The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 25 -

The word that came to Ieremiah, concerning all the people of Iudah in the fourth yeere of Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah that was in the first yeere of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel:

The which Ieremiah the Prophet spake vnto all the people of Iudah, and to all the inhabitants of Ierusalem, saying,

From the thirteenth yeere of Iosiah the sonne of Amon King of Iudah, euen vnto this day (that is the three and twentieth yeere) the word of the Lord hath come vnto mee, and I haue spoken vnto you rising earely and speaking, but ye woulde not heare.

And the Lord hath sent vnto you all his seruantes the Prophets, rising early and sending them, but yee would not heare, nor encline your eares to obey.

They sayde, Turne againe now euery one from his euill way, and from the wickednes of your inuentions, and ye shall dwell in the lande that the Lord hath giuen vnto you, and to your fathers for euer and euer.

And go not after other gods to serue them and to worshippe them, and prouoke me not to anger with the workes of your hands, and I will not punish you.

Neuerthelesse ye would not heare me, saith the Lord, but haue prouoked mee to anger with the workes of your hands to your owne hurt.

Therefore thus saith the Lord of hostes, Because ye haue not heard my wordes,

Beholde, I will send and take to mee all the families of the North, saith the Lord, and Nebuchad-nezzar the King of Babel my seruant, and will bring them against this lande, and against the inhabitantes thereof, and against all these nations rounde about, and will destroy them, and make them an astonishment and an hissing, and a continuall desolation.

Moreouer I will take from them the voyce of mirth and the voyce of gladnesse, the voyce of the bridegrome and the voyce of the bride, the noise of the milstones, and the light of the candle.

And this whole land shalbe desolate, and an astonishment, and these nations shall serue the King of Babel seuentie yeeres.

And when the seuentie yeres are accomplished, I will visite the King of Babel and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquities, euen the land of the Caldeans, and will make it a perpetuall desolation,

And I will bring vpon that lande all my wordes which I haue pronounced against it, euen all that is written in this booke, which Ieremiah hath prophecied against all nations.

For many nations, and great Kings shall euen serue themselues of them: thus will I recompense them according to their deedes, and according to the workes of their owne handes.

The Cup of God’s Wrath

For thus hath the Lord God of Israel spoken vnto me, Take the cuppe of wine of this mine indignation at mine hand, and cause all the nations, to whome I sende thee, to drinke it.

And they shall drinke, and be moued and be mad, because of the sworde that I will sende among them.

Then tooke I the cup at the Lordes hand, and made all people to drinke, vnto whome the Lord had sent me:

Euen Ierusalem, and the cities of Iudah, and the Kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them desolate, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse, as appeareth this day:

Pharaoh also, King of Egypt, and his seruants, and his princes, and all his people:

And all sortes of people, and all the Kings of the lande of Vz: and all the Kings of the lande of the Philistims, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod:

Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites,

And all the Kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the Kings of the Yles, that are beyonde the Sea,

And Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that dwell in the vttermost corners,

And all the Kings of Arabia, and all the Kings of Arabia, that dwell in the desert,

And all the Kings of Zimri, and all the Kings of Elam, and all the Kings of the Medes,

And all the Kings of the North, farre and neere one to another, and all the kingdomes of the worlde, which are vpon the earth, and the king of Sheshach shall drinke after them.

Therefore say thou vnto them, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Drinke and bee drunken, and spewe and fall, and rise no more, because of the sworde, which I will sende among you.

But if they refuse to take the cuppe at thine hande to drinke, then tell them, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Ye shall certainely drinke.

For loe, I beginne to plague the citie, where my Name is called vpon, and shoulde you goe free? Ye shall not goe quite: for I will call for a sword vpon al the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hostes.

Therefore prophecie thou against them al these words, and say vnto them, The Lord shall roare from aboue, and thrust out his voyce from his holy habitation: he shall roare vpon his habitation, and crie aloude, as they that presse the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

The sounde shall come to the endes of the earth: for the Lord hath a controuersie with the nations, and will enter into iudgement with all flesh, and he will giue them that are wicked, to the sworde, saith the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord of hostes, Behold, a plague shall goe foorth from nation to nation, and a great whirlewinde shalbe raised vp from the coastes of the earth,

And the slaine of the Lord shall be at that day, from one ende of the earth, euen vnto the other ende of the earth: they shall not bee mourned, neither gathered nor buried, but shalbe as the dongue vpon the grounde.

The Cry of the Shepherds

Howle, ye shepherdes, and crie, and wallowe your selues in the ashes, ye principall of the flocke: for your dayes of slaughter are accomplished, and of your dispersion, and ye shall fall like precious vessels.

And the flight shall faile from the shepherdes, and the escaping from the principall of the flocke.

A voyce of the crye of the shepherdes, and an howling of the principall of the flocke shalbe heard: for the Lord hath destroyed their pasture.

And the best pastures are destroyed because of the wrath and indignation of the Lord.

He hath forsaken his couert, as the lyon: for their land is waste, because of the wrath of the oppressor, and because of ye wrath of his indignatio.

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),

which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

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.

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),

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.

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.”

“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.”

Therefore the LORD of Armies says: “Because you have not heard my words,

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.

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.

This whole land will be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

“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.

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.”

The Cup of God’s Wrath

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 among 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 among 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 judgment 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.

The Cry of the Shepherds

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.

The shepherds will have no way to flee. The leader of the flock will have no escape.

A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the leader of the flock, for the LORD destroys their pasture.

The peaceful folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

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.