Jeremiah 50
50
Judgment on Babylon
1The word that the Lord spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the prophet Jeremiah:
2Declare among the nations and proclaim,
set up a banner and proclaim,
do not conceal it, say:
Babylon is taken,
Bel is put to shame,
Merodach is dismayed.
Her images are put to shame,
her idols are dismayed.
3For out of the north a nation has come up against her; it shall make her land a desolation, and no one shall live in it; both human beings and animals shall flee away.
4In those days and in that time, says the Lord, the people of Israel shall come, they and the people of Judah together; they shall come weeping as they seek the Lord their God. 5They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, and they shall come and join#50.5 Gk: Heb toward it. Come! They shall join themselves to the Lord by an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
6My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold. 7All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, “We are not guilty, because they have sinned against the Lord, the true pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.”
8Flee from Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be like male goats leading the flock. 9For I am going to stir up and bring against Babylon a company of great nations from the land of the north; and they shall array themselves against her; from there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like the arrows of a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. 10Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, says the Lord.
11Though you rejoice, though you exult,
O plunderers of my heritage,
though you frisk about like a heifer on the grass,
and neigh like stallions,
12your mother shall be utterly shamed,
and she who bore you shall be disgraced.
Lo, she shall be the last of the nations,
a wilderness, dry land, and a desert.
13Because of the wrath of the Lord she shall not be inhabited,
but shall be an utter desolation;
everyone who passes by Babylon shall be appalled
and hiss because of all her wounds.
14Take up your positions around Babylon,
all you that bend the bow;
shoot at her, spare no arrows,
for she has sinned against the Lord.
15Raise a shout against her from all sides,
“She has surrendered;
her bulwarks have fallen,
her walls are thrown down.”
For this is the vengeance of the Lord:
take vengeance on her,
do to her as she has done.
16Cut off from Babylon the sower,
and the wielder of the sickle in time of harvest;
because of the destroying sword
all of them shall return to their own people,
and all of them shall flee to their own land.
17Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured it, and now at the end King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has gnawed its bones. 18Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria. 19I will restore Israel to its pasture, and it shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead its hunger shall be satisfied. 20In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and none shall be found; for I will pardon the remnant that I have spared.
21Go up to the land of Merathaim;#50.21 Or of Double Rebellion
go up against her,
and attack the inhabitants of Pekod#50.21 Or of Punishment
and utterly destroy the last of them,#50.21 Tg: Heb destroy after them
says the Lord;
do all that I have commanded you.
22The noise of battle is in the land,
and great destruction!
23How the hammer of the whole earth
is cut down and broken!
How Babylon has become
a horror among the nations!
24You set a snare for yourself and you were caught, O Babylon,
but you did not know it;
you were discovered and seized,
because you challenged the Lord.
25The Lord has opened his armory,
and brought out the weapons of his wrath,
for the Lord God of hosts has a task to do
in the land of the Chaldeans.
26Come against her from every quarter;
open her granaries;
pile her up like heaps of grain, and destroy her utterly;
let nothing be left of her.
27Kill all her bulls,
let them go down to the slaughter.
Alas for them, their day has come,
the time of their punishment!
28Listen! Fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon are coming to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for his temple.
29Summon archers against Babylon, all who bend the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; just as she has done, do to her—for she has arrogantly defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 30Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, says the Lord.
31I am against you, O arrogant one,
says the Lord God of hosts;
for your day has come,
the time when I will punish you.
32The arrogant one shall stumble and fall,
with no one to raise him up,
and I will kindle a fire in his cities,
and it will devour everything around him.
33Thus says the Lord of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and so too are the people of Judah; all their captors have held them fast and refuse to let them go. 34Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.
35A sword against the Chaldeans, says the Lord,
and against the inhabitants of Babylon,
and against her officials and her sages!
36A sword against the diviners,
so that they may become fools!
A sword against her warriors,
so that they may be destroyed!
37A sword against her#50.37 Cn: Heb his horses and against her#50.37 Cn: Heb his chariots,
and against all the foreign troops in her midst,
so that they may become women!
A sword against all her treasures,
that they may be plundered!
38A drought#50.38 Another reading is A sword against her waters,
that they may be dried up!
For it is a land of images,
and they go mad over idols.
39Therefore wild animals shall live with hyenas in Babylon,#50.39 Heb lacks in Babylon and ostriches shall inhabit her; she shall never again be peopled, or inhabited for all generations. 40As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors, says the Lord, so no one shall live there, nor shall anyone settle in her.
41Look, a people is coming from the north;
a mighty nation and many kings
are stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
42They wield bow and spear,
they are cruel and have no mercy.
The sound of them is like the roaring sea;
they ride upon horses,
set in array as a warrior for battle,
against you, O daughter Babylon!
43The king of Babylon heard news of them,
and his hands fell helpless;
anguish seized him,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
44Like a lion coming up from the thickets of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly chase them away from her; and I will appoint over her whomever I choose.#50.44 Or and I will single out the choicest of her rams: Meaning of Heb uncertain For who is like me? Who can summon me? Who is the shepherd who can stand before me? 45Therefore hear the plan that the Lord has made against Babylon, and the purposes that he has formed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away; surely their#50.45 Syr Gk Tg Compare 49.20: Heb lacks their fold shall be appalled at their fate. 46At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations.
