Jeremiah 50

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 The word that Yahweh spoke against Babylon, against the country of the Chaldaeans, through theprophet Jeremiah.	1 The word which the LORD spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet:
2 Announce it to the nations, proclaim it, hoist a signal and proclaim it, making no secret of it, say,'Babylon is captured, Bel disgraced, Marduk shattered. (Her idols are disgraced, her Obscenities shattered.)'	2 "Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, conceal it not, and say: 'Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.'
3 For a nation is marching on her from the north, to turn her country into a desert: no one will live thereany more; human and animal have fled and gone.	3 "For out of the north a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; both man and beast shall flee away.
4 In those days and at that time the people of Israel will return (they and the people of Judah); they wilcome weeping in search of Yahweh their God.	4 "In those days and in that time, says the LORD, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come; and they shall seek the LORD their God.
5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces towards her, 'Come, let us bind ourselves to Yahwehby an everlasting covenant never to be forgotten!'	5 They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, 'Come, let us join ourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant which will never be forgotten.'
6 Lost sheep, such were my people; their shepherds led them astray, the mountains misled them; frommountain to hil they went, forgetful of their fold.	6 "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold.
7 Whoever came across them devoured them, their enemies said, 'We are not to blame, since they havesinned against Yahweh, the Home of Justice, against Yahweh, the Hope of their ancestors.'	7 All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, 'We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their true habitation, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'
8 Escape from Babylon, leave the country of the Chaldaeans. Be like he-goats, leading the sheep!	8 "Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as he-goats before the flock.
9 For look, I shall raise a league of mighty nations to attack Babylon, from the land of the north. They wiltake up position against her; by them she wil be taken. Their arrows, like an experienced soldier's, never returnin vain.	9 For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a company of great nations, from the north country; and they shall array themselves against her; from there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.
10 Chaldaea wil be plundered, al her plunderers wil be satisfied, Yahweh declares.	10 Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, says the LORD.
11 Rejoice! Have your triumph, you plunderers of my heritage! Be playful like a heifer let out to grass!Neigh like stallions!	11 "Though you rejoice, though you exult, O plunderers of my heritage, though you are wanton as a heifer at grass, and neigh like stallions,
12 But your mother is covered with shame, disgraced is the woman who bore you; she is the least ofnations now; a desert, a parched land, a wasteland.	12 your mother shall be utterly shamed, and she who bore you shall be disgraced. Lo, she shall be the last of the nations, a wilderness dry and desert.
13 Because of Yahweh's anger, no one wil live there any more, she wil become a total solitude. All whopass by Babylon wil be appal ed and whistle at the sight of al her wounds.	13 Because of the wrath of the LORD she shall not be inhabited, but shall be an utter desolation; every one who passes by Babylon shall be appalled, and hiss because of all her wounds.
14 Take position against Babylon, surround her, al you who bend the bow. Shoot at her! Do not spareyour arrows, for she has sinned against Yahweh!	14 Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, all you that bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD.
15 Raise the war cry against her from all sides. She surrenders! Her bastions fal ! Her wal s collapse!This is Yahweh's vengeance! Take revenge on her. Treat her as she has treated others.	15 Raise a shout against her round about, she has surrendered; her bulwarks have fallen, her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance on her, do to her as she has done.
16 Deprive Babylon of the man who sows, of the man who wields the sickle at harvest. Away from thedevastating sword, let everyone return to his own people, let everyone flee to his own country!	16 Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land.
17 Israel was a straying sheep pursued by lions. First, the king of Assyria devoured him, and latterlyNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon crunched his bones.	17 "Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
18 So Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, says this: Look, I shall punish the king of Babylon and his countryas I punished the king of Assyria.	18 Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing punishment on the king of Babylon and his land, as I punished the king of Assyria.
19 I wil bring Israel back to his pastures to browse on Carmel and in Bashan, on the highlands ofEphraim and in Gilead, and he wil be satisfied.	19 I will restore Israel to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and his desire shall be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.
20 In those days and at that time, Yahweh declares, you may look for Israel's guilt, it will not be there, forJudah's sins, you wil not find them, for I shal pardon the remnant that I leave.	20 In those days and in that time, says the LORD, iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none; and sin in Judah, and none shall be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.
21 March on the country of Merathaim, march on it and on the inhabitants of Pekod; slaughter and cursewith destruction every last one of them, Yahweh declares, carry out my orders to the letter!	21 "Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Slay, and utterly destroy after them, says the LORD, and do all that I have commanded you.
22 The din of battle fil s the country, immense destruction.	22 The noise of battle is in the land, and great destruction!
23 How utterly shattered that hammer of the whole world! What a thing of horror Babylon has becomethroughout the nations!	23 How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations!
24 I set a snare for you, Babylon; you were caught before you knew it. You have been found andoverpowered for having defied Yahweh.	24 I set a snare for you and you were taken, O Babylon, and you did not know it; you were found and caught, because you strove against the LORD.
25 Yahweh has opened his armoury and taken out the weapons of his fury. For Lord Yahweh Sabaothhas work to do in the country of the Chaldaeans.	25 The LORD has opened his armory, and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Lord GOD of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Fal on her from every side, open her granaries, pile her in heaps, curse her with destruction, untilnothing is left of her.	26 Come against her from every quarter; open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain, and destroy her utterly; let nothing be left of her.
27 Slaughter al her bulls, down to the slaughterhouse with them! Disaster on them, their day has come,their time for being punished.	27 Slay all her bulls, let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come, the time of their punishment.
28 Listen! Fugitives and runaways from the country of Babylon arrive in Zion and proclaim the revenge ofYahweh our God, revenge for his Temple!	28 "Hark! they flee and escape from the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, vengeance for his temple.
29 Call up the archers against Babylon! Al you who bend the bow, invest her on al sides, leave her noway of escape. Repay her as her deeds deserve; treat her as she has treated others, for she was arrogant toYahweh, to the Holy One of Israel.	29 "Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp round about her; let no one escape. Requite her according to her deeds, do to her according to all that she has done; for she has proudly defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
30 And so in her squares her young men wil fall, and all her fighting men wil perish, that day, Yahwehdeclares.	30 Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed on that day, says the LORD.
31 My quarrel is with you, 'Arrogance!' Lord Yahweh Sabaoth declares, your day has come, the time forme to punish you.	31 "Behold, I am against you, O proud one, says the Lord GOD of hosts; for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
32 'Arrogance' wil stumble, she will fal , no one wil lift her up: I shal set fire to her towns and it wildevour all around it.	32 The proud one shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him up, and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it will devour all that is round about him.
33 Yahweh Sabaoth says this: The people of Israel are oppressed (and the people of Judah too), al theircaptors hold them fast, they will not let them go.	33 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them; all who took them captive have held them fast, they refuse to let them go.
34 But their redeemer is strong: Yahweh Sabaoth is his name. He wil take up their cause, to give ourcountry rest but make the inhabitants of Babylon tremble.	34 Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.
35 A sword against the Chaldaeans, Yahweh declares, against the inhabitants of Babylon, against herprinces and her sages!	35 "A sword upon the Chaldeans, says the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes and her wise men!
36 A sword against her diviners: may they lose their wits! A sword against her warriors: may they panic!	36 A sword upon the diviners, that they may become fools! A sword upon her warriors, that they may be destroyed!
37 A sword against her horses, her chariots and the conglomeration of people inside her: may they belike women! A sword against her treasures: may they be plundered!	37 A sword upon her horses and upon her chariots, and upon all the foreign troops in her midst, that they may become women! A sword upon all her treasures, that they may be plundered!
38 Drought on her waters: may they dry up! For it is a country of idols, and they are mad about those bogeys of theirs!	38 A drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols.
39 Hence wild cats and jackals wil live there, and ostriches make their home there. She will never againbe inhabited, for ever, but remain uninhabited age after age.	39 "Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her; she shall be peopled no more for ever, nor inhabited for all generations.
40 As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and their neighbouring towns, Yahweh declares, noone will live there any more, no human being settle there again.	40 As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbor cities, says the LORD, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her.
41 Look, a people is coming from the north, a mighty nation; from the far ends of the earth many kingsare stirring.	41 "Behold, a people comes from the north; a mighty nation and many kings are stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
42 They are armed with bow and spear, they are cruel and pitiless; their noise is like the roaring of thesea; they ride horses, ready as one man to fight you, daughter of Babylon!	42 They lay hold of bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy. The sound of them is like the roaring of the sea; they ride upon horses, arrayed as a man for battle against you, O daughter of Babylon!
43 The king of Babylon has heard the news, his hands fal limp, anguish has seized him, pain like that ofa woman in labour.	43 "The king of Babylon heard the report of them, and his hands fell helpless; anguish seized him, pain as of a woman in travail.
44 Look, like a lion he climbs the thickets of the Jordan to the perennial pasture! In a flash I shal makethem run away and there appoint someone I shal choose. For who is there like me? Who can hale me intocourt? Name me the shepherd who can stand up to me.	44 "Behold, like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan against a strong sheepfold, I will suddenly make them run away from her; and I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me?
45 So now hear the plan that Yahweh has laid against Babylon, the schemes he has in mind against thecountry of the Chaldaeans: they wil certainly be dragged away like the smallest in the flock! Their pastures willcertainly be sacked before their eyes!	45 Therefore hear the plan which the LORD has made against Babylon, and the purposes which he has formed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of their flock shall be dragged away; surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate.
46 The earth quakes at the sound of Babylon's capture, and the shouting echoes through the nations.	46 At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations."