The Lord’s Reply

⁴⁰ Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

²⁵ “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that ^(A)I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised— ²⁶ Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the ^(B)farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are ^(C)uncircumcised in the heart.”

²² “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ^(A)‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’? ²³ Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” ’ But say to them, ‘ ^(B)“The days are at hand, and the ^[a]fulfillment of every vision. ²⁴ For ^(C)no more shall there be any ^(D)false^[b] vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. ²⁵ For I am the Lord. I speak, and ^(E)the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and ^(F)perform it,” says the Lord God.’ ”

²⁶ Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^27 (G)“Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is ^(H)for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ ^28 (I)Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak ^(J)will be done,” says the Lord God.’ ”

^14 (A)(For many nations ^(B)and great kings shall ^(C)be served by them also; ^(D)and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)’ ”

Judgment on the Nations

¹⁵ For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: “Take this ^(E)wine cup of ^[a]fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. ¹⁶ And ^(F)they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”

¹⁷ Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the Lord had sent me: ¹⁸ Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them ^(G)a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and ^(H)a curse, as it is this day; ¹⁹ Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people; ²⁰ all the mixed multitude, all the kings of ^(I)the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the ^(J)Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and ^(K)the remnant of Ashdod); ^21 (L)Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon; ²² all the kings of ^(M)Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the ^(N)sea; ^23 (O)Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; ²⁴ all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the ^(P)mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; ²⁵ all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of ^(Q)Elam, and all the kings of the ^(R)Medes; ^26 (S)all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of ^[b]Sheshach shall drink after them.

²⁷ “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^(T)“Drink, ^(U)be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.” ’ ²⁸ And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “You shall certainly drink! ²⁹ For behold, ^(V)I begin to bring calamity on the city ^(W)which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for ^(X)I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the Lord of hosts.’

Jeremiah Persecuted

¹⁸ Then they said, ^(A)“Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; ^(B)for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”