Jeremiah, 25

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;

1. This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

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

2. And this word was transmitted by the prophet Jeremiah to all the people of Judah and to all the citizens of Jerusalem:

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

3. For twenty-three years, that is, from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon until today, the word of Yahweh has come to me and I have continuously spoken to you,

4. And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

4. but you would not listen. Besides Yahweh has sent his servants the prophets to you again and again, but you neither listened nor paid attention.

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

5. They said, 'Turn from your evil ways and repent of your wicked deeds that you may live in the land that Yahweh gave to you and your fathers forever 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 hurt.

6. Do not turn after other gods to serve and worship them. Do not provoke my anger with these things your own hands have made, and I will do you no harm.'

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.

7. But you refused to listen - it is Yahweh who speaks - and provoked my anger with these gods you yourselves have made to your own detriment.

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

8. That is why Yahweh God of hosts says to you: Since you have not listened to what I said,

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

9. I will summon all the clans of the north - it is Yahweh who speaks - and my steward Nebuchadnezzar will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy these people, making them desolate, an object of ridicule, an everlasting ruins.

10. 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 candle.

10. I will banish from them every sound of joy and happiness, the song of the bride and bridegroom, the noise of the mill and the light of the lamp.

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

11. All the land will be a ruin and a desolation and for seventy years these nations will serve the king of Babylon.

12. And it shall come to pass, when seventy 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 it perpetual desolations.

12. (But after seventy years I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their guilt - it is Yahweh who speaks - and I will make it forever desolate!)

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.

13. On this land I will now bring all that I foretold, all that is written in this book.

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

14. They will be subject to great nations and kings! I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands."

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

15. Yahweh, the God of Israel, instructed me, "Take from my hand this cup of wine and let all the nations to whom I send you drink from it.

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

16. They will drink and stagger and lose control of their minds before the sword I am sending 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:

17. So I took the cup from Yahweh's hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me drink from it:

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

18. to bring them in ruins, a desolation which is an object of ridicule and curses, as they are today.

19. Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;

19. Then I gave it to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to his ministers, his princes and all his people, to all the countries of the west,

20. And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,

20. to all the kings of Uz, to all the kings of the Philistines in Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and those left at Ashdod;

21. Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,

21. to all the people of Edom, Moab and Ammon;

22. And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which [are] beyond the sea,

22. all the kings of Tyre and Sidon: the kings of the coastlands across the sea;

23. Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all [that are] in the utmost corners,

23. Deda, Tama, Buz and

24. And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,

24. all the kings of Arabia and the kings of the west and the kings of those who live in the desert;

25. And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,

25. all the kings of Zimri, Elim and Media and

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

26. all the kings of the north, far and near, one after the other; all the kings that are found on the face of the earth! And after them the king of Babylon shall drink it!

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

27. You will say to them, "This is the message of Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel: 'Drink, get drunk, vomit, fall without raising again in front of the sword I am sending against 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 certainly drink.

28. But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, tell them, 'Yahweh the God of hosts has spoken: You also must drink.

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

29. When you see that I am punishing first the city where my Name rests, do you think you will be spared? No, you will not, for I am personally bringing down a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth - it is Yahweh God of hosts who speaks.'

30. Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth.

30. You will communicate all these words to them and say, "Yahweh roars on high and from his holy dwelling threatens all the inhabitants of the world. His mighty roar echoes to the farthest ends of the earth.

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

31. For Yahweh judges all the nations and passes sentence against all humankind, and he abandons the wicked to the sword - word of Yahweh."

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

32. Yahweh, God of hosts, says, "See, disaster spreads from nation to nation. A storm arises from the ends of the earth.

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

33. On that day Yahweh's victims will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. No one will mourn for them; no one will gather them up or bury them - they will be like dung on the soil!

34. Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves [in the ashes], ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

34. Howl, shepherds, and lament! Roll in the dust you leaders of flocks for the day of slaughter and dispersal has come for you and you will fall like fattened rams.

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

35. The shepherds will find no refuge and the leaders of the the flocks will not be able 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.

36. The shepherds cry out and the leaders of flocks wail,

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

37. for Yahweh lays waste the grasslands, and the pastures are silent because of the fury of Yahweh's anger.

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

38. Like a lion he leaves his lair; because of his fierce wrath the land has been stricken by the sword and has become a wasteland."