Online Bible

Juicios contra Babilonia

Así dice el SEÑOR:He aquí, levanto contra Babiloniay contra los habitantes de Leb Camay¹el espíritu de un destructor²^a.

2 Y enviaré extranjeros¹ a Babilonia que la aventarán^ay vaciarán su tierra;porque estarán contra ella por todos ladosel día de su tribulación.3 Que no entese¹ el entesador² su arco³^a,ni⁴ se levante con su coraza^b;no perdonéis a sus jóvenes;entregad a la destrucción todo su ejército.4 Caerán muertos¹ en la tierra de los caldeos,y traspasados en sus calles^a.

5 Porque no ha sido abandonado Israel ni Judápor¹ su Dios, el SEÑOR de los ejércitos^a,aunque su tierra está llena de culpa^bdelante del Santo de Israel.6 Huid de en medio de Babilonia^a,y salve cada uno su vida.No perezcáis¹ por su culpa²^b,pues este es el tiempo de la venganza del SEÑOR^c;Él le dará su pago^d.7 Copa de oro ha sido Babilonia en la mano del SEÑOR,que embriagaba toda la tierra.De su vino bebieron las naciones^a;se enloquecieron, por tanto, las naciones^b.8 De repente cae Babilonia y se hace pedazos^a.Gemid por ella,traed bálsamo para su dolor^b;quizá se cure^c.9 Quisimos curar a Babilonia, pero no ha sanado;dejadla, y vayamos cada cual a su tierra^a,porque ha llegado al cielo su juicio^b,se ha elevado hasta las nubes.10 El SEÑOR ha sacado a la luz nuestra justicia^a;venid y contemos en Siónla obra del SEÑOR nuestro Dios^b.

11 Afilad las flechas, llenad las aljabas;el SEÑOR ha despertado el espíritu de los reyes de Media,porque su plan contra Babilonia es destruirla^a;porque esta es la venganza del SEÑOR, la venganza de su templo^b.12 Levantad bandera contra los muros de Babilonia;reforzad la guardia,apostad centinelas,preparad emboscadas;porque el SEÑOR ha decidido, y también ejecutará^alo que habló acerca de los habitantes de Babilonia^b.13 Oh, tú, que moras junto a muchas aguas^a,rica en tesoros^b,ha llegado tu fin,el término¹ de tu codicia^c.14 El SEÑOR de los ejércitos ha jurado por sí mismo^a:Ciertamente te llenaré de hombres como langostas^b,y entonarán contra ti gritos de victoria¹.

15 Él es el que hizo la tierra con su poder,el que estableció el mundo con su sabiduría,y con su inteligencia extendió los cielos^a.16 Cuando emite su voz, hay tumulto de aguas en los cielos,y hace subir las nubes desde los confines de la tierra.Él produce los relámpagos^a para la lluvia,y saca el viento^b de sus depósitos^c.17 Toda la humanidad es necia, falta de conocimiento;se avergüenza todo orfebre de sus ídolos¹,porque sus imágenes fundidas son engaño,y no hay aliento en ellas^a.18 Vanidad son, obra ridícula;en el tiempo de su castigo perecerán^a.19 No es como estas cosas la porción de Jacob;porque Él es el Hacedor¹ de todo,y de la tribu² de su heredad;el SEÑOR de los ejércitos es su nombre^a.20 Él dice: Eres mi mazo^a, mi arma de guerra;contigo destrozaré naciones^b,contigo destruiré reinos,21 contigo destrozaré el caballo y a su jinete^a,contigo destrozaré al carro y al que lo conduce^b,22 contigo destrozaré al hombre y a la mujer,contigo destrozaré al viejo y al joven^a,contigo destrozaré al mancebo^b y a la virgen,23 contigo destrozaré al pastor y su rebaño,contigo destrozaré al labrador y su yuntay contigo destrozaré a los gobernadores y a los magistrados¹.

24 Y pagaré a Babilonia y a todos los habitantes de Caldea^atodo el mal que han hecho^b en Sióndelante de vuestros ojos—declara el SEÑOR.25 He aquí, yo estoy contra ti, monte destructor,que destruyes toda la tierra—declara el SEÑOR^a.Extenderé mi mano contra ti^b,te haré rodar desde las peñasy te reduciré a monte quemado^c.26 Y no tomarán de ti piedra angular,ni piedra para cimientos,pues desolación eterna serás^a—declara el SEÑOR.

