Jeremiah 25
Legacy Standard Bible
Seventy Years of Captivity
25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the (A)fourth year of (B)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the (C)first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the (D)people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3 “From the (E)thirteenth year of (F)Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, [a]these (G)twenty-three years the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you, [b](H)rising up early and speaking, but you have not listened. 4 And Yahweh has sent to you all His (I)slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, 5 saying, ‘(J)Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the ground which Yahweh has given to you and your fathers (K)forever and ever; 6 and (L)do not walk after other gods to [c]serve them and to [d]worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will bring no evil against you.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares Yahweh, “in order that you might (M)provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own evil demise.
8 “Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Because you have not listened to My words, 9 behold, I will (N)send and take all the families of the north,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (O)My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations; and I will [e]devote them to destruction and (P)make them an object of horror and of hissing and an everlasting waste place. 10 Moreover, I will [f](Q)make the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the (R)sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp, to perish from them. 11 (S)This whole land will be a waste place and an object of horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon (T)seventy years.
Punishment Against Babylon
12 ‘Then it will be (U)when seventy years are fulfilled, that I will (V)punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, even the land of the Chaldeans; and (W)I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13 I will bring upon that land all My words which I have spoken against it, all that is written in (X)this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against (Y)all the nations. 14 —[g]For (Z)many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will (AA)repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands—’”
15 For thus Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this (AB)cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 They will (AC)drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17 Then I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and (AD)made all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me drink it: 18 (AE)Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a waste place, an object of horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 (AF)Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people, 20 and all the [h](AG)foreign people, all the kings of the (AH)land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the (AI)Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of (AJ)Ashdod), 21 (AK)Edom, (AL)Moab, and the sons of (AM)Ammon, 22 and all the kings of (AN)Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of (AO)the coastlands which are beyond the sea, 23 and (AP)Dedan, Tema, (AQ)Buz, and all who (AR)cut [i]the corners of their hair, 24 and all the kings of (AS)Arabia and all the kings of the [j](AT)foreign people who dwell in the desert, 25 and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of (AU)Elam, and all the kings of (AV)Media, 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and (AW)all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of [k](AX)Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “(AY)Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the (AZ)sword which I will send among you.”’ 28 And it will be, if they (BA)refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “(BB)You shall surely drink! 29 For behold, I am (BC)beginning to bring evil against this city which is (BD)called by My name. But shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment, for (BE)I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares Yahweh of hosts.’
30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them,
‘(BF)Yahweh will (BG)roar from on high
And give forth His voice from His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against His [l]pasture.
He will bellow a shout like those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A rumbling has come to the end of the earth
Because Yahweh has (BH)a contention against the nations.
He is entering into (BI)judgment with all flesh;
As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares Yahweh.”
32 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“Behold, evil is going forth
From (BJ)nation to nation,
And a great (BK)storm is being stirred up
From the remotest parts of the earth.
33 “Those (BL)slain by Yahweh on that day will be from one end of the earth to the [m]other. They will (BM)not be lamented, gathered, or buried; they will be like (BN)dung on the face of the ground.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out;
And (BO)roll yourselves in ashes, you masters of the flock;
For the days of your (BP)slaughter and your scatterings are being fulfilled,
And you will fall like a desirable vessel.
35 (BQ)Refuge will perish from the shepherds
And escape from the mighty ones of the flock.
36 Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds,
And the wailing of the mighty ones of the flock!
For Yahweh is destroying their pasture,
37 And the peaceful (BR)pastures are made silent
Because of the (BS)burning anger of Yahweh.
38 He has forsaken His hiding place (BT)like the lion;
For their land has become an object of horror
Because of the burning desire of [n]the oppressor
And because of His burning anger.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 25:3 Lit this
- Jeremiah 25:3 Lit I rise early
- Jeremiah 25:6 Or worship
- Jeremiah 25:6 Or bow down to
- Jeremiah 25:9 Or put them under the ban
- Jeremiah 25:10 Lit cause to perish
- Jeremiah 25:14 Or For they have served many nations and great kings
- Jeremiah 25:20 Or mixed multitude
- Jeremiah 25:23 Or fringes of the desert
- Jeremiah 25:24 Or mixed multitude
- Jeremiah 25:26 Cryptic name for Babylon
- Jeremiah 25:30 Or habitation
- Jeremiah 25:33 Lit other end of the earth
- Jeremiah 25:38 Lit the one who mistreats
Jeremiah 25
New International Version
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. 2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah(C) and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3 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)
4 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) 5 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. 6 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.”
7 “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.”
8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 9 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)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 25:9 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Jeremiah 25:12 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 25:18 That is, their names to be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, to be seen by others as cursed
- Jeremiah 25:23 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
- Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon.
- Jeremiah 25:34 Septuagint; Hebrew fall and be shattered like fine pottery
- Jeremiah 25:38 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 46:16 and 50:16); most Hebrew manuscripts anger
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