THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 25 ©

The prophet, by God’s command, sets before the eyes of the people his own and the other prophets’ constant and continual ministry in exhorting them to repentance, and on the contrary their continual disobedience, v. 1, etc. Wherefore God will punish them (as also other nations) by the king of Babel, with seventy years of bondage, 8. But then he will also recompense the king of Babel according to his deserts, and according to these prophecies, 12. A confirmation of these prophecies by a vision concerning the cup of God’s wrath, of which the nations must by turns drink round, 15. A representation of the terribleness of these punishments, 30.

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, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

2

The 1which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

3

From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, 2that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, 3rising early and speaking; but ye have not 4hearkened.

4

And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, 5rising earlya and sending them; but ye have notb hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

5

They said, Turnc ye again now every one from his evil 6way, and from the evil of your doings, and 7dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

6

And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no 8hurt.

7

Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

8

¶Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,

9

Behold, I will 9send and take all the 10families of the north, saith the LORD, and 11Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my 12servant, and will bring them 13against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly 14destroy them, and make them an 15astonishment, and an hissing,d and 16perpetual desolations.

10

Moreover I will take from them thee17voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the 18millstones, and the light of the 19candle.

11

And this whole land shall be a desolation, and 20an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

12

¶And it shall come to pass, when seventyf years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make 21it 22perpetual desolations.

13

And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

14

For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves 23ofg them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

15

¶For thus 24saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take 25the wineh cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

16

And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the 26sword that I will send among them.

17

Then took I the cup at the LORD's hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:

18

To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a 27desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; 28as it is this day;

19

29Pharaoh king of Egypt,i and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;

20

And all the 30mingled people, and all the kings of the land of 31Uz, and all the 32kings of the land of the Philistines,j and 33Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the 34remnant of Ashdod,

21

35Edom,k and 36Moab,l and the 37children of Ammon,m

22

And all the 38kings of Tyrus,n and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the 39isles which are beyond the sea,

23

40Dedan,o and Tema, and 41Buz, and all that are in the utmost 42corners,p

24

43And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the 44mingledq people that dwell in the 45desert,

25

And all the kings of 46Zimri, and all the kings of 47Elam,r and all the kings of the Medes,

26

And all the kings of the north, far and near, 48one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of 49Sheshach shall drink after them.

27

Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; 50Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, 51and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.

28

And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall 52certainly drink.

29

For, lo, I begin 53to bring evil on the 54citys which is called 55by my name, and should ye be 56utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will 57call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

30

Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall 58roart from on high, and 59utter his voice from his holy 60habitation; he shall 61mightily roar 62upon his habitation; he shall give a 63shout, as they 64that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

31

65A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a 66controversy with the nations, he will 67plead with all 68flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

32

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, 69evil shall go forth 70from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts 71of the earth.

33

And the slain of the 72LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented,u neither 73gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

34

¶Howl,v ye 74shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves 75in the ashes, ye 76principal of the flock: for the 77days of your 78slaughterw and of your 79dispersionsx are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a 80pleasant vessel.

35

And the shepherds shall 81have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

36

A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.

37

And the peaceable 82habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

38

83He hath forsaken his 84covert, as the lion: 85for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the 86oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.