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v1
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon,
v2
which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ^[Literally “to say”]
v3
“From the thirteenth year of Josiah, the son of Amon, the king of Judah, even up to this day, these twenty-three years ^[Hebrew “year”] the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you over and over again, ^[Literally “I have spoken to you doing early and speaking”] but you have not listened.
v4
And though Yahweh has sent all his servants the prophets to you over and over again ^[Literally “do early and sending”] you have not listened, and you have not inclined your ear to hear,
v5
saying, ^[Literally “to say”] ‘Turn back please, each one from his evil way, and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your ancestors ^[Or “fathers”] from a long time back and until forever,
v6
and you must not go after other gods to serve them, and to bow in worship to them, and you must not provoke me to anger with the work of your hands, then I will not do something bad to you.‘
v7
‘Yet you have not listened to me,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh, ‘so that you ^[Hebrew “they”] have provoked me to anger with the work of your hands for your own harm.‘
v8
Therefore ^[Literally “To thus”] thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed my words,
v9
look, I am going to send and take all the clans ^[Or “families”] of the north,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh, ‘and I will send ^[Here the subject and verb are supplied from context in the English translation] to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations all around, and I will destroy them, and I will make them a horror, and an object of hissing, and everlasting ruins. ^[Literally “sites of ruins of eternity”]
v10
And I will exterminate from them the sound of jubilation, and the sound of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.
v11
And all this land will become a site of ruins, a desolation, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ^[Hebrew “year”]
v12
And then ^[Literally “And it will happen”] when the seventy years ^[Hebrew “year”] are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and I will make it an everlasting waste. ^[Literally “a waste of eternity”]
v13
And I will bring upon that land all my words that I have spoken against it, everything that is written in this scroll which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
v14
For many nations and great kings will let them work, even them, and I will repay them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.‘“
v15
For thus said Yahweh, the God of Israel, to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and you must give it to all the nations to whom I am sending you to drink.
v16
And they will drink, and they will stagger, and they will act like madmen because of the presence ^[Literally “face”] of the sword that I am sending among them.”
v17
So I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and I gave it ^[Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation] to all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me to drink:
v18
Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and its kings, and its officials, to make them a site of ruins, a horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;
v19
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and his servants, and his officials, and all his people;
v20
and all the other ^[Or “foreign”] people; and all the kings of the land of Uz; and all the kings of the land of the Philistines— ^[Hebrew “Philistine”]Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
v21
Edom, and Moab, and the Ammonites; ^[Literally “sons of Ammon”]
v22
and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastland that is across the sea;
v23
and Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all those who are trimmed to the side;
v24
and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the other ^[Or “foreign”] people who dwell in the desert; ^[Or “wilderness”]
v25
and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media;
v26
and all the kings of the north, near and far, each one to his brother, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach, he will drink after them.
v27
“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink and become drunk, and vomit, and fall, and you must not rise because of the presence ^[Literally “face”] of the sword that I am sending among you.“‘
v28
And it will happen, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “You must certainly drink!
v29
For look, on the city that is called by ^[Literally “on it”] my name I am beginning to inflict harm, and you indeed, will you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh of hosts.‘
v30
And you yourself shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them: ‘Yahweh will roar from on high, and from his holy dwelling place ^[Literally “the dwelling place of his holiness”] he will give his voice. He will roar mightily against his settlement, a jubilant shout like those who tread grapes, he will answer against all the inhabitants of the earth.
v31
The rage of battle will resound to the end of the earth, for there is a lawsuit of Yahweh against the nations. He is entering into judgment with all wicked flesh, he will give them to the sword,’ declares ^[Literally “a declaration of”] Yahweh.”
v32
Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Look, disaster is going out from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.
v33
And the slain ones of Yahweh will be on that day from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, and they will not be mourned, and they will not be gathered, and they will not be buried. They will become like dung on the surface ^[Literally “face”] of the ground.
v34
Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. And roll about in mourning in the dust, O leaders ^[Or “nobles”] of the flock. For your days of slaughter and your dispersions have arrived, and you will fall like a vessel of desire.
v35
And flight will perish from the shepherds, and escape from the leaders ^[Or “nobles”] of the flock.
v36
A sound, the cry of distress of the shepherds and the wailing of the leaders ^[Or “nobles”] of the flock, for Yahweh is despoiling their pasture.
v37
And the peaceful settlements ^[Literally “settlements of the peace”] are devastated because of the burning anger of Yahweh. ^[Literally “the blaze of the nose of Yahweh”]
v38
He has left his den like a lion, for their land has become a horror, because of the anger of the oppressors, and because of his burning anger.” ^[Literally “the blaze of his nose”]