The word which
the LORD
spoke
concerning
aBabylon
, the land
of the Chaldeans
, through
Jeremiah
the prophet
:
" aDeclare and proclaim
among the nations
. Proclaim
it and blift
up a standard
. Do not conceal
it but say
, ` cBabylon
has been captured
, dBel
has been
put
to shame
, 1Marduk
has been
2shattered
; Her eimages
have been
put
to shame
, her idols
have been
shattered
.'
"For a nation has come
up against
her out of the anorth
; it will make
her land
ban object
of horror
, and there will be cno
inhabitant
in it. Both
man
and beast
have wandered
off, they have gone
away!
"In those days
and at that time
," declares
the LORD
, "the sons
of Israel
will come
, both they and the sons
of Judah
aas well
; they will go
along bweeping
as they go
, and it will be cthe LORD
their God
they will seek
.
"They will aask for the way
to Zion
, turning their faces
1in its direction
; 2they 3will come
that they may join
themselves to the LORD
in an beverlasting
covenant
that will not be forgotten
.
"My people have become
alost
sheep
; bTheir shepherds
have led
them astray
. They have made them turn
aside
on the cmountains
; They have gone
along from mountain
to hill
And have forgotten
their dresting
place
.
"All who came
upon them have devoured
them; And their adversaries
have said
, ` aWe are not guilty
, Inasmuch
as they have sinned
against the LORD
who is the bhabitation
of righteousness
, Even the LORD
, the chope
of their fathers
.'
"Wander away from the amidst
of Babylon
And 1go
forth
from the land
of the Chaldeans
; Be also like male
goats
2at the head
of the flock
.
"For behold, I am going to aarouse
and bring
up against
Babylon
A horde
of great
nations
from the land
of the north
, And they will draw
up their battle
lines
against her; From there
she will be taken
captive
. Their arrows
will be like 1an expert
warrior
Who does not return
empty-handed
.
" 1 aChaldea will become
plunder
; All
who plunder
her will have
enough
," declares
the LORD
.
"Because you are glad
, because
you are jubilant
, O you who apillage
My heritage
, Because
you skip
about
1like a threshing
bheifer
And neigh
like 2stallions
,
Your amother 1will be greatly
ashamed
, She who gave
you birth
1will be humiliated
. Behold
, she will be the least
of the nations
, A bwilderness
, a parched
land
and a desert
.
"Because of the indignation
of the LORD
she will anot be inhabited
, But she will be bcompletely
desolate
; Everyone
who passes
by Babylon
cwill be horrified
And will hiss
because
of all
her wounds
.
"Draw up your battle
lines
against
Babylon
on every
side
, All
you who 1bend
the bow
; Shoot
at her, do not be sparing
with your arrows
, For she has asinned
against the LORD
.
"Raise your battle
cry
against
her on every
side
! She has agiven
1herself
up, her pillars
have fallen
, Her bwalls
have been torn
down
. For this
is the cvengeance
of the LORD
: Take
vengeance
on her; dAs she has done
to others, so do
to her.
"Cut off
the asower
from Babylon
And the one who wields
the sickle
at the time
of harvest
; From before
1the bsword
of the oppressor
cThey will each
turn
back
to his own people
And they will each
flee
to his own land
.
"Israel is a ascattered
1flock
, the blions
have driven
them away
. The first
one
who devoured
him was the cking
of Assyria
, and this
last
one
who has broken
his bones
is dNebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
.
"Therefore thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
: `Behold
, I am going to punish
the king
of Babylon
and his land
, just
as I apunished
the king
of Assyria
.
`And I will abring Israel
back
to his pasture
and he will graze
on Carmel
and Bashan
, and his 1desire
will be satisfied
in the bhill
country
of Ephraim
and Gilead
.
`In those days
and at that time
,' declares
the LORD
, `search
will be made
for the iniquity
of Israel
, but athere
will be none
; and for the sins
of Judah
, but they will not be found
; for I will pardon
those bwhom
I leave
as a remnant
.'
"Against the land
of 1Merathaim
, go
up against
it, And against
the inhabitants
of 2 aPekod
. Slay
and 3utterly
destroy
them," declares
the LORD
, "And do
according to all
that I have commanded
you.
"The anoise of battle
is in the land
, And great
destruction
.
