Jeremiah 51:44
New International Version
I 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.

New Living Translation
And 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!

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.

King James Bible
And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

New King James Version
I 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.

New American Standard Bible
“I 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!

NASB 1995
“I 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 to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!

NASB 1977
“And I shall punish Bel in Babylon, And I shall make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!

Legacy Standard Bible
I 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 to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down!

Amplified Bible
“I will punish and judge Bel [the handmade god] in Babylon And take out of his mouth what he has swallowed up [the stolen sacred articles and the captives of Judah and elsewhere]. The nations will no longer flow to him. Yes, the wall of Babylon has fallen down!

Christian Standard Bible
I 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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I 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.

American Standard Version
And I will execute judgment upon Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

Contemporary English Version
I will punish Marduk, the god of Babylon, and make him vomit out everything he gobbled up. Then nations will no longer bring him gifts, and Babylon's walls will crumble.

English Revised Version
And I will do judgment upon Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make Bel spit out everything that it has swallowed. Nations will no longer stream to Babylon, and its walls will fall.

Good News Translation
I will punish Bel, the god of Babylonia, and make him give up his stolen goods; the nations will not worship him any more. "Babylon's walls have fallen.

International Standard Version
I'll punish Bel in Babylon, and I'll make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth. The nations will no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon will fall.

Majority Standard Bible
I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.

NET Bible
I will punish the god Bel in Babylon. I will make him spit out what he has swallowed. The nations will not come streaming to him any longer. Indeed, the walls of Babylon will fall."

New Heart English Bible
I will execute judgment on Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more to him: yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall."

Webster's Bible Translation
And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed: and the nations shall not flow together any more to him: even the wall of Babylon shall fall.

World English Bible
I will execute judgment on Bel in Babylon, and I will bring out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up. The nations will not flow any more to him. Yes, the wall of Babylon will fall.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I have seen after Bel in Babylon, "" And I have brought forth that which he swallowed—from his mouth, "" And nations no longer flow to him, "" Also the wall of Babylon has fallen.

Young's Literal Translation
And I have seen after Bel in Babylon, And I have brought forth that which he swallowed -- from his mouth, And flow no more unto him do nations, Also the wall of Babylon hath fallen.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I reviewed over Bel in Babel, and brought forth his swallowing from his mouth: and the nations shall no more flow to him: also the wall of Babel fell.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will visit against Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he had swallowed down: and the rations shall no more flow together to him, for the wall also of Babylon shall fall.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I will visit against Bel in Babylon, and I will cast from his mouth what he has swallowed. And the nations will no longer flow together before him. For even the wall of Babylon will also fall.

New American Bible
I will punish Bel in Babylon, and make him vomit up what he swallowed; nations shall no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon falls!

New Revised Standard Version
I will punish Bel in Babylon, and make him disgorge what he has swallowed. The nations shall no longer stream to him; the wall of Babylon has fallen.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up; and the nations shall not worship him anymore; yea, even the broad walls of Babylon shall fall.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall pronounce sentence against Beyl in Babel, and I shall take his cake out of his mouth, and the nations shall not fear him again, and also the broad walls of Babel shall fall!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up, And the nations shall not flow any more unto him; Yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will take vengeance on Babylon, and bring forth out of her mouth what she has swallowed down, and the nations shall no more be gathered to her:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Babylon's Punishment
43Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and arid land, a land where no one lives, where no son of man passes through. 44I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall. 45Come out of her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the fierce anger of the LORD.…

Cross References
Revelation 18:2-3
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. / All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”

Isaiah 47:1-3
“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. / Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

Revelation 17:1-2
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

Isaiah 14:22-23
“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD. / “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Revelation 18:21
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.

Isaiah 13:19
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Isaiah 21:9
Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.

Isaiah 46:1-2
Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal. / The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity.

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Isaiah 48:14
Come together, all of you, and listen: Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out His desire against Babylon, and His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

Revelation 18:9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.

Isaiah 45:1-2
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: / “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

Revelation 18:23
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”


Treasury of Scripture

And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more to him: yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

I will punish

Jeremiah 51:18,47
They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish…

Jeremiah 50:2
Declare 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.

