Jeremiah, 51

1. Yahweh says this: Against Babylon and the inhabitants of Leb-Kamai I shall rouse a destructive wind.

1. Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Chalde'a;

2. I shall send winnowers to Babylon to winnow her and leave her country bare, for she will be beleaguered on all sides, on the day of disaster.

2. and I will send to Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow her, and they shall empty her land, when they come against her from every side on the day of trouble.

3. Let no archer bend his bow! Let no man swagger in his breastplate!-No quarter for her young men! Curse her whole army with destruction!

3. Let not the archer bend his bow, and let him not stand up in his coat of mail. Spare not her young men; utterly destroy all her host.

4. In the country of the Chaldaeans the slaughtered will fall, in the streets of Babylon, those run through by the sword.

4. They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chalde'ans, and wounded in her streets.

5. For Israel and Judah have not been bereft of their God, Yahweh Sabaoth, although their country was full of sin against the Holy One of Israel.

5. For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts; but the land of the Chalde'ans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.

6. Escape from Babylon (save your lives, each one of you); do not perish for her guilt, for now is the time for Yahweh's vengeance: he will pay her her reward!

6. "Flee from the midst of Babylon, let every man save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the LORD's vengeance, the requital he is rendering her.

7. Babylon was a golden cup in Yahweh's hand, she made the whole world drunk, the nations drank her wine and then went mad.

7. Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD's hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, therefore the nations went mad.

8. Babylon has suddenly fallen, is broken: wail for her! Fetch balm for her wounds, perhaps she can be cured!

8. Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.

9. -'We tried to cure Babylon; she has got no better. Leave her alone and let us each go to his own country.' -Yes, her sentence reaches to the sky, rises to the very clouds.

9. We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country; for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies.

10. Yahweh has shown the uprightness of our cause. Come, let us tell in Zion what Yahweh our God has done.

10. The LORD has brought forth our vindication; come, let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

11. Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! Yahweh has roused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because he has a plan against Babylon to destroy it; this is Yahweh's revenge, revenge for his Temple.

11. "Sharpen the arrows! Take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for his temple.

12. Against the walls of Babylon raise the standard! Strengthen the guard! Post the sentries! Take up concealed positions! For Yahweh has both planned and done what he promised he would to the inhabitants of Babylon.

12. Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the LORD has both planned and done what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

13. Enthroned beside abundant waters, rich in treasures, you now meet your end, the finish of your pillaging.

13. O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the thread of your life is cut.

14. By his own self Yahweh Sabaoth has sworn: I shall fill you with men as though with grasshoppers, and over you they will raise the triumph-shout.

14. The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself: Surely I will fill you with men, as many as locusts, and they shall raise the shout of victory over you.

15. By his power he made the earth, by his wisdom set the world firm, by his discernment spread out the heavens.

15. "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

16. When he thunders there is a roaring of waters in heaven; he raises clouds from the furthest limits of the earth, makes the lightning flash for the downpour, and brings the wind from his storehouse.

16. When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

17. At this everyone stands stupefied, uncomprehending, every goldsmith blushes for his idols; his castings are but delusion, with no breath in them.

17. Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.

18. They are futile, a laughable production, when the time comes for them to be punished, they will vanish.

18. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

19. The Heritage of Jacob is not like these, for he is the maker of everything, and Israel is the tribe that is his heritage; His name is Yahweh Sabaoth.

19. Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name.

20. You were my mace, a weapon of war. With you I crushed nations, struck kingdoms down,

20. "You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms;

21. with you crushed horse and rider, with you crushed chariot and charioteer,

21. with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider; with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer;

22. with you crushed man and woman, with you crushed old man and young, with you crushed young man and girl,

22. with you I break in pieces man and woman; with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth; with you I break in pieces the young man and the maiden;

23. with you crushed shepherd and flock, with you crushed ploughman and team, with you crushed governors and magistrates,

23. with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team; with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.

24. and I shall repay Babylon and the inhabitants of Chaldaea, before your eyes, for all the wrongs they have done to Zion, Yahweh declares.

24. "I will requite Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chalde'a before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, says the LORD.

