¹ The word that Jehovah spoke to^▵ Babylon, to^▵ the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah^◦ the prophet.

² Tell it among^◦ the nations, and make it heard, and lift a standard; make it heard, and conceal^◦ not; say, Babylon is captured, Bel is shamed, Merodach is·​·dismayed; her images^◦ are shamed, her idols are·​·dismayed.

³ For out of the north there comes up a nation against her, which shall set^◦ her land as a desolation, and none shall dwell therein; they shall flee·​·away, they shall go^◦, both man and beast.

⁴ In those days, and in that time, says^◦ Jehovah, the sons of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall go, and seek Jehovah their God.

⁵ They shall ask Zion concerning the way with their faces hither, saying: Come, and let us join ourselves to^▵ Jehovah in an eternal covenant that shall not be forgotten.

⁶ My people have been as a flock of the lost; their shepherds have caused them to go·​·astray; they have turned· them ·back on the mountains. They have walked from mountain to^▵ hill; they have forgotten their place·​·to·​·lie·​·down^◦.

⁷ All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, We are· not ·guilty, on account of the fact that they have sinned against Jehovah, the home of justice, and the hope^◦ of their fathers, Jehovah.

⁸ Flee·​·away from the midst of Babylon, and from the land of the Chaldeans go·​·out, and be as the he-goats before the flock.

⁹ For, behold, I^▵ will stir·​·up and cause to go·​·up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north; and they shall set·​·themselves·​·in·​·array against her; from thence she shall be taken; his arrows shall be as a mighty·​·man bereaving; none shall return empty.

¹⁰ And Chaldea shall be a spoil; all who spoil her shall be satisfied, says^◦ Jehovah,

¹¹ because you were·​·glad, because you triumphed, O ye pillagers of My inheritance, because you are spread·​·out as the heifer on the tender·​·herb, and neigh as steeds.

¹² Your mother shall be very ashamed; she who gave·​·birth to you shall blush; behold, the last of the nations shall be a wilderness, an arid place, and a desert.

¹³ From the rage of Jehovah she shall not dwell, and all of her shall be desolate; all who pass·​·by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her blows^◦.

¹⁴ Set· yourselves ·in·​·array against Babylon all around; all ye that bend^◦ the bow, shoot·​·out at her, spare not the arrow: for she has sinned against Jehovah.

¹⁵ Shout against her all around; she has given her hand; her foundations are fallen, her walls are broken·​·down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah; avenge on her; as^◦ she has done, do to her.

¹⁶ Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handles the sickle in the time of harvest; for fear of the oppressing sword they shall face every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

¹⁷ As an animal·​·of·​·the·​·flock Israel is scattered^◦; the lions have expelled him; first the king of Assyria has eaten him up; and afterwards Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, has removed· his ·bones.

¹⁸ Therefore thus says Jehovah of Armies, the God of Israel, Behold, I will visit the king of Babylon and his land, as^◦ I have visited the king of Assyria.

¹⁹ And I will return Israel to^▵ his home, and he shall pasture on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on^◦ Mount Ephraim and Gilead.

²⁰ In those^◦ days, and in that^◦ time, says^◦ Jehovah, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I have left.

²¹ Against the land of Merathaim, go·​·up against her, and against those who dwell in Pekod; waste and doom thou after them, says^◦ Jehovah, and do according·​·to all that I have commanded thee.

²² A voice of battle is in the land, and of great breaking.

²³ How^◦ is the mallet of all the earth hewn·​·off and broken! How^◦ is Babylon become a desolation among^◦ the nations!

²⁴ I have set a snare for thee, and thou art also captured, O Babylon, and thou dost· not ·know; thou art·​·found, and also caught, for thou hast meddled with Jehovah.

²⁵ Jehovah has opened His treasury, and has brought·​·out the weapons^◦ of His indignation; for it is the business of the Lord Jehovih^* of Armies in the land of the Chaldeans.

²⁶ Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses; build· her ·up as stacks, and doom her: let nothing of her be left.

²⁷ Waste all her bullocks; let them go·​·down to the butchering. Woe to them! For their day is come, the time of their visitation.

