ǃAruǀî hâ ǀgoraǃgâs Babilons ǂama
1 Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: “Tita ge ǁkhō ǂoa-e Babilons ǃoagu nî khâi kai, Xaldeaǃhūb ǁanǂgāsaben ǃoagu. 2 Tita ge Babilonsa nî sapiǂuiǃnâ khoena ǁîs ǃoagu nî sî. ǁÎn ge ǁîsa ǁgaraǂuiǃnâ tsî ǃhūb âsa nî ǀkhaiǀkhaiǃnâ, hoa ǀkhāga xun ga ǁîsa ǂōǂōsib tsēs ai hāǂam ǃnubai. 3 Tā khāǁkhâu-aoga khāsa gu nî ǂgaeǃnâ soa-e mā tamas ka io ǁâtanin âga gu nî ǂgaeǂgāsa. Tā ǁîs di ǂkham khoega ǀkhom, î hoaraga toroǂnubis âsa hîkākā. 4 ǁÎgu ge nî ǃgamhe Xaldeaǃhūb ǃnâ tsî ǁō hâgu di sorodi ge ǁîs ǃgangu ǃnâ nî ǁgoe. 5 Israeli tsî Judab tsîkha ge ǁîkha Elob, ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab xa ǁnāxūhe tama hâ, ǁîkha ǃhūb ga ǁoreb xa ǀoa, Israeli di ǃAnub aiǃâ xawe. 6 ǁHâǂoa Babilonsa xu, ǁî-aitsama huiǂuisen, î du tā ǁîs di ǁoreb ǃaroma hîkākāhe. Nēb ge ǃKhūb ǀkhaob di ǁaeba, ǃoaǂuis hâ-es ǁîsa ra ǃkhōǃoaba. 7 Babilons ge ǃhuniǀuri ǀgabi ge isa ǃKhūb ǃomǁae, hoaraga ǃhūbaiba gere ǀhoro kaisa. ǃHaodi ge ǁîs ǂauxûib xa ge ā tsî ǁnā-amaga ge ǃkhau. 8 Babilons ge ǃnapetamase ǁnā tsî ge ǂkhū. ǁÎsa āba re. Balsam-e ǁîs ǀhapide ūba re, ǀnîsis nî ǂgau xuige. 9 ‘Sida ge Babilonsa ge ǂgauǂgau, xawes ge ǂgau tama ge i. ǁÎsa xu ǂoa, a i mâ-i hoa-e ǁî-i ǃhūb ǃoa ǃgû, ǁîs di ǀgoraǃgâs ǀhommi kōse ra sī tsî ǃâudi kōse ra khâi xuige.’ ”
10 “ǃKhūb ge ǂhanu-ai da a ǃkhaisa ge ǂhai kai. ‘Hā, î da Sions ǃnâ ǃKhūb sada Elob di sîsenna ǂhôa re.’ ”
11 ǂĀga ǀāǀā, î ǁkhaukhōde ūkhâi. ǃKhūb ge Mediab gao-aoga go khâikhâiǃnâ, Babilonsa hîkākāsab ǂâibasen hâ amaga. Nēb ge ǃKhūb di ǀkhaoba, ǁîb di Tempeli ǃaroma. 12 Babilons di ǂnubiǂgoagu ai ǃkhauba ǃkhā. ǃÛisa ǀgaiǀgai, ǃûi-aoga mâi, ǂapoǃkhaide ǂhomi. ǃKhūb ge mîb ge khami Babilons ǁanǂgāsaben ǀkha nî dī. 13 Sas ǂgui ǃāgu tawa ǁan hâs, kai ǁuiba ūhâse, sa ǀams ge go hā. Sa ûib di ǁapab ge go ǃkhaiǃgaohe. 14 ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab ge ǁîb ǂûb tawa ge nū: Amase ta ge sasa ǂhomn kōse ǂgui ǂnubis khoegu ǀkha nî ǀoaǀoa. ǁÎgu ge sas ǂama dans di ǃauba nî ǂgaiǂui.
Koatsanas
15 ǃKhūb ge ǁîb ǀgaib ǀkha ǃhūbaiba ge ǂnubi
gā-aisib âb ǀkhab ge ǃhūbaiba ge dī
tsî ǀhomma ge ǃāǂui.
