Jeremiah 25 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

This is the message that came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah — which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

This is what Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem:

"For twenty-three years — from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, all the way to today — Yahweh's word has been coming to me. And I have spoken to you, again and again, over and over — but you have not listened."

"And Yahweh sent all his servants the prophets to you — sent them again and again — but you did not listen. You did not even pay attention."

"They said, 'Turn back — each of you — from your destructive ways and your corrupt actions, and you can stay in the land that Yahweh gave to you and your ancestors, forever and always.'"

"'Don't chase after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. Don't provoke me with the things your hands have made — and then I won't bring disaster on you.'"

"'But you did not listen to me,' declares Yahweh, 'and you provoked me with the things your hands made — bringing disaster on yourselves.'"

So this is what Yahweh of Armies says: "Because you have not listened to my words — "

" — watch: I am going to summon all the peoples of the north," declares Yahweh, "and I am sending for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will bring them against this land, against everyone living in it, and against all these surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror, of mockery — a permanent wasteland."

"I will take away from them every sound of celebration and joy, the voices of the bride and groom, the grinding of the millstone and the light of the lamp."

"This whole land will become a ruined wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years."

"But when the seventy years are up, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their guilt," declares Yahweh. "I will punish the land of the Chaldeans and turn it into a permanent wasteland."

"I will bring on that land everything I have spoken against it — everything written in this scroll, everything Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations."

"For many nations and powerful kings will enslave them too, and I will pay them back for what they have done — for all the damage their hands have caused."

This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take this cup of wine — this cup of fury — from my hand. Make all the nations I send you to drink from it."

"They will drink it and stagger and lose their minds because of the war I am sending among them."

So I took the cup from Yahweh's hand and made all the nations drink from it — every nation Yahweh sent me to:

Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials — to make them a ruin, an object of horror, of mockery, and a curse. And so it is today.

Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officials, his leaders, and all his people;

all the foreign peoples living there; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the Philistine territory — Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod;

Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;

all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; all the kings of the coastland across the sea;

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who shave the corners of their hair;

all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed peoples who live in the desert;

all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media;

and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after another — every kingdom on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink too.

"Then tell them, 'This is what Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink! Get drunk and vomit! Fall down and never get up again — because of the war I am sending among you.'"

"And if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, tell them, 'This is what Yahweh of Armies says: You WILL drink it.'"

"'Look — I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears my name. And you think you'll somehow escape punishment? You will not escape. I am calling down war on everyone living on earth,' declares Yahweh of Armies."

"Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: Yahweh roars from on high, thunders from where he lives — set apart, unlike any other. He roars over his land, shouts like those who tread grapes — a war cry against everyone on earth."

"The uproar reaches the ends of the earth — because Yahweh has a case against the nations. He is bringing all of humanity to trial. The corrupt? Handed over to the sword," declares Yahweh.

This is what Yahweh of Armies says: "Watch — disaster is spreading from nation to nation. A massive storm is rising from the far corners of the earth."

"On that day, those killed by Yahweh will lie scattered from one end of the earth to the other. No one will mourn for them, no one will gather them, no one will bury them. They will be like dung spread on the ground."

Wail, you shepherds — cry out! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! Your time for slaughter has come. You will fall and shatter like a fine clay jar.

There will be nowhere to run for the shepherds, no escape for the leaders of the flock.

Listen — the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock! Yahweh is destroying their pasture.

The peaceful meadows are silenced by Yahweh's burning anger.

He has left his den like a lion. Their land has become a wasteland because of the fury of the oppressor, because of Yahweh's burning anger.