审判巴比伦的预言
1论到迦勒底人居住的巴比伦，耶和华对耶利米先知说：
2“你要向列国宣告，
你要竖起旗帜毫不隐瞒地宣告，
‘巴比伦要沦陷了！
它的神明彼勒必蒙羞，
米罗达必惊慌；
巴比伦的神像都蒙羞，
偶像都必惊慌。
3因为有一个来自北方的国家要攻击它，
使它荒凉、人畜绝迹。’”
4耶和华说：“那时，以色列人要与犹大人一同哭着来寻求他们的上帝耶和华。 5他们必打听前往锡安的路，朝锡安走去。他们必凭不会被遗忘的永恒之约归附耶和华。 6我的子民成了一群迷路的羊，他们的牧人使他们步入歧途，在高山丘陵间流浪，忘了自己的安歇之处。 7敌人遇见他们，就吞噬他们，还说，‘我们没有错！这是因为他们冒犯了他们真正的安歇之处——耶和华，他们祖先的盼望——耶和华。’ 8我的子民啊，你们要逃离巴比伦，离开迦勒底人的土地，要像带领羊群的公山羊一样离开。 9看啊，我要使来自北方的列强联合起来攻打巴比伦，他们要列阵攻占它，他们的勇士箭术高超，百发百中。 10他们要在迦勒底肆意掳掠，直到心满意足。这是耶和华说的。
11“抢夺我产业的巴比伦人啊，
你们欢喜快乐，
像草场上欢跳的母牛犊，
又像嘶鸣的公马。
12生养你们的母亲巴比伦将羞愧难当，
蒙受耻辱，
排在列国之末，
沦为干旱的荒漠。
13由于耶和华的愤怒，
巴比伦必无人居住，
荒凉不堪。
她满目疮痍，
令路人惊惧、嗤笑。
14弓箭手啊，你们要列阵围攻巴比伦，
向她猛射，
不要吝啬箭枝，
因为她得罪了耶和华。
15你们要从四面向她吶喊，
她必投降，
她的堡垒将倾倒，
城墙将坍塌，
因为耶和华要报应她。
你们要向她复仇，
她怎样对待别人，
你们也要怎样对待她。
16你们要铲除在巴比伦撒种的和收割的。
为躲避敌人的刀剑，
人们各自逃到故土亲族那里。
17“以色列人是一群被狮子驱散的羊，先被亚述王吞噬，后被巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒咬碎骨头。” 18以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说：“看啊，我要像惩罚亚述王一样惩罚巴比伦王和他的国家。 19我要带领以色列人返回他们的草场，让他们在迦密和巴珊吃草，在以法莲和基列的山上吃得饱足。 20那时，在以色列必找不到过犯，在犹大必找不到罪恶，因为我必赦免我保留下来的余民。这是耶和华说的。
21“你们要去攻打米拉大翁和比割的居民，
照我的命令彻底消灭他们。
这是耶和华说的。
22巴比伦境内传来战争和大毁灭的声音。
23威震天下的锤子巴比伦怎么被砍断、打碎了！
它的下场令列国震惊。
24巴比伦啊，我给你设下了陷阱，
你在懵然不知中被捉住，
因为你与耶和华为敌。
25耶和华已打开祂的军库，
取出倾泻祂愤怒的兵器。
因为主——万军之耶和华要惩罚迦勒底人。
26你们要从远方前来攻打巴比伦，
打开她的粮仓，
使她沦为一堆废墟，
彻底毁灭她，不留一物。
27你们要杀掉她所有的士兵，
把他们全部屠杀。
他们大祸临头了，
惩罚他们的日子到了。
28“从巴比伦逃出来的人在锡安述说我们的上帝耶和华如何报仇，为祂的圣殿报仇。
29“要召集所有的弓箭手来攻打巴比伦，在她四围扎营，不让一人漏网。要照她的所作所为报应她；她怎样对待别人，也要怎样对待她，因为她藐视耶和华——以色列的圣者。 30她的青年要倒毙街头，那时她所有的战士都要灭亡。”这是耶和华说的。
31“主——万军之耶和华说，
‘狂傲的人啊，我要与你为敌，
我惩罚你的时候到了。
32狂傲的人要踉踉跄跄，
跌倒在地，无人扶起。
我要焚烧她的城邑，
使她周围的一切化为灰烬。’”
33万军之耶和华说：“以色列人和犹大人要一同受压迫，掳走他们的人必控制他们，不肯释放他们。 34但他们的救赎主——万军之耶和华有伟大的能力，祂必为他们申冤，使他们的家园安宁，使巴比伦的居民不得安宁。”
35耶和华说：
“敌人要攻击巴比伦的居民及其首领和谋士；
36敌人要攻击巴比伦的假先知，
使他们显出愚昧；
敌人要攻击巴比伦的勇士，
使他们充满恐惧；
37敌人要攻击巴比伦人的战车战马和他们的盟军，
使他们柔弱得像妇女；
敌人要攻打他们的库房，
肆意抢夺他们的财宝。
38旱灾必临到巴比伦，
使那里的河流干涸，
因为那里偶像遍地，
人们都沉迷于祭拜神像。
39“因此，巴比伦必杳无人烟，永远荒凉，成为豺狼等野兽出没之地、鸵鸟的栖身之所。 40上帝要毁灭巴比伦，像毁灭所多玛、蛾摩拉及其周围的城邑一样，使那里人烟绝迹。这是耶和华说的。
41“看啊，大军要从北方而来，
一个强国及其盟军要从地极而来。
42巴比伦人啊，他们残忍无道，
手持弓箭和矛枪，
骑着战马，
列阵攻击你们，
声势如翻腾的大海。
43巴比伦王闻风丧胆，
四肢发软，
像分娩的妇人一样痛苦不堪。
44“看啊，我必在瞬间把巴比伦人赶离家园，如约旦河边丛林中跳出的狮子赶散草场的羊群。我要派我拣选的人统治这地方。谁能与我相比？谁能与我较量？哪位首领能抵抗我？”
45因此，你们要听听耶和华攻击巴比伦的策略，听听祂攻击迦勒底人的计划。他们的孩子要被拖走，他们的家园要被毁灭。 46巴比伦被毁灭的消息震动天下，呼喊声传到列国。
A Message About Babylon
1Here is the message the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet. It was about the city of Babylon and the land of Babylon. He said,
2“Announce this message among the nations.
Lift up a banner.
Let the nations hear the message.
Do not keep anything back.
Say, ‘Babylon will be captured.
The god named Bel will be put to shame.
The god named Marduk will be filled with terror.
Babylon’s gods will be put to shame.
The gods its people made will be filled with terror.’
