Jeremiah 50:16
New International Version
Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to their own people, let everyone flee to their own land.

New Living Translation
Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands.

English Standard Version
Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the one who handles the sickle in time of harvest; because of the sword of the oppressor, every one shall turn to his own people, and every one shall flee to his own land.

Berean Standard Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time. In the face of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

King James Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

New King James Version
Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him who handles the sickle at harvest time. For fear of the oppressing sword Everyone shall turn to his own people, And everyone shall flee to his own land.

New American Standard Bible
“Eliminate the sower from Babylon And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From the sword of the oppressor Each of them will turn back to his own people And each of them will flee to his own land.

NASB 1995
“Cut off the sower from Babylon And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From before the sword of the oppressor They will each turn back to his own people And they will each flee to his own land.

NASB 1977
“Cut off the sower from Babylon, And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; From before the sword of the oppressor They will each turn back to his own people, And they will each flee to his own land.

Legacy Standard Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon And the one who seizes the sickle at the time of harvest; From before the sword of the oppressor They will each turn back to his own people, And they will each flee to his own land.

Amplified Bible
“Cut off the sower from Babylon And the one who handles the sickle at the time of harvest. For fear of the sword of the oppressor Everyone will return to his own people And everyone will flee to his own land.

Christian Standard Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon as well as him who wields the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon as well as him who wields the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

American Standard Version
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And destroy the Sower from Babel, and seize the sickle in time of harvest. Because of the sword that makes a man wretched, they shall turn to his people and they shall flee, each man, to his land

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Utterly destroy seed out of Babylon, and him that holds a sickle in time of harvest: for fear of the Grecian sword, they shall return every one to his people, and every one shall flee to his own land.

Contemporary English Version
There is no one in Babylonia to plant or harvest crops. Even foreigners who lived there have left for their homelands, afraid of the enemy armies.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Destroy the sower out of Babylon, and him that holdeth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the sword of the dove every man shall return to his people, and every one shall flee to his own land.

English Revised Version
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't allow anyone in Babylon to plant or harvest. Everyone will turn to his own people and flee to his own homeland because of the enemies' swords.

Good News Translation
Do not let seeds be planted in that country nor let a harvest be gathered. Every foreigner living there will be afraid of the attacking army and will go back home."

International Standard Version
Eliminate from Babylon the one who plants seeds and the one who uses the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor's sword, let each one turn toward his own people and flee to his own land."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest; For fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, And they shall flee every one to his own land.

Literal Standard Version
Cut off the sower from Babylon, | And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, | Because of the oppressing sword, | Each to his people—they turn, | And each to his land—they flee.

Majority Standard Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time. In the face of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

New American Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon and those who wield sickles at harvest time! Before the destroying sword, all of them turn back to their own people, all flee to their own land.

NET Bible
Kill all the farmers who sow the seed in the land of Babylon. Kill all those who wield the sickle at harvest time. Let all the foreigners return to their own people. Let them hurry back to their own lands to escape destruction by that enemy army.

New Revised Standard Version
Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the wielder of the sickle in time of harvest; because of the destroying sword all of them shall return to their own people, and all of them shall flee to their own land.

New Heart English Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn everyone to his people, and they shall flee everyone to his own land."'

Webster's Bible Translation
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

World English Bible
Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the oppressing sword, they will each return to their own people, and they will each flee to their own land.

Young's Literal Translation
Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him handling the sickle in the time of harvest, Because of the oppressing sword, Each unto his people -- they turn, And each to his land -- they flee.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Babylon's Fall is Certain
15Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender; her towers have fallen; her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take out your vengeance upon her; as she has done, do the same to her. 16Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time. In the face of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.

Cross References
Isaiah 13:14
Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.

Jeremiah 25:38
He has left His den like a lion, for their land has been made a desolation by the sword of the oppressor, and because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

Jeremiah 46:16
They continue to stumble; indeed, they have fallen over one another. They say, 'Get up! Let us return to our people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword of the oppressor.'

