said concerning this place that thou wilt cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate for ever.’ 63 When you finish reading this book, bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphra′tes, 64 and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the evil that I am bringing upon her.’”[a]

Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 51:64 Gk: Heb upon her. And they shall weary themselves