Read · Listen · Study

Jeremiah 25 · Berean Standard Bible

Playback speed

¹This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ²So the prophet Jeremiah spoke to all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: ³“From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon 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 again and again, but you have not listened. ⁴And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear. ⁵The prophets told you, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and deeds, and you can dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. ⁶Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ ⁷‘But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your hands.’ ⁸Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, ⁹behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation. ¹⁰Moreover, I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. ¹¹And this whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. ¹²But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation. ¹³I will bring upon that land all the words I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. ¹⁴For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.’ ” ¹⁵This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. ¹⁶And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them.” ¹⁷So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, each one to whom the LORD had sent me, ¹⁸to make them a ruin, an object of horror and contempt and cursing, as they are to this day—Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials; ¹⁹Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officials, his leaders, and all his people; ²⁰all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines: Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; ²¹Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites; ²²all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea; ²³Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair; ²⁴all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; ²⁵all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media; ²⁶all the kings of the north, both near and far, one after another—all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too. ²⁷“Then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, because of the sword I will send among you.’ ²⁸If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, you are to tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘You most certainly must drink it! ²⁹For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of Hosts.’ ³⁰So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth. ³¹The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’ ” declares the LORD. ³²This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.” ³³Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground. ³⁴Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For the days of your slaughter have come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery. ³⁵Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock. ³⁶Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture. ³⁷The peaceful meadows have been silenced because of the LORD’s burning anger. ³⁸He has left His den like a lion, for their land has been made a desolation by the sword of the oppressor, and because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible · public domain. More versions and languages in the Reading Plan.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25

The Cup of Wrath and the Roar of Judgment

✦

Objective

To reveal God’s sovereign judgment upon Judah and the nations for persistent rebellion, the certainty of Babylonian captivity, and the universal scope of divine justice.

Overview

Jeremiah 25 unfolds as a solemn prophetic declaration spanning decades of unheeded warnings. The LORD’s word comes to Jeremiah amid Judah’s stubborn refusal to repent, despite persistent calls from prophets. God announces the coming judgment through Nebuchadnezzar, His servant, who will bring devastation upon Judah and surrounding nations. The chapter culminates in a vivid portrayal of the LORD’s universal controversy with all flesh, a roaring summons to judgment echoing to the earth’s ends.

Detailed Analysis

Event Description

From the thirteenth year of King Josiah until the present, Jeremiah has risen early to deliver God’s word to Judah and Jerusalem. Despite repeated warnings from Jeremiah and other prophets sent by the LORD, the people have refused to listen or turn from their evil ways. They continue to provoke God with idolatry and disobedience, bringing ruin upon themselves.

Central Themes

God’s patient yet firm call to repentance

Human stubbornness and rebellion

The consequences of persistent disobedience

Cultural & Historical Context

Judah, during this period, is marked by political instability and religious syncretism, turning from covenant faithfulness to idolatry. Prophets like Jeremiah serve as God’s messengers, calling the nation back to covenant obedience, a role fraught with rejection and danger (cf. 2 Kings 22–23; 2 Chronicles 34–35).

Key Verse

Jeremiah 25:3

Vivid Artistic Descriptions

The Persistent Prophetic Call and Judah’s Rejection

A lone prophet rising at dawn, his voice echoing through empty streets of Jerusalem. The city’s walls stand silent, windows shuttered, ears closed. Shadows of idols loom behind, casting long darkness over the land, while the prophet’s scroll glows faintly with the weight of unheeded words.

The Coming Judgment by Babylon, God’s Servant

A vast army advancing from the north under a darkened sky, banners fluttering with Babylonian insignia. The earth beneath trembles, cities crumble to dust, and joyful voices are silenced. A desolate landscape stretches, void of laughter or light, bathed in a cold, oppressive gloom.

The Cup of God’s Fury Poured Out on All Nations

A massive, overflowing cup held by a mighty hand, spilling a crimson flood that sweeps over diverse lands and peoples. Faces of kings and commoners alike show terror and madness as the fiery liquid touches them. The cup’s rim glimmers with wrath, its contents unstoppable and consuming all in its path.

The Roar of the LORD and the Final Outcry

A thunderous lion’s roar reverberates from a high mountain, shaking the earth to its core. Scattered shepherds fall to their knees in despair, their flocks scattered and lost. The land is scorched and barren, with ashes swirling in the wind, while a solitary candle flickers and dies in the fierce storm of divine anger.

Song

Jeremiah 25 Song

Verse 1

From dawn to dusk, the prophet cries, Words of warning, truth and sighs. Yet hardened hearts refuse to hear, The voice of God draws ever near.

Verse 2

The armies come, the land laid waste, Joy and laughter all erased. Babylon’s hand, the LORD’s decree, Servant of His sovereignty.

Chorus

Drink the cup, the cup of wrath, No refuge found along the path. From north to south, from sea to sea, God’s justice flows relentlessly.

Bridge

The roar resounds, the lion’s might, Judgment falls in darkest night. Shepherds weep, the flocks are torn, Desolation’s bitter scorn.

Final Chorus

Drink the cup, the cup of wrath, God’s voice shakes the earth’s wide path. Yet hope remains beyond the storm, A faithful God, forever warm.

Practical Application

Personal Life

Heed God’s warnings and examine your own heart for areas of rebellion and idolatry.

Recognize the seriousness of persistent disobedience and the call to repentance.

Trust in God’s sovereignty even amid judgment, knowing He is just and merciful.

Community & Society

Encourage communal repentance and faithfulness to God’s covenant.

Support prophetic voices that call for justice and righteousness.

Recognize the consequences of collective sin and the need for corporate humility.

Global Perspective

Understand that God’s justice extends over all nations and peoples.

Pray for leaders and nations to turn from wickedness and seek God’s mercy.

Promote awareness of God’s sovereignty in world affairs and the hope of restoration.

Conclusion

Jeremiah 25 stands as a solemn testament to God’s enduring patience and righteous judgment. Despite decades of prophetic calls, Judah’s refusal to repent brings inevitable exile and desolation through Babylon. Yet this judgment is not limited to one nation; it echoes as a divine controversy with all nations, a universal call to reckon with God’s holiness. The chapter warns that no one escapes the cup of wrath, but within the roar of judgment lies the call to repentance and the hope of God’s ultimate restoration.