כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי מֵעִיר עַל־בָּבֶל וְאֶל־יֹשְׁבֵי לֵב קָמָי רוּחַ מַשְׁחִית

So said the Lord: Behold, I will rouse a destructive spirit against Babylon and against the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of Lev Kamai.

וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי לְבָבֶל זָרִים וְזֵרוּהָ וִיבֹקְקוּ אֶת־אַרְצָהּ כִּי־הָיוּ עָלֶיהָ מִסָּבִיב בְּיוֹם רָעָה

I will send an army of strangers to Babylon and they will disperse the people within it, and they will smash and empty its land, for they, its enemies, will be against it from all sides on the day of evil.

אֶל יִדְרֹךְ הַדֹּרֵךְ קַשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶל יִתְעַל בְּסִרְיֹנוֹ וְאַל־תַּחְמְלוּ אֶל בַּחֻרֶיהָ הַחֲרִימוּ כָּל־צְבָאָהּ

Let the archer, the Babylonian soldier, not [el] draw his bow. Some claim that this el does not mean al, “not,” but rather “to.” If so, the phrase means: The archer will draw his bow toward Babylon, or: One who draws his bow will do so toward Babylon. And let him not enter his armor. These weapons and defenses are useless for Babylon, as its cause is already lost. You, the conquerors, do not have compassion on its young men, but rather will destroy its entire army.

וְנָפְלוּ חֲלָלִים בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים וּמְדֻקָּרִים בְּחוּצוֹתֶיהָ

They will fall, slain in the land of the Chaldeans and stabbed in its streets.

כִּי לֹא־אַלְמָן יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה — מֵאֱלֹהָיו מֵה' צְבָאוֹת כִּי אַרְצָם מָלְאָה אָשָׁם מִקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל

For neither Israel nor Judah is widowed from its God, from the Lord of hosts. God is guarding His nation, and therefore the invader who acted as he wished there should know that he will pay the price, for their land, of the Babylonians, is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel, due to their disregard of God. Apart from the other sins of the Babylonians, they deserve special punishment for the suffering they brought upon Israel. The fact that the prophet foresaw the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah is not in and of itself sufficient justification for the deeds of the Babylonians.

נֻסוּ מִתּוֹךְ בָּבֶל וּמַלְּטוּ אִישׁ נַפְשׁוֹ אַל־תִּדַּמּוּ בַּעֲוֹנָהּ כִּי עֵת נְקָמָה הִיא לַה' גְּמוּל הוּא מְשַׁלֵּם לָהּ

The prophet addresses foreign residents who are living in Babylonia: Flee from the midst of Babylon, and let each man save his life; do not be eradicated in its iniquity. Escape from this place, which is lost, as it is a time of vengeance for the Lord, He is exacting retribution against it.

כּוֹס־זָהָב בָּבֶל בְּיַד־ה' מְשַׁכֶּרֶת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מִיֵּינָהּ שָׁתוּ גוֹיִם עַל־כֵּן יִתְהֹלְלוּ גוֹיִם

The prophet provides a metaphor for these future events: A golden cup is Babylon in the hand of the Lord, which is intoxicating the entire land. Jeremiah compares the Babylon of his time, after the ascent of Nebuchadnezzar II, one of the great leaders of the world, to a valuable golden cup filled with poisonous wine; from its wine nations have drunk; therefore, the nations will rampage.

פִּתְאֹם נָפְלָה בָבֶל וַתִּשָּׁבֵר הֵילִילוּ עָלֶיהָ קְחוּ צֳרִי לְמַכְאוֹבָהּ — אוּלַי תֵּרָפֵא

Suddenly Babylon fell and was ruined; wail for it, all nations and people who are connected to this powerhouse. The prophet suggests, mockingly: Take balm, medicine, for its pain, perhaps it will be healed. Maybe some advice from political experts and the like will help Babylon, whose downfall will be relatively quick, without open warfare.

