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| 1This is what the LORD says: "See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai. | 1This is what the LORD says: "Look, I'm going to stir up a destroying wind against Babylon and the inhabitants of Leb-kamai. |
| 2I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land; they will oppose her on every side in the day of her disaster. | 2I'll send foreigners to Babylon, and they'll winnow her, and devastate her land. They'll come against her from every side on the day of her disaster. |
| 3Let not the archer string his bow, nor let him put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; completely destroy her army. | 3Don't let the archer bend the bow; don't let him rise up in his armor. Don't spare her young men. Completely destroy her entire army. |
| 4They will fall down slain in Babylon, fatally wounded in her streets. | 4The slain will fall in the land of Chaldea, pierced through in her streets. |
| 5For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel. | 5Indeed, Israel and Judah haven't been abandoned by their God, by the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, although their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel." |
| 6"Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the LORD's vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves. | 6Flee from Babylon, and each of you, escape with your life! Don't be destroyed because of her guilt, for it's time for the LORD's vengeance. He is paying back what is due to her. |
| 7Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. | 7Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD's hand, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine, therefore the nations have gone mad. |
| 8Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her! Get balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed. | 8Suddenly, Babylon fell down and was shattered. Wail for her! Bring balm for her wound, perhaps she will be healed. |
| 9"'We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to our own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the heavens.' | 9We tried to heal Babylon, but she wouldn't be healed. Leave her, and let each of us go to his own country. For her judgment has reached to the heavens, and is lifted up to the sky. |
| 10"'The LORD has vindicated us; come, let us tell in Zion what the LORD our God has done.' | 10The LORD will vindicate us. Come! Let us declare the work of the LORD our God in Zion. |
| 11"Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple. | 11Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes— he has decided to destroy Babylon. Indeed, it's the LORD's vengeance, vengeance for his Temple. |
| 12Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The LORD will carry out his purpose, his decree against the people of Babylon. | 12Lift up the battle standard against Babylon's walls. Strengthen the guard; post watchmen. Set men in position for an ambush. For the LORD will both plan and carry out what he has declared against the inhabitants of Babylon. |
| 13You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be destroyed. | 13You who live beside many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, your life thread is cut. |
| 14The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you. | 14The LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sworn by himself: "I'll surely fill you with soldiers like a swarm of locusts, and they'll sing songs of victory over you." |
| 15"He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. | 15He made the earth by his power. He established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he spread out the heavens. |
| 16When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. | 16When his voice sounds, there is thunder from the waters of heaven, and he makes clouds rise up from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings wind out of his storehouses. |
| 17"Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them. | 17Everyone is stupid and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his own idols, for his images are false, and there is no life in them. |
| 18They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. | 18They're worthless, a work of mockery, and when the time of punishment comes, they'll perish. |
| 19He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the people of his inheritance-- the LORD Almighty is his name. | 19The Portion of Jacob is not like these. He made everything, including the tribe of his inheritance. The LORD of the Heavenly Armies is his name. |
| 20"You are my war club, my weapon for battle-- with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms, | 20"You are my war-club and weapons of war. I'll smash nations with you and destroy kingdoms with you. |
| 21with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver, | 21I'll smash the horse and its rider with you. I'll smash the chariot and its rider with you. |
| 22with you I shatter man and woman, with you I shatter old man and youth, with you I shatter young man and young woman, | 22I'll smash man and woman with you. I'll smash old man and young boy with you. I'll smash young man and young woman with you. |
| 23with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials. | 23I'll smash the shepherd and his flock with you. I'll smash the farmer and his team of oxen with you. I'll smash governors and officials with you. |
| 24"Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion," declares the LORD. | 24"Before your eyes I'll repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all the evil that they did in Zion," declares the LORD. |
| 25"I am against you, you destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth," declares the LORD. "I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. | 25"Look, I'm against you, destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD. "I'll stretch out my hand against you and roll you down from the crags. And I'll make you a burned-out mountain. |
| 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. | 26They won't get a cornerstone or a foundation stone from you, because you will be a wasteland 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. | 27Lift up a battle standard in the land. Blow a trumpet among the nations. Consecrate the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz against her. Appoint a commander against her, bring up horses like bristling 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. | 28Consecrate the nations against her, the kings of the Medes, their governors, their prefects, and every land under their domination. |
| 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. | 29The land quakes and writhes because the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand firm, to make the land of Babylon a waste without inhabitants. |
| 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. | 30The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting. They stay in their strongholds; their strength is dried up; they have become like women. Her buildings 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, | 31One runner runs to meet another runner, and one messenger to meet another messenger, to tell the king of Babylon that his city has been seized from one end to the other. |