"How the ahammer
of the whole
earth
Has been cut
off
and broken
! How
Babylon
has become
An object
of horror
among the nations
!
"I aset a snare
for you and you were also
bcaught
, O Babylon
, While you yourself
were not aware
; You have been found
and also
seized
Because
you have engaged
in cconflict
with the LORD
."
The LORD has opened
His armory
And has brought
forth
the aweapons
of His indignation
, For it is a bwork
of the Lord
1GOD
of hosts
In the land
of the Chaldeans
.
Come to her from the 1farthest
border
; aOpen
up her barns
, Pile
her up like
heaps
And 2 butterly
destroy
her, Let nothing
be left
to her.
aPut all
her young
bulls
to the sword
; Let them bgo
down
to the slaughter
! Woe
be upon them, for their cday
has come
, The time
of their punishment
.
There is a asound of fugitives
and refugees
from the land
of Babylon
, To declare
in Zion
the bvengeance
of the LORD
our God
, Vengeance
for His ctemple
.
"Summon 1many
against
Babylon
, All
those who 2bend
the bow
: Encamp
against
her on every
side
, Let there be no
escape
3. Repay
her according to her work
; aAccording to all
that she has done
, so do
to her; For she has become
barrogant
against
the LORD
, Against
the Holy
One
of Israel
.
"Therefore her ayoung
men
will fall
in her streets
, And all
her men
of war
will be 1 bsilenced
in that day
," declares
the LORD
.
"Behold, aI am against
you, O 1arrogant
one," Declares
the Lord
2GOD
of hosts
, "For your day
has come
, The time
3when I will punish
you.
"The 1 aarrogant one will stumble
and fall
With no
one
to raise
him up; And I will bset
fire
to his cities
And it will devour
all
his environs
."
Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, "The sons
of Israel
are oppressed
, And the sons
of Judah
as well
; And aall
who took
them captive
have held
them fast
, They have refused
to let
them go
.
"Their aRedeemer is strong
, bthe LORD
of hosts
is His name
; He will vigorously
cplead
their case
So
that He may dbring
rest
to 1the earth
, But turmoil
to the inhabitants
of Babylon
.
"A asword against
the Chaldeans
," declares
the LORD
, "And against
the inhabitants
of Babylon
And against
her bofficials
and her cwise
men
!
"A sword against
the aoracle
priests
, and they will become
fools
! A sword
against
her bmighty
men
, and they will be 1 cshattered
!
"A sword against
1their ahorses
and against
1their chariots
And against
all
the 2 bforeigners
who
are in the midst
of her, And they will become
cwomen
! A sword
against
her treasures
, and they will be plundered
!
"A 1 adrought on her waters
, and they will be dried
up! For it is a land
of bidols
, And they are mad
over fearsome
idols.
"Therefore the adesert
creatures
will live
there along
with the jackals
; The ostriches
also will live
in it, And it will bnever
again
be inhabited
Or dwelt
in from generation
to generation
.
"As when God overthrew
aSodom
And Gomorrah
with its neighbors
," declares
the LORD
, "No
man
will live
there
, Nor
will any son
of man
reside
in it.
"Behold, a people
is coming
afrom the north
, And a great
nation
and many
kings
Will be aroused
from the remote
parts
of the earth
.
"They aseize their bow
and javelin
; They are bcruel
and have
no
mercy
. Their cvoice
roars
like the sea
; And they ride
on dhorses
, eMarshalled
like a man
for the battle
Against
you, O daughter
of Babylon
.
"The aking of Babylon
has heard
the report
about them, And his hands
hang
limp
; bDistress
has gripped
him, Agony
like a woman in childbirth
.
" aBehold, one will come
up like a lion
from the 1thicket
of the Jordan
to 2a perennially
watered pasture
; for in an instant
I will make them run
away
from it, and whoever
is bchosen
I will appoint
over
it. For who
is clike
Me, and who
will summon
Me into court? And who
then
is the shepherd
who
can dstand
before
Me?"
Therefore hear
the aplan
of the LORD
which
He has planned
against
Babylon
, and His purposes
which
He has purposed
against
the land
of the Chaldeans
: bsurely
they will drag
them off
, even the little
ones
of the flock
; surely
He will make
their 1pasture
desolate
because
of them.
At the 1shout, "Babylon
has been seized
!" the aearth
is shaken
, and an boutcry
is heard
among the nations
.