Jeremiah 25

Prophecy of the Captivity

1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the 1fourth year of 2Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the 3first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the 4people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3“From the 5thirteenth year of 6Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, 7these 8twenty-three years the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you 910again and again, but you have not listened. 4And the Lord has sent to you all His 11servants the prophets 12again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, 5saying, ‘13Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the Lord has given to you and your forefathers 14forever and ever; 6and 15do not go after other gods to 16serve them and to 17worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’ 7Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares the Lord, “in order that you might 18provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

8“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9behold, I will 19send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, 20My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will 21utterly destroy them and 22make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10Moreover, I will 2324take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the 25sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 1126This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon 27seventy years.

Babylon Will Be Judged

12‘Then it will be 28when seventy years are completed I will 29punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and 30I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in 31this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against 32all the nations. 14(33For 34many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will 35recompense them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’”

15For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this 36cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16They will 37drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”

17Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and 38made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 1839Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day; 1940Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes and all his people; 20and all the 4142foreign people, all the kings of the 43land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the 44Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of 45Ashdod); 2146Edom, 47Moab and the sons of 48Ammon; 22and all the kings of 49Tyre, all the kings of Sidon and the kings of 50the coastlands which are beyond the sea; 23and 51Dedan, Tema, 52Buz and all who 53cut the corners of their hair; 24and all the kings of 54Arabia and all the kings of the 5556foreign people who dwell in the desert; 25and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of 57Elam and all the kings of 58Media; 26and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and 59all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of 6061Sheshach shall drink after them.

27“You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “62Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the 63sword which I will send among you.”’ 28And it will be, if they 64refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “65You shall surely drink! 29For behold, I am 66beginning to work calamity in this city which is 67called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for 68I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares the Lord of hosts.’

30“Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them, ‘The 69Lord will 70roar from on high And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His 71fold. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.31A clamor has come to the end of the earth, Because the Lord has 72a controversy with the nations. He is entering into 73judgment with all flesh; As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares the Lord.”

32Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, evil is going forth From 74nation to nation, And a great 75storm is being stirred up From the remotest parts of the earth.

33“Those 76slain by the Lord on that day will be from one end of the earth to the 77other. They will 78not be lamented, gathered or buried; they will be like 79dung on the face of the ground.34Wail, you shepherds, and cry; And 80wallow in ashes, you masters of the flock; For the days of your 81slaughter and your dispersions 82have come, And you will fall like a choice vessel.3583Flight will perish from the shepherds, And escape from the masters of the flock.36Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds, And the wailing of the masters of the flock! For the Lord is destroying their pasture,37And the peaceful 8485folds are made silent Because of the 86fierce anger of the Lord.38He has left His hiding place 87like the lion; For their land has become a horror Because of the fierceness of the 88oppressing sword And because of His fierce anger.”