רִפִּאנוּ אֶת־בָּבֶל וְלֹא נִרְפָּתָה עִזְבוּהָ וְנֵלֵךְ אִישׁ לְאַרְצוֹ כִּי־נָגַע אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשְׁפָּטָהּ וְנִשָּׂא עַד־שְׁחָקִים

The prophet cites the response to this call for experts: We sought to heal Babylon, but it was not healed; forsake it, and let us go each to his land, as its judgment reaches the heavens and rises to the sky. The judgment of Babylon is too severe, and there is no hope for the efforts to help it.

הוֹצִיא ה' אֶת־צִדְקֹתֵינוּ בֹּאוּ וּנְסַפְּרָה בְצִיּוֹן אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ

The Lord has brought out, shown, our righteousness in the judgment between our people and Babylonia; come, and we will relate in Zion the deed of the Lord our God.

הָבֵרוּ הַחִצִּים מִלְאוּ הַשְּׁלָטִים הֵעִיר ה' אֶת־רוּחַ מַלְכֵי מָדַי כִּי־עַל־בָּבֶל מְזִמָּתוֹ לְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ כִּי־נִקְמַת ה' הִיא נִקְמַת הֵיכָלוֹ

Select the best arrows, or sharpen the arrows, collect the shields, or fill the quiver with arrows; the Lord has roused the spirit of the kings of Media and Persia as His plot is against Babylon to destroy it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord against Babylon, the vengeance of His Sanctuary.

אֶל־חוֹמֹת בָּבֶל שְׂאוּ־נֵס הַחֲזִיקוּ הַמִּשְׁמָר הָקִימוּ שֹׁמְרִים הָכִינוּ הָאֹרְבִים כִּי גַּם־זָמַם ה' גַם־עָשָׂה אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֶל יֹשְׁבֵי בָבֶל

Raise a standard against the walls of Babylon; strengthen the watch, post watchmen, prepare the ambushes and all the requirements for the attack, for the Lord has both planned and carried out that which He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

שֹׁכַנְתְּ עַל־מַיִם רַבִּים רַבַּת אוֹצָרֹת בָּא קִצֵּךְ אַמַּת בִּצְעֵךְ

You who have dwelled on many waters, situated on the Euphrates River, as Babylon was a commercial port city, you are abundant in treasures, but your end has come, in accordance with the measure of [amat] your stolen lucre. The severity of your end corresponds to your sins. Alternatively, the word amat means canal. It is related that the Persian enemy invaded the city of Babylon through one of its water canals. Accordingly, these canals [amat] of water will serve to repay Babylonia for the measure of [amat] their greed.

נִשְׁבַּע ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּנַפְשׁוֹ כִּי אִם מִלֵּאתִיךְ אָדָם כַּיֶּלֶק וְעָנוּ עָלַיִךְ הֵידָד

The Lord of hosts has taken an oath by Himself: I certainly filled you with people like locusts. This is perhaps referring to one of the stages of this creature’s development, probably before it develops wings. Sometimes, millions of locusts can be found in one place. In other words, even if the great Babylonia will be filled with people like locusts, it has no chance: And they, the enemy, will call against you: Hurrah. They will crush you like stompers of grapes, who shout and sing songs as they work (see 25:20, 48:33).

עֹשֵׂה אֶרֶץ בְּכֹחוֹ מֵכִין תֵּבֵל בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וּבִתְבוּנָתוֹ נָטָה שָׁמָיִם

He makes the earth with His might, founds the world with His wisdom, and with His understanding He extended the heavens.

לקוֹל תִּתּוֹ הֲמוֹן מַיִם בַּשָּׁמַיִם — וַיַּעַל נְשִׂאִים מִקְצֵה־אָרֶץ בְּרָקִים למָּטָר עָשָׂה וַיּוֹצֵא רוּחַ מֵאֹצְרֹתָיו

To the sound of His placing of the tumult of water in the heavens, of coming rain, He raised clouds from the ends of the earth; He made lightning bolts for the approaching rain and brought out wind from His storehouses.

נִבְעַר כָּל־אָדָם מִדַּעַת הֹבִישׁ כָּל־צֹרֵף מִפָּסֶל כִּי שֶׁקֶר נִסְכּוֹ וְלֹא־רוּחַ בָּם

Every person who does not understand this truth, that God created and leads the world, is ignorant of knowledge. The masses of idol worshippers live in falsehood, ignorance, and error. Every smith is shamed and disillusioned by idols that he fashioned, for his cast figure is falsehood, and no breath is in them.

הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתֻּעִים בְּעֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם יֹאבֵדוּ

They are futility, a work of deceit. All the great molten images of the Babylonians, which supposedly direct their lives, are nothing but vanity and illusion. At the time of their reckoning, when the Babylonians are punished, they too, the idols, will perish.

לֹא־כְאֵלֶּה חֵלֶק יַעֲקוֹב כִּי־יוֹצֵר הַכֹּל הוּא וְשֵׁבֶט נַחֲלָתוֹ ה' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ

The entire pagan world will collapse, but the Portion of Jacob, God, is not like these, for He is the one who forms everything, and it, Israel, is the tribe, the people, of His inheritance, the Lord of hosts is His name.

מַפֵּץ אַתָּה לִי כְּלֵי מִלְחָמָה וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ גּוֹיִם וְהִשְׁחַתִּי בְךָ מַמְלָכוֹת

You, the armies of Media and Persia, are a battering ram for Me, an iron implement with which walls are smashed, you are weapons of war, and with you I will shatter the nations, and I will destroy kingdoms with you. You are a machine of war that pulverizes and crushes anything that stands in its way.

וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ; וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ רֶכֶב וְרֹכְבוֹ;

I will shatter with you the horse and its rider, and I will shatter with you the chariot and its rider.

וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה; וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ זָקֵן וָנָעַר; וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ בָּחוּר וּבְתוּלָה;

I will shatter with you man and woman, and I will shatter with you the elderly and the lad, and I will shatter with you the youth and the maiden.

וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ רֹעֶה וְעֶדְרוֹ; וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ אִכָּר וְצִמְדּוֹ וְנִפַּצְתִּי בְךָ פַּחוֹת וּסְגָנִים

I will shatter with you the shepherd and his flock, and I will shatter with you the farmer and his team of oxen with which he works; and I will shatter with you governors and deputies, senior rulers and officers.

וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לְבָבֶל וּלְכֹל יוֹשְׁבֵי כַשְׂדִּים אֵת כָּל־רָעָתָם אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ בְצִיּוֹן לְעֵינֵיכֶם נְאֻם ה'

I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil, which they performed in Zion, before your eyes – the utterance of the Lord. You Israelites who are in Babylonia, and other nations watching from afar, will witness the punishment I will bring upon Babylon.

הִנְנִי אֵלֶיךָ הַר הַמַּשְׁחִית נְאֻם־ה' הַמַּשְׁחִית אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וְנָטִיתִי אֶת־יָדִי עָלֶיךָ וְגִלְגַּלְתִּיךָ מִן־הַסְּלָעִים וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְהַר שְׂרֵפָה

Behold, I am against you, or: I turn to you, destructive mountain, Babylonia, you are the one that destroys the entire land – the utterance of the Lord – and I will extend My hand against you, and I will roll you from the rocks, your fortified places, and I will render you a burnt mountain.

וְלֹא־יִקְחוּ מִמְּךָ אֶבֶן לְפִנָּה וְאֶבֶן לְמוֹסָדוֹת כִּי־שִׁמְמוֹת עוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה נְאֻם־ה'

And they will not take from you a cornerstone, a large stone, the first stone set during construction, or a foundation stone, as you will be eternal desolation – the utterance of the Lord. It will not be rebuilt.

שְׂאוּ־נֵס בָּאָרֶץ תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בַּגּוֹיִם קַדְּשׁוּ עָלֶיהָ גּוֹיִם הַשְׁמִיעוּ עָלֶיהָ מַמְלְכוֹת אֲרָרַט מִנִּי וְאַשְׁכְּנָז פִּקְדוּ עָלֶיהָ טִפְסָר הַעֲלוּ־סוּס כְּיֶלֶק סָמָר

Raise a standard of the army marching near, or gathering for battle in the land, sound the shofar among the nations to gather, summon, or prepare, nations against it, Babylonia, muster against it the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, which were near Babylonia and were considered barbaric kingdoms; appoint a high military commander against it, bring up many rearing horses like a swarm of locusts, as attacking horses rear up on their hind legs.

