Yeremya 28

¹Rab şöyle diyor: "İşte, Babil’e ve Keldani ülkesinde yaşayanlara karşı yıkıcı ve kavurucu bir çöl rüzgarı estireceğim.

²Babil’e küstah saldırganları göndereceğim; onu aşağılayacaklar ve ülkesini harap edecekler. Sıkıntı gününde her yandan Babil’in üzerine lanet feryatları yükselecek.

³Okçu yayını gersin, silahı olanlar silahlarını kuşansın; onun gençlerini esirgemeyin, bütün ordusunu tamamen yok edin.

⁴Keldanilerin ülkesinde yaralılar, kentin dış kısımlarında deşilmiş adamlar yere serilecek.

⁵Çünkü İsrail ve Yahuda, kendi Tanrıları olan Her Şeye Egemen RAB tarafından terk edilip dul bırakılmadı; oysa ülkeleri İsrail’in Kutsalı’na karşı büyük bir adaletsizlikle doluydu.

⁶Babil’in ortasından kaçın, her biriniz kendi canını kurtarsın; onun adaletsizliği yüzünden fırlatılıp atılmayın. Çünkü bu, RAB’bin öç alma zamanıdır; ona hak ettiği karşılığı bizzat veriyor.

⁷Babil, RAB’bin elinde bütün dünyayı sarhoş eden altın bir kaseydi. Uluslar onun şarabından içti, bu yüzden sarsılıp sendelediler.

⁸Babil ansızın düştü ve parçalandı; onun için ağıt yakın! Belki iyileşir diye yıkımı için şifalı reçine getirin.

⁹Babil’i iyileştirmeye çalıştık ama iyileşmedi. Onu bırakıp her birimiz kendi ülkemize gidelim; çünkü onun yargısı göklere ulaştı, yıldızlara dek yükseltildi.

¹⁰RAB kendi adil hükmünü ortaya çıkardı; gelin, Tanrımız RAB’bin işlerini Siyon’da duyuralım.

¹¹Okları hazırlayın, sadakları doldurun! RAB, Med kralının ruhunu harekete geçirdi; çünkü amacı Babil’i tamamen yok etmektir. Bu, RAB’bin öcüdür, kendi halkının öcüdür.

¹²Babil surlarının üzerine sancak dikin, sadakları yerleştirin, nöbetçileri dikin, silahları hazırlayın! Çünkü RAB, Babil’de yaşayanlara karşı söylediği şeyi hem tasarladı hem de yerine getirecek.

¹³Ey bol suların kenarında yaşayan, hazineleri çok olan kent! Sonun geldi, yıkım gerçekten senin en derinlerine ulaştı.

¹⁴Her Şeye Egemen RAB kendi gücünün simgesi olan pazısı üzerine ant içti: 'Seni çekirge sürüsü gibi insanlarla dolduracağım; sana karşı zafer çığlıkları atacaklar.'

¹⁵Gücüyle yeryüzünü var eden, bilgeliğiyle dünyayı kuran ve aklıyla gökleri geren O’dur.

¹⁶O seslenince göklerdeki sular gürler; yeryüzünün uçlarından bulutları yükseltir, yağmur için şimşekler çaktırır ve hazinelerinden ışığı çıkarır.

¹⁷Her insan bilgiden yoksun kalarak akılsızlaştı; her kuyumcu yaptığı oyma puttan utandı. Çünkü döktükleri putlar yalandır, onlarda yaşam soluğu yoktur.

¹⁸Onlar boştur, alay konusu olan işlerdir; cezalandırılma zamanı geldiğinde yok olacaklar.

¹⁹Yakup’un payı ise böyle değildir; çünkü her şeye şekil veren O’dur, İsrail O’nun miras halkıdır; adı Her Şeye Egemen RAB’dir.

²⁰'Sen benim savaş silahımsın; senin aracılığınla ulusları darmadağın edeceğim, seninle krallıkları yok edeceğim.

²¹Seninle atı ve binicisini darmadağın edeceğim, seninle savaş arabasını ve sürücülerini darmadağın edeceğim.

²²Seninle delikanlıyı ve genç kızı darmadağın edeceğim, seninle erkeği ve kadını darmadağın edeceğim.

