Jeremiah 25:15-38

New International Version

The Cup of God’s Wrath

¹⁵This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup^(A) filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send^(B) you drink it. ¹⁶When they drink^(C) it, they will stagger^(D) and go mad^(E) because of the sword^(F) I will send among them.”

¹⁷So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent^(G) me drink it: ¹⁸Jerusalem^(H) and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin^(I) and an object of horror and scorn,^(J) a curse^[a]^(K)—as they are today;^(L) ¹⁹Pharaoh king^(M) of Egypt,^(N) his attendants, his officials and all his people, ²⁰and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz;^(O) all the kings of the Philistines^(P) (those of Ashkelon,^(Q) Gaza,^(R) Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); ²¹Edom,^(S) Moab^(T) and Ammon;^(U) ²²all the kings of Tyre^(V) and Sidon;^(W) the kings of the coastlands^(X) across the sea; ²³Dedan,^(Y) Tema,^(Z) Buz^(AA) and all who are in distant places^[b];^(AB) ²⁴all the kings of Arabia^(AC) and all the kings of the foreign people^(AD) who live in the wilderness; ²⁵all the kings of Zimri,^(AE) Elam^(AF) and Media;^(AG) ²⁶and all the kings of the north,^(AH) near and far, one after the other—all the kingdoms^(AI) on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak^[c]^(AJ) will drink it too.

²⁷“Then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk^(AK) and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword^(AL) I will send among you.’ ²⁸But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink^(AM), tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: You must drink it! ²⁹See, I am beginning to bring disaster^(AN) on the city that bears my Name,^(AO) and will you indeed go unpunished?^(AP) You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword^(AQ) on all^(AR) who live on the earth,^(AS) declares the Lord Almighty.’

³⁰“Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:

“‘The Lord will roar^(AT) from on high;
    he will thunder^(AU) from his holy dwelling^(AV)
    and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread^(AW) the grapes,
    shout against all who live on the earth.
³¹The tumult^(AX) will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord will bring charges^(AY) against the nations;
he will bring judgment^(AZ) on all^(BA) mankind
    and put the wicked to the sword,^(BB)’”
declares the Lord.

³²This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Look! Disaster^(BC) is spreading
from nation to nation;^(BD)
a mighty storm^(BE) is rising
from the ends of the earth.”^(BF)

³³At that time those slain^(BG) by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered^(BH) up or buried,^(BI) but will be like dung lying on the ground.

³⁴Weep and wail, you shepherds;^(BJ)
    roll^(BK) in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered^(BL) has come;
    you will fall like the best of the rams.^[d]^(BM)
³⁵The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
    the leaders of the flock no place to escape.^(BN)
³⁶Hear the cry^(BO) of the shepherds,^(BP)
    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^(BQ) he will leave his lair,
    and their land will become desolate^(BR)
because of the sword^[e] of the oppressor^(BS)
    and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.^(BT)

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 25:18 That is, their names to be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, to be seen by others as cursed
Jeremiah 25:23 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon.
Jeremiah 25:34 Septuagint; Hebrew fall and be shattered like fine pottery
Jeremiah 25:38 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 46:16 and 50:16); most Hebrew manuscripts anger

Jeremiah 36

New International Version

Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll

36 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ²“Take a scroll^(B) and write on it all the words^(C) I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah^(D) till now. ³Perhaps^(E) when the people of Judah hear^(F) about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn^(G) from their wicked ways; then I will forgive^(H) their wickedness and their sin.”

⁴So Jeremiah called Baruch^(I) son of Neriah,^(J) and while Jeremiah dictated^(K) all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll.^(L) ⁵Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. ⁶So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting^(M) and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated.^(N) Read them to all the people of Judah^(O) who come in from their towns. ⁷Perhaps they will bring their petition^(P) before the Lord and will each turn^(Q) from their wicked ways, for the anger^(R) and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”

⁸Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord’s temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. ⁹In the ninth month^(S) of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting^(T) before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. ¹⁰From the room of Gemariah^(U) son of Shaphan^(V) the secretary,^(W) which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate^(X) of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

¹¹When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, ¹²he went down to the secretary’s^(Y) room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan^(Z) son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.^(AA) ¹³After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, ¹⁴all the officials sent Jehudi^(AB) son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll^(AC) from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. ¹⁵They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

So Baruch read it to them. ¹⁶When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear^(AD) and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” ¹⁷Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write^(AE) all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

¹⁸“Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated^(AF) all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”

¹⁹Then the officials^(AG) said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide.^(AH) Don’t let anyone know where you are.”

