1 Yahweh says:
"Behold, I will raise up against Babylon,
and against those who dwell in Lebkamai, a destroying wind.
2 I will send to Babylon strangers, who will winnow her.
They will empty her land;
for in the day of trouble they will be against her all around.
3 Against him who bends, let the archer bend his bow,
also against him who lifts himself up in his coat of mail.
Don’t spare her young men!
Utterly destroy all her army!
4 They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
and thrust through in her streets.
5 For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, by his God,
by Yahweh of Armies;
though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.
6 "Flee out of the middle of Babylon!
Everyone save his own life!
Don’t be cut off in her iniquity,
for it is the time of Yahweh’s vengeance.
He will render to her a recompense.
7 Babylon has been a golden cup in Yahweh’s hand,
who made all the earth drunk.
The nations have drunk of her wine;
therefore the nations have gone mad.
8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed!
Wail for her!
Take balm for her pain.
Perhaps she may be healed.
9 "We would have healed Babylon,
but she is not healed.
Forsake her,
and let’s each go into his own country;
for her judgment reaches to heaven,
and is lifted up even to the skies.
10 ‘Yahweh has produced our righteousness.
Come, and let’s declare in Zion the work of Yahweh our God.’
11 "Make the arrows sharp!
Hold the shields firmly!
Yahweh has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes,
because his purpose is against Babylon, to destroy it;
for it is the vengeance of Yahweh,
the vengeance of his temple.
12 Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon!
Make the watch strong!
Set the watchmen,
and prepare the ambushes;
for Yahweh has both purposed and done
that which he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
13 You who dwell on many waters, abundant in treasures,
your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.
14 Yahweh of Armies has sworn by himself, saying,
‘Surely I will fill you with men,
as with locusts,
and they will lift up a shout against you.’
15 "He has made the earth by his power.
He has established the world by his wisdom.
By his understanding he has stretched out the heavens.
16 When he utters his voice,
there is a roar of waters in the heavens,
and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and brings the wind out of his treasuries.
17 "Every man has become stupid and without knowledge.
Every goldsmith is disappointed by his image,
for his molten images are falsehood,
and there is no breath in them.
18 They are vanity,
a work of delusion.
In the time of their visitation, they will perish.
19 The portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he formed all things,
including the tribe of his inheritance.
Yahweh of Armies is his name.
20 "You are my battle ax and weapons of war.
With you I will break the nations into pieces.
With you I will destroy kingdoms.
21 With you I will break in pieces
the horse and his rider.
22 With you I will break in pieces
the chariot and him who rides therein.
With you I will break in pieces
man and woman.
With you I will break in pieces
the old man and the youth.
With you I will break in pieces
the young man and the virgin.
23 With you I will break in pieces
the shepherd and his flock.
With you I will break in pieces
the farmer and his yoke.
With you I will break in pieces
governors and deputies.
24 "I will render to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight," says Yahweh.
25 "Behold, I am against you, destroying mountain," says Yahweh,
"which destroys all the earth.
I will stretch out my hand on you,
roll you down from the rocks,
and will make you a burned mountain.
26 They won’t take a cornerstone from you,
nor a stone for foundations;
but you will be desolate forever," says Yahweh.
27 "Set up a standard in the land!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Prepare the nations against her!
Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz!
Appoint a marshal against her!
Cause the horses to come up as the swarming locusts!
28 Prepare against her the nations,
the kings of the Medes, its governors, and all its deputies, and all the land of their dominion!
29 The land trembles and is in pain;
for the purposes of Yahweh against Babylon stand,
to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon have stopped fighting,
they remain in their strongholds.
Their might has failed.
They have become as women.
Her dwelling places are set on fire.
Her bars are broken.
31 One runner will run to meet another,
and one messenger to meet another,
to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every quarter.
32 So the passages are seized.
They have burned the reeds with fire.
The men of war are frightened."
33 For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says:
"The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden.
Yet a little while, and the time of harvest comes for her."
34 "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.
35 May the violence done to me and to my flesh be on Babylon!"
the inhabitant of Zion will say; and,
"May my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea!"
will Jerusalem say.
36 Therefore Yahweh says:
"Behold, I will plead your cause,
and take vengeance for you.
I will dry up her sea,
and make her fountain dry.
37 Babylon will become heaps,
a dwelling place for jackals,
an astonishment, and a hissing,
without inhabitant.
38 They will roar together like young lions.
They will growl as lions’ cubs.
39 When they are inflamed, I will make their feast,
and I will make them drunk,
that they may rejoice,
and sleep a perpetual sleep,
and not wake up," says Yahweh.
40 "I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,
like rams with male goats.
41 "How Sheshach is taken!