²³Seninle çobanla sürüsünü darmadağın edeceğim, seninle çiftçiyle onun işlediği toprağı darmadağın edeceğim, seninle valileri ve komutanları darmadağın edeceğim.

²⁴Babil’e ve bütün Keldani halkına, Siyon’da sizin gözlerinizin önünde yaptıkları bütün kötülüklerin karşılığını vereceğim' diyor RAB.

²⁵'İşte, ben sana karşıyım, ey bütün yeryüzünü yıkıma uğratan yozlaşmış dağ!' diyor RAB. 'Elimi sana karşı uzatacak, seni kayalardan aşağı yuvarlayacak ve seni yanmış bir dağa çevireceğim.

²⁶Senden ne köşe taşı ne de temel taşı alacaklar; çünkü sonsuza dek bir virane olacaksın' diyor RAB.

²⁷Yeryüzünde sancak kaldırın, uluslar arasında boru çalın! Ulusları ona karşı kutsal bir savaşa hazırlayın; Ararat ve Aşkenaz krallıklarını ona karşı toplayın. Ona karşı fırlatma rampaları kurun, çekirge sürüsü gibi çok sayıda atlı çıkarın.

²⁸Ulusları, Medlerin ve tüm dünyanın kralını, onun yöneticilerini ve bütün komutanlarını ona karşı savaşa hazırlayın.

²⁹Ülke sarsılıyor ve kıvranıyor; çünkü RAB’bin Babil ülkesini viraneye çevirme ve orada kimseyi bırakmama amacı yürürlüğe girdi.

³⁰Babil’in savaşçıları savaşmaktan vazgeçti, kuşatma altında kalelerinde oturuyorlar; güçleri tükendi, kadın gibi oldular. Konutları ateşe verildi, kapı sürgüleri kırıldı.

³¹Babil kralına kentinin her uçtan ele geçirildiğini haber vermek için, kovalayan kovalayanı karşılamaya koşuyor, bir haberci diğer haberciyi izliyor.

³²Geçitler tutuldu, barınakları ateşle yakıldı ve savaşçılar dehşete kapıldı.

³³Çünkü İsrail’in Tanrısı RAB şöyle diyor: 'Babil kralının evleri harman zamanı dövülen bir harman yeri gibidir; az kaldı, biçim vakti onun için de gelecek.'

³⁴'Babil Kralı Nebukadnessar beni yedi, beni parçaladı, beni boş bir kap gibi bir kenara fırlattı. Bir ejderha gibi beni yuttu, karnını benim lezzetli yiyeceklerimle doldurdu, beni dışarı attı.

³⁵Bana yapılan zorbalık ve çekilen acılar Babil’in üzerine olsun!' diyecek Siyon’da yaşayanlar. 'Ve kanımın hesabı Keldani ülkesinde yaşayanlardan sorulsun!' diyecek Yeruşalim.

³⁶Bu yüzden RAB şöyle diyor: 'İşte, senin hasmını ben yargılayacağım, senin için öç alacağım; onun denizini kurutacak, kaynağını kurutacağım.

³⁷Babil bir virane yığını olacak, içinde kimse yaşamayacak.

³⁸Hep birlikte aslanlar gibi harekete geçecekler, aslan yavruları gibi homurdanacaklar.

³⁹Onlar hararetlendiğinde kendilerine bir şölen sunacağım; onları sarhoş edeceğim ki sızıp kalsınlar, sonsuz bir uykuya dalsınlar ve bir daha uyanmasınlar' diyor RAB.

⁴⁰'Onları kesime götürülen kuzular gibi, teke ve koçlar gibi aşağı indireceğim.

⁴¹Bütün yeryüzünün övüncü olan kent nasıl da ele geçirildi ve tuzağa düşürüldü! Babil uluslar arasında nasıl da bir dehşet kaynağı oldu!

⁴²Deniz Babil’in üzerine yükseldi, onun gürleyen dalgalarıyla kapandı.

⁴³Kentleri viraneye, kurak ve ıssız bir toprağa döndü; öyle ki, içlerinde kimse yaşamayacak, oralardan hiçbir insan geçmeyecek.

⁴⁴Babil’i cezalandıracağım, yuttuğunu onun ağzından çıkaracağım; uluslar artık ona akın etmeyecek.

⁴⁹Babil’de bütün yeryüzünün öldürülenleri düşecek.

