Jeremiah

The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.

1This is the message the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet about Babylon and about the land of the Chaldeans.

2Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

2Tell the nations. Raise a flag and announce it. Hide nothing. Say: Babylon is captured. Bel is shamed. Merodach is shattered. Her idols are shamed and broken.

NoteBel and Merodach (also spelled Marduk) were the chief gods of Babylon. The "images" and "idols" are their statues.

3For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.

3A nation from the north is coming against her. It will leave her land empty. No one will live there. People and animals will run away.

4In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.

4In those days, says the LORD, the people of Israel and the people of Judah will come together. They will come crying, looking for the LORD their God.

5They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

5They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will say, "Come, let us join the LORD in a lasting promise no one forgets."

6My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

6My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds led them the wrong way, up into the mountains. They wandered hill to hill and forgot their resting place.

7All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.

7Everyone who found them ate them up. Their enemies said, "We are not guilty. They sinned against the LORD, their true home and their fathers' hope."

8Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.

8Get out of Babylon. Leave the land of the Chaldeans. Be like the male goats that walk out in front of the flock.

9For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.

9I will stir up a crowd of great nations from the north against Babylon. They will line up against her and take her. Their arrows never miss.

10And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the LORD.

10Chaldea will be stripped of everything. All who take her goods will have all they want, says the LORD.

11Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

11You were glad and you cheered while you destroyed what belongs to me. You played like a young cow in the grass and bellowed like bulls.

12Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

12So your mother will be deeply ashamed. The one who gave you birth will be disgraced. Babylon will be the least of nations, a dry and empty desert.

13Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

13Because the LORD is angry, no one will live there. It will be completely empty. Everyone who passes by will be shocked and whistle at her wounds.

14Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD.

14Line up all around Babylon, all of you who use the bow. Shoot at her. Do not save your arrows. She has sinned against the LORD.

15Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

15Shout the war cry against her from every side. She has given up. Her towers have fallen and her walls are torn down. The LORD is paying her back. Do to her what she did to others.

Note"She hath given her hand" is old English for surrender, like raising your hands to show you give up.

16Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

16Take away from Babylon the farmer who plants and the worker who cuts the grain. Facing the enemy's sword, each stranger will run home to his own people.

17Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

17Israel is a scattered flock chased away by lions. First the king of Assyria ate him up. Last, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon crushed his bones.

18Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

18So the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.

19And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.

19I will bring Israel back to his own pasture. He will feed on Carmel and Bashan. He will eat his fill on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

20In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

20In those days, says the LORD, someone will look for Israel's guilt and find none. He will look for Judah's sins and find none. I will forgive the people I keep.

21Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

21Go up against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Kill them and destroy them completely. Do everything I commanded you, says the LORD.

NoteMerathaim and Pekod are real areas in Babylon's territory. In Hebrew the names also sound like the words for "double rebellion" and "punishment."

22A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

22The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of terrible ruin.

23How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

23The hammer that pounded the whole earth is now broken to pieces. Babylon has become an empty ruin among the nations.

24I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD.

24I set a trap for you, Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it. You were found and taken because you fought against the LORD.

25The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

25The LORD has opened the room where he keeps his weapons. He has brought out the weapons of his anger. The Lord GOD of Armies has work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.

26Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.

26Come against her from the farthest border. Break open her grain storehouses. Pile her up like heaps of grain. Destroy her completely. Leave nothing.

27Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

27Kill all her young bulls. Send them down to be killed. How terrible for them! Their day has come, the time for their punishment.

28The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple.

28Listen. People are running away from the land of Babylon. In Zion they are telling how the LORD our God paid Babylon back for his temple.

29Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.

29Call the archers against Babylon, all who bend the bow. Camp all around her. Let no one escape. Pay her back for what she did. She was proud against the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

30Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD.

30So her young men will fall in the streets. All her soldiers will be silenced on that day, says the LORD.

31Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

31Look, I am against you, proud city, says the Lord GOD of Armies. Your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

32And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

32The proud one will trip and fall, and no one will help him up. I will light a fire in his cities that burns up everything around him.

33Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

33The LORD of Armies says: The people of Israel and the people of Judah are held down together. Everyone who captured them holds them tight and will not let them go.

34Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

34But the One who buys them back is strong. His name is the LORD of Armies. He will argue their case with force. He will bring rest to the land and trouble to the people of Babylon.

35A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

35A sword is coming against the Chaldeans, says the LORD. A sword against the people of Babylon, against her leaders and 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.

36A sword is coming against her false prophets, and they will look like fools. A sword against her soldiers, and they will be terrified.

NoteIn 1611 English, "liars" here means false prophets, and "dote" means to act like a fool, not to love someone.

37A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.

37A sword is coming against her horses, her chariots, and all the foreigners living inside her. They will become weak, like women. A sword against her treasure, and it will be stolen.

38A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

38A drought will hit her waters, and they will dry up. It is a land full of carved idols, and the people go crazy over them.

39Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

39So desert animals and hyenas will live there, and ostriches will make their homes there. No one will ever live there again, not for all time.

40As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

40God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns near them. In the same way, says the LORD, no one will stay in Babylon. No one will live there.

41Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

41Look, an army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the far ends of the earth.

42They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

42They carry bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their noise roars like the sea. They ride horses, lined up for war against you, Daughter Babylon.

43The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

43The king of Babylon has heard the news, and his hands hang limp. Fear grabs him, and pain like a woman having a baby.

44Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

44An enemy will come up like a lion from the thick bushes by the Jordan into good pasture. In a moment I will chase Babylon from her land. Who is the leader I will choose for this? Who is like me? Who can call me to court? What shepherd can stand against me?

45Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

45So listen to the LORD's plan against Babylon and what he has decided for the land of the Chaldeans. Even the smallest of the flock will be dragged away. Their pasture will be left empty.

46At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

46When Babylon is captured, the earth will shake. Her cry will be heard among the nations.