Jeremiah 25:1-9

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.