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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Jeremiah 50: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 50
50
A Message About Babylon
1This is the message the Lord spoke about Babylon and the Babylonian people. He spoke this message through Jeremiah the prophet.
2“Announce this to the nations.
Lift up a banner and tell them.
Speak the whole message and say:
‘Babylon will be captured.
The god Bel will be put to shame.
The god Marduk will be very afraid.
Babylon’s idols will be put to shame.
Her idols will be filled with terror!’
3A nation from the north will attack Babylon.
That nation will make Babylon like an empty desert.
No people will live there.
Both men and animals will run away from there.”
4The Lord says, “At that time
the people of Israel and Judah will be together.
They will cry and look for the Lord their God.
5Those people will ask how to go to Jerusalem.
They will start to go in that direction.
They will come and join themselves to the Lord.
They will make an agreement that will last forever.
It will be an agreement that will never be forgotten.
6“My people have been like lost sheep.
Their leaders have led them in the wrong way.
Their leaders made them wander around in the mountains and hills.
They forgot where their resting place was.
7Whoever found my people hurt them.
And those enemies said, ‘We did nothing wrong.
Those people sinned against the Lord, their true resting place.
He was the God their fathers trusted.’
8“Run away from Babylon.
Leave the land of the Babylonians.
Be like the goats that lead the flock.
9I will bring against Babylon
many nations from the north.
This group of nations will take their places for war against Babylon.
Babylon will be captured by people from the north.
Their arrows are like trained soldiers
who do not return from war with empty hands.
10The enemy will take all the wealth from the Babylonians.
Those enemy soldiers will get all they want!” says the Lord.
11“Babylon, you are excited and happy.
You took my land.
You dance around like a young cow in the grain.
Your laughter is like the neighing of male horses.
12Your mother will be very ashamed.
The woman who gave you birth will be disgraced.
Babylonia will be the least important of all the nations.
She will be an empty, dry desert.
13The Lord will show his anger.
No people will live there.
Babylon will be completely empty.
Everyone who passes by Babylon will be afraid.
They will shake their heads when they see how it has been destroyed.
14“Take your positions for war against Babylon,
all you soldiers with bows.
Shoot your arrows at Babylon! Do not save any of them.
This is because Babylon has sinned against the Lord.
15Soldiers around Babylon, shout the war cry!
Babylon has surrendered. Her towers have fallen.
Her walls have been torn down.
The Lord is giving them the punishment they deserve.
You nations should give Babylon what she deserves.
Do to her what she has done to others.
16Don’t let the people from Babylon plant their crops.
Don’t let them gather the harvest.
The soldiers of Babylon treated their captives cruelly.
Now, let everyone go back home!
Let everyone run to his own country.
17“The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered.
They are like sheep that have been chased away by lions.
The first lion to eat them up
was the king of Assyria.
The last lion to crush their bones
was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
18So this is what the Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, says:
“I will punish the king of Babylon and his country.
I will punish him as I punished the king of Assyria.
19But I will bring the people of Israel back to their own pasture.
They will eat on Mount Carmel and in Bashan.
They will eat and be full.
They will eat on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.”
20The Lord says,
“At that time people will try to find Israel’s guilt.
But there will be no guilt.
People will try to find Judah’s sins.
But no sins will be found.
This is because I am saving the few people left alive from Israel and Judah.
And I am forgiving their sins.
21“Attack the land of Merathaim.
Attack the people who live in Pekod.
Chase them, kill them and completely destroy them.
Do everything I commanded you!” says the Lord.
22“The noise of battle can be heard all over the country.
It is the noise of much destruction.
23Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth.
But how broken and shattered that hammer is now!
Babylon is truly the most ruined
of all the nations.
24Babylon, I set a trap for you.
And you were caught before you knew it.
You fought against the Lord.
So you were found and taken prisoner.
25The Lord has opened up his storeroom.
He has brought out the weapons of his anger.
This is because the Lord God of heaven’s armies has work to do.
He has work to do in the land of the Babylonians.
26Come against Babylon from far away.
Break open her storehouses of grain.
Pile up her dead bodies like big piles of grain.
Completely destroy Babylon
and do not leave anyone alive.
27Kill all the young men in Babylon.
Let them be killed.
The time has come for their defeat.
How terrible it will be for them!
It is time for them to be punished.
28Listen to the people running from the country of Babylon!
They are telling Jerusalem
how the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deserves.
This is because Babylon destroyed his Temple.
29“Call for the men who shoot arrows
to come against Babylon.
Tell them to surround the city.
Don’t let anyone escape.
Pay her back for the bad things she has done.
Do to her what she has done to other nations.
Babylon acted with pride against the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
30So Babylon’s young men will be killed in the streets.
All her soldiers will die on that day,” says the Lord.
31“Babylon, you are too proud. And I am against you,”
says the Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies.
“This is because the time has come
for you to be punished.
32Proud Babylon will stumble and fall.
And no one will help her get up.
I will start a fire in her towns.
It will completely burn up everything around her.”
33This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says:
“The people of Israel
and Judah both are slaves.
The enemy took them as prisoners.
And they won’t let them go.
34But God is strong and will buy them back.
His name is the Lord of heaven’s armies.
He will defend them with power
so he can give rest to their land.
But he will not give rest to those living in Babylon.”
35The Lord says,
“Let a sword kill the people living in Babylon!
Let a sword kill its officers and wise men!
36Let a sword kill its false prophets!
They will become fools.
Let a sword kill Babylon’s warriors!
They will be full of terror.
37Let a sword kill its horses and chariots.
Let a sword kill all the soldiers hired from other countries!
They will be like frightened women.
Let there be a sword against Babylon’s treasures!
They will be taken away.
38Let there be a sword against its waters!
They will be dried up.
It is a land of idols.
Those idols will go crazy with fear.
39“Babylon will never be filled with people again.
Desert animals and hyenas will live there.
Owls will live there.
But no people will live there ever again.
40God completely destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
and the towns around them,” says the Lord.
“In the same way no people will live in Babylon.
No man will stay there.
41“Look! An army is coming from the north.
It comes from a powerful nation.
Many kings are coming together from all around the world.
42Their armies have bows and spears.
The soldiers are cruel and have no mercy.
The soldiers come riding on their horses.
And the sound is loud like the roaring sea.
They stand in their places, ready for battle.
They are ready to attack you, city of Babylon.
43The king of Babylon heard about those armies.
And he became helpless because of his fear.
His fear is like pain.
It is like the pain of a woman having a baby.
44“A lion will come from the thick bushes near the Jordan River.
It will go into the rich pastures where people feed their flocks.
I am like that lion! I will suddenly chase the people of Babylon from their land.
Who is the one I have chosen to do this?
There is no one like me.
There is no one who can challenge me.
None of their leaders can stand up against me.”
45So listen to what the Lord has planned to do against Babylon.
Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in Babylon.
He will surely drag away the young ones of Babylon.
Babylon’s pastures will be destroyed because of them.
46At the sound of Babylon’s fall, the earth will shake.
People in all nations will hear about their destruction.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.