Jeremiah 50:21–29

The Invasion of Babylon

²¹“Go against the land of Merathaim,

and against those living in Pekod.

Put them to the sword;

completely destroy them—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

do everything I have commanded you. ^v

²²The sound of war is in the land ^w—

a great destruction.

²³How the hammer of the whole earth

is cut down and smashed!

What a horror Babylon has become

among the nations! ^x

²⁴Babylon, I laid a trap for you, and you were caught, ^y

but you did not even know it.

You were found and captured

because you fought against the Lord.

²⁵The Lord opened His armory

and brought out His weapons of wrath, ^z

because it is a task of the Lord God of Hosts

in the land of the Chaldeans.

²⁶Come against her from the most distant places. ^a

Open her granaries;

pile her up like mounds of grain

and completely destroy her.

Leave her no survivors.

²⁷Put all her young bulls to the sword;

let them go down to the slaughter.

Woe to them, because their day has come,

the time of their punishment. ^b

The Humiliation of Babylon

²⁸“There is a voice of fugitives and those who escape

from the land of Babylon

announcing in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God,

the vengeance for His temple. ^c

²⁹Summon the archers to Babylon,

all who string the bow;

camp all around her; let none escape.

Repay her according to her deeds; ^d

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

for she has acted arrogantly against the Lord,

against the Holy One of Israel. ^e