קַדְּשׁוּ עָלֶיהָ גוֹיִם — אֶת־מַלְכֵי מָדַי אֶת־פַּחוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־כָּל־סְגָנֶיהָ וְאֵת כָּל־אֶרֶץ מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ

Summon against it nations: the kings of Media, its governors and its deputies, senior officers, and the entire land of its dominion, of the king of the Medes.

וַתִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ וַתָּחֹל כִּי קָמָה עַל־בָּבֶל מַחְשְׁבוֹת ה' לָשׂוּם אֶת־אֶרֶץ בָּבֶל לְשַׁמָּה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב

The land quakes and trembles, as the designs of the Lord have arisen and been fulfilled against Babylonia, to render the land of Babylonia desolation, without inhabitants.

חָדְלוּ גִבּוֹרֵי בָבֶל לְהִלָּחֵם יָשְׁבוּ בַּמְּצָדוֹת נָשְׁתָה גְבוּרָתָם הָיוּ לְנָשִׁים הִצִּיתוּ מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיהָ נִשְׁבְּרוּ בְרִיחֶיהָ

The valiant of Babylon have ceased to fight; they have remained in their citadels, their valor has waned, they have become as women; while they, their enemies, set fire to its dwellings, as its bars, of Babylon, are broken.

רָץ לִקְרַאת־רָץ יָרוּץ וּמַגִּיד לִקְרַאת מַגִּיד לְהַגִּיד לְמֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל כִּי־נִלְכְּדָה עִירוֹ מִקָּצֶה

After this great attack, a runner will run toward a runner, the runners will come from various places, and a herald toward a herald, to tell the king of Babylon that his city has been captured from one side. Each messenger will arrive from a different direction and relate that the city has been captured. It will have no hope of revival from anywhere.

וְהַמַּעְבָּרוֹת נִתְפָּשׂוּ וְאֶת־הָאֲגַמִּים שָׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ וְאַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה נִבְהָלוּ

And the fords, the passageways of the rivers, have been seized by the enemy. He can pass his army through them, while preventing reinforcements from crossing there. And the reeds near bodies of water and swamps they burned in fire. Passing enemy troops would often ignite the flora. And the men of war are alarmed, and can do nothing to stop this.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּת בָּבֶל כְּגֹרֶן עֵת הִדְרִיכָהּ — עוֹד מְעַט וּבָאָה עֵת־הַקָּצִיר לָהּ

For so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: The daughter, population, of Babylon, which is currently at the beginning of its rise, with many nations trodden under its feet, is like a threshing floor at the time that one treads it, as produce is brought there for threshing, and the time of Babylon’s own harvest, its cutting off, has come for it. Alternatively, this means that soon it will be like a threshing floor, which is completely empty at the beginning of harvest.

אֲכָלַנִי הֲמָמַנִי נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל הִצִּיגַנִי כְּלִי רִיק בְּלָעַנִי כַּתַּנִּין מִלָּא כְרֵשׂוֹ מֵעֲדָנָי הֱדִיחָנִי

Nebuchadrezzar the powerful king of Babylon devoured me, stunned me, presented me as an empty vessel; he swallowed me like a crocodile, filled his stomach with my delicacies; he rinsed me, or distanced me.

חֲמָסִי וּשְׁאֵרִי עַל בָּבֶל תֹּאמַר יֹשֶׁבֶת צִיּוֹן וְדָמִי — אֶל יֹשְׁבֵי כַשְׂדִּים תֹּאמַר יְרוּשָׁלִָם

The guilt of the villainy done to me and my consumed flesh is upon Babylon, the inhabitant of Zion will say. The responsibility for my spilled blood is upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, Jerusalem will say. You must pay for all of these.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי־רָב אֶת־רִיבֵךְ וְנִקַּמְתִּי אֶת־נִקְמָתֵךְ וְהַחֲרַבְתִּי אֶת־יַמָּהּ וְהוֹבַשְׁתִּי אֶת־מְקוֹרָהּ

Therefore, so said the Lord: Behold, I am championing your cause, Jerusalem, and I will avenge your vengeance; and I will dry up its sea, the bodies of water dug around the city of Babylon, and dry out its water source.

