1This is the message that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, 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 people living in Jerusalem, saying:
3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah, Amon’s son, king of Judah, even until today—these twenty-three years—Yahweh’s message has come to me. I have spoken to you, getting up early to speak, but you have not listened.”
4“Yahweh has sent all his servants, the prophets, to you, getting up early to send them. But you have not listened, and you have not paid attention to hear.
5They said, “Everyone, turn now from your evil ways and from your evil actions. Live in the land that Yahweh gave to you and to your ancestors, from long ago and forever more.
6Don’t follow other gods to serve them or worship them. Don’t make me angry with the things you make with your hands, and I will not harm you.”
7“Yet you have not listened to me,” says Yahweh. “You provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, which only harms yourselves.”
8Therefore, Yahweh of Armies says: “Because you have not listened to my words,
9I will send and gather all the families from the north,” says Yahweh. “I will also send for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and bring them against this land, its people, and all these surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them, make them an object of horror and scorn, and turn them into permanent ruins.
10Moreover, I will take away from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bridegroom and the bride, the sound of millstones, and the light of the lamp.
11This entire land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.
12“When seventy years are finished, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” says Yahweh, “for their wrongdoing. I will make the land of the Chaldeans a permanent wasteland.
13I will bring upon that land all my words that I have spoken against it—everything written in this book—which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
14For many nations and mighty kings will make slaves of these people. I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
15For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to me: “Take this cup of the wine of my wrath from my hand and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.
16They will drink, stagger back and forth, and act like madmen, because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17So I took the cup from Yahweh’s hand and made all the nations to whom Yahweh had sent me drink:
18Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, its kings, and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of horror, scorn, and a curse, as it is today;
19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, and all his people;
20all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remaining people of Ashdod;
21Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
22all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the island across the sea;
23Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who shave the hair on their temples;
24all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed people who live in the desert;
25all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media;
26and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after another; and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. The king of Sheshach will drink after them.
27You must tell them, ‘Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Drink until you are drunk, vomit, fall down, and cannot get up again, because of the war I am sending among you.”’
28If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, then you must tell them, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “You will certainly drink.”
29“Look, I am starting to bring disaster on the city that bears my name. Should you go completely unpunished? You will not be unpunished. For I will call for a sword against everyone on earth,” says Yahweh of Armies.
30“Therefore, prophesy all these words against them and tell them: ‘Yahweh will roar from heaven and shout from his holy home. He will roar loudly against his flock. He will shout like those who crush grapes against everyone on earth.
31A noise will be heard even to the ends of the earth, for Yahweh has a dispute with the nations. He will judge everyone. As for the wicked, he will hand them over to the sword,’” says Yahweh.”
32Yahweh of Armies says, “Look, disaster will spread from nation to nation, and a great storm will rise from the farthest parts of the earth.”
33On that day, those killed by Yahweh will lie from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the ground.
34Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock, for your time of slaughter and scattering has fully come. You will fall like a precious vase.
35The shepherds will have no way to run, nor will the leaders of the flock escape.
36Hear the cry of the shepherds and the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for Yahweh is destroying their pasture.
37The peaceful sheepfolds are silent because of Yahweh’s fierce anger.
38He has left his hiding place like a lion, for their land has become a wasteland because of the severity of the oppression and because of his fierce anger.