Jeremiah 25 - New International Version (NIV)

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. ² So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah^(C) and to all those living in Jerusalem: ³ 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)

⁴ 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) 5} 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. ⁶ 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.”

⁷ “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.”

⁸ Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹ 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

Cross references

1. Jeremiah 25:1 : S 2Ki 24:2
2. Jeremiah 25:1 : S 2Ki 24:1
3. Jeremiah 25:2 : Jer 18:11
4. Jeremiah 25:3 : S 1Ch 3:14
5. Jeremiah 25:3 : Jer 11:7; 26:5
6. Jeremiah 25:3 : S Isa 65:12; S Jer 7:26
7. Jeremiah 25:4 : Jer 6:17; S 7:25; 29:19
8. Jeremiah 25:4 : S Jer 7:26; 34:14; 44:5
9. Jeremiah 25:5 : S Jdg 6:8; S 2Ch 7:14; S 30:9; S Jer 23:22
10. Jeremiah 25:5 : S Ge 12:7; S Dt 4:40
11. Jeremiah 25:6 : S Ex 20:3; S Dt 8:19
12. Jeremiah 25:7 : Jer 30:14; 32:35; 44:5
13. Jeremiah 25:7 : Dt 32:21
14. Jeremiah 25:7 : 2Ki 17:20; 21:15
15. Jeremiah 25:9 : Isa 13:3-5
16. Jeremiah 25:9 : S Isa 14:31
17. Jeremiah 25:9 : S Isa 41:2; Jer 27:6
18. Jeremiah 25:9 : S 2Ch 36:6
19. Jeremiah 25:9 : S Nu 21:2
20. Jeremiah 25:9 : S 2Ch 29:8
21. Jeremiah 25:9 : S Jer 19:8; S 20:4; Eze 12:20
22. Jeremiah 25:10 : S Isa 24:8; Eze 26:13
23. Jeremiah 25:10 : Jer 7:34; 33:11
24. Jeremiah 25:10 : Ecc 12:3-4
25. Jeremiah 25:10 : S Job 18:5; La 5:15; Rev 18:22-23
26. Jeremiah 25:11 : S Lev 26:31, 32; Jer 4:26-27; 12:11-12
27. Jeremiah 25:11 : Jer 28:14
28. Jeremiah 25:11 : S 2Ch 36:21
29. Jeremiah 25:12 : Jer 27:7; 29:10
30. Jeremiah 25:12 : S Ge 10:10; S Ps 137:8
31. Jeremiah 25:12 : S Isa 13:19-22; 14:22-23
32. Jeremiah 25:13 : S Isa 30:8
33. Jeremiah 25:14 : Isa 14:6; Jer 27:7
34. Jeremiah 25:14 : Jer 50:9; 51:27-28
35. Jeremiah 25:14 : S Dt 32:41; S Job 21:19; S Jer 51:6
36. Jeremiah 25:15 : S Isa 51:17; Jer 49:12; La 4:21; Eze 23:31; Rev 14:10
37. Jeremiah 25:15 : Jer 1:5
38. Jeremiah 25:16 : ver 26
39. Jeremiah 25:16 : S Ps 60:3
40. Jeremiah 25:16 : Jer 51:7
41. Jeremiah 25:16 : ver 27-29
42. Jeremiah 25:17 : Jer 1:10; 27:3
43. Jeremiah 25:18 : S Jer 13:13
44. Jeremiah 25:18 : S Job 12:19
45. Jeremiah 25:18 : S 2Ch 29:8
46. Jeremiah 25:18 : S Jer 24:9