⁵⁰Ey ülkeden kurtulanlar, gidin, durmayın! Uzaklardayken RAB’bi anın, Yeruşalim yüreğinizde yükselsin.

⁵¹'Utandık, çünkü hakarete uğradık; yüzümüzü utanç kapladı; çünkü yabancılar RAB’bin tapınağının kutsal yerlerine girdiler.'

⁵²'Bu yüzden işte, günler geliyor' diyor RAB, 'onun putlarını cezalandıracağım ve bütün ülkesinde yaralılar inleyecek.

⁵³Babil göklere dek yükselse, surlarını kendi gücüyle sağlamlaştırsa bile, onu yok edecek olanlar benim tarafımdan gönderilecek' diyor RAB.

⁵⁴Babil’den bir feryat sesi, Keldani ülkesinden büyük bir yıkım sesi yükseliyor!

⁵⁵Çünkü RAB Babil’i harap ediyor, onun büyük sesini susturuyor. Dalgaları bol sular gibi gürlüyor, seslerinin gürültüsü her yana yayılıyor.

⁵⁶Çünkü Babil’in üzerine yıkıcı geldi; savaşçıları ele geçirildi, yayları kırıldı. Çünkü Tanrı karşılık verendir.

⁵⁷RAB ona hak ettiği karşılığı verecektir; onun önderlerini, bilgelerini ve komutanlarını sarhoş edeceğim; öyle ki, sonsuz bir uykuya dalıp uyanmayacaklar' diyor adı Her Şeye Egemen RAB olan Kral.

⁵⁸RAB şöyle diyor: 'Babil’in o geniş surları yerle bir edilecek, yüksek kapıları ateşle yakılacak. Halklar boş yere emek vermiş olacak, ulusların işi ateşte yok olup gidecek.'

⁵⁹Yahuda Kralı Sidkiya’nın krallığının dördüncü yılında, Neriya oğlu, Maaseya oğlu Seraya Babil’e giderken, peygamber Yeremya’nın ona bildirdiği söz şudur. Seraya diplomatik hediyelerden sorumlu yöneticiydi.

⁶⁰Yeremya, Babil’in başına gelecek bütün felaketleri, yani Babil’e karşı yazılmış olan bütün bu sözleri tek bir kitaba yazdı.

⁶¹Yeremya Seraya’ya şöyle dedi: "Babil’e vardığında, dikkat et, bu sözlerin hepsini oku.

⁶²Ve de ki: 'Ya RAB, burayı yok edeceğini, öyle ki içinde insandan hayvana dek hiçbir canlının yaşamayacağını ve sonsuza dek bir virane olarak kalacağını sen söyledin.'

⁶³Bu kitabı okumayı bitirdiğinde, ona bir taş bağla ve onu Fırat’ın ortasına fırlat.

⁶⁴Ve de ki: 'Babil de üzerine getireceğim felaketler yüzünden böyle batacak ve bir daha doğrulamayacak.'"

¹(Μασ. ΝΑ΄ .) ΤΑΔΕ λέγει Κύριος· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐξεγείρω ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Χαλδαίους ἄνεμον καύσωνα διαφθείροντα.

²καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ὑβριστάς, καὶ καθυβρίσουσιν αὐτὴν καὶ λυμανοῦνται τὴν γῆν αὐτῆς· οὐαὶ ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα κυκλόθεν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακώσεως αὐτῆς.

³τεινέτω ὁ τείνων τὸ τόξον αὐτοῦ καὶ περιθέσθω ᾧ ἐστιν ὅπλα αὐτῷ, καὶ μὴ φείσησθε ἐπὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους αὐτῆς καὶ ἀφανίσατε πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς·

⁴καὶ πεσοῦνται τραυματίαι ἐν γῇ Χαλδαίων καὶ κατακεκεντημένοι ἔξωθεν αὐτῆς.

⁵διότι οὐκ ἐχήρευσεν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδας ἀπὸ Θεοῦ αὐτῶν, ἀπὸ Κυρίου παντοκράτορος, ὅτι ἡ γῆ αὐτῶν ἐπλήσθη ἀδικίας ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων ᾿Ισραήλ.

