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Seventy Years of Servitude

25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,[a] “From the thirteenth year of Josiah, the son of Amon, the king of Judah, even up to this day, these twenty-three years[b] the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you over and over again,[c] but you have not listened. And though Yahweh has sent all his servants the prophets to you over and over again[d] you have not listened, and you have not inclined your ear to hear, saying,[e] ‘Turn back please, each one from his evil way, and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your ancestors[f] from a long time back and until forever, and you must not go after other gods to serve them, and to bow in worship to them, and you must not provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, then I will not do something bad to you.’ ‘Yet you have not listened to me,’ declares[g] Yahweh, ‘so that you[h] have provoked me to anger with the work of your hands for your own harm.’

Therefore[i] thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, look, I am going to send and take all the clans[j] of the north,’ declares[k] Yahweh, ‘and I will send[l] to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations all around, and I will destroy them, and I will make them a horror, and an object of hissing, and everlasting ruins.[m] 10 And I will exterminate from them the sound of jubilation, and the sound of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. 11 And all this land will become a site of ruins, a desolation, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.[n]

The Cup of Wrath

12 And then[o] when the seventy years[p] are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares[q] Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it an everlasting waste.[r] 13 And I will bring upon that land all my words that I have spoken against it, everything that is written in this scroll which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will let them work, even them, and I will repay them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.’” 15 For thus said Yahweh, the God of Israel, to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and you must give it to all the nations to whom I am sending you to drink. 16 And they will drink, and they will stagger, and they will act like madmen because of the presence[s] of the sword that I am sending among them.”

17 So I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and I gave it[t] to all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me to drink: 18 Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and its kings, and its officials, to make them a site of ruins, a horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and his servants, and his officials, and all his people; 20 and all the other[u] people; and all the kings of the land of Uz; and all the kings of the land of the Philistines—[v]Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; 21 Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites;[w] 22 and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland that is across the sea; 23 and Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all those who are trimmed to the side; 24 and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the other[x] people who dwell in the desert;[y] 25 and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, each one to his brother, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach, he will drink after them.

27 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink and become drunk, and vomit, and fall, and you must not rise because of the presence[z] of the sword that I am sending among you.”’ 28 And it will happen, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “You must certainly drink! 29 For look, on the city that is called by[aa] my name I am beginning to inflict harm, and you indeed, will you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares[ab] Yahweh of hosts.’

30 And you yourself shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them:

‘Yahweh will roar from on high,
    and from his holy dwelling place[ac] he will give his voice.
He will roar mightily against his settlement,
    a jubilant shout like those who tread grapes,
he will answer against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The rage of battle will resound to the end of the earth,
    for there is a lawsuit of Yahweh against the nations.
He is entering into judgment with all wicked flesh,
    he will give them to the sword,’ declares[ad] Yahweh.”

32 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,

“Look, disaster is going out from nation to nation,
    and a great tempest is stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.
33 And the slain ones of Yahweh will be on that day
    from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth,
and they will not be mourned,
    and they will not be gathered,
and they will not be buried.
    They will become like dung on the surface[ae] of the ground.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.
    And roll about in mourning in the dust, O leaders[af] of the flock.
For your days of slaughter and your dispersions have arrived,
    and you will fall like a vessel of desire.
35 And flight will perish from the shepherds,
    and escape from the leaders[ag] of the flock.
36 A sound, the cry of distress of the shepherds
    and the wailing of the leaders[ah] of the flock,
    for Yahweh is despoiling their pasture.
37 And the peaceful settlements[ai] are devastated
    because of the burning anger of Yahweh.[aj]
38 He has left his den like a lion,
    for their land has become a horror,
because of the anger of the oppressors,
    and because of his burning anger.”[ak]

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 25:2 Literally “to say”
  2. Jeremiah 25:3 Hebrew “year”
  3. Jeremiah 25:3 Literally “I have spoken to you doing early and speaking”
  4. Jeremiah 25:4 Literally “do early and sending”
  5. Jeremiah 25:5 Literally “to say”
  6. Jeremiah 25:5 Or “fathers”
  7. Jeremiah 25:7 Literally “a declaration of”
  8. Jeremiah 25:7 Hebrew “they”
  9. Jeremiah 25:8 Literally “To thus”
  10. Jeremiah 25:9 Or “families”
  11. Jeremiah 25:9 Literally “a declaration of”
  12. Jeremiah 25:9 Here the subject and verb are supplied from context in the English translation
  13. Jeremiah 25:9 Literally “sites of ruins of eternity”
  14. Jeremiah 25:11 Hebrew “year”
  15. Jeremiah 25:12 Literally “And it will happen”
  16. Jeremiah 25:12 Hebrew “year”
  17. Jeremiah 25:12 Literally “a declaration of”
  18. Jeremiah 25:12 Literally “a waste of eternity”
  19. Jeremiah 25:16 Literally “face”
  20. Jeremiah 25:17 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  21. Jeremiah 25:20 Or “foreign”
  22. Jeremiah 25:20 Hebrew “Philistine”
  23. Jeremiah 25:21 Literally “sons of Ammon”
  24. Jeremiah 25:24 Or “foreign”
  25. Jeremiah 25:24 Or “wilderness”
  26. Jeremiah 25:27 Literally “face”
  27. Jeremiah 25:29 Literally “on it”
  28. Jeremiah 25:29 Literally “a declaration of”
  29. Jeremiah 25:30 Literally “the dwelling place of his holiness”
  30. Jeremiah 25:31 Literally “a declaration of”
  31. Jeremiah 25:33 Literally “face”
  32. Jeremiah 25:34 Or “nobles”
  33. Jeremiah 25:35 Or “nobles”
  34. Jeremiah 25:36 Or “nobles”
  35. Jeremiah 25:37 Literally “settlements of the peace”
  36. Jeremiah 25:37 Literally “the blaze of the nose of Yahweh”
  37. Jeremiah 25:38 Literally “the blaze of his nose”

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)

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