27 Levantad señal¹ en la tierra^a,tocad trompeta entre las naciones.Reunid² las naciones contra ella^b,convocad contra ella los reinos de Ararat^c, Mini y Asquenaz^d;nombrad contra ella capitán,haced subir caballos^e como langostas erizadas.

28 Reunid¹ a las naciones contra ella,a los reyes de Media,a sus gobernadores, a todos sus magistrados²y a toda la tierra de su dominio.29 La tierra tiembla y se retuerce,porque se cumplen los designios del SEÑOR contra Babilonia^ade hacer de la tierra de Babiloniauna desolación¹, sin habitantes^b.30 Han dejado de luchar los valientes de Babilonia,permanecen en las fortalezas;se han agotado¹ sus fuerzas^a,se han vuelto como mujeres;han sido incendiadas sus moradas^b,rotos están sus cerrojos^c.31 Un correo¹ corre al encuentro de otro²^ay un mensajero³ al encuentro de otro⁴^b,para decirle al rey de Babiloniaque su ciudad ha sido tomada de un extremo al otro;32 también los vados han sido ocupados,y quemados a fuego los juncos¹,y los guerreros están aterrados.

33 Porque así dice el SEÑOR de los ejércitos, el Dios de Israel:La hija de Babilonia es como una eraal tiempo de ser hollada^a;dentro de poco, le llegará el tiempo de la siega^b.

34 Me ha devorado y aplastado Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia^a,me ha dejado como vaso vacío^b,me ha tragado como un monstruo,ha llenado su estómago de mis delicias,me ha expulsado^c.35 Caiga sobre Babilonia la violencia hecha a mí y a mi carne^a—dirá la moradora de Sión.Caiga mi sangre sobre los habitantes de Caldea—dirá Jerusalén.

36 Por tanto, así dice el SEÑOR:He aquí, yo defenderé tu causa^a,y ejecutaré tu venganza^b;secaré su mar¹y haré que se sequen sus manantiales^c.

37 Y Babilonia se convertirá en escombros^a, en guarida de chacales,en objeto de horror y de burla, sin habitantes^b.38 A una como leones rugirán,gruñirán como cachorros de león^a.39 Cuando entren en calor, les serviré su banquetey los embriagaré^a, para que se diviertan,duerman un sueño^b eternoy no despierten—declara el SEÑOR.40 Los haré bajar como corderos al matadero^a,como carneros y¹ machos cabríos.

41 ¡Cómo ha sido tomada^a Sesac¹,y arrebatada la gloria de toda la tierra^b!¡Cómo se ha convertido Babilonia en objeto de horror entre las naciones!42 El mar¹ ha subido sobre Babilonia;con la multitud de sus olas ha sido cubierta^a.43 Sus ciudades se han convertido en desolación,en sequedal y yermo;una tierra en la cual nadie habita^a,y por la cual ningún hijo de hombre pasa^b.44 Y castigaré a Bel en Babilonia^a,sacaré^b de su boca lo que se ha tragado,y no afluirán más a él las naciones^c.Aun la muralla de Babilonia caerá^d.

45 Salid de en medio de ella, pueblo mío,y salve cada uno su vidadel ardor de la ira del SEÑOR^a.46 Y que no desmaye vuestro corazón^a,ni temáis al rumor que se oirá en la tierra^b;porque el rumor vendrá un¹ año,y después otro² rumor en otro³ año,y habrá violencia en la tierra^ccon gobernante contra gobernante.47 Por tanto, he aquí, vienen díasen que castigaré a los ídolos^a de Babilonia;será avergonzada toda su tierra^b,y todos sus muertos caerán en medio de ella.48 Entonces gritarán de gozo sobre Babilonia^ael cielo y la tierra y todo lo que en ellos hay,porque del norte vendrán a ella destructores^b—declara el SEÑOR.

49 Ciertamente caerá Babilonia por los muertos de Israel^a,como también por Babilonia han caído los muertos de toda la tierra^b.50 Los que escapasteis de la espada,partid, no os detengáis^a;acordaos desde lejos del SEÑOR,y venga Jerusalén a vuestra memoria¹^b.51 Estamos avergonzados porque hemos oído la afrenta;la ignominia ha cubierto nuestros rostros^a,porque extranjeros han entradoen los santuarios^b de la casa del SEÑOR.