16 ǁÎb mîmās ai gu ǁgamga ǀhommi ǃnâ ra ǃguru;
ǁîb ge ǃâude ǃhūbaib ǀamsa xu ra hā-ū.
ǀNanub ǃnâb ge ra napa kai,
tsîb ge sâuǃnâ-omdi âba xu ǂoaba ra sîǂui.
17 Nēsa ra mû-i hoa-i ge gâre tsî gâse ra tsâ,
mâ ǃhuniǀurikuru-aob hoab ǁgôa-elon xa ra taotaohe,
ǁgôa-elon ǁîb ra kurun a ǂhumi tsî ǁō hâ xui-ao.
18 ǁÎn ge a ǁau, ǁîn ge a ǃhōxū,
ǁkharab ân ǁaeb ga hā, on ge kāǃari.
19 Jakob Elob ge ǁîn khami ī tama hâ;
ǁîb ge ǁnāb hoaraga xūna ge kurub
tsî Israelǁaesa ǁîb di ǂhunuma ǁaese ge ǁhûiba.
ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab tib ge ǀon hâ.
ǃKhūb di hamers
20 “Sas ge ti hamer tsî torob ǁâtani.
Sas ǀkha ta ge ǁaede ra ǂnauǂkhū,
sas ǀkha ta ge gaoside ra hîkākā.
21 Sas ǀkha ta ge hān tsî ǃgapi-aoga ra ǂkhūǂkhū,
sas ǀkha ta ge torokunidi tsî ǃnari-aoga ra ǂkhūǂkhū.
22 Sas ǀkha ta ge khoeb tsî khoes tsîra ra ǂnauǂkhū,
sas ǀkha ta ge kairan tsî ǂkhamn tsîna ra ǂkhūǂkhū,
sas ǀkha ta ge ǂkhamkhoeb tsî ǂkhamkhoes tsîra ra ǂkhūǂkhū.
23 Sas ǀkha ta ge ǃûi-aogu tsî gūn âga ra ǂnauǂkhū,
sas ǀkha ta ge ǃhanaǂgā-aob tsî gomagu âba ra ǂkhūǂkhū,
sas ǀkha ta ge gowoniagu tsî ǂamkhoega ra ǂkhūǂkhū.”
Babilons di ǁkharab
24 “Xawe Babilons tsî hoaraga ǁanǂgāsaben Xaldeab din tsîna ta ge ǁnā ǂkhawadīb, sadu mûǁaen ge Sionsa dī-ūb ǃaroma nî ǁkhara,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.25 “Tita ge sats ǃoagu hâ, hîkākā ra ǃhomtse, sats hoaraga ǃhūbaiba ra hîkākātsa, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. Ti ǃomma ta ge sats ǃoa nî ǀhōǂui, tsî ta ge ǃgareǀuiga xu gariǁnâ tsi tsî khauǃkhūsa ǃhomse nî dī tsi. 26 ǀGui ǀui-i tsîn ge satsa xu ǁhôaǀuise ūhe tide tamas ka io ǃgaoǃgaoǀuise, sats hoaragase nî ǂkhūǂkhūhe xui-ao,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.27 “ǃKhauba ǃhūb ǃnâ ǃkhā, xâiǁnâsa ǃhaodi ǃnâ ǀō kai. ǃHaode ǂhomi ǁîs ǃoagu di nî torodīse. Gaosidi Ararati, Minib tsî Askenab tsîgu dide ǁîs ǃoagu ǂgaikhâi. ǂAmkhoeba ǂgaeǂguib nîse ǁgaumâi, î ǂhoms khami ǂgui hāna ǁîs ǃoagu ǀhaoǀhao. 28 ǃHaode ǂhomi ǁîs ǃoagu di nî torodīse. Mediab gao-aogu, gowoniagu tsî hoaraga ǂamkhoegu tsî ǁîgu xa ǂgaeǂguihe ǃhūgu hoagu tsîna. 29 ǃHūb ge ǂgubi tsî nî ǀkhū, ǃKhūb ge Babilons ǂama mîǀguin ǁaposase mâ xui-ao, Babilons ǃhūbab hoaragase nî hîkākā, ǁanǂgāsabe-i xare-i ǁîb ǃnâ ǃgau tidese ǃkhaisa. 30 Babilons toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃkhamǀû hâ. ǁÎgu ge ǁkhuigu âgu ǃnâ ǂnôa, ǁîgu ǀgaib ge toa hâ, tarekhoedi khami gu ge ī. ǃĀs di omdi ge ra ǂhubi, dao-amdi ǁkhaeǃnaogu ge khôa hâ. 31 Nē sîsabeba xu naub ti gu ge Babilons gao-aob ǃoa nî ǃkhoe, ǁîba gu nî ǂhôase, ǁîb di ǃās go hoaǀkhāga xu ǂgâǃnâhesa. 32 ǃGâunadi go ūhe tsî ǂāgu go ǂhubihe tsî gu toroǃkhamaoga ǃaob xa ǃkhōhe hâ ǃkhaisa. 33 Nētib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab, Israeli Eloba ra mî: Babilons ôas ge dāǃnâǃkhais ase ī dāǃnâhes ga ǁaeb ai. ǂKhari ǁaerob ǀguib, ob ge ǃgaoǁaeb âsa nî hā.”
