Jeremiah 25:15-38

New International Version

The Cup of God’s Wrath

¹⁵This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup^(A) filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send^(B) you drink it. ¹⁶When they drink^(C) it, they will stagger^(D) and go mad^(E) because of the sword^(F) I will send among them.”

¹⁷So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent^(G) me drink it: ¹⁸Jerusalem^(H) and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin^(I) and an object of horror and scorn,^(J) a curse^[a]^(K)—as they are today;^(L) ¹⁹Pharaoh king^(M) of Egypt,^(N) his attendants, his officials and all his people, ²⁰and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz;^(O) all the kings of the Philistines^(P) (those of Ashkelon,^(Q) Gaza,^(R) Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); ²¹Edom,^(S) Moab^(T) and Ammon;^(U) ²²all the kings of Tyre^(V) and Sidon;^(W) the kings of the coastlands^(X) across the sea; ²³Dedan,^(Y) Tema,^(Z) Buz^(AA) and all who are in distant places^[b];^(AB) ²⁴all the kings of Arabia^(AC) and all the kings of the foreign people^(AD) who live in the wilderness; ²⁵all the kings of Zimri,^(AE) Elam^(AF) and Media;^(AG) ²⁶and all the kings of the north,^(AH) near and far, one after the other—all the kingdoms^(AI) on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak^[c]^(AJ) will drink it too.

²⁷“Then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk^(AK) and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword^(AL) I will send among you.’ ²⁸But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink^(AM), tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: You must drink it! ²⁹See, I am beginning to bring disaster^(AN) on the city that bears my Name,^(AO) and will you indeed go unpunished?^(AP) You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword^(AQ) on all^(AR) who live on the earth,^(AS) declares the Lord Almighty.’

³⁰“Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:

“‘The Lord will roar^(AT) from on high;
    he will thunder^(AU) from his holy dwelling^(AV)
    and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread^(AW) the grapes,
    shout against all who live on the earth.
³¹The tumult^(AX) will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord will bring charges^(AY) against the nations;
he will bring judgment^(AZ) on all^(BA) mankind
    and put the wicked to the sword,^(BB)’”
declares the Lord.

³²This is what the Lord Almighty says:

“Look! Disaster^(BC) is spreading
from nation to nation;^(BD)
a mighty storm^(BE) is rising
from the ends of the earth.”^(BF)

³³At that time those slain^(BG) by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered^(BH) up or buried,^(BI) but will be like dung lying on the ground.

³⁴Weep and wail, you shepherds;^(BJ)
    roll^(BK) in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered^(BL) has come;
    you will fall like the best of the rams.^[d]^(BM)
³⁵The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
    the leaders of the flock no place to escape.^(BN)
³⁶Hear the cry^(BO) of the shepherds,^(BP)
    the wailing of the leaders of the flock,
    for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
³⁷The peaceful meadows will be laid waste
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
³⁸Like a lion^(BQ) he will leave his lair,
    and their land will become desolate^(BR)
because of the sword^[e] of the oppressor^(BS)
    and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.^(BT)

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 25:18 That is, their names to be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, to be seen by others as cursed
Jeremiah 25:23 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon.
Jeremiah 25:34 Septuagint; Hebrew fall and be shattered like fine pottery
Jeremiah 25:38 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 46:16 and 50:16); most Hebrew manuscripts anger