15Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present— a large assembly— and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,[102] said to Jeremiah, 16“We will not listen† to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD! 17We will certainly do everything we said we would:† We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven† and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.† 18But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.†”
19The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven† and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?”
20Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, 21“Did not the LORD remember† and think about the incense† burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem† by you and your fathers,† your kings and your officials and the people of the land? 22When the LORD could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing† and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today.† 23Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster† has come upon you, as you now see.”†
24Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,† “Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah in Egypt.† 25This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’†
“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!† 26But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: ‘I swear† by my great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, “As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives.”† 27For I am watching over them for harm,† not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. 28Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.† Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand— mine or theirs.†
29“ ‘This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,’ declares the LORD, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’† 30This is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to hand Pharaoh† Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah† king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life.’ ”†
A Message to Baruch
1This is what Jeremiah the prophet told Baruch† son of Neriah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim† son of Josiah king of Judah, after Baruch had written on a scroll the words Jeremiah was then dictating: 2“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3You said, ‘Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning† and find no rest.’ ”
4[The LORD said,] “Say this to him: ‘This is what the LORD says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted,† throughout the land.† 5Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.† For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’ ”†
A Message About Egypt
1This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:†
Memphis
Jeremiah 46 In proclaiming God’s condemnation of Egypt, Jeremiah called for heralds to announce a message of judgment in Memphis (“Maps 8a–8b”). This city (from Men-neferu, meaning “the goodness endures”) was situated on the Nile at the border between Upper and Lower Egypt. It was founded by Menes, the first king of the united “Two Lands,”1 and was sacred to the god Ptah. Its fortunes changed through the centuries, but it remained throughout an important city and religious center:
• Memphis, the capital of the Old Kingdom, was the location of the great temple of Ptah.
• It served as a Hyksos royal city during the time that Lower Egypt was under the control of these foreign rulers (eighteenth century B.C.).2
• It was a favorite residence of New Kingdom pharaohs (sixteenth—eleventh centuries B.C.), many of whom built temples, palaces or other buildings there. Memphis served as a military base for campaigns against Syria-Palestine for the great warrior-pharaoh of this time, Thutmose III (1479–1425 B.C.). Syrian and Phoenician merchants and mercenaries arriving during the New Kingdom period built temples there to Baal, Astarte and other Canaanite deities.
• The city was the center for the cult of the “Apis bulls,” which were believed to be living representatives of the god Ptah.3 Whenever one of these bulls died, it was embalmed and buried in a tomb called the Serapaeum. The shrine benefited from the attention of Pharaoh Shishak, who took an enormous amount of plunder from Israel.4 He constructed a mortuary and embalming house (c. 910 B.C.) for the Apis bull at Memphis.
• As Egypt weakened, Memphis fell into the hands of a variety of foreign rulers. The city was captured by the Ethiopian Pi-Ankhy (c. 717 B.C.); by the Assyrians Esarhaddon (671 B.C.) and Ashurbanipal (666 B.C.); and by the Persian Cambyses (525 B.C.).5 Memphis sometimes served as the headquarters for foreign rulers. For example, Ptolemy I, founder of the Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt after the conquests of Alexander the Great, made it his capital city.
• Jewish refugees entered the city after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem (587 B.C.; Jer 44:1).6
• The Christian emperor Theodosius ordered the temples of Memphis destroyed in A.D. 395, and the city was dismantled during the Arab period (after A.D. 642), after which al-Fustat and Cairo were constructed on the same or a nearby site. Archaeological remains include many temples, two colossal statues of Rameses II, a large necropolis (elaborate ancient cemetery), palaces and nearby clusters of pyramids.
Goddess Hathor: carving from Memphis, Egypt
Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin
1. See “A Breakdown of Ancient Egyptian History.”
2. See “The Hyksos and the Old Testament.”
3. See “The Golden Calf.”
4. See “The Campaign of Shishak.”
5. See “Ancient Persian History Through Darius.”
6. See “The Last Days of Jerusalem.”
2Concerning Egypt:
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Neco† king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish† on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim† son of Josiah king of Judah:
3“Prepare your shields,† both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish† your spears,
put on your armor!†
5What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
They flee† in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror† on every side,”
declares the LORD.
6“The swift cannot flee†
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates
they stumble and fall.†
7“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters?†
8Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.’
9Charge, O horses!
Drive furiously, O charioteers!†
March on, O warriors—
men of Cush[103] and Put who carry shields,
men of Lydia† who draw the bow.
10But that day† belongs to the Lord, the LORD Almighty—
a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour† till it is satisfied,
till it has quenched its thirst with blood.
For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice†
in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.
11“Go up to Gilead and get balm,†
O Virgin† Daughter of Egypt.
But you multiply remedies in vain;
there is no healing† for you.
12The nations will hear of your shame;
your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
both will fall† down together.”
13This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:†
14“Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
proclaim it also in Memphis[104] and Tahpanhes:†
‘Take your positions and get ready,
for the sword devours those around you.’
15Why will your warriors be laid low?
They cannot stand, for the LORD will push them down.†
16They will stumble† repeatedly;
they will fall† over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
to our own people and our native lands,
away from the sword of the oppressor.’
17There they will exclaim,
‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;
he has missed his opportunity.†’
18“As surely as I live,” declares the King,†
whose name is the LORD Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor† among the mountains,
like Carmel† by the sea.
19Pack your belongings for exile,†
you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis will be laid waste
and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
20“Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
but a gadfly is coming
against her from the north.†
21The mercenaries† in her ranks
are like fattened calves.
They too will turn and flee† together,
they will not stand their ground,
for the day† of disaster is coming upon them,
the time for them to be punished.
22Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
like men who cut down trees.
23They will chop down her forest,”
declares the LORD,
“dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,†
they cannot be counted.
24The Daughter of Egypt will be put to shame,
handed over to the people of the north.†”
25The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,[105] † on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods† and her kings, and on those who rely† on Pharaoh. 26I will hand them over† to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar king† of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited† as in times past,” declares the LORD.
27“Do not fear,† O Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, O Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.†
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
28Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,Ӡ declares the LORD.
“Though I completely destroy† all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only with justice;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
A Message About the Philistines
1This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:†
2This is what the LORD says:
“See how the waters are rising in the north;†
they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
all who dwell in the land will wail
3at the sound of the hoofs of galloping steeds,
at the noise of enemy chariots
and the rumble of their wheels.
Fathers will not turn to help their children;
their hands will hang limp.
4For the day has come
to destroy all the Philistines
and to cut off all survivors
who could help Tyre† and Sidon.†
The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines,†
the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[106] †
5Gaza will shave† her head in mourning;
Ashkelon† will be silenced.
O remnant on the plain,
how long will you cut yourselves?
6“ ‘Ah, sword† of the LORD,’ [ you cry,]
‘how long till you rest?
Return to your scabbard;
cease and be still.’
7But how can it rest
when the LORD has commanded it,
when he has ordered it
to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”
A Message About Moab
1Concerning Moab:
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
“Woe to Nebo,† for it will be ruined.
Kiriathaim† will be disgraced and captured;
the stronghold[107] will be disgraced and shattered.
2Moab will be praised† no more;
in Heshbon[108] † men will plot her downfall:
‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.’
You too, O Madmen,[109] will be silenced;
the sword will pursue you.
3Listen to the cries from Horonaim,†
cries of great havoc and destruction.
4Moab will be broken;
her little ones will cry out.[110]
5They go up the way to Luhith,†
weeping bitterly as they go;
on the road down to Horonaim
anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
6Flee! Run for your lives;
become like a bush[111] in the desert.†
7Since you trust in your deeds and riches,
you too will be taken captive,
and Chemosh† will go into exile,†
together with his priests and officials.
8The destroyer will come against every town,
and not a town will escape.
The valley will be ruined
and the plateau destroyed,
because the LORD has spoken.
9Put salt on Moab,
for she will be laid waste[112];
her towns will become desolate,
with no one to live in them.
10“A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD’s work!
A curse on him who keeps his sword† from bloodshed!†
11“Moab has been at rest† from youth,
like wine left on its dregs,†
not poured from one jar to another—
she has not gone into exile.
So she tastes as she did,
and her aroma is unchanged.
12But days are coming,”
declares the LORD,
“when I will send men who pour from jars,
and they will pour her out;
they will empty her jars
and smash her jugs.
13Then Moab will be ashamed† of Chemosh,
as the house of Israel was ashamed
when they trusted in Bethel.
14“How can you say, ‘We are warriors,†
men valiant in battle’?
15Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;
her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,†”
declares the King,† whose name is the LORD Almighty.†
16“The fall of Moab is at hand;†
her calamity will come quickly.
17Mourn for her, all who live around her,
all who know her fame;
say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,
how broken the glorious staff!’
18“Come down from your glory
and sit on the parched ground,†
O inhabitants of the Daughter of Dibon,†
for he who destroys Moab
will come up against you
and ruin your fortified cities.†
19Stand by the road and watch,
you who live in Aroer.†
Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,
ask them, ‘What has happened?’
20Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.
Wail† and cry out!
Announce by the Arnon†
that Moab is destroyed.
21Judgment has come to the plateau—
to Holon, Jahzah† and Mephaath,†
22to Dibon,† Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
23to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,†
to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
25Moab’s horn[113] † is cut off;
her arm† is broken,”
declares the LORD.
26“Make her drunk,†
for she has defied the LORD.
Let Moab wallow in her vomit;
let her be an object of ridicule.
27Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?†
Was she caught among thieves,
that you shake your head† in scorn†
whenever you speak of her?
28Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,
you who live in Moab.
Be like a dove† that makes its nest
at the mouth of a cave.†
29“We have heard of Moab’s pride†—
her overweening pride and conceit,
her pride and arrogance
and the haughtiness of her heart.
30I know her insolence but it is futile,”
declares the LORD,
“and her boasts accomplish nothing.
31Therefore I wail† over Moab,
for all Moab I cry out,
I moan for the men of Kir Hareseth.†
32I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,
O vines of Sibmah.†
Your branches spread as far as the sea;
they reached as far as the sea of Jazer.
The destroyer has fallen
on your ripened fruit and grapes.
33Joy and gladness are gone
from the orchards and fields of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine† from the presses;
no one treads them with shouts of joy.†
Although there are shouts,
they are not shouts of joy.
34“The sound of their cry rises
from Heshbon to Elealeh† and Jahaz,†
from Zoar† as far as Horonaim† and Eglath Shelishiyah,
for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.†
35In Moab I will put an end
to those who make offerings on the high places†
and burn incense† to their gods,”
declares the LORD.
36“So my heart laments† for Moab like a flute;
it laments like a flute for the men of Kir Hareseth.
The wealth they acquired† is gone.
and every beard cut off;
every hand is slashed
and every waist is covered with sackcloth.†
38On all the roofs in Moab
and in the public squares
there is nothing but mourning,
for I have broken Moab
like a jar† that no one wants,”
declares the LORD.
39“How shattered she is! How they wail!
How Moab turns her back in shame!
Moab has become an object of ridicule,
an object of horror to all those around her.”
40This is what the LORD says:
“Look! An eagle is swooping† down,
spreading its wings† over Moab.
41Kerioth[114] will be captured
and the strongholds taken.
In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.†
42Moab will be destroyed† as a nation†
because she defied† the LORD.
43Terror and pit and snare† await you,
O people of Moab,”
declares the LORD.
44“Whoever flees† from the terror
will fall into a pit,
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare;
for I will bring upon Moab
the year† of her punishment,”
declares the LORD.
45“In the shadow of Heshbon
the fugitives stand helpless,
for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
a blaze from the midst of Sihon;†
it burns the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls† of the noisy boasters.
The people of Chemosh are destroyed;
your sons are taken into exile
and your daughters into captivity.
47“Yet I will restore† the fortunes of Moab
in days to come,”
declares the LORD.
Here ends the judgment on Moab.
A Message About Ammon
This is what the LORD says:
“Has Israel no sons?
Has she no heirs?
Why then has Molech[115] taken possession of Gad?
Why do his people live in its towns?
2But the days are coming,”
declares the LORD,
“when I will sound the battle cry†
against Rabbah† of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,†”
says the LORD.
3“Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai† is destroyed!
Cry out, O inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth and mourn;
rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molech will go into exile,†
together with his priests and officials.
4Why do you boast of your valleys,
boast of your valleys so fruitful?
O unfaithful daughter,
you trust in your riches† and say,
‘Who will attack me?’†
5I will bring terror on you
from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
and no one will gather the fugitives.
6“Yet afterward, I will restore† the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the LORD.
A Message About Edom
This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?†
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,
you who live in Dedan,†
for I will bring disaster on Esau
at the time I punish him.
9If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his hiding places,
so that he cannot conceal himself.