25. I am setting myself against you, mountain of destruction, Yahweh declares, destroyer of the whole world! I shall reach out my hand for you and send you tumbling from the crags and make you a burnt-out mountain.

25. "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, says the LORD, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain.

26. No corner-stone will be taken from you again and no foundation-stone, for you will be a desert for ever, Yahweh declares.

26. No stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be a perpetual waste, says the LORD.

27. Raise the standard throughout the world, sound the trumpet among the nations! Consecrate nations to make war on her; summon kingdoms against her: Ararat, Minni, Ashkenaz; appoint a recruiting-officer for her enemies, bring up the cavalry, bristling like locusts.

27. "Set up a standard on the earth, blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations for war against her, summon against her the kingdoms, Ar'arat, Minni, and Ash'kenaz; appoint a marshal against her, bring up horses like bristling locusts.

28. Consecrate nations to make war on her: the kings of Media, her governors, all her magistrates and the whole territory under their rule.

28. Prepare the nations for war against her, the kings of the Medes, with their governors and deputies, and every land under their dominion.

29. Then the earth trembled and writhed, for Yahweh's plan against Babylon was being executed: to change the country of Babylon into an unpopulated desert.

29. The land trembles and writhes in pain, for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.

30. The warriors of Babylon have done with fighting, they have stayed inside their fortresses; their courage exhausted, they are now like women. Her houses are on fire, her gates are shattered.

30. The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting, they remain in their strongholds; their strength has failed, they have become women; her dwellings are on fire, her bars are broken.

31. Courier follows close on courier, messenger on messenger, to tell the king of Babylon that his city has been taken from all sides,

31. One runner runs to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to tell the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every side;

32. the fords occupied, the bastions burnt down and the fighting men seized with panic.

32. the fords have been seized, the bulwarks are burned with fire, and the soldiers are in panic.

33. For Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: the daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor when it is being trodden: a little while, and then the time for harvesting her will come.

33. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden; yet a little while and the time of her harvest will come."

34. He devoured me, consumed me, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, left me like an empty dish, like the Dragon he has swallowed me whole, filled his belly with my titbits and threw me out.

34. "Nebuchadrez'zar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me like a monster; he has filled his belly with my delicacies, he has rinsed me out.

35. 'On Babylon be the wounds I suffered!' the daughter of Zion will say. 'On the inhabitants of Chaldaea be my blood!' Jerusalem will say.

35. The violence done to me and to my kinsmen be upon Babylon," let the inhabitant of Zion say. "My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chalde'a," let Jerusalem say.

36. So, Yahweh says this: Look, I am taking up your cause to make sure you are avenged. I shall dry her river up, make her springs run dry.

36. Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry;

37. Babylon will become a heap of stones, the lair of jackals, a thing of horror and of scorn, with no one living in it.

37. and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant.

38. Like lions they roar together, they growl like lions' whelps.

38. "They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl like lions' whelps.

39. Are they feverish? I will prepare them a drink and make them drink until they are tipsy and fall into an everlasting sleep, never to wake again, Yahweh declares.

39. While they are inflamed I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk, till they swoon away and sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, says the LORD.

40. I will drag them away to the slaughterhouse like lambs, like rams and goats.

40. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and he-goats.

41. What! Has Sheshak been taken, been conquered, the pride of the whole world? What a thing of horror Babylon has become throughout the nations!

41. "How Babylon is taken, the praise of the whole earth seized! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!

42. The sea has risen over Babylon, she sinks beneath its boisterous waves.

42. The sea has come up on Babylon; she is covered with its tumultuous waves.

43. Her towns have been turned into wasteland, a parched land, a desert, a country where no one lives and where nobody goes.

43. Her cities have become a horror, a land of drought and a desert, a land in which no one dwells, and through which no son of man passes.

44. I shall punish Bel in Babylon and make him disgorge what he has swallowed. In future the nations will stream to him no more. The very walls of Babylon will fall.

44. And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and take out of his mouth what he has swallowed. The nations shall no longer flow to him; the wall of Babylon has fallen.

45. Get out of her, my people; save your lives, each one of you, from Yahweh's furious anger.

45. "Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every man save his life from the fierce anger of the LORD!

