57
I will make her princes and sages drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the King's declaration; the Lord of Hosts is His name.
58
This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Babylon's thick walls will be totally demolished, and her high gates consumed by fire. The peoples will have labored for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves [only to feed] the fire.
59
[This is] what Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, the quartermaster, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign.
60
Jeremiah wrote on one scroll about all the disaster that would come to Babylon; all these words were written against Babylon.
61
Jeremiah told Seraiah, "When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud.
62
You must say, 'Lord, You have threatened to cut off this place so that no one will live in it-man or beast. Indeed, it will remain desolate forever.'
63
When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River.
64
Then say, 'In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am bringing on her. They will grow weary.' " The words of Jeremiah end here.