Jeremiah prophesies God's judgment upon Judah for their persistent disobedience and idolatry over twenty-three years. He declares that Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, will be God's servant to bring desolation upon Judah and surrounding nations for seventy years. After this period, Babylon itself will face perpetual desolation for its iniquity.
¶ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.
And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.
They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:
Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
Moreover 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 candle.
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.
And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.
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.
¶ For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;
And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,
And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
¶ Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.
He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
Study Notes for Jeremiah 25
Verse 1
This prophecy is dated to 605 BC, immediately following the Battle of Carchemish and marking the effective beginning of Nebuchadrezzar’s rise to power and the shift to Babylonian dominance.
Verse 3
Jeremiah’s ministry spanned 23 years (from 627 BC to 605 BC). This long period highlights God’s patience and the persistent refusal of Judah to heed the prophetic warnings.
Verse 5
The core message of the prophets was always repentance and a return to the covenant relationship, which would guarantee their continued security in the promised land.
Verse 9
Nebuchadrezzar is shockingly called 'my servant.' This title emphasizes God’s absolute sovereignty, confirming that the pagan Babylonian king is merely an instrument used by Yahweh to execute divine judgment.
Verse 10
This verse describes the complete cessation of normal life, joy, commerce, and domesticity—a total cultural collapse resulting from the invasion.
Verse 11
The famous prophecy of 'seventy years' defines the length of the Babylonian exile. This period ran from the initial deportations (c. 605 BC) until the return under Cyrus (538 BC), providing the exiles with a specific timeline for hope.
Verse 12
God promises that Babylon, the agent of judgment, will itself be punished when the seventy years are complete. This demonstrates that God holds even the most powerful nations accountable for their wickedness.
Verse 13
The phrase 'all that is written in this book' likely refers to the collection of prophecies concerning foreign nations (found primarily in chapters 46–51), indicating that these oracles were already being compiled.
Verse 15
The 'wine cup of fury' is a common prophetic metaphor for divine judgment, signifying a deadly draught that causes nations to stagger, lose control, and fall under God’s wrath.
Verse 18
Jerusalem and Judah are listed first, confirming that God’s judgment begins with His own people before extending to the surrounding world (cf. 1 Peter 4:17).
Verse 26
The list includes nations from all directions, symbolizing universal judgment. 'Sheshach' is a cryptographic name for Babylon, likely used to disguise the prophecy for political safety (using the Atbash cipher).
Verse 29
This verse states the theological principle that if God judges the city bearing His name (Jerusalem), then the wicked nations of the world have no hope of escaping judgment.
Verse 30
The image of the LORD roaring (like a lion) from His holy habitation signifies the sudden, terrifying, and inescapable activation of divine judgment upon the whole earth.
Verse 31
The LORD is presented as the supreme judge who has a 'controversy' (a legal dispute or lawsuit) against all humanity due to their wickedness.
Verse 33
The scope of the destruction is universal ('one end of the earth even unto the other'). The lack of burial was considered a profound curse and dishonor in the ancient Near East.
Verse 34
The 'shepherds' are the rulers, kings, and political leaders of the nations who will be destroyed. They are addressed here in bitter sarcasm, urged to howl over their impending doom.
Verse 38
God leaving His 'covert' (or lair) like a lion signifies that He is emerging from His sanctuary to execute judgment openly and fiercely against His enemies.
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