Jeremiah 25:12 But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

Bible > Jeremiah > Chapter 25 > Verse 12

◄ Jeremiah 25:12 ►

New International Version
“But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the LORD, “and will make it desolate forever.

New Living Translation
“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the LORD. “I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.

English Standard Version
Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.

Berean Standard Bible
But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
‘Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the LORD; ‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation.

New American Standard Bible
‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their wrongdoing, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

NASB 1995
‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

NASB 1977
‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Then it will be when seventy years are fulfilled, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, even the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

Amplified Bible
‘Then when seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans (Babylonia),’ says the LORD, ‘for their wickedness, and will make the land [of the Chaldeans] a perpetual waste.

Christian Standard Bible
When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’—this is the LORD’s declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation—this is the LORD’s declaration— ‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.

American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever.

Contemporary English Version
When that time is up, I will punish the king of Babylonia and his people for everything they have done wrong, and I will turn that country into a wasteland forever.

English Revised Version
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 I will make it desolate for ever.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"When the 70 years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their crimes, declares the LORD. I will turn Babylon into a permanent wasteland.

Good News Translation
After that I will punish Babylonia and its king for their sin. I will destroy that country and leave it in ruins forever.

International Standard Version
Then when the seventy years have passed, I'll judge the king of Babylon and that nation, declares the LORD, I'll judge the land of the Chaldeans for their iniquity and I'll make it a desolation forever.

Majority Standard Bible
But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

NET Bible
"'But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon an everlasting ruin. I, the LORD, affirm it!

New Heart English Bible
It shall happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
“It will happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh, “for their iniquity. I will make the land of the Chaldeans desolate forever.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And it has come to pass, at the fullness of seventy years, I charge against the king of Babylon, and against that nation,” a declaration of YHWH, “their iniquity, and against the land of the Chaldeans, and have appointed it for continuous desolations.

Young's Literal Translation
'And it hath come to pass, at the fulness of seventy years, I charge against the king of Babylon, and against that nation -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- their iniquity, and against the land of the Chaldeans, and have appointed it for desolations age-during.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it was when seventy years were filled up, I will review over the king of Babel and upon this nation, says Jehovah, their iniquity, and upon the land of the Chaldeans, and I set it for eternal desolations.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the seventy years shall be expired, I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans: and I will make it perpetual desolations.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the seventy years have been completed, I will visit their iniquity upon the king of Babylon, and upon that nation, and upon the land of the Chaldeans, says the Lord. And I will set it in continual desolations.

New American Bible
but when the seventy years have elapsed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation and the land of the Chaldeans for their guilt—oracle of the LORD. Their land I will turn into everlasting waste.

New Revised Standard Version
Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, says the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And it shall come to pass when seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their iniquities, says the LORD; and also the land of the Chaldeans, I will make it a perpetual desolation.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And whenever he has finished seventy years, I shall adjudicate against the King of Babel and against his people their crimes, says LORD JEHOVAH, and against the land of the Chaldeans, and I shall make it a horror to eternity

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 I will make it perpetual desolations.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will take vengeance on that nation, and will make them a perpetual desolation.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Destruction of Babylon
12But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, 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 has prophesied against all the nations.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Daniel 5:26-28
And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. / TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. / PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”

Isaiah 13:19
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Isaiah 14:22-23
“I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD. / “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts.

Habakkuk 2:8
Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you—because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

Revelation 17:16-17
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. / For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Isaiah 47:1-3
“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. / Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.”

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Jeremiah 50:1-3
This is the word that the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans: / “Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’ / For a nation from the north will come against her; it will make her land a desolation. No one will live in it; both man and beast will flee.”

Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Isaiah 21:9
Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

Jeremiah 51:11
Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her, for it is the vengeance of the LORD—vengeance for His temple.

Revelation 16:19
The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.

Isaiah 45:1-2
This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: / “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

Jeremiah 50:9-10
For behold, I stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north. They will line up against her; from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. / Chaldea will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,” declares the LORD.

Treasury of Scripture

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

when.

Jeremiah 29:10
For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

2 Kings 24:1
In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

Ezra 1:1,2
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, …

that I.

Jeremiah 25:14
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.

Jeremiah 50:1
The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah 51:1
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

punish.

Jeremiah 23:2
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

perpetual.

Jeremiah 50:3,13,23,39,40,45
For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast…

Jeremiah 51:25,26,62-64
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain…

Isaiah 13:19
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Accomplished Age-During Appointed Babylon Chaldaeans Chaldeans Chalde'ans Charge Completed Declares Desolate Desolation Desolations Ended Everlasting Evil-Doing Forever Fulness Iniquity Making Nation Perpetual Punish Seventy Waste

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Jeremiah 25

1. Jeremiah, reproving the Jews' disobedience to the prophets,
8. foretells the seventy years' captivity;
12. and after that, the destruction of Babylon.
15. Under the type of a cup of wine he foreshows the destruction of all nations.
34. The howling of the shepherds.

Berean Study Bible

But when the seventy years are complete
The phrase "seventy years" is significant in biblical prophecy, representing a divinely appointed period of judgment and restoration. The Hebrew word for "seventy" (שִׁבְעִים, shiv'im) is often associated with completeness and fulfillment. This period refers to the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites, a time of exile and reflection. Historically, this aligns with the period from the first deportation in 605 BC to the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC allowing the Jews to return. The completion of these years signifies God's faithfulness to His promises and His control over history.

