151:1 Isa 13:17Jehova ekuuga ũũ:
“Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩngarahũra roho wa mũniinani,
ũũkĩrĩre Babuloni, o na andũ a Lebi-Kamai.
251:2 Math 3:12Nĩngatũma andũ a kũngĩ mathiĩ Babuloni
magakũhurunje ta ũrĩa mũũngũ ũmbũragwo ihuhĩro-inĩ,
na manange bũrũri ũcio ũtigwo ũtarĩ kĩndũ;
makaũũkĩrĩra kuuma mĩena yothe,
mũthenya ũcio waguo wa mwanangĩko.
3Mũtikanareke mũikia wa mĩguĩ ageete ũta wake,
kana ehumbe nguo ciake cia ita.
Mũtigacaĩre aanake akuo;
anangai mbũtũ ciake cia ita, mũciniine.
4Makaagũa thĩ moragĩtwo kũu Babuloni,
magurarĩtio nguraro cia gĩkuũ kũu barabara-inĩ ciakuo.
551:5 Alaw 26:44; Hos 4:1Nĩgũkorwo Isiraeli na Juda matitirikĩtwo
nĩ Ngai wao, o we Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe,
o na gũtuĩka bũrũri wao ũiyũrĩtwo nĩ mahĩtia
maitho-inĩ ma ũcio Mũtheru wa Isiraeli.
651:6 Kũg 18:4; Jer 25:14“Mwĩtharei muume kũu Babuloni!
Ũrai mũhonokie mĩoyo yanyu!
Mwĩtharei mũtikaniinanĩrio nakuo nĩ ũndũ wa mehia makuo.
Nĩ ihinda rĩa Jehova rĩa kwĩrĩhĩria;
agaakũrĩha o kĩrĩa gĩkwagĩrĩire.
751:7 Jer 25:15-16; Kũg 14:8-10Babuloni kwahaanaga ta gĩkombe gĩa thahabu
kĩrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa Jehova;
nakuo gũgĩtũma thĩ yothe ĩhaane ta ĩrĩĩtwo nĩ njoohi.
Ndũrĩrĩ nĩcianyuire ndibei yakuo;
nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩu ihaana ta igũrũkĩte.
851:8 Isa 21:9; Kũg 14:8Babuloni nĩgũkũgũa o rĩmwe na kũhehenjwo.
Kũrĩrĩrei!
Rehei ndawa ya kũniina ruo rwakuo;
hihi kwahota kũhona.
951:9 Kũg 18:4-5“ ‘Nĩtũngĩahonirie Babuloni,
no rĩrĩ, gũtingĩhonio.
Nĩtũgũtigei, na o mũndũ acooke bũrũri wake kĩũmbe,
nĩgũkorwo ituĩro rĩakuo rĩkinyĩte o matu-inĩ,
rĩambatĩte o nginya matu-inĩ marĩa mairũ.’
10“ ‘Jehova nĩonanĩtie ũthingu witũ;
ũkai tũthiĩ tũkoimbũrĩre Zayuni
maũndũ marĩa Jehova Ngai witũ ekĩte.’
1151:11 Alaw 26:25; Jer 50:28“Noorai mĩguĩ, oyai ngo!
Nĩgũkorwo Jehova nĩarahũrĩte athamaki a Amedi,
nĩ ũndũ nĩaciirĩire kũniina Babuloni.
Jehova nĩekwĩrĩhĩria harĩo,
erĩhĩrie maũndũ
marĩa meekirwo hekarũ yake.
12Haandai bendera kũrigania na thingo cia Babuloni!
Ongererai agitĩri, igai arangĩri,
mũhaarĩrie andũ a kũhithũkĩra njĩra-inĩ!
Jehova nĩekũhingia ũrĩa aciirĩire gwĩka,
ahingie uuge wake wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo,
wa gũũkĩrĩra andũ a Babuloni.
13Wee ũtũũraga gũkuhĩ na njũũĩ nyingĩ,
na ũkeigĩra indo nyingĩ igĩĩna-inĩ ciaku-rĩ,
ithirĩro rĩaku nĩ ikinyu,
nĩ ihinda rĩaku rĩa kweherio.
