< Jeremias 25 >
1 THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAS concerning all the people of Juda in the fourth year of Joakim, son of Josias, king of Juda;
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (the same was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),
2 which he spoke to all the people of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:
3 In the thirteenth year of Josias, son of Amos, king of Juda, even until this day for three and twenty years, I have both spoken to you, rising early and speaking,
"From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; but you have not listened.
4 and I sent to you my servants the prophets, sending them early; (but you listened not, and listened not with your ears; ) saying,
The LORD has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them (but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear)
5 Turn you every one from his evil way, and from your evil practices, and you shall dwell in the land which I gave to you and your fathers, of old and for ever.
saying, 'Return now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forevermore;
6 Go you not after strange gods, to serve them, and to worship them, that you provoke me not by the works of your hands, to do you hurt.
and do not go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and do not provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no harm.
7 But you listened not to me.
Yet you have not listened to me,' says the LORD; 'that you may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt.'
8 Therefore thus says the Lord; Since you believed not my words,
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Because you have not heard my words,
9 behold I [will] send and take a family from the north, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants of it, and against all the nations round about it, and I will make them utterly waste, and make them a desolation, and a hissing, and an everlasting reproach.
look, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the LORD, 'and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
10 And I will destroy from [amongst] them the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the scent of ointment, and the light of a candle.
Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, 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 the land shall be a desolation; and they shall serve amongst the Gentiles seventy years.
This whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 And when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will take vengeance on that nation, and will make them a perpetual desolation.
It shall happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever.
13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have spoken against it, [even] all things that are written in this book.
I will bring on that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this scroll, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
For many nations and great kings shall make bondservants of them, even of them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.'"
For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to me: "Take this cup of the wine of wrath at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
They shall drink, and reel back and forth, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them."
Then took I the cup at the LORD's hand, and made all the nations to drink, to whom the LORD had sent me:
Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and its kings, and its officials, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;
Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his officials, and all his people;
and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of the Uz, and all the kings of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
Edom, and Moab, and the people of Ammon;
and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;
Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all who have the corners of their beard cut off;
and all the kings of Arabia, [and all the kings of the mixed people] who dwell in the wilderness;
and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;
and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the surface of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
"You shall tell them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Drink, and be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you."'
It shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall tell them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall surely drink.
For, look, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,"' says the LORD of hosts.
Therefore prophesy you against them all these words, and tell them, 'The LORD will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he will mightily roar against his fold; he will give a shout, as those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
A noise shall come even to the remotest parts of the earth; for the LORD brings charges against the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword,' says the LORD.
'Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Look, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great storm shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth.'
The slain of the LORD shall be on that day from all areas of the earth. They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground.
34 THE PROPHECIES OF JEREMIAS AGAINST THE NATIONS OF AeLAM.
Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow in dust, you principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and you shall fall like a goodly vessel.
35 Thus says the Lord, The bow of Aelam is broken, [even] the chief of their power.
The shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.
36 And I will bring upon Aelam the four winds from the four corners of heaven, and I will disperse them towards all these winds; and there shall be no nation [to] which they shall not come—[even] the outcasts of Aelam.
A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the principal of the flock. For the LORD lays waste their pasture.
37 And I will put them in fear before their enemies that seek their life; and I will bring evils upon them according to my great anger; and I will send forth my sword after them, until I have utterly destroyed them.
The peaceable folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 And I will set my throne in Aelam, and will send forth thence king and rulers.
He has left his covert, as the lion; for their land has become an astonishment, because of the sword of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger."
39 But it shall come to pass at the end of days, that I will turn the captivity of Aelam, says the Lord.