3A nation from the north will attack it.
That nation will destroy Babylon.
No one will live there.
People and animals alike will run away.
4“The days are coming,”
announces the Lord.
“At that time the people of Israel and Judah will gather together.
They will come in tears to me.
I am the Lord their God.
5They will ask how to get to Zion.
Then they will turn their faces toward it.
They will come and join themselves to me.
They will enter into the covenant I make with them.
It will last forever.
It will never be forgotten.
6“My people have been like lost sheep.
Their shepherds have led them astray.
They have caused them to wander in the mountains.
They have wandered over mountains and hills.
They have forgotten that I am their true resting place.
7Everyone who found them destroyed them.
Their enemies said, ‘We aren’t guilty.
They sinned against the Lord.
He gave them everything they needed.
He has always been Israel’s hope.’
8“People of Judah, run away from Babylon.
Leave the land of Babylon.
Be like the goats that lead the flock.
9I will stir up great nations
that will join forces against Babylon.
I will bring them from the land of the north.
They will take up their battle positions against Babylon.
They will come from the north and capture it.
Their arrows will be like skilled soldiers.
They will not miss their mark.
10So the riches of Babylon will be taken away.
All those who steal from it will have more than enough,”
announces the Lord.
11“People of Babylon, you have stolen what belongs to me.
That has made you glad and full of joy.
You dance around like a young cow on a threshing floor.
You neigh like stallions.
12Because of that, you will bring great shame on your land.
Your whole nation will be dishonored.
It will become the least important of the nations.
It will become a dry and empty desert.
13Because I am angry with it, no one will live there.
It will be completely deserted.
All those who pass by Babylon will be shocked.
They will make fun of it because of all its wounds.
14“All you who shoot arrows,
take up your battle positions around Babylon.
Shoot at it! Do not spare any arrows!
Its people have sinned against me.
15Shout against them on every side!
They are giving up.
The towers of the city are falling.
Its walls are being pulled down.
The Lord is paying back its people.
So pay them back yourselves.
Do to them what they have done to others.
16Do not leave anyone in Babylon to plant the fields.
Do not leave anyone to harvest the grain.
Let each of them return to their own people.
Let them run away to their own land.
If they don’t, their enemy’s sword will bring them great harm.