34 Babilons gao-aob Nebukadnesari ge tita ge hapu,
ǁîb ge tita ge ǂkhūǂkhū.
ǁÎb ge tita ge ǀkhaiǃnâ xapa kai,
ǁîb ge draki khami ge haraǂgā te.
ǃNāb âbab ge ti ǁkhoaxasigu ǀkha ge ǀoaǀoa,
ǁîb ge tita ge ǀnapuǂuiǃnâ.
35 An Sions ǁanǂgāsabena mî re:
ǂKhawadīb tita tsî ti khoen ge dī-ūheba
ab Babilonsa hāǂam.
An Jerusalems ǁanǂgāsabena mî re:
Ab sida ǀaoba Xaldeab ǁanǂgāsaben ai hā.
ǃKhūb ge Israela nî hui
36 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūba nēti ra mî: “Tita ge sado nî ǂnoaguba tsî sado nî ǀkhaoba. Tita ge Babilons ǁgam-e nî ǂnâ kai tsî ǁîs ǀausa nî ǂnâǂnâ. 37 Tsîs ge Babilonsa nî ǀuiǁkhopo kai; ǀgirin di ǁanǃkhais, khoen ǁîs xa ra burugâs, khoe-i xare-i xa ǁanǃnâhe tamasa. 38 ǁÎs di khoen ge ǀhûpe xamn khami nî ǃguru tsî ǂkham xamron khami nî ā. 39 ǁÎn di turab ga khâi, o ta ge tita ǁîna ǂûǁare-e dība tsî nî āǃgâu kai, dân nîga, tsîn ge nî ǁomǃari tsî ǁkhawa ǂkhai tide,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.40 “Tita ge ǁîna ǂāheǃgû ra ǁkhaon tsî baigu tsî pirigu khami nî ǂgaeǂguibē.”
Babilonsa nî hāǂam ǃgomsigu
41 “Mâtis Babilonsa ūhe hâ; ǁîs hoaraga ǃhūbaib xa ra koahesa ǃkhōhe hâ. Mâtis Babilonsa burugâxū kai hâ ǃhaodi ǃnâ. 42 Hurib ge Babilonsa ge dâuǂam; ǁîs ge ǁaixa ǃgabigu xa ge ǃgū-aihe. 43 ǁÎs di ǃādi ge ge ǃaoǃaosa ǃkhai kai; ǂnâsa ǃhū tsî ǃgaroǃhū kai. Khoe-i xare-i ge ǁnāpa ǁan tama hâ, khoe-i xare-i ge ǁnāpa-u ǃkharu tama hâ. 44 Tita ge Beli Babilons ǃnâ hâba nî ǁkhara, tsî ta ge harab ge hâ i xūna nî ǀkhûiǂui kai bi. ǁAedi ge ǃaruǀî ǁîb ǃoa ǃgû tide. Babilons di ǂnubiǂoab ge go ǁnā. 45 Ti ǁaese ǁîsa xu ǂoa. A i mâ-i hoa-e ǁî-i ûiba sâu, ǀaexa ǁaib ǃKhūb diba xu. 46 Tā ǂkhabuǂâi, î tā ǃao, ǃhūb ǃnâ du ra ǁnâu gommi xa. Mâ kurib hoabab ge gomma nî hâ. ǂKhawadīb ge ǃhūb ǃnâ nî hâ, nē ǂgaeǂgui-aob ge naub ǃoagu nî ǃkham. 47 ǁAeb ge go ǀoa, Babilons īga ta nî ǁkharaba. ǁÎs di hoaraga ǃhūb ge nî taotaohe tsîn ge ǁîs di ǃgamhe hâna ǁîs ǃnâ nî ǁgoe. 48 O kha ge ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsî ǁîkha ǃnâ hân tsîn hoana Babilons di ǁnās ǂama nî dâ, ǁîsa nî hîkākān ǀapasa xu nî ǀkhī xui-ao,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.49 “Babilons ge nî ǁnā, Israeli din hîas ge ǃgamn ǃaroma, tsî ǁnās ǁkhās xase ǁkhāti hoaraga ǃhūbaib din hîas ge ǃgamn ǃaroma.