וְהָיְתָה בָבֶל לְגַלִּים מְעוֹן־תַּנִּים שַׁמָּה וּשְׁרֵקָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב

Babylon will become heaps of dirt and stones, and a lair of jackals, a place where wild creatures roam, an astonishment and a source of whistling of those beasts, or the whistling of passersby who are amazed at the destruction, without inhabitants.

יַחְדָּו כַּכְּפִרִים יִשְׁאָגוּ נָעֲרוּ כְּגוֹרֵי אֲרָיוֹת

Together they, the Babylonians, or the conquerors, will roar like young lions; they growl like lion cubs.

בְּחֻמָּם אָשִׁית אֶת־מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּים לְמַעַן יַעֲלֹזוּ וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת־עוֹלָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ נְאֻם ה'

When they are heated, I will prepare their banquet, so that they will drink more due to the heat, or their excitement, and I will intoxicate them, so that they will delight. Babylon will fall while it is rejoicing and drunk. Indeed, it is related that Belshatzar, the last ruler of Babylon, was killed at a drinking party, and no one was prepared for this momentous event, and they will sleep an eternal sleep, and not wake – the utterance of the Lord.

אוֹרִידֵם כְּכָרִים לִטְבוֹחַ כְּאֵילִים עִם־עַתּוּדִים

I will bring them down like fattened lambs to the slaughter, like grown rams with billy goats. The nobles of Babylon will be killed.

אֵיךְ נִלְכְּדָה שֵׁשַׁךְ וַתִּתָּפֵשׂ תְּהִלַּת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ! אֵיךְ הָיְתָה לְשַׁמָּה בָּבֶל בַּגּוֹיִם!

How was Sheshakh captured, and the praise of the entire land seized? How was this glorious kingdom conquered? How did Babylon become a desolation among the nations? Sheshakh is Bavel, Babylon, following the atbash code.

עָלָה עַל־בָּבֶל הַיָּם בַּהֲמוֹן גַּלָּיו נִכְסָתָה

The sea has risen over Babylon, with the tumult of its waves it was covered. A flood of enemies will drown the kingdom, without the need for actual warfare.

הָיוּ עָרֶיהָ לְשַׁמָּה אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וַעֲרָבָה אֶרֶץ לֹא־יֵשֵׁב בָּהֵן כָּל־אִישׁ וְלֹא־יַעֲבֹר בָּהֵן בֶּן־אָדָם

Its cities became desolation, a wasteland and a desert, a land where no man will dwell in cities, and no human will pass through it. The Babylonian Empire will become nothing more than an archaeological site.

וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־בֵּל בְּבָבֶל וְהֹצֵאתִי אֶת־בִּלְעוֹ מִפִּיו וְלֹא־יִנְהֲרוּ אֵלָיו עוֹד גּוֹיִם גַּם־חוֹמַת בָּבֶל נָפָלָה

I will reckon with Bel, the chief Babylonian god, in Babylon. The downfall of Bel symbolizes the defeat of the kingdom. And I will remove that which he swallowed from his mouth, the gifts and tribute brought to his mouth, and the nations will no longer stream to honor him. It was customary to pay respect to the governor of a city by recognizing its god, but in the future this idol will lose its popularity. Moreover, the wall of Babylon has fallen; it will not stand firm.

צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ עַמִּי וּמַלְּטוּ אִישׁ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ מֵחֲרוֹן אַף־ה'

The prophet turns to the Israelite exiles in Babylon: Go out from its midst, from conquered Babylon, My people, and let each man save his life from the enflamed wrath of the Lord.

וּפֶן־יֵרַךְ לְבַבְכֶם וְתִירְאוּ בּשְׁמוּעָה הַנִּשְׁמַעַת בָּאָרֶץ וּבָא בַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמוּעָה וְאַחֲרָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁמוּעָה וְחָמָס בָּאָרֶץ מֹשֵׁל עַל־מֹשֵׁל

Let your heart not be faint, and do not be frightened by the rumor that is being heard in the land. The downfall of Babylon was a curious, almost surreal event. The city of Babylon, one of the greatest in the civilized world of the time, fell without a real battle. Within the king’s house, the leadership was drunk, while elsewhere no attention was paid to the unfolding events. It can be assumed that such strange happenings gave rise to various rumors and a general feeling of unease among the populace. As the rumor will come during the year, and after it during the next year, or the same year, another rumor, and villainy will come in the land, and ruler will arise against ruler. Babylon will experience much political upheaval.