17“Israel is like a scattered flock
that lions have chased away.
The first lion that ate them up
was the king of Assyria.
The last one that broke their bones
was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.”
18The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,
“I punished the king of Assyria.
In the same way, I will punish
the king of Babylon and his land.
19But I will bring Israel back to their own grasslands.
I will feed them on Mount Carmel and in Bashan.
I will satisfy their hunger
on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
20The days are coming,”
announces the Lord.
“At that time people will search for Israel’s guilt.
But they will not find any.
They will search for Judah’s sins.
But they will not find any.
That is because I will forgive the people I have spared.
21“Enemies of Babylon, attack their land of Merathaim.
Make war against those who live in Pekod.
Chase them and kill them. Destroy them completely,”
announces the Lord.
“Do everything I have commanded you to do.
22The noise of battle is heard in the land.
It is the noise of a great city being destroyed!
23It has been broken to pieces.
It was the hammer that broke the whole earth.
How empty Babylon is among the nations!
24Babylon, I set a trap for you.
And you were caught before you knew it.
You were found and captured.
That is because you opposed me.
25I have opened up my storeroom.
I have brought out the weapons I use when I am angry.
I am the Lord and King who rules over all.
I have work to do in the land of the Babylonians.
26So come against it from far away.
Open up its storerooms.
Stack everything up like piles of grain.
Completely destroy that country.
Do not leave anyone alive there.
27Kill all Babylon’s strongest warriors.
Let them die in battle.
How terrible it will be for them!
Their time to be judged has come.
Now they will be punished.
28Listen to those who have escaped.
Listen to those who have returned from Babylon.
They are announcing in Zion
how I have paid Babylon back.
I have paid it back for destroying my temple.
29“Send for men armed with bows and arrows.
Send them against Babylon.
Set up camp all around it.
Do not let anyone escape.
Pay it back for what its people have done.
Do to them what they have done to others.
They have dared to disobey me.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
30You can be sure its young men will fall dead in the streets.
All its soldiers will be put to death at that time,”
announces the Lord.
31“Proud Babylonians, I am against you,”
announces the Lord.
The Lord who rules over all says,
“Your day to be judged has come.
It is time for you to be punished.
32You proud people will trip and fall.
No one will help you up.
I will start a fire in your towns.
It will burn up everyone around you.”
33The Lord who rules over all says,
“The people of Israel are being treated badly.
So are the people of Judah.
Those who have captured them are holding them.
They refuse to let them go.
34But I am strong and will save them.
My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
I will stand up for them.
I will bring peace and rest to their land.
But I will bring trouble to those who live in Babylon.
35“A sword is coming against the Babylonians!”
announces the Lord.
“It is coming against those who live in Babylon.
It is coming against their officials and wise men.
36A sword is coming against their prophets.
But they are not really prophets at all!
So they will look foolish.
A sword is coming against their soldiers!
They will be filled with terror.
37A sword is coming against their horses and chariots!
It is coming against all the hired soldiers in their armies.
They will become weak.
A sword is coming against their treasures!
They will be stolen.
38There will not be any rain for their rivers.
So they will dry up.
Those things will happen because their land is full of statues of gods.
Those gods will go crazy with terror.
39“Desert creatures and hyenas will live in Babylon.
And so will owls.
People will never live there again.
It will not be lived in for all time to come.
40I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
I also destroyed the towns that were near them,”
announces the Lord.
“Babylon will be just like them.
No one will live there.
No human beings will stay there.
41“Look! An army is coming from the north.
I am stirring up a great nation and many kings.
They are coming from a land that is very far away.
42Their soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are mean.
They do not show any mercy at all.
They come riding in on their horses.
They sound like the roaring ocean.
They are lined up for battle.
They are coming to attack you, city of Babylon.
43The king of Babylon has heard reports about them.
His hands can’t help him.
He is in great pain.
It is like the pain of a woman having a baby.
44I will be like a lion coming up from the bushes by the Jordan River.
I will hunt in rich grasslands.
I will chase the people of Babylon from their land in an instant.
What nation will I choose to do this?
Which one will I appoint?
Is anyone like me? Who would dare to argue with me?
What leader can stand against me?”
45So listen to what the Lord has planned against Babylon.
Hear what he has planned against the land of the Babylonians.
Their young people will be dragged away.
Their grasslands will be shocked at their fate.
46At the news of Babylon’s capture,
the earth will shake.
The people’s cries will be heard among the nations.
