Jeremiah 23:21-25:38
Christian Standard Bible
21 I did not send out these prophets,(A)
yet they ran.(B)
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 If they had really stood in my council,
they would have enabled my people to hear my words
and would have turned them from their evil ways
and their evil deeds.(C)
23 “Am I a God who is only near”(D)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and not a God who is far away? 24 Can a person hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” (E)—the Lord’s declaration. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” (F)—the Lord’s declaration.
25 “I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in my name have said: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ (G) 26 How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds? 27 Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause my people to forget my name as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.(H) 28 The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 29 “Is not my word like fire”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and like a hammer that pulverizes rock? 30 Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets”(I)—the Lord’s declaration—“who steal my words from each other. 31 I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration. 32 I am against those who prophesy false dreams”(J)—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all(K) to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
The Burden of the Lord
33 “Now when these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden[a] of the Lord?’ you will respond to them, ‘What is the burden? I will throw you away! This is the Lord’s declaration.’ 34 As for the prophet, priest, or people who say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ I will punish that man and his household. 35 This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But no longer refer to[b] the burden of the Lord, for each man’s word becomes his burden and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of Armies, our God. 37 Say to the prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ then this is what the Lord says: Because you have said, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ and I specifically told you not to say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ 39 I will surely forget you.[c] I will throw you away from my presence—both you and the city that I gave you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace and humiliation(L) that will never be forgotten.”
The Good and the Bad Figs
24 After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported Jeconiah[d] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths(M) from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs(N) placed in front of the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket contained very good figs, like early figs,(O) but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. 3 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.”
4 The word of the Lord came to me: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will keep my eyes on them for their good(P) and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them.(Q) 7 I will give them a heart to know me,(R) that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.(S)
8 “But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible,(T) this is what the Lord says: In this way I will deal with King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land or living in the land of Egypt.(U) 9 I will make them an object of horror(V) and a disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, an example for disgrace, scorn, ridicule,(W) and cursing, wherever I have banished them.(X) 10 I will send the sword, famine, and plague(Y) against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”
The Seventy-Year Exile
25 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(Z) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon). 2 The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,(AA) king of Judah, until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,[e](AB) but you have not obeyed. 4 The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,[f] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.[g](AC) 5 He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds.(AD) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.(AE) 6 Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them,(AF) and do not anger me by the work of your hands.(AG) Then I will do you no harm.
7 “‘But you have not obeyed me’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’
8 “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 I am going to send for all the families of the north’(AH)—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant(AI) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror(AJ) and scorn, and ruins forever.(AK) 10 I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,(AL) the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.(AM) 12 When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.(AN) 13 I will bring on that land all my words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’”(AO)
The Cup of God’s Wrath
15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand and make all the nations to whom I am sending you drink from it.(AP) 16 They will drink, stagger,[h] and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.”(AQ)
17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink from it.
18 Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an example for scorn and cursing—as it is today;
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,
20 and all the mixed peoples;
all the kings of the land of Uz;
all the kings of the land of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
21 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
22 all the kings of Tyre,
all the kings of Sidon,
and the kings of the coasts and islands;
23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who clip the hair on their temples;[i](AR)
24 all the kings of Arabia,
and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;
25 all the kings of Zimri,
all the kings of Elam,
and all the kings of Media;
26 all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another;
that is, all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth.
27 “Then you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink,(AT) get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.’ 28 If[k] they refuse to accept the cup from your hand and drink, you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: You must drink! 29 For I am already bringing disaster(AU) on the city that bears my name,(AV) so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.’(AW)
Judgment on the Whole World
30 “As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them:
The Lord roars from on high;
he makes his voice heard from his holy dwelling.(AX)
He roars loudly over his grazing land;
he calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth
because the Lord brings a case against(AY) the nations.
He enters into judgment with all humanity.(AZ)
As for the wicked, he hands them over to the sword—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
32 “This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Pay attention! Disaster spreads
from nation to nation.
A huge storm is stirred up
from the ends of the earth.”(BA)
33 Those slain by the Lord(BB) on that day will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned,(BC) gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the soil’s surface.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.
Roll in the dust,(BD) you leaders of the flock.
Because the days of your slaughter have come,(BE)
you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.
35 Flight will be impossible for the shepherds,
and escape, for the leaders of the flock.
36 Hear the sound of the shepherds’ cry,
the wail of the leaders of the flock,
for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
37 Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless
because of the Lord’s burning anger.(BF)
38 He has left his den like a lion,
for their land has become a desolation
because of the sword[l] of the oppressor,(BG)
because of his burning anger.
Footnotes
- 23:33 The Hb word for burden (Ex 23:5; 2Sm 15:33) can also mean “oracle” (Is 13:1; Nah 1:10).
- 23:36 Or longer remember
- 23:39 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg read surely lift you up
- 24:1 = Jehoiachin
- 25:3 Lit you; rising early and speaking
- 25:4 Lit to you, rising early and sending
- 25:4 Lit even inclined your ear to hear
- 25:16 Or vomit
- 25:23 Or who live in distant places
- 25:26 = Babylon
- 25:28 Or When
- 25:38 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg; other Hb mss read burning
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Bible Gateway Recommends
