CHAPTER 51
1 The Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall raise on Babylon, and on the dwellers thereof, that raised their heart against me, as a wind of pestilence. (The Lord saith these things, Behold! I shall raise up a wind of pestilence against Babylon, and against its inhabitants, who raised up their hearts against me.)
2 And I shall send into Babylon winnowers, and they shall winnow it, and shall destroy the land of it; for they came on it on each side, in the day of the torment thereof, (or for they shall come against it on all sides, on the day of its torment).
3 He that bendeth his bow, bend not, and a man clothed in habergeon, ascend not; do not ye spare the young men thereof, slay ye all the chivalry thereof. (He who bendeth his bow, bend not, and a man clothed in a breastplate, do not go up; do not ye spare its young men, kill ye all its army.)
4 And slain men shall fall in the land of Chaldees, and wounded men in the countries thereof. (And the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and the wounded in its streets.)
5 For why Israel and Judah was not made widow(ed) from their God, the Lord of hosts; but the land of them was filled with trespass of the Holy of Israel. (For neither Israel nor Judah were left widowed by their God, the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with trespass against the Holy One of Israel.)
6 Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, that each man save his soul; do not ye be still on the wickedness thereof, for why time of vengeance thereof is to the Lord; he shall yield while to it. (Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, so that each person can save his own soul,or his own life; do not ye stay in the midst of its wickedness, for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance upon it, and now he shall yield its recompense.)
7 Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, and filleth all [the] earth; heathen men drank of the wine thereof, and therefore they be moved. (Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the Lord, and maketh all the earth drunk; yea, the heathen have drunk its wine, and so they be made mad.)
8 Babylon fell down suddenly, and is all-broken; yell ye on it, take ye resin to the sorrow thereof, if peradventure it be healed. (Babylon fell down suddenly, and was broken in pieces; yell ye over it, get ye resin for its wound, if perhaps it can be healed.)
9 We healed Babylon, and it is not made whole; forsake we it and go we each into his land; for the doom thereof came till to heavens, and is raised [up] till to [the] clouds. (We would have healed Babylon, but it would not be made whole; leave we it and go we each into his own land; for its doom, or its judgement, came unto the heavens, and is raised up unto the clouds.)
10 The Lord hath brought forth our rightfulnesses; come ye, and tell we in Zion the work of our Lord God. (The Lord hath brought forth our righteousness; come ye, and tell we out in Zion the work of the Lord our God.)
11 Sharpen ye arrows, fill ye arrow cases; the Lord hath raised the spirit of the kings of Medes, and his mind is against Babylon, that he lose it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple. The king of Medes is raised of the Lord against Babylon. (Sharpen ye the arrows, fill ye the quivers; the Lord hath raised the spirit of the kings of the Medes, and his mind is against Babylon, that he destroy it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord, the avenging of his Temple. The Lord hath raised up the king of the Medes against Babylon.)
12 Raise ye a sign on the walls of Babylon, increase ye [the] keeping, raise ye keepers, make ye ready ambushments; for the Lord thought, and did, whatever thing he spake against the dwellers of Babylon. (Raise ye up a sign on the walls of Babylon, increase ye the watch, raise ye up the watchmen, prepare ye ambushes; for the Lord thought, and did, whatever he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.)
13 A! thou Babylon, that dwellest on many waters, rich in thy treasures, thine end cometh, the foot measure of thy cutting down. (O thou Babylon! that dwellest by many waters, rich in thy treasures, thy end cometh, and the full measure of thy cutting down.)
14 The Lord of hosts swore by his soul, that I shall fill thee with men, as with bruchuses, and a merry song shall be sung on thee. (The Lord of hosts swore by his soul, saying, I shall fill thee with men, like a swarm of locusts, and then a happy song shall be sung over thee.)
15 The Lord swore, which made [the] earth by his strength, (which) made ready the world by his wisdom, and stretched forth (the) heavens by his prudence.
16 When he giveth voice, waters be multiplied in heaven; which Lord raiseth clouds from [the] last of the earth, he made lightnings into rain, and brought forth wind of his treasures/of his treasuries. (When he giveth his voice, the waters be multiplied in the heavens; he raiseth up clouds from the ends of the earth, and maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his storehouses.)
17 Each man is made a fool of knowing, each weller together is shamed in a graven image; for his welling together is false, and a spirit is not in those. (Each person is made a fool by their own knowledge, and each welder is shamed by his cast idol, for his welding is false, or a sham, and breath is not in them.)
