Jeremiah 25:3-13

3 "From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, 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] but you have not obeyed.
4 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]
5 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 forever and ever.
6 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.
7 " '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.'
8 "Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: 'Because you have not obeyed My words,
9 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.
10 I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them-the voice of the bridegroom and the bride,[k] the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
11 This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.[l]
12 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.
13 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.

Jeremiah 25:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 25

This chapter contains a prophecy of the destruction of Judea by the king of Babylon; and also of Babylon itself, after the Jews' captivity of seventy years; and likewise of all the nations round about. The date of this prophecy is in Jer 25:1; when the prophet puts the Jews in mind of the prophecies that had been delivered unto them by himself and others, for some years past, without effect, Jer 25:2-7; wherefore they are threatened with the king of Babylon, that he should come against them, and strip them of all their desirable things; make their land desolate, and them captives for seventy years, Jer 25:8-11; at the expiration of which he in his turn shall be punished, and the land of Chaldea laid waste, and become subject to other nations and kings, Jer 25:12-14; and by a cup of wine given to all the nations round about, is signified the utter ruin of them, and who are particularly mentioned by name, Jer 25:15-26; which is confirmed by beginning with the city of Jerusalem, and the destruction of that, Jer 25:27-29; wherefore the prophet is bid to prophesy against them, and to declare the Lord's controversy with them, and that there should be a slaughter of them from one end of the earth to the other, Jer 25:30-33; upon which the shepherds, kings, and rulers of them, are called to lamentation and howling, Jer 25:34-38.

Footnotes 12

Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.