Jeremiah 51:9
"We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Abandon her! Let each of us go to his own land, for her judgment extends to the sky and reaches to the clouds."

Joel 1:11
Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.


Treasury of Scripture

Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handles the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

the sower

Jeremiah 51:23
I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

Joel 1:11
Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.

Amos 5:16
Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the Lord, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing.

sickle.

Jeremiah 46:16
He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

Jeremiah 51:9
We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

Isaiah 13:14
And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

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Jeremiah 50
1. The judgment of Babylon and the redemption of Israel














(16) Cut off the sower . . .--The rich alluvial plains of Babylon, so plentiful that they yielded an increase of two hundred-fold (Herod. iii. 8), were to be laid waste. There may, possibly, be a special reference to the fields within the walls of the city, upon which the population largely depended, and which were now to be devastated. (Diod. Sic. ii. 9; Pliny, Hist. Nat. xi. 111.)

For fear of the oppressing sword.--The versions present the same noticeable variations, as in Jeremiah 46:16, the LXX. giving "from the Greek sword," possibly with reference to the belief that Cyrus had subdued the 'olians and Ionians before the conquest of Babylon, and that they were fighting in his army, or to Alexander's capture of the city, and the Vulg. "from the sword of the dove," the latter rendering being supposed to refer to the dove on the Babylonian standard, as the emblem of Semiramis. Here, however, as Babylon is the object of attack, the latter allusion is scarcely applicable, and there is no sufficient reason for altering the English version. (See Note on Jeremiah 25:38; Jeremiah 46:16.)

They shall flee every one to his own land.--The words are significant as showing that the Jews were not the only people for whom the fall of Babylon was the signal of a return from exile. The policy of Nebuchadnezzar, like that of Assyria, had been to people his own territory with the captive populations of other countries, and Israel (as in Jeremiah 50:8) was to lead the way in the return.

Verse 16. - Cut off the sower, etc. "Babylon" here probably means Babylonia, for it is clear from ver. 12 that the curse belongs to the country as well as the city of Babylon; indeed, "Babylon" in ver. 13 seems to be used in the wider sense. Others think of the open spaces within the walls of Babylon, in which it is said that crops were raised to provision the city in case of a siege (see Rawlinson, 'Ancient Monarchies,' 2:518); but this is less natural. They shall turn, etc. The subject is, not the husbandmen, but the strangers in Babylonia; comp. the parallel passage, Isaiah 13:14, on which this passage is based. AEsehylus ('Pers.,' 53) speaks of the Πάμμικτος ὄχλος in Babylon. Whether brought by force from their homes, like the Jews, or voluntary residents for the sake of commerce, all should hurry from the doomed city.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Cut off
כִּרְת֤וּ (kir·ṯū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

the sower
זוֹרֵ֙עַ֙ (zō·w·rê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2232: To sow, to disseminate, plant, fructify

from Babylon,
מִבָּבֶ֔ל (mib·bā·ḇel)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

and the one who wields
וְתֹפֵ֥שׂ (wə·ṯō·p̄êś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

the sickle
מַגָּ֖ל (mag·gāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4038: A sickle

at harvest
קָצִ֑יר (qā·ṣîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7105: Severed, harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, a limb

time.
בְּעֵ֣ת (bə·‘êṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

In the face of
מִפְּנֵי֙ (mip·pə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the oppressor’s
הַיּוֹנָ֔ה (hay·yō·w·nāh)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 3238: To rage, be violent, to suppress, to maltreat

sword,
חֶ֣רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

each
אִ֤ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

will turn
יִפְנ֔וּ (yip̄·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his own people,
עַמּוֹ֙ (‘am·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

each
וְאִ֥ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

will flee
יָנֻֽסוּ׃ (yā·nu·sū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5127: To flit, vanish away

to his own land.
לְאַרְצ֖וֹ (lə·’ar·ṣōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 50:16 Cut off the sower from Babylon (Jer.)
Jeremiah 50:15
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