Jeremiah 51:37–43

and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins,

the haunt of jackals,

a horror and a hissing,

without inhabitant.

“They shall roar together like lions;

they shall growl like lions’ cubs.

While they are inflamed I will prepare them a feast

and make them drunk, that they may become merry,

then sleep a perpetual sleep

and not wake, declares the Lord.

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,

like rams and male goats.

“How Babylon is taken,

the praise of the whole earth seized!

How Babylon has become

a horror among the nations!

The sea has come up on Babylon;

she is covered with its tumultuous waves.

Her cities have become a horror,

a land of drought and a desert,

a land in which no one dwells,

and through which no son of man passes.

Babylon will be a heap of ruins,

a haunt of jackals,

an object of horror and scorn,

a place where no one lives.

Her people all roar like young lions,

they growl like lion cubs.

But while they are aroused,

I will set out a feast for them

and make them drunk,

so that they shout with laughter—

then sleep forever and not awake,”

declares the Lord.

“I will bring them down

like lambs to the slaughter,

like rams and goats.

“How Sheshak will be captured,

the boast of the whole earth seized!

How desolate Babylon will be

among the nations!

The sea will rise over Babylon;

its roaring waves will cover her.

Her towns will be desolate,

a dry and desert land,

a land where no one lives,

through which no one travels.

Babylon will become a heap of rubble,

a jackals’ den,

a desolation and an object of scorn,

without inhabitant.

They will roar together like young lions;

they will growl like lion cubs.

While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast,

and I will make them drunk so that they celebrate.

Then they will fall asleep forever

and never wake up.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,

like rams together with male goats.

How Sheshak has been captured,

the praise of the whole earth seized.

What a horror Babylon has become

among the nations!

The sea has risen over Babylon;

she is covered with its tumultuous waves.

Her cities have become a desolation,

an arid desert,

a land where no one lives,

where no human being even passes through.

and Babylon will become a heap of ruins,

haunted by jackals.

She will be an object of horror and contempt,

a place where no one lives.

Her people will roar together like strong lions.

They will growl like lion cubs.

And while they lie inflamed with all their wine,

I will prepare a different kind of feast for them.

I will make them drink until they fall asleep,

and they will never wake up again,”

says the Lord.

“I will bring them down

like lambs to the slaughter,

like rams and goats to be sacrificed.

“How Babylon is fallen—

great Babylon, praised throughout the earth!

Now she has become an object of horror

among the nations.

The sea has risen over Babylon;

she is covered by its crashing waves.

Her cities now lie in ruins;

she is a dry wasteland

where no one lives or even passes by.

And Babylon will become as a heap of stones,

a lair of jackals,

an object of horror, and an object of hissing,

without inhabitants.

They will roar together like the young lions,

they will growl like the cubs of lions.

At their becoming hot I will set their banquets,

and I will make them drunk,

so that they will fall into a swoon,

and they will sleep an everlasting sleep,

and they will not wake up,” declares Yahweh.

“I will bring them down like young rams to slaughter,

like rams and goats.

How Sheshach is captured,

and the glory of all the earth is seized!

How Babylon has become as an object of horror

among the nations!

The sea has risen over Babylon,

she has been covered by the roar of its waves.

Her cities have become as an object of horror,

a dry land and a wilderness,

a land in which no person lives,

nor does a son of humankind pass through it.

And Babylon shall become heaps,

A dwellingplace for dragons,

An astonishment, and an hissing,

Without an inhabitant.

They shall roar together like lions:

They shall yell as lions’ whelps.

In their heat I will make their feasts,

And I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice,

And sleep a perpetual sleep,

And not wake, saith the Lord.

I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,

Like rams with he goats.

How is Sheshach taken!

And how is the praise of the whole earth surprised!

How is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

The sea is come up upon Babylon:

She is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

Her cities are a desolation,

A dry land, and a wilderness,

A land wherein no man dwelleth,

Neither doth any son of man pass thereby.