Jeremiah 51:34
New International Version
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out.

New Living Translation
“King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has eaten and crushed us and drained us of strength. He has swallowed us like a great monster and filled his belly with our riches. He has thrown us out of our own country.

English Standard Version
“Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he has filled his stomach with my delicacies; he has rinsed me out.

Berean Standard Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out.

King James Bible
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

New King James Version
“Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon Has devoured me, he has crushed me; He has made me an empty vessel, He has swallowed me up like a monster; He has filled his stomach with my delicacies, He has spit me out.

New American Standard Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away.

NASB 1995
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away.

NASB 1977
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me and brought me into confusion; He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a sea monster; He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has rinsed me away.

Amplified Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel. Like a monster he has swallowed me up, He has filled his belly with my delicacies; He has spit me out and washed me away.

Christian Standard Bible
“King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty dish; he has swallowed me like a sea monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies; he has vomited me out.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty dish; he has swallowed me like a sea monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies; he has vomited me out,”

American Standard Version
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath, like a monster, swallowed me up, he hath filled his maw with my delicacies; he hath cast me out.

Contemporary English Version
The people of Jerusalem say, "King Nebuchadnezzar made us panic. That monster stuffed himself with us and our treasures, leaving us empty--he gobbled up what he wanted and spit out the rest.

English Revised Version
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his maw with my delicates; he hath cast me out.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured us. He has thrown us into confusion. He has turned us into empty jars. He has swallowed us like a monster. He has filled his belly with our delicacies. Then he spit us out.

Good News Translation
The king of Babylonia cut Jerusalem up and ate it. He emptied the city like a jar; like a monster he swallowed it. He took what he wanted and threw the rest away.

International Standard Version
"King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me. He set me down like an empty vessel. He swallowed me like a monster, and filled his belly with my delicacies. Then he washed me away.

Majority Standard Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out.

NET Bible
"King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon devoured me and drove my people out. Like a monster from the deep he swallowed me. He filled his belly with my riches. He made me an empty dish. He completely cleaned me out."

New Heart English Bible
'Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has, like a monster, swallowed me up, he has filled his maw with my delicacies; he has cast me out.

Webster's Bible Translation
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

World English Bible
“Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me. He has crushed me. He has made me an empty vessel. He has, like a monster, swallowed me up. He has filled his mouth with my delicacies. He has cast me out.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Devoured us, crushed us, has Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, "" He has set us [as] an empty vessel, "" He has swallowed us as a dragon, "" He has filled his belly with my delicacies, "" He has driven us away.

Young's Literal Translation
Devoured us, crushed us, hath Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, He hath set us as an empty vessel, He hath swallowed us as a dragon, He hath filled his belly with my dainties, He hath driven us away.

Smith's Literal Translation
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel consumed us, he destroyed us, he set us an empty vessel, he swallowed us down as a dragon, he filled his belly with my delicacies, he thrust us away.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon hath eaten me up, he hath devoured me: he hath made me as an empty vessel: he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicate meats, and he hath cast me out.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has consumed me, has devoured me. He has made me like an empty vessel. He has swallowed me like a dragon. He has filled his belly with my tender ones, and he has cast me out.

New American Bible
“He consumed me, defeated me, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; he left me like an empty vessel, Swallowed me like a sea monster, filled his belly with my delicacies and cast me out.

New Revised Standard Version
“King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me like a monster; he has filled his belly with my delicacies, he has spewed me out.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Jerusalem has said, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has plundered me, he has made me like an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up like a dragon, he has filled his belly with my delicacies, and then he has caused me to go astray.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Jerusalem has said: “Nebukadnetsar, King of Babel, consumed me and plundered me. He has set me up as an empty vessel. He swallowed me like a dragon; he fills his belly with my delicacies and he has deceived me!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, He hath crushed me, He hath set me down as an empty vessel, He hath swallowed me up like a dragon, He hath filled his maw with my delicacies; He hath washed me clean.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He has devoured me, he has torn me asunder, airy darkness has come upon me; Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon has swallowed me up, as a dragon has he filled his belly with my delicacies.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Babylon's Punishment
33For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled. In just a little while her harvest time will come.” 34“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out. 35May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” says the dweller of Zion. “May my blood be on the dwellers of Chaldea,” says Jerusalem.…

Cross References
Lamentations 3:34-36
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, / to deny a man justice before the Most High, / to subvert a man in his lawsuit—of these the Lord does not approve.

