21 “Attack the land of Merathaim
    and those who live in Pekod.(A)
Pursue, kill and completely destroy[a] them,”
declares the Lord.
    “Do everything I have commanded you.
22 The noise(B) of battle is in the land,
    the noise of great destruction!
23 How broken and shattered
    is the hammer(C) of the whole earth!(D)
How desolate(E) is Babylon
    among the nations!
24 I set a trap(F) for you, Babylon,
    and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured(G)
    because you opposed(H) the Lord.
25 The Lord has opened his arsenal
    and brought out the weapons(I) of his wrath,
for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
    in the land of the Babylonians.(J)
26 Come against her from afar.(K)
    Break open her granaries;
    pile her up like heaps of grain.(L)
Completely destroy(M) her
    and leave her no remnant.
27 Kill all her young bulls;(N)
    let them go down to the slaughter!(O)
Woe to them! For their day(P) has come,
    the time(Q) for them to be punished.
28 Listen to the fugitives(R) and refugees from Babylon
    declaring in Zion(S)
how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,(T)
    vengeance for his temple.(U)

29 “Summon archers against Babylon,
    all those who draw the bow.(V)
Encamp all around her;
    let no one escape.(W)
Repay(X) her for her deeds;(Y)
    do to her as she has done.
For she has defied(Z) the Lord,
    the Holy One(AA) of Israel.
30 Therefore, her young men(AB) will fall in the streets;
    all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the Lord.
31 “See, I am against(AC) you, you arrogant one,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
“for your day(AD) has come,
    the time for you to be punished.
32 The arrogant(AE) one will stumble and fall(AF)
    and no one will help her up;(AG)
I will kindle a fire(AH) in her towns
    that will consume all who are around her.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 50:21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 26.

21 Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the Lord, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

22 A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

23 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the Lord.

25 The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

26 Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.

27 Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

28 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.

29 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.

30 Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord.

31 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

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