His children, relatives and neighbors will perish,
and he will be no more.†
11Leave your orphans;† I will protect their lives.
Your widows too can trust in me.”
12This is what the LORD says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup† must drink it, why should you go unpunished?† You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13I swear† by myself,” declares the LORD, “that Bozrah† will become a ruin and an object of horror, of reproach and of cursing; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”
14I have heard a message from the LORD:
An envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble yourselves to attack it!
Rise up for battle!”
15“Now I will make you small among the nations,
despised among men.
16The terror you inspire
and the pride of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,
who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest† as high as the eagle’s,
from there I will bring you down,”
declares the LORD.
17“Edom will become an object of horror;†
all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
because of all its wounds.†
18As Sodom and Gomorrah† were overthrown,
along with their neighboring towns,”
says the LORD,
“so no one will live there;
no man will dwell† in it.
19“Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets†
to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?†
And what shepherd can stand against me?”
20Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom,
what he has purposed† against those who live in Teman:
The young of the flock† will be dragged away;
he will completely destroy† their pasture because of them.
21At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;†
their cry† will resound to the Red Sea.[116]
22Look! An eagle will soar and swoop† down,
spreading its wings over Bozrah.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.†
A Message About Damascus
“Hamath† and Arpad† are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like[117] the restless sea.†
24Damascus has become feeble,
she has turned to flee
and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
25Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
26Surely, her young men will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced† in that day,”
declares the LORD Almighty.
27“I will set fire† to the walls of Damascus;
it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.†”
A Message About Kedar and Hazor
28Concerning Kedar† and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked:
This is what the LORD says:
“Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.†
29Their tents and their flocks will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
Men will shout to them,
‘Terror† on every side!’
30“Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,”
declares the LORD.
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you;
he has devised a plan against you.
31“Arise and attack a nation at ease,
which lives in confidence,”
declares the LORD,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;†
its people live alone.
32Their camels will become plunder,
and their large herds will be booty.
I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places[118] †
and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the LORD.
33“Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,
a desolate† place forever.
No one will live there;
no man will dwell† in it.”
A Message About Elam
34This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,† early in the reign of Zedekiah† king of Judah:
35This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“See, I will break the bow† of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring against Elam the four winds†
from the four quarters of the heavens;
I will scatter them to the four winds,
and there will not be a nation
where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37I will shatter Elam before their foes,
before those who seek their lives;
I will bring disaster upon them,
even my fierce anger,Ӡ
declares the LORD.
“I will pursue them with the sword†
until I have made an end of them.
38I will set my throne in Elam
and destroy her king and officials,”
declares the LORD.
39“Yet I will restore† the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,”
declares the LORD.
A Message About Babylon
1This is the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon† and the land of the Babylonians[119]:
Herodotus and the Fall of Babylon
Jeremiah 50 The Greek historian Herodotus (c. 480–425 B.C.) produced one of the most famous books of ancient Greece, the History. Its focus is the series of wars between Persia and the Greeks that lasted from approximately 490 to 479 B.C. Herodotus devoted a great deal of attention to the background of the wars and in the process gave a fairly sweeping view of the eastern Mediterranean world during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.
The Greek word historiai (literally “investigations”) aptly describes how Herodotus went about collecting and recording information about the customs and histories of the peoples he encountered. He is regarded as the father of Western history writing because he tried to confine himself to human events and to avoid myths.
At times, however, claims from Herodotus are of questionable value. It is incorrect to assert, as some have, that Herodotus simply invented his stories. He did, however, include rumor, legend and gossip in his histories and sometimes may have misunderstood his sources.
Herodotus’s account of the fall of Babylon (History, 1.189–191) in 539 B.C. relates to the prophetic account in Jeremiah 50–51, as well as to Daniel’s indication that Babylon fell overnight during a festival (Da 5:30–31). Herodotus began with a fantastic tale of how Cyrus’s horse drowned in the Gyndes River and how he, to punish the river by making it weak and shallow, compelled his army to spend a summer diverting it into 360 channels. Arriving at Babylon, Cyrus faced the prospect of a prolonged siege. Babylon was large enough to store food for many years, so any attempt to starve the city into submission would have been futile.