| 32the river crossings seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers terrified." | 32The fords have been captured, and the marshes burned with fire. The soldiers are 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." | 33For this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it's pounded down. In just a little while, the time of her harvest will 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. | 34"King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me. He set me down like an empty vessel. He swallowed me like a monster, and filled his belly with my delicacies. Then he washed me away. |
| 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. | 35May the violence done to me and my flesh be on Babylon," says the inhabitant of Zion. "May my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea," 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. | 36Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Look, I'm going to argue your case and take vengeance for you. I'll dry up her sea and make her fountain dry. |
| 37Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives. | 37Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a refuge for jackals, a desolate place and an object of scorn. |
| 38Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. | 38They'll roar together like young lions; they'll 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. | 39When they're excited I'll serve them their banquet, and make them drunk until they're merry. They'll sleep forever and won't wake up," declares the LORD. |
| 40"I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats. | 40"I'll bring them down like lambs for the slaughter, like rams with male goats. |
| 41"How Sheshak will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! How desolate Babylon will be among the nations! | 41"How Sheshak will be captured, and the prince of all the earth seized! How Babylon will become an object of horror among the nations! |
| 42The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her. | 42The sea will come up against Babylon, and she will be covered by wave upon wave. |
| 43Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no one travels. | 43Her cities will become an object of horror, a dry land and a desert, a land in which no one lives, and through which no human being passes. |
| 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. | 44I'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. |
| 45"Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD. | 45"Come out of her, my people, flee for your lives from the LORD's anger! |
| 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. | 46Do this now, so your heart does not grow faint, and so you don't become frightened because of the rumors that are heard in the land— a rumor comes one year and then after it another rumor comes the next year about violence in the land and one ruler against another 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. | 47Therefore, look, days are coming when I'll punish the idols of Babylon. Her entire land will be put to shame, and all her slain will fall in her midst. |
| 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. | 48Then the heavens and the earth and all that are in them will shout for joy about Babylon because the destroyers will come out of the north against 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. | 49"So Babylon will fall because of the slain of Israel, even as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. |
| 50You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger! Remember the LORD in a distant land, and call to mind Jerusalem." | 50Go, you who escaped the sword! Don't stand around! Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come to your mind. |
| 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." | 51We have been put to shame because we have heard insults. Disgrace has covered our faces because foreigners have come into 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. | 52"Therefore, look, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I'll 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. | 53Though Babylon should reach up to the heavens and fortify her high fortresses, from me destroyers will come to her," declares the LORD. |
| 54"The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians. | 54"The sound of a cry is coming from Babylon, great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans. |
| 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. | 55For the LORD is destroying Babylon, and he will make the loud sounds from her disappear. Their waves will roar like many waters, the noise of their voices will sound forth. |
| 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. | 56Indeed, the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon. Her warriors are captured, and her bows are broken. For the LORD is a God of recompense, and 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. | 57I'll make their leaders, their wise men, their governors, their deputies, and their warriors drunk so that they sleep forever and don't wake up," declares the King whose name is the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. |
| 58This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Babylon's thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames." | 58This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "The broad wall of Babylon will be completely leveled, and its high gate set on fire. and so the peoples toil for nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire." |
| 59This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. | 59This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet delivered to Neriah's son Seraiah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with King Zedekiah of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster. |
| 60Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon--all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. | 60Jeremiah wrote on a single scroll all the disasters that would come on Babylon, all these things that were written about Babylon. |
| 61He said to Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. | 61Jeremiah told Seraiah, "When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, |
| 62Then say, 'LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate forever.' | 62and say, 'LORD, you have declared about this place that you would destroy it so that there wouldn't be an inhabitant in it, neither human nor animal, because it will be a wasteland forever.' |
| 63When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. | 63When you finish reading this scroll, tie a rock around it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates. |
| 64Then say, 'So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.'" The words of Jeremiah end here. | 64Then say, 'Babylon will sink like this and won't rise from the disaster that I'm bringing on her. Her people will be exhausted.'" This concludes the writings of Jeremiah. |
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