Jeremiah 51:1–14

¹Thus says the Lord:

“Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer

against Babylon,

against the inhabitants of Chaldea;^u

²and I will send to Babylon winnowers,

and they shall winnow her,

and they shall empty her land,

when they come against her from every side

on the day of trouble.

³Let not the archer bend his bow,

and let him not stand up in his coat of mail.

Spare not her young men;

utterly destroy all her host.

⁴They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans,

and wounded in her streets.

⁵For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken

by their God, the Lord of hosts;

but the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt

against the Holy One of Israel.

⁶“Flee from the midst of Babylon,

let every man save his life!

Be not cut off in her punishment,

for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance,

the requital he is rendering her.

⁷Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand,

making all the earth drunken;

the nations drank of her wine,

therefore the nations went mad.

⁸Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;

wail for her!

Take balm for her pain;

perhaps she may be healed.

⁹We would have healed Babylon,

but she was not healed.

Forsake her, and let us go

each to his own country;

for her judgment has reached up to heaven

and has been lifted up even to the skies.

¹⁰The Lord has brought forth our vindication;

come, let us declare in Zion

the work of the Lord our God.

¹¹“Sharpen the arrows!

Take up the shields!

The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for his temple.

¹²Set up a standard against the walls of Babylon;

make the watch strong;

set up watchmen;

prepare the ambushes;

for the Lord has both planned and done

what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

¹³O you who dwell by many waters,

rich in treasures,

your end has come,

the thread of your life is cut.

¹⁴The Lord of hosts has sworn by himself:

Surely I will fill you with men, as many as locusts,

and they shall raise the shout of victory over you.