לָכֵן הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־פְּסִילֵי בָבֶל וְכָל־אַרְצָהּ תֵּבוֹשׁ וְכָל־חֲלָלֶיהָ יִפְּלוּ בְתוֹכָהּ

Therefore, in order to remove your concerns, I am informing you ahead of time: Behold, days are coming, and I will reckon with the idols of Babylonia, and its entire land will be shamed, and all its slain will fall in its midst. They will not fall during a campaign of conquest, but will suffer defeat in the midst of their land.

וְרִנְּנוּ עַל בָּבֶל שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם כִּי מִצָּפוֹן יָבוֹא־לָהּ הַשּׁוֹדְדִים נְאֻם־ה'

The heavens and the earth and everything that is in them will sing over the downfall of Babylon, as, that is, when, from the north, the plunderers will come to it – the utterance of the Lord.

גַּם־בָּבֶל לִנְפֹּל חַלְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם־לְבָבֶל נָפְלוּ חַלְלֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ

All this will occur because just as Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, so too, because of Babylon the slain of the entire land fell.

פְּלֵטִים מֵחֶרֶב הִלְכוּ אַל־תַּעֲמֹדוּ זִכְרוּ מֵרָחוֹק אֶת־ה' וִירוּשָׁלִַם תַּעֲלֶה עַל־לְבַבְכֶם

The prophet again calls upon the Jews in Babylonia: Refugees from the sword, go, do not stand; remember the Lord from afar, and let Jerusalem come to your mind, and declare the following:

בֹּשְׁנוּ כִּי־שָׁמַעְנוּ חֶרְפָּה כִּסְּתָה כְלִמָּה פָּנֵינוּ כִּי בָּאוּ זָרִים עַל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי בֵּית ה'

We are ashamed, for we heard disgrace; humiliation covered our faces, as strangers came upon the sanctuaries of the House of the Lord. However, now those destructive strangers will be destroyed themselves, and we must remove the disgrace from Jerusalem.

לָכֵן הִנֵּה־יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה' וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־פְּסִילֶיהָ וּבְכָל־אַרְצָהּ יֶאֱנֹק חָלָל

Therefore behold, days are coming – the utterance of the Lord – and I will reckon with, punish, Babylon, for its idols, and in all its land the slain will groan. The cries of war casualties will be heard in Babylon.

כִּי־תַעֲלֶה בָבֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכִי תְבַצֵּר מְרוֹם עֻזָּהּ מֵאִתִּי יָבֹאוּ שֹׁדְדִים לָהּ נְאֻם־ה'

Even should Babylon ascend to the heavens, and should it fortify the height of its strength by building strong walls, nevertheless, plunderers will come to it from Me – the utterance of the Lord.

קוֹל זְעָקָה מִבָּבֶל וְשֶׁבֶר גָּדוֹל מֵאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים

The sound of an outcry is from Babylonia, and great ruin from the land of the Chaldeans.

כִּי־שֹׁדֵד ה' אֶת בָּבֶל וְאִבַּד מִמֶּנָּה קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְהָמוּ גַלֵּיהֶם כְּמַיִם רַבִּים נִתַּן שְׁאוֹן קוֹלָם

For the Lord is sacking and defeating Babylon, and He will eliminate from it great clamor of the bustling empire, and instead their waves, of the plunderers, will roar like abundant water, and the din of their sound, of these waves, will come forth. According to some commentaries, all this is referring to the waves and voices of the Babylonians in the past.

כִּי בָא עָלֶיהָ עַל־בָּבֶל שׁוֹדֵד וְנִלְכְּדוּ גִּבּוֹרֶיהָ חִתְּתָה קַשְּׁתוֹתָם כִּי אֵל גְּמֻלוֹת ה' שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם

For the plunderer has come upon it, upon Babylon, and its mighty have been captured, their bows have been broken, for the Lord is God of retribution, He will exact its repayment.