1451:14 Kĩam 22:16; Nahu 3:15Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩehĩtĩte akĩgwetaga rĩĩtwa rĩake, akoiga atĩrĩ:
Ti-itherũ nĩngatũma ũũkĩrĩrwo nĩ andũ aingĩ o ta mĩrumbĩ ya ngigĩ,
nao makuugĩrĩrie nĩ ũndũ wa gũkũhoota.
1551:15 Kĩam 1:1; Thab 136:5“Nĩwe wombire thĩ na ũndũ wa hinya wake;
ningĩ akĩhaanda thĩ na ũũgĩ wake,
na agĩtambũrũkia matu mairũ na ũndũ wa ũmenyo wake.
1651:16 Thab 135:7Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa agũũthũka-rĩ, maaĩ marĩa marĩ igũrũ matu-inĩ nĩmarurumaga;
nĩwe ũtũmaga thaatũ wambate na igũrũ kuuma ituri ciothe cia thĩ.
Atũmaga rũheni rũũke rũrehanĩte na mbura,
na akahingũrĩra rũhuho ruume makũmbĩ-inĩ make.
17“Andũ othe nĩmagĩte meciiria na makaaga ũmenyo,
nake mũturi wa thahabu o wothe nĩaconorithĩtio nĩ mĩhianano ĩyo yake.
Nĩ ũndũ mĩhianano ĩyo yake nĩ ya maheeni;
ndĩrĩ mĩhũmũ thĩinĩ wayo.
18Ndĩrĩ kĩene, nĩ indo cia kũnyararwo;
narĩo ihinda rĩayo rĩa gũciirithio rĩakinya-rĩ, nĩĩgathira biũ.
1951:19 Thab 119:57; Thaam 34:9We ũcio Rũgai rwa Jakubu ndatariĩ tayo,
nĩgũkorwo nĩwe Mũũmbi wa indo ciothe,
o hamwe na mũhĩrĩga ũrĩa eegwatĩire ũtuĩke igai rĩake;
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩrĩo rĩĩtwa rĩake.
2051:20 Isa 10:5; Mik 4:13“Nĩwe njũgũma yakwa ya ita,
na nowe kĩndũ gĩakwa kĩa mbaara:
nĩwe hũthagĩra kũhehenja ndũrĩrĩ,
na ngatũmĩra hinya waku kũniina mothamaki.
21Nĩwe hũthagĩra kũhehenja mbarathi na mũmĩhaici,
ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja ngaari ya ita na mũmĩtwari,
2251:22 2Maũ 36:17ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja mũndũ mũrũme na mũndũ-wa-nja,
ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja mũndũ mũkũrũ na ũrĩa mwĩthĩ,
o na ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja mwanake na mũirĩtu,
23Ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja mũrĩithi na rũũru rwake rwa mbũri,
ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja mũrĩmi na ndegwa ciake cia kũrĩma,
o na ngakũhũthĩra kũhehenja abarũthi na anene.
2451:24 Isa 45:1“Na rĩrĩ, Babuloni na arĩa othe matũũraga Kalidei, ngaamacookereria ũũru wao mũkĩĩonagĩra, ũũru wothe ũrĩa maaneka kũu Zayuni,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
2551:25 Thaam 3:20; Zek 4:7“Nĩngũgũũkĩrĩra wee kĩrĩma gĩkĩ gĩa kũniinana,
wee ũniinaga thĩ yothe.”
ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
“Nĩngũgũtambũrũkĩria guoko ngũũkĩrĩre,
ngũgaragarie ngũrute ndwaro-inĩ cia mahiga,
na ndũme ũtuĩke ta kĩrĩma gĩcinĩtwo nĩ mwaki.
26Gũtirĩ ihiga rĩkarutwo harĩwe rĩtuĩke rĩa koine,
o na kana ihiga o rĩothe rĩa mũthingi,
nĩ ũndũ ũgũtũũra ũkirĩte ihooru nginya tene,”
ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
2751:27 Thab 20:5; Kĩam 10:3“Haandai bendera bũrũri-inĩ,
huhai karumbeta ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ!
Thagathagai ndũrĩrĩ ikahũũrane nake;
ĩtai mothamaki maya meturanĩre, mamũũkĩrĩre:
mothamaki ma Ararati, na Mini, na Ashikenazu.
Mũigĩrei mũnene wa ita wa kũmũũkĩrĩra;
ambatiai mbarathi cia ita nyingĩ ta mĩrumbĩ ya ngigĩ.