⁶φεύγετε ἐκ μέσου Βαβυλῶνος καὶ ἀνασῴζετε ἕκαστος τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀπορριφῆτε ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ αὐτῆς, ὅτι καιρὸς ἐκδικήσεως αὐτῆς ἐστι παρὰ Κυρίου, ἀνταπόδομα αὐτὸς ἀνταποδίδωσιν αὐτῇ.

⁷ποτήριον χρυσοῦν Βαβυλὼν ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου μεθύσκον πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν· ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴνου αὐτῆς ἐπίοσαν ἔθνη, διὰ τοῦτο ἐσαλεύθησαν.

⁸καὶ ἄφνω ἔπεσε Βαβυλὼν καὶ συνετρίβη· θρηνεῖτε αὐτήν, λάβετε ῥητίνην τῇ διαφθορᾷ αὐτῆς, εἴ πως ἰαθήσεται.

⁹ἰατρεύσαμεν τὴν Βαβυλῶνα, καὶ οὐκ ἰάθη· ἐγκαταλίπωμεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀπέλθωμεν ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἤγγικεν εἰς οὐρανὸν τὸ κρίμα αὐτῆς, ἐξῇρεν ἕως τῶν ἄστρων.

¹⁰ἐξήνεγκε Κύριος τὸ κρίμα αὐτοῦ· δεῦτε καὶ ἀναγγείλωμεν ἐν Σιὼν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν.

¹¹παρασκευάζετε τὰ τοξεύματα, πληροῦτε τὰς φαρέτρας. ἤγειρε Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα βασιλέως Μήδων, ὅτι εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἡ ὀργὴ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι αὐτήν, ὅτι ἐκδίκησις Κυρίου ἐστίν, ἐκδίκησις λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν.

¹²ἐπὶ τειχέων Βαβυλῶνος ἄρατε σημεῖον, ἐπιστήσατε φαρέτρας, ἐγείρατε φυλακάς, ἑτοιμάσατε ὅπλα, ὅτι ἐνεχείρησε καὶ ποιήσει Κύριος ἃ ἐλάλησεν ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Βαβυλῶνα,

¹³κατασκηνοῦντας ἐφ’ ὕδασι πολλοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ πλήθει θησαυρῶν αὐτῆς· ἥκει τὸ πέρας σου ἀληθῶς εἰς τὰ σπλάγχνα σου.

¹⁴ὅτι ὤμοσε Κύριος κατὰ τοῦ βραχίονος αὐτοῦ· διότι πληρώσω σε ἀνθρώπων ὡσεὶ ἀκρίδων, καὶ φθέγξονται ἐπὶ σὲ οἱ καταβαίνοντες. -

¹⁵Κύριος ποιῶν γῆν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, ἑτοιμάζων οἰκουμένην ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῇ συνέσει αὐτοῦ ἐξέτεινε τὸν οὐρανόν,

¹⁶εἰς φωνὴν ἔθετο ἦχος ὕδατος ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἀνήγαγε νεφέλας ἀπ’ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, ἀστραπὰς εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησε καὶ ἐξήγαγε φῶς ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτοῦ.

¹⁷ἐματαιώθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἀπὸ γνώσεως, κατῃσχύνθη πᾶς χρυσοχόος ἀπὸ τῶν γλυπτῶν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ψευδῆ ἐχώνευσαν, οὐκ ἔστι πνεῦμα ἐν αὐτοῖς·

¹⁸μάταιά ἐστιν, ἔργα μεμωκημένα, ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκέψεως αὐτῶν ἀπολοῦνται.

¹⁹οὐ τοιαύτη μερὶς τῷ ᾿Ιακώβ, ὅτι ὁ πλάσας τὰ πάντα αὐτός ἐστι κληρονομία αὐτοῦ, Κύριος ὄνομα αὐτῷ. -

²⁰Διασκορπίζεις σύ μοι σκεύη πολέμου, καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ ἔθνη καὶ ἐξαρῶ ἐκ σοῦ βασιλεῖς

²¹καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ ἵππον καὶ ἐπιβάτην αὐτοῦ καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ ἅρματα καὶ ἀναβάτας αὐτῶν

²²καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ νεανίσκον καὶ παρθένον καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ ἄνδρα καὶ γυναῖκα

²³καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ ποιμένα καὶ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ γεωργὸν καὶ τὸ γεώργιον αὐτοῦ καὶ διασκορπιῶ ἐν σοὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ στρατηγούς σου.

