Jeremiah 25:34 - Easy To Read Version Shepherds (leaders), you should be leading\par the sheep (people).\par Start crying you great leaders!\par Roll around on the ground in pain,\par you leaders of the sheep (people).\par Why? Because it is now time\par for your slaughter. {\cf2\super [203]} \par \{I will scatter your sheep.\}\par They will scatter everywhere,\par like pieces flying from a broken jar.\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and roll in ashes, you principal ones of the flock. For the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you shall fall and be dashed into pieces like a choice vessel. American Standard Version (1901) Wail, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow in ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and ye shall fall like a goodly vessel. Common English Bible Wail, you shepherds, cry out. Roll in the dust, you masters of the flock! The day of your slaughter has arrived. You will fall and shatter like a fragile vase. Catholic Public Domain Version Wail, O shepherds, and cry out! And sprinkle yourselves with ashes, O nobles of the flock! For the days have been completed that lead to your slaughter and your destruction. And you will fall like precious vessels. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Howl, ye shepherds, and cry, and sprinkle yourselves with ashes, ye leaders of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and your dispersion are accomplished and you shall fall like precious vessels. |
In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent some servants to get Jehoiachin. They brought Jehoiachin and some valuable treasures from the Lord’s temple {\cf2\super [452]} to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar chose Zedekiah to be the new king of Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was one of Jehoiachin’s relatives.
You could destroy those nations like\par an iron rod shattering a clay pot. {\cf2\super [5]} ”\par
My Master will finish doing the things he planned to Jerusalem and Mount Zion. {\cf2\super [116]} Then the Lord will punish Assyria. {\cf2\super [117]} The king of Assyria is very proud. His pride made him do many bad things. So God will punish him.
Those proud people are like great ships from Tarshish. {\cf2\super [25]} (These ships are full of important things.) \{But God will punish those proud people.\}
You will be like a large clay jar that breaks and becomes many, many small pieces. Those pieces are useless. You can’t use those pieces to get a hot coal from the fire or to get water from a pool in the ground.”
Look, you people make war and steal things from people, and those people never stole anything from you. You turn against people, and those people never turned against you. So when you stop stealing, other people will begin stealing from you. When you stop turning against people, other people will start turning against you.
Why? Because the Lord decided there should be a time for killing in Bozrah {\cf2\super [317]} and in Edom.
So the rams, the cattle, and the strong bulls will be killed. The land will be filled with their blood. The dirt will be covered with their fat.
Let there be crying in their houses.\par Make them cry when you suddenly\par bring an enemy against them.\par Let all this happen because my enemies\par tried to trap me.\par They hid traps for me to step in.\par
Coniah (Jehoiachin) is like a broken pot\par that some person threw away.\par He is like a pot that no person wants.\par Why will Jehoiachin and his children\par be thrown out?\par Why will they be thrown away\par into a foreign land?\par
“It will be very bad for the shepherds (leaders) of the people of Judah. Those shepherds are destroying the sheep. They are making the sheep run from my pasture in all directions.” This message is from the Lord.
“But when the 70 years have passed, I will punish the king of Babylon. I will punish the nation of Babylon.” This message is from the Lord. “I will punish the land of the Babylonians for their sins. I will make that land a desert forever.
I made the people of Dedan, Tema, and Buz drink from the cup. I made all those that cut their hair at their temples drink from the cup.
I hear the shepherds (leaders) shouting.\par I hear the leaders of the sheep (people) crying.\par The Lord is destroying\par their pastures (country).\par
All nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and his grandson. Then the time will come for Babylon to be defeated. Many nations and great kings will make Babylon their servant.
“I, the Lord, said to myself,\par ‘I want to treat you like my own children.\par I want to give you a pleasant land,\par a land more beautiful\par than any other nation.’\par I thought that you would call me ‘Father.’\par I thought that you would always follow me.\par
“Moab thought he was more important\par than the Lord.\par So punish Moab until he staggers\par like a drunk person.\par Moab will fall and roll around in his vomit.\par People will make fun of Moab.\par
People are crying for the dead everywhere in Moab—on every housetop and in every public square. There is sadness because I have broken Moab like an empty jar.” The Lord said these things.\par
Kill all the young bulls (men) in Babylon.\par Let them be slaughtered. {\cf2\super [411]} \par The time has come for them to be defeated,\par so it will be very bad for them.\par It is time for them to be punished.\par
My people, put on sackcloth {\cf2\super [47]} ,\par and roll in the ashes. {\cf2\super [48]} \par Cry loud for the dead people.\par Cry like you lost an only son.\par Do these things because the destroyer\par will come against us very quickly.\par
Be happy, people of Edom.\par Be happy, you people that live\par in the land of Uz.\par But remember, the cup of the Lord’s anger\par will come around to you, too.\par When you drink from that cup (punishment),\par you will get drunk\par and will make yourselves naked.\par
So the Lord my Master says to them: “I, myself, will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep!
He will take their idol gods. He will take their metal idols and their expensive things made from silver and gold. He will take those things away to Egypt. Then he will not bother the northern king for a few years.
Israel was destroyed.\par \{Its people are scattered among the\} nations\par like some dish that was thrown away\par because no one wanted it.\par
You take unfair taxes {\cf2\super [69]} from poor people.\par You take loads of wheat from them.\par You build fancy houses with cut stone.\par But you will not live in those houses.\par You plant beautiful fields of grapes.\par But you will not drink the wine from them.\par
The Lord says, “I am very angry at the shepherds (leaders). I made those leaders responsible for what happens to my sheep (people).” (The people of Judah are God’s flock. And the Lord All-Powerful really does take care of his flock. He cares for them like a soldier cares for his beautiful war horse.)
Listen to the crying shepherds.\par Their powerful leaders were taken away.\par Listen to the roaring of the young lions.\par Their thick bushes near the Jordan River\par have all been taken away.\par
Your life on earth was full of rich living. You pleased yourselves with everything you wanted. You made yourselves fat, \{like an animal ready\} for the day of slaughter. {\cf2\super [25]}