52 Por tanto, he aquí, vienen días—declara el SEÑOR—en que castigaré a sus ídolos^a,y por toda su tierra gemirán los heridos de muerte.53 Aunque Babilonia ascienda a los cielos,y aunque fortifique en lo alto su baluarte¹^a,de mi parte llegarán destructores a ella^b—declara el SEÑOR.

54 ¡Clamor de gritos desde Babilonia,y de gran destrucción de la tierra^a de los caldeos!55 Porque el SEÑOR destruirá a Babilonia,y hará desaparecer de ella su gran bullicio¹.Bramarán sus olas como muchas aguas^a;resonará² el estruendo de sus voces.56 Porque viene contra ella, contra Babilonia, el destructor^a,sus valientes serán apresados,quebrados están sus arcos^b;porque Dios de retribuciones es el SEÑOR,ciertamente dará la paga^c.57 Yo embriagaré^a a sus príncipes y a sus sabios,a sus gobernantes, a sus magistrados¹ y a sus valientes,y dormirán un sueño^b eterno y no despertarán—declara el Rey cuyo nombre es el SEÑOR de los ejércitos^c.

58 Así dice el SEÑOR de los ejércitos:La ancha muralla de Babilonia será totalmente arrasada^a,y sus altas puertas^b quemadas;los pueblos habrán trabajado en vano,y las nacionessolo para el fuego^c se habrán fatigado^d.

59 Mensaje¹ que el profeta Jeremías mandó a Seraías, hijo de Nerías, hijo de Maasías, cuando fue con Sedequías, rey de Judá^a, a Babilonia en el año cuarto de su reinado^b. (Seraías era jefe de abastecimientos.) 60 Escribió, pues, Jeremías en un solo rollo¹ toda la calamidad que había de venir sobre Babilonia, es decir, todas estas palabras que han sido escritas^a acerca de Babilonia. 61 Y Jeremías dijo a Seraías: Tan pronto llegues a Babilonia, lee¹ en voz alta todas estas palabras, 62 y di: «Oh SEÑOR, tú has hablado acerca de este lugar, de destruirlo hasta que no quede morador en ella, ya sea hombre o animal¹, sino que desolación eterna será^a». 63 Y¹ tan pronto termines de leer este rollo², le atarás una piedra y lo arrojarás^a en medio del Eufrates, 64 y dirás: «Así se hundirá Babilonia y no se levantará más, por la calamidad que traeré sobre ella^a; extenuados sucumbirán^b». Hasta aquí las palabras^c de Jeremías.

Babylon Judged for Sins against Israel

Thus says the LORD:“Behold, I am going to stir up and put into action a fury against BabylonAnd against the rebellious people of Leb-kamai (Chaldea)A ^adestroying wind and hostile spirit;

2 And I will send foreigners to Babylon that they may ^awinnow herAnd may devastate and empty her land;For in the day of destructionThey will be against her on every side.3 “Do not let him (the Chaldean defender) who ^abends his bow bend it,Nor let him rise up in his ^bcoat of armor.So do not spare her young men;Devote her entire army to destruction.4 “They shall fall down dead in the land of the Chaldeans,And ^awounded in her streets.”

5 For ^aneither Israel nor Judah has been ¹abandonedBy his God, the LORD of hosts,Though their land is ^bfull of sin and guiltBefore the Holy One of Israel.6 ^aFlee out of Babylon,Let every one of you save his life!Do not be ^bdestroyed in her punishment,For this is the ^ctime of the LORD’S vengeance;He is going to ^dpay her what she has earned. Jer 50:28; 2+@Cor 6:17; Rev 18:47 Babylon has been a golden ^acup in the LORD’S hand,Intoxicating all the earth.The ^bnations drank her wine;Therefore the nations have ^cgone mad. Rev 14:8; 17:48 ^aBabylon has suddenly fallen and is shattered!^bWail for her if you care to!^cGet balm for her incurable pain;Perhaps she may be healed. Jer 25:15; Rev 14:8-10; 16:19; 18:2, 39 We would have healed Babylon, but she was not to be healed.Abandon her and ^alet each captive return to his own country,For her guilt and judgment have ^breached to heavenAnd are lifted up to the very skies. Gen 18:20, 2110 The LORD has ^abrought about our vindication and has revealed the righteousness of our cause;Come and let us ^bproclaim in ZionThe work of the LORD our God!