28Thagathagai ndũrĩrĩ ikahũũrane nake;
thagathagai athamaki a Amedi,
na abarũthi, na anene ao othe,
na andũ a mabũrũri mothe marĩa maathagwo nĩo.
2951:29 Atiir 5:4; Thab 33:11Bũrũri nĩũrathingitha na ũkenyogonda nĩ ruo,
nĩgũkorwo ũndũ ũrĩa Jehova aciirĩire gwĩka Babuloni nĩ mũrũmu:
wa kũharagania bũrũri wa Babuloni
nĩguo kwage mũndũ ũngĩtũũra kuo.
3051:30 Jer 50:36Njamba iria irĩ hinya cia Babuloni nĩitigĩte kũrũa;
ciikarĩte ciĩgitio-inĩ ciacio iria nũmu.
Hinya wacio nĩ mũthiru;
ihaanĩte o ta andũ-a-nja.
Ciikaro ciakuo nĩicinĩtwo na mwaki;
mĩgĩĩka ya ihingo ciakuo nĩ miunange.
3151:31 2Sam 18:19-31Mũtwari ndũmĩrĩri ũmwe ararũmĩrĩrwo nĩ ũngĩ,
nake mũrekio akarũmĩrĩrwo nĩ mũrekio ũrĩa ũngĩ,
makamenyithie mũthamaki wa Babuloni
atĩ itũũra rĩu rĩake inene rĩothe nĩrĩtunyane,
32ningĩ mariũko ma njũũĩ nĩmanyiite,
na kũrĩa kũrĩ marura gũgaacinwo na mwaki,
nacio thigari ikanyiitwo nĩ guoya.”
3351:33 Isa 17:5Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, o we Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga atĩrĩ:
“Mwarĩ wa Babuloni atariĩ ta kĩhuhĩro kĩa ngano
hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yaraganĩtio ĩkĩrangĩrĩrio;
kahinda gake ga kũgethwo nĩgegũkinya o narua.”
3451:34 Jer 50:17; Hos 8:8“Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni nĩatũmeretie,
nĩatũreheire kĩrigiicano,
agatũma tũtuĩke ta nyũngũ ya rĩũmba ĩtarĩ kĩndũ.
Nĩatũmerũkĩtie o ta ndamathia,
nayo nda yake akamĩiyũria na indo ciitũ iria irĩ mũrĩo,
na nĩacookete agatũtahĩka.
3551:35 Joel 3:19; Hab 2:17Maũndũ ma ũhinya marĩa maanekwo nyama ciitũ-rĩ,
marocookerera Babuloni,”
ũguo nĩguo atũũri a Zayuni mekuuga.
“Thakame iitũ ĩrocookerera acio maikaraga kũu Babuloni,”
ũguo nĩguo Jerusalemu ĩkuuga.
3651:36 Arom 12:19; Hos 13:15Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo-rĩ, Jehova ekuuga ũũ:
“Atĩrĩrĩ, niĩ nĩngũkũrũĩrĩra na ngũrĩhĩrie;
nĩngahũithia iria rĩake, na ndũme ithima ciake ihũe.
3751:37 Kũg 18:2Babuloni gũgaatuĩka hĩba ya kũndũ kwanangĩku,
na imamo cia mbwe,
na kũndũ gwa kũmakania, na gwa gũthekererwo,
kũndũ gũtarĩ mũndũ ũngĩtũũra kuo.
38Andũ othe akuo makaararamaga ta mĩrũũthi mĩĩthĩ,
makaarurumaga ta njaũ cia mĩrũũthi.
39No rĩrĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa magaakorwo macinĩtwo nĩ thuti-rĩ,
nĩrĩo ngaamarugithĩria iruga,
na ndũme marĩĩo nĩ njoohi,
nĩguo magaatheka maanĩrĩire,
macooke makome toro nginya tene, na maticooke gũũkĩra,”
ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
4051:40 Ezek 39:18“Ngaamaikũrũkia ta tũgondu tũgĩthiĩ gũthĩnjwo,
o na ta ndũrũme irĩ hamwe na thenge.
4151:41 Jer 25:26“Hĩ, kaĩ Sheshaki nĩrĩkeegwatĩrwo-ĩ,
itũũra rĩu rĩĩrahagwo nĩ thĩ yothe kaĩ nĩinyiite-ĩ!
