Jeremiah 51:24-59
New American Standard Bible
25'Behold, I am against you, mountain of destruction That destroys the whole earth,' declares the Lord, 'And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the rocky cliffs, And I will make you a burnt out mountain.
26They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever,' declares the Lord.
27Lift up a signal flag in the land, Blow a trumpet among the nations! Consecrate the nations against her, Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; Appoint an officer against her, Bring up the horses like bristly locusts.
28Consecrate the nations against her, The kings of the Medes, Their governors and all their officials, And every land under their control.
29So the land quakes and writhes, For the plans of the Lord against Babylon stand, To make the land of Babylon A desolation without inhabitants.
30The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting, They stay in the strongholds; Their strength is exhausted, They are becoming like women; Their homes are set on fire, The bars of her gates are broken.
31One courier runs to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To tell the king of Babylon That his city has been captured from end to end;
32The river crossing places have been seized, And they have burned the marshes with fire, And the men of war are terrified.
34'Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away.
35May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,' The inhabitant of Zion will say; And, 'May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,' Jerusalem will say.
36Therefore this is what the Lord says: 'Behold, I am going to plead your case And take vengeance for you; And I will dry up her sea And make her fountain dry.
37Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.
38They will roar together like young lions, They will growl like lions’ cubs.
39When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet And make them drunk, so that they may rejoice in triumph, And may sleep a perpetual sleep And not wake up,' declares the Lord.
40'I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams together with male goats.
41'How Sheshak has been captured, And the praise of the whole earth has been seized! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!
42The sea has come up over Babylon; She has been engulfed by its roaring waves.
43Her cities have become an object of horror, A dry land and a desert, A land in which no one lives And through which no one of mankind passes.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream toward him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!
45'Come out from her midst, My people, And each of you save yourselves From the fierce anger of the Lord.
46Now, so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land— For the report will come in one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler—
47Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame. And all her slain will fall in her midst.
48Then heaven and earth and everything that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, Because the destroyers will come to her from the north,' Declares the Lord.
49Indeed, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As the slain of all the earth have also fallen for Babylon.
50You who have escaped the sword, Go! Do not stay! Remember the Lord from far away, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51We are ashamed because we have heard rebuke; Disgrace has covered our faces, Because strangers have entered The holy places of the Lord’S house.
52'Therefore behold, the days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'When I will punish her idols, And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.
53Though Babylon ascends to the heavens, And though she fortifies her lofty stronghold, Destroyers will come from Me to her,' declares the Lord.
54The sound of an outcry from Babylon, And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon, And He will make her loud noise vanish from her. And their waves will roar like many waters; The clamor of their voices sounds forth.
56For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, And her warriors will be captured, Their bows shattered; For the Lord is a God of retribution, He will fully repay.
57'I will make her leaders and her wise men drunk, Her governors, her officials, and her warriors, So that they will sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,' Declares the King, whose name is the Lord of armies.
King James Version
58Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.
59The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.
Christian Standard Bible
26No one will be able to retrieve a cornerstone or a foundation stone from you, because you will become desolate forever. This is the Lord’s declaration.
27Raise a signal flag in the land; blow a ram’s horn among the nations; set apart the nations against her. Summon kingdoms against her— Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like a swarm of locusts.
28Set apart the nations for battle against her— the kings of Media, her governors and all her officials, and all the lands they rule.
29The earth quakes and trembles because the Lord’s intentions against Babylon stand: to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.
30Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their might is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze, her gate bars are shattered.
31Messenger races to meet messenger, and herald to meet herald, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end.
32The fords have been seized, the marshes set on fire, and the fighting men are terrified.
33For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled. In just a little while her harvest time will come.
34"King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty dish; he has swallowed me like a sea monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies; he has vomited me out.
35Let the violence done to me and my family be done to Babylon," says the inhabitant of Zion. "Let my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea," says Jerusalem.
36Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to champion your cause and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her fountain run dry.
37Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a jackals’ den, a desolation and an object of scorn, without inhabitant.
38They will roar together like young lions; they will growl like lion cubs.
40I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams together with male goats.
41How Sheshach has been captured, the praise of the whole earth seized. What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!
42The sea has risen over Babylon; she is covered with its tumultuous waves.
43Her cities have become a desolation, an arid desert, a land where no one lives, where no human being even passes through.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him vomit what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even Babylon’s wall will fall.
45Come out from among her, my people! Save your lives, each of you, from the Lord’s burning anger.
46May you not become cowardly and fearful when the report is proclaimed in the land, for the report will come one year, and then another the next year. There will be violence in the land with ruler against ruler.
47Therefore, look, the days are coming when I will punish Babylon’s carved images. Her entire land will suffer shame, and all her slain will lie fallen within her.
48Heaven and earth and everything in them will shout for joy over Babylon because the destroyers from the north will come against her. This is the Lord’s declaration.
49Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel, even as the slain of the whole earth fell because of Babylon.
53Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her tall fortresses, destroyers will come against her from me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
54The sound of a cry from Babylon! The sound of terrible destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon; he will silence her mighty voice. Their waves roar like a huge torrent; the tumult of their voice resounds,
56for a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured, their bows shattered, for the Lord is a God of retribution; he will certainly repay.
New Living Translation
25'Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy,' says the Lord. 'I will raise my fist against you, to knock you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of burnt rubble.
26You will be desolate forever. Even your stones will never again be used for building. You will be completely wiped out,' says the Lord.
27Raise a signal flag to the nations. Sound the battle cry! Mobilize them all against Babylon. Prepare them to fight against her! Bring out the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander, and bring a multitude of horses like swarming locusts!
28Bring against her the armies of the nations — led by the kings of the Medes and all their captains and officers.
29The earth trembles and writhes in pain, for everything the Lord has planned against Babylon stands unchanged. Babylon will be left desolate without a single inhabitant.
30Her mightiest warriors no longer fight. They stay in their barracks, their courage gone. They have become like women. The invaders have burned the houses and broken down the city gates.
31The news is passed from one runner to the next as the messengers hurry to tell the king that his city has been captured.
32All the escape routes are blocked. The marshes have been set aflame, and the army is in a panic.
34'King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has eaten and crushed us and drained us of strength. He has swallowed us like a great monster and filled his belly with our riches. He has thrown us out of our own country.
35Make Babylon suffer as she made us suffer,' say the people of Zion. 'Make the people of Babylonia pay for spilling our blood,' says Jerusalem.
36This is what the Lord says to Jerusalem: 'I will be your lawyer to plead your case, and I will avenge you. I will dry up her river, as well as her springs,
37and Babylon will become a heap of ruins, haunted by jackals. She will be an object of horror and contempt, a place where no one lives.
38Her people will roar together like strong lions. They will growl like lion cubs.
39And while they lie inflamed with all their wine, I will prepare a different kind of feast for them. I will make them drink until they fall asleep, and they will never wake up again,' says the Lord.
40'I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats to be sacrificed.
41'How Babylon is fallen — great Babylon, praised throughout the earth! Now she has become an object of horror among the nations.
42The sea has risen over Babylon; she is covered by its crashing waves.
43Her cities now lie in ruins; she is a dry wasteland where no one lives or even passes by.
44And I will punish Bel, the god of Babylon, and make him vomit up all he has eaten. The nations will no longer come and worship him. The wall of Babylon has fallen!
45'Come out, my people, flee from Babylon. Save yourselves! Run from the Lord’s fierce anger.
46But do not panic; don’t be afraid when you hear the first rumor of approaching forces. For rumors will keep coming year by year. Violence will erupt in the land as the leaders fight against each other.
47For the time is surely coming when I will punish this great city and all her idols. Her whole land will be disgraced, and her dead will lie in the streets.
48Then the heavens and earth will rejoice, for out of the north will come destroying armies against Babylon,' says the Lord.
49'Just as Babylon killed the people of Israel and others throughout the world, so must her people be killed.
50Get out, all you who have escaped the sword! Do not stand and watch — flee while you can! Remember the Lord, though you are in a far-off land, and think about your home in Jerusalem.'
52'Yes,' says the Lord, 'but the time is coming when I will destroy Babylon’s idols. The groans of her wounded people will be heard throughout the land.
53Though Babylon reaches as high as the heavens and makes her fortifications incredibly strong, I will still send enemies to plunder her. I, the Lord, have spoken!
54'Listen! Hear the cry of Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians.
55For the Lord is destroying Babylon. He will silence her loud voice. Waves of enemies pound against her; the noise of battle rings through the city.
56Destroying armies come against Babylon. Her mighty men are captured, and their weapons break in their hands. For the Lord is a God who gives just punishment; he always repays in full.
57I will make her officials and wise men drunk, along with her captains, officers, and warriors. They will fall asleep and never wake up again!' says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
English Standard Version
25"Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares 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.
26No stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be a perpetual waste, declares the Lord.
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, Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like bristling locusts.
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 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.
30The 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.
31One 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;
32the fords have been seized, the marshes are burned with fire, and the soldiers are in panic.
33For 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"Nebuchadnezzar 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 stomach with my delicacies; he has rinsed me out.
35The violence done to me and to my kinsmen be upon Babylon," let the inhabitant of Zion say. "My blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea," let Jerusalem say.
36Therefore 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,
37and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant.
38 "They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl like lions ' cubs.
39 While they are inflamed I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk, that they may become merry, then sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the Lord.
40I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and male goats.
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 come up on Babylon; she is covered with its tumultuous waves.
43Her 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.
44And 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"Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every one save his life from the fierce anger of the Lord!
46Let 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"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 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, declares the Lord.
49Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth.
50 "You who have escaped from the sword, go, do not stand still! Remember the Lord from far away, and let Jerusalem come into your mind:
51 ‘We are put to shame, for we have heard reproach; dishonor has covered our face, for foreigners have come into the holy places of the Lord 's house.’
52"Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will execute judgment upon her images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan.
53Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord.
54 "A voice! A cry from Babylon! The noise of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55For the Lord is laying Babylon waste and stilling her mighty voice. Their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is raised,
56for 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 repay.
57 I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
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 nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire."
59The word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster.
New International Version
26No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever," declares the Lord.
27"Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts.
28Prepare the nations for battle against her— the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the countries they rule.
29The land trembles and writhes, for the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand— to lay waste the land of Babylon so that no one will live there.
30Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become weaklings. Her dwellings are set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken.
31One courier follows another and messenger follows messenger to announce to the king of Babylon that his entire city is captured,
32the river crossings seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers terrified."
33This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled; the time to harvest her will soon come."
34"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out.
35May the violence done to our flesh be on Babylon," say the inhabitants of Zion. "May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia," says Jerusalem.
36Therefore this is what the Lord says: "See, I will defend your cause and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry.
37Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives.
38Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs.
39But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter— then sleep forever and not awake," declares the Lord.
40"I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats.
41"How Sheshak will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! How desolate Babylon will be among the nations!
42The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her.
43Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no one travels.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall.
45"Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord.
46Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler.
47For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
48Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her," declares the Lord.
49"Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.
51"We are disgraced, for we have been insulted and shame covers our faces, because foreigners have entered the holy places of the Lord’s house."
52"But days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will punish her idols, and throughout her land the wounded will groan.
53Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her," declares the Lord.
54"The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians.
55The Lord will destroy Babylon; he will silence her noisy din. Waves of enemies will rage like great waters; the roar of their voices will resound.
56A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the Lord is a God of retribution; he will repay in full.
57I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, officers and warriors as well; they will sleep forever and not awake," declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
New King James Version
Chapter 51
24“And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight,” says the Lord. 25“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys all the earth,” says the Lord. “And I will stretch out My hand against you, Roll you down from the rocks, And make you a burnt mountain. 26They shall not take from you a stone for a corner Nor a stone for a foundation, But you shall be desolate forever,” says the Lord. 27 Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. 28Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion. 29And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant. 30The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They have remained in their strongholds; Their might has failed, They became like women; They have burned her dwelling places, The bars of her gate are broken. 31 One runner will run to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides; 32 The passages are blocked, The reeds they have burned with fire, And the men of war are terrified.
33For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor When it is time to thresh her; Yet a little while And the time of her harvest will come.”
34“Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon Has devoured me, he has crushed me; He has made me an empty vessel, He has swallowed me up like a monster; He has filled his stomach with my delicacies, He has spit me out.
35Let the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon,” The inhabitant of Zion will say; “And my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea!” Jerusalem will say.
36Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry.
37 Babylon shall become a heap, A dwelling place for jackals, An astonishment and a hissing, Without an inhabitant.
38They shall roar together like lions, They shall growl like lions’ whelps.
39In their excitement I will prepare their feasts; I will make them drunk, That they may rejoice, And sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake,” says the Lord.
40“I will bring them down Like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams with male goats.
41“Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!
42 The sea has come up over Babylon; She is covered with the multitude of its waves.
43 Her cities are a desolation, A dry land and a wilderness, A land where no one dwells, Through which no son of man passes.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will bring out of his mouth what he has swallowed; And the nations shall not stream to him anymore. Yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
45“My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the Lord.
46And lest your heart faint, And you fear for the rumor that will be heard in the land (A rumor will come one year, And after that, in another year A rumor will come, And violence in the land, Ruler against ruler),
47Therefore behold, the days are coming That I will bring judgment on the carved images of Babylon; Her whole land shall be ashamed, And all her slain shall fall in her midst.
48Then the heavens and the earth and all that is in them Shall sing joyously over Babylon; For the plunderers shall come to her from the north,” says the Lord.
49As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, So at Babylon the slain of all the earth shall fall.
50 You who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the Lord afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51 We are ashamed because we have heard reproach. Shame has covered our faces, For strangers have come into the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house.
52“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will bring judgment on her carved images, And throughout all her land the wounded shall groan.
53 Though Babylon were to mount up to heaven, And though she were to fortify the height of her strength, Yet from Me plunderers would come to her,” says the Lord.
54 The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, And great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans,
55Because the Lord is plundering Babylon And silencing her loud voice, Though her waves roar like great waters, And the noise of their voice is uttered,
56Because the plunderer comes against her, against Babylon, And her mighty men are taken. Every one of their bows is broken; For the Lord is the God of recompense, He will surely repay.
57“And I will make drunk Her princes and wise men, Her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of hosts.
