1Yahweh gave to me, Jeremiah the prophet, a message about Babylon city and the country of Babylonia.
2This is what Yahweh says:
3The army of a nation will come from the north to attack Babylon
4“But I, Yahweh, say that in the future, when that is about to happen,
5They will inquire about the road to Jerusalem,
6My people have been like [MET] lost sheep.
7All their enemies who found them attacked them.
8But now, I say to the leaders of my people, ‘Flee from Babylon!
9Do that because I am going to gather an army of great nations to the north of Babylon.
10Babylonia will be conquered,
11“You people of Babylon who ◄plundered/stole everything valuable from► my chosen people,
12But soon your people will be very disgraced [DOU] as a result of being conquered.
13Because I, Yahweh, am angry with you people of Babylon,
14All you nations that surround Babylon,
15Shout war-cries against Babylon from all sides of the city.
16Take away from Babylon those who plant crops
17“The Israeli people are like [MET] sheep
18So this is what I, the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom the Israeli people worship, say:
19And I will bring the people of Israel back to their own land
20At that time, there will not be people in Israel and in Judah who are still guilty for having sinned [DOU],
21“So, I, Yahweh, say to the enemies of Babylonia,‘Attack the people who live in the Merathaim region
22Shout your battle cries throughout the land;
23The army of Babylon is like [MET] the most powerful hammer on the earth,
24You people of Babylon, listen,
25It is as though I have opened the place where I store my weapons,
26So, you enemies of Babylonia, come from distant lands and attack it.
27Destroy all the young men who are as strong as [MET] bulls;
28Listen to the people who have fled and escaped from Babylon
29Summon archers [DOU] to come to attack Babylon;
30The young men of Babylon will fall in the streets;
31I, the Commander of the armies of angels, say this:
32Your land is full of proud people,
33I, the Commander of the armies of angels, also say this:
34But I am strong, and I will free them.
35I will send enemy soldiers carrying swords [PRS] to strike the people of Babylonia;
36They will strike their false prophets with swords
37They will strike their horses and chariots
38I will cause the streams to become dry.
39Soon only hyenas and other wild creatures will live there;
40I will destroy Babylon like I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the nearby towns;
41Look! A great army will come from the north.
42Their army has bows and arrows and spears;
43The King of Babylon says,
44I, Yahweh, will come to Babylon suddenly like a lion comes out of the jungle
45Listen to what I have planned to do to the people of Babylon city and the rest of Babylonia:
46When Babylon is destroyed, the noise will be extremely loud,