46. But do not be faint-hearted! Do not take fright at rumours hawked round the country: one rumour spreads one year, next year another follows; violence rules on earth and one tyrant succeeds another.

46. Let not your heart faint, and be not fearful at the report heard in the land, when a report comes in one year and afterward a report in another year, and violence is in the land, and ruler is against ruler.

47. So look, the days are coming when I shall punish the idols of Babylon. Her entire country will be humbled, with all her slaughtered lying on home-soil.

47. "Therefore, behold, the days are coming when I will punish the images of Babylon; her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

48. The heaven and earth and all within them will shout for joy over Babylon, for the destroyers from the north are coming to her, Yahweh declares.

48. Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come against them out of the north, says the LORD.

49. Babylon in her turn must fall, you slaughtered ones of Israel, just as through Babylon there fell men slaughtered all over the world.

49. Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth.

50. You who have escaped her sword, leave her, do not wait! Remember Yahweh from afar, let Jerusalem come into your mind.

50. "You that have escaped from the sword, go, stand not still! Remember the LORD from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your mind:

51. -'We were ashamed when we heard of the outrage, we were covered in confusion because foreigners had entered the Temple of Yahweh's holy places.'

51. `We are put to shame, for we have heard reproach; dishonor has covered our face, for aliens have come into the holy places of the LORD's house.'

52. -So look, the days are coming, Yahweh declares, when I shall punish her idols, and the wounded will groan throughout her country.

52. "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will execute judgment upon her images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

53. Were Babylon to scale the heavens or reinforce her towering citadel, destroyers would still come to her on my orders, Yahweh declares.

53. Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me upon her, says the LORD.

54. The din of shouting from Babylon, of immense destruction, from the country of the Chaldaeans!

54. "Hark! a cry from Babylon! The noise of great destruction from the land of the Chalde'ans!

55. Yes, Yahweh is laying Babylon waste and silencing her monstrous din, whose waves used to roar like the ocean and their tumultuous voices rang out.

55. For the LORD is laying Babylon waste, and stilling her mighty voice. Their waves roar like many waters, the noise of their voice is raised;

56. For the destroyer has fallen on Babylon, her warriors are captured, their bows are broken. Yes, Yahweh is a God of retribution, he never fails to repay.

56. for a destroyer has come upon her, upon Babylon; her warriors are taken, their bows are broken in pieces; for the LORD is a God of recompense, he will surely requite.

57. I shall make her princes and her sages drink, her governors, her magistrates, her warriors; they will fall into an everlasting sleep, never to wake again, declares the King, whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth.

57. I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, says the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

58. Yahweh Sabaoth says this: The walls of Babylon the Great will be rased to the ground, and her lofty gates will be burnt down. Thus peoples toil for nothing and nations wear themselves out, for the flames.

58. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The broad wall of Babylon shall be leveled to the ground and her high gates shall be burned with fire. The peoples labor for nought, and the nations weary themselves only for fire."

59. This is the order that the prophet Jeremiah gave to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah when Seraiah left for Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was lord chamberlain.

59. The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Serai'ah the son of Neri'ah, son of Mahsei'ah, when he went with Zedeki'ah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Serai'ah was the quartermaster.

60. Now, on one sheet, Jeremiah had written down the entire disaster that was to befall Babylon, that is, all these words recorded here against Babylon.

60. Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, all these words that are written concerning Babylon.

61. Jeremiah then said to Seraiah, 'When you reach Babylon, see to it that you read all these words aloud.

61. And Jeremiah said to Serai'ah: "When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words,

62. Then say, "You, Yahweh, have promised to destroy this place, so that no one will live here ever again, neither human nor animal, and it will be desolate for ever."

62. and say, `O LORD, thou hast said concerning this place that thou wilt cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate for ever.'

63. Then, when you have finished reading this sheet, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,

63. When you finish reading this book, bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphra'tes,

64. with the words, "So shall Babylon sink, never to rise again from the disaster which I am going to bring on her." ' Thus far the words of Jeremiah.

64. and say, `Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the evil that I am bringing upon her.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.