21 “Against the land of [a]Merathaim, go up against it,
And against the inhabitants of [b](A)Pekod.
Kill and [c]completely destroy them,” declares the Lord,
“And do according to everything that I have commanded you.
22 The (B)noise of battle is in the land,
And great destruction.
23 How the (C)hammer of the whole earth
Has been cut off and broken!
How Babylon has become
An object of horror among the nations!
24 I (D)set a trap for you and you were also (E)caught, Babylon,
While you yourself were not aware;
You have been found and also seized
Because you have engaged in (F)conflict with the Lord.”
25 The Lord has opened His armory
And has brought out the (G)weapons of His indignation,
For it is a (H)work of the Lord [d]God of armies
In the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come to her from the [e]farthest border;
(I)Open up her barns,
Pile her up like heaps of grain
And [f](J)completely destroy her,
Let nothing be left to her.
27 (K)Put all her bulls to the sword;
Let them (L)go down to the slaughter!
Woe be upon them, for their (M)day has come,
The time of their punishment.

28 There is a (N)sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon,
To declare in Zion the (O)vengeance of the Lord our God,
Vengeance for His (P)temple.

29 “Summon [g]many against Babylon,
All those who [h]bend the bow:
Encamp against her on every side,
Let there be no escape[i].
Repay her according to her work;
(Q)According to all that she has done, so do to her;
For she has become (R)arrogant against the Lord,
Against the Holy One of Israel.
30 Therefore her (S)young men will fall in her streets,
And all her men of war will (T)perish on that day,” declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:21 Or double rebellion
  2. Jeremiah 50:21 I.e., punishment (uncertain)
  3. Jeremiah 50:21 Lit put under the ban
  4. Jeremiah 50:25 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  5. Jeremiah 50:26 Lit end
  6. Jeremiah 50:26 Lit put under the ban
  7. Jeremiah 50:29 Another reading is archers
  8. Jeremiah 50:29 Lit step on (in order to string)
  9. Jeremiah 50:29 Some mss add to her

God’s Judgment on Babylon

21 “Go up against the land of Merathaim[a]
    and the inhabitants of Pekod.[b]
Kill them with swords, and completely destroy them,”
    declares the Lord,
        “and do everything that I’ve commanded you.
22 The noise of battle is in the land,
    and great destruction.
23 How the hammer of all the earth is cut off and broken!
    How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
24 I’ll set a trap for you,
    and you will be caught, Babylon,
        but you don’t realize it.
You will be found and also seized,
    because you challenged the Lord!

25 “The Lord will open his armory,
    and bring out the weapons of his anger.
Indeed, a work of the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies
    will be in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come to her from afar.[c]
    Open up her barns.
Pile her up like heaps of grain,
    and completely destroy her.
        Don’t leave any survivors.
27 Put all her bulls to the sword,
    let them go down to the slaughter.
How terrible for them because their day has come,
    the time of their judgment.

28 “The sound of fugitives and refugees
    will come from the land of Babylon
to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,
    vengeance for his Temple.

29 “Summon many to Babylon,
    all those who bend the bow.
Camp all around her,
    let no one escape.
Repay her according to her deeds.
    Do to her just as she has done.
For she has behaved arrogantly against the Lord,
    against the Holy One of Israel.
30 Therefore, her warriors will fall in her streets,
    and all her soldiers will be silenced on that day,”
        declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:21 Merathaim was an area in southern Mesopotamia; the Heb. word means double rebellion
  2. Jeremiah 50:21 Pekod was a region in southern Mesopotamia; the Heb. word means punishment
  3. Jeremiah 50:26 Lit. from the end