Jeremiah 50:14–16

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^50:14“Take up your battle positions all around Babylon,

all you soldiers who are armed with bows.³⁵

Shoot³⁶ all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back!³⁷

For she has sinned against the Lord.

^50:15Shout the battle cry from all around the city.

She will throw up her hands in surrender.³⁸

Her towers³⁹ will fall.

Her walls will be torn down.

Because I, the Lord, am wreaking revenge,⁴⁰

take out your vengeance on her!

Do to her as she has done!

^50:16Kill all the farmers who sow the seed in the land of Babylon.

Kill all those who wield the sickle at harvest time.⁴¹

Let all the foreigners return to their own people.

Let them hurry back to their own lands

to escape destruction by that enemy army.⁴²

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Footnotes

35 Heb “all you who draw the bow.”
36 The verb here should probably be read as a Qal imperative יְרוּ (yéru) from יָרָה (yarah) with a few Hebrew rather than a Qal imperative יְדוּ (yidu) from יָדָה (yadah) with the majority of Hebrew . The verb יָדָה (yadah) does not otherwise occur in the Qal and only elsewhere in the Piel with a meaning “cast” (cf. 363 I יָדָה). The verb יָרָה (yarah) is common in both the Qal and the Hiphil with the meaning of shooting arrows (cf. 435 יָרָה Qal.3 and Hiph.2). The confusion between ד (dalet) and ר (resh) is very common.
37 Heb “Shoot at her! Don’t save any arrows!”
38 Heb “She has given her hand.” For the idiom here involving submission/surrender see 680 נָתַן Qal.1.z and compare the usage in 1 Chr 29:24; 2 Chr 30:8. For a different interpretation, however, see the rather complete discussion in G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26–52 [], ) who see this as a reference to making a covenant. The verb in this line and the next two lines are all Hebrew perfects and most translators and commentaries see them as past. God’s Word, however, treats them as prophetic perfects and translates them as future. This is more likely in the light of the imperatives both before and after.
39 The meaning of this word is uncertain. The definition here follows that of אָשְׁיָה, which defines it on the basis of an Akkadian word and treats it as a loanword.
40 Heb “Because it is the Lord’s vengeance.” The first person has again been used because the Lord is the speaker and the nominal expression has been turned into a verbal one more in keeping with contemporary English style.
41 Heb “Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time.” For the meaning “kill” for the root “cut off” see 503 כָּרַת Qal.1.b and compare usage in Jer 11:19. The verb is common in this nuance in the Hiphil, cf. 504 כָּרַת Hiph, 2.b.
42 Heb “Because of [or out of fear of] the sword of the oppressor, let each of them turn toward his [own] people and each of them flee to his [own] country.” Compare a similar expression in 46:16 where the reference was to the flight of the mercenaries. Here it refers most likely to foreigners who are counseled to leave Babylon before they are caught up in the destruction. Many of the commentaries and English versions render the verbs as futures but they are more likely third person commands (jussives). Compare the clear commands in v. 8 followed by essentially the same motivation. The “sword of the oppressor,” of course, refers to death at the hands of soldiers wielding all kinds of weapons, chief of which has been a reference to the bow (v. 14).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around,

all you who bend the bow;

shoot at her, spare no arrows,

for she has sinned against the Lord.

Raise a shout against her all around;

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.

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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Take up your positions around Babylon,

all you who draw the bow.

Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,

for she has sinned against the Lord.

Shout against her on every side!

She surrenders, her towers fall,

her walls are torn down.

Since this is the vengeance of the Lord,

take vengeance on her;

do to her as she has done to others.

Cut off from Babylon the sower,

and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.

Because of the sword of the oppressor

let everyone return to their own people,

let everyone flee to their own land.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Line up in battle formation around Babylon,

all you archers!

Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow,

for she has sinned against the Lord.

Raise a war cry against her on every side!

She has thrown up her hands in surrender;

her defense towers have fallen;

her walls are demolished.

Since this is the Lord’s vengeance,

take your vengeance on her;

as she has done, do the same to her.

Cut off the sower from Babylon

as well as him who wields the sickle at harvest time.

Because of the oppressor’s sword,

each will turn to his own people,

each will flee to his own land.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Yes, prepare to attack Babylon,

all you surrounding nations.

Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows.

For she has sinned against the Lord.

Shout war cries against her from every side.

Look! She surrenders!

Her walls have fallen.

It is the Lord’s vengeance,

so take vengeance on her.

Do to her as she has done to others!

Take from Babylon all those who plant crops;

send all the harvesters away.

Because of the sword of the enemy,

everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Draw up a battle formation at Babylon all around,

all those who bend the bow, shoot at her.

You must not spare arrows,

for she has sinned against Yahweh.

Raise a war cry against her on all sides.

She has surrendered.

Her towers have fallen,

her walls are ruined.

For this is the vengeance of Yahweh.

Take revenge on her.

As she has done to others,

so do to her.

Cut off the sower from Babylon,

and the one who uses the sickle in the time of harvest.

Because of the sword of the oppressor

each one will turn to their people,

and each one will flee to their land.

KJV 1900King James Version

Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about:

All ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows:

For she hath sinned against the Lord.

Shout against her round about:

She hath given her hand:

Her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down:

For it is the vengeance of the Lord: take vengeance upon her;

As she hath done, do unto her.

Cut off the sower from Babylon,

And him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest:

For fear of the oppressing sword

They shall turn every one to his people,

And they shall flee every one to his own land.

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