Babuloni gũgaatuĩka kũndũ gwa kũmakania
thĩinĩ wa ndũrĩrĩ ciothe!
4251:42 Isa 8:7Iria rĩrĩa inene nĩrĩkaiyũra Babuloni guothe;
mũrurumo wa ndiihũ ciarĩo nĩguo ũgaakũhubanĩria.
43Matũũra makuo nĩmakirĩte ihooru,
matuĩke bũrũri mũũmũ na werũ ũtarĩ kĩndũ,
bũrũri ũtarĩ mũndũ ũngĩũtũũra,
kũndũ gũtarĩ mũndũ ũgeragĩra kuo.
4451:44 Isa 46:1; Jer 50:15Nĩngaherithĩria Beli kũu Babuloni
na ndũme ĩtahĩke kĩndũ kĩrĩa gĩothe ĩmeretie.
Ndũrĩrĩ itigacooka kũhatĩkana igĩthiĩ kũrĩ yo.
Naruo rũthingo rwa Babuloni nĩrũkaagũa.
45“Umai kũu thĩinĩ warĩo, inyuĩ andũ akwa!
Mwĩtharei, mũhonokie mĩoyo yanyu!
Mwĩtharei, mweherere marakara marĩa mahiũ ma Jehova.
4651:46 2Ath 19:7Mũtikanareke ngoro cianyu ciũrwo nĩ hinya, kana mwĩtigĩre
hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndeto cia mũhuhu ikaiguuo bũrũri-inĩ;
ũhoro ũmwe wa mũhuhu nĩũkaiguuo mwaka ũyũ,
na ũngĩ ũiguuo mwaka ũcio ũngĩ ũrũmĩrĩire,
mũhuhu ũkoniĩ ndeto cia haaro bũrũri-inĩ,
na wa mwathani ũmwe agĩũkĩrĩra mwathani ũrĩa ũngĩ.
47Nĩgũkorwo ti-itherũ ihinda nĩrĩgooka
rĩrĩa ngaaherithia ngai cia mĩhianano ya Babuloni;
bũrũri ũcio wothe nĩũgaconorithio,
nao andũ akuo arĩa othe moragĩtwo nĩmakaaragana kuo.
4851:48 Ayub 3:7; Kũg 18:20Hĩndĩ ĩyo igũrũ na thĩ na kĩrĩa gĩothe kĩrĩ kuo
nĩikanĩrĩra nĩ gũkena igĩkenerera Babuloni,
nĩgũkorwo aniinani nĩmakarĩtharĩkĩra,
moimĩte mwena wa gathigathini,”
ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
4951:49 Thab 137:8“Babuloni no nginya gũkaagũa nĩ ũndũ wa andũ a Isiraeli arĩa maanooraga,
ũguo noguo andũ a mabũrũri mothe makaagũa thĩ,
moragĩtwo nĩ ũndũ wa Babuloni.
50Inyuĩ mũhonokete kũũragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora-rĩ,
mwĩtharei na mũtikagonderere!
Ririkanagai Jehova mũrĩ bũrũri wa kũraya,
na mwĩciiragie ũhoro wa Jerusalemu.”
5151:51 Thab 44:13-16“Nĩtũconorithĩtio,
nĩgũkorwo nĩtũrumĩtwo,
na tũkahumbwo thoni mothiũ maitũ,
tondũ andũ a kũngĩ nĩmatoonyete
kũndũ kũrĩa kwamũre thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya Jehova.”51:51 Rĩĩrĩ nĩ ihinda rĩrĩa Nebukadinezaru aingĩrire thĩinĩ wa hekarũ na akĩmĩthaahia mwaka wa 586 mbere ya gũciarwo gwa Kristũ.
52Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ,
“Matukũ nĩmagooka rĩrĩa ngaaherithia mĩhianano yake,
nao andũ arĩa agurarie kũu bũrũri-inĩ ũcio guothe
nĩmagacaaya.
5351:53 Kĩam 11:4; Isa 14:13-14O na kũngĩtuĩka Babuloni gwĩtũũgĩrĩtie gũgakinya o matu-inĩ,
na ciĩhitho ciakuo ikairigĩrwo na hinya mũno-rĩ,
no ngaakũrehithĩria aniinani magũũkĩrĩre,”
ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
5451:54 Jer 50:22; Ayub 24:12“Mũgambo wa kĩrĩro nĩũraiguuo kũu Babuloni;
nĩ mũgambo wa kũniinanwo
ũraiguuo kũu bũrũri wa andũ a Babuloni.
