Jeremiah, reproving the Jews' disobedience to the prophets, 1-7, foretells the seventy years' captivity, 8-11; and after that, the destruction of Babylon, 12-14. Under the type of a cup of wine he foretells the destruction of all nations, 15-33. The howling of the shepherds, 34-38.
1 A word 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 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 Which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3 "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even to this day, that is the twenty-third year, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened. 4 And the LORD has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear. 5 They said, 'Turn back now each from his evil way and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and to your fathers forever and ever, 6 And do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, and I will do you no hurt.' 7 Yet you have not listened to me," says the LORD, "so that you might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
8 "Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Because you have not heard my words, 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the LORD, 'and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around, and will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10 Moreover, I will take from them the voice of mirth, the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment. And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 'And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,' says the LORD, 'for their iniquity, the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. 13 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 has prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall also reduce them to subjection. And I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.'"
15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved and enraged, because of the sword that I will send among them."
17 Then I took the cup at the LORD'S hand and made all the nations to drink, to whom the LORD had sent me, 18 Namely, Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, her kings, and her princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people, 20 And all the mingled people; all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Azzah, Ekron, the remnant of Ashdod; 21 Edom, Moab, the children of Ammon; 22 All the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Zidon, the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, all who are in the utmost corners; 24 All the kings of Arabia, all the kings of the mingled people who dwell in the desert; 25 All the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, all the kings of the Medes; 26 All the kings of the north, far and near, with one 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.
27 "Therefore, you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Drink, be drunken, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you."' 28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall certainly drink. 29 For behold, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth," says the LORD of hosts.'
30 "Therefore, prophesy against them all these words, and say to 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 those who tread the grapes,/
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth,/
for the LORD has a controversy with the nations./
He will plead with all flesh./
He will give those who are wicked to the sword,'/
says the LORD."
32 Thus says the LORD of hosts:/
"Behold, evil shall go forth/
from nation to nation,/
and a great whirlwind shall be raised/
from the borders of the earth.
33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried. They shall be dung upon the ground.
34 Howl, you shepherds, and cry,/
and wallow yourselves in the ashes,/
you principal of the flock,/
for the days of your slaughter/
and of your dispersions are accomplished,/
and you shall fall like a precious vessel.
35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee,/
nor the principal of the flock to escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds/
and a howling of the principal of the flock shall be heard,/
for the LORD has laid waste their pasture.
37 And the peaceable habitations are cut down/
because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 He has forsaken his covert, as the lion,/
for their land is desolate/
because of the fierceness of the oppressor/
and because of his fierce anger."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Jeremiah, Chapter 25[➚]