Jeremiah 50

1 The word which Yahweh spake Against Babylon Against the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:

The word that YHWH spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet.

2 Tell ye among the nations And let it be heard And lift ye up a standard, Let it be heard do not conceal: Say ye—Captured is Babylon, Confounded is Bel, Broken in pieces is Merodach, Confounded are her images, Broken down her manufactured gods;

"Declare among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and do not conceal: say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is disappointed, Marduk is dismayed; her images are disappointed, her idols are dismayed.

3 For there hath come up against her—a nation out of the North The same, shall make her land an astonishment, And there shall be none to dwell therein, —Both man and beast, have removed—have gone.

For out of the north there comes up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell in it: they are fled, they are gone, both man and animal.

4 In those days, and at that time, Declareth Yahweh, Shall the sons of Israel come in, They and the sons of Judah together: Weeping as they travel, so shall they journey on, And Yahweh their God, shall they seek;

In those days, and in that time,' says YHWH, 'the children of Israel shall come, they and the people of Judah together; they shall go on their way weeping, and shall seek YHWH their God.

5 To Zion, shall they ask the way, Hitherward, their faces, Come and let us join ourselves unto Yahweh, In a covenant age-abiding, which shall not be forgotten.

They shall inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned toward it. They will come and join themselves to YHWH in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.

6 Wandering sheep, have my people, been, Their own shepherds led them astray, On the mountains, they seduced them, From mountain to hill, have they gone, They have forgotten their couching-place.

My people have 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 resting place.

7 All who found them, devoured them, And, their adversaries, said—We shall not be, guilty, —Because they have sinned, Against, Yahweh the pasturage of righteousness, Yea the hope of their fathers—Yahweh.

All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, "We are not guilty, because they have sinned against YHWH, the habitation of righteousness, even YHWH, the hope of their fathers."

8 Remove ye out of the midst of Babylon, And out of the land of the Chaldeans, come ye forth, —And become ye like he-goats before the flock;

Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the male goats before the flocks.

9 For lo! I am rousing and bringing up against Babylon a gathered host of great nations, out of the land of the North, And they shall array themselves against her, From thence, shall she be captured, —His arrows, are as of a hero making childless, None shall return empty.

For, look, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they shall set themselves in array against her; from there she shall be taken. Their arrows shall be like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.

10 So shall the Chaldeans become a spoil, —All her spoilers, shall be satisfied, Declareth Yahweh;

Chaldea shall be a prey: all who prey on her shall be satisfied,' says YHWH.'

11 Because they used to be glad Because they used to be uproarious When plundering mine inheritance, —Because they used to caper about as a heifer at grass, And bellow like bulls.

Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you who plunder my heritage, because you are wanton as a heifer that treads out the grain, and neigh as strong horses;

12 Your mother, hath turned very pale, She that bare you, hath turned red, —Lo! the last of nations, is—A desert, A parched land, and A waste plain,

your mother shall be utterly disappointed; she who bore you shall be confounded: look, she shall be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

13 Because of the vexation of Yahweh, she shall not be inhabited, But Shall become a complete desolation, —Every one passing by Babylon, shall be astonished and hiss, over all her plagues.

Because of the wrath of YHWH she shall not be inhabited, but she shall be wholly desolate: everyone who goes by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

14 Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about All ye who tread the bow, Shoot at her, do not spare so much as an arrow, —For against Yahweh, hath she sinned.

"Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she has sinned against YHWH.

15 Raise a shout against her round about She hath stretched forth her hand, Fallen are her buttresses, Torn down are her walls, —Because, the avenging of Yahweh it is, Take ye vengeance upon her, As she hath done, do ye, unto her.

Shout against her all around: she has submitted herself; her towers are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of YHWH: take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her.

16 Cut ye off the sower from Babylon, And him that graspeth the sickle in the time of harvest, From the face of the sword of the oppressor, Each, to his own people will they turn, and Each, to his own land will they flee.

Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn everyone to his people, and they shall flee everyone to his own land."'

17 A sheep all alone, is Israel Lions, have driven him away, —At the first, the king of Assyria devoured him, And here, at the last, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones!

'Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.

18 Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Behold me! bringing punishment against the king of Babylon, and against his land, —Just as I brought punishment against the king of Assyria.

Therefore thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: "Look, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

19 So will I bring back Israel unto his own pasture, And he shall feed upon Carmel and Bashan; And in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead, shall, his soul, be satisfied.

I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.

20 In those days and in that time, Declareth Yahweh, The iniquity of Israel, shall be sought, and there shall be none, And the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; For I will grant pardon to them whom I suffer to remain.

In those days, and in that time, says YHWH, 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 leave as a remnant."'"

21 Against the land of Merathaim, go thou up against her, And against the inhabitants of Pekod, —Lay waste and devote to destruction after them Declareth Yahweh, And do according to all which I have commanded thee.

"Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: kill and utterly destroy after them," says YHWH, "and do according to all that I have commanded you.

22 The sound of battle is in the earth, —And a great destruction.

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

23 How is cut and broken the hammer of all the earth! How hath Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

How is the hammer of the whole earth cut apart and broken. How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations.

24 I laid a snare for thee yea and thou wast captured O Babylon, when, thou wast not aware, —Thou wast found out yea and taken, For with Yahweh, hadst thou contended.

I have laid a snare for you, and you are also taken, Babylon, and you weren't aware: you are found, and also caught, because you have striven against YHWH.

25 Yahweh opened his armoury, and brought out his weapons of indignation, —For, a work, it is pertaining to My Lord, Yahweh of hosts, in the land of the Chaldeans,

YHWH has opened his armory, and has brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for the Lord, YHWH of hosts, has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Come ye against her from farthest parts, Throw open her granaries, Cast her up as heaps, and devote her to destruction, —Do not let her have a remnant.

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

27 Cut up all her bullocks, Let them go down to the slaughter, —Alas for them! For their day, hath come, Their time for punishment.

Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, their day has come, the time of their visitation."

28 The voice Of them who are in flight and Of such as are escaping, out of the land of Babylon, —To tell in Zion The avenging of Yahweh our God, The avenging of his temple.

The voice of those who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of YHWH our God, the vengeance of his temple.

29 Publish against Babylon ye chiefs of all who tread the bow—Encamp against her round about Let there be none to escape, Recompense to her according to her work, According to all which she did, do ye to her, —For Against Yahweh, hath she acted presumptuously, Against the Holy One of Israel.

"Call together the archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow; camp against her all around; let none of it escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her; for she has been proud against YHWH, against the Holy One of Israel.

30 Therefore, shall her young men fall in her broadways, —And, all her men of war, be silenced in that day, Declareth Yahweh.

Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all her men of war will be brought to silence in that day," says YHWH.

31 Behold me! against thee most insolent one, Declareth My Lord Yahweh of hosts; For thy day, hath come, Thy time for punishment;

"Look, I am against you, you proud one," says YHWH of hosts; for your day has come, the time that I will visit you.

32 So shall the most insolent one stumble and fall, And he shall have none to lift him up, —And I will kindle a fire in his cities which shall devour all who are round about him.

The proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all who are around him."

33 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—Oppressed were the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah, together, —And, all who took them captive, Held them fast Refused to let them go: —

Thus says YHWH of hosts: "The children of Israel and the people of Judah are oppressed together; and all who took them captive hold them fast; they refuse to let them go.

34 Their Redeemer, can hold fast, Yahweh of hosts, is his name, He will, thoroughly plead, their plea, —That he may quiet the earth, And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

Their Redeemer is strong; YHWH of hosts is his name: he will thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

35 A sword, is over the Chaldeans, Declareth Yahweh, —And against the inhabitants of Babylon, And against her princes, And against her wise men:

A sword is on the Chaldeans," says YHWH, "and on the inhabitants of Babylon, and on her officials, and on her wise men.

36 A sword, is against the praters, And they shall be shewn to be foolish, A sword, is against her heroes And they shall be dismayed:

A sword is on the boasters, and they shall become fools; a sword is on her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed.

37 A sword, is against his horses and against his chariots and, against all the rabble that are in her midst And they shall become women, —A sword, is against her treasures And they shall be made a prey:

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

38 A drought, is against her waters, And they shall be dried up, —For a land of images, it is, And with their shocking things, they act as men who are mad:

A drought is on her waters, and they shall be dried up; for it is a land of engraved images, and they glory over idols.

39 Therefore shall the criers dwell with, the howlers, Yea ostriches, shall dwell therein, —So shall it be dwelt in no more for ever, Neither shall it be inhabited unto generation after generation.

Therefore the wild animals of the desert with the wolves shall dwell there, and the ostriches shall dwell in it: and it shall be no more inhabited forever; neither shall it be lived in from generation to generation.

40 Like the divine overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbours, Declareth Yahweh, —There shall not dwell there—a man, Nor sojourn therein—a son of the earth-born.

As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities of it," says YHWH, "so shall no man dwell there, neither shall any son of man live in it."

41 Lo! a people coming in from the North, —Yea, a great nation and many kings, shall be roused up out of the remote parts of the earth:

"Look, a people comes from the north; and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth.

42 Bow and javelin, shall they grasp, Cruel, are they and will not have compassion, Their voice, like the sea, will roar, And, on horses, will they ride, —Set in array, as one man for battle, Against thee, O daughter of Babylon!

They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, everyone set in array, as a man to the battle, against you, daughter of Babylon.

43 The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, And unnerved are his hands, —Anguish, hath seized him, Writhing pain, as a woman in child-birth.

The king of Babylon has heard the news of them, and his hands wax feeble: anguish has taken hold of him, pains as of a woman in labor.

44 Lo! as a lion, shall he come up from the majesty of the Jordan, Unto the pasture perennial, But I will wink—I will make them run away therefrom, Who then shall be the Chosen One whom against it, I may set in charge? For who shall be like unto, me? And who shall appoint me, a time? And who is the Shepherd that shall stand before me?

Look, the enemy shall come up like a lion from the pride of the Jordan against the strong habitation: for I will suddenly make them run away from it; and whoever is chosen, him will I appoint over it: for who is like me? And who will appoint me a time? And who is the shepherd who can stand before me?"

45 Therefore hear ye, The counsel of Yahweh, which he hath counselled against Babylon, And his devices which he hath devised against the land of the Chaldeans, —Surely the little ones of the flock, shall drag them away, Surely he will cause the pasture to be astounded over them.

Therefore hear the counsel of YHWH, that he has taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: "Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.

46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon, the earth trembled, —And, the outcry, among the nations, was heard.

At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, and the cry is heard among the nations."