55Jehova nĩakaniina Babuloni;
nĩagakiria inegene rĩu inene rĩakuo.
Makũmbĩ ma thũ makaahũũyũka taarĩ mũrurumo wa maaĩ maingĩ.
Mũrurumo wa mĩgambo yao nĩĩkaiguuagwo.
5651:56 Ayub 15:21; Hab 2:8Mũniinani nĩagookĩrĩra Babuloni;
njamba ciakuo iria irĩ hinya nĩikaanyiitwo,
namo mota mao moinangwo.
Nĩ ũndũ Jehova nĩ Mũrungu ũrĩhanagĩria;
we akaarĩhanĩria biũ.
5751:57 Thab 76:5; Isa 6:5Anene akuo, na andũ arĩa ogĩ, o na abarũthi akuo,
o ũndũ ũmwe na anene akuo, o na njamba ciakuo iria irĩ hinya,
othe nĩngatũma marĩĩo nĩ njoohi;
magaakoma nginya tene, na matiũkĩre,”
nĩguo Mũthamaki ekuuga,
o we ũrĩa rĩĩtwa rĩake arĩ Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe.
58Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ:
“Rũthingo rwa Babuloni rũrĩa rwariĩ nĩrũkangʼaũranio biũ,
nacio ihingo ciakuo iria ndaaya na igũrũ icinwo na mwaki;
andũ menogagia tũhũ,
naguo wĩra wa ndũrĩrĩ no ngũ cia gũcinwo na mwaki.”
5951:59 Jer 28:1Ĩno nĩo ndũmĩrĩri ĩrĩa Jeremia aaheire Seraia mũrũ wa Neria, mũrũ wa Maaseia, o ũcio warĩ mũnene ũrĩa mũrori wa maũndũ ma nyũmba ya mũthamaki, rĩrĩa aathiire Babuloni marĩ na Zedekia mũthamaki wa Juda mwaka-inĩ wa ĩna wa ũthamaki wake. 6051:60 Thaam 17:14; Jer 30:2Jeremia nĩandĩkĩte ibuku-inĩ rĩa gĩkũnjo ũhoro wothe ũkoniĩ mwanangĩko ũrĩa ũgaakinyĩrĩra Babuloni: maũndũ marĩa mothe maandĩkĩtwo makoniĩ Babuloni. 61Jeremia akĩĩra Seraia atĩrĩ, “Wakinya Babuloni-rĩ, ũgaatigĩrĩra atĩ nĩwathoma mohoro maya mothe wanĩrĩire. 6251:62 Jer 50:13Ũcooke uuge atĩrĩ, ‘Wee Jehova, nĩugĩte nĩũkũniina kũndũ gũkũ, nĩgeetha gũtikanatũũrwo nĩ mũndũ, o na kana nyamũ; gũgũtũũra gũkirĩte ihooru nginya tene.’ 6351:63 Kĩam 2:14Warĩkia gũthoma ibuku rĩu rĩa gĩkũnjo-rĩ, ũrĩoherere ihiga, ũrĩikie Rũũĩ rwa Farati. 6451:64 Ezek 26:21; Ayub 31:40Ũcooke uuge atĩrĩ, ‘Ũguo noguo Babuloni gũkaarikĩra kũũrĩre biũ, na gũtigacooka kuumĩra na igũrũ, nĩ ũndũ wa mwanangĩko ũrĩa ngaakũrehithĩria. Nao andũ akuo nĩmakaagũa.’ ”
Ũhoro wa Jeremia ũkinyĩte hau.
1The Lord says,
“I will stir up the spirits of destroyers.
They will march out against Babylon and its people.
2I will send other nations against it
to separate the straw from the grain.
I will send them to destroy Babylon completely.
They will oppose it on every side.
At that time it will be destroyed.
3Do not let its soldiers get their bows ready to use.
Do not let them put on their armor.
Do not spare their young men.
Destroy their armies completely.
4They will fall down dead in Babylon.
They will receive deadly wounds in its streets.
5The land of Israel and Judah is full of guilt.
Its people have sinned against me.
But I have not deserted them. I am their God.
I am the Lord who rules over all.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
6“People of Judah, run away from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of the sins of its people.
It is time for me to pay them back.
I will punish them for what they have done.
7Babylon was like a gold cup in my hand.
That city made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank its wine.
So now they have gone crazy.
8Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
Weep for it!
Get healing lotion for its pain.
Perhaps it can be healed.
9“The nations say, ‘We would have healed Babylon.
But it can’t be healed.
So let’s leave it. Let’s each go to our own land.
Babylon’s sins reach all the way to the skies.
They rise up as high as the heavens.’
10“The people of Judah say,
‘The Lord has made things right for us again.
So come. Let’s tell in Zion
what the Lord our God has done.’
11“I have stirred up you kings of the Medes.
So sharpen your arrows!
Get your shields!
I plan to destroy Babylon.
I will pay the Babylonians back.
They have destroyed my temple.
12Lift up a banner! Attack Babylon’s walls!
Put more guards on duty!
Station more of them to watch over you!
Hide and wait to attack them!
I will do what I have planned.
I will do what I have decided to do
against the people of Babylon.
13You who live by the rivers of Babylon,
your end has come.
You who are rich in treasures,
it is time for you to be destroyed.
14I am the Lord who rules over all.
I have made a promise in my own name.
I have said, ‘I will certainly fill your land with soldiers.
They will be as many as a huge number of locusts.
They will win the battle over you.
They will shout for joy.’
15“I used my power to make the earth.
I used my wisdom to set the world in place.
I used my understanding to spread out the heavens.
16When I thunder, the waters in the heavens roar.
I make clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other.
I send lightning with the rain.
I bring out the wind from my storerooms.
17“No one has any sense.
No one knows anything.
Everyone who works with gold is put to shame
by his wooden gods.
His metal gods are fakes.
They can’t even breathe.
18They are worthless, and people make fun of them.
When I judge them, they will be destroyed.
19But I, the God of Jacob, am not like them.
I give my people everything they need.
I can do this because I made everything, including Israel.
They are the people who belong to me.
My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
20“Babylon, you are my war club.
You are my weapon for battle.
I use you to destroy nations.
I use you to wipe out kingdoms.
21I use you to destroy horses and their riders.
I use you to destroy chariots and their drivers.
22I use you to destroy men and women.
I use you to destroy old people and young people.
I use you to destroy young men and young women.
23I use you to destroy shepherds and their flocks.
I use you to destroy farmers and their oxen.
I use you to destroy governors and officials.
24“Judah, I will pay Babylon back. You will see it with your own eyes. I will pay back all those who live in Babylon. I will pay them back for all the wrong things they have done in Zion,” announces the Lord.
25“Babylon, I am against you.
Your kingdom is like a destroying mountain.
You have destroyed the whole earth,”
announces the Lord.
“I will reach out my hand against you.
I will roll you off the cliffs.
I will make you like a mountain that has been burned up.
26No rock will be taken from you to be used
as the most important stone for a building.
No stones will be taken from you
to be used for a foundation.
Your land will be empty forever,”
announces the Lord.
27“Nations, lift up a banner in the land of Babylon!
Blow a trumpet among yourselves!
Prepare yourselves for battle against Babylon.
Send the kingdoms
of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz against it.
Appoint a commander against it.
Send many horses against it.
Let them be as many as a huge number of locusts.
28Prepare yourselves for battle against Babylon.
Prepare the kings of the Medes.
Prepare their governors and all their officials.
Prepare all the countries they rule over.
29The Babylonians tremble and shake with fear.
My plans against them stand firm.
I plan to destroy their land completely.
Then no one will live there.
30Babylon’s soldiers have stopped fighting.
They remain in their forts.
Their strength is all gone.
They have become weak.
Their buildings are set on fire.
The metal bars that lock their gates are broken.
31One messenger after another
comes to the king of Babylon.
All of them announce that
his entire city is captured.
32The places where people go across the Euphrates River have been captured.
The swamps have been set on fire.
And the soldiers are terrified.”
33The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,
“The city of Babylon is like a threshing floor
when cattle are walking on it.
The time to destroy it will soon come.”
34The people of Jerusalem say,
“Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has destroyed us.
He has thrown us into a panic.
He has emptied us out like a jar.