But, Herodotus noted, the city had one peculiar characteristic: The Euphrates River ran through the middle of Babylon and divided it into two parts. Cyrus decided that the river channels under the walls provided the only chance of gaining entry, but the volume of water and the strength of the current were too great. Yet the Persian king hatched an ingenious plan: He posted soldiers at the points at which the Euphrates entered and left the city and instructed his men to move through the river when it became fordable. Meanwhile, the noncombatants went upstream and diverted much of the river into an artificial marsh. When the water level had dropped sufficiently, the Persian soldiers made their way in and captured the Babylonian capital.1
Brick inscription reads: “Cyrus, king of the world, king of Anshan, son of Cambyses, king of Anshan. The great gods delivered all the lands into my hands, and I made this land to dwell in peace.”
© Dr. James C. Martin; The British Museum. Photographed by permission.
What are we to make of this account? Most historians believe that Herodotus’s version of events is at least to some degree confused and misleading. In his actual conquest of Babylonia, Cyrus’s forces proceeded down from the north and rapidly overcame resistance. A second front was opened against Babylon by a certain Ugbaru, governor of Gutium. Ugbaru proceeded to capture Babylon for Cyrus with astonishing speed, and Cyrus himself entered the city shortly thereafter.
Several factors may have contributed to the Persian victory. First, Cyrus may have kept the bulk of the Babylonian forces occupied with his army while Ugbaru came in from the rear. Second, the Babylonian regime was unpopular, and the people seem to have welcomed Cyrus as a liberator. Third, Ugbaru appears to have entered Babylon by subterfuge (as is reflected in the version of the story about the diversion of the Euphrates).
It is certain, however, that Babylon fell suddenly. Herodotus is correct in stating that the Euphrates bisected the city, and the Nabonidus Chronicle confirms that it fell without a battle. Thus the account about diverting the Euphrates may be true. Both Daniel 5 and Herodotus indicate that Babylon fell during a rowdy festival. Herodotus stated: “ Owing to the sheer size of the city, so say the inhabitants, those in the outlying areas were captured without those in the center knowing about it. ”
Daniel 5 recounts the story of Belshazzar’s feast,2 and can be regarded as an independent witness. Herodotus, in this account as elsewhere, was colorful and not always fully reliable, but he appears to have preserved something of (and perhaps a good deal of) the true story.3
1. See “Cyrus the Great.”
2. See “Nabonidus and Belshazzar.”
3. See also “Historians in the Ancient World.”
2“Announce and proclaim† among the nations,
lift up a banner and proclaim it;
keep nothing back, but say,
‘Babylon will be captured;†
Bel† will be put to shame,
Marduk† filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
and her idols filled with terror.’
3A nation from the north will attack her
and lay waste her land.
No one will live† in it;
both men and animals† will flee away.
4“In those days, at that time,”
declares the LORD,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together†
will go in tears† to seek† the LORD their God.
5They will ask the way to Zion
and turn their faces toward it.
They will come† and bind themselves to the LORD
in an everlasting covenant†
that will not be forgotten.
6“My people have been lost sheep;†
their shepherds have led them astray
and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill†
and forgot their own resting place.†
7Whoever found them devoured them;
their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,†
for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture,
the LORD, the hope† of their fathers.’
8“Flee† out of Babylon;
leave the land of the Babylonians,
and be like the goats that lead the flock.
9For I will stir up and bring against Babylon
an alliance of great nations from the land of the north.
They will take up their positions against her,
and from the north she will be captured.
Their arrows will be like skilled warriors
who do not return empty-handed.
10So Babylonia[120] will be plundered;
all who plunder her will have their fill,”
declares the LORD.
11“Because you rejoice and are glad,
you who pillage my inheritance,†
because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain
and neigh like stallions,
12your mother will be greatly ashamed;
she who gave you birth will be disgraced.
She will be the least of the nations—
a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.
13Because of the LORD’s anger she will not be inhabited
but will be completely desolate.
All who pass Babylon will be horrified and scoff†
because of all her wounds.†
14“Take up your positions around Babylon,
all you who draw the bow.†
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,
for she has sinned against the LORD.
15Shout† against her on every side!
She surrenders, her towers fall,
her walls† are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance† of the LORD,
take vengeance on her;
do to her† as she has done to others.
16Cut off from Babylon the sower,
and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword† of the oppressor
let everyone return to his own people,†
let everyone flee to his own land.†
17“Israel is a scattered flock
that lions† have chased away.
The first to devour him
was the king† of Assyria;
the last to crush his bones
was Nebuchadnezzar† king† of Babylon.”
18Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
“I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
as I punished the king† of Assyria.†
19But I will bring† Israel back to his own pasture
and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
his appetite will be satisfied
on the hills† of Ephraim and Gilead.
20In those days, at that time,”
declares the LORD,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
but there will be none,
and for the sins† of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive† the remnant† I spare.
21“Attack the land of Merathaim
and those who live in Pekod.†
Pursue, kill and completely destroy[121] them,”
declares the LORD.
“Do everything I have commanded you.
22The noise† of battle is in the land,
the noise of great destruction!
23How broken and shattered
is the hammer of the whole earth!
How desolate† is Babylon
among the nations!
24I set a trap† for you, O Babylon,
and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured†
because you opposed† the LORD.
25The LORD has opened his arsenal
and brought out the weapons† of his wrath,
for the Sovereign LORD Almighty has work to do
in the land of the Babylonians.†
26Come against her from afar.
Break open her granaries;
pile her up like heaps of grain.
Completely destroy† her
and leave her no remnant.
27Kill all her young bulls;
let them go down to the slaughter!
Woe to them! For their day has come,
the time for them to be punished.
28Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon
declaring in Zion†
how the LORD our God has taken vengeance,†
vengeance for his temple.
29“Summon archers against Babylon,
all those who draw the bow.†
Encamp all around her;
let no one escape.
do to her as she has done.
For she has defied† the LORD,
the Holy One of Israel.
30Therefore, her young men† will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
declares the LORD.
31“See, I am against† you, O arrogant one,”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty,
“for your day has come,
the time for you to be punished.
32The arrogant one will stumble and fall
and no one will help her up;
I will kindle a fire† in her towns
that will consume all who are around her.”
33This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“The people of Israel are oppressed,†
and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
refusing to let them go.†
34Yet their Redeemer is strong;
the LORD Almighty† is his name.
He will vigorously defend their cause†
so that he may bring rest† to their land,
but unrest to those who live in Babylon.
35“A sword† against the Babylonians!”
declares the LORD—
“against those who live in Babylon
and against her officials and wise† men!
36A sword against her false prophets!
They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!†
They will be filled with terror.
37A sword against her horses and chariots†
and all the foreigners in her ranks!
They will become women.†
A sword against her treasures!
They will be plundered.
38A drought on[122] her waters!
They will dry† up.
For it is a land of idols,†
idols that will go mad with terror.
39“So desert creatures and hyenas will live there,
and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
or lived in from generation to generation.†
40As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah†
along with their neighboring towns,”
declares the LORD,
“so no one will live there;
no man will dwell in it.
41“Look! An army is coming from the north;†
a great nation and many kings
are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.†
42They are armed with bows† and spears;
they are cruel and without mercy.†
They sound like the roaring sea†
as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon.†
43The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
and his hands hang limp.
Anguish has gripped him,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
44Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen† one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?†
And what shepherd can stand against me?”
45Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Babylon,
what he has purposed† against the land of the Babylonians:
The young of the flock will be dragged away;
he will completely destroy their pasture because of them.
46At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;
its cry† will resound among the nations.
1This is what the LORD says:
Seraiah the Quartermaster
Jeremiah 51 A seal acquired on the antiquities market reads “Belonging to Seraiah (son of) Neriah.” This Seraiah is known from the Biblical text. His lineage is given as “son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah” (Jer 51:59). This is the same lineage as that of Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary (32:12),1 indicating that Seraiah was Baruch’s brother.
Seraiah was the royal quartermaster during the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah from 597 to 586 B.C. (51:59). In Zedekiah’s fourth year (594 B.C.) Seraiah accompanied the king on a mission to Babylon, possibly to reaffirm Judah’s loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king.2 The trip would have taken four months each way (Ezr 7:9; 8:31). Just five years later Zedekiah revolted, resulting in the downfall of the kingdom.
God revealed to Jeremiah his coming judgment of Babylon (Jer 50–51), and the prophecy was recorded on a scroll (51:60). Jeremiah took advantage of Seraiah’s journey by requesting that he take the scroll with him and read it aloud in Babylon, after which he was to cast it into the Euphrates River to illustrate Babylon’s coming fate (vv. 61–64). Jeremiah’s prophecies came to pass 55 years later when Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.3
1. See “Baruch, Scribe of Jeremiah.”
2. See “Nebuchadnezzar.”
3. See “Cyrus the Great” and “Herodotus and the Fall of Babylon.”
“See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer
against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai.[123]
2I will send foreigners to Babylon
to winnow† her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
in the day of her disaster.
3Let not the archer string his bow,†
nor let him put on his armor.†
Do not spare her young men;
completely destroy[124] her army.
4They will fall† down slain in Babylon,[125]
fatally wounded in her streets.†
5For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken†
by their God, the LORD Almighty,
though their land[126] is full of guilt†
before the Holy One of Israel.
6“Flee† from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of her sins.†
It is time for the LORD’s vengeance;†
he will pay† her what she deserves.
7Babylon was a gold cup† in the LORD’s hand;
she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
therefore they have now gone mad.
8Babylon will suddenly fall† and be broken.
Wail over her!
Get balm† for her pain;
perhaps she can be healed.
9“ ‘We would have healed Babylon,
but she cannot be healed;
let us leave† her and each go to his own land,
for her judgment† reaches to the skies,
it rises as high as the clouds.’
10“ ‘The LORD has vindicated† us;
come, let us tell in Zion
what the LORD our God has done.’†
11“Sharpen the arrows,†
take up the shields!†
The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes,†
because his purpose† is to destroy Babylon.
The LORD will take vengeance,
vengeance for his temple.†
12Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon!
Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,
prepare an ambush!
The LORD will carry out his purpose,
his decree against the people of Babylon.
13You who live by many waters†
and are rich in treasures,†
your end has come,
the time for you to be cut off.
14The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself:†
I will surely fill you with men, as with a swarm of locusts,†
and they will shout† in triumph over you.
15“He made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched† out the heavens by his understanding.
16When he thunders,† the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.†
17“Every man is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
His images are a fraud;†
they have no breath in them.
18They are worthless,† the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
19He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including the tribe of his inheritance—
the LORD Almighty is his name.
20“You are my war club,†
my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter† nations,
with you I destroy kingdoms,
21with you I shatter horse and rider,†
with you I shatter chariot and driver,
22with you I shatter man and woman,
with you I shatter old man and youth,
with you I shatter young man and maiden,†
23with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
with you I shatter governors and officials.†
24“Before your eyes I will repay† Babylon and all who live in Babylonia[127] for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the LORD.
25“I am against you, O destroying mountain,
you who destroy the whole earth,”
declares the LORD.
“I will stretch out my hand against you,
roll you off the cliffs,
and make you a burned-out mountain.†
26No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone,
nor any stone for a foundation,
for you will be desolate† forever,”
declares the LORD.
27“Lift up a banner† in the land!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Prepare the nations for battle against her;
summon against her these kingdoms:†
Appoint a commander against her;
send up horses like a swarm of locusts.
28Prepare the nations for battle against her—
the kings of the Medes,†
their governors and all their officials,
and all the countries they rule.
29The land trembles and writhes,
for the LORD’s purposes against Babylon stand—
to lay waste the land of Babylon
so that no one will live there.†
30Babylon’s warriors† have stopped fighting;
they remain in their strongholds.
Their strength is exhausted;
they have become like women.†
Her dwellings are set on fire;
the bars† of her gates are broken.
31One courier† follows another
and messenger follows messenger
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his entire city is captured,
32the river crossings seized,
the marshes set on fire,
and the soldiers terrified.†”
33This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
“The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor†
at the time it is trampled;
the time to harvest† her will soon come.”
34“Nebuchadnezzar† king of Babylon has devoured us,
he has thrown us into confusion,
he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
and then has spewed us out.
35May the violence done to our flesh[128] be upon Babylon,”
say the inhabitants of Zion.
“May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
says Jerusalem.†
36Therefore, this is what the LORD says:
“See, I will defend your cause†
and avenge† you;
I will dry up† her sea
and make her springs dry.
37Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
a haunt† of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,
a place where no one lives.†
38Her people all roar like young lions,
they growl like lion cubs.
39But while they are aroused,
I will set out a feast for them
and make them drunk,
so that they shout with laughter—
then sleep forever and not awake,”
declares the LORD.†
40“I will bring them down
like lambs to the slaughter,
like rams and goats.
41“How Sheshach[129] † will be captured,†
the boast of the whole earth seized!
What a horror Babylon will be
among the nations!
42The sea will rise over Babylon;
its roaring waves† will cover her.
