Read the Bible

¹ The word that YHWH has spoken concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet:² "Declare among nations, and sound, || And lift up an ensign, sound, do not hide, || Say, Babylon has been captured, || Bel has been put to shame, || Merodach has been broken, || Her grievous things have been put to shame, || Her idols have been broken.³ For a nation from the north has come up against her, || It makes her land become a desolation, || And there is not an inhabitant in it. From man even to beast, || They have moved, they have gone.⁴ In those days, and at that time," || A declaration of YHWH, || "Sons of Israel come in, || They and sons of Judah together, || Going on and weeping they go, || And they seek their God YHWH.⁵ They ask the way [to] Zion, || Their faces [are] toward that place: Come in, and we are joined to YHWH, || A perpetual covenant—never forgotten.⁶ My people have been a perishing flock, || Their shepherds have caused them to err, || Causing them to go back [on] the mountains, || They have gone from mountain to hill, || They have forgotten their crouching-place.⁷ All finding them have devoured them, || And their adversaries have said: We are not guilty, || Because that they sinned against YHWH, || The habitation of righteousness, || And the hope of their fathers—YHWH.⁸ Move from the midst of Babylon, || And go out from the land of the Chaldeans; And be as male goats before a flock.

⁹ For behold, I am stirring up, || And am causing to come up against Babylon, || An assembly of great nations from [the] land of the north, || And they have set in array against her, || From there she is captured, || Its arrow—as a skillful hero—does not return empty,¹⁰ And Chaldea has been for a spoil, || All her spoilers are satisfied," || A declaration of YHWH.¹¹ "Because you rejoice, because you exult, || O spoilers of My inheritance, || Because you increase as a heifer [at] the tender grass, || And cry aloud as bulls,¹² Your mother has been greatly ashamed, || She who bore you has been confounded, || Behold, the last of nations [is] a wilderness, || A dry land, and a desert.¹³ Because of the wrath of YHWH it is not inhabited, || And it has been a desolation—all of it. Everyone passing by at Babylon is astonished, || And hisses because of all her plagues.¹⁴ Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, || All you treading a bow, || Shoot at her, have no pity on the arrow, || For she has sinned against YHWH.¹⁵ Shout against her all around, || She has given forth her hand, || Her foundations have fallen, || Her walls have been thrown down, || For it [is] the vengeance of YHWH, || Be avenged of her, as she did—do to her.¹⁶ Cut off the sower from Babylon, || And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, || Because of the oppressing sword, || Each to his people—they turn, || And each to his land—they flee.¹⁷ Israel [is as] a scattered sheep, || Lions have driven [him] away, || At first, the king of Asshur devoured him, || And now, at last, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bone.¹⁸ Therefore, thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: Behold, I am seeing after the king of Babylon, || And after his land, || As I have seen after the king of Asshur;¹⁹ And I have brought Israel back to his habitation, || And he has fed on Carmel and on Bashan; And his soul is satisfied on Mount Ephraim and on Gilead.²⁰ In those days, and at that time," || A declaration of YHWH, || "The iniquity of Israel is sought, and it is not, || And the sin of Judah, and it is not found, || For I am propitious to those whom I leave!

²¹ Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, || And to the inhabitants of Pekod, || Dry up and devote their posterity," || A declaration of YHWH, || "And do according to all that I have commanded you.²² A noise of battle [is] in the land, || And of great destruction.²³ How it has been cut and broken, || The hammer of the whole earth! How Babylon has been for a desolation among nations!²⁴ I have laid a snare for you, || And you are also captured, O Babylon, || And you have known, || You have been found, and are also caught, || For you have stirred yourself up against YHWH.²⁵ YHWH has opened His treasury, || And He brings out the weapons of His indignation, || For a work [is] to Lord YHWH of Hosts, || In the land of the Chaldeans.²⁶ Come in to her from the extremity, || Open her storehouses, || Raise her up as heaps, and devote her, || Let her have no remnant.²⁷ Slay all her cows, they go down to slaughter, || Woe [is] on them, for their day has come, || The time of their inspection.²⁸ A voice of fugitives and escaped ones || [Is] from the land of Babylon, || To declare in Zion the vengeance of our God YHWH, || The vengeance of His temple.²⁹ Summon archers to Babylon, all treading the bow, || Encamp against her all around, || Let [her] have no escape; Repay to her according to her work, || According to all that she did—do to her, || For she has been proud against YHWH, || Against the Holy One of Israel.³⁰ Therefore her young men fall in her broad places, || And all her men of war are cut off in that day," || A declaration of YHWH.³¹ "Behold, I [am] against you, O pride," || A declaration of Lord YHWH of Hosts, || "For your day has come, the time of your inspection.³² And pride has stumbled, || And he has fallen, and has none raising up, || And I have kindled a fire in his cities, || And it has devoured all around him.

³³ Thus said YHWH of Hosts: The sons of Israel are oppressed, || And the sons of Judah together, || And all their captors have kept hold on them, || They have refused to send them away.³⁴ Their Redeemer [is] strong, || YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name, || He thoroughly pleads their cause, || So as to cause the land to rest, || And He has given trouble to the inhabitants of Babylon.³⁵ A sword [is] for the Chaldeans," || A declaration of YHWH, || "And it [is] on the inhabitants of Babylon, || And on her heads, and on her wise men;³⁶ A sword [is] on the princes, || And they have become foolish; A sword [is] on her mighty ones, || And they have been broken down;³⁷ A sword [is] on his horses and on his chariot, || And on all the rabble who [are] in her midst, || And they have become women; A sword [is] on her treasuries, || And they have been spoiled;³⁸ A sword [is] on her waters, and they have been dried up, || For it [is] a land of carved images, || And they boast themselves in idols.³⁹ Therefore desert-dwellers dwell with howlers, || Indeed, daughters of the ostrich have dwelt in her, || And it is not inhabited anymore forever, || Nor dwelt in from generation to generation.⁴⁰ As the overthrow by God of Sodom, || And of Gomorrah, and of its neighbors," || A declaration of YHWH, || "None dwell there, || Nor does a son of man sojourn in her.⁴¹ Behold, a people has come from the north, || Even a great nation, || And many kings are stirred up from the sides of the earth.⁴² They seize bow and javelin, || They [are] cruel, and they have no mercy, || Their voice sounds as a sea, and they ride on horses, || Set in array as a man for battle, || Against you, O daughter of Babylon.⁴³ The king of Babylon has heard their report, || And his hands have been feeble, || Distress has seized him; pain as a travailing woman.⁴⁴ Behold, he comes up as a lion, || Because of the rising of the Jordan, || To the enduring habitation, || But I cause to rest, I cause them to run from off her. And who is chosen? I lay a charge on her, || For who [is] like Me? And who convenes Me? And who [is] this shepherd who stands before Me?⁴⁵ Therefore, hear the counsel of YHWH, || That He counseled concerning Babylon, || And His plans that He has devised || Concerning the land of the Chaldeans; Do little ones of the flock not drag them out, || Does He not make the habitation desolate over them?⁴⁶ From the sound of Babylon having been captured, || The earth has been shaken, || And a cry has been heard among nations!"