The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 25 -

This is the word that came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. That was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

Jeremiah the prophet proclaimed this to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

He said, “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah until this day, Yahweh’s words have been coming to me. I have been proclaiming them to you. I was eager to proclaim them, but you would not listen.

Yahweh sent out all his servants the prophets to you. They were eager to go out, but you would not listen or pay attention.

These prophets said, ’Let each man turn from his wicked way and the corruption of his practices and return to the land that Yahweh gave in ancient times to your ancestors and to you, as a permanent gift.

So do not walk after other gods to worship them or bow down to them, and do not provoke him with the work of your hands so that he does you harm.’

But you have not listened to me-this is Yahweh’s declaration-so you have provoked me with the work of your hands to do harm to you.

So Yahweh of hosts says this, ’Because you did not listen to my words,

see, I am about to send out a command to gather all the peoples of the north-this is Yahweh’s declaration-with Nebuchadnezzar my servant, king of Babylon, and bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all the nations around you. For I will set them apart for destruction. I will turn them into a horror, an object for hissing, and an unending desolation.

The sounds of joy and celebration-the voices of the bridegroom and bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamps-I will make all these things disappear from these nations.

Then all of this land will become a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

Then it will happen when seventy years have been completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans-this is Yahweh’s declaration-for their iniquity and make it an unending desolation.

Then I will carry out against that land all the words that I had spoken, and everything written in this book that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

For also many other nations and great kings will make slaves out of these nations. I will repay them for their deeds and the works of their hands.’”

The Cup of God’s Wrath

For Yahweh, God of Israel, said this to me, “Take this cup of the wine of fury from my hand and make all the nations to which I am sending you drink it.

For they will drink and then stumble about and rant madly before the sword that I am sending out among them.”

So I took the cup from Yahweh’s hand, and I made all the nations to which Yahweh had sent me drink it:

Jerusalem, the cities of Judah and her kings and officials-to turn them into ruins and something terrifying, and into an object for hissing and cursing, as they are at this present day.

Other nations also had to drink it: Pharaoh king of Egypt and his servants; his officials and all his people;

all people of mixed heritage and all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of Philistia-Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

Edom and Moab and the people of Ammon.

The kings of Tyre and Sidon, the kings of the coasts on the other side of the sea,

Dedan, Tema, and Buz with all the ones who cut the hair on the sides of their heads, they also had to drink it.

These people also had to drink it: All the kings of Arabia and all the kings of people of mixed heritage who live in the wilderness;

all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;

all the kings of the north, the ones close by and the ones far away-everyone with his brother and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the surface of the earth. Finally the king of Babylon will drink after them all.

Yahweh said to me, “Now you must say to them, ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Drink and become drunk, then vomit, fall down, and do not rise before the sword that I am sending among you.’

Then it will happen that if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, you will say to them, ’Yahweh of hosts says this: You must certainly drink it.

For see, I am about to bring disaster on the city that is called by my name, and should you yourselves be free from punishment? You will not be free, for I am calling a sword against all the inhabitants of the land!-this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.’

So you yourself, Jeremiah, must prophesy to them all these words. You must say to them, ’Yahweh will roar from the heights and will raise his voice from his holy dwelling, and thunder from his holy dwelling place; and he will shout like those who tread the grapes against all those who live on the earth.

A noise comes to the ends of the land, for a dispute from Yahweh is going to bring a lawsuit against the nations. He will administer justice to all flesh. He will hand over the wicked ones to the sword-this is Yahweh’s declaration.’

Yahweh of hosts says this, ’See, disaster is going out from nation to nation, and a great storm is beginning from the farthest parts of the earth.

Then those killed by Yahweh will on that day extend from one end of the earth to the other; they will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung on the ground.

The Cry of the Shepherds

Wail, shepherds, and shout for help! Roll about on the ground, you majestic people in the flock. For your day to be slaughtered and scattered has come. You will fall like chosen rams.

Refuge for the shepherds is gone. There is no escape for the majestic ones in the flock.

There are the distressed cries of the shepherds and the wails of the majestic ones in the flock, for Yahweh is devastating their pastures.

So the peaceful pastures will be devastated because of Yahweh’s angry wrath.

Like a young lion, he has left his den, for their land will become a horror because of the oppressor’s anger, because of his angry wrath.’”

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (this was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),

which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years, the LORD’s word has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; but you have not listened.

The LORD has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them (but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear),

saying, “Return now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forever more.

Don’t go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don’t provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; then I will do you no harm.”

“Yet you have not listened to me,” says the LORD, “that you may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt.”

Therefore the LORD of Armies says: “Because you have not heard my words,

behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,” says the LORD, “and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around. I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.

This whole land will be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

“It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says the LORD, “for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever.

I will bring on that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

For many nations and great kings will make bondservants of them, even of them. I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.”

The Cup of God’s Wrath

For the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.

They will drink, and reel back and forth, and be insane, because of the sword that I will send among them.”

Then I took the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, to whom the LORD had sent me:

Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, with its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is today;

Pharaoh king of Egypt, with his servants, his princes, and all his people;

and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon;

and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who have the corners of their beard cut off;

and all the kings of Arabia, all the kings of the mixed people who dwell in the wilderness;

and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;

and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the surface of the earth. The king of Sheshach will drink after them.

“You shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Drink, and be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.”’

It shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies says: “You shall surely drink.

For, behold, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should you be utterly unpunished? You will not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth, says the LORD of Armies.”’

“Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and tell them, “‘The LORD will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation. He will mightily roar against his fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

A noise will come even to the end of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with the nations. He will enter into judgment with all flesh. As for the wicked, he will give them to the sword,”’ says the LORD.”

The LORD of Armies says, “Behold, evil will go out from nation to nation, and a great storm will be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth.”

The slain of the LORD will be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They won’t be lamented. They won’t be gathered or buried. They will be dung on the surface of the ground.

The Cry of the Shepherds

Wail, you shepherds, and cry. Wallow in dust, you leader of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you will fall like fine pottery.

The shepherds will have no way to flee. The leader of the flock will have no escape.

A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the leader of the flock, for the LORD destroys their pasture.

The peaceful folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

He has left his covert, as the lion; for their land has become an astonishment because of the fierceness of the oppression, and because of his fierce anger.