Jeremiah 25
Christian Standard Bible
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(A) 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,(B) 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,[a](C) but you have not obeyed. 4 The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,[b] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.[c](D) 5 He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds.(E) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.(F) 6 Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them,(G) and do not anger me by the work of your hands.(H) 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’(I)—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant(J) 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(K) and scorn, and ruins forever.(L) 10 I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,(M) 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.(N) 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.(O) 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.’”(P)
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.(Q) 16 They will drink, stagger,[d] and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.”(R)
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;[e](S)
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,(U) get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.’ 28 If[g] 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(V) on the city that bears my name,(W) 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.’(X)
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.(Y)
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(Z) the nations.
He enters into judgment with all humanity.(AA)
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.”(AB)
33 Those slain by the Lord(AC) on that day will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned,(AD) gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the soil’s surface.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.
Roll in the dust,(AE) you leaders of the flock.
Because the days of your slaughter have come,(AF)
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.(AG)
38 He has left his den like a lion,
for their land has become a desolation
because of the sword[h] of the oppressor,(AH)
because of his burning anger.
Jeremiah 25
Common English Bible
A summary of Jeremiah’s message
25 Jeremiah received the Lord’s word concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Judah’s King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son. This was the first year of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. 2 The prophet Jeremiah addressed all the people of Judah and all those living in Jerusalem. 3 From the thirteenth year of Judah’s King Josiah, Amon’s son, to this very day—twenty-three years—the Lord’s word has come to me. I have delivered it to you repeatedly, although you wouldn’t listen. 4 In fact, the Lord has tirelessly sent you all his servants, the prophets, but you wouldn’t listen or pay attention. 5 They said, “Each one of you, turn from your evil ways and deeds and live in the fertile land that the Lord gave you and your ancestors for all time. 6 Don’t follow or worship other gods and don’t anger me by what you make with your hands. Then I won’t bring disaster upon you.” 7 But you wouldn’t listen to me, making me angry by what you do and bringing disaster upon yourselves, declares the Lord.
8 Therefore, this is what the Lord of heavenly forces says: Because you haven’t listened to my words, 9 I am going to muster all the tribes of the north and my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, declares the Lord, and I will bring them against this country and its residents as well as against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and will make them an object of horror, shock, and ruins for all time. 10 I will silence the sounds of joy and laughter and the voices of the bride and the bridegroom. Yes, I will silence the millstones and snuff out the lamplight. 11 This whole country will be reduced to a wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. 12 When the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their wrongdoing, declares the Lord. I will reduce the land of the Babylonians to a wasteland for all time. 13 I will unleash upon that land everything I decreed, all that is written in this scroll, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 Yes, many great nations and powerful kings will enslave them, and I will pay them back in full for what they have done and made with their hands.
15 This is what the Lord, God of Israel, said to me: Take this seething cup of wine from my hand and make all the nations gulp it down where I’m sending you. 16 They will drink and stagger about half-crazed because of the sword that I am sending against them.
17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and I made all the nations drink from it where the Lord had sent me: 18 Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials. This was to make them a wasteland, an object of horror, shock, and cursing, as it is today; 19 Pharaoh, Egypt’s king, his attendants and officials, and all his people, 20 including the foreigners[a] living there; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what’s left of Ashdod; 21 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites; 22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who cut the hair of their foreheads;[b] 24 all the kings of Arabia and the nomadic tribes,[c] 25 all the kings of Zimri,[d] Elam, and Media; 26 all the kings of the north, those nearby and those faraway, one after another, all the empires on the earth will drink from this cup.[e] And after them the king of Sheshach[f] will drink from it.
27 Then say to them: The Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Drink this seething cup of wine and get drunk. Vomit and collapse and don’t get up again because of the sword that I’m thrusting into you. 28 If they refuse to take the cup in your hand and drink from it, tell them: This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says: You must drink! 29 Look! I’m bringing disaster upon the city that bears my name; how then will you escape unpunished? You will not! I’m summoning the sword against everyone on earth, declares the Lord of heavenly forces.
30 Now prophesy all these things and say to them:
The Lord roars on high;
from his holy place he thunders.
He roars fiercely against his flock,
like the shouting of those who tread on grapes,
against everyone on earth.
31 The uproar is heard far and wide,
because the Lord is bringing a lawsuit against the nations.
He’s entering into judgment with all people,
sentencing the guilty to death,
declares the Lord.
32 The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
Look! Disaster travels from nation to nation.
A terrible storm comes from the far ends of the earth.
33 At that time, those struck down by the Lord will fill the earth. And no one will mourn for them or prepare their bodies for burial. They will become like refuse lying on the ground.
34 Wail, you shepherds, cry out.
Roll in the dust, you masters of the flock!
The day of your slaughter has arrived.
You will fall and shatter like a fragile vase.
35 The shepherds have no place to hide;
the masters of the flock can’t escape.
36 Hear the cry of the shepherds
and the sobbing of the masters of the flock,
because the Lord is ravaging their pasture.
37 There’s an eerie silence in the peaceful meadows,
because of the Lord’s fierce anger.
38 The lion is on the prowl,
and the land is reduced to nothing,
because of the fierce sword,[g]
because of his fierce anger.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 25:20 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 25:23 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 25:24 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 25:25 Heb uncertain
- Jeremiah 25:26 Heb lacks will drink from this cup.
- Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a name for Babylon.
- Jeremiah 25:38 LXX, Heb manuscripts; Heb uncertain
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