Jeremiah 51:55

Good News Translation

I am destroying Babylon and putting it to silence. The armies rush in like roaring waves and attack with noisy shouts.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon;he will silence her mighty voice.Their waves roar like a huge torrent;the tumult of their voice resounds,

Hebrew Names Version
For the LORD lays Bavel waste, and destroys out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is uttered:

King James Version
Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

English Standard Version
For the Lord is laying Babylon waste and stilling her mighty voice. Their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is raised,

New American Standard Bible
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.

New Century Version
The Lord is destroying Babylon and making the loud sounds of the city become silent. Enemies come roaring in like ocean waves. The roar of their voices is heard all around.

Amplified Bible
For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon and make her a ruin, And He will still her great voice [that hums with city life]. And the waves [of her conquerors] roar like great waters, The noise of their voices is raised up [like the marching of an army].

World English Bible
For Yahweh lays Babylon waste, and destroys out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is uttered:

Geneva Bible (1587)
Because the Lorde hath layde Babel waste and destroyed from her the great voyce, and her waues shall roare like great waters, and a sounde was made by their noyse:

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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 tumult of their voices sounds forth.

Legacy Standard Bible
For Yahweh is going to destroy Babylon,And He will make her loud noise vanish from her.And their waves will roar like many waters;The rumbling of their voices sounds forth.

Berean Standard Bible
For the LORD will destroy Babylon; He will silence her mighty voice. The waves will roar like great waters; the tumult of their voice will resound.

Contemporary English Version
The shouts of the enemy, like crashing ocean waves, will drown out Babylon's cries as I level the city.

Complete Jewish Bible
For Adonai is plundering Bavel and silencing her noisy din — their waves roar like the raging ocean, their clamor sounds and resounds.

Darby Translation
for Jehovah spoileth Babylon, and he will destroy out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like great waters, the noise of their voice resoundeth.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord will destroy Babylon very soon. He will stop the loud noises in that city. Enemies will come roaring in like ocean waves. People all around will hear that roar.

George Lamsa Translation
Because the LORD has spoiled Babylon and destroyed out of her both man and beast; the great sound of their voices goes up like the roaring of many waters.

Lexham English Bible
For Yahweh is devastating Babylon, and he obliterates her loud noise from her. Their waves roar like mighty waters, the roar of their voices resounds.

Literal Translation
For Jehovah is stripping Babylon, and the great voice will perish out of her. And her waves will roar like many waters, the noise of their voice is given.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
when the LORDE destroyeth them, and when he dryueth out the hie stomack & proude boostinge, where with they haue bene as furious, as the wawes of greate water floudes, and made greate crakes with their wordes

American Standard Version
For Jehovah layeth Babylon waste, and destroyeth out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is uttered:

Bible in Basic English
For the Lord is making Babylon waste, and putting an end to the great voice coming out of her; and her waves are thundering like great waters, their voice is sounding loud:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the LORD spoileth Babylon, and destroyeth out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters, the noise of their voice is uttered;

King James Version (1611)
Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voyce when her waues doe roare like great waters, a noise of their voice is vttered.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When the Lorde destroyeth Babylon, & whe he driueth out the high stomacke and proude boastyng, wherwith they haue ben as furious as the waues of the great water fluds, and made great crakes with their wordes:

English Revised Version
For the LORD spoileth Babylon, and destroyeth out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters, the noise of their voice is uttered:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for the Lord distriede Babiloyne, and lost of it a greet vois; and the wawis of hem schulen sowne as many watris. The vois of hem yaf sown,

Update Bible Version
For Yahweh lays Babylon waste, and destroys out of her the great voice; and their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is uttered:

Webster's Bible Translation
Because the LORD hath laid waste Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

New English Translation
For the Lord is ready to destroy Babylon, and put an end to her loud noise. Their waves will roar like turbulent waters. They will make a deafening noise.

New King James Version
Because the LORD is plundering Babylon And silencing her loud voice, Though her waves roar like great waters, And the noise of their voice is uttered,

New Living Translation
For the Lord is destroying Babylon. He will silence her loud voice. Waves of enemies pound against her; the noise of battle rings through the city.

New Life Bible
For the Lord will destroy Babylon. He will quiet her loud voice. Their waves will sound like many waters, and the noise of their voices is loud.