How the praise of the whole earth is seized!
How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations!
42 The sea has come up on Babylon.
She is covered with the multitude of its waves.
43 Her cities have become a desolation,
a dry land, and a desert,
a land in which no man dwells.
No son of man passes by it.
44 I will execute judgment on Bel in Babylon,
and I will bring out of his mouth that which he has swallowed up.
The nations will not flow any more to him.
Yes, the wall of Babylon will fall.
45 "My people, go away from the middle of her,
and each of you save yourselves from Yahweh’s fierce anger.
46 Don’t let your heart faint.
Don’t fear for the news that will be heard in the land.
For news will come one year,
and after that in another year news will come,
and violence in the land,
ruler against ruler.
47 Therefore behold, the days come that I will execute judgment on the engraved images of Babylon;
and her whole land will be confounded.
All her slain will fall in the middle of her.
48 Then the heavens and the earth,
and all that is therein,
will sing for joy over Babylon;
for the destroyers will come to her from the north," says Yahweh.
49 "As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall,
so the slain of all the land will fall at Babylon.
50 You who have escaped the sword, go!
Don’t stand still!
Remember Yahweh from afar,
and let Jerusalem come into your mind."
51 "We are confounded
because we have heard reproach.
Confusion has covered our faces,
for strangers have come into the sanctuaries of Yahweh’s house."
52 "Therefore behold, the days come," says Yahweh,
"that I will execute judgment on her engraved images;
and through all her land the wounded will groan.
53 Though Babylon should mount up to the sky,
and though she should fortify the height of her strength,
yet destroyers will come to her from me," says Yahweh.
54 "The sound of a cry comes from Babylon,
and of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!
55 For Yahweh lays Babylon waste,
and destroys out of her the great voice!
Their waves roar like many waters.
The noise of their voice is uttered.
56 For the destroyer has come on her,
even on Babylon.
Her mighty men are taken.
Their bows are broken in pieces,
for Yahweh is a God of retribution.
He will surely repay.
57 I will make her princes, her wise men,
her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men drunk.
They will sleep a perpetual sleep,
and not wake up,"
says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies.
58 Yahweh of Armies says:
"The wide walls of Babylon will be utterly overthrown.
Her high gates will be burned with fire.
The peoples will labor for vanity,
and the nations for the fire;
and they will be weary."
59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was chief quartermaster. 60 Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come on Babylon, even all these words that are written concerning Babylon. 61 Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "When you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words, 62 and say, ‘Yahweh, you have spoken concerning this place, to cut it off, that no one will dwell in it, neither man nor animal, but that it will be desolate forever.’ 63 It will be, when you have finished reading this book, that you shall bind a stone to it, and cast it into the middle of the Euphrates. 64 Then you shall say, ‘Thus will Babylon sink, and will not rise again because of the evil that I will bring on her; and they will be weary.’"
Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
1 So sê die HERE: Kyk, Ek wek op teen Babel en teen die inwoners van "die Hart van my Teëstanders" die gees van 'n verwoester.
2 En Ek sal vir Babel wanners stuur wat hom sal uitwan en sy land leegskud; want hulle lê rondom teen hom op die dag van onheil.
3 Laat die skutter sy boog span teen hom wat span, en teen die een wat hom in sy pantser verhef; en spaar sy jongmanne nie, tref sy ganse leër met die banvloek!
4 So sal daar dan gesneuweldes val in die land van die Chaldeërs en die wat deurboor is, op sy strate.
5 Want Israel en Juda is nie in weduweeskap gelaat deur hulle God, deur die HERE van die leërskare nie, al was hulle land vol skuld voor die Heilige van Israel.
6 Vlug uit Babel uit, en red elkeen sy lewe; kom nie om in sy ongeregtigheid nie; want dit is die tyd van wraak vir die HERE: Hy gee hom sy verdiende loon.
7 Babel was in die hand van die HERE 'n goue beker wat die hele aarde dronk gemaak het; die nasies het van sy wyn gedrink; daarom het die nasies rasend geword.
8 Skielik het Babel geval en is verbreek. Huil oor hom; gaan haal balsem vir sy pyn! Miskien sal hy gesond word.
9 Ons het aan Babel medisyne gegee, maar hy het nie gesond geword nie; verlaat hom en laat ons trek, elkeen na sy land; want sy strafgerig raak tot aan die hemel en verhef hom tot by die wolke.
10 Die HERE het ons geregtighede te voorskyn gebring; kom en laat ons in Sion vertel die werk van die HERE onse God!
11 Maak skerp die pyle, vat die skilde! Die HERE het die gees van die konings van M,dië opgewek; want sy voorneme is teen Babel om hom te verwoes; want dit is die wraak van die HERE, die wraak van sy tempel.