Elob ǂhôas, Babilons ǃnâ hâ Israelǁîn ǃoa
50 “Sadu gôaba xu ge ûiǂoado, ūbēsen, tā mâ. ǃKhūb xa ǃnūse du hâpa xu ǂâi, î Jerusalems tsîn xa ǂâiǂâisen. 51 Sida ge tao hâ, ǃgôaǁnâhe da ge xui-ao. ǃHaraxūb ge sida aide ǃgū-ai hâ, ǃhaokhoen ge ǃKhūb ommi di ǃanu ǃkhaidi ǃnâ ǂgâ amaga. 52 ǁNā-amaga mû, tsēdi ge ǃgoaxa, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî, o ta ge Babilons īga nî ǁkhara tsîn ge tsuihe hâna ǁîs di ǃhūb hoaragab ǃnâ nî ǃgae. 53 Babilons ga ǀhommi kōse ǃapa tsî ǁkhui-ommi âsa ǀgaiǀgai, xawe ta ge tita hîkākā-aoga ǁîsa nî sîba,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.ǃKhūb ge Babilonsa nî hîkākā
54 “ǃAub di ǀōb ge Babilonsa xu ra hā,
kai ǂkhôadīb di ǂkhupiba Xaldeaba xu.
55 ǃKhūb ge Babilonsa ra hîkākā,
tsî ǁîs di ǂkhupixasiba ra ǃnō kai.
ǀGaisa ǃgabigu khamin ge khākhoena
ǁîs ǃoagu ra hā
ǁÎn domgu di ǂkhupib ge ra ǀgai.
56 Hîkākā-aob ge Babilonsa ra hāǂam,
ǁîs di toroǃkhamaogu ge ra ǃkhōhe,
ǁîgu di khādi ge ra khôaǃāhe.
ǃKhūb, ǀkhaob di Elob ge
ǁîsa amase nî dīdawa-am.
57 Tita ge ǂamkhoegu âsa nî āǀhoro kai,
gowoniagu, ǂgaeǂgui-aogu
tsî toroǃkhamaogu tsîga.
ǁÎgu ge nî ǁomǃari tsî ǂkhai tide,
tib ge Gao-aob, ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab,
ti ǀon hâba ra mî.
58 Nētib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî:
Babilons di ǀgaisa ǂnubiǂgoab ge
ǃhūb ai nî khôaǁguihe.
ǁÎs di ǀgapi dao-amdi ge nî khauǃkhūhe.
Khoen ge ǁause ra sîsen
tsî ǀaes xa nî hîkākāhe xūn
ǃaroma ra ǀhupuǀhupusen.”
Jeremiab ǂhôas ge Babilons ǃoa ra sîhe
59 Nēs ge kēbo-aob Jeremiab ge Neriab ôa tsî Maxsejaxi ǁnurib Serajaba mā mîmāsa, Judab gao-aob Sedekiab di hakaǁî ǂgaeǂguis kurib ǃnâb ge ǁîb ǀkha Babilons ǃoa ǃgû ǃnubai. Serajab ge ge sâǃkhaib di mûǂamao i. 60 Jeremiab ge Babilonsa nî hāǂam ǂōǂōsigu hoagu tsî Babilons xa xoahe hâ xūn hoan tsîna ǂkhanis ǃnâ ge xoamâi. 61 Tsîb ge Jeremiaba Serajab ǃoa ge mî: “Babilons ǃnâts ga sī, ots ge nē mîdi hoade nî khomai. 62 Tsîts ge nî mî: ‘O ǃKhūtse, sats ge nē ǃāsats nî hîkākā tsî i khoe-i kas, ûitsama xū-i kas hoasa ǁîs ǃnâ ǁan tide, tsîs ǀamose nî ǃū-aisa ǃkhai, ti ge mî.’ 63 Nē ǂkhanisats ga khomaitoa, ots ge ǀui-e ǁîs ai ǃgae tsî ǁîsa Eufrati ǃnâ aoǂgā, 64 tsî nî mî: ‘Nētis ge Babilonsa nî dūǂgâ tsî ǁkhawa ǂoaxa tide, ǁnā ǁkharab ǁîs ǂama ta nî hā-ūb ǃaroma.’ ” Nēpa di ge Jeremiab mîde ra ǀuni.
