Jeremiah 50:17

¹⁵ Raise 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.

¹⁶ 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.

Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

¹⁸ Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

¹⁹ I will return Israel to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his soul will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
KJV: Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
WEB: “Israel is a hunted sheep. The lions have driven him away. First, the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.”
ASV: Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first, the king of Assyria devoured him; and now at last Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
DARBY: Israel is a hunted sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria devoured him, and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
BLB: Like a flock scattered [is] Israel, the lions have driven away: The first [who] devoured him [was] the king of Assyria, and this last one to crush his bones [is] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

ÅB: Et bortdrevet lam er Israel, løver har jaget det bort; først spiste Assurs konge det, og nå sist har Babels konge Nebukadnesar knust dets ben.
OTB: "Israel er en spredt flokk, drevet bort av løver. Den første til å fortære dem var Assyrias konge; den siste til å gnage deres ben var Nebukadnesar, Babylons konge."
B1930: Et bortdrevet lam er Israel, løver har jaget det bort; først åt Assurs konge det, og nu sist har Babels konge Nebukadnesar knust dets ben.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Jeremiah 2:15
The young lions have roared at him; they have growled with a loud voice. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant.
Read in context
John 10:10–12
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.
Read in context
Joel 3:2
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations as they divided up My land.
Read in context
2 Kings 18:9–13
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.
Read in context
1 Peter 2:25
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Read in context
Jeremiah 50:6
My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 36:1–23
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.
Read in context
Ezekiel 34:12
As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.
Read in context