Seventy Years of Captivity

1This is the word that came to Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed) concerning all the people of Judah (praised) in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (YHWH raises up) son of Josiah (whom YHWH heals) king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar (may Nebo protect the crown) king of Babylon (confusion by mixing). 2So the prophet Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed) spoke to all the people of Judah (praised) and all the residents of Jerusalem (city of peace) as follows:

3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah (whom YHWH heals) son of Amon (skilled workman) king of Judah (praised) until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the LORD {YHWH} has come to me, and I have spoken to you⁺ again and again \I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking,/,a but you⁺ have not listened. 4And the LORD {YHWH} has sent all His servants the prophets to you⁺ again and again \to you, rising up early and sending them,/,b 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 the LORD has given {YHWH} 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 the LORD {YHWH}, ‘so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your⁺ hands.’

8Therefore this is what the LORD {YHWH} of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD {YHWH}, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar (may Nebo protect the crown) king of Babylon (confusion by mixing), whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction {cherem}c 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 Babylon (confusion by mixing) for seventy years.

12But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon (confusion by mixing) and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans (the Babylonians),d for their guilt, declares the LORD {YHWH}, 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 Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed) 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.’”

The Cup of God’s Wrath

15This is what the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles 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 the LORD’s {YHWH} hand and made all the nations drink from it, each one to whom the LORD had sent me, 18to make them a ruin, an object of horror and contempt and cursing, as they are to this day—Jerusalem (city of peace) and the cities of Judah (praised), its kings and officials; 19Pharaoh (great house) king of Egypt (land of bondage), his officials, his leaders, and all his people; 20all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Uz (wooded); all the kings of the Philistines (immigrants): Ashkelon (the fire of infamy), Gaza (the strong), Ekron (torn up by the roots), and the remnant of Ashdod (powerful); 21Edom (red), Moab (of his father), and the Ammonites (tribal); 22all the kings of Tyre (a rock) and Sidon (hunting); the kings of the coastlands across the sea; 23Dedan (low country), Tema (desert), Buz (contempt), and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; 25all the kings of Zimri (my music), Elam (eternity), and Media (middle land); 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 (Sheshach)e will drink it too.

27“Then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD {YHWH} of Hosts, the God {Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles 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 the LORD {YHWH} 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 the LORD {YHWH} of Hosts.’

30So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them:

‘The LORD {YHWH} will roar from on high;

He will raise His voice from His holy 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 the LORD {YHWH} brings a charge against the nations.

He brings judgment on all mankind

and puts the wicked to the sword,’”

declares the LORD.

32This is what the LORD {YHWH} 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 the LORD {YHWH} 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.

The Cry of the Shepherds

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 [you will fall like the best of the rams].f

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 the LORD {YHWH} is destroying their pasture.

37The peaceful meadows have been silenced

because of the LORD’s {YHWH} burning anger.

38He has left His den like a lion,

for their land has been made a desolation

by the sword [anger]g of the oppressor,

and because of the fierce anger of the LORD.