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Seventy Years in Babylon

25 A message from the Lord about all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was the king of Judah. It was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. Jeremiah, the Lord’s prophet, spoke to all the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He said, “For 23 years the Lord’s messages have been coming to me. They began to come in the 13th year that Josiah was king of Judah. He was the son of Amon. The Lord’s messages still come to me today. I’ve spoken to you people again and again. But you haven’t listened to me.

“The Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you. They’ve come to you again and again. But you haven’t listened. You haven’t paid any attention to them. They said, ‘Each of you must turn from your evil ways and practices. Then you can stay in the land forever. It’s the land the Lord gave you and your people of long ago. Don’t follow other gods. Don’t serve them or worship them. Don’t make the Lord angry with the gods your own hands have made. Then he won’t harm you.’

“ ‘But you did not listen to me,’ announces the Lord. ‘You have made me very angry with the gods your hands have made. And you have brought harm on yourselves.’

“The Lord who rules over all says, ‘You have not listened to my words. So I will send for all the nations in the north. And I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,’ announces the Lord. ‘I will bring all of them against this land and against you who live here. They will march out against all the nations that are around this land. I will set apart Judah and the nations around it in a special way to be destroyed. People will be shocked because of them. And they will make fun of them. Those nations will be destroyed forever. 10 I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. I will put an end to the voices of brides and grooms. The sound of grinding millstones will not be heard anymore. And lamps will not be lit anymore. 11 This whole country will become dry and empty. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.

12 “ ‘But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do this when the 70 years are over,’ announces the Lord. ‘I will make that land a desert forever. 13 I have spoken against that land. And I will make all these things happen to it. Everything will happen that is written in this book. And I will make everything Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations come true. 14 The people of Babylon will become slaves of many other nations and great kings. I will pay them back for what they have done.’ ”

The Cup of God’s Great Anger

15 The Lord is the God of Israel. He said to me, “Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my great anger. Make all the nations to which I send you drink it. 16 When they drink it, they will not even be able to walk straight. It will drive them out of their minds. I am going to send war against them.” 17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand. I made all the nations to which he sent me drink from it.

18 He sent me to Judah’s kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would use their name in a curse. And that’s how things still are today.

19 Here is a list of the other kings and nations he sent me to.

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt

his attendants, his officials, all his people

20 all the people from other lands who lived there

all the kings of Uz

the Philistine kings of Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron

the Philistines still living in Ashdod

21 Edom, Moab, Ammon

22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon

the kings of the islands and other lands along the Mediterranean Sea

23 Dedan, Teman, Buz

all the other places far away in the east

24 all the kings of Arabia

all the other kings of people who live in the desert

25 all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media

26 all the kings in the north, near and far

So he sent me to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth, one after the other. They will all drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger. After they drink, the king of Babylon will drink from it too.

27 The Lord says, “Tell them, ‘The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Drink from this cup. Get drunk and throw up. Fall down and do not get up again. I am going to send war against you.” ’ 28 But they might refuse to take the cup from your hand. They might not want to drink from it. Then tell them, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “You must drink from it! 29 I am beginning to bring trouble on the city where I have put my Name. You might think you will not be punished. But you will certainly be punished. I am sending war against everyone who lives on earth,” announces the Lord who rules over all.’

30 “Jeremiah, prophesy against them. Tell them,

“ ‘The Lord will roar from heaven like a lion.
    His voice will sound like thunder
    from his holy temple there.
He will roar loudly against his land.
    He will shout like those who stomp on grapes in winepresses.
    He will shout against everyone who lives on earth.
31 The noise of battle will be heard
    from one end of the earth to the other.
    That’s because the Lord will bring charges against the nations.
He will judge every human being.
    He will kill sinful people with his sword,’ ”
    announces the Lord.

32 The Lord who rules over all says,

“Look! Horrible trouble is spreading
    from one nation to another.
A mighty storm is rising.
    It is coming from a place
    that is very far away.”

33 At that time those the Lord kills will be lying around everywhere. They will be found from one end of the earth to the other. No one will mourn for them. Their dead bodies will not be gathered up or buried. Instead, they will be like human waste lying there on the ground.

34 Weep and cry, you shepherds.
    Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
Your time to be killed has come.
    You will fall like the best of the rams.
35 The shepherds won’t have any place to run to.
    The leaders of the flock won’t be able to escape.
36 Listen to the cries of the shepherds.
    Hear the weeping of the leaders of the flock.
    The Lord is destroying their grasslands.
37 Their peaceful meadows will be completely destroyed
    because of the Lord’s great anger.
38 Like a lion he will leave his den.
    The land of those leaders will become a desert.
That’s because the sword of the Lord brings great harm.
    His anger will burn against them.

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