Jeremiah 25

1. 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. It was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon;

2. The word which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the people of Jerusalem, saying,

3. “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even to this day, that is the twenty-third year, the Word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you, speaking again and again. But you have not hearkened.

4. And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets, again and again and sending them again and again; but you have not hearkened nor bowed down your ear to hear.

5. They all said, ‘Turn again now, each one 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 forever and ever.

6. And do not go after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no harm.’ ”

7. “Yet you have not hearkened to Me,” says the LORD, “so that you might provoke Me with the works of your hands, to your own hurt.

8. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Because you have not heard My words,

9. Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the LORD, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and will bring them against this land, and against its people, and against all these nations all around you. And I will completely destroy them, and make them a waste, and a hissing, and everlasting ruins.

10. And I will take away from them the voice of rejoicing 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 candle.

11. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment. And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12. And it shall be, when seventy years are fulfilled I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, and the land of the Chaldeans,’ says the LORD, ‘for their iniquity, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

13. And I will bring on that land all My words which I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

14. For many nations and great kings shall make them slaves, also. And I will repay them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.’ ”

15. For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to me, “Take the wine cup of this wrath at My hand, and cause all the nations to whom I shall send you to drink it.

16. And they shall drink, and reel to and fro, and be crazed because of the sword that I will send among them.”

17. Then I took the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the LORD had sent me.

18. Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and their kings, and their rulers, to make them a desolation and an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, (as it is today),

19. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and his servants, and his rulers, and all his people,

20. And all the mixed people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the rest of Ashdod;

21. Edom, and Moab, and the sons of Ammon,

22. And all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isles beyond the sea,

23. Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the uppermost corners.

24. And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed people who dwell in the desert,

25. And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,

26. And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

27. “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink and be drunk, and vomit, and fall, and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.” ‘

28. And it shall come to pass if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “You shall certainly drink.

29. For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by My name; and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished. For I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the LORD of hosts.’

30. And prophesy against them all these words, and say to them, ‘The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation. He shall mightily roar over His dwelling place. He shall give a shout, like those who tread out grapes, against all the people of the earth.

31. A noise shall come to the ends of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the LORD.”

32. Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be stirred up from the farthest corners of the earth.

33. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth; they shall not be mourned, nor gathered, nor buried. They shall be as dung on the ground.

34. Howl, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, you lords of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and of your scatterings are fulfilled; and you shall fall like a choice vessel.

35. And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the lords of the flock to escape.

36. A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and a howling of the lords of the flock shall be heard; for the LORD has spoiled their pasture.

37. And the peaceful pastures are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

38. Like the lion, He has left His den; for their land is wasted because of the fierceness of the oppressing sword, and because of His fierce anger.”