Jeremiah 51:59-64
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jeremiah’s Command to Seraiah
59 The word that the prophet Jeremiah commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, when he went with King Zedekiah of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster.(A) 60 Jeremiah wrote in a[a] scroll all the disasters that would come on Babylon, all these words that are written concerning Babylon.(B) 61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, 62 and say, ‘O Lord, you yourself threatened to destroy this place so that neither humans nor animals shall live in it, and it shall be desolate forever.’(C) 63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it, and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,(D) 64 and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disasters that I am bringing on her.’ ”[b]
Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.(E)
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Jeremiah 51:59-64
International Standard Version
Jeremiah’s Symbolic Message against Babylon
59 This is[a] the message that Jeremiah the prophet delivered[b] to Neriah’s son Seraiah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with King Zedekiah of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster. 60 Jeremiah wrote on a single scroll all the disasters that would come on Babylon, all these things that were written about Babylon. 61 Jeremiah told Seraiah, “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, 62 and say, ‘Lord, you have declared about this place that you would destroy it so that there wouldn’t be an inhabitant in it, neither human nor animal, because it will be a wasteland forever.’ 63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a rock around it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates. 64 Then say, ‘Babylon will sink like this and won’t rise from the disaster that I’m bringing on her. Her people[c] will be exhausted.’”
This concludes the writings of Jeremiah.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 51:59 The Heb. lacks This is
- Jeremiah 51:59 Lit. commanded
- Jeremiah 51:64 Lit. They
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