At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.
Parallel translations
- WEB At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles; and the cry is heard among the nations.
- KJV At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.
- NKJV At the noise of the taking of Babylon The earth trembles, And the cry is heard among the nations.
- NASB At the shout, “Babylon has been conquered!” the earth quakes, and an outcry is heard among the nations.
- NLT The earth will shake with the shout, “Babylon has been taken!” and its cry of despair will be heard around the world.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
At the news of Babylon's capture the earth trembles and her cry is heard among the nations. The fall of the mightiest empire sends shockwaves through the whole world.
Overview
This closing verse of chapter 50 echoes a similar line about Edom (49:21), framing Babylon's collapse as a world-shaking event. The empire that seemed eternal proves fragile before God's judgment. Such a global tremor anticipates the day when every proud kingdom gives way to the unshakable kingdom of God, established in Jesus Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Jer 49:21At the sound of their fall the earth will quake; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.
- Rev 18:9–19Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
- Ezek 26:18Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall; the islands in the sea are dismayed by your demise.”’
- Ezek 31:16I made the nations quake at the sound of its downfall, when I cast it down to Sheol with those who descend to the Pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, all the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below.
- Isa 14:9–10Sheol beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival. It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you—all the rulers of the earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones.
- Ezek 32:10I will cause many peoples to be appalled over you, and their kings will shudder in horror because of you when I brandish My sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.’
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 50:46 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.