| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1This is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will stir up against Babylon and against the people of Leb-kamai the spirit of a destroyer. | 1This is what the LORD says: I am about to stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the population of Leb-qamai. |
| 2I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster. | 2I will send strangers to Babylon who will scatter her and strip her land bare, for they will come against her from every side in the day of disaster. |
| 3Do not let the archer bend his bow or put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; devote all her army to destruction! | 3Don't let the archer string his bow; dont let him put on his armor. Don't spare her young men; completely destroy her entire army! |
| 4And they will fall slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and pierced through in her streets. | 4Those who were slain will fall in the land of the Chaldeans, those who were pierced through, in her streets. |
| 5For Israel and Judah have not been abandoned by their God, the LORD of Hosts, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel.” | 5For Israel and Judah are not left widowed by their God, the LORD of Hosts, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. |
| 6Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves. | 6Leave Babylon; save your lives, each of you! Don't perish because of her guilt. For this is the time of the LORD's vengeance-- He will pay her what she deserves. |
| 7Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad. | 7Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore, the nations go mad. |
| 8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed. | 8Suddenly Babylon fell and was shattered. Wail for her; get balm for her wound-- perhaps she can be healed. |
| 9“We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Abandon her! Let each of us go to his own land, for her judgment extends to the sky and reaches to the clouds.” | 9We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Abandon her! Let each of us go to his own land, for her judgment extends to the sky and reaches as far as the clouds. |
| 10“The LORD has brought forth our vindication; come, let us tell in Zion what the LORD our God has accomplished.” | 10The LORD has brought about our vindication; come, let's tell in Zion what the LORD our God has accomplished. |
| 11Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her, for it is the vengeance of the LORD—vengeance for His temple. | 11Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! The LORD has put it into the mind of the kings of the Medes because His plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her, for it is the LORD's vengeance, vengeance for His temple. |
| 12Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon; post the guard; station the watchmen; prepare the ambush. For the LORD has both devised and accomplished what He spoke against the people of Babylon. | 12Raise up a signal flag against the walls of Babylon; fortify the watch post; set the watchmen in place; prepare the ambush. For the LORD has both planned and accomplished what He has threatened against those who live in Babylon. |
| 13You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut. | 13You who reside by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, your life thread is cut. |
| 14The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.” | 14The LORD of Hosts has sworn by Himself: I will fill you up with men as with locusts, and they will sing the victory song over you. |
| 15The LORD made the earth by His power; He established the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. | 15He made the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom, and spread out the heavens by His understanding. |
| 16When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses. | 16When He thunders, the waters in the heavens are in turmoil, and He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings the wind from His storehouses. |
| 17Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. | 17Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his carved image, for his cast images are a lie; there is no breath in them. |
| 18They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish. | 18They are worthless, a work to be mocked. At the time of their punishment they will be destroyed. |
| 19The Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, and of the tribe of His inheritance—the LORD of Hosts is His name. | 19Jacob's Portion is not like these because He is the One who formed all things. Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; Yahweh of Hosts is His name. |
| 20“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. | 20You are My battle club, My weapons of war. With you I will smash nations; with you I will bring kingdoms to ruin. |
| 21With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver. | 21With you I will smash the horse and its rider; with you I will smash the chariot and its rider. |
| 22With you I shatter man and woman; with you I shatter the old man and the youth; with you I shatter the young man and the maiden. | 22With you I will smash man and woman; with you I will smash the old man and the youth; with you I will smash the young man and the young woman. |
| 23With you I shatter the shepherd and his flock; with you I shatter the farmer and his oxen; with you I shatter the governors and officials. | 23With you I will smash the shepherd and his flock; with you I will smash the farmer and his ox-team. With you I will smash governors and officials. |
| 24Before your very eyes I will repay Babylon and all the dwellers of Chaldea for all the evil they have done in Zion,” declares the LORD. | 24"I will repay Babylon and all the residents of Chaldea for all their evil they have done in Zion before your very eyes." This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 25“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who devastate the whole earth, declares the LORD. I will stretch out My hand against you; I will roll you over the cliffs and turn you into a charred mountain. | 25Look, I am against you, devastating mountain-- this is the LORD's declaration-- you devastate the whole earth. I will stretch out My hand against you, roll you down from the cliffs, and turn you into a charred mountain. |
| 26No one shall retrieve from you a cornerstone or a foundation stone, because you will become desolate forever,” declares the LORD. | 26No one will be able to retrieve a cornerstone or a foundation stone from you, because you will become desolate forever. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 27“Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her—Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses like swarming locusts. | 27Raise a signal flag in the land; blow a ram's horn among the nations; set apart the nations against her. Summon kingdoms against her-- Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like a swarm of locusts. |
| 28Prepare the nations for battle against her—the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the lands they rule. | 28Set apart the nations for battle against her-- the kings of Media, her governors and all her officials, and all the lands they rule. |
| 29The earth quakes and writhes because the LORD’s intentions against Babylon stand: to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant. | 29The earth quakes and trembles because the LORD's intentions against Babylon stand: to make the land of Babylon an uninhabited desolation. |
| 30The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon’s homes have been set ablaze, the bars of her gates are broken. | 30Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their might is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon's homes have been set ablaze, her gate bars are shattered. |
| 31One courier races to meet another, and messenger follows messenger, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end. | 31Messenger races to meet messenger, and herald to meet herald, to announce to the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from end to end. |