²⁸ The voice of them that flee and are delivered from the land of Babylon, to tell in Zion about the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance of His temple.

²⁹ Cause the shooters of arrows to hear against Babylon; all ye who bend^◦ the bow, camp against her all around; let none thereof escape^◦; repay her according·​·to her work; according·​·to all that she has done, do to her: for she has been·​·presumptuous to^▵ Jehovah, to^▵ the Holy·​·One of Israel.

³⁰ Therefore shall her young·​·men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be·​·still in that day, says^◦ Jehovah.

³¹ Behold, I am against thee, O thou most presumptuous, says^◦ the Lord Jehovih of Armies; for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

³² And the presumptuous shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise· him ·up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all those around him.

³³ Thus says Jehovah of Armies; The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah were oppressed together; and all that took them captives held· them ·firm; they refused to send· them ·out.

³⁴ Their Redeemer is firm; Jehovah of Armies is His name; pleading He shall plead their plea, so·​·that He may give·​·repose to the land, and make those who dwell in Babylon tremble.

³⁵ A sword is upon the Chaldeans, says^◦ Jehovah, and upon those who dwell in Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

³⁶ A sword is upon the fabricators; and they shall become·​·stupid; a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall·​·be·​·dismayed.

³⁷ A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the commingled crowd that are in her midst; and they shall become as women; a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be preyed·​·on.

³⁸ A drought is to her waters; and they shall be dried·​·up; for she is a land of carved images, and they rave by terrors.

³⁹ Therefore the Tsiim with^◦ the Ijim^* shall dwell there, and in her shall dwell the daughters of an owl; and no^◦ one shall dwell·​·in her any·​·more perpetually; neither shall it be inhabited even·​·to generation and generation.

⁴⁰ As God overturned Sodom and Gomorrah and her neighbor^◦, says^◦ Jehovah; a man^◦ shall not dwell there, a son of man shall not sojourn in her.

⁴¹ Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be stirred·​·up from the flanks of the earth.

⁴² They shall take·​·hold of the bow and the javelin; they are cruel, and will not have·​·compassion; their voice shall make a noise as the sea, and they shall ride on horses, every one set·​·in·​·array, as a man^◦ for the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

⁴³ The king of Babylon has heard the rumor of them, and his hands have slackened; adversity held· him ·firmly, and travailing as a woman giving·​·birth.

⁴⁴ Behold, he shall come·​·up as a lion from the pride of the Jordan to^▵ the home of Ethan^*; but^◦ running I will make him run away from her in a moment. And who is chosen that I may appoint over her? For who is like^▵ Me? And who will cause Me to congregate, and who is this shepherd that will stand before Me?

⁴⁵ Therefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that He has taken counsel against Babylon; and His thoughts, that He has reckoned against the land of the Chaldeans; Surely the little ones of the flock shall drag· them ·out; surely He shall make their home desolate with them.

⁴⁶ At the voice of the occupying of Babylon the earth has quaked, and a cry is heard among^◦ the nations.

¹ It happened, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh's house.

² He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

³ They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth.

⁴ It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"

⁵ So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

⁶ Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Don't be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

⁷ Behold, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."'"

⁸ So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

⁹ He heard news concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to fight against you." When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

¹⁰ "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Don't let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem won't be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."

¹¹ Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered?

¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?

¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'"

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh's house, and spread it before Yahweh.

¹⁵ Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying,

¹⁶ "Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

¹⁷ Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold. hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God.

¹⁸ Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,

¹⁹ and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

²⁰ Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only."

²¹ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,

²² this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.

²³ Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.

²⁴ By your servants, have you defied the Lord, and have said, "With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice fir trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.

²⁵ I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt."

²⁶ Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps.

²⁷ Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown.

²⁸ But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.

²⁹ Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore will I put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

³⁰ This shall be the sign to you. You will eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from the same; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.

³¹ The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

³² For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.'

³³ Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.

³⁴ By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city,' says Yahweh.

³⁵ 'For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.'"

³⁶ The angel of Yahweh went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

³⁷ So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there.

³⁸ It happened, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.