Jeremiah 25

1 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah. 2 He spoke it to all the people of Judah and to those living in Jerusalem: 3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah until this day, I have spoken to you day after day, from early morning.” 4 “And I kept sending you my slaves the prophets — from early morning I sent them — but you did not listen or turn your ears, when they said:” 5 “Turn, each of you, from his evil way and from your evil conduct, and you will live in the land that I gave you and your fathers, from of old and forever.”

6 “Do not go after foreign gods to serve them and bow down to them, so that you do not provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, to your own hurt.” 7 “But you did not listen to me.” 8 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: Because you did not believe my words,” 9 “look, I am sending for the family from the north, and I will bring them against this land and against those living in it and against all the nations around it. I will devastate them and make them a ruin and a hissing and an everlasting disgrace.” [a] 10 “And I will destroy from among them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the scent of perfumed oil and the light of the lamp.”

11 “And the whole land will become a ruin, and they will serve as slaves among the nations seventy years.” [b] 12 “And when the seventy years are filled up, I will take vengeance on that nation, says the Lord, and I will make them an everlasting ruin.” 13 “And I will bring on that land all my words which I have spoken against it, even all things that are written in this book.”