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41 Look, a people is about to come
    from the north,
and a great nation and many kings are woken up
    from the remotest part of the earth.
42 They keep hold of bow and short sword.
    They are cruel and they have no mercy.
Their sound is like the sea, it roars,
    and upon horses they ride.
Drawn up for battle as a man for the battle,
    against you, O daughter of Babylon.
43 The king of Babylon heard their report
    and his hands grew slack.
Anxiety has seized him,
    fear and pain like the woman who gives birth.
44 Look, like a lion he comes up from the thickets[a] of the Jordan
    against a pastureland by a constantly flowing stream,[b]
so I will chase them away quickly[c] from her,
    and I will appoint whoever is chosen over her.
For who is like me, and who can summon me,
    and who is this shepherd who can stand before me?[d]
45 Therefore[e] hear the plan of Yahweh
    that he has planned against Babylon,
and his plans
    that he has planned against the land of the Chaldeans.
Surely[f] they will drag them away,
    the little ones of the flock.
Surely[g] he will cause their grazing place
    to be desolate over them.
46 At the sound, ‘Babylon has been captured,’
    the earth will quake,
and a cry for help among the nations
    will be heard.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:44 Hebrew “thicket”
  2. Jeremiah 50:44 Literally “a pasture of ever-flowing”
  3. Jeremiah 50:44 Literally “I will do in an instant I will cause them to run”
  4. Jeremiah 50:44 Literally “to the face of me”
  5. Jeremiah 50:45 Literally “To thus”
  6. Jeremiah 50:45 Literally “If not”
  7. Jeremiah 50:45 Literally “If not”

The Conquest of Babylon

41 Look! A people comes from the north.(A)
A great nation and many kings will be stirred up
from the remote regions of the earth.(B)
42 They grasp bow and javelin.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
Their voice roars like the sea,(C)
and they ride on horses,
lined up like men in battle formation
against you, Daughter Babylon.
43 The king of Babylon has heard about them;
his hands have become weak.
Distress has seized him—
pain, like a woman in labor.(D)

44 “Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets[a](E) of the Jordan to the watered grazing land. I will chase Babylon[b] away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like me? Who will issue me a summons? Who is the shepherd who can stand against me?”

45 Therefore, hear the plans that the Lord has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies he has devised against the land of the Chaldeans:(F) Certainly the flock’s little lambs will be dragged away; certainly the grazing land will be made desolate because of them. 46 At the sound of Babylon’s conquest the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 50:44 Lit pride
  2. 50:44 Lit them