43Her towns will be desolate,
a dry and desert land,
a land where no one lives,
through which no man travels.†
44I will punish Bel† in Babylon
and make him spew out† what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
And the wall† of Babylon will fall.
45“Come out† of her, my people!
Run† for your lives!
Run from the fierce anger of the LORD.
46Do not lose heart or be afraid†
when rumors† are heard in the land;
one rumor comes this year, another the next,
rumors of violence in the land
and of ruler against ruler.
47For the time will surely come
when I will punish the idols† of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced†
and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
48Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will shout† for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north†
destroyers will attack her,”
declares the LORD.
49“Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
just as the slain in all the earth
have fallen because of Babylon.†
50You who have escaped the sword,
leave† and do not linger!
Remember† the LORD in a distant land,
and think on Jerusalem.”
for we have been insulted
and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the LORD’s house.”†
52“But days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will punish her idols,†
and throughout her land
the wounded will groan.
53Even if Babylon reaches the sky†
and 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 destruction†
from the land of the Babylonians.[130]
55The 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.
56A 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.
57I will make her officials and wise men drunk,
her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep† forever and not awake,”
declares the King,† whose name is the LORD Almighty.
58This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“Babylon’s thick wall† will be leveled
and her high gates set on fire;
the peoples† exhaust themselves for nothing,
the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”†
59This is the message Jeremiah 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. 60Jeremiah had written on a scroll† about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon— all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. 61He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62Then say, ‘O LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither man nor animal will live in it; it will be desolate† forever.’ 63When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. 64Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people† will fall.’ ”
The words of Jeremiah end† here.
The Fall of Jerusalem
1Zedekiah† was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.† 2He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim† had done. 3It was because of the LORD’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah,† and in the end he thrust them from his presence.
Jehoiachin in Captivity and Evil-Merodach
Jeremiah 52 Jehoiachin ruled Judah for only three months and then, at age eighteen, was taken captive to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2Ki 24:8–15). During excavations in Babylon approximately 300 clay tablets containing administrative records were uncovered in a building adjacent to Nebuchadnezzar’s palace.1 Four of them were found to be highly significant for Old Testament studies, as they mention Jehoiachin. Dating from 595 to 570 B.C., all four are receipts for rations of oil issued to Jehoiachin and his entourage. Jehoiachin is referred to as “Jehoiachin king of the land of Judah.” Three of the tablets list oil for Jehoiachin’s five sons (cf. 1Ch 3:17–18), and oil was also given to five named and eight unnamed Judeans.
Evil-Merodach succeeded Nebuchadnezzar on the throne but ruled for only one year, from 561–560 B.C. He released Jehoiachin from confinement and allowed him to eat at the king’s table (Jer 52:31–34). Inscriptions found in Babylon show that Evil-Merodach continued his father’s building projects. He was deposed, and perhaps murdered, however, by his brother-in-law Nergal-Sharezer, a former military officer (39:3, 13).
1. See “Babylon” and “Nebuchadnezzar.”
Now Zedekiah rebelled† against the king of Babylon.
4So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth† day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem† with his whole army. They camped outside the city and built siege works all around it.† 5The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.† 7Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[131] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[132] 8but the Babylonian[133] army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, 9and he was captured.†
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah† in the land of Hamath,† where he pronounced sentence on him. 10There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons† of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. 11Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.†
12On the tenth day of the fifth† month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan† commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13He set fire† to the temple† of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 14The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down all the walls† around Jerusalem. 15Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen[134] and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. 16But Nebuzaradan left behind† the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
17The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars,† the movable stands† and the bronze Sea† that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon.† 18They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.† 19The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers,† sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings— all that were made of pure gold or silver.
20The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed.† 21Each of the pillars was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference[135]; each was four fingers thick, and hollow.† 22The bronze capital† on top of the one pillar was five cubits[136] high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. 23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates† above the surrounding network was a hundred.
24The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah† the chief priest, Zephaniah† the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. 25Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. 26Nebuzaradan† the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.
So Judah went into captivity, away† from her land. 28This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:†
in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;
29in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year,
832 people from Jerusalem;
30in his twenty-third year,
745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard.
There were 4,600 people in all.
Jehoiachin Released
31In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach[137] became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month. 32He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 33So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table.† 34Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance† as long as he lived, till the day of his death.