47. Jeremiah 25:18 : S Ge 19:13; Jer 44:22
48. Jeremiah 25:19 : S 2Ki 18:21
49. Jeremiah 25:19 : Isa 19:1; 20:3; Jer 44:30; Eze 29:2
50. Jeremiah 25:20 : S Ge 10:23
51. Jeremiah 25:20 : S Jos 13:3; S 2Ch 26:6; S 28:18; Zep 2:4-7
52. Jeremiah 25:20 : Jer 47:5; Am 1:7-8
53. Jeremiah 25:20 : S Ge 10:19
54. Jeremiah 25:21 : S Ge 25:30
55. Jeremiah 25:21 : S Ge 19:37; S Dt 23:6
56. Jeremiah 25:21 : S Ge 19:38; Jer 27:3; 49:1
57. Jeremiah 25:22 : S Jos 19:29
58. Jeremiah 25:22 : S Ge 10:15
59. Jeremiah 25:22 : Isa 11:11; 48:20; 66:20; Jer 31:10; Eze 27:15; 39:6; Da 11:18
60. Jeremiah 25:23 : S Ge 25:3
61. Jeremiah 25:23 : S Ge 25:15
62. Jeremiah 25:23 : S Ge 22:21
63. Jeremiah 25:23 : Jer 9:26; 49:32
64. Jeremiah 25:24 : S 2Ch 9:14
65. Jeremiah 25:24 : ver 20
66. Jeremiah 25:25 : Ge 25:2
67. Jeremiah 25:25 : S Ge 10:22
68. Jeremiah 25:25 : S Isa 21:2
69. Jeremiah 25:26 : ver 9; Jer 50:3, 9; 51:11, 48
70. Jeremiah 25:26 : Isa 23:17
71. Jeremiah 25:26 : Jer 51:41
72. Jeremiah 25:27 : ver 16, 28; S Isa 29:9; S 49:26; Jer 51:57; Eze 23:32-34; Na 3:18; Hab 2:16
73. Jeremiah 25:27 : S Jer 12:12; Eze 14:17; 21:4
74. Jeremiah 25:28 : S Isa 51:23
75. Jeremiah 25:29 : S 2Sa 5:7; Isa 10:12; Jer 13:12-14; 39:1
76. Jeremiah 25:29 : S Dt 28:10; S Isa 37:17
77. Jeremiah 25:29 : S Pr 11:31
78. Jeremiah 25:29 : ver 27
79. Jeremiah 25:29 : ver 30-31; Isa 34:2
80. Jeremiah 25:29 : S Isa 24:1
81. Jeremiah 25:30 : Isa 16:10; S 42:13
82. Jeremiah 25:30 : S Ps 46:6
83. Jeremiah 25:30 : S Ps 68:5
84. Jeremiah 25:30 : Isa 63:3; Joel 3:13; Rev 14:19-20
85. Jeremiah 25:31 : Jer 23:19
86. Jeremiah 25:31 : S Jer 2:9
87. Jeremiah 25:31 : S 1Sa 12:7; S Jer 2:35; S Eze 36:5
88. Jeremiah 25:31 : S ver 29
89. Jeremiah 25:31 : S Jer 15:9
90. Jeremiah 25:32 : S Isa 30:25
91. Jeremiah 25:32 : Isa 34:2
92. Jeremiah 25:32 : S Jer 23:19
93. Jeremiah 25:32 : S Dt 28:49
94. Jeremiah 25:33 : Isa 66:16; Eze 39:17-20
95. Jeremiah 25:33 : S Jer 8:2
96. Jeremiah 25:33 : S Ps 79:3
97. Jeremiah 25:34 : S Jer 2:8; Zec 10:3
98. Jeremiah 25:34 : S Jer 6:26
99. Jeremiah 25:34 : S Ps 44:22; S Isa 34:6; Jer 50:27; 51:40; Zec 11:4, 7
100. Jeremiah 25:34 : S Jer 22:28
101. Jeremiah 25:35 : S Job 11:20
102. Jeremiah 25:36 : S Jer 6:26
103. Jeremiah 25:36 : S Jer 23:1; Zec 11:3
104. Jeremiah 25:38 : S Job 10:16; S Jer 4:7
105. Jeremiah 25:38 : Jer 44:22
106. Jeremiah 25:38 : Jer 46:16; 50:16
107. Jeremiah 25:38 : S Ex 15:7; S Jer 4:26