הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה עַל יִרְמְיָהוּ עַל־כָּל־עַם יְהוּדָה בַּשָּׁנָה הָרְבִעִית לִיהוֹיָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הִיא הַשָּׁנָה הָרִאשֹׁנִית לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

The message that was to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Yehoyakim son of Yoshiyahu king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon,

אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא עַל־כָּל־עַם יְהוּדָה וְאֶל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר׃

that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:

מִן־שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְיֹאשִׁיָּהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹן מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְעַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה הָיָה דְבַר־ה' אֵלָי וָאֲדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם אַשְׁכֵּים וְדַבֵּר וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם

The prophet begins with a brief personal introduction: From the thirteenth year of Yoshiyahu son of Amon king of Judah, until this day, these twenty-three years, that the word of the Lord has been with me, and I spoke to you time and again, but you did not heed. I have been prophesying to you for twenty-three years, with negligible effect.

וְשָׁלַח ה' אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִאִים הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלֹחַ וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם וְלֹא־הִטִּיתֶם אֶת־אָזְנְכֶם לִשְׁמֹעַ

And I was not the only one to address you, as the Lord sent to you all His servants the prophets, time and again, but you did not heed, and you did not incline your ear to hear. We have only fragmented knowledge of some of these prophets, as their prophecies were not recorded in books of their own.

לֵאמֹר שׁוּבוּ־נָא אִישׁ מִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה וּמֵרֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם וּשְׁבוּ עַל־הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן ה' לָכֶם וְלַאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם לְמִן־עוֹלָם וְעַד־עוֹלָם

We all spoke to you, saying: Repent now, each man from his evil way and from the evil of your actions, and if you do so, you will live in the land that the Lord gave to you and to your fathers, forever and ever.

וְאַל־תֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְעָבְדָם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לָהֶם וְלֹא־תַכְעִיסוּ אוֹתִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם וְלֹא אָרַע לָכֶם

Do not follow other gods to worship them and to prostrate yourselves to them, and do not anger Me with your handiwork, and I will not harm you as a result of these actions.

וְלֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם אֵלַי נְאֻם־ה' לְמַעַן הַכְעִיסֵנִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם – לְרַע לָכֶם

But you did not heed Me – the utterance of the Lord – in order to anger Me with your handiwork to your detriment.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם אֶת־דְּבָרָי –

Therefore, so said the Lord of hosts: Because you did not heed My words,

הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחוֹת צָפוֹן נְאֻם־ה' וְאֶל־נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל עַבְדִּי וַהֲבִאֹתִים עַל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְעַל־יֹשְׁבֶיהָ וְעַל כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה סָבִיב וְהַחֲרַמְתִּים וְשַׂמְתִּים לְשַׁמָּה וְלִשְׁרֵקָה וּלְחָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם

behold, I am sending, and I will take all the families, the nations, of the north – the utterance of the Lord – and Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon My servant, and I will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations in the entire region; and I will destroy them and render them an astonishment and a source of whistling, as people will whistle in shock at their fate; and I will render them eternal ruins. The Babylonians will arrive with an army comprised of all the nations of the north and they will attack the entire region, not as a one-time infiltration, but in order to conquer and take control of the land. Those nations upon whom you pinned your hopes will themselves be destroyed.

וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מֵהֶם קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה קוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה קוֹל רֵחַיִם וְאוֹר נֵר

I will eliminate from among them all features characteristic of human life: the sound of gladness and the sound of joy, the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride, the sound of millstones, which is heard in all places inhabited by people preparing their food, and the light of the lamp at night. Alternatively, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp are symbols of festivity. All these will be eradicated.

וְהָיְתָה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְחָרְבָּה לְשַׁמָּה וְעָבְדוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה

This entire land will be a ruin, a desolation, and these nations in the Land of Israel and the surrounding region, such as Amon and Moav, will serve the king of Babylon, against whom they rebelled, for seventy years.

וְהָיָה כִמְלֹאות שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה אֶפְקֹד עַל־מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְעַל־הַגּוֹי הַהוּא נְאֻם־ה' אֶת־עֲוֹנָם וְעַל־אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים וְשַׂמְתִּי אֹתוֹ לְשִׁמְמוֹת עוֹלָם

It will be that at the completion of seventy years I will reckon with the king of Babylon and with that nation, the Babylonians, and punish them for their iniquity – the utterance of the Lord – and with the land of the Chaldeans, Babylonia, and I will render it, the king of Babylon, his nation, and his land, an eternal desolation.

וְהֵבֵאתִי עַל־הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא אֶת־כָּל־דְּבָרַי אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתִּי עָלֶיהָ – אֵת כָּל־הַכָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר־נִבָּא יִרְמְיָהוּ עַל־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם

I will bring upon that land, Babylonia, all My words that I spoke in its regard, everything that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied about all the nations. At the end of the book of Jeremiah (chaps. 50–51), there is a collection of prophecies about the nations, which includes the retribution that will be visited upon Babylon.

כִּי עָבְדוּ־בָם גַּם־הֵמָּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וּמְלָכִים גְּדוֹלִים וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לָהֶם כְּפָעֳלָם וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם

For they too, the Babylonians, will be enslaved by many nations and great kings, by Media and Persia, and I will repay them according to their actions and according to their handiwork.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵלַי קַח אֶת־כּוֹס הַיַּיִן הַחֵמָה הַזֹּאת מִיָּדִי וְהִשְׁקִיתָה אוֹתוֹ אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ אוֹתְךָ אֲלֵיהֶם

For so said the Lord, God of Israel, to me: Take this cup of the wine of anger and poison that you see from My hand, and give it to all the nations, to whom I am sending you, to drink.

וְשָׁתוּ וְהִתְגֹּעֲשׁוּ וְהִתְהֹלָלוּ מִפְּנֵי הַחֶרֶב אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ בֵּינֹתָם

They will drink it, and they will convulse and rampage, they will go wild like madmen, due to the sword that I am sending among them.

וָאֶקַּח אֶת־הַכּוֹס מִיַּד ה'וָאַשְׁקֶה אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־שְׁלָחַנִי ה' אֲלֵיהֶם

In my vision, I took the cup from the hand of the Lord and gave the poisonous wine to all the nations, to whom the Lord sent me, to drink:

אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶת־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־מְלָכֶיהָ אֶת־שָׂרֶיהָ – לָתֵת אֹתָם לְחָרְבָּה לְשַׁמָּה לִשְׁרֵקָה וְלִקְלָלָה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and its kings, and its princes, to render them ruins, a desolation, a cause of whistling and a curse, like this day, as we know now, when these books are being written. Alternatively, this phrase means: In a clear manner.

אֶת־פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם וְאֶת־עֲבָדָיו וְאֶת־שָׂרָיו וְאֶת־כָּל־עַמּוֹ

Obviously, the prophet’s priority is the Kingdom of Judah, but that and other small kingdoms are not the only ones that will be destroyed. The list includes even Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, his princes, and all his people;

וְאֵת כָּל־הָעֶרֶב וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי אֶרֶץ הָעוּץ וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים – וְאֶת אַשְׁקְלוֹן וְאֶת־עַזָּה וְאֶת־עֶקְרוֹן וְאֵת שְׁאֵרִית אַשְׁדּוֹד

and all the intermingled [erev] people; this is apparently a reference to the nations of habitable areas of Arabia, and all the kings of the land of Utz, a northern kingdom, possibly Aram or somewhere nearby, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, which was partly destroyed, perhaps by the king of Egypt. Although the plain reading of the verse creates the impression that the land of the Philistines is separate from Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod, these four cities were located in the land of the Philistines. The verse mentions the land of the Philistines and then provides further detail by mentioning specific cities. This is a common literary tool employed in the book of Jeremiah.

אֶת־אֱדוֹם וְאֶת־מוֹאָב וְאֶת־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

Edom and Moav and the children of Amon;

וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי צֹר וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי צִידוֹן וְאֵת מַלְכֵי הָאִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיָּם

and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isle that is across the sea. This last place mentioned might be a reference to Carthage, whose population emigrated over the sea from Tyre and Sidon. Alternatively, it is a general reference to islands of the sea.

אֶת־דְּדָן וְאֶת־תֵּימָא וְאֶת־בּוּז וְאֵת כָּל־קְצוּצֵי פֵאָה

Dedan, Teima, and Buz, in southern Arabia, and all that have the corners of their head cropped, nations or tribes whose unique haircuts included the cropping of the corners of their heads and beards,

וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי עֲרָב וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי הָעֶרֶב הַשֹּׁכְנִים בַּמִּדְבָּר

and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the intermingled people that dwell in the wilderness, tribes that lived in the deserts adjacent to the Land of Israel;

וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי זִמְרִי וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי עֵילָם וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי מָדָי

and not only in the region of Judah, but also all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media. The boundaries of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire extended beyond the Fertile Crescent.

וְאֵת כָּל־מַלְכֵי הַצָּפוֹן הַקְּרֹבִים וְהָרְחֹקִים אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו וְאֵת כָּל־הַמַּמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה וּמֶלֶךְ שֵׁשַׁךְ יִשְׁתֶּה אַחֲרֵיהֶם

And all the kings of the north that are near and that are far, one after another; and all the kingdoms of the world that are upon the face of the earth, and the king of Sheshakh, Babylon, will drink after them.

וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ וּקְיוּ וְנִפְלוּ וְלֹא תָקוּמוּ מִפְּנֵי הַחֶרֶב אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ בֵּינֵיכֶם

You shall say to them: So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Drink the cup of the wine of anger, and become intoxicated, and retch, and fall, and do not rise, because of the sword that I am sending among you.