²⁴καὶ ἀνταποδώσω τῇ Βαβυλῶνι καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσι Χαλδαίοις πάσας τὰς κακίας αὐτῶν, ἃς ἐποίησαν ἐπὶ Σιὼν κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν, λέγει Κύριος.

²⁵ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πρός σε, τὸ ὄρος τὸ διεφθαρμένον, τὸ διαφθεῖρον πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐκτενῶ τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ κατακυλιῶ σε ἐπὶ τῶν πετρῶν καὶ δώσω σε ὡς ὄρος ἐμπεπυρισμένον·

²⁶καὶ οὐ μὴ λάβωσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ λίθον εἰς γωνίαν καὶ λίθον εἰς θεμέλιον, ὅτι εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἔσῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, λέγει Κύριος.

²⁷῎Αρατε σημεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, σαλπίσατε ἐν ἔθνεσι σάλπιγγι, ἁγιάσατε ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἔθνη, παραγγείλατε ἐπ’ αὐτὴν βασιλείαις ᾿Αραρὰτ παρ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῖς ᾿Ασχαναζαίοις, ἐπιστήσατε ἐπ’ αὐτὴν βελοστάσεις, ἀναβιβάσατε ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἵππον ὡς ἀκρίδων πλῆθος.

²⁸ἀναβιβάσατε ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἔθνη, τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Μήδων καὶ πάσης τῆς γῆς, τοὺς ἡγουμένους αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς στρατηγοὺς αὐτοῦ.

²⁹ἐσείσθη ἡ γῆ καὶ ἐπόνεσε, διότι ἐξανέστη ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα λογισμὸς Κυρίου τοῦ θεῖναι τὴν γῆν Βαβυλῶνος εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ μὴ κατοικεῖσθαι αὐτήν.

³⁰ἐξέλιπε μαχητὴς Βαβυλῶνος τοῦ πολεμεῖν, καθήσονται ἐκεῖ ἐν περιοχῇ, ἐθραύσθη ἡ δυναστεία αὐτῶν, ἐγενήθησαν ὡσεὶ γυναῖκες, ἐνεπυρίσθη τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτῆς, συνετρίβησαν οἱ μοχλοὶ αὐτῆς.

³¹διώκων εἰς ἀπάντησιν διώκοντος διώξεται καὶ ἀναγγέλλων εἰς ἀπάντησιν ἀναγγέλλοντος τοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι τῷ βασιλεῖ Βαβυλῶνος, ὅτι ἑάλωκεν ἡ πόλις αὐτοῦ,

³²ἀπ’ ἐσχάτου τῶν διαβάσεων αὐτοῦ ἐλήφθησαν, καὶ τὰ συστήματα αὐτῶν ἐνέπρησαν ἐν πυρί, καὶ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ οἱ πολεμισταὶ ἐξέρχονται.

³³διότι τάδε λέγει Κύριος· οἶκοι βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος ὡς ἅλων ὥριμος ἁλοηθήσονται· ἔτι μικρὸν καὶ ἥξει ὁ ἄμητος αὐτῆς.

³⁴κατέφαγέ με, ἐμερίσατό με, κατέλαβέ με σκεῦος λεπτόν, Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος· κατέπιέ με ὡς δράκων, ἔπλησε τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ τῆς τρυφῆς μου ἔξωσέ με·

³⁵οἱ μόχθοι μου καὶ αἱ ταλαιπωρίαι μου εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. ἐρεῖ κατοικοῦσα Σιών· καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Χαλδαίους, ἐρεῖ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ·

³⁶διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ κρινῶ τὴν ἀντίδικόν σου καὶ ἐκδικήσω τὴν ἐκδίκησίν σου καὶ ἐρημώσω τὴν θάλασσαν αὐτῆς καὶ ξηρανῶ τὴν πηγὴν αὐτῆς.

³⁷καὶ ἔσται Βαβυλὼν εἰς ἀφανισμόν, καὶ οὐ κατοικηθήσεται.

³⁸ὅτι ἅμα ὡς λέοντες ἐξηγέρθησαν καὶ ὡς σκύμνοι λεόντων.