12 Hef 'n banier op teen die mure van Babel, versterk die wagposte, sit wagte uit, hou hinderlae klaar; want soos die HERE Hom voorgeneem het, so het Hy gedoen wat Hy oor die inwoners van Babel gespreek het.
13 Jy wat by die groot waters woon, wat skatryk is, jou einde het gekom, die maat waarop jy afgesny word.
14 Die HERE van die leërskare het by Homself gesweer: Al het Ek jou vol mense gemaak soos sprinkane, tog sal hulle oor jou 'n vreugdegeroep aanhef.
15 Hy wat die aarde gemaak het deur sy krag, die wêreld gegrond het deur sy wysheid en die hemel uitgespan het deur sy verstand --
16 as Hy sy stem laat hoor, is daar 'n geruis van waters in die hemel; en Hy laat dampe opgaan van die einde van die aarde; Hy maak bliksems vir die reën en laat die wind uitgaan uit sy voorraadskure.
17 Elke mens word dom, sonder kennis; elke goudsmid staan beskaamd deur die beeld; want sy gegote beeld is 'n leuen, en daar is geen gees in hulle nie.
18 Nietige afgode is hulle, werk vir spotterny; in die tyd van hulle besoeking gaan hulle tot niet.
19 Jakob se deel is nie soos hulle nie; want Hy is die Formeerder van alles, en Israel is die stam van sy erfenis; HERE van die leërskare is sy Naam.
20 Jy is vir My 'n hamer en oorlogswapens; en met jou verbrysel Ek nasies, en met jou verwoes Ek koninkryke.
21 En met jou verbrysel Ek die perd en sy ruiter; en met jou verbrysel Ek die strydwa en die wat daarop ry.
22 En Met jou verbrysel Ek man en vrou; en met jou verbrysel Ek grysaard en seun; en met jou verbrysel Ek die jongman en die jongedogter.
23 En met jou verbrysel Ek die herder en sy trop vee; en met jou verbrysel Ek die landbouer en sy twee osse; en met jou verbrysel Ek goewerneurs en owerstes.
24 Maar Ek sal voor julle oë aan Babel en aan al die inwoners van Chald,a vergelde al hulle kwaad wat hulle in Sion gedoen het, spreek die HERE.
25 Kyk, Ek het dit teen jou, o berg wat verwoes, spreek die HERE; jy wat die hele aarde verwoes. En Ek sal my hand teen jou uitstrek en jou van die rotse afrol en sal jou maak 'n afgebrande berg.
26 En hulle sal uit jou geen klip neem vir 'n hoek of 'n klip vir fondamente nie; want jy sal ewige wildernisse wees, spreek die HERE.
27 Hef 'n banier op oor die aarde, blaas die basuin onder die nasies, heilig nasies teen hom, roep teen hom op die koninkryke van Ararat, Minni en Askenas, stel 'n kommandant teen hom aan, laat perde optrek soos stekerige sprinkane!
28 Heilig nasies teen hom, die konings van M,dië, die goewerneurs en al die owerstes daarvan, ja, die hele land van sy heerskappy.
29 Dan bewe die aarde en krimp inmekaar; want die gedagtes van die HERE kom tot stand teen Babel, om die land van Babel 'n woesteny te maak, sonder inwoner.
30 Die helde van Babel het opgehou om te veg, hulle het gebly in die bergvestings; hulle mag het verdwyn, hulle het vroue geword. Hulle het sy wonings aan die brand gesteek, sy grendels is verbreek.
31 Die een loper hardloop die ander tegemoet en die een boodskapper die ander, om aan die koning van Babel bekend te maak dat sy stad van alle kante ingeneem is;
32 en dat die driwwe beset is, en hulle die rietvleie met vuur verbrand het, en die krygsmanne verskrik is.
33 Want so sê die HERE van die leërskare, die God van Israel: Die dogter van Babel is soos 'n dorsvloer in die tyd as dit vasgetrap word; nog 'n kort rukkie, dan kom die oestyd vir hom.
34 Nebukadr,sar, die koning van Babel, het my opgeëet, my vernietig; hy het my neergesit soos 'n leë skottel; hy het my verslind soos 'n draak; hy het sy buik met my lekkernye gevul; hy het my weggestoot.
35 Laat die inwoners van Sion sê: Die geweld en die verminking wat my aangedoen is, is op Babel! En laat Jerusalem sê: My bloed is op die inwoners van Chald,a!
36 Daarom, so sê die HERE: Kyk, Ek verdedig jou saak en sal vir jou wraak neem; en Ek sal sy see droogmaak en sy fontein laat opdroë.