וְהָיָה כִּי יְמָאֲנוּ לָקַחַת־הַכּוֹס מִיָּדְךָ לִשְׁתּוֹת וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת שָׁתוֹ תִשְׁתּוּ

In his vision, Jeremiah places dozens of nations, large and small, before him and gives them poison to drink. It will be that if they refuse to take the cup from your hand in order to drink from it, you shall say to them: So said the Lord of hosts: You shall drink against your will.

כִּי הִנֵּה בָעִיר אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא שְׁמִי עָלֶיהָ אָנֹכִי מֵחֵל לְהָרַע – וְאַתֶּם הִנָּקֵה תִנָּקוּ! לֹא תִנָּקוּ כִּי חֶרֶב אֲנִי קֹרֵא עַל־כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת

For behold, I am commencing to harm even the city upon which My name is called, Jerusalem, and will you be absolved? Will you emerge guiltless? You will not be absolved, for I am summoning a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth – the utterance of the Lord of hosts.

וְאַתָּה תִּנָּבֵא אֲלֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם ה' מִמָּרוֹם יִשְׁאָג וּמִמְּעוֹן קָדְשׁוֹ יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ שָׁאֹג יִשְׁאַג עַל־נָוֵהוּ הֵידָד כּדֹרְכִים יַעֲנֶה אֶל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ

You, Jeremiah, shall prophesy to them all these matters, and you shall say to them: The Lord will roar from on high, and from His abode of sanctity will project His voice; He will roar mightily and repeatedly over His destroyed dwelling, the Temple. With cries of hurrah, like the mutual calls of encouragement sounded by those who tread grapes, so He will call to all the inhabitants of the earth.

בָּא שָׁאוֹן עַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ כִּי רִיב לַה' בַּגּוֹיִם נִשְׁפָּט הוּא לְכָל־בָּשָׂר הָרְשָׁעִים נְתָנָם לַחֶרֶב נְאֻם־ה'

The commotion of war has come to the end of the earth, for the Lord has a quarrel with the nations; He is prosecuting all flesh. The wicked, He has delivered them to the sword – the utterance of the Lord.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת הִנֵּה רָעָה יֹצֵאת מִגּוֹי אֶל־גּוֹי וְסַעַר גָּדוֹל יֵעוֹר מִיַּרְכְּתֵי אָרֶץ

So said the Lord of hosts: Behold, evil is going out from nation to nation, total war, and a great storm will rise from the ends of the earth.

וְהָיוּ חַלְלֵי ה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ וְעַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִסָּפְדוּ וְלֹא יֵאָסְפוּ וְלֹא יִקָּבֵרוּ לְדֹמֶן עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה יִהְיוּ

The slain of the Lord will be on that day from the end of the earth to the end of the earth; they will be so numerous that they will not be lamented, and they will not be gathered, and they will not be buried, they will be as dung upon the face of the earth. Since there will be no one to attend to the corpses lying strewn on the ground, they will be left to rot.

הֵילִילוּ הָרֹעִים וְזַעֲקוּ וְהִתְפַּלְּשׁוּ אַדִּירֵי הַצֹּאן כִּי־מָלְאוּ יְמֵיכֶם לִטְבוֹחַ וּתְפוֹצוֹתִיכֶם וּנְפַלְתֶּם כִּכְלִי חֶמְדָּה

Shepherds, leaders of the nations, wail and cry out, and wallow in the dirt, leaders of the flock, as the days of your slaughter and your scattering have arrived, and you will fall like a precious, delicate vessel, which shatters into tiny pieces when it strikes the ground and which cannot be fixed, and whose loss causes its owner great sorrow.

וְאָבַד מָנוֹס מִן־הָרֹעִים וּפְלֵיטָה מֵאַדִּירֵי הַצֹּאן

Flight will be precluded from the shepherds, and escape precluded from the leaders of the flock.

קוֹל צַעֲקַת הָרֹעִים וִילְלַת אַדִּירֵי הַצֹּאן כִּי־שֹׁדֵד ה' אֶת־מַרְעִיתָם

There will be the sound of the outcry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the leaders of the flock, as the Lord is plundering their pasture, their sheep. Alternatively, the phrase: The Lord is plundering their pasture, is a reference to Jerusalem.

וְנָדַמּוּ נְאוֹת הַשָּׁלוֹם מִפְּנֵי חֲרוֹן אַף־ה'

The peaceful dwellings will be silenced due to the enflamed wrath of the Lord. Alternatively, the verse may be translated to mean that the peaceable dwellings will be destroyed.

עָזַב כַּכְּפִיר סֻכּוֹ כִּי־הָיְתָה אַרְצָם לְשַׁמָּה מִפְּנֵי חֲרוֹן הַיּוֹנָה וּמִפְּנֵי חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ

The cries and wailing of the shepherds are rising due to the fact that, like a young lion, he, Nebuchadnezzar, who recently became king, left his cover, his place of residence in the thickets. Alternatively, many commentaries explain that this phrase refers to the kings of the places under attack, who have left their homes. It is appropriate for the shepherds to wail over their fate, for their land became desolation due to the wrath of the oppressor, the sword that causes suffering and pain, and due to His fierce anger, the fierce anger of God.