Further Judgment on Babylonia
1 The Lord says, “I am bringing a destructive wind against Babylonia and its people. 2 I will send foreigners to destroy Babylonia like a wind that blows straw away. When that day of destruction comes, they will attack from every side and leave the land bare. 3 Don't give its soldiers time to shoot their arrows or to put on their armor. Do not spare the young men! Destroy the whole army! 4 They will be wounded and die in the streets of their cities. 5 I, the Lord God Almighty, have not abandoned Israel and Judah, even though they have sinned against me, the Holy One of Israel. 6 Run away from Babylonia! Run for your lives! Do not be killed because of Babylonia's sin. I am now taking my revenge and punishing it as it deserves. 7 Babylonia was like a gold cup in my hand, making the whole world drunk. The nations drank its wine and went out of their minds. 8 Babylonia has suddenly fallen and is destroyed! Mourn over it! Get medicine for its wounds, and maybe it can be healed. 9 Foreigners living there said, ‘We tried to help Babylonia, but it was too late. Let's leave now and go back home. God has punished Babylonia with all his might and has destroyed it completely.’”
10 The Lord says, “My people shout, ‘The Lord has shown that we are in the right. Let's go and tell the people in Jerusalem what the Lord our God has done.’”
11 The Lord has stirred up the kings of Media, because he intends to destroy Babylonia. That is how he will take revenge for the destruction of his Temple.
The attacking officers command, “Sharpen your arrows! Get your shields ready! 12 Give the signal to attack Babylon's walls. Strengthen the guard! Post the sentries! Place troops in ambush!”
The Lord has done what he said he would do to the people of Babylonia. 13 That country has many rivers and rich treasures, but its time is up, and its thread of life is cut. 14 The Lord Almighty has sworn by his own life that he will bring many men to attack Babylonia like a swarm of locusts, and they will shout with victory.
A Hymn of Praise to God
15 The Lord made the earth by his power;
by his wisdom he created the world
and stretched out the heavens.
16 At his command the waters above the sky roar;
he brings clouds from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning flash in the rain
and sends the wind from his storeroom.
17 At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless;
those who make idols are disillusioned
because the gods they make are false and lifeless.
18 They are worthless and should be despised;
they will be destroyed when the Lord comes to deal with them.
19 The God of Jacob is not like them;
he is the one who made everything,
and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people.
The Lord Almighty is his name.
The Lord's Hammer
20 The Lord says,
“Babylonia, you are my hammer, my weapon of war.
I used you to crush nations and kingdoms,
21 to shatter horses and riders,
to shatter chariots and their drivers,
22 to kill men and women,
to slay old and young,
to kill boys and girls,
23 to slaughter shepherds and their flocks,
to slaughter farmers and their plow horses,
to crush rulers and high officials.”
Babylonia's Punishment
24 The Lord says, “You will see me repay Babylonia and its people for all the evil they did to Jerusalem. 25 Babylonia, you are like a mountain that destroys the whole world, but I, the Lord, am your enemy. I will take hold of you, level you to the ground, and leave you in ashes. 26 None of the stones from your ruins will ever be used again for building. You will be like a desert forever. I, the Lord, have spoken.
