Jeremiah 25NKJV
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Jeremiah25

New King James Version

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

2which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:

3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened.

4And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.

5They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.

6Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’

7Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

8“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words,

9behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ says the Lord, ‘and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

10Moreover 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 lamp.

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

12‘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.

13So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations.

14(For many nations and great kings shall be served by them also; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)’ ”

15For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.

16And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”

17Then I took the cup from the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the Lord had sent me:

18Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;

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

20all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod);

21Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon;

22all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea;

23Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners;

24all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert;

25all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;

26all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

27“Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.” ’

28And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “You shall certainly drink!

29For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the Lord of hosts.’

30“Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: ‘The Lord will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.

31A noise will come to the ends of the earth— For the Lord has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the Lord.”

32Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth.

33And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.

34“Wail, shepherds, and cry! Roll about in the ashes, You leaders of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled; You shall fall like a precious vessel.

35And the shepherds will have no way to flee, Nor the leaders of the flock to escape.

36A voice of the cry of the shepherds, And a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard. For the Lord has plundered their pasture,

37And the peaceful dwellings are cut down Because of the fierce anger of the Lord.

38He has left His lair like the lion; For their land is desolate Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, And because of His fierce anger.”

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 25.

Full AI study →

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The Jews rebuked for not obeying calls to repentance. (1-7). Their captivity during seventy years is expressly foretold. (8-14). Desolations upon the nations shown by the emblem of a cup of wrath. (15-29). The judgments again declared. (30-38).

vv1-7

The call to turn from evil ways to the worship and service of God, and for sinners to trust in Christ, and partake of his salvation, concerns all men. God keeps an account how long we possess the means of grace; and the longer we have them, the heavier will our account be if we have not improved them. Rising early, points out the earnest desire that this people should turn and live. Personal and particular reformation must be insisted on as necessary to a national deliverance; and every one must turn from his own evil way. Yet all was to no purpose. They would not take the right and only method to turn away the wrath of God.

vv8-14

The fixing of the time during which the Jewish captivity should last, would not only confirm the prophecy, but also comfort the people of God, and encourage faith and prayer. The ruin of Babylon is foretold: the rod will be thrown into the fire when the correcting work is done. When the set time to favour Zion is come, Babylon shall be punished for their iniquity, as other nations have been punished for their sins. Every threatening of the Scripture will certainly be accomplished.

vv15-29

The evil and the good events of life are often represented in Scripture as cups. Under this figure is represented the desolation then coming upon that part of the world, of which Nebuchadnezzar, who had just began to reign and act, was to be the instrument; but this destroying sword would come from the hand of God. The desolations the sword should make in all these kingdoms, are represented by the consequences of excessive drinking. This may make us loathe the sin of drunkenness, that the consequences of it are used to set forth such a woful condition. Drunkenness deprives men of the use of their reason, makes men as mad. It takes from them the valuable blessing, health; and is a sin which is its own punishment. This may also make us dread the judgments of war. It soon fills a nation with confusion. They will refuse to take the cup at thy hand. They will not believe Jeremiah; but he must tell them it is the word of the Lord of hosts, and it is in vain for them to struggle against Almighty power. And if God's judgments begin with backsliding professors, let not the wicked expect to escape.

Cross References

Jeremiah 25
v11Jeremiah 29:10thematic

Explicitly parallel confirmation of the seventy-year duration of the Babylonian captivity.

Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB

v112 Chronicles 36:21fulfillment

Historical fulfillment of the seventy-year desolation, connected to Sabbath land rests.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v11Daniel 9:2thematic

Daniel explicitly calculates the end of the desolations based on Jeremiah's seventy-year prophecy.

Supported by JFB

v10Jeremiah 7:34thematic

Verbal parallel regarding the removal of the voice of mirth, gladness, bridegroom, and bride.

Supported by JFB

v11Jeremiah 27:7thematic

Confirms nations serving Nebuchadnezzar, his son, and his grandson until Babylon's time comes.

Supported by JFB

v15Psalms 75:8thematic

Metaphor of the cup of God's red wine and mixture of fury poured out.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v291 Peter 4:17thematic

Judgment beginning at the house of God (Jerusalem) before reaching the ungodly nations.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v3Jeremiah 7:13thematic

Identical idiomatic expression of God speaking to Israel, rising up early and speaking.

Supported by JFB

Parallels God sending messengers early because He had compassion on His dwelling place.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v9Jeremiah 27:6thematic

Explicit designation of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, as God's servant.

Supported by JFB

v9Isaiah 44:28thematic

Parallels a pagan ruler (Cyrus) being called God's shepherd/servant to execute His counsel.

Supported by JFB

v12Ezra 1:1fulfillment

Cyrus's decree fulfilling the word spoken by Jeremiah concerning the end of captivity.

Supported by JFB

v30Joel 3:16thematic

The Lord roaring from Zion and uttering His voice from Jerusalem in judgment.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v7Proverbs 8:36thematic

Theological principle that those who sin against God wrong and hurt their own souls.

Supported by JFB

v10Revelation 18:23allusion

New Testament description of Babylon's fall echoing the loss of bridegroom, bride, and candle.

Supported by JFB