Jeremiah 51:59-64
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
The Prophecy Sent to Babylon. 59 The mission Jeremiah the prophet gave to Seraiah,[a] son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fourth year of his reign; Seraiah was chief quartermaster. 60 Jeremiah wrote down on one scroll the disaster that would befall Babylon;[b] all these words were written against Babylon. 61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you reach Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud,(A) 62 and then say: Lord, you yourself spoke against this place in order to cut it down so that nothing, human being or beast, could live in it, because it is to remain a wasteland forever. 63 When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates,(B) 64 and say: Thus Babylon shall sink. It will never rise, because of the disaster I am bringing upon it.” Thus far the words of Jeremiah.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 51:59 Seraiah: the brother of Baruch; cf. 32:12. He may have gone to Babylon to explain away the presence of foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem that same year; cf. 27:3.
- 51:60 Jeremiah prophesied against Babylon, even as he foretold Judah’s release from Babylon’s power (3:14–18; 32:15; 33:6–9, 12–13); but his scroll against Babylon was thrown in the Euphrates (v. 63). Some of the preceding oracles may have been composed by later writers; see note on 50:1–51:58.
Jeremiah 51:59-64
New International Version
59 This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah,(A) the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah(B) king of Judah in the fourth(C) year of his reign. 60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll(D) 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(E) forever.’ 63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.(F) 64 Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more(G) because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people(H) will fall.’”(I)
The words of Jeremiah end(J) here.
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