I will punish the king of Babylon
The Hebrew word for "punish" (פָּקַד, paqad) implies a visitation or an accounting. It is a reminder that God holds nations and leaders accountable for their actions. The "king of Babylon" refers to the rulers of the Babylonian Empire, notably Nebuchadnezzar and his successors. This punishment is not arbitrary but a response to their pride, idolatry, and oppression of God's people. It underscores the biblical principle that God is just and will not allow wickedness to go unpunished.

and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans
The "nation" and "land of the Chaldeans" refer to the Babylonian Empire, known for its wealth, power, and influence in the ancient Near East. The Chaldeans were a Semitic people who rose to prominence in Babylon. Archaeological findings, such as the ruins of Babylon, reveal the grandeur and eventual downfall of this empire. This phrase highlights the comprehensive nature of God's judgment, extending beyond individual leaders to the entire nation that participated in the iniquity.

for their iniquity
"Iniquity" (עָוֹן, avon) in Hebrew conveys a sense of moral perversity and guilt. The Babylonians were known for their idolatry, violence, and arrogance. This iniquity was not only against Israel but against God's holiness. The judgment upon Babylon serves as a warning to all nations about the consequences of sin and the importance of aligning with God's righteousness.

declares the LORD
This phrase emphasizes the authority and certainty of the prophecy. "LORD" (יהוה, Yahweh) is the covenant name of God, signifying His eternal, unchanging nature and His relationship with His people. When God declares something, it is as good as done. This assurance provides comfort to the faithful, knowing that God's word is reliable and His justice will prevail.

and I will make it a perpetual desolation
The term "perpetual desolation" (שְׁמָמָה עוֹלָם, shemamah olam) indicates a lasting ruin. Historically, Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC, and over time, it became a symbol of desolation. This fulfillment of prophecy serves as a testament to God's sovereignty and the transient nature of human empires. It also foreshadows the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom over all earthly powers. The desolation of Babylon is a powerful reminder of the consequences of defying God and the hope of restoration for those who trust in Him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) I will punish the king of Babylon . . .--The words are omitted in the LXX. version of the chapter, which differs materially from the Hebrew text, and there are some internal grounds for suspecting it to be a later addition, possibly from the hand of the prophet himself, or, more probably, from that of Baruch as collecting and editing his writings, or of some later transcriber. In Jeremiah 25:26, as commonly interpreted, there is a prediction of the destruction of the king of Babylon veiled in enigmatic language. That we can understand well enough, if it was meant only for the initiated, but it is not easy to see why the same prophetic discourse should contain both the veiled and the open prediction. On the relation of the LXX. version to the Hebrew, see Introduction.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 12-29. - The judgment upon Judah and the nations. Verse 12. - Perpetual desolations. Thus, too, we read in Isaiah 13:20, that Babylon "shall never be inhabited." There is a dispute between Dr. Keith and Dr. Kay on the one side, and rationalistic commentators (e.g. Kuenen) on the other, whether these prophecies have received a circumstantial fulfillment. The truth is that authorities are not entirely agreed on the area covered by the site of Babylon. General Chesney remarks that, so far from being uninhabited, "A town of considerable population, villages, date groves, and gardens, are found still on the very site of ancient Babylon" (extracts from a private letter in B. W. Newton's 'Babylon: its Revival and Final Desolation,' pp. 38-42). Similarly M. Menant, a veteran French Assyriologist, remarks that "Hillah, according to M. Oppert, was a quarter of Babylon, probably that which was inhabited by the working population, without the precincts of the royal palaces. Numberless traces of ancient habitations indicate this origin of the modern town" ('Babylone,' p. 177). Mr. George Smith, however, in his 'Assyrian Discoveries,' simply states that, "A little to the south rose the town of Hillah," apparently assuming (what is impossible to prove, as the walls of Babylon have not yet been discovered) that Hillah lay just outside the city enclosure. But even he adds that it was "built with the bricks found in the old capital," which is, strictly speaking, inconsistent with the absolute abandonment of the site of Babylon implied in Isaiah 13:20-22. The dispute is an unfortunate one, as it tacitly implies that circumstantial fulfillments are necessary to the veracity of prophecy. The truth seems to lie in the mean between two opposing views. As a rule, the details of a prophetic description cannot be pressed; they are mainly imaginative elaborations of a great central truth or fact. Occasionally, however, regarding the prophecies in the light of gospel times, it is almost impossible not to observe that "the Spirit of Christ which was in" the prophets (1 Peter 1:11) has overruled their expressions, so that they correspond more closely to facts than could have been reasonably anticipated. Such superabundant favors to believers in inspiration occur repeatedly in the prophecies respecting Christ. They may, of course, occur elsewhere for a sufficient reason, but we have no right to be surprised if we do not meet with them. The general truth of the prophecy is that the empire of Babylon shall fall forever. As Dr. Payne Smith remarks, it was practically the work of one man (Nebuchadnezzar), and after his death it only lasted for a few years, during which its history is a series of murders and usurpations.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

But when
וְהָיָ֣ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

seventy
שִׁבְעִ֣ים (šiḇ·‘îm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 7657: Seventy (a cardinal number)

years
שָׁנָ֡ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

are complete,
כִמְלֹ֣אות (ḵim·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

I will punish
אֶפְקֹ֣ד (’ep̄·qōḏ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Babylon
בָּבֶל֩ (bā·ḇel)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital city

and that
הַה֧וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

nation,
הַגּ֨וֹי (hag·gō·w)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

the land
אֶ֣רֶץ (’e·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of the Chaldeans,
כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים (kaś·dîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3778: Chaldeans -- a region of southern Babylon and its inhab

for their guilt,
עֲוֺנָ֖ם (‘ă·wō·nām)
Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity

declares
נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD,
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and I will make
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י (wə·śam·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

it
אֹת֖וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

an everlasting
עוֹלָֽם׃ (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

desolation.
לְשִֽׁמְמ֥וֹת (lə·šim·mō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 8077: Devastation, astonishment

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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 25:12 It shall happen when seventy years (Jer.)