The Seventy-Year Exile
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim25:1 2Kg 23:34–24:6; 2Ch 36:4–8; Jr 36:1 son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon).
2The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows:
3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,25:3 Jr 1:2 king of Judah, until this very day — twenty-three years — the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,25:3 Lit you; rising early and speaking25:3 2Ch 36:15; Jr 7:13,25; 11:7; 25:3; 26:5; 29:19; 32:33; 35:14,15; 44:4 but you have not obeyed.
4The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,25:4 Lit to you, rising early and sending but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.25:4 Lit even inclined your ear to hear25:4 Jr 7:25–26
7“‘But you have not obeyed me’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’
8“Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed my words,
9I am going to send for all the families of the north’25:9 Jr 1:13; 16:16; 43:10 — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘and send for my servant25:9 Is 45:1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror25:9 Jr 4:7; 18:16; 19:8 and scorn, and ruins forever.25:9 Dt 28:37; 2Ch 29:8; 30:7; Jr 5:30; 19:8; 25:18; 29:18; 42:18; 44:12,22; 49:17; 50:13; Mc 6:16; Zph 2:15
10I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them — the voice of the groom and the bride,25:10 Jr 7:34; 16:9; 33:11 the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
11This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.25:11 2Ch 36:21; Is 23:15; Jr 29:10; Dn 9:2; Zch 1:12; 7:5
12When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.25:12 Is 13:19
13I will bring on that land all my words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
The Cup of God’s Wrath
17So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink from it.
18Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an example for scorn and cursing — as it is today;
19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,
20and all the mixed peoples;
all the kings of the land of Uz;
all the kings of the land of the Philistines — Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
21Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
22all the kings of Tyre,
all the kings of Sidon,
and the kings of the coasts and islands;
24all the kings of Arabia,
and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;
25all the kings of Zimri,
all the kings of Elam,
and all the kings of Media;
26all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another;
that is, all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth.
Finally, the king of Sheshak25:26 = Babylon25:26 Jr 51:41 will drink after them.
27“Then you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink,25:27 Jr 25:16; Hab 2:16 get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.’
28If25:28 Or When they refuse to accept the cup from your hand and drink, you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: You must drink!
29For I am already bringing disaster25:29 2Sm 12:11; 1Kg 14:10; 21:21; 2Kg 22:16; 2Ch 34:24; Is 13:11; 31:2; Jr 4:6; 6:19; 11:23; 21:10; 23:12; 44:11; 45:5 on the city that bears my name,25:29 Dn 9:18 so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.’25:28–29 Jr 49:12–13
Judgment on the Whole World
30“As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them:
The Lord roars from on high;
he makes his voice heard from his holy dwelling.25:30 Dt 26:15; 2Ch 30:27; Jb 37:4; Ps 76:2; Hs 11:10; Jl 3:16; Am 1:2; 3:8
He roars loudly over his grazing land;
he calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth
He enters into judgment with all humanity.25:31 Is 66:16
As for the wicked, he hands them over to the sword —
this is the Lord’s declaration.
32“This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Pay attention! Disaster spreads
from nation to nation.
A huge storm is stirred up
34Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.
you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.
35Flight will be impossible for the shepherds,
and escape, for the leaders of the flock.
36Hear the sound of the shepherds’ cry,
the wail of the leaders of the flock,
for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
37Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless
38He has left his den like a lion,
for their land has become a desolation
because of the sword25:38 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg; other Hb mss read burning of the oppressor,25:38 Jr 46:16
because of his burning anger.
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