Add parallel Print Page Options

Judgment on the Nations

15 The Lord, the God of Israel, said this to me: “Take the cup of the wine of my wrath [49:12; 51:7] from my hand and make all the nations, to whom I am sending you, drink from this cup. 16 They will drink and ·stumble about [stagger; or vomit] and act like madmen because of the ·war [L sword] I am going to send among them.”

17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and went to those nations where he sent me and made them drink from it. 18 I served this wine to the people of Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and the kings and officers of Judah, so they would become a ruin. Then people would be shocked and would ·insult them [hiss] and ·speak evil of [curse] them. And so it has been to this day. 19 I also made these people drink of the Lord’s anger: Pharaoh the king of Egypt, his servants, his officers, all his people, 20 and all the ·foreigners there [mixed crowd]; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (the kings of the cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); 21 the people of Edom, Moab, and ·Ammon [L the sons of Ammon]; 22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; all the kings of the coastal countries ·to the west [or across the sea]; 23 the people of Dedan and Tema and Buz; all who ·cut their hair short [L shave their temples; Deut. 14:1]; 24 all the kings of Arabia; and the kings of the ·people [L mixed crowd] who live in the ·desert [wilderness]; 25 all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media; 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other. I made all the kingdoms on earth drink [C from the cup of wrath] of the Lord’s anger, but the king of ·Babylon [L Sheshak; C a coded reference to Babylon] will drink from this cup after all the others.

27 “Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: Drink ·this cup [C of my anger]. Get drunk from it and vomit. Fall down and don’t get up because of the ·war [L sword] I am sending among you!’

28 “If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, say to them, ‘The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says this: You must drink [C from this cup]. 29 Look! I am ·already bringing [beginning to bring] ·disaster [harm; trouble] on this city that is called by my name [C Jerusalem]. Do you think you will not be punished? You will ·be punished [L not go unpunished]! I am ·sending [L calling for] ·war [L a sword] on all the people of the earth, says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].’

30 “You [C Jeremiah] will prophesy against them with all these words. Say to them:

‘The Lord will roar [C like a lion] from heaven [Amos 1:2]
    and will ·shout [L give forth] from his holy lair [C the Temple].
    He will roar loudly against his ·land [L sheepfold].
He will shout like people who walk on grapes [Is. 63:2–6; Rev. 19:15];
    he will shout against all who live on the earth.
31 The ·noise [clamor] will spread all over the earth,
    because the Lord will accuse all the nations.
He will ·judge and tell what is wrong with [bring an indictment against] all ·people [L flesh],
    and he will kill the evil people with a sword,’” says the Lord.

32 This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says:

“Disasters will soon ·spread [L go out]
    from nation to nation.
They will come like a powerful storm
    from the faraway places on earth.”

33 At that time those killed by the Lord will reach from one end of the earth to the other. No one will ·cry [mourn] for them or gather up their bodies and bury them. They will be left lying on the ground like dung [8:2; 9:22; 16:4].

34 Cry, you ·leaders [L shepherds]! Cry out loud!
    Roll around in the ·dust [ashes], ·leaders of the people [L nobles of the flock]!
·It is now time for you to be killed [L Your days are filled for slaughter].
    You will fall and be scattered,
    like ·pieces of a broken [L a choice/precious] jar.
35 There will be no place for the ·leaders [L shepherds] to ·hide [L flee];
    ·they [L the nobles of the flock] will not escape.
36 I hear the sound of the ·leaders [L shepherds] shouting.
    I hear the ·leaders of the people [L nobles of the flock] crying loudly,
    because the Lord is destroying their ·land [L pastureland].
37 Those peaceful pastures will be ·like an empty desert [L devastated],
    because the Lord is very angry.
38 Like a lion, he has left his den.
    Their land has been ·destroyed [desolated]
because of the terrible ·war [L sword] he brought,
    because of his fierce anger.

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends