Bible Verses About Babylon: Conquests by

Yirmeyahu answered them, "Here is what you are to tell Tzidkiyahu:

'This is what ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, says: "I will make the weapons of war that you have in your hands ineffectual in your fight against the king of Bavel and the Kasdim who are outside the walls besieging you. Instead, I will gather them inside this city;

and I myself will fight against you with my hand stretched out and with a strong arm, in anger, rage and great fury.

I will strike the inhabitants of this city, humans and animals alike, and they will die of a terrible plague.

Afterwards," says ADONAI "I will hand over Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah, his servants, the people, and anyone remaining alive in this city after the plague, war and famine, to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel and to their enemies, to those who seek their lives; and he will put them to the sword. He will not spare them; he will have no pity, no compassion."'

"And here is what you are to tell this people: 'ADONAI says: "Look! I am presenting you with the way of life and the way of death.

Anyone who stays in this city will die by sword, famine and plague. But he who leaves and surrenders to the Kasdim besieging you will stay alive; his own life will be his only 'spoils of war.'

For I have determined absolutely that this city will have evil, not good," says ADONAI. "It is going to be handed over to the king of Bavel, and he will burn it to the ground."'

"ADONAI says this to me: 'Make yourself a yoke of straps and crossbars, and put it on your neck.

Send [similar yokes] to the kings of Edom, of Mo'av, of the people of 'Amon, of Tzor, and of Tzidon by means of the envoys they send to Yerushalayim, and to Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah.

Give them this message for their masters by telling their envoys that ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says for them to tell their masters:

"'"I made the earth, humankind, and the animals on the earth by my great power and my outstretched arm; and I give it to whom it seems right to me.

For now, I have given over all these lands to my servant N'vukhadnetzar the king of Bavel; I have also given him the wild animals to serve him.

Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hatzor, which N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel struck, ADONAI says: "Set out! March against Kedar! Plunder the people of the east!

They will seize their tents and their flocks, their tent curtains and all their equipment; their camels too they will take for themselves and shout at them, 'Terror in every direction!'

Flee! Leave your homes! Hide yourselves well, you who live in Hatzor," says ADONAI; "for N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel has devised a plan against you; he has formed a scheme against you.

Get up! March on a nation at ease, that lives secure," says ADONAI. "They have neither gates nor bars; they live in isolation.

Their camels will be booty, their many cattle a spoil. I will scatter to the winds those who shave the sides of their heads; From every direction I will bring their disaster on them," says ADONAI.

"Hatzor will be a place for jackals to live, desolate forever; no one will settle there any more, no human being will live there again."

"Now, human being, designate two roads for the sword of the king of Bavel to follow, both coming out of one country. Put up a signpost at the start of the road leading to the city.

Make a road, so that the sword can come to Rabbah of the people of 'Amon and to Y'hudah in fortified Yerushalayim.

For the king of Bavel is standing at the fork in the road, where the two roads separate, about to use divination - he is shaking the arrows, consulting the household gods, examining the liver.

Into his right hand comes the lot for Yerushalayim, to set up battering rams, give the order for slaughter, raise a shout, set battering rams against the gates, build siege ramps and erect watchtowers.

The inhabitants will believe this is a false divination because of the oaths upon oaths [that their false prophets have sworn to the contrary]. But it will cause [God] to remember their guilt and thus insure their capture.

"Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because you have caused your guilt to be remembered, with your misdeeds revealed and the sins in all your actions evident - since you have been remembered, you will be captured.'