International Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1This is the word the LORD spoke about Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through the prophet Jeremiah:

2"Declare and proclaim among the nations. Lift up a banner and proclaim. Don't conceal anything. Say, 'Babylon will be captured. Bel will be disgraced, and Marduk will be destroyed. Her idols will be disgraced, and her filthy images will be destroyed.'

2Announce to the nations; proclaim and raise up a signal flag; proclaim, and hide nothing. Say, "Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is terrified." Her idols are put to shame; her false gods, devastated.

3For a nation from the north will go up against her. It will make her land into an object of horror, and no one will live in it. Both people and animals will wander off, and they'll leave.

3For a nation from the north will attack her; it will make her land desolate. No one will be living in it--both people and animals will escape.

4In those days, and at that time," declares the LORD, "the people of Israel will come together with the people of Judah. They'll be weeping as they travel along, and they'll be seeking the LORD their God.

4In those days and at that time--this is the LORD's declaration--the Israelites and Judeans will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.

5They'll ask the way to Zion, turning their faces in that direction. They'll come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that won't be forgotten.

5They will ask about Zion, turning their faces to this road. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in a permanent covenant that will never be forgotten.

6My people have become lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them toward the mountains. They go from mountain to hill. They have forgotten their resting place.

6My people were lost sheep; their shepherds led them astray, guiding them the wrong way in the mountains. They wandered from mountain to hill; they forgot their resting place.

7All who find them devour them, but their enemies say, 'We're not guilty, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of righteousness, the LORD, the hope of their ancestors.'

7Whoever found them devoured them. Their adversaries said, "We're not guilty; instead, they have sinned against the LORD, their righteous grazing land, the hope of their ancestors, the LORD."

8Move away from the middle of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans. Be like male goats at the head of the flock.

8Escape from Babylon; depart from the Chaldeans' land. Be like the rams that lead the flock.

9Indeed, I'm going to stir up and bring against Babylon a great company of nations from the land of the north. They'll deploy for battle against her, and from there she will be captured. Their arrows will be like a skilled warrior; they won't miss their targets.

9For I will soon stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country. They will line up in battle formation against her; from there she will be captured. Their arrows will be like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.

10The Chaldeans will become plunder, and all who plunder them will get more than enough," declares the LORD.

10The Chaldeans will become plunder; all Babylon's plunderers will be fully satisfied. This is the LORD's declaration.

11"Though you rejoice, though you exult, you plunderers of my inheritance, though you skip around like a heifer in the grass and neigh like stallions,

11Because you rejoice, because you celebrate--you who plundered my inheritance--because you frolic like a young cow treading grain and neigh like stallions,

12your mother will be greatly devastated, she who gave birth to you will be ashamed. She will become the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

12your mother will be utterly humiliated; she who bore you will be put to shame. Look! She will lag behind all the nations--an arid wilderness, a desert.

13Because of the anger of the LORD she won't be inhabited, but will be utterly devastated. Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified and will scoff because of all her wounds.

13Because of the LORD's wrath, she will not be inhabited; she will become a desolation, every bit of her. Everyone who passes through Babylon will be appalled and scoff because of all her wounds.

14Deploy the troops all around Babylon. All who bend the bow, shoot at her and spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD.

14Line up in battle formation around Babylon, all you archers! Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow, for she has sinned against the LORD.

15Raise a battle cry against her on every side. She has surrendered, her pillars have fallen, her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her.

15Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender; her defense towers have fallen; her walls are demolished. Since this is the LORD's vengeance, take your vengeance on her; as she has done, do the same to her.

16Eliminate from Babylon the one who plants seeds and the one who uses the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor's sword, let each one turn toward his own people and flee to his own land."

16Cut off the sower from Babylon as well as him who wields the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor's sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

17"Israel is a scattered flock, driven out by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria, and then afterward King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gnawed his bones.

17Israel is a stray lamb, chased by lions. The first who devoured him was the king of Assyria; the last who crushed his bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

18Therefore this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Look, I'm about to judge the king of Babylon and his land, just as I've judged the king of Assyria.

18Therefore, this is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to punish the king of Babylon and his land just as I punished the king of Assyria.

19I'll bring Israel back to his pasture. He will graze on Carmel, on Bashan, on Mt. Ephraim, and on Gilead—his hunger will be satisfied.

19I will return Israel to his grazing land, and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan; he will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and of Gilead.

20In those days and at that time,' declares the LORD, 'the iniquity of Israel will be searched for, but there will be none; and the sin of Judah, but none will be found, because I'll pardon those I leave as a remnant.'"

20In those days and at that time--this is the LORD's declaration--one will search for Israel's iniquity, but there will be none, and for Judah's sins, but they will not be found, for I will forgive those I leave as a remnant.

21"Go up against the land of Merathaim and the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill them with swords, and completely destroy them," declares the LORD, "and do everything that I've commanded you.

21Attack the land of Merathaim, and those living in Pekod. Put them to the sword; completely destroy them--this is the LORD's declaration--do everything I have commanded you.

22The noise of battle is in the land, and great destruction.

22The sound of war is in the land--a crushing blow!

23How the hammer of all the earth is cut off and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!

23How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and smashed! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!

