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The Cup of God’s Wrath

15 For thus 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.(A) 16 They shall drink and stagger and go out of their minds because of the sword that I am sending among them.(B)

17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, an object of hissing and of cursing, as they are today;(C) 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, and all his people; 20 all the mixed people;[a] 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;(D) 21 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;(E) 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea;(F) 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who have shaved temples;(G) 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed peoples[b] that live in the desert;(H) 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; 26 all 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 Sheshach[c] shall drink.(I)

27 Then you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink; get drunk and vomit; fall and rise no more because of the sword that I am sending among you.(J)

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! 29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that is called by my name, and how can you possibly avoid punishment? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord of hosts.(K)

30 You, therefore, shall prophesy to 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.(L)
31 The 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 guilty he will put to the sword,
            says the Lord.(M)

32 Thus says the Lord of hosts:
See, disaster is spreading
    from nation to nation,
and a great tempest is stirring
    from the farthest parts of the earth!

33 Those slain 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 become dung on the surface of the ground.(N)

34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out;
    roll in ashes, you lords of the flock,
for the days of your slaughter have come—and your dispersions,[d]
    and you shall fall like a choice vessel.(O)
35 Flight shall fail the shepherds,
    and there shall be no escape for the lords of the flock.
36 Listen! The cry of the shepherds
    and the wail of the lords of the flock!
For the Lord is despoiling their pasture,
37     and the peaceful folds are devastated
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 Like a lion he has left his den,
    for their land has become a waste
because of the cruel anger
    and because of his fierce anger.

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Footnotes

  1. 25.20 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 25.24 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 25.26 That is, Babylon
  4. 25.34 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The Cup of God’s Wrath

15 This 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. 16 When they drink(C) it, they will stagger(D) and go mad(E) because of the sword(F) I will send among them.”

17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent(G) me drink it: 18 Jerusalem(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) 19 Pharaoh king(M) of Egypt,(N) his attendants, his officials and all his people, 20 and 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); 21 Edom,(S) Moab(T) and Ammon;(U) 22 all the kings of Tyre(V) and Sidon;(W) the kings of the coastlands(X) across the sea; 23 Dedan,(Y) Tema,(Z) Buz(AA) and all who are in distant places[b];(AB) 24 all the kings of Arabia(AC) and all the kings of the foreign people(AD) who live in the wilderness; 25 all the kings of Zimri,(AE) Elam(AF) and Media;(AG) 26 and 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.’ 28 But 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! 29 See, 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.
31 The 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.

32 This 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)

33 At 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.

34 Weep 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)
35 The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
    the leaders of the flock no place to escape.(BN)
36 Hear the cry(BO) of the shepherds,(BP)
    the wailing of the leaders of the flock,
    for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
37 The peaceful meadows will be laid waste
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 Like 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

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