27 “Give the signal to attack! Blow the trumpet so that the nations can hear! Prepare the nations for war against Babylonia! Tell the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to attack. Appoint an officer to lead the attack. Bring up the horses like a swarm of locusts. 28 Prepare the nations for war against Babylonia. Send for the kings of Media, their leaders and officials, and the armies of all the countries they control. 29 The earth trembles and shakes because the Lord is carrying out his plan to make Babylonia a desert, where no one lives. 30 The Babylonian soldiers have stopped fighting and remain in their forts. They have lost their courage and have become helpless. The city gates are broken down, and the houses are on fire. 31 Messenger after messenger runs to tell the king of Babylonia that his city has been broken into from every side. 32 The enemy have captured the river crossing and have set the fortresses on fire. The Babylonian soldiers have panicked. 33 Soon the enemy will cut them down and trample them like grain on a threshing place. I, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, have spoken.”
34 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.
35 Let the people of Zion say,
“May Babylonia be held responsible
for the violence done to us!”
Let the people of Jerusalem say,
“May Babylonia be held responsible
for what we have suffered!”
The Lord Will Help Israel
36 And so the Lord said to the people of Jerusalem, “I will take up your cause and will make your enemies pay for what they did to you. I will dry up the source of Babylonia's water and make its rivers go dry. 37 That country will become a pile of ruins where wild animals live. It will be a horrible sight; no one will live there, and all who see it will be terrified. 38 The Babylonians all roar like lions and growl like lion cubs. 39 Are they greedy? I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk and happy. They will go to sleep and never wake up. 40 I will take them to be slaughtered, like lambs, goats, and rams. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Babylon's Fate
41 The Lord says about Babylon: “The city that the whole world praised has been captured! What a horrifying sight Babylon has become to the nations! 42 The sea has rolled over Babylon and covered it with roaring waves. 43 The towns have become a horrifying sight and are like a waterless desert, where no one lives or even travels. 44 I will punish Bel, the god of Babylonia, and make him give up his stolen goods; the nations will not worship him any more.
“Babylon's walls have fallen. 45 People of Israel, run away from there! Run for your life from my fierce anger. 46 Do not lose courage or be afraid because of the rumors you hear. Every year a different rumor spreads—rumors of violence in the land and of one king fighting another. 47 And so the time is coming when I will deal with Babylonia's idols. The whole country will be put to shame, and all its people will be killed. 48 Everything on earth and in the sky will shout for joy when Babylonia falls to the people who come from the north to destroy it. 49 Babylonia caused the death of people all over the world, and now Babylonia will fall because it caused the death of so many Israelites. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
God's Message to the Israelites in Babylonia
50 The Lord says to his people in Babylonia: “You have escaped death! Now go! Don't wait! Though you are far from home, think about me, your Lord, and remember Jerusalem. 51 You say, ‘We've been disgraced and made ashamed; we feel completely helpless because foreigners have taken over the holy places in the Temple.’ 52 So then, I say that the time is coming when I will deal with Babylon's idols, and the wounded will groan throughout the country. 53 Even if Babylon could climb to the sky and build a strong fortress there, I would still send people to destroy it. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Further Destruction on Babylon
54 The Lord says,
“Listen to the sound of crying in Babylon,
of mourning for the destruction in the land.
55 I am destroying Babylon
and putting it to silence.
The armies rush in like roaring waves
and attack with noisy shouts.
56 They have come to destroy Babylon;
its soldiers are captured,
and their bows are broken.
I am a God who punishes evil,
and I will treat Babylon as it deserves.
57 I will make its rulers drunk—
men of wisdom, leaders, and soldiers.
They will go to sleep and never wake up.
I, the king, have spoken;
I am the Lord Almighty.
58 The walls of mighty Babylon will be thrown to the ground,
and its towering gates burned down.
The work of the nations is all for nothing;
their efforts go up in flames.
I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”
Jeremiah's Message Is Sent to Babylonia
59 King Zedekiah's personal attendant was Seraiah, the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. In the fourth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, Seraiah was going to Babylonia with him, and I gave him some instructions. 60 I wrote in a book an account of all the destruction that would come on Babylonia, as well as all these other things about Babylonia. 61 I told Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, be sure to read aloud to the people everything that is written here. 62 Then pray, ‘Lord, you have said that you would destroy this place, so that there would be no living creatures in it, neither people nor animals, and it would be like a desert forever.’ 63 Seraiah, when you finish reading this book to the people, then tie it to a rock and throw it into the Euphrates River 64 and say, ‘This is what will happen to Babylonia—it will sink and never rise again because of the destruction that the Lord is going to bring on it.’”
The words of Jeremiah end here.
