Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"The broadwallof Babylonwill be completelyrazedAnd her highgateswill be seton fire;So the peopleswill toilfor nothing,And the nationsbecomeexhausted[only] for fire."
Unlessthe LORDbuildsthe house,They laborin vainwho buildit; Unlessthe LORDguardsthe city,The watchmankeepsawakein vain.
Liftup a standardon the barehill,Raiseyour voiceto them, Wavethe handthat they may enterthe doorsof the nobles.
"You are weariedwith your manycounsels;Let nowthe astrologers,Those who prophesyby the stars,Those who predictby the newmoons,Standup and saveyou from whatwill comeupon you.
"They will not laborin vain,Or bear[children] for calamity;For they are the offspringof those blessedby the LORD,And their descendantswith them.
"Raiseyour battlecryagainsther on everyside!She has givenherselfup, her pillarshave fallen,Her wallshave been torndown.For thisis the vengeanceof the LORD:Takevengeanceon her; As she has done[to others, so] doto her.
The mightymenof Babylonhave ceasedfighting,They stayin the strongholds;Their strengthis exhausted,They are becoming[like] women;Their dwellingplacesare seton fire,The barsof her [gates] are broken.
"I will punishBelin Babylon,And I will make whathe has swallowedcomeout of his mouth;And the nationswill nolongerstreamto him. Eventhe wallof Babylonhas fallendown!
and say,'Justsoshall Babylonsinkdownand not riseagain becauseof the calamitythat I am going to bringupon her; and they will becomeexhausted.'"Thusfarare the wordsof Jeremiah.
We applied healingto Babylon,but she was not healed;Forsakeher and let us eachgoto his own country,For her judgmenthas reachedto heavenAnd towersup to the very skies.
"Everyonedeceiveshis neighborAnd does not speakthe truth,They have taughttheir tongueto speaklies;They wearythemselves committinginiquity.
Our pursuersare at our necks;We are wornout, there is norestfor us.
"Is it not indeedfrom the LORDof hostsThat peoplestoilfor fire,And nationsgrowwearyfor nothing?
