<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Do not start following pagan religious practices.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not be in awe of signs that occur<n id="2" /> in the skyp> <p class="poetry">even though the nations hold them in awe.p>

<p class="poetry">Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">because you deserve to be revered.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For there is no one like youp> <p class="poetry">among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So the <sc>Lordsc> said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Hear, you nations!p> <p class="poetry">Be witnesses and take note of what will happen to these people.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Jeremiah about the nations.<n id="2" />p>

Know for certain that<n id="1" /> I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be<n id="2" /> uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

This whole area<n id="1" /> will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So I took the cup from the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s hand. I made all the nations to whom he sent me drink the wine of his wrath.<n id="1" />

At that time the city of Jerusalem<n id="1" /> will be called the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s throne. All nations will gather there in Jerusalem to honor the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s name.<n id="2" /> They will no longer follow the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts.<n id="3" />

That is, I will punish the Egyptians, the Judeans, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples.<n id="1" /> I will do so because none of the people of those nations are really circumcised in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sight.<n id="2" /> Moreover, none of the people of Israel<n id="3" /> are circumcised when it comes to their hearts.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Vent it on the peoples<n id="2" /> who do not worship you.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have destroyed the people of Jacob.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They have completely destroyed them<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and left their homeland in utter ruin.p>

<p class="poetry">Do any of the worthless idols<n id="1" /> of the nations cause rain to fall?p> <p class="poetry">Do the skies themselves send showers?p> <p class="poetry">Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So we put our hopes in you<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because you alone do all this.&#8221;p>

I will bring on that land everything that I said I would. I will bring on it everything that is written in this book. I will bring on it everything that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">So<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, spoke to me in a vision.<n id="2" /> &#8220;Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my wrath.<n id="3" /> Take it and make the nations to whom I send you drink it.

All nations must serve him and his son and grandson<n id="1" /> