Jeremiah 50

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The word that Yahweh spoke against Babylon, against the country of the Chaldaeans, through theprophet Jeremiah.	1 The word which the LORD spoke against Babylon, against the land of the Chaldeans, through the prophet Jeremiah:
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 Announce and publish it among the nations; publish it, hide it not, but say: Babylon is taken, Bel confounded, Merodach shattered; her images are put to shame, her idols shattered.
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 A people from the north advances against her to turn her land into a desert, So that no one shall live there, because man and beast have fled 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, at that time, says the LORD, the men of Israel and of Judah shall come, Weeping as they come, to 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 to their goal in Zion they shall ask the way. "Come, let us join ourselves to the LORD with covenant everlasting, never to 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 Lost sheep were my people, their shepherds misled them, straggling on the mountains; From mountain to hill they wandered, losing the way to 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 Whoever came upon them devoured them, and their enemies said, "We incur no guilt, Because they sinned against the LORD, the hope of their fathers, their abode of justice."
8 Escape from Babylon, leave the country of the Chaldaeans. Be like he-goats, leading the sheep!	8 Flee from Babylon, leave the land of the Chaldeans, be like the rams at the head of 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 See, I am stirring up against Babylon a band of great nations from the north; from there they advance, and she shall be taken. Their arrows are arrows of the skilled warrior; none shall return without effect.
10 Chaldaea wil be plundered, al her plunderers wil be satisfied, Yahweh declares.	10 Chaldea shall be their plunder, and all her plunderers shall be enriched, 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 Yes, rejoice and exult, you that plunder my portion; Frisk like calves on the green, snort 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 sorely put to shame, she that bore you shall be abashed; See, the last of the nations, a desert, dry and waste.
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 LORD'S wrath she shall be empty, and become a total desert; Everyone who passes by Babylon will be appalled and catch his breath, at 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 Take your posts encircling Babylon, you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, spare not your arrows,
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 the war cry against her on all sides. She surrenders, her bastions fall, her walls are torn down: Vengeance of the LORD is this! Take revenge on her, as she has done, do to her; for she sinned against the LORD.
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 him who wields the sickle in harvest time! Before the destroying sword, each of them turns to his own people, everyone flees 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 A stray sheep was Israel that lions pursued; Formerly the king of Assyria devoured her, now Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gnaws her 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: I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as once 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 But I will bring back Israel to her fold, to feed on Carmel and Bashan, And on Mount Ephraim and Gilead, till she has her fill.
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, at that time, says the LORD: They shall seek Israel's guilt, but it shall be no more, and Judah's sins, but these shall no longer be found; for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.
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 Attack the land of Merathaim, and those who live in Pekod; Slaughter and doom them, says the LORD, do all I have commanded you.
22 The din of battle fil s the country, immense destruction.	22 Battle alarm in the land, dire destruction!
23 How utterly shattered that hammer of the whole world! What a thing of horror Babylon has becomethroughout the nations!	23 How has the hammer of the whole earth been broken and shattered! What an object of horror Babylon has become 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 You ensnared yourself, and were caught, O Babylon, before you knew it! You were discovered and seized, because you challenged 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 opens his armory and brings forth the weapons of his wrath; For the Lord GOD of hosts has 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 upon her from every side, open her granaries, Pile up her goods in heaps and doom it, leave not a remnant.
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 oxen, let them go down to the slaughter; Woe to them! 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 Listen! the fugitives, the escaped from the land of Babylon: They announce in Zion the vengeance of the LORD, our God.
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 Call up against Babylon archers, all who bend the bow; Encamp around her, let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; as she has done, do to her, For she insulted 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 streets, all her warriors shall perish 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 I am against you, man of insolence, says the Lord GOD of hosts; For your day has come, the time for me to 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 Insolence stumbles and falls; there is no one to raise him up. I will kindle in his cities a fire that shall devour everything around 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: Oppressed are the men of Israel, and with them the men of Judah; All their captors hold them fast and 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 Strong is their avenger, whose name is LORD of hosts; He will defend their cause with success, and give rest to the earth, but unrest to those who live in 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, upon Babylon's people, her princes and 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 soothsayers, that they may become fools! A sword upon her warriors, that they may tremble;
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 motley throng, that they may become women! A sword upon 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 sword upon her waters, that they may dry up! For it is a land of idols, and they shall be made frantic by fearful things.
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 Hence, wildcats and desert beasts shall dwell there, and ostriches shall occupy it; Never again shall it be peopled, or lived in, from age to age.
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 overturned Sodom and Gomorrah, with their neighbors, says the LORD, Not a man shall dwell there, no human being shall tarry there.
41 Look, a people is coming from the north, a mighty nation; from the far ends of the earth many kingsare stirring.	41 See! a people comes from the north, a great nation, and mighty kings roused from the ends 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 Bow and javelin they wield, cruel and pitiless are they; They sound like the roaring sea, as they ride forth on steeds, Each in his place for battle against you, daughter 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 hears news of them, and helpless fall his hands; Anguish seizes him, throes like a mother's in childbirth.
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 As when a lion comes up from the Jordan's thicket to the permanent feeding grounds, So I, in one instant, will drive them off, and whom I choose I will establish there; For who is like me? who calls me to account? what shepherd can stand against 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 counsel of the LORD which he has taken against Babylon; Hear the plans he has made against the land of the Chaldeans: They shall be dragged away, even the smallest sheep; their own pasture shall be aghast because of them.
46 The earth quakes at the sound of Babylon's capture, and the shouting echoes through the nations.	46 At the cry "Babylon is captured!" the earth quakes; the outcry is heard among the nations.