Seventy Years of Desolation

25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, (A)in the fourth year of (B)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: (C)“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, (D)but you have not listened. And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, (E)rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, (F)‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’ Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might (G)provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take (H)all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, (I)My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and (J)make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10 Moreover I will [a]take from them the (K)voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, (L)the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy (M)years.

12 ‘Then it will come to pass, (N)when [b]seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the Lord; (O)‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation. 13 So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations. 14 (P)(For many nations (Q)and great kings shall (R)be served by them also; (S)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 (T)wine cup of [c]fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. 16 And (U)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 (V)a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and (W)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 (X)the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the (Y)Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and (Z)the remnant of Ashdod); 21 (AA)Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon; 22 all the kings of (AB)Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the (AC)sea; 23 (AD)Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the (AE)mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of (AF)Elam, and all the kings of the (AG)Medes; 26 (AH)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 [d]Sheshach shall drink after them.

27 “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (AI)“Drink, (AJ)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, (AK)I begin to bring calamity on the city (AL)which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for (AM)I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the Lord of hosts.’

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

‘The Lord will (AN)roar from on high,
And utter His voice from (AO)His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against (AP)His fold.
He will give (AQ)a shout, as those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth—
For the Lord has (AR)a controversy with the nations;
(AS)He will plead His case with all flesh.
He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the Lord.”

32 Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Behold, disaster shall go forth
From nation to nation,
And (AT)a great whirlwind shall be raised up
From the farthest parts of the earth.

33 (AU)And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be (AV)lamented, (AW)or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.

34 “Wail,(AX) shepherds, and cry!
Roll about in the ashes,
You leaders of the flock!
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled;
You shall fall like a precious vessel.
35 And the shepherds will have no [e]way to flee,
Nor the leaders of the flock to escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds,
And a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard.
For the Lord has plundered their pasture,
37 And the peaceful dwellings are cut down
Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 He has left His lair like the lion;
For their land is desolate
Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor,
And because of His fierce anger.”

Jeremiah Saved from Death(AY)

26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in (AZ)the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, (BA)all the words that I command you to speak to them. (BB)Do not diminish a word. (BC)Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may (BD)relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’ And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: (BE)“If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to heed the words of My servants the prophets (BF)whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), then I will make this house like (BG)Shiloh, and will make this city (BH)a curse to all the nations of the earth.” ’ ”

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be (BI)desolate, without an inhabitant’?” And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. 11 And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, [f]“This man deserves to (BJ)die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard. 13 Now therefore, (BK)amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. 14 As for me, here (BL)I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and [g]proper to you. 15 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

16 So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

17 (BM)Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: 18 (BN)“Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

(BO)“Zion shall be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem shall become (BP)heaps of ruins,
And the mountain of the [h]temple
Like the [i]bare hills of the forest.” ’

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? (BQ)Did he not fear the Lord and (BR)seek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord (BS)relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. (BT)But we are doing great evil against ourselves.”

20 Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. 21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt. 22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt. 23 And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the [j]common people.

24 Nevertheless (BU)the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 25:10 Lit. cause to perish from them
  2. Jeremiah 25:12 Beginning circa 605 b.c. (2 Kin. 24:1) and ending circa 536 b.c. (Ezra 1:1)
  3. Jeremiah 25:15 wrath
  4. Jeremiah 25:26 A code word for Babylon, Jer. 51:41
  5. Jeremiah 25:35 Or refuge
  6. Jeremiah 26:11 Lit. A judgment of death to this man
  7. Jeremiah 26:14 right
  8. Jeremiah 26:18 Lit. house
  9. Jeremiah 26:18 Lit. high places
  10. Jeremiah 26:23 Lit. sons of the people

Seventy Years of Captivity

25 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(A) son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar(B) king of Babylon. So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah(C) and to all those living in Jerusalem: For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah(D) 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,(E) but you have not listened.(F)

And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets(G) to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.(H) They said, “Turn(I) now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land(J) the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. Do not follow other gods(K) to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

“But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused(L) my anger with what your hands have made,(M) and you have brought harm(N) to yourselves.”

Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon(O) all the peoples of the north(P) and my servant(Q) Nebuchadnezzar(R) 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[a](S) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,(T) and an everlasting ruin.(U) 10 I will banish from them the sounds(V) of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,(W) the sound of millstones(X) and the light of the lamp.(Y) 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland,(Z) and these nations will serve(AA) the king of Babylon seventy years.(AB)

12 “But when the seventy years(AC) are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon(AD) and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,[b] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate(AE) forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written(AF) in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved(AG) by many nations(AH) and great kings; I will repay(AI) them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

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(AJ) filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send(AK) you drink it. 16 When they drink(AL) it, they will stagger(AM) and go mad(AN) because of the sword(AO) 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(AP) me drink it: 18 Jerusalem(AQ) and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin(AR) and an object of horror and scorn,(AS) a curse[c](AT)—as they are today;(AU) 19 Pharaoh king(AV) of Egypt,(AW) his attendants, his officials and all his people, 20 and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz;(AX) all the kings of the Philistines(AY) (those of Ashkelon,(AZ) Gaza,(BA) Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); 21 Edom,(BB) Moab(BC) and Ammon;(BD) 22 all the kings of Tyre(BE) and Sidon;(BF) the kings of the coastlands(BG) across the sea; 23 Dedan,(BH) Tema,(BI) Buz(BJ) and all who are in distant places[d];(BK) 24 all the kings of Arabia(BL) and all the kings of the foreign people(BM) who live in the wilderness; 25 all the kings of Zimri,(BN) Elam(BO) and Media;(BP) 26 and all the kings of the north,(BQ) near and far, one after the other—all the kingdoms(BR) on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak[e](BS) will drink it too.

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

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

“‘The Lord will roar(CC) from on high;
    he will thunder(CD) from his holy dwelling(CE)
    and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread(CF) the grapes,
    shout against all who live on the earth.
31 The tumult(CG) will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord will bring charges(CH) against the nations;
he will bring judgment(CI) on all(CJ) mankind
    and put the wicked to the sword,(CK)’”
declares the Lord.

32 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Look! Disaster(CL) is spreading
    from nation to nation;(CM)
a mighty storm(CN) is rising
    from the ends of the earth.”(CO)

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

34 Weep and wail, you shepherds;(CS)
    roll(CT) in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered(CU) has come;
    you will fall like the best of the rams.[f](CV)
35 The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
    the leaders of the flock no place to escape.(CW)
36 Hear the cry(CX) of the shepherds,(CY)
    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(CZ) he will leave his lair,
    and their land will become desolate(DA)
because of the sword[g] of the oppressor(DB)
    and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.(DC)

Jeremiah Threatened With Death

26 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim(DD) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard(DE) of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord.(DF) Tell(DG) them everything I command you; do not omit(DH) a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn(DI) from their evil ways. Then I will relent(DJ) and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen(DK) to me and follow my law,(DL) which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened(DM)), then I will make this house like Shiloh(DN) and this city a curse[h](DO) among all the nations of the earth.’”

The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord. But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded(DP) him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized(DQ) him and said, “You must die!(DR) Why do you prophesy in the Lord’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?”(DS) And all the people crowded(DT) around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

10 When the officials(DU) of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate(DV) of the Lord’s house. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death(DW) because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!”(DX)

12 Then Jeremiah said to all the officials(DY) and all the people: “The Lord sent me to prophesy(DZ) against this house and this city all the things you have heard.(EA) 13 Now reform(EB) your ways and your actions and obey(EC) the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent(ED) and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. 14 As for me, I am in your hands;(EE) do with me whatever you think is good and right. 15 Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood(EF) on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words(EG) in your hearing.”

16 Then the officials(EH) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man should not be sentenced to death!(EI) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”

17 Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, 18 “Micah(EJ) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“‘Zion(EK) will be plowed like a field,
    Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(EL)
    the temple hill(EM) a mound overgrown with thickets.’[i](EN)

19 “Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah(EO) fear the Lord and seek(EP) his favor? And did not the Lord relent,(EQ) so that he did not bring the disaster(ER) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster(ES) on ourselves!”

20 (Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim(ET) was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim(EU) and all his officers and officials(EV) heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death.(EW) But Uriah heard of it and fled(EX) in fear to Egypt. 22 King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan(EY) son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. 23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword(EZ) and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)(FA)

24 Furthermore, Ahikam(FB) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 25:9 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Jeremiah 25:12 Or Chaldeans
  3. Jeremiah 25:18 That is, their names to be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, to be seen by others as cursed
  4. Jeremiah 25:23 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
  5. Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon.
  6. Jeremiah 25:34 Septuagint; Hebrew fall and be shattered like fine pottery
  7. Jeremiah 25:38 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 46:16 and 50:16); most Hebrew manuscripts anger
  8. Jeremiah 26:6 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
  9. Jeremiah 26:18 Micah 3:12