Like a snake he has swallowed us up.
He has filled his stomach with our rich food.
Then he has spit us out of his mouth.”
35The people continue, “May the people of Babylon
pay for the harmful things they have done to us.
May those who live in Babylon
pay for spilling the blood of our people.”
That’s what the people who live in Zion say.
36So the Lord says,
“I will stand up for you.
I will pay the Babylonians back for what they did to you.
I will dry up their water supply.
I will make their springs run dry.
37Babylon will have all its buildings knocked down.
It will be a home for wild dogs.
No one will live there.
People will be shocked at it.
They will make fun of it.
38All its people roar like young lions.
They growl like lion cubs.
39They are stirred up.
So I will set a feast in front of them.
I will make them drunk.
And they will shout and laugh.
But then they will lie down and die.
They will never wake up,”
announces the Lord.
40“I will lead them down like lambs to be put to death.
They will be like rams and goats that have been killed.
41“Babylon will be captured!
The whole earth was very proud of it.
But it will be taken over by others!
It will be a deserted place among the nations.
42Babylon’s enemies will sweep over it like an ocean.
Like roaring waves they will cover it.
43The towns of Babylon will be empty.
It will become a dry and desert land.
No one will live there.
No one will even travel through it.
44I will punish the god named Bel in Babylon.
I will make Bel spit out what he has swallowed.
The nations will not come and worship him anymore.
And Babylon’s walls will fall down.
45“Come out of there, my people!
Run for your lives!
Run away from my great anger.
46You will hear about terrible things
that are happening in Babylon.
But do not lose hope. Do not be afraid.
You will hear one thing this year.
And you will hear something else next year.
You will hear about awful things in the land.
You will hear about one ruler fighting against another.
47I will punish the gods of Babylon.
That time will certainly come.
Then the whole land will be full of shame.
Its people will lie down and die there.
48So heaven and earth and everything in them will shout for joy.
They will be glad because of what will happen to Babylon.
Armies will attack it from the north.
And they will destroy it,”
announces the Lord.
49“Babylon’s people have killed my people Israel.
They have also killed people all over the earth.
So now Babylon itself must fall.
50You who have not been killed in the war against Babylon,
leave! Do not wait!
In a land far away remember me.
And think about Jerusalem.”
51The people of Judah reply, “No one honors us anymore.
People make fun of us.
Our faces are covered with shame.
People from other lands have entered
the holy places of the Lord’s house.”
52“But the days are coming,” announces the Lord.
“At that time I will punish the gods of Babylon.
And all through its land
wounded people will groan.
53What if Babylon reached all the way to the heavens?
What if it made its high walls even stronger?
I would still send destroyers against it,”
announces the Lord.
54“The noise of people screaming comes from Babylon.
A terrible sound comes from its land.
It is the sound of a mighty city being destroyed.
55I will destroy Babylon.
I will put an end to all its noise.
Waves of enemies will sweep through it like great waters.
The roar of their voices will fill the air.
56A destroying army will come against Babylon.
The soldiers in the city will be captured.
Their bows will be broken.
I am the Lord God who pays people back.
I will pay them back in full.
57I will make Babylon’s officials and wise men drunk.
I will do the same thing to its governors, officers and soldiers.
They will lie down and die. They will never wake up,”
announces the King. His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
58The Lord who rules over all says,
“Babylon’s thick walls will fall down flat.
Its high gates will be set on fire.
The nations wear themselves out for no reason at all.
Their hard work will only be burned up in the flames.”
59Jeremiah the prophet gave a message to the staff officer Seraiah, the son of Neriah. Neriah was the son of Mahseiah. Jeremiah told Seraiah to take the message with him to Babylon. Seraiah went there with Zedekiah, the king of Judah. He left in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s rule. 60Jeremiah had written about all the trouble that would come on Babylon. He had written it down on a scroll. It included everything that had been recorded about Babylon. 61Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, here’s what I want you to do. Make sure that you read all these words out loud. 62Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place. You have said that no people or animals will live here. It will be empty forever.’ 63Finish reading the scroll. Tie a stone to it. Throw it into the Euphrates River. 64Then say, ‘In the same way, Babylon will sink down. It will never rise again. That is because I will bring such horrible trouble on it. And its people will fall along with it.’ ”
The words of Jeremiah end here.