Isaiah 51:22-23
Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God, who defends His people: “See, I have removed from your hand the cup of staggering. From that goblet, the cup of My fury, you will never drink again. / I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.”

Revelation 18:6-8
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. / As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ / Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Psalm 137:8-9
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us. / Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Habakkuk 2:8
Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you—because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

Nahum 3:1-4
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey. / The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! / Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end—they stumble over their dead— ...

Isaiah 47:6
I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke.

Revelation 17:16-18
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. / For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. / And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Ezekiel 25:12-14
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt, / therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast. I will make it a wasteland, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. / I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’

Obadiah 1:10-14
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame and cut off forever. / On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gate and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were just like one of them. / But you should not gloat in that day, your brother’s day of misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast proudly in the day of their distress. ...

Isaiah 14:4-6
you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! / The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. / It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution.

Revelation 18:20-24
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her. / Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again. / And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. ...

Micah 4:11-13
But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.” / But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor. / Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron and hooves of bronze to break to pieces many peoples. Then you will devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Isaiah 13:16-18
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished. / Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold. / Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.

Revelation 19:1-3
After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God! / For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.” / And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”


Treasury of Scripture

Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up like a dragon, he has filled his belly with my delicates, he has cast me out.

the king

Jeremiah 51:49
As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

Jeremiah 39:1-8
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it…

Jeremiah 50:7,17
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…

he hath made

Jeremiah 48:11,12
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed…

Isaiah 24:1-3
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof…

Isaiah 34:11
But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.

swallowed

Jeremiah 51:44
And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

Job 20:15
He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

Proverbs 1:12
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

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Jeremiah 51
1. The severe judgment of God against Babylon, in revenge of Israel
59. Jeremiah delivers the book of this prophecy to Seraiah, to be cast into Euphrates,
64. in token of the perpetual sinking of Babylon














“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon”
This phrase refers to the historical figure Nebuchadnezzar II, the powerful ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In the Hebrew text, his name is spelled נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר (Nebuchadnetzar), which means "Nabu, protect my heir." Nebuchadnezzar is known for his military conquests and the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. His role as a divine instrument of judgment against Judah is a recurring theme in the prophetic literature, yet he is also depicted as a symbol of pride and idolatry, ultimately subject to God's sovereign will.

“has devoured me”
The imagery of being devoured suggests complete consumption and destruction. The Hebrew verb בָּלַע (bala) conveys the idea of swallowing or engulfing. This metaphor reflects the totality of Babylon's conquest and the subsequent suffering of the people of Judah. It underscores the overwhelming power of Babylon as an agent of divine judgment, yet it also foreshadows Babylon's own eventual downfall, as God promises to restore His people.

“he has crushed me”
The word "crushed" translates from the Hebrew דָּכָא (daka), meaning to break or bruise. This term emphasizes the violence and oppression experienced by Judah under Babylonian rule. It evokes the imagery of a potter shattering a vessel, a common biblical metaphor for divine judgment. Despite this crushing, the prophetic message holds a promise of hope and restoration, as God is the ultimate potter who can reshape and renew.

“he has set me aside like an empty vessel”
This phrase uses the imagery of a vessel, a common biblical symbol for human life and purpose. The Hebrew word כְּלִי (keli) refers to a container or implement. Being set aside as an "empty vessel" suggests being rendered useless or discarded. This reflects the desolation and loss of identity experienced by the exiled people. Yet, in the broader biblical narrative, God often repurposes and fills empty vessels, symbolizing renewal and divine purpose.