³⁹ἐν τῇ θερμασίᾳ αὐτῶν δώσω πότημα αὐτοῖς καὶ μεθύσω αὐτούς, ὅπως καρωθῶσι καὶ ὑπνώσωσιν ὕπνον αἰώνιον καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξεγερθῶσι, λέγει Κύριος·

⁴⁰καταβιβάσω αὐτοὺς ὡς ἄρνας εἰς σφαγὴν καὶ ὡς κριοὺς μετ’ ἐρίφων.

⁴¹πῶς ἑάλω καὶ ἐθηρεύθη τὸ καύχημα πάσης τῆς γῆς; πῶς ἐγένετο Βαβυλὼν εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν;

⁴²ἀνέβη ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα ἡ θάλασσα ἐν ἤχῳ κυμάτων αὐτῆς, καὶ κατεκαλύφθη.

⁴³ἐγενήθησαν αἱ πόλεις αὐτῆς ὡς γῆ ἄνυδρος καὶ ἄβατος, οὐ κατοικήσει ἐν αὐτῇ οὐδὲ εἷς, οὐδὲ μὴ καταλύσει ἐν αὐτῇ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου.

⁴⁴καὶ ἐκδικήσω ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ἐξοίσω ἃ κατέπιεν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐ μὴ συναχθῶσι πρὸς αὐτὴν ἔτι τὰ ἔθνη·

⁴⁹καὶ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι πεσοῦνται τραυματίαι πάσης τῆς γῆς.

⁵⁰ἀνασῳζόμενοι ἐκ γῆς πορεύεσθε καὶ μὴ ἵστασθε· οἱ μακρόθεν, μνήσθητε τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἀναβήτω ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν.

⁵¹ᾐσχύνθημεν, ὅτι ἠκούσαμεν ὀνειδισμὸν ἡμῶν, κατεκάλυψεν ἀτιμία τὸ πρόσωπον ἡμῶν, εἰσῆλθον ἀλλογενεῖς εἰς τὰ ἅγια ἡμῶν, εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου.

⁵²διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἐκδικήσω ἐπὶ τὰ γλυπτὰ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ αὐτῆς πεσοῦνται τραυματίαι.

⁵³ὅτι ἐὰν ἀναβῇ Βαβυλὼν ὡς ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ὅτι ἐὰν ὀχυρώσῃ τὰ τείχῃ ἰσχύϊ αὐτῆς, παρ’ ἐμοῦ ἥξουσιν ἐξολοθρεύοντες αὐτήν, λέγει Κύριος.

⁵⁴φωνὴ κραυγῆς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, καὶ συντριβὴ μεγάλη ἐν γῇ Χαλδαίων,

⁵⁵ὅτι ἐξωλόθρευσε Κύριος τὴν Βαβυλῶνα καὶ ἀπώλεσεν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς φωνὴν μεγάλην ἠχοῦσαν ὡς ὕδατα πολλά, ἔδωκεν εἰς ὄλεθρον φωνὴν αὐτῆς.

⁵⁶ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα ταλαιπωρία, ἑάλωσαν οἱ μαχηταὶ αὐτῆς, ἐπτόηται τὸ τόξον αὐτῶν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀνταποδίδωσιν αὐτοῖς.

⁵⁷Κύριος ἀνταποδίδωσιν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν· καὶ μεθύσει μέθῃ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας αὐτῆς καὶ τοὺς σοφοὺς αὐτῆς καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς αὐτῆς, λέγει ὁ βασιλεύς, Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ.

⁵⁸τάδε λέγει Κύριος· τεῖχος Βαβυλῶνος ἐπλατύνθη, κατασκαπτόμενον κατασκαφήσεται, καὶ αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς αἱ ὑψηλαὶ ἐμπυρισθήσονται, καὶ οὐ κοπιάσουσι λαοὶ εἰς κενόν, καὶ ἔθνη ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐκλείψουσιν.

⁵⁹῾Ο λόγος, ὃν ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ῾Ιερεμίᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ εἰπεῖν τῷ Σαραίᾳ υἱῷ Νηρίου, υἱοῦ Μαασαίου, ὅτε ἐπορεύετο παρὰ Σεδεκίου βασιλέως ᾿Ιούδα εἰς Βαβυλῶνα, ἐν τῷ ἔτει τῷ τετάρτῳ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ Σαραίας ἄρχων δώρων.

