Jeremiah 51:1

Douay-Rheims Bible

Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will raise up as it were a pestilential wind against Babylon and against the inhabitants thereof, who have lifted up their heart against me.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
This is what the Lord says:

Hebrew Names Version
Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will raise up against Bavel, and against those who dwell in Lev-Kamai, a destroying wind.

King James Version
Thus saith the Lord ; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

English Standard Version
Thus says the Lord : "Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai,

New American Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: "Behold, I am going to stir up The spirit of a destroyer against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai.

New Century Version
This is what the Lord says: "I will soon cause a destroying wind to blow against Babylon and the Babylonian people.

Amplified Bible
Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am going to stir up and put into action [a fury] against Babylon And against the [rebellious] people of Leb-kamai (Chaldea) A destroying wind and hostile spirit;

World English Bible
Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against those who dwell in Leb-kamai, a destroying wind.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I wil raise vp against Babel, & against the inhabitants that lift vp their heart against me, a destroying wind,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai The spirit of a destroyer.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus says Yahweh:"Behold, I am going to arouse against BabylonAnd against the inhabitants of Leb‑kamaiThe spirit of a destroyer.

Berean Standard Bible
This is what the LORD says: "Behold, I will stir up against Babylon and against the people of Leb-kamai the spirit of a destroyer.

Contemporary English Version
I, the Lord , am sending a wind to destroy the people of Babylonia and Babylon, its capital.

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai says this: "Against Bavel and those living in Lev-Kamai I will stir up a destructive wind.

Darby Translation
Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the heart of those that rise against me, a destroying wind;

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord says, "I will cause a powerful, destructive wind to blow against Babylon and the Babylonians.

George Lamsa Translation
THUS says the LORD, the God of hosts: Behold, I will stir up against Babylon and against its inhabitants a man of cruel heart and like a destroying wind;

Good News Translation
The Lord says, "I am bringing a destructive wind against Babylonia and its people.

Lexham English Bible
Thus says Yahweh: "Look, I am going to stir up against Babylon and against the inhabitants of Leb-qamai a destructive wind.

Literal Translation
So says Jehovah, Behold, I am arousing a destroying wind against Babylon and against those dwelling in the heart of My foes.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus hath the LORDE sayde: Beholde, I will rayse vp a perlous wynde agaynst Babilon & hir citesens, yt beare euell will agaynst me.

American Standard Version
Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in Leb-kamai, a destroying wind.

Bible in Basic English
The Lord has said: See, I will make a wind of destruction come up against Babylon and against those who are living in Chaldaea;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in Leb-kamai, a destroying wind.

King James Version (1611)
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise vp against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the middest of them that rise vp against me, a destroying wind;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thus hath the Lorde sayde: Behold, I wyll rayse vp a perilous wynde agaynst Babylon, & her citizens that beare euyl wyll against me.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAS for all the Jews dwelling in the land of Egypt, and for those settled in Magdolo and in Taphnas, and in the land of Pathura, saying,

English Revised Version
Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in Lebkamai, a destroying wind.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal reise on Babiloyne, and on the dwelleris therof, that reisiden her herte ayens me, as a wynd of pestilence.

Update Bible Version
Thus says Yahweh: Look, I will raise up against Babylon, and against those that dwell in Leb-kamai, a destroying wind.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise against me, a destroying wind;

New English Translation
The Lord says, "I will cause a destructive wind to blow against Babylon and the people who inhabit Babylonia.

New King James Version
Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will raise up against Babylon,Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, [fn] A destroying wind.

New Living Translation
This is what the Lord says: "I will stir up a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Babylonia.

New Life Bible
The Lord says, "See, I will raise up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and against the people of Chaldea.

New Revised Standard
Thus says the Lord : I am going to stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the inhabitants of Leb-qamai;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus, saith Yahweh - Behold me! stirring up against Babylon, And against the inhabitants of the centre of them who rise up against me, - A wind that destroyeth;

Revised Standard Version
Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon, against the inhabitants of Chalde'a;

Young's Literal Translation
Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am stirring up against Babylon, And the inhabitants of Leb -- My withstanders, A destroying wind,

THE MESSAGE
There's more. God says more: "Watch this: I'm whipping up A death-dealing hurricane against Babylon—‘Hurricane Persia'— against all who live in that perverse land. I'm sending a cleanup crew into Babylon. They'll clean the place out from top to bottom. When they get through there'll be nothing left of her worth taking or talking about. They won't miss a thing. A total and final Doomsday! Fighters will fight with everything they've got. It's no-holds-barred. They will spare nothing and no one. It's final and wholesale destruction—the end! Babylon littered with the wounded, streets piled with corpses. It turns out that Israel and Judah are not widowed after all. As their God, God -of-the-Angel-Armies, I am still alive and well, committed to them even though They filled their land with sin against Israel's most Holy God.

