Jeremiah 25
Open in the reader1This is the word that came to He-Who-Is-Will-Rise concerning all the people of Praised in the fourth year of He-Who-Is-Raises-Up son of He-Who-Is-Establishes king of Praised, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Confusion.
2So the prophet He-Who-Is-Will-Rise spoke to all the people of Praised and all the residents of Foundation-of-Peace as follows:
3“From the thirteenth year of He-Who-Is-Establishes son of Faithful king of Praised until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of He-Who-Is has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
4And He-Who-Is has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear.
5The prophets told you, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and deeds, and you can dwell in the land that He-Who-Is has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.
6Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’
7‘But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,’ declares He-Who-Is, ‘so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your hands.’
8Therefore this is what He-Who-Is of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words,
9behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares He-Who-Is, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Confusion, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.
10Moreover, I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.
11And this whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Confusion for seventy years.
12But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Confusion and that nation, the land of the Kasdites, for their guilt, declares He-Who-Is, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.
13I will bring upon that land all the words I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which He-Who-Is-Will-Rise has prophesied against all the nations.
14For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.’”
15This is what He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God, said to me: “Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it.
16And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17So I took the cup from He-Who-Is’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, each one to whom He-Who-Is had sent me,
18to make them a ruin, an object of horror and contempt and cursing, as they are to this day—Foundation-of-Peace and the cities of Praised, its kings and officials;
19Pharaoh king of Two-Straits, his officials, his leaders, and all his people;
20all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Consultation; all the kings of the Philistines: Market-Place, Stronghold, Uprooting, and the remnant of Ravager;
21Red, From-the-Father, and the children of Kindred;
22all the kings of The-Rock and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the Sea;
23Dedan, Tema, Contempt, and all who cut the corners of their hair;
24all the kings of Desert-Land, and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert;
25all the kings of My-Song, Elam, and Media;
26all the kings of the north, both near and far, one after another—all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too.
27“Then you are to tell them that this is what He-Who-Is of Hosts, the God of Strives-with-God, says: ‘Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, because of the sword I will send among you.’
28If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, you are to tell them that this is what He-Who-Is of Hosts says: ‘You most certainly must drink it!
29For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares He-Who-Is of Hosts.’
30So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘He-Who-Is will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His devoted habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because He-Who-Is brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’” declares He-Who-Is.
32This is what He-Who-Is of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”
33Those slain by He-Who-Is on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground.
34Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For the days of your slaughter have come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.
35Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock.
36Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for He-Who-Is is destroying their pasture.
37The peaceful meadows have been silenced because of He-Who-Is’s burning anger.
38He has left His den like a lion, for their land has been made a desolation by the sword of the oppressor, and because of the fierce anger of He-Who-Is.