| 32The fords have been seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified.” | 32The fords have been seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified. |
| 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.” | 33For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Daughter 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. | 34"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," |
| 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. | 35says the inhabitant of Zion; "Let the violence done to me and my family be done to Babylon. Let my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea," says Jerusalem. |
| 36Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry. | 36Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am about to plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her fountain run dry. |
| 37Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant. | 37Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a jackals' den, a desolation and an object of scorn, without inhabitant. |
| 38They will roar together like young lions; they will growl like lion cubs. | 38They will roar together like young lions; they will growl like lion cubs. |
| 39While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares the LORD. | 39While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they revel. Then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 40I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats. | 40I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams together with male goats. |
| 41How Sheshach has been captured! The praise of all the earth has been seized. What a horror Babylon has become among the nations! | 41How Sheshach has been captured, the praise of the whole earth seized. What a horror Babylon has become among the nations! |
| 42The sea has come up over Babylon; she is covered in turbulent waves. | 42The sea has risen over Babylon; she is covered with its turbulent waves. |
| 43Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and arid land, a land where no one lives, where no son of man passes through. | 43Her cities have become a desolation, a dry and arid land, a land where no one lives, where no human being passes through. |
| 44I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall. | 44I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him vomit what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even Babylon's wall will fall. |
| 45Come out of her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the fierce anger of the LORD. | 45Come out from among her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the LORD's burning anger. |
| 46Do not let your heart grow faint, and do not be afraid when the rumor is heard in the land; for a rumor will come one year—and then another the next year—of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. | 46May you not become cowardly and fearful when the report is proclaimed in the land, for the report will come one year, and then another the next year. There will be violence in the land with ruler against ruler. |
| 47Therefore, behold, the days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon. Her entire land will suffer shame, and all her slain will lie fallen within her. | 47Therefore, look, the days are coming when I will punish Babylon's carved images. Her entire land will suffer shame, and all her slain will lie fallen within her. |
| 48Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon because the destroyers from the north will come against her,” declares the LORD. | 48Heaven and earth and everything in them will shout for joy over Babylon because the destroyers from the north will come against her. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 49“Babylon must fall on account of the slain of Israel, just as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. | 49Babylon must fall because of the slain of Israel, even as the slain of all the earth fell because of Babylon. |
| 50You who have escaped the sword, depart and do not linger! Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come to mind.” | 50You who have escaped the sword, go and do not stand still! Remember the LORD from far away, and let Jerusalem come to your mind. |
| 51“We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; disgrace has covered our faces, because foreigners have entered the holy places of the LORD’s house.” | 51We are ashamed because we have heard insults. Humiliation covers our faces because foreigners have entered the holy places of the LORD's temple. |
| 52“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will punish her idols, and throughout her land the wounded will groan. | 52Therefore, look, the days are coming-- this is the LORD's declaration-- when I will punish her carved images, and the wounded will groan throughout her land. |
| 53Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens and fortifies her lofty stronghold, the destroyers I send will come against her,” declares the LORD. | 53Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her tall fortresses, destroyers will come against her from Me. This is the LORD's declaration. |
| 54“The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! | 54The sound of a cry from Babylon! The sound of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! |
| 55For the LORD will destroy Babylon; He will silence her mighty voice. The waves will roar like great waters; the tumult of their voices will resound. | 55For the LORD is going to devastate Babylon; He will silence her mighty voice. Their waves roar like abundant waters; the tumult of their voice resounds, |
| 56For a destroyer is coming against her—against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken, for the LORD is a God of retribution; He will repay in full. | 56for a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured, their bows shattered, for the LORD is a God of retribution; He will certainly repay. |
| 57I will make her princes and wise men drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and not wake up,” declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts. | 57I will make her princes and sages drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up. This is the King's declaration; Yahweh of Hosts is His name. |
| 58This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves to fuel the flames.” | 58This is what Yahweh of Hosts says: Babylon's thick walls will be totally demolished, and her high gates consumed by fire. The peoples will have labored for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire. |
| 59This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to the quartermaster Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign. | 59This is what Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, the quartermaster, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign. |
| 60Jeremiah had written on a single scroll about all the disaster that would come upon Babylon—all these words that had been written concerning Babylon. | 60Jeremiah wrote on one scroll about all the disaster that would come to Babylon; all these words were written against Babylon. |
| 61And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud, | 61Jeremiah told Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. |
| 62and say, ‘O LORD, You have promised to cut off this place so that no one will remain—neither man nor beast. Indeed, it will be desolate forever.’ | 62You must say, ' LORD, You have threatened to cut off this place so that no one will live in it--man or beast. Indeed, it will remain desolate forever.' |
| 63When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates. | 63When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River. |
| 64Then you are to say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again, because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will grow weary.’ ” Here end the words of Jeremiah. | 64Then say, 'In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am bringing on her. They will grow weary.'" The words of Jeremiah end here. |
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