Isaiah 46:1,2
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast

I will bring

Jeremiah 51:32
And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

2 Chronicles 36:7
Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

Ezra 1:7
Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

the nations

Isaiah 2:2
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Isaiah 60:5
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

Daniel 3:2,3,29
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up…

the wall

Jeremiah 51:53,58
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD…

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Jeremiah 51
1. The severe judgment of God against Babylon, in revenge of Israel
59. Jeremiah delivers the book of this prophecy to Seraiah, to be cast into Euphrates,
64. in token of the perpetual sinking of Babylon














I will punish Bel in Babylon
The phrase begins with a declaration of divine judgment. "I will punish" indicates God's active role in executing justice. The Hebrew root for "punish" is פָּקַד (paqad), which can mean to visit, attend to, or reckon with. This suggests a direct intervention by God against the false deity "Bel," a title for Marduk, the chief god of Babylon. Historically, Bel was a central figure in Babylonian worship, representing the power and pride of the empire. God's punishment of Bel symbolizes the defeat of Babylon's spiritual and political power.

and make him spew out what he has swallowed
This vivid imagery of "make him spew out" conveys the idea of forced regurgitation, symbolizing the undoing of Babylon's conquests and plunder. The Hebrew verb used here is בָּלַע (bala), meaning to swallow or engulf. Babylon, personified by Bel, had metaphorically "swallowed" nations and wealth. God's intervention would cause Babylon to relinquish its ill-gotten gains, highlighting the futility of its greed and the ultimate justice of God.

The nations will no longer stream to him
The phrase "The nations will no longer stream to him" indicates a cessation of the flow of tribute, allegiance, and worship that Babylon once commanded. The Hebrew word for "stream" is נָהַר (nahar), which can mean to flow or to shine. This suggests a once vibrant and powerful draw that Babylon had over the nations, now coming to an end. Historically, Babylon was a center of commerce and power, attracting people from various regions. The cessation of this flow signifies the collapse of Babylon's influence and the end of its dominance.

and the wall of Babylon will fall
The "wall of Babylon" represents the city's strength and security. Babylon was renowned for its formidable walls, considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Hebrew word for "fall" is נָפַל (naphal), meaning to fall or collapse. This prophecy foretells the literal and symbolic downfall of Babylon. The fall of its walls signifies not just a military defeat but the crumbling of its pride and self-reliance. In a broader scriptural context, this serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human power and the ultimate sovereignty of God over all nations.

(44) And I will punish Bel in Babylon.--See Note on Jeremiah 50:2. The god whom Babylon worshipped is, as before, thought of as sharing her downfall. He is made to disgorge his spoil, the vessels of the Temple of Jehovah that had been placed in his temple (Daniel 5:2; Ezra 1:7).

The wall of Babylon shall fall.--The words, though they repeat the statement of Jeremiah 50:15, have here a special significance. The two great walls of the city bore, as has been stated above, the names of Imgur-Bel (= Bel protects) and Nimetti-Bel (= the dwelling of Bel), and were thus specially consecrated to him as their tutelary deity (Oppert, Expedit. en Mesop., i. p. 227; Records of the Past, v. 124). The name of the last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, is a further indication of the reverence felt for him as the supreme object of worship.

Verse 44. - Bel; i.e. Merodach, the patron deity of Babylon (see on Jeremiah 50:2). Swallowed up. An allusion to the myth mentioned above (see ver. 34). That which Bel, i.e. Babylon, has "swallowed up" is not only the spoil of the conquered nations, but those nations themselves. Yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall; literally, is fallen (is as good as fallen). The famous wall of Babylon (comp. ver. 58) is described by Herodotus (1:179, 181). From this clause down to the first half of ver. 49 is omitted in the Septuagint.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I will punish
וּפָקַדְתִּ֨י (ū·p̄ā·qaḏ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

Bel
בֵּ֜ל (bêl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1078: Bel -- a chief Babylonian deity

in Babylon.
בְּבָבֶ֗ל (bə·ḇā·ḇel)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

I will make him spew out
וְהֹצֵאתִ֤י (wə·hō·ṣê·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

what he swallowed.
בִּלְעוֹ֙ (bil·‘ōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1105: A swallowing, devouring, a thing swallowed

The nations
גּוֹיִ֑ם (gō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

will no
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

longer
ע֖וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

stream
יִנְהֲר֥וּ (yin·hă·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5102: To sparkle, be cheerful, to flow, assemble

to him;
אֵלָ֛יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

even
גַּם־ (gam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

the wall
חוֹמַ֥ת (ḥō·w·maṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2346: A wall of protection

of Babylon
בָּבֶ֖ל (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

will fall.
נָפָֽלָה׃ (nā·p̄ā·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 51:44 I will execute judgment on Bel (Jer.)
Jeremiah 51:43
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