11 ^aSharpen the arrows, take up the shields and cover yourselves!The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the ¹Medes,Because His purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it;For that is the ^bvengeance of the LORD, vengeance on Babylon for plundering and destroying His temple.12 ^aSet up a signal on the walls of Babylon to spread the news;Post a strong blockade,Station the guards,Prepare the men for ambush!For the LORD has both ^bpurposed and doneThat which He spoke against the people of Babylon.13 O Babylon you who ^alive by many waters,Rich in ^btreasures,Your end has come,And the line measuring your life is ^ccut. Rev 17:1-614 The ^aLORD of hosts has sworn an oath by Himself, saying,“Surely I will fill you with men, as with a swarm of ^blocusts who strip the land clean,And they will lift up a song and shout of victory over you.”

15 ^aHe made the earth by His power;He established the world by His wisdomAnd ^bstretched out the heavens by His understanding.16 When He utters His ^avoice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,And He causes the ^bclouds to ascend from the ends of the earth.He makes lightnings for the rainAnd brings out the ^cwind from His storehouses.17 ^aEvery man has become stupid and brutelike, without knowledge of God;Every goldsmith is shamed by the cast images he has made;For his molten idols are ^ba lie,And there is no breath of life or spirit in them.18 They are ^aworthless (empty, false, futile) , a work of delusion and worthy of derision;In the time of their inspection and punishment they will perish.19 The ^aPortion of Jacob the true God of Israel is not like these handmade gods;For He is the Maker of all and the One who formed and fashioned all things,And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance—The ^bLORD of hosts is His name. Jer 10:12-1620 “You Cyrus of Persia, soon to conquer Babylon are My ^abattle-axe and weapon of war—For with you I ^bshatter nations,With you I destroy kingdoms.21 “With you I ^ashatter the horse and his rider,With you I shatter the ^bchariot and its driver,22 With you I shatter ^aman and woman,With you I shatter old man and ^byouth,With you I shatter young man and virgin,23 With you I shatter the shepherd and his flock,With you I shatter the farmer and his yoke of oxen,And with you I shatter governors and commanders.

24 “And I will completely repay Babylon and all the people of ^aChaldea for ^ball the evil that they have done in Zion—before your very eyes I will do it,” says the LORD.

25 “Behold, ^aI am against you,^bO destroying mountain conqueror of nations,Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the LORD,“I will stretch out My hand against you,And roll you down from the rugged cliffs,And will make you a ^cburnt mountain (extinct volcano) .26 “They will not take from you even a stone for a cornerstoneNor any rock for a foundation,But you will be ¹^adesolate forever,” says the LORD.

27 ^aLift up a signal in the land to spread the news!Blow the trumpet among the nations!Dedicate the nations for war against her;Call against her the ^bkingdoms of ^cArarat, Minni, and ^dAshkenaz.Appoint a marshal against her;Cause the ^ehorses to come up like bristly locusts with their wings not yet released from their cases.28 Prepare and dedicate the nations for war against her—The kings of Media,With their governors and commanders,And every land of their dominion.29 The ^aland trembles and writhes in pain and sorrow,For the purposes of the LORD against Babylon stand,To make the land of BabylonA ^bdesolation without inhabitants.30 The ^amighty warriors of Babylon have ceased to fight;They remain in their strongholds.^bTheir strength and power have failed;They are becoming weak and helpless ^clike women.Their dwelling places are set on fire;The ¹^dbars on her gates are broken.31 One ^acourier runs to meet another,And one ^bmessenger to meet another,To tell the ¹king of BabylonThat his city has been captured from end to end;32 And that the fords across the Euphrates have been blocked and the ferries seized,And they have set the great marshes on fire,And the men of war are terrified.

33 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:“The Daughter of Babylon is like a ¹^athreshing floorAt the time it is being trampled and prepared;Yet in a little while the time of ^bharvest will come for her.”

34 “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has ^adevoured ¹me, he has crushed me,He has set me down like an ^bempty vessel.Like a monster he has ^cswallowed me up,He has filled his belly with my delicacies;He has spit me out and washed me away.35 “May the ^aviolence done to me and to my flesh and blood be upon Babylon,”The inhabitant of Zion will say;And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,”Jerusalem will say.

36 Therefore thus says the LORD,“Behold, I will ^aplead your caseAnd ^btake full vengeance for you;^cI will dry up her sea and great reservoirAnd make her fountain dry.

