Study Desk

"I will send foreigners to Babylon so that they may winnow her And devastate her land; For they will be opposed to her on every side On the day of her disaster.

For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of armies, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel.

Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not perish in her punishment, For this is the LORD'S time of vengeance; He is going to repay to her what she deserves.

Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.

We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; Abandon her and let's each go to his own country, For her judgment has reached to heaven And it rises to the clouds.

Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, Because His plan is against Babylon to destroy it; For it is the vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple.

Lift up a signal flag against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Set up an ambush! For the LORD has both planned and performed What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

When He utters His voice, there is a roar of waters in the heavens, And He makes the clouds ascend from the end of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain And brings out wind from His storehouses.

Every person is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his cast metal images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.

The portion of Jacob is not like these; For He is the Maker of everything, And of the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of armies is His name.

"But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes," declares the LORD.

"They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD.

So the land quakes and writhes, For the plans of the LORD against Babylon stand, To make the land of Babylon A desolation without inhabitants.

For this is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor At the time that it is tread down; In just a little while the time of harvest will come for her."

Therefore this is what the LORD says: "Behold, I am going to plead your case And take vengeance for you; And I will dry up her sea And make her fountain dry.

"Now, so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land— For the report will come in one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler—

"Then heaven and earth and everything that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, Because the destroyers will come to her from the north," Declares the LORD.

Indeed, Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As the slain of all the earth have also fallen for Babylon.

For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon, And He will make her loud noise vanish from her. And their waves will roar like many waters; The clamor of their voices sounds forth.

For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, And her warriors will be captured, Their bows shattered; For the LORD is a God of retribution, He will fully repay.