Jeremiah 25:1–9

THE SEVENTY-YEAR EXILE

25This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^o son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon). ²The 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,^Aq but you have not obeyed. ⁴The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,^B but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.^{Cr 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, ⁹I am going to send for all the families of the north’^w—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant^x 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 horror^y and scorn, and ruins forever.^z