New Revised Standard
For the Lord is laying Babylon waste, and stilling her loud clamor. Their waves roar like mighty waters, the sound of their clamor resounds;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, Yahweh, is spoiling Babylon, And will destroy out of her the loud voice, - Though their waves have roared like many waters, Been uttered the loud boast of their voice.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because the Lord hath laid Babylon waste, and destroyed out of her the great voice: and their wave shall roar like many waters: their voice hath made a noise:

Revised Standard Version
For the LORD is laying Babylon waste, and stilling her mighty voice. Their waves roar like many waters, the noise of their voice is raised;

Young's Literal Translation
For Jehovah is spoiling Babylon, And hath destroyed out of it a great voice, And sounded have its billows as many waters, Given forth a noise hath their voice.

Contextual Overview

¹ The Lord says, "I am bringing a destructive wind against Babylonia and its people. ² I will send foreigners to destroy Babylonia like a wind that blows straw away. When that day of destruction comes, they will attack from every side and leave the land bare. ³ Don't give its soldiers time to shoot their arrows or to put on their armor. Do not spare the young men! Destroy the whole army! ⁴ They will be wounded and die in the streets of their cities. ⁵ I, the Lord God Almighty, have not abandoned Israel and Judah, even though they have sinned against me, the Holy One of Israel. ⁶ Run away from Babylonia! Run for your lives! Do not be killed because of Babylonia's sin. I am now taking my revenge and punishing it as it deserves. ⁷ Babylonia was like a gold cup in my hand, making the whole world drunk. The nations drank its wine and went out of their minds. ⁸ Babylonia has suddenly fallen and is destroyed! Mourn over it! Get medicine for its wounds, and maybe it can be healed. ⁹ Foreigners living there said, ‘We tried to help Babylonia, but it was too late. Let's leave now and go back home. God has punished Babylonia with all his might and has destroyed it completely.'" ¹⁰ The Lord says, "My people shout, ‘The Lord has shown that we are in the right. Let's go and tell the people in Jerusalem what the Lord our God has done.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

destroyed: Jeremiah 51:38, Jeremiah 51:39, Jeremiah 25:10, Jeremiah 50:10-15, Isaiah 15:1, Isaiah 24:8-11, Isaiah 47:5, Revelation 18:22, Revelation 18:23

her waves: Psalms 65:7, Psalms 93:3, Psalms 93:4, Isaiah 17:13, Ezekiel 26:3, Luke 21:25, Revelation 17:15

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 50:25 - this Habakkuk 2:8 - thou

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon,.... By means of the Merits and Persians; these were his instruments he made use of; to these he gave commission, power, and strength to spoil Babylon; and therefore it is ascribed to him:

and destroyed out of her the great voice; the noise of people, which is very great in populous cities, where people are passing to and fro in great numbers upon business; which ceases when any calamity comes, as pestilence, famine, or sword, which sweep away the inhabitants; this last was the case of Babylon. The Targum is,

"and hath destroyed out of her many armies:''

or it may design the great voice of the roaring revelling company in it at their feast time; which was the time of the destruction of he city, as often observed: or the voice of triumphs for victories obtained, which should be no more in it: or the voice of joy and gladness in common, as will be also the case of mystical Babylon, Revelation 18:22; this "great voice" may not unfitly be applied to the voice of antichrist, that mouth speaking blasphemies, which are long shall be destroyed out of Babylon, Revelation 13:5;

when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered; that is, when her enemies come up against her like the waves of the sea: a loud shout will be made by them, which will be very terrible, and silence the noise of mirth and jollity among the Babylonians; see Jeremiah 51:42; though some understand this of the change that should be made among the Chaldeans; that, instead of the voice of joy and triumph, there would be the voice of howling and lamentation; and even among their high and mighty ones, who would be troubled and distressed, as great waters are, when moved by tempests. The Targum is,

"and the armies of many people shall be gathered against them, and shall lift up their voice with a tumult.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Render, “For Yahweh wasteth Babylon, and will make to cease from her the loud noise (of busy life); and their wares (the surging masses of the enemy) roar like many waters: the noise of their shouting is given forth, i. e., resounds.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 55. The great voice — Its pride and insufferable boasting.