⁶⁰καὶ ἔγραψεν ῾Ιερεμίας πάντα τὰ κακά, ἃ ἥξει ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα, ἐν βιβλίῳ ἑνί, πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους τοὺς γεγραμμένους ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα.

⁶¹καὶ εἶπεν ῾Ιερεμίας πρὸς Σαραίαν· ὅταν ἔλθῃς εἰς Βαβυλῶνα, καὶ ὄψῃ καὶ ἀναγνώσῃ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους

⁶²καὶ ἐρεῖς· Κύριε Κύριε, σὺ ἐλάλησας ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τοῦ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικοῦντας ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους, ὅτι ἀφανισμὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται.

⁶³καὶ ἔσται ὅταν παύσῃ τοῦ ἀναγινώσκειν τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο, καὶ ἐπιδήσεις ἐπ’ αὐτὸ λίθον καὶ ρίψεις αὐτὸ εἰς μέσον τοῦ Εὐφράτου

⁶⁴καὶ ἐρεῖς· οὕτως καταδύσεται Βαβυλὼν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀναστῇ ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν κακῶν, ὧν ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπ’ αὐτήν.

¹Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I stir up against Babylon, and against the Chaldeans dwelling therein, a deadly burning wind.

²And I will send forth against Babylon spoilers, and they shall spoil her, and shall ravage her land. Woe to Babylon round about her in the day of her affliction.

³Let the archer bend his bow, and him that has armour put it on: and spare ye not her young men, but destroy ye all her host.

⁴And slain men shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and men pierced through shall fall without it.

⁵For Israel and Juda have not been forsaken of their God, of the Lord Almighty; whereas their land was filled with iniquity against the holy things of Israel.

⁶Flee ye out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every one his soul: and be not overthrown in her iniquity; for it is the time of her retribution from the Lord; he is rendering to her a recompence.

⁷Babylon has been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, causing all the earth to be drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore they were shaken.

⁸And Babylon is fallen suddenly, and is broken to pieces: lament for her; take balm for her deadly wound, if by any means she may be healed.

⁹We tried to heal Babylon, but she was not healed: let us forsake her, and depart every one to his own country: for her judgment has reached to the heaven, it has mounted up to the stars.

¹⁰The Lord has brought forth his judgment: come, and let us declare in Sion the works of the Lord our God.

¹¹Prepare the arrows; fill the quivers: the Lord has stirred up the spirit of the king of the Medes: for his wrath is against Babylon, to destroy it utterly; for it is the Lord’s vengeance, it is the vengeance of his people.

¹²Lift up a standard on the walls of Babylon, prepare the quivers, rouse the guards, prepare the weapons: for the Lord has taken the work in hand, and will execute what he has spoken against the inhabitants of Babylon,

¹³dwelling on many waters, and amidst the abundance of her treasures; thine end is come verily into thy bowels.

¹⁴For the Lord has sworn by his arm, saying, I will fill thee with men as with locusts; and they that come down shall cry against thee.

¹⁵The Lord made the earth by his power, preparing the world by his wisdom, by his understanding he stretched out the heaven.

¹⁶At his voice he makes a sound of water in the heaven, and brings up clouds from the extremity of the earth; he makes lightnings for rain, and brings light out of his treasures.

¹⁷Every man has completely lost understanding; every goldsmith is confounded because of his graven images: for they have cast false gods, there is no breath in them.

¹⁸They are vain works, objects of scorn; in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

¹⁹Not such is Jacob’s portion; for he that formed all things, he is his inheritance; the Lord is his name.

²⁰Thou scatterest for me the weapons of war: and I will scatter nations by thee, and will destroy kings by means of thee.

²¹And by thee I will scatter the horse and his rider; and by thee I will scatter chariots and them that ride in them.

²²And by thee I will scatter youth and maid; and by thee I will scatter man and woman.

²³And by thee I will scatter the shepherd and his flock; and by thee I will scatter the husbandman and his husbandry; and by thee I will scatter leaders and the captains.

²⁴And I will recompense to Babylon and to all the Chaldeans that dwell there all their mischiefs that they have done to Sion before your eyes, saith the Lord.