וְהִשְׁכַּרְתִּי שָׂרֶיהָ וַחֲכָמֶיהָ פַּחוֹתֶיהָ וּסְגָנֶיהָ וְגִבּוֹרֶיהָ וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת־עוֹלָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ נְאֻם־הַמֶּלֶךְ ה' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ

I will intoxicate its princes and its wise men, its governors and its deputies, its rulers and senior officers, and its valiant ones; all these will be drunk and they will sleep an eternal sleep, and they will not wake – the utterance of the King, the Lord of hosts is His name.

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת חֹמוֹת בָּבֶל הָרְחָבָה עַרְעֵר תִּתְעַרְעַר וּשְׁעָרֶיהָ הַגְּבֹהִים בָּאֵשׁ יִצַּתּוּ וְיִגְעוּ עַמִּים בְּדֵי־רִיק וּלְאֻמִּים בְּדֵי־אֵשׁ וְיָעֵפוּ

So said the Lord of hosts: The broad walls of Babylon will be undermined, and its high gates will be burned in fire, and the peoples will exert themselves to do something in response, but that will be for naught, or: Then it will become clear that the exertions of the nations in the development of Babylon will have been for naught; and the efforts of the nations will come to nothing, for all will be burned in fire, and they will grow weary.

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶת־שְׂרָיָה בֶן־נֵרִיָּה בֶּן־מַחְסֵיָה בְּלֶכְתּוֹ אֶת צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בָּבֶל בִּשְׁנַת הָרְבִעִית לְמָלְכוֹ וּשְׂרָיָה שַׂר־מְנוּחָה

The matter that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraya, son of Neriya, son of Mahseya, brother of Barukh, Jeremiah’s scribe, upon his going to Babylon with Tzidkiyahu king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign, and Seraya was then the minister of protocol, ceremonies, and diplomacy. He supervised King Tzidkiyahu’s conduct when he arrived in Babylon as vassal, a submissive ruler, bearing a gift. Jeremiah knew that he could rely on Seraya, who came from a family with whom he maintained close ties.

וַיִּכְתֹּב יִרְמְיָהוּ אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־תָּבוֹא אֶל־בָּבֶל אֶל סֵפֶר אֶחָד אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַכְּתֻבִים אֶל בָּבֶל

Accordingly, Jeremiah wrote in one scroll all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these matters that are written concerning Babylon, which include several harrowing prophecies.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־שְׂרָיָה כְּבֹאֲךָ בָבֶל וְרָאִיתָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

Jeremiah then said to Seraya: Upon your arrival in Babylon, after a lengthy journey, see and read all these matters there,

וְאָמַרְתָּ ה' אַתָּה דִבַּרְתָּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַכְרִיתוֹ לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת־בּוֹ יוֹשֵׁב לְמֵאָדָם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה כִּי־שִׁמְמוֹת עוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה

and say in prayer: Lord, You spoke concerning this place to eliminate it, so that there will be no inhabitant in it, from man to animal, for it, Babylon, will be eternal desolation. This is the overall destiny that God plans for Babylon.

וְהָיָה כְּכַלֹּתְךָ לִקְרֹא אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה תִּקְשֹׁר עָלָיו אֶבֶן וְהִשְׁלַכְתּוֹ אֶל־תּוֹךְ פְּרָת

It shall be that when you have concluded reading this scroll, a small scroll of prophecies, you shall tie a stone onto it, and you shall cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, so that the scroll will sink into the water;

וְאָמַרְתָּ כָּכָה תִּשְׁקַע בָּבֶל וְלֹא־תָקוּם מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מֵבִיא עָלֶיהָ — וְיָעֵפוּ עַד־הֵנָּה דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ

and you shall say: So will Babylon sink, and it will not rise because of the evil that I am bringing upon it, and they will grow weary. The inhabitants of Babylon will be too fatigued and broken to complain. Jeremiah sent Seraya to read the prophecy in Babylon, in the original Hebrew. He thereby sent a message of support to the exiles of Judah: Stand firm, as the Babylonians will be vanquished before you. Until here are the words, the prophecies and events, of Jeremiah.