37 En Babel sal kliphope word, 'n lêplek van jakkalse, 'n voorwerp van verbasing en bespotting, sonder inwoner.
38 Almal saam brul hulle soos jong leeus, brom soos klein leeutjies.
39 As hulle verhit is, berei Ek hulle maaltyd en maak hulle dronk, sodat hulle uitgelate word en 'n ewige slaap kan slaap en nie wakker word nie, spreek die HERE.
40 Ek sal hulle afbring soos lammers om geslag te word, soos ramme saam met bokke.
41 Hoe is Sesag ingeneem en die roem van die hele aarde verower! Hoe het Babel 'n voorwerp van verbasing geword onder die nasies!
42 Die see het oor Babel opgerys, deur die gebruis van sy golwe is hy oordek.
43 Sy stede het 'n woesteny geword, 'n dor land en 'n wildernis; 'n land waar niemand in woon nie, en waar geen mensekind deurtrek nie.
44 En Ek sal besoeking doen oor Bel in Babel en uit sy mond uithaal wat hy verslind het; en geen nasies sal meer na hom toestroom nie. Ook val die muur van Babel.
45 Gaan uit hom uit, my volk, en red elkeen sy lewe van die toorngloed van die HERE!
46 En laat julle hart nie week wees, sodat julle bevrees word by die tyding wat in die land gehoor word nie, as daar 'n tyding kom in die een jaar, en daarna 'n tyding in die ander jaar, en daar geweld is in die land, heerser teen heerser.
47 Daarom, kyk, daar kom dae dat Ek besoeking sal doen oor die gesnede beelde van Babel; en sy hele land sal beskaamd staan, en al sy gesneuweldes sal daarin val.
48 Dan sal oor Babel juig hemel en aarde en alles wat daarin is; want uit die noorde kom die verwoesters oor hom, spreek die HERE.
49 Ook Babel moet val, o gesneuweldes van Israel, soos ook vir Babel geval het die gesneuweldes van die hele aarde.
50 Vrygeraaktes van die swaard, gaan weg, bly nie staan nie, dink aan die HERE uit die verte, en laat Jerusalem in julle hart opkom!
51 Ons staan beskaamd, want ons het smaadwoorde gehoor, skande het ons aangesig bedek; want vreemdes het gekom oor die heiligdomme van die huis van die HERE.
52 Daarom kyk, daar kom dae, spreek die HERE, dat Ek besoeking sal doen oor sy gesnede beelde; en die gewondes sal kerm in sy hele land.
53 Al sou Babel in die hemel opklim, en al sou hy die hoogte van sy vesting versterk -- van My af sal verwoesters oor hom kom, spreek die HERE.
54 Hoor! Geskreeu uit Babel en groot verbreking uit die land van die Chaldeërs;
55 want die HERE verwoes Babel en sal uit hom die groot geraas laat verdwyn; en hulle golwe sal bruis soos groot waters, die gedruis van hulle geluid sal weergalm.
56 Want 'n verwoester oorval hom, oorval Babel, en sy helde word gevang, hulle boë word stukkend gebreek; want 'n God van vergelding is die HERE; Hy sal gewis vergelde.
57 En Ek sal sy vorste en sy wyse manne, sy goewerneurs en sy owerstes en sy helde dronk maak; en hulle sal slaap 'n ewige slaap en nie wakker word nie, spreek die Koning wie se Naam is HERE van die leërskare.
58 So sê die HERE van die leërskare: Die breë muur van Babel sal tot op die grond toe afgebreek en sy hoë poorte sal met vuur verbrand word, sodat volke vir niks gearbei het en nasies vir die vuur; en hulle sal afgemat wees.
59 Die woord waarmee die profeet Jeremia bevel gegee het aan Ser ja, die seun van Ner¡a, die seun van Mags,ja, toe hy saam met Sedek¡a, die koning van Juda, na Babel getrek het, in die vierde jaar van sy regering. En Ser ja was laerkommandant.
60 En Jeremia het in 'n boek geskrywe al die onheil wat oor Babel sou kom, al hierdie woorde wat oor Babel geskrywe is.
61 En Jeremia het vir Ser ja gesê: As jy in Babel kom, dink daaraan en lees al hierdie woorde;
62 en sê: o HERE, U het oor hierdie plek gespreek om dit uit te roei, sodat daar geen inwoner, mens sowel as dier, sal wees nie, maar dat dit ewige wildernisse sal wees.
63 En as jy hierdie boek klaar gelees het, moet jy 'n klip daaraan vasmaak en dit binne-in die Eufraat gooi
64 en sê: So sal Babel sink en nie weer opkom nie weens die onheil wat Ek oor hom bring; en hulle sal afgemat wees. Tot sover die woorde van Jeremia.