37 “^aBabylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt and dwelling place of jackals,An object of ^bhorror (an astonishing desolation) and a hissing of scorn and amazement, without inhabitants.38 “They (the Chaldean lords) will be roaring together before their sudden capture like ^ayoung lions roaring over their prey,They (the princes) will be growling like lions’ cubs.39 “When they are ¹inflamed with wine and lust during their drinking bouts, I will prepare them a feast of My wrathAnd ^amake them drunk, that they may rejoiceAnd may ^bsleep a perpetual sleepAnd not wake up,” declares the LORD.40 “I will bring them down like lambs ^ato the slaughter,Like rams together with male goats.

41 “How ^aSheshak (Babylon) has been captured,And ^bthe praise of the whole earth been seized!How Babylon has become an astonishing desolation and an object of horror among the nations!42 “The ^asea has come up over Babylon;She has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves.43 “Her cities have become an astonishing ^adesolation and an object of horror,A parched land and a desert,A land in which ^bno one lives,And through which no son of man passes.44 “^aI will punish and judge Bel the handmade god in BabylonAnd ^btake 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 ^cflow to him.Yes, the ^dwall of Babylon has fallen down!

45 “^aCome out of her midst, My people,And each of you escape and ^bsave yourselfFrom the fierce anger of the LORD. Jer 50:8; 2+@Cor 6:17; Rev 18:446 “Now beware ^aso that you do not lose heart,And so that you are not afraid at the ^brumor that will be heard in the land—For the rumor shall come one year,And after that another rumor in another year,And violence shall be in the land,^cRuler against ruler—47 Therefore behold (listen carefully) , the days are comingWhen I will judge and punish the ^aidols of Babylon;Her whole land will be perplexed and ^bshamed,And all her slain will fall in her midst.48 “Then ^aheaven and earth and all that is in themWill shout and sing for joy over Babylon,For the ¹^bdestroyers will come against her from the north,”Says the LORD. Is 44:23; Jer 51:11; Rev 12:12; 18:20

49 ^aIndeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel,As also for Babylon ^bthe slain of all the earth have fallen.50 You ^awho have escaped the sword,Go away! Do not stay!^bRemember the LORD from far away,And let desolate Jerusalem come into your mind.51 ^aWe are perplexed and ashamed, for we have heard reproach;Disgrace has covered our faces,For ^bforeigners from Babylon have comeInto the most sacred parts of the sanctuary of the LORD even those places forbidden to all but the appointed priest.

52 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,“When I will judge and punish the ^aidols of Babylon,And throughout her land the mortally wounded will groan.”53 “Though Babylon should ^aascend to the heavens,And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold,Yet destroyers will come on her from ^bMe,” says the LORD.

54 The ^asound of an outcry comes from Babylon,And the sound of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!55 For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon and make her a ruin,And He will still her great voice that hums with city life.And the ^awaves of her conquerors roar like great waters,The noise of their voices is raised up like the marching of an army.56 For the ^adestroyer is coming against her, against Babylon;And her mighty warriors will be captured,Their ^bbows are shattered;For the LORD is a God of just ^crestitution;He will fully repay.57 “I will ^amake her princes and her wise men drunk,Her governors and her commanders and her mighty warriors;They will sleep a ^bperpetual sleep and not wake up,”^cSays the King—the LORD of hosts is His name.

58 Thus says the LORD of hosts,“The ¹broad ^awall of Babylon will be completely overthrown and the foundations razedAnd her high ^bgates will be set on fire;The peoples will ^clabor in vain,And the nations become ^dexhausted only for fire that will destroy their work.” Hab 2:13

59 The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of ^aNeriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with ^bZedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now this Seraiah was chief chamberlain or quartermaster and brother of Baruch. 60 So Jeremiah ^awrote in a single scroll all the disaster which would come on Babylon, that is all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. 61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you come to Babylon, see to it that you read all these words aloud, 62 and say, ‘You, O LORD, have promised concerning this place to ^acut it off and destroy it, so that there shall be ^bnothing living in it, neither man nor animal, but it will be perpetually desolate.’ 63 And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you shall tie a stone to it and ^athrow it into the middle of the Euphrates. 64 Then say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink down and ^anot rise because of the disaster that I will bring on her; and the Babylonians will become hopelessly ^bexhausted.’” ^cThus the words of Jeremiah are completed. Rev 18:21

Babylon Judged for Sins against Israel

This is what the LORD says:“Behold, I am going to stir up¹The ^aspirit of a destroyer against BabylonAnd against the inhabitants of ²Leb-kamai.