Contextual Overview

¹ Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will raise up as it were a pestilential wind against Babylon and against the inhabitants thereof, who have lifted up their heart against me. ² And I will send to Babylon fanners, and they shall fan her, and shall destroy her land: for they are come upon her on every side in the day of her affliction. ³ Let not him that bendeth, bend his bow, and let not him go up that is armed with a coat of mail: spare not her young men, destroy all her army. ⁴ And the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and the wounded in the regions thereof. ⁵ For Israel and Juda have not been forsaken by their God the Lord of hosts: but their land hath been filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. ⁶ Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, and let every one save his own life: be not silent upon her iniquity: for it is the time of revenge from the Lord, he will render unto her what she hath deserved. ⁷ Babylon hath been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, that made all the earth drunk: the nations have drunk of her wine, and therefore they have staggered. ⁸ Babylon is suddenly fallen, and destroyed: howl for her, take balm for her pain, if so she may be healed. ⁹ We would have cured Babylon, but she is not healed: let us forsake her, and let us go every man to his own land: because her judgment hath reached even to the heavens, and is lifted up to the clouds. ¹⁰ The Lord hath brought forth our justices: Come, and let us declare in Sion the work of the Lord our God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I will: Jeremiah 50:9, Jeremiah 50:14-16, Jeremiah 50:21, Isaiah 13:3-5, Amos 3:6

midst: Heb. heart

rise: Jeremiah 50:24, Jeremiah 50:29, Jeremiah 50:33, Zechariah 2:8, Acts 9:4

a destroying wind: Jeremiah 4:11, Jeremiah 4:12, Jeremiah 49:36, 2 Kings 19:7, Ezekiel 19:12, Hosea 13:15

Reciprocal: Isaiah 43:14 - For Jeremiah 50:41 - General Jeremiah 51:53 - from Hosea 4:19 - wind

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thus saith the Lord, behold, I will raise up against Babylon,.... This is not a new prophecy, but a continuation of the former, and an enlargement of it. The Babylonians being the last and most notorious enemies of the Jews, their destruction is the longer dwelt upon; and as they were against the Lord's people the Lord was against them, and threatens to raise up instruments of his vengeance against them:

and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me; that dwell in Babylon, the metropolis of the Chaldeans, the seat and centre of the enemies of God and his people. It is a periphrasis of the Chaldeans; and, so the Targum renders it,

"against the inhabitants of the land of the Chaldeans;''

and so the Septuagint version, against the Chaldeans; and Jarchi and Kimchi observe that according to "athbash", a rule of interpretation with the Jews, the letters in "leb kame", rendered "the midst of them that rise up against me", answer to "Cashdim" or the Chaldeans; however they are no doubt designed; for they rose up against God, by setting up idols of their own; and against his people, by taking and carrying them captive: and now the Lord says he would raise up against them

a destroying wind; a northern one, the army of the Modes and Persians, which should sweep away all before it. The Targum is,

"people that are slayers; whose hearts are lifted up, and are beautiful in stature, and their spirit destroying.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the midst of them that rise up against me - Or, in Leb-kamai, the cipher for Kasdim, i. e., Chaldaea. This cipher was not necessarily invented by Jeremiah, or used for concealment. It was probaby first devised either for political purposes or for trade, and was in time largely employed in the correspondence between the exiles at Babylon and their friends at home. Thus, words in common use like Sheshach Jeremiah 25:26 and Leb-kamai, would be known to everybody.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER LI

Sequel of the prophecies of Jeremiah against Babylon. The

dreadful, sudden, and final ruin that shall fall upon the

Chaldeans, who have compelled the nations to receive their

idolatrous rites, (see an instance in the third chapter of

Daniel,) set forth by a variety of beautiful figures; with a

command to the people of God, (who have made continual

intercession for the conversion of their heathen rulers,) to

flee from the impending vengeance, 1-14.

Jehovah, Israel's God, whose infinite power, wisdom and

understanding are every where visible in the works of creation,

elegantly contrasted with the utterly contemptible objects of

the Chaldean worship, 15-19.

Because of their great oppression of God's people, the

Babylonians shall be visited with cruel enemies from the north,

whose innumerable hosts shall fill the land, and utterly

extirpate the original inhabitants, 20-44.

One of the figures by which this formidable invasion is

represented is awfully sublime. "The SEA is come up upon

Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves

thereof." And the account of the sudden desolation produced by

this great armament of a multitude of nations, (which the

prophet, dropping the figure, immediately subjoins,) is deeply

afflictive. "Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a

wilderness; a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any

son of man pass thereby." The people of God a third time

admonished to escape from Babylon, lest they be overtaken with

her plagues, 45, 46.

Other figures setting forth in a variety of lights the awful

judgments with which the Chaldeans shall be visited on account

of their very gross idolatries, 47-58.

The significant emblem with which the chapter concludes, of

Seraiah, after having read the book of the Prophet Jeremiah

against Babylon, binding a stone to it, and casting it into the

river Euphrates, thereby prefiguring the very sudden downfall

of the Chaldean city and empire, 59-64,

is beautifully improved by the writer of the Apocalypse,

Revelation 18:21,

in speaking of Babylon the GREAT, of which the other was a most

expressive type; and to which many of the passages interspersed

throughout the Old Testament Scriptures relative to Babylon

must be ultimately referred, if we would give an interpretation

in every respect equal to the terrible import of the language

in which these prophecies are conceived.

NOTES ON CHAP. LI

Verse Jeremiah 51:1. Thus saith the Lord — This chapter is a continuation of the preceding prophecy.

A destroying wind. — Such as the pestilential winds in the east; and here the emblem of a destroying army, carrying all before them, and wasting with fire and sword.