18 The works be vain, and worthy of scorn; they shall perish in the time of their visiting. (Their works be empty and futile, and worthy of scorn, or of mocking; they shall perish at the time of their reckoning.)
19 The part of Jacob is not as these things; for he that made all things is the part of Jacob, and Israel is the sceptre of his heritage; the Lord of hosts is his name. (The portion of Jacob is not like these things; for he who made all things is the portion of Jacob, and Israel is the sceptre of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.)
20 Thou hurtlest down to me the instruments of battle, and I shall hurtle down folks in thee, and I shall lose realms in thee; (Thou be the instruments of battle for me, and I shall hurtle down nations with thee, and destroy kingdoms with thee;)
21 and I shall hurtle down in thee an horse, and the rider thereof; and I shall hurtle down in thee a chariot, and the rider thereof; (and I shall hurtle down with thee a horse, and its rider; and I shall hurtle down with thee a chariot, and its rider, or its driver;)
22 and I shall hurtle down in thee man and woman; and I shall hurtle down in thee eld man and child; and I shall hurtle down in thee a young man and a virgin; (and I shall hurtle down with thee men and women; and I shall hurtle down with thee an old man and a child; and I shall hurtle down with thee a young man and a maiden;)
23 and I shall hurtle down in thee a shepherd and his flock; and I shall hurtle down in thee an earth-tiller and his yoke beasts; and I shall hurtle down in thee dukes and magistrates. (and I shall hurtle down with thee a shepherd and his flock; and I shall hurtle down with thee an earth-tiller, or a farmer, and his yoke beasts; and I shall hurtle down with thee rulers and magistrates.)
24 And I shall yield, saith the Lord, to Babylon, and to all the dwellers of Chaldea, all their evil, which they did in Zion, before your eyes. (And I shall yield recompense, saith the Lord, to Babylon, and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea, for all their evil, which they did in Zion, before your eyes.)
25 Lo! I, saith the Lord, to thee, thou hill bearing pestilence, which corruptest all [the] earth. I shall stretch forth mine hand on thee, and I shall unwrap thee from stones, and I shall give thee into an hill of burning. (Behold! I am against thee, saith the Lord, thou hill bearing pestilence, which corruptest all the earth. And I shall stretch forth my hand against thee, and I shall unwrap thee from thy stones, and I shall make thee into a burned down hill.)
26 And I shall not take of thee a stone into a corner, and a stone into foundaments; but thou shalt be lost without end, saith the Lord. (And no one shall take out of thee a cornerstone, or a foundation stone; but thou shalt be destroyed unto forever, saith the Lord.)
27 Raise ye a sign in the land, sound ye with a clarion in hills; hallow ye folks on it, tell ye to the kings of Ararat, of Minni, and of Ashchenaz against it; number ye (the) Tifsar, that is, (the leader of the) host, against it, and bring ye an horse, as a bruchus having a prick. (Raise ye up a sign in the land, sound ye with a trumpet on the hills; prepare ye the nations against it, call ye together the kings of Ararat, and of Minni, and of Ashchenaz against it; appoint ye the Tifsar, that is, the captain, or the commander, of the army, against it, and bring ye up all the horses like a swarm of locusts.)
28 Hallow ye folks against it, the kings of Media, the dukes thereof, and all the magistrates thereof, and all the land of his power. (Dedicate ye the nations against it, the king of the Medes, its rulers, and all its magistrates, and all the land of his power.)
29 And the earth shall be moved, and shall be troubled; for the thought of the Lord shall fully awaken against Babylon, that he set the land of Babylon (into) desert, and unhabitable. (And the earth shall be shaken, and shall be troubled; for the thought of the Lord shall fully awaken against Babylon, that he make the land of Babylon into a wilderness, and uninhabited.)
30 The strong men of Babylon ceased of battle, they dwelled in strongholds; the strength of them is devoured, and they be made as women; the tabernacles thereof be burnt, the bars thereof be all-broken. (The strong men of Babylon ceased from battle, they lived in strongholds; their strength is devoured, and they be made like women; its buildings be burned down, its bars, or its locks, all be broken.)
