43 Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
44 Or “Arab” (, , ); cf. , “nomads.”
45 יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See §68.k.
46 The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
47 The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
48 The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., , ), “wild dogs” (); “jackals” (); “howling creatures” (, ).
49 Heb “will skip there.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

It will never be inhabited

or lived in for all generations;

no Arab will pitch his tent there;

no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.

But wild animals will lie down there,

and their houses will be full of howling creatures;

there ostriches will dwell,

and there wild goats will dance.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

She will never be inhabited

or lived in through all generations;

there no nomads will pitch their tents,

there no shepherds will rest their flocks.

But desert creatures will lie there,

jackals will fill her houses;

there the owls will dwell,

and there the wild goats will leap about.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

It will never be inhabited

or lived in from generation to generation;

a nomad will not pitch his tent there,

and shepherds will not let their flocks rest there.

But desert creatures will lie down there,

and owls will fill the houses.

Ostriches will dwell there,

and wild goats will leap about.

NLTNew Living Translation

Babylon will never be inhabited again.

It will remain empty for generation after generation.

Nomads will refuse to camp there,

and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.

Desert animals will move into the ruined city,

and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures.

Owls will live among the ruins,

and wild goats will go there to dance.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

It will not be inhabited forever,

and it will not be dwelled in forever;

and no Arab will pitch a tent there,

and shepherds will not allow their flocks to lie down there.

But wild animals will lie down there,

and their houses will be full of howling creatures,

and the daughters of ostriches will live there,

and goats will dance there.

KJV 1900King James Version

It shall never be inhabited,

Neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation:

Neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there;

Neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there;

And their houses shall be full of doleful creatures;

And owls shall dwell there,

And satyrs shall dance there.

Public Domain