²⁰After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. ²¹The king sent Jehudi^(AI) to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king^(AJ) and all the officials standing beside him. ²²It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment,^(AK) with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. ²³Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll,^(AL) the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.^(AM) ²⁴The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear,^(AN) nor did they tear their clothes.^(AO) ²⁵Even though Elnathan, Delaiah^(AP) and Gemariah^(AQ) urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest^(AR) Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden^(AS) them.

²⁷After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation,^(AT) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁸“Take another scroll^(AU) and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. ²⁹Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it^(AV) both man and beast?”^(AW) ³⁰Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim^(AX) king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out^(AY) and exposed^(AZ) to the heat by day and the frost by night.^(BA) ³¹I will punish him and his children^(BB) and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster^(BC) I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.^(BD)’”

³²So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated,^(BE) Baruch wrote^(BF) on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned^(BG) in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah 45-46

New International Version

A Message to Baruch

45 When Baruch^(A) son of Neriah^(B) wrote on a scroll^(C) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(D) son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: ²“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: ³You said, ‘Woe^(E) to me! The Lord has added sorrow^(F) to my pain;^(G) I am worn out with groaning^(H) and find no rest.’^(I) ⁴But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot^(J) what I have planted,^(K) throughout the earth.^(L) ⁵Should you then seek great^(M) things for yourself? Do not seek them.^(N) For I will bring disaster^(O) on all people,^(P) declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape^(Q) with your life.’”^(R)

A Message About Egypt

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:^(S)

²Concerning Egypt:^(T)

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho^(U) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish^(V) on the Euphrates^(W) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(X) son of Josiah king of Judah:

³“Prepare your shields,^(Y) both large and small,
    and march out for battle!
⁴Harness the horses,
    mount the steeds!
Take your positions
    with helmets on!
Polish^(Z) your spears,
    put on your armor!^(AA)
⁵What do I see?
    They are terrified,
they are retreating,
    their warriors are defeated.
They flee^(AB) in haste
    without looking back,
    and there is terror^(AC) on every side,”
declares the Lord.
⁶“The swift cannot flee^(AD)
    nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates^(AE)
    they stumble and fall.^(AF)

⁷“Who is this that rises like the Nile,
    like rivers of surging waters?^(AG)
⁸Egypt rises like the Nile,^(AH)
    like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
    I will destroy cities and their people.’^(AI)
⁹Charge, you horses!
    Drive furiously, you charioteers!^(AJ)
March on, you warriors—men of Cush^[a]^(AK) and Put who carry shields,
    men of Lydia^(AL) who draw the bow.
¹⁰But that day^(AM) belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—
    a day of vengeance^(AN), for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour^(AO) till it is satisfied,
    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.^(AP)
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice^(AQ)
    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.^(AR)

¹¹“Go up to Gilead and get balm,^(AS)
    Virgin^(AT) Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
    there is no healing^(AU) for you.
¹²The nations will hear of your shame;
    your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
    both will fall^(AV) down together.”

¹³This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(AW) to attack Egypt:^(AX)

¹⁴“Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
    proclaim it also in Memphis^(AY) and Tahpanhes:^(AZ)
‘Take your positions and get ready,
    for the sword devours^(BA) those around you.’
¹⁵Why will your warriors be laid low?
    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.^(BB)
¹⁶They will stumble^(BC) repeatedly;
    they will fall^(BD) over each other.
They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back
    to our own people^(BE) and our native lands,
    away from the sword of the oppressor.’^(BF)
¹⁷There they will exclaim,
    ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;^(BG)
    he has missed his opportunity.^(BH)’

¹⁸“As surely as I live,” declares the King,^(BI)
    whose name is the Lord Almighty,
“one will come who is like Tabor^(BJ) among the mountains,
    like Carmel^(BK) by the sea.
¹⁹Pack your belongings for exile,^(BL)
    you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis^(BM) will be laid waste^(BN)
    and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

²⁰“Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
    but a gadfly is coming
    against her from the north.^(BO)
²¹The mercenaries^(BP) in her ranks
    are like fattened calves.^(BQ)
They too will turn and flee^(BR) together,
    they will not stand their ground,
for the day^(BS) of disaster is coming upon them,
    the time^(BT) for them to be punished.
²²Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
    as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
    like men who cut down trees.^(BU)
²³They will chop down her forest,”
declares the Lord,
    “dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,^(BV)
    they cannot be counted.
²⁴Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
    given into the hands of the people of the north.^(BW)”

²⁵The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,^(BX) on Pharaoh,^(BY) on Egypt and her gods^(BZ) and her kings, and on those who rely^(CA) on Pharaoh. ²⁶I will give them into the hands^(CB) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king^(CC) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited^(CD) as in times past,” declares the Lord.

²⁷“Do not be afraid,^(CE) Jacob^(CF) my servant;^(CG)
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.^(CH)
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.
²⁸Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
    for I am with you,”^(CI) declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy^(CJ) all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”