31 A runner shall come to meet a runner, and a messenger (shall come) to meet a messenger, to tell to the king of Babylon, that his city is taken from the one end till to the tother end;
32 and the forths be before-occupied, and the marishes be burnt with fire, and the men warriors be troubled. (and the fords, that is, the crossings, be occupied, or be seized, and the marshes be burned down, and the warriors be troubled.)
33 For the Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, The daughter of Babylon is as a cornfloor, (at) the time of threshing thereof; yet a little, and the time of reaping thereof shall come. (For the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saith these things, The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor, at the time of its threshing; and then after a little while, its time of reaping, or of harvest, shall come.)
34 Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, ate me, and devoured me; he made me as a void vessel, he as a dragon swallowed me, (or he made me like an empty vessel, he swallowed me up like a dragon); he filled his womb with my tenderness, and (then) he casted me out.
35 Wickedness against me, and my flesh on Babylon, saith the dwelling of Zion; and my blood on the dwellers of Chaldea, saith Jerusalem. (Let the wickedness done against me, and against my flesh, be upon Babylon, say the inhabitants of Zion; and let my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, saith Jerusalem.)
36 Therefore the Lord saith these things, Lo! I shall deem thy cause, and I shall venge thy vengeance; and I shall make the sea thereof forsaken, and I shall make dry the vein thereof. (And so the Lord saith these things, Behold! I shall judge thy case, and I shall avenge thee; and I shall make its sea into a desert, and I shall dry up its springs.)
37 And Babylon shall be into burials, it shall be the dwelling (place) of dragons, wondering, and hissing, for that no dweller is. (And Babylon shall be for burials, or shall be a heap of ruins, it shall be the dwelling place of jackals, yea, a place for wondering, and hissing, where there be no inhabitants.)
38 They shall roar together as lions, and they shall shake [their] locks, as the whelps of lions. (They shall roar together like lions, and they shall shake their locks, like lion cubs.)
39 In the heat of them I shall set the drinks of them; and I shall make them drunken, that they be brought asleep, and that they sleep (an) everlasting sleep, and rise not (up), saith the Lord.
40 I shall lead forth them, as lambs to slain sacrifice, and as wethers with kids. (I shall lead them forth, like lambs to slain sacrifice, and like rams with kids.)
41 How is Sheshach* taken, and the noble city of all (the) earth is taken? How is Babylon made into wonder among heathen men? (How Sheshach, (that is, Babylon), is taken! the noble (city) of all the earth is taken! how Babylon is made into a horror among the heathen!)
42 And the sea ascended on Babylon, it was covered with the multitude of his waves. (And the sea ascended upon Babylon, yea, it was covered with a multitude of its waves.)
43 The cities thereof be made into wondering, the land is made unhabitable and forsaken (or the land is made uninhabited and deserted); the land wherein no man dwelleth, and the son of (a) man shall not pass by it.
44 And I shall visit on Bel into Babylon, and I shall cast out of his mouth that, that he had swallowed, and folks shall no more flow to it; for also the wall of Babylon shall fall down. (And I shall punish Bel in Babylon, and I shall cast out of his mouth what he had swallowed, and the nations shall no more flow to him; for also the wall of Babylon shall fall down.)
45 My people, go ye out from the midst thereof, that each man save his soul from the wrath of the strong vengeance of the Lord; (My people, go ye out from its midst, so that each person can save his own soul from the anger of the strong vengeance of the Lord;)
46 and lest peradventure your heart wax nesh, and lest ye dread the hearing, that shall be heard in the land; and (an) hearing shall come in a year, and after this year shall come(another) hearing, and wickedness in the land, and a lord on a lord. (lest perhaps your heart grow soft, and lest ye fear the rumour, that shall be heard in the land; yea, a rumour shall come this year, and after this year another rumour shall come, and wickedness in the land, and a lord against a lord.)
47 Therefore lo! days come, saith the Lord, and I shall visit on the graven images of Babylon; and all the land thereof shall be shamed, and all slain men thereof shall fall down in the midst thereof. (And so behold! days shall come, saith the Lord, and I shall punish Babylon for its carved idols; and all its land shall be shamed, and all its slain men shall fall down in its midst.)
48 And heaven’s, and earth’s, and all things that be in those, shall praise on Babylon; for raveners shall come from the north to it, saith the Lord. (And heaven, and the earth, and everything that is in them, shall praise the victory over Babylon; for robbers, or thieves, shall come from the north to destroy it, saith the Lord, and they will.)
