1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), (2Ki 24:1; Jer 1:3; Jer 36:1)2which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:3“For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. (2Ch 36:15; Jer 1:2; Jer 7:13; Jer 11:7; Jer 26:5; Jer 29:19; Jer 32:33; Jer 35:14)4You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, (Jer 25:3)5saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. (Jer 7:7; Jer 18:11; Jer 23:22)6Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ (Jer 7:6; Jer 32:30)7Yet you have not listened to me, declares the Lord, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm. (Jer 25:6)8“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words,9behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. (Isa 44:28; Isa 45:1; Jer 1:15; Jer 18:16; Jer 27:6; Jer 43:10; Eze 29:18)10Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. (Ec 12:4; Jer 7:34; Re 18:22; Re 18:23)11This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (2Ch 36:21; Ezr 1:1; Isa 23:15; Jer 25:9; Jer 27:3; Jer 28:14; Da 9:2)12Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste. (Isa 13:19; Jer 25:11; Jer 51:24; Jer 51:26; Jer 51:62)13I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.14For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.” (Jer 27:7; Jer 50:9; Jer 50:29; Jer 50:41; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:24; Jer 51:27)
The Cup of the Lord’s Wrath
15Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. (Job 21:20; Ps 60:3; Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17; Jer 49:12; Jer 51:7; La 4:21; Re 14:10)16They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” (Jer 47:6)17So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: (Isa 51:22)18Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day; (Jer 18:16; Zec 12:2)19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people, (Jer 46:25)20and all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of the land of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philistines (Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod); (Ex 12:38; Job 1:1; Isa 20:1; Jer 47:1; Jer 47:4; Jer 50:37; La 4:21; Eze 30:5)21Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon; (Jer 9:26; Jer 49:1; Jer 49:7)22all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea; (Isa 23:1; Jer 47:4; Jer 49:23)23Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; (Job 6:19; Job 32:2; Job 32:6; Isa 21:13; Jer 9:26; Jer 49:8)24all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; (2Ch 9:14; Jer 25:20)25all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; (2Ki 17:6; Isa 11:11; Jer 49:34)26all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of Babylon[1] shall drink. (Jer 50:9; Jer 51:41)27“Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the sword that I am sending among you.’ (Jer 25:16; Eze 38:21; Hab 2:16)28“And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: You must drink! (Jer 49:12)29For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the Lord of hosts.’ (Pr 11:31; Isa 10:12; Jer 25:27; Am 3:2; Ob 1:16; 1Pe 4:17)30“You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: “‘The Lord will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. (Jud 9:27; Isa 16:9; Joe 3:16; Am 1:2)31The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the Lord.’ (Isa 66:16; Ho 4:1; Joe 3:2)32“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, disaster is going forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth! (Jer 6:22; Jer 23:19; Jer 30:23)33“And those pierced by the Lord on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground. (Isa 66:16; Jer 8:2; Jer 16:4)34“Wail, you shepherds, and cry out, and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come, and you shall fall like a choice vessel. (Jer 4:8; Jer 6:26; Jer 23:1)35No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock. (Jer 23:1)36A voice—the cry of the shepherds, and the wail of the lords of the flock! For the Lord is laying waste their pasture, (Jer 4:8; Jer 25:35)37and the peaceful folds are devastated because of the fierce anger of the Lord. (Isa 32:18; Jer 12:13)38Like a lion he has left his lair, for their land has become a waste because of the sword of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.” (Job 38:40; Jer 25:37; Jer 46:16; Jer 50:16)
Jeremiah 25
New International Version
Seventy years of captivity
1The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.2So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem:3For twenty-three years – from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day – the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.4And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.5They said, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever.6Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.’7‘But you did not listen to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.’8Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: ‘Because you have not listened to my words,9I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy[1] them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin.10I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp.11This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.12‘But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,[2] for their guilt,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will make it desolate for ever.13I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations.14They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’
The cup of God’s wrath
15This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.16When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.’17So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me drink it:18Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn, a curse[3] – as they are today;19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials and all his people,20and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (those of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod);21Edom, Moab and Ammon;22all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea;23Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who are in distant places[4];24all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who live in the wilderness;25all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media;26and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other – all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak[5] will drink it too.27‘Then tell them, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: drink, get drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send among you.”28But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: You must drink it!29See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword on all who live on the earth, declares the Lord Almighty.”30‘Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘ “The Lord will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.31The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,” ’ declares the Lord.32This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.’33At that time those slain by the Lord will be everywhere – from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground.34Weep and wail, you shepherds; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For your time to be slaughtered has come; you will fall like the best of the rams.[6]35The shepherds will have nowhere to flee, the leaders of the flock no place to escape.36Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the Lord is destroying their pasture.37The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the Lord.38Like a lion he will leave his lair, and their land will become desolate because of the sword[7] of the oppressor and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.