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Wednesday, April 8th, 2026
Wednesday in Easter Week
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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Jeremiah 51:53

Because Babylon goeth up to the heavens, And because it fenceth the high place of its strength, From Me come into it do spoilers, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Persia;   War;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Fortresses;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prophecy, prophet;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Babel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Persia, Persians;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Babylon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavensand fortify her tall fortresses,destroyers will come against her from me.
Hebrew Names Version
Though Bavel should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her, says the LORD.
King James Version
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the Lord .
English Standard Version
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord .
New American Standard Bible
"Though Babylon ascends to the heavens, And though she fortifies her lofty stronghold, Destroyers will come from Me to her," declares the LORD.
New Century Version
Even if Babylon grows until she touches the sky, and even if she makes her highest cities strong, I will send people to destroy her," says the Lord .
Amplified Bible
"Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens, And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold, Yet destroyers will come on her from Me," says the LORD.
World English Bible
Though Babylon should mount up to the sky, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her, says Yahweh.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Though Babel should mount vp to heauen, and though shee should defend her strength on hye, yet from mee shall her destroyers come, sayth the Lord.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens, And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold, From Me destroyers will come to her," declares the LORD.
Legacy Standard Bible
Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens,And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold,From Me destroyers will come to her," declares Yahweh.
Berean Standard Bible
Even if Babylon should ascend to the heavens and fortify her lofty stronghold, the destroyers I send will come against her, declares the LORD.
Contemporary English Version
Although Babylon's walls reach to the sky, the army I send will destroy that city. I, the Lord , have spoken.
Complete Jewish Bible
Even if Bavel scales the heavens or reinforces her lofty stronghold, plunderers will come to her from me," says Adonai .
Darby Translation
Though Babylon should mount up to the heavens, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
Babylon might grow until she touches the sky. Babylon might make her forts strong, but I will send people to fight against that city. And they will destroy her." This is what the Lord said.
George Lamsa Translation
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should set her fortifications in the heights, yet spoilers shall come from me upon her, says the LORD.
Good News Translation
Even if Babylon could climb to the sky and build a strong fortress there, I would still send people to destroy it. I, the Lord , have spoken."
Lexham English Bible
Though Babylon goes up to the heavens, and though she fortifies the high place of her strength, from me destroyers will come to her," declares Yahweh.
Literal Translation
Though Babylon should go up to the heavens, and though she should fortify her strong height, plunderers shall come from Me to her, states Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Though Babilon clymmed vp in to heaue, and kepte her power an hie: yet shal I sende her destroyers saieth the LORDE.
American Standard Version
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come unto her, saith Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
Even if Babylon was lifted up to heaven, even if she had the high places of her strength shut in with walls, still I would send against her those who will make her waste, says the Lord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from Me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
Though Babylon should mount vp to heauen, and though shee should fortifie the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come vnto her, saith the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Though Babylon clymed vp into heauen, and kept her power on hye, yet shall I sende her destroyers saith the Lorde.
English Revised Version
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If Babiloyne stieth in to heuene, and makith stidfast his strengthe an hiy, distrieris therof schulen come on me, seith the Lord.
Update Bible Version
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall destroyers come to her, says Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the hight of her strength, [yet] from me shall spoilers come to her, saith the LORD.
New English Translation
Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky and fortifies her elevated stronghold, I will send destroyers against her," says the Lord .
New King James Version
Though Babylon were to mount up to heaven, And though she were to fortify the height of her strength, Yet from Me plunderers would come to her," says the LORD.
New Living Translation
Though Babylon reaches as high as the heavens and makes her fortifications incredibly strong, I will still send enemies to plunder her. I, the Lord , have spoken!
New Life Bible
Even if Babylon rises to the heavens and makes her high place strong, I will send destroyers against her," says the Lord.
New Revised Standard
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, from me destroyers would come upon her, says the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Though Babylon should mount the heavens, And though she should fortify her strong high-place, From me, should come spoilers unto her Declareth Yahweh.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If Babylon should mount up to heaven, and establish her strength on high: from me there should come spoilers upon her, saith the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me upon her, says the LORD.

Contextual Overview

1 Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am stirring up against Babylon, And the inhabitants of Leb -- My withstanders, A destroying wind, 2 And I have sent to Babylon fanners, And they have fanned it, and they empty its land, For they have been against it, Round about -- in the day of evil. 3 Let not the treader tread his bow, Nor lift himself up in his coat of mail, Nor have ye pity on her young men, Devote ye to destruction all her host. 4 And fallen have the wounded in the land of the Chaldeans, And the pierced-through in her streets. 5 For, not forsaken is Israel and Judah, By its God -- by Jehovah of Hosts, For their land hath been full of guilt, Against the Holy One of Israel. 6 Flee ye from the midst of Babylon, And deliver ye each his soul, Be not cut off in its iniquity, For a time of vengeance it [is] to Jehovah, Recompence He is rendering to her. 7 A golden cup [is] Babylon in the hand of Jehovah, Making drunk all the earth, Of its wine drunk have nations, Therefore boast themselves do nations. 8 Suddenly hath Babylon fallen, Yea, it is broken, howl ye for it, Take balm for her pain, if so be it may be healed. 9 We healed Babylon, and she was not healed, Forsake her, and we go, each to his land, For come unto the heavens hath its judgment, And it hath been lifted up unto the clouds. 10 Jehovah hath brought forth our righteousnesses, Come, and we recount in Zion the work of Jehovah our God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

mount: Jeremiah 51:25, Jeremiah 51:58, Jeremiah 49:16, Genesis 11:4, Psalms 139:8-10, Isaiah 14:12-15, Isaiah 47:5, Isaiah 47:7, Ezekiel 31:9-11, Daniel 4:30, Amos 9:4, Obadiah 1:3, Obadiah 1:4

from: Jeremiah 51:1-4, Jeremiah 51:11, Jeremiah 51:48, Jeremiah 50:9, Jeremiah 50:10, Jeremiah 50:21, Jeremiah 50:25, Jeremiah 50:31-34, Jeremiah 50:45, Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 10:7, Isaiah 13:2-5, Isaiah 13:17, Isaiah 41:25, Isaiah 45:1-5

Reciprocal: Isaiah 21:2 - the treacherous Isaiah 25:5 - shalt bring Isaiah 45:3 - I will give Isaiah 47:8 - I am Jeremiah 51:44 - the wall Amos 9:2 - climb Luke 10:15 - which

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Though Babylon should mount up to heaven,.... Could the walls of it, which were very high, two hundred cubits high, as Herodotus p says, be carried up as high as heaven; or the towers of it, which were exceeding high, ten foot higher than the walls, as Curtius q says, likewise be raised to the same height:

and though she should fortify the height of her strength: make her walls and towers as strong as they were high; unless this is to be understood particularly of the temple of Bel, in which was a solid tower, in length and thickness about six hundred and sixty feet; and upon this tower another; and so on to the number of eight, towers; and in the last of them a large temple, as the above historian r relates: but if these towers could have been piled up in a greater number, even so as to reach to heaven, it would have availed nothing against the God of heaven, to secure from his vengeance. The Targum is,

"if Babylon should be built with buildings as high as heaven, and should fortify the strong holds on high:''

[yet] from me shall spoilers come, saith the Lord; the Medes and Persians, sent and commissioned by him, who would pull down and destroy her walls and towers, be they ever so high and strong.

p L. 1. sive Clio, c. 178. q Hist. l. 5. c. 1. r Herodot. l. 1. c. 181.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 53. Though Babylon should mount up to heaven — Though it were fortified even to the skies, it shall fall by the enemies that I will send against it.


 
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