71 Heb “Hark! Fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for his temple.” For the meaning “Hark!” for the noun קוֹל (qol) see 877 קוֹל 1.f and compare the usage in Jer 10:22. The syntax is elliptical because there is no main verb. The present translation has supplied the verb “come” as many other English versions have done. The translation also expands the genitival expression “vengeance for his temple” to explain what all the commentaries agree is involved. This verse appears to be a parenthetical exclamation of the prophet in the midst of his report of what the Lord said through him. He throws himself into the future and sees the fall of Babylon and hears the people reporting in Zion how God has destroyed Babylon to get revenge for the Babylonians destroying his temple. Jeremiah prophesied from 627 b.c. (see the study note on ) until sometime after 586 b.c. after Jerusalem fell and he was taken to Egypt. The fall of Babylon occurred in 538 b.c. some fifty years later. However, Jeremiah had prophesied as early as the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (605 b.c.; Jer 25:1) that many nations and great kings would come and subject Babylon, the instrument of God’s wrath—his sword against the nations—to bondage (Jer 25:12–14).
72 For this word see 914 III רַב and compare usage in Prov 26:10 and Job 16:12 and compare the usage of the verb in Gen 49:23. Based on this evidence, it is not necessary to emend the form to רֹבִים (rovim) as many commentators contend.
73 Heb “for she has acted insolently against the Lord.” Once again there is the problem of the Lord speaking about himself in the third person (or the prophet dropping his identification with the Lord). As in several other places the present translation, along with several other modern English versions (, , ), has substituted the first person to maintain consistency with the context.
74 The Holy One of Israel is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah. It is applied to the Lord only here and in 51:5 in the book of Jeremiah. It is a figure where an attribute of a person is put as a title of a person (compare “your majesty” for a king). It pictures the Lord as the sovereign king who rules over his covenant people and exercises moral authority over them.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“A voice! They flee and escape from the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for his temple.

“Summon archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow. Encamp around her; let no one escape. Repay 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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon

declaring in Zion

how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,

vengeance for his temple.

“Summon archers against Babylon,

all those who draw the bow.

Encamp all around her;

let no one escape.

Repay her for her deeds;

do to her as she has done.

For she has defied the Lord,

the Holy One of Israel.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

There is a voice of fugitives and refugees

from the land of Babylon.

The voice announces in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,

the vengeance for his temple.

Summon the archers to Babylon,

all who string the bow;

camp all around her; let none escape.

Repay her according to her deeds;

just as she has done, do the same to her,

for she has acted arrogantly against the Lord,

against the Holy One of Israel.

NLTNew Living Translation

Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon,

as they tell in Jerusalem

how the Lord our God has taken vengeance

against those who destroyed his Temple.

“Send out a call for archers to come to Babylon.

Surround the city so none can escape.

Do to her as she has done to others,

for she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

There is the sound of fugitives and survivors

from the land of Babylon,

to declare in Zion the vengeance of Yahweh our God,

the vengeance for his temple.

Summon archers against Babylon,

all those who bend the bow.

Encamp all around her,

there must not be for her an escape.

Take revenge on her according to her deeds.

According to all that she has done, so do to her.

For against Yahweh she has behaved insolently,

against the Holy One of Israel.

KJV 1900King James Version

The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon,

To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,

The vengeance of his temple.

Call together the archers against Babylon:

All ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about;

Let none thereof escape:

Recompense her according to her work;

According to all that she hath done, do unto her:

For she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

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