2 “I will send ¹foreigners to Babylon so that they may ^awinnow herAnd devastate her land;For they will be opposed to her on every sideOn the day of her disaster.3 “Let not ¹him who ²^abends his bow ³bend it,Nor let him rise up in his ^bcoat of armor.Do not spare her young men;Devote all her army to destruction.4 “They will fall down ¹dead in the land of the Chaldeans,And ^apierced through in their streets.”

5 For ^aneither Israel nor Judah has been ¹forsakenBy his God, the LORD of armies,Although their land is ^bfull of guilt²Before the Holy One of Israel.6 ^aFlee from the midst of Babylon,And each of you save his life!Do not ^bperish in her ¹punishment,For this is the ^cLORD’S time of vengeance;He is going to ^drepay to her what she deserves.7 Babylon has been a golden ^acup in the hand of the LORD,Intoxicating all the earth.The ^bnations have drunk of her wine;Therefore the nations are ^cgoing insane.8 Suddenly ^aBabylon has fallen and been broken;^bWail over her!^cBring ¹balm for her pain;Perhaps she may be healed.9 We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;Abandon her and ^alet’s each go to his own country,For her judgment has ^breached to heavenAnd it rises to the clouds.10 The LORD has ^abrought ¹about our vindication;Come and let’s ^brecount in ZionThe work of the LORD our God!

11 ^aSharpen the arrows, fill the quivers!The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes,Because His plan is against Babylon to destroy it;For it is the ^bvengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple.12 ^aLift up a signal flag against the walls of Babylon;Post a strong guard,Station ¹sentries,Set up an ambush!For the LORD has both ^bplanned and performedWhat He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.13 You who ^alive by many waters,Abundant in ^btreasures,Your end has come,The ¹measure of your ²^cend.14 The ^aLORD of armies has sworn by Himself:“I will certainly fill you with a ¹population like ^blocusts,And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

15 It is ^aHe who made the earth by His power,Who established the world by His wisdom,And by His understanding He ^bstretched out the heavens.16 When He utters His ^avoice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens,And He makes the ^bclouds ascend from the end of the earth.He makes lightning for the rainAnd brings out ^cwind from His storehouses.17 ^aEvery person is stupid, devoid of knowledge;Every goldsmith is put to shame by his ¹idols,For his cast metal images are ^bdeceitful,And there is no breath in them.18 They are ^aworthless, a work of mockery;At the time of their punishment they will perish.19 The ^aportion of Jacob is not like these;For He is the ¹Maker of everything,And of the ²tribe of His inheritance;The ^bLORD of armies is His name.20 He says, “You are My ¹^awar-club, My weapon of war;And with you I ^bshatter nations,And with you I destroy kingdoms.21 “With you I ^ashatter the horse and his rider,And with you I shatter the ^bchariot and its rider,22 And with you I shatter ^aman and woman,And with you I shatter the old man and ^byouth,And with you I shatter the young man and virgin,23 And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock,And with you I shatter the farmer and his team,And with you I shatter governors and officials.

24 “But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of ^aChaldea for ^ball their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the LORD.

25 “Behold, ^aI am against you, mountain of ^bdestructionThat destroys the whole earth,” declares the LORD,“And I will stretch out My hand against you,And roll you down from the rocky cliffs,And I will make you a ^cburnt out mountain.26 “They will not take from you even a stone for a cornerNor a stone for foundations,But you will be ^adesolate forever,” declares the LORD.

27 ^aLift up a signal flag in the land,Blow a trumpet among the nations!Consecrate the nations against her,Summon against her the ^bkingdoms of ^cArarat, Minni, and ^dAshkenaz;Appoint an officer against her,Bring up the ^ehorses like bristly locusts.28 Consecrate the nations against her,The kings of the Medes,¹Their governors and all ²their officials,And every land ³under their control.29 So the ^aland quakes and writhes,For the plans of the LORD against Babylon stand,To make the land of Babylon¹A ^bdesolation without inhabitants.30 The ^awarriors of Babylon have ceased fighting,They stay in the strongholds;^bTheir strength is ¹exhausted,They are becoming ^clike women;Their homes are set on fire,The ^dbars of her gates are broken.31 One ¹^acourier runs to meet ²another,And one ³^bmessenger to meet ⁴another,To tell the king of BabylonThat his city has been captured from end to end;32 The river crossing places have been seized,And they have burned the marshes with fire,And the men of war are terrified.

33 For this is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says:“The daughter of Babylon is like a ^athreshing floorAt the time that ¹it is tread down;In just a little while the time of ^bharvest will come for her.”

34 “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has ^adevoured me, he has crushed me,He has set me down like an ^bempty vessel;He has ^cswallowed me like a monster,He has filled his stomach with my delicacies;He has washed me away.35 “May the ^aviolence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,”The ¹inhabitant of Zion will say;And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,”Jerusalem will say.

36 Therefore this is what the LORD says:“Behold, I am going to ^aplead your caseAnd ^btake vengeance for you;And ^cI will dry up her ¹seaAnd make her fountain dry.

37 “^aBabylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals,An ^bobject of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.38 “They will roar together like ^ayoung lions,They will growl like lions’ cubs.39 “When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquetAnd ^amake them drunk, so that they may rejoice in triumph,And may ^bsleep a perpetual sleepAnd not wake up,” declares the LORD.40 “I will bring them down like ¹lambs ^ato the slaughter,Like rams together with male goats.

41 “How ¹^aSheshak has been captured,And ^bthe praise of the whole earth has been seized!How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!42 “The ¹^asea has come up over Babylon;She has been engulfed by its roaring waves.43 “Her cities have become an ^aobject of horror,A dry land and a desert,A land in which ^bno one livesAnd through which no ¹one of mankind passes.44 “^aI will punish Bel in Babylon,And I will make what he has swallowed ^bcome out of his mouth;And the nations will no longer ^cstream toward him.Even the ^dwall of Babylon has fallen down!

45 “^aCome out from her midst, My people,And each of you ^bsave yourselvesFrom the fierce anger of the LORD.46 “Now, ^aso that your heart does not grow faint,And you are not afraid at the ^breport that will be heard in the land—For the report will come in ¹one year,And after that ²another report in ³another year,And violence will be in the landWith ^cruler against ruler—47 Therefore behold, days are comingWhen I will punish the ^aidols of Babylon;And her whole land will be ^bput to shame.And all her slain will fall in her midst.48 “Then ^aheaven and earth and everything that is in themWill shout for joy over Babylon,Because ^bthe destroyers will come to her from the north,”Declares the LORD.

49 ^aIndeed, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel,As ^bthe slain of all the earth have also fallen for Babylon.50 You ^awho have escaped the sword,Go! Do not stay!^bRemember the LORD from far away,And let Jerusalem ¹come to your mind.51 ^aWe are ashamed because we have heard rebuke;Disgrace has covered our faces,Because ^bstrangers have enteredThe holy places of the LORD’S house.

52 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,“When I will punish her ^aidols,And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.53 “Though Babylon ^aascends to the heavens,And though she fortifies ¹her lofty stronghold,Destroyers will come from ^bMe to her,” declares the LORD.

54 The ^asound of an outcry from Babylon,And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!55 For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon,And He will make her loud ¹noise vanish from her.And their ^awaves will roar like many waters;The clamor of their voices ²sounds forth.56 For the ^adestroyer is coming against her, against Babylon,And her warriors will be captured,Their ^bbows shattered;For the LORD is a God of ^cretribution,He will fully repay.57 “I will ^amake her leaders and her wise men drunk,Her governors, her officials, and her warriors,So that they will sleep a ^bperpetual sleep and not wake up,”^cDeclares the King, whose name is the LORD of armies.

58 This is what the LORD of armies says:“The broad ^awall of Babylon will be completely demolished,And her high ^bgates will be set on fire;So the peoples will ^clabor for nothing,And the nations become ^dexhausted only for fire.”

59 The ¹command that Jeremiah the prophet ²gave Seraiah the son of ^aNeriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with ^bZedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (And Seraiah was quartermaster.) 60 Jeremiah ^awrote ¹on a single scroll all the disaster which would come against Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. 61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud, 62 and say, ‘You, LORD, have ¹promised concerning this place to ^acut it off, so that there will be ^bnothing living in it, ²whether man or animal; but it will be a permanent desolation.’ 63 And as soon as you finish reading this ¹scroll, you shall tie a stone to it and ^athrow it into the middle of the Euphrates, 64 and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and ^anot rise again, because of the disaster that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become ^bexhausted.’” ^cTo this point are the words of Jeremiah.