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1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 2 Jeremiah the prophet spoke it to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, these twenty-three years, the word of the LORD has come to me. I have spoken to you early and persistently, but you have not listened. 4 The LORD has sent you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened or inclined your ears to hear. 5 They said, ‘Turn back, each of you, from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell in the land the LORD gave you and your ancestors, from ages past to ages to come. 6 Do not follow other gods to serve them and bow down to them; do not provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, provoking me to anger with the work of your hands, to your own harm.
8 Therefore this is what the LORD of hosts says: Because you have not listened to my words, 9 look, I will send for all the clans of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant. I will bring them against this land, its inhabitants, and all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them a horror, an object of hissing, and everlasting ruins. 10 I will banish from them the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land will become a ruin and a desolation, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. 12 When seventy years are complete, declares the LORD, I will punish the king of Babylon, that nation, and the land of the Chaldeans for their iniquity, and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13 I will bring upon that land all the words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will also enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
15 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, 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 it. 16 They will drink, stagger, and go mad because of the sword I am sending among them.” 17 So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin, a horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as they are this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, and all his people; 20 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; 21 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who clip the hair at their temples; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed peoples who live in the wilderness; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media; 26 all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world on the surface of the earth. The king of Sheshach will drink after them. 27 “Tell them: This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk, vomit, fall, and do not rise, because of the sword I am sending among you.
28 If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them: This is what the LORD of hosts says: You will surely drink! 29 For look, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my name, and will you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.
30 You are to prophesy all these words against them and tell them:
The LORD will roar from on high and raise his voice from his holy dwelling.
He will roar mightily against his fold;
like those treading grapes, he will give a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The uproar reaches the ends of the earth, for the LORD has a case against the nations;
he will enter into judgment with all flesh.
He will give the wicked over to the sword, declares the LORD.
32 This is what the LORD of hosts says: Look, disaster is going out from nation to nation, and a great storm is being stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.
33 On that day those slain by the LORD will lie from one end of the earth to the other.
They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried;
they will be like dung on the surface of the ground.
34 Wail, shepherds, and cry out!
Wallow, leaders of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and scattering have come.
You will fall like a precious vessel.
35 The shepherds will have no way to flee, and the leaders of the flock no escape.
36 Listen to the cry of the shepherds and the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is devastating their pasture.
37 The peaceful pastures are laid waste because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 Like a lion he has left his lair, for their land has become a desolation because of the fury of the oppressor and because of his fierce anger.”