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 (this 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:
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 LORD’s word 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 or 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 forever more.
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.
Don’t go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don’t provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; then 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 the LORD of Armies says: “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.
behold, 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. 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 will be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations will 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 will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says the LORD, “for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans 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 book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
For many nations and great kings will make bondservants of them, even of them. I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.”
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.
They will drink, and reel back and forth, and be insane, because of the sword that I will send amongst them.”
Then I took 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, with its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is today;
Pharaoh king of Egypt, with his servants, his princes, and all his people;
and all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
Edom, Moab, and the children of Ammon;
and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;
Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who have the corners of their beard cut off;
and all the kings of Arabia, all the kings of the mixed people who dwell in the wilderness;
and all the kings of Zimri, 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. The king of Sheshach will drink after them.
“You shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Drink, and be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send amongst you.”’
It shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies says: “You shall surely drink.
For, behold, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should you be utterly unpunished? You will not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth, says the LORD of Armies.”’
“Therefore prophesy 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 will come even to the end of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with the nations. He will enter into judgement with all flesh. As for the wicked, he will give them to the sword,”’ says the LORD.”
The LORD of Armies says, “Behold, evil will go out from nation to nation, and a great storm will be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth.”
The slain of the LORD will be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They won’t be lamented. They won’t be gathered or buried. They will be dung on the surface of the ground.
34 THE PROPHECIES OF JEREMIAS AGAINST THE NATIONS OF AeLAM.
Wail, you shepherds, and cry. Wallow in dust, you leader of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you will fall like fine pottery.
35 Thus says the Lord, The bow of Aelam is broken, [even] the chief of their power.
The shepherds will have no way to flee. The leader of the flock will have no 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 leader of the flock, for the LORD destroys 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 peaceful 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 fierceness of the oppression, 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.
