Jeremiah 50
1. The word that the LORD spake * against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
2. Declare * ye among the nations, and publish * , and set up * a standard; publish * , and conceal * not: say * , Babylon is taken * , Bel is confounded * , Merodach is broken in pieces * ; her idols are confounded * , her images are broken in pieces * .
3. For out of the north there cometh up * a nation against her, which shall make * her land desolate, and none shall dwell * therein: they shall remove * , they shall depart * , both man and beast.
4. In those days, and in that time, saith * the LORD, the children of Israel shall come * , they and the children of Judah together, going * and weeping * : they shall go * , and seek * the LORD their God.
5. They shall ask * the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come * , and let us join * ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten * .
6. My people hath 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 restingplace.
7. All that found * them have devoured * them: and their adversaries said * , We offend * not, because they have sinned * against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.
8. Remove * out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth * out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.
9. For, lo, I will raise * and cause to come up * against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array * against her; from thence she shall be taken * : their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man * ; none shall return * in vain.
10. And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil * her shall be satisfied * , saith * the LORD.
11. Because ye were glad * , because ye rejoiced * , O ye destroyers * of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat * as the heifer at grass * , and bellow * as bulls;
12. Your mother shall be sore confounded * ; she that bare * you shall be ashamed * : behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
13. Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited * , but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth * by Babylon shall be astonished * , and hiss * at all her plagues.
14. Put yourselves in array * against Babylon round about: all ye that bend * the bow, shoot * at her, spare * no arrows: for she hath sinned * against the LORD.
15. Shout * against her round about: she hath given * her hand: her foundations are fallen * , her walls are thrown down * : for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance * upon her; as she hath done * , do * unto her.
16. Cut off * the sower * from Babylon, and him that handleth * the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing * sword they shall turn * every one to his people, and they shall flee * every one to his own land.
17. Israel is a scattered * sheep; the lions have driven him away * : first the king of Assyria hath devoured * him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones * .
18. Therefore thus saith * the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish * the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished * the king of Assyria.
19. And I will bring * Israel again * to his habitation, and he shall feed * on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied * upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20. In those days, and in that time, saith * the LORD, 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 reserve * .
21. Go up * against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants * of Pekod: waste * and utterly destroy * after them, saith * the LORD, and do * according to all that I have commanded * thee.
22. A sound of battle is in the land,and of great destruction.
23. How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder * and broken * ! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations !
24. I have laid a snare * for thee, and thou art also taken * , O Babylon, and thou wast not aware * : thou art found * , and also caught * , because thou hast striven * against the LORD.
25. The LORD hath opened * his armoury, and hath brought forth * the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
26. 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. Slay * all her bullocks; let them go down * to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come * , the time of their visitation.
28. The voice of them that flee * and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare * in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple.
29. Call together * the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend * the bow,camp * against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense * her according to her work; according to all that she hath done * , do * unto her: for she hath been proud * against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.
30. Therefore shall her young men fall * in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off * in that day, saith * the LORD.
31. Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud,saith * the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come * , the time that I will visit * thee.
32. And the most proud shall stumble * and fall * , and none shall raise him up * : and I will kindle * a fire in his cities, and it shall devour * all round about him.
33. Thus saith * the LORD of hosts;The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed * together: and all that took them captives * held them fast * ; they refused * to let them go * .
34. Their Redeemer * is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly * plead * their cause, that he may give rest * to the land,and disquiet * the inhabitants * of Babylon.
35. A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith * the LORD, and upon the inhabitants * of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.
36. A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote * : a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed * .
37. A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed * .
38. A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up * : for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad * upon their idols.
39. Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell * there, and the owls shall dwell * therein: and it shall be no more inhabited * for ever; neither shall it be dwelt * in from generation to generation.
40. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith * the LORD; so shall no man abide * there, neither shall any son of man dwell * therein.
41. Behold, a people shall come * from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up * from the coasts of the earth.
42. They shall hold * the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy * : their voice shall roar * like the sea, and they shall ride * upon horses, every one put in array * , like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.
43. The king of Babylon hath heard * the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble * : anguish took hold * of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail * .
44. Behold, he shall come up * like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make * them suddenly * run away * from her: and who is a chosen * man, that I may appoint * over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time * ? and who is that shepherd * that will stand * before me?
45. Therefore hear * ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken * against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed * against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out * : surely he shall make their habitation desolate * with them.
46. At the noise of the taking * of Babylon the earth is moved * , and the cry is heard * among the nations.
