THE SEVENTY-YEAR EXILE

25 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakimo son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon). 2 The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,p king of Judah, until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,C,q but you have not obeyed. 4 The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,D but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.E,r 5 He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds.s Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.t 6 Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them,u and do not anger me by the work of your hands.v Then I will do you no harm.

7 “ ‘But you have not obeyed me’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’

8 “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 I am going to send for all the families of the north’w—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servantx 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 an example of horrory and scorn, and ruins forever.z 10 I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,aa 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 seventy years.ab 12 When the seventy 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 iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.a