53. Even if Babylon ascends to the heavensand fortifies her lofty stronghold,I will send destroyers against her,’declares the Lord.
54. ‘The sound of a cry comes from Babylon,the sound of great destructionfrom the land of the Babylonians.
55. The Lord will destroy Babylon;he will silence her noisy din.Waves of enemies will rage like great waters;the roar of their voices will resound.
56. A destroyer will come against Babylon;her warriors will be captured,and their bows will be broken.For the Lord is a God of retribution;he will repay in full.
57. I will make her officials and wise men drunk,her governors, officers and warriors as well;they will sleep for ever and not awake,’declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
58. This is what the Lord Almighty says:‘Babylon’s thick wall will be levelledand her high gates set on fire;the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,the nations’ labour is only fuel for the flames.’
59. This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign.
60. Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon – all that had been recorded concerning Babylon.
61. He said to Seraiah, ‘When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud.
62. Then say, “Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate for ever.”
63. When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.
64. Then say, “So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.” ’The words of Jeremiah end here.