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This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(a) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon).

The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows:

"From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,^(b) king of Judah, until this very day—23 years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,^[a](c) but you have not obeyed.

The Lord sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again,^[b] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.^[c](d)

He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your^[d] evil way of life and from your evil deeds.^(e) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.

Do not follow other gods to serve them and to worship them,^(f) and do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands.^(g) Then I will do you no harm.

"‘But you would not obey Me'—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘in order that you might provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands and bring disaster on yourselves.'

"Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words,

I am going to send for all the families of the north'^(h)—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘and send for My servant⁽ⁱ⁾ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them a desolation,^(j) a derision, and ruins forever.

I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,^(k) the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.

This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.^(l)

When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation'—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.^(m)

I will bring on that land all My words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.

For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds⁽ⁿ⁾ and the work of their hands.'"

This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, said to me: "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to, drink from it.^(o)

They will drink, stagger,^[e] and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them."

So I took the cup from the Lord 's hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the Lord sent me to.

These included: Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of scorn and cursing—as it is today;

Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,

and all the mixed peoples; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;

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

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who shave their temples;^[f](p)

all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;

all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media;

all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another; that is, all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Finally, the king of Sheshach^[g] will drink after them.

"Then you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Drink,^(q) get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.

If^[h] they refuse to take the cup from you and drink, you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: You must drink!

For I am already bringing disaster on the city that bears My name,^(r) so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth"—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.^(s)

"As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them: The Lord roars from heaven; He raises His voice from His holy dwelling.^(t) He roars loudly over His grazing land; He calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth because the Lord brings a case against^(u) the nations. He enters into judgment with all flesh. As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword— this is the Lord 's declaration.

"This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Pay attention! Disaster spreads from nation to nation. A great storm is stirred up from the ends of the earth."^(v)

Those slain by the Lord ^(w) on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned,^(x) gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the surface of the ground.

Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. Roll in the dust,^[i](y) you leaders of the flock. Because the days of your slaughter have come, you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.

Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, and escape, for the leaders of the flock.

Hear the sound of the shepherds' cry, the wail of the leaders of the flock, for the Lord is destroying their pasture.

Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless because of the Lord 's burning anger.^(z)

He has left His den like a lion, for their land has become a desolation because of the sword^[j] of the oppressor,^(aa) because of His burning anger.

This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch son of Neriah^(a) when he wrote these words on a scroll at Jeremiah's dictation^[a](b) in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:^(c)

"This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch:

‘You have said, "Woe is me, because the Lord has added misery to my pain! I am worn out with^[b] groaning and have found no rest."'^(d)

"This is what you are to say to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: What I have built I am about to demolish, and what I have planted I am about to uproot^(e)—the whole land!

But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I am about to bring disaster on every living creature'—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘but I will grant you your life like the spoils of war^(f) wherever you go.'"

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations:^(a)

About Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco, Egypt's king,^(b) which was defeated at Carchemish^(c) on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Judah's King Jehoiakim son of Josiah:^(d)

Deploy small shields^(e) and large; draw near for battle!

Harness the horses; mount the steeds;^[a] take your positions with helmets on! Polish the lances; put on armor!^(f)

Why have I seen this? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are crushed, they flee headlong, they never look back, terror is on every side!^(g) This is the Lord 's declaration.

The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.^(h)

Who is this, rising like the Nile,⁽ⁱ⁾ like rivers whose waters churn?

Egypt rises like the Nile, and its waters churn like rivers. He boasts, "I will go up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities with their residents."

Rise up, you cavalry! Race furiously, you chariots! Let the warriors go out— Cush and Put,^(j) who are able to handle shields, and the Ludim,^(k) who are able to handle and string the bow.^(l)

That day belongs to the Lord, the God of Hosts, a day of vengeance to avenge Himself against His adversaries. The sword will devour and be satisfied; it will drink its fill of their blood, because it will be a sacrifice^(m) to the Lord, the God of Hosts, in the northern land by the Euphrates River.

Go up to Gilead and get balm,⁽ⁿ⁾ Virgin Daughter Egypt! You have multiplied remedies in vain; there is no healing for you.

The nations have heard of your dishonor,^(o) and your outcry fills the earth, because warrior stumbles against warrior and together both of them have fallen.

This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt:^(p)

Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol!^(q) Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes! Say: Take positions! Prepare yourself, for the sword devours all around you.^(r)

Why have your strong ones been swept away? Each has not stood, for the Lord has thrust him down.

He continues to stumble.^(s) Indeed, each falls over the other. They say, "Get up! Let's return to our people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword that oppresses."^(t)

There they will cry out, "Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise; he let the opportune moment pass."

As I live— this is the King's declaration; Yahweh of Hosts is His name.^(u) He will come like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea.

Get your bags ready for exile, inhabitant of Daughter Egypt!^(v) For Memphis will become a desolation, uninhabited ruins.

Egypt is a beautiful young cow,^(w) but a horsefly from the north is coming against her.^[b](x)

Even her mercenaries among her are like stall-fed calves. They too will turn back; together they will flee; they will not take their stand, for the day of their calamity is coming on them, the time of their punishment.^(y)

Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake,^[c] for the enemy will come with an army; with axes they will come against her like those who cut trees.^(z)

They will cut down her forest— this is the Lord 's declaration— though it is dense, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.^(aa)

Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, handed over to a northern people.^(ab)

The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes,^(ac) along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings—Pharaoh and those trusting in him.

I will hand them over to those who want to take their lives^(ad)—to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But after this,^(ae) it will be inhabited again as in ancient times." This is the Lord 's declaration.

But you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid,^(af) and do not be discouraged, Israel, for without fail I will save you from far away and your descendants, from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return and have calm and quiet with no one to frighten him.

And you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid— this is the Lord 's declaration— for I will be with you.^(ag) I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have banished you, but I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you with justice, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.^(ah)