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Jeremiah 50: NRSV
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 50
50
Against Babylon
1The word that Adonai spoke about Babylon, about the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:
2“Declare it among the nations and proclaim! Raise a banner, announce, hide nothing! Say: ‘Babylon will be captured, Bel put to shame, Merodach dismayed, her images disgraced, her idols shattered!’
3For a nation comes up against her out of the land of the north —it will desolate her land. No one will dwell there— they have fled, gone, both man and beast.”
Declaration of Restoration
4“In those days and at that time” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “the children of Israel will come, together with the children of Judah, weeping as they come, and will seek Adonai their God.
5They will ask about Zion, the way— here are their faces! Come! They will join themselves to Adonai in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
6My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds led them astray. Turning around in the mountains, they went from mountain to hill, and forgot their resting place.
7Everyone finding them devoured them. Their foes said: ‘We’re not guilty!’ Instead, they sinned against Adonai, the habitation of justice—Adonai, the hope of their fathers.”
Doom of Babylon
8“Flee from within Babylon, get out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be like he-goats before the flock.
9For I will soon stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the north. They will form battle lines against her, from there she will be captured. Their arrows will be like a warrior who bereaves, not returning empty.
10Chaldea will be a spoil— all who plunder her will be satisfied.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
11“Because you rejoice, because you exult— you who plunder My inheritance— because you frolic like a trampling heifer and neigh like stallions,
12your mother will be utterly ashamed, she who bore you will be humiliated. Behold, the least of the nations will be a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.”
13Because of Adonai’s wrath, it will be uninhabited, all waste. Everyone who passes by Babylon will be appalled, hissing at all her wounds.
14Array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows— for she has sinned against Adonai.
15Raise a war cry against her all around! She has thrown up her hands, her bulwarks are fallen, her walls thrown down. For it is Adonai’s vengeance: take vengeance on her, as she has done, do to her!
16Cut off the sower from Babylon and the one who wields a sickle in the time of harvest. Before the sword of the oppressor they will each turn to his people, each will flee to his own land.
17Israel is a scattered flock— lions have driven them away. First, Assyria’s king devoured him. This last one who broke his bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
18Therefore thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “Indeed, I will punish Babylon’s king and his land, just as I punished Assyria’s king.
19I will bring Israel back to his pasture. He will feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
20In those days and in that time” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “Israel’s guilt will be sought, but there will be none, also for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found. For I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.
21Go up against the land of Merathaim, against the inhabitants of Pekod. Put them to the sword and utterly destroy them” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “and do all that I commanded you.”
22The noise of battle is in the land and great crashing.
23How the hammer of the whole earth has been cut down and smashed! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
24I set a snare for you, so you were caught, O Babylon, when you were unaware. You were found and also caught, because you challenged Adonai.
25Adonai has opened His armory and brought out the weapons of His indignation. For it is a work that my Lord Adonai-Tzva’ot has to do in the land of Chaldea.
26Come against her from afar, open her granaries, pile her up like heaps and utterly destroy her! Let nothing be left to her.
27To the sword with all her bulls, going down to the slaughter! Oy to them! Their day has come— the time of their visitation.
28The sound of fugitives, escaping out of the land of Babylon— declaring in Zion the vengeance of Adonai our God, vengeance for His Temple.
29Summon archers to Babylon, all who bend the bow. Encamp against her all around, let no one there escape. Repay her for her deed. As all she has done, do to her. For she was arrogant against Adonai, against the Holy One of Israel.
30Therefore her young men will fall in her squares, all her warriors silenced in that day.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
31“Look, I am against you, arrogant one” —declares my Lord Adonai-Tzva’ot— “for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
32The arrogant will stumble and fall, and no one will lift him up. I will kindle fire in his cities, and it will devour all who are round about him.”
33Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together. All their captors hold them fast. They refused to let them go.
34Their Redeemer is strong —Adonai-Tzva’ot is His Name— He will vigorously plead their case, so He may give rest to the earth, but trembling to the Babylonians.
35“A sword is on the Chaldeans” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “and on Babylon’s inhabitants, and her officials and wise men.
36A sword on the diviners—fools! A sword on her warriors—shattered!
37A sword on their horses, their chariots, on all the mixed people within her, so they will become like women! A sword on her treasures— so they may be plundered.
38A drought is on her waters, so they will be dried up. For it is a land of idols— they are mad about horrible things.
39So wildcats and hyenas will live there and ostriches settle there. It will never again be inhabited or dwelt in from generation to generation.
40As when Elohim overthrew Sodom, Gomorrah and their neighbor towns” —it is a declaration of Adonai— so no man will live there, nor any son of man dwell in it.
41Look! A people coming from the north, a great nation and many kings will rise up from the ends of the earth.
42They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel, with no compassion. Their voice roars like the sea, as they ride on horses, arranged as warriors for battle, against you, daughter of Babylon.
43Babylon’s king heard news of them. His hands droop; anguish grabs him, agony like a woman in labor.
44Look, it is like a lion coming up from the thickets of the Jordan to a secure pasture—for abruptly I will make him run away from it. I appoint over it whomever I choose. For who is like Me? Who will summon Me to court? What shepherd stands up to Me?”
45Therefore hear the plan that Adonai has drawn up against Babylon, and His strategies that He designed against the land of the Chaldeans. Surely the least of the flock will be dragged away, Surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them.
46The earth will tremble at the noise of Babylon’s capture. The sound of their outcry will be heard among the nations.
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