24I'll set a trap for you, and you will be caught, Babylon, but you don't realize it. You will be found and also seized, because you challenged the LORD!

24Babylon, I laid a trap for you, and you were caught, but you did not even know it. You were found and captured because you pitted yourself against the LORD.

25"The LORD will open his armory, and bring out the weapons of his anger. Indeed, a work of the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will be in the land of the Chaldeans.

25The LORD opened his armory and brought out his weapons of wrath, because it is a task of the Lord GOD of Armies in the land of the Chaldeans.

26Come to her from afar. Open up her barns. Pile her up like heaps of grain, and completely destroy her. Don't leave any survivors.

26Come against her from the most distant places. Open her granaries; pile her up like mounds of grain and completely destroy her. Leave her no survivors.

27Put all her bulls to the sword, let them go down to the slaughter. How terrible for them because their day has come, the time of their judgment.

27Put all her young bulls to the sword; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them because their day has come, the time of their punishment.

28"The sound of fugitives and refugees will come from the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, vengeance for his Temple.

28There is a voice of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon. The voice announces in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance for his temple.

29"Summon many to Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Camp all around her, let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds. Do to her just as she has done. For she has behaved arrogantly against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

29Summon the archers to Babylon, all who string the bow; camp all around her; let none escape. Repay her according to her deeds; just as she has done, do the same to her, for she has acted arrogantly against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.

30Therefore, her warriors will fall in her streets, and all her soldiers will be silenced on that day," declares the LORD.

30Therefore, her young men will fall in her public squares; all the warriors will perish in that day. This is the LORD's declaration.

31"Look, I'm against you, arrogant one," declares the LORD God of the Heavenly Armies. "Indeed your day is coming, the time of your judgment.

31Look, I am against you, you arrogant one--this is the declaration of the Lord GOD of Armies--for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

32The arrogant one will stumble and fall, and there will be no one to lift him up. I'll set fire to his cities, and it will devour everything around him."

32The arrogant will stumble and fall with no one to pick him up. I will set fire to his cities, and it will consume everything around him.

33This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "The people of Israel are oppressed, along with the people of Judah. All their captors have held on to them and refused to let them go.

33This is what the LORD of Armies says: Israelites and Judeans alike have been oppressed. All their captors hold them fast; they refuse to release them.

34Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is his name. He will vigorously plead their case in order to bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.

34Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Armies is his name. He will fervently champion their cause so that he might bring rest to the earth but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.

35A sword against the Chaldeans," declares the LORD, "and against the inhabitants of Babylon, against her officials and her wise men.

35A sword is over the Chaldeans--this is the LORD's declaration--against those who live in Babylon, against her officials, and against her sages.

36A sword against the diviners. They'll be made fools. A sword against her warriors. They'll be shattered.

36A sword is against the diviners, and they will act foolishly. A sword is against her heroic warriors, and they will be terrified.

37A sword against her horses, against her chariots, and against all the foreign troops in her midst. They'll become women. A sword against her treasures. They'll be plundered.

37A sword is against his horses and chariots and against all the foreigners among them, and they will be like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered.

38A drought against her waters. They'll dry up. For it's a land of idols, and they go mad over their terrifying images.

38A drought will come on her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of carved images, and they go mad because of terrifying things.

39Therefore the desert creatures along with hyenas will live there. They'll live in it with ostriches, but people won't live in it again. They won't inhabit it from generation to generation.

39Therefore, desert creatures will live with hyenas, and ostriches will also live in her. It will never again be inhabited or lived in through all generations.

40Just as when God overthrew Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighbors," declares the LORD, "so also no one will live there. No human being will reside in it.

40Just as God demolished Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns--this is the LORD's declaration--so no one will live there; no human being will stay in it even temporarily as a temporary resident.

41"Look, people are coming from the north. A great nation and many kings will be stirred up from the ends of the earth.

41Look! A people comes from the north. A great nation and many kings will be stirred up from the remote regions of the earth.

42They grab bow and spear. They're cruel and show no mercy. Their sound roars like the sea, as they ride on horses deployed like men ready for battle against you, daughter of Babylon.

42They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, lined up like men in battle formation against you, Daughter Babylon.

43The king of Babylon has heard the news about them, and his hands hang limp. Distress has seized him, like a woman in labor.

43The king of Babylon has heard about them; his hands have become weak. Distress has seized him--pain, like a woman in labor.

44"Look, like a lion comes up from the thicket of the Jordan to a pasture that grows year round, so I'll drive them away from her in an instant, and I'll appoint whomever is chosen over her. Indeed, who is like me? Who gives me counsel? Who is the shepherd who will stand against me?"

44"Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets of the Jordan to the watered grazing land. I will chase Babylon away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like me? Who will issue me a summons? Who is the shepherd who can stand against me?"

45Therefore, hear the plan that the LORD has made against Babylon, and the strategy that he devised against the land of the Chaldeans. Surely they'll drag the little ones of the flock away. Surely their pasture will be desolate because of them.

45Therefore, hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies he has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Certainly the flock's little lambs will be dragged away; certainly the grazing land will be made desolate because of them.

46At the shout that Babylon has been seized, the earth will be shaken, and the cry will be heard among the nations.

46At the sound of Babylon's conquest the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.