The Judgment on Babylon
1The wordthat the LORDspakeagainst Babylon[and] against the landof the ChaldeansbyJeremiahthe prophet.
2Declareye among the nations,and publish,and set upa standard;publish,[and] concealnot: say,Babylonis taken,Belis confounded,Merodachis broken in pieces;her idolsare confounded,her imagesare broken in pieces.
3For out of the norththere cometh upa nationagainst her, which shall makeher landdesolate,and none shall dwelltherein: they shall remove,they shall depart,both manand beast.
Hope for Israel and Judah
4In those days,and in that time,saiththe LORD,the childrenof Israelshall come,they and the childrenof Judahtogether,goingand weeping:they shall go,and seekthe LORDtheir God.5They shall askthe wayto Zionwith their facesthitherward,[saying], Come,and let us joinourselves to the LORDin a perpetualcovenant[that] shall not be forgotten.
6My peoplehath been lostsheep:their shepherdshave caused them to go astray,they have turned them away{08675;07726> [on] the mountains:they have gonefrom mountainto hill,they have forgottentheir restingplace.
7All that foundthem have devouredthem: and their adversariessaid,We offendnot, because they have sinnedagainst the LORD,the habitationof justice,even the LORD,the hopeof their fathers.
8Removeout of the midstof Babylon,and go forth{08675;03318:08799} out of the landof the Chaldeans,and be as the he goatsbeforethe flocks.
9For, lo, I will raiseand cause to come upagainst Babylonan assemblyof greatnationsfrom the northcountry:and they shall set themselves in arrayagainst her; from thence she shall be taken:their arrows[shall be] as of a mightyexpert man{08676;07921:08688}; none shall returnin vain.
10And Chaldeashall be a spoil:all that spoilher shall be satisfied,saiththe LORD.
Babylon's Fall is Certain
11Because ye were glad,because ye rejoiced,O ye destroyersof mine heritage,because ye are grown fatas the heiferat grass,and bellowas bulls;
12Your mothershall be soreconfounded;she that bareyou shall be ashamed:behold, the hindermostof the nations[shall be] a wilderness,a dry land,and a desert.
13Because of the wrathof the LORDit shall not be inhabited,but it shall be wholly desolate:every one that goethby Babylonshall be astonished,and hissat all her plagues.
14Put yourselves in arrayagainst Babylonround about:all ye that bendthe bow,shootat her, spareno arrows:for she hath sinnedagainst the LORD.
15Shoutagainst her round about:she hath givenher hand:her foundationsare fallen,her wallsare thrown down:for it [is] the vengeanceof the LORD:take vengeanceupon her; as she hath done,dounto her.
16Cut offthe sowerfrom Babylon,and him that handleththe sicklein the timeof harvest:for fearof the oppressingswordthey shall turnevery oneto his people,and they shall fleeevery oneto his own land.
Redemption for God's People
17Israel[is] a scatteredsheep;the lionshave driven [him] away:firstthe kingof Assyriahath devouredhim; and lastthis Nebuchadrezzarkingof Babylonhath broken his bones.18Therefore thus saiththe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel;Behold, I will punishthe kingof Babylonand his land,as I have punishedthe kingof Assyria.19And I will bringIsraelagainto his habitation,and he shall feedon Carmeland Bashan,and his soulshall be satisfiedupon mountEphraimand Gilead.20In those days,and in that time,saiththe LORD,the iniquityof Israelshall be sought for,and [there shall be] none; and the sinsof Judah,and they shall not be found:for I will pardonthem whom I reserve.
The Destruction of Babylon
21Go upagainst the landof Merathaim,[even] against it, and against the inhabitantsof Pekod:wasteand utterly destroyafterthem, saiththe LORD,and doaccording to all that I have commandedthee.
22A soundof battle[is] in the land,and of greatdestruction.
23How is the hammerof the whole earthcut asunderand broken!how is Babylonbecome a desolationamong the nations!
24I have laid a snarefor thee, and thou art also taken,O Babylon,and thou wast not aware:thou art found,and also caught,because thou hast strivenagainst the LORD.
25The LORDhath openedhis armoury,and hath brought forththe weaponsof his indignation:for this [is] the workof the LordGODof hostsin the landof the Chaldeans.
26Comeagainst her from the utmost border,openher storehouses:cast her upas heaps,and destroy her utterly:let nothing of her be left.
27Slayall her bullocks;let them go downto the slaughter:woeunto them! for their dayis come,the timeof their visitation.
28The voiceof them that fleeand escape outof the landof Babylon,to declarein Zionthe vengeanceof the LORDour God,the vengeanceof his temple.
29Call togetherthe archersagainst Babylon:all ye that bendthe bow,campagainst it round about;let none thereof escape:recompenseher according to her work;according to all that she hath done,dounto her: for she hath been proudagainst the LORD,against the Holy Oneof Israel.
30Therefore shall her young menfallin the streets,and all her menof warshall be cut offin that day,saiththe LORD.
31Behold, I [am] against thee, [O thou] most proud,saiththe LordGODof hosts:for thy dayis come,the time[that] I will visitthee.
32And the most proudshall stumbleand fall,and none shall raise him up:and I will kindlea firein his cities,and it shall devourall round abouthim.
33Thus saiththe LORDof hosts;The childrenof Israeland the childrenof Judah[were] oppressedtogether:and all that took them captivesheld them fast;they refusedto let them go.
34Their Redeemer[is] strong;the LORDof hosts[is] his name:he shall throughlypleadtheir cause,that he may give restto the land,and disquietthe inhabitantsof Babylon.
35A sword[is] upon the Chaldeans,saiththe LORD,and upon the inhabitantsof Babylon,and upon her princes,and upon her wise[men].
36A sword[is] upon the liars;and they shall dote:a sword[is] upon her mighty men;and they shall be dismayed.
37A sword[is] upon their horses,and upon their chariots,and upon all the mingled peoplethat [are] in the midstof her; and they shall become as women:a sword[is] upon her treasures;and they shall be robbed.
38A drought[is] upon her waters;and they shall be dried up:for it [is] the landof graven images,and they are madupon [their] idols.
39Therefore the wild beasts of the desertwith the wild beasts of the islandsshall dwell[there], and the owlsshall dwelltherein: and it shall be no more inhabitedfor ever;neither shall it be dweltin from generationto generation.
40As GodoverthrewSodomand Gomorrahand the neighbour[cities] thereof, saiththe LORD;[so] shall no manabidethere, neither shall any sonof mandwelltherein.
41Behold, a peopleshall comefrom the north,and a greatnation,and manykingsshall be raised upfrom the coastsof the earth.
42They shall holdthe bowand the lance:they [are] cruel,and will not shew mercy:their voiceshall roarlike the sea,and they shall rideupon horses,[every one] put in array,like a manto the battle,against thee, O daughterof Babylon.
43The kingof Babylonhath heardthe reportof them, and his handswaxed feeble:anguishtook holdof him, [and] pangsas of a woman in travail.
44Behold, he shall come uplike a lionfrom the swellingof Jordanunto the habitationof the strong:but I will makethem suddenlyrun away{08675;07323:08799} from her: and who [is] a chosen[man, that] I may appointover her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time?and who [is] that shepherdthat will standbeforeme?45Therefore hearye the counselof the LORD,that he hath takenagainst Babylon;and his purposes,that he hath purposedagainst the landof the Chaldeans:Surely the leastof the flockshall draw them out:surely he shall make [their] habitationdesolatewith them.46At the noiseof the takingof Babylonthe earthis moved,and the cryis heardamong the nations.