²⁵Behold, I am against thee, the ruined mountain, that destroys the whole earth; and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will roll thee down upon the rocks, and will make thee as a burnt mountain.

²⁶And they shall not take from thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for a foundation: for thou shalt be a desolation for ever, saith the Lord.

²⁷Lift up a standard in the land, sound the trumpet among the nations, consecrate the nations against her, raise up kings of Ararat against her by me, and that for the people of Achanaz; set against her engines of war; bring up against her horses as a multitude of locusts.

²⁸Bring up nations against her, even the king of the Medes and of the whole earth, his rulers, and all his captains.

²⁹The earth has quaked and been troubled, because the purpose of the Lord has risen up against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, and uninhabitable.

³⁰The warrior of Babylon has failed to fight; they shall sit there in the siege; their power is broken; they are become like women; her tabernacles have been set on fire; her bars are broken.

³¹One shall rush, running to meet another runner, and one shall go with tidings to meet another with tidings, to bring tidings to the king of Babylon, that his city is taken.

³²At the end of his passages they were taken, and his cisterns they have burnt with fire, and his warriors are going forth.

³³For thus saith the Lord, The houses of the king of Babylon shall be threshed as a floor in the season; yet a little while, and her harvest shall come.

³⁴He has devoured me, he has torn me asunder, airy darkness has come upon me; Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon has swallowed me up, as a dragon has he filled his belly with my delicacies.

³⁵My troubles and my distresses have driven me out into Babylon, shall she that dwells in Sion say; and my blood shall be upon the Chaldeans dwelling there, shall Jerusalem say.

³⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will judge thine adversary, and I will execute vengeance for thee; and I will waste her sea, and dry up her fountain.

³⁷And Babylon shall be a desolation, and shall not be inhabited.

³⁸For they rose up together as lions, and as lions’ whelps.

³⁹In their heat I will give them a draught, and make them drunk, that they may be stupified, and sleep an everlasting sleep, and not awake, saith the Lord.

⁴⁰And bring thou them down as lambs to the slaughter, and rams with kids.

⁴¹How has the boast of all the earth been taken and caught in a snare! how has Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

⁴²The sea has come up upon Babylon with the sound of its waves, and she is covered.

⁴³Her cities are become like a dry and trackless land; not so much as one man shall dwell in it, neither shall a son of man lodge in it.

⁴⁴And I will take vengeance on Babylon, and bring forth out of her mouth what she has swallowed down, and the nations shall no more be gathered to her:

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⁴⁹and in Babylon the slain men of all the earth shall fall.

⁵⁰Go forth of the land, ye that escape, and stay not; ye that are afar off, remember the Lord, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

⁵¹We are ashamed, because we have heard our reproach; disgrace has covered our face; aliens are come into our sanctuary, even into the house of the Lord.

⁵²Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will take vengeance upon her graven images: and slain men shall fall in all her land.

⁵³For though Babylon should go up as the heaven, and though she should strengthen her walls with her power, from me shall come they that shall destroy her, saith the Lord.

⁵⁴A sound of a cry in Babylon, and great destruction in the land of the Chaldeans:

⁵⁵for the Lord has utterly destroyed Babylon, and cut off from her the great voice sounding as many waters: he has consigned her voice to destruction.

⁵⁶For distress has come upon Babylon, her warriors are taken, their bows are useless: for God recompenses them.

⁵⁷The Lord recompenses, and will make her leaders and her wise men and her captains completely drunk, saith the King, the Lord Almighty is his name.

⁵⁸Thus saith the Lord, The wall of Babylon was made broad, but it shall be completely broken down, and her high gates shall be burnt with fire; and the peoples shall not labour in vain, nor the nations fail in their rule.

⁵⁹THE WORD WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED THE PROPHET JEREMIAS to say to Saraeas son of Nerias, son of Maasaeas, when he went from Sedekias king of Juda to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. And Saraeas was over the bounties.

⁶⁰And Jeremias wrote in a book all the evils which should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

⁶¹And Jeremias said to Saraeas, When thou art come to Babylon, and shalt see and read all these words;

⁶²then thou shalt say, O Lord God, thou hast spoken against this place, to destroy it, and that there should be none to dwell in it, neither man nor beast; for it shall be a desolation for ever.

⁶³And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt cease from reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone upon it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates;

⁶⁴and shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and not rise, because of the evils which I bring upon it.