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 ⁿson of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king 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, ^oking 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, ^pqbut you have not obeyed. ⁴The Lord sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again, ^rbut you have not obeyed or even paid attention. ^st5He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your ^uevil way of life and from your evil deeds. ^vwLive in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever. ^x6Do not follow other gods to serve them and to worship them, ^yand do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands. ^zThen 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, ⁹I am going to send for all the families of the north’ ^a—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for My servant ^bNebuchadnezzar 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, ^ca derision, and ruins forever. ^d