49 And as Babylon did, that slain men fell down in Israel, so of Babylon slain men shall fall down and in all the land. (And as Babylon caused the slain to fall down in Israel, so now the slain of all the earth shall fall down in Babylon.)
50 Come ye, that fled the sword, do not ye stand; have ye mind afar on the Lord, and Jerusalem ascend on your heart. (Come ye, who fled the sword, do not ye stand still; remember ye the Lord from afar or ye who be far away, remember the Lord, and let Jerusalem ascend upon your hearts.)
51 We be shamed, for we heard shame; shame covered our faces, for aliens came on the hallowing of the house of the Lord. (We be shamed, and disgraced; yea, shame covered our faces, for strangers, or foreigners, came into the hallowed places of the House of the Lord.)
52 Therefore lo! days come, saith the Lord, and I shall visit on the graven images of Babylon, and in all the land thereof a wounded man shall bellow. (And so behold! days shall come, saith the Lord, and I shall punish Babylon for its carved idols, and through all that land the wounded shall bellow, (or shall moan and groan).)
53 If Babylon ascendeth into heaven, and maketh steadfast his strength on high, destroyers thereof shall come of me, saith the Lord. (Yea, even if Babylon goeth up into the heavens, and maketh steadfast its strength on high, its destroyers shall still come from me, saith the Lord.)
54 The voice of a crier of Babylon, and great sorrow of the land of Chaldees, (The sound of crying in Babylon, and the sound of great sorrow in the land of the Chaldeans,)
55 for the Lord destroyed Babylon, and lost of it a great voice; and the waves of them shall sound as many waters. The voice of them gave sound, (for the Lord destroyed Babylon, yea, destroyed its great voice; and the waves of the attacking armies shall sound like many waters. Their voices made a great noise,)
56 for a ravener came [up] on it (or for a robber came upon it), that is, [up] on Babylon; and the strong men thereof be taken, and the bow of them withered, for the strong venger, the Lord, yielding [again] shall yield.
57 And I shall make drunken the princes thereof, and the wise men thereof, the dukes thereof, and the magistrates thereof, and the strong men thereof; and they shall sleep everlasting sleep, and they shall not be awaked, saith the king, the Lord of hosts is name of him. (And I shall make drunk its princes, and its wise men, and its leaders, and its magistrates, and its strong men; and they shall sleep an everlasting sleep, and they shall never awaken, saith the King, the Lord of hosts is his name.)
58 The Lord God of hosts saith these things, That broadest wall of Babylon shall be [under] mined with [under] mining, and the high gates thereof shall be burnt with fire; and the travails of peoples shall be to nought, and the travails of heathen men shall be into fire, and shall perish. (The Lord God of hosts saith these things, That most broad wall of Babylon shall be undermined with undermining, and its high gates shall be burned down; and all the labours of the peoples shall be for nothing, and all the labours of the heathen shall be but for the fire, for they shall all perish.)
59 The word which Jeremy, the prophet, commanded to Seraiah, son of Neriah, son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah, the king, into Babylon, in the fourth year of his realm; forsooth Seraiah was prince of prophecy. (The word which the prophet Jeremiah commanded to Seraiah, the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with King Zedekiah, to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign; and Seraiah was a prince of prophecy.)
60 And Jeremy wrote all the evil, that was to coming on Babylon, in a book, (or And Jeremiah wrote down all of the evil, that was to come upon Babylon, in a book), (yea), all these words that were written against Babylon.
61 And Jeremy said to Seraiah, When thou comest into Babylon, and seest, and readest all these words,
62 thou shalt say, Lord, thou spakest against this place, that thou shouldest lose it, that none be that dwell therein, from man unto beast, and that it be an everlasting wilderness. (thou shalt say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, that thou wouldest destroy it, so that there be no one who live there, from man unto beast, and that it become an everlasting wilderness.)
63 And when thou hast [ful] filled to read this book, thou shalt bind to it a stone, and thou shalt cast it forth into the midst of Euphrates; (And when thou hast finished reading this book, thou shalt bind it to a stone, and thou shalt throw it forth into the midst of the Euphrates River;)
64 and thou shalt say, So Babylon shall be drowned, and it shall not rise from the face of torment, which I (shall) bring [up] on it, and it shall be destroyed. Hitherto be the words of Jeremy (or Heretofore be the words of Jeremiah).
* CHAPTER 51:41 Sheshach is another name for Babylon.