“He has swallowed me like a monster”
The term "monster" in Hebrew is תַּנִּין (tannin), often translated as sea monster or dragon. This imagery evokes chaos and destruction, reminiscent of ancient Near Eastern myths where such creatures symbolize evil and opposition to divine order. Babylon, personified as a monstrous force, is depicted as insatiable and destructive. However, the biblical narrative assures that God, the Creator, has ultimate authority over all chaos and will bring justice.

“he filled his belly with my delicacies”
This phrase highlights the exploitation and plundering of Judah's resources. The Hebrew word מַעֲדַנִּים (ma'adanim) refers to delicacies or treasures. Babylon's greed and consumption of Judah's wealth are depicted as gluttonous and excessive. This serves as a critique of imperial power and a reminder of the fleeting nature of earthly riches. In contrast, God's provision and abundance are enduring and just.

“he has vomited me out”
The act of vomiting suggests rejection and expulsion. The Hebrew verb קִיא (qi) conveys the idea of disgorging or spewing out. This graphic imagery indicates Babylon's eventual disdain and abandonment of Judah after exploiting it. It also foreshadows Babylon's own judgment and downfall, as God promises to vindicate His people and restore them to their land. This serves as a powerful reminder of God's justice and faithfulness in the face of human oppression.

(34) He hath made me an empty vessel.--The pronouns in one form of the Hebrew text are most of them in the plural, "devoured us, crushed us, made us." The prophet speaks of himself and Israel as having suffered wrong and outrage at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. The land had been spoiled till it was as an "empty vessel."

He hath swallowed me up like a dragon.--The Hebrew noun probably stands for a "crocodile" (as in Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 51:9; Ezekiel 29:3), or is used generally for any sea-monster. The "delicates" ("dainties" in Genesis 49:20) are the corn and wine and oil and fruits of Palestine with which the Chaldaean armies had enriched themselves.

Verse 34. - The Jewish captives are introduced, describing the offences of Babylon. Hath devoured me; rather, hath devoured us, and so on. "My delicates" (delights), however, is correct. He hath made me; rather, he hath set us (down) as. Swallowed me up like a dragon; or, literally, like the dragon. Comparing this with ver. 44, it is difficult not to see an allusion to the Babylonian myth of the Serpent, who in the fight with Marduk (Meredach) devoured the tempest, which rent asunder her belly. The cuneiform text is given in Transactions of Society of Biblical Archaeology, vol. 4. part 2, appendix plate 6. Part of it runs thus -

25. ip-te-ra pi-i-sa Ti-amtu a-na la-h-a-h-sa

Opened also her mouth Tiamtu to swallow it.

26. rukhu limnu yus-te-ri-ba a-na la ca-par sap-ti-sa . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Nebuchadnezzar
נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר֮ (nə·ḇū·ḵaḏ·reṣ·ṣar)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5019: Nebuchadnezzar -- 'Nebo, protect the boundary', a Babylonian king

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Babylon
בָּבֶל֒ (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

has devoured me;
אֲכָלַ֣נִי (’ă·ḵā·la·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 398: To eat

he has crushed me.
הֲמָמַ֗נִי (hă·mā·ma·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 2000: To make a noise, move noisily, confuse, discomfit

He has set me aside
הִצִּיגַ֙נִי֙ (hiṣ·ṣî·ḡa·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3322: To place permanently

like an empty
רִ֔יק (rîq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7385: Emptiness, a worthless thing, in vain

vessel;
כְּלִ֣י (kə·lî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

he has swallowed me
בְּלָעַ֙נִי֙ (bə·lā·‘a·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

like a monster;
כַּתַּנִּ֔ין (kat·tan·nîn)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8577: A marine, land monster, sea-serpent, jackal

he filled
מִלָּ֥א (mil·lā)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

his belly
כְרֵשׂ֖וֹ (ḵə·rê·śōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3770: The paunch, belly

with my delicacies
מֵֽעֲדָנָ֑י (mê·‘ă·ḏā·nāy)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5730: A luxury, dainty, delight

[and] vomited me out.
הֱדִיחָֽנִי׃ (hĕ·ḏî·ḥā·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 1740: To rinse, cleanse away by rinsing or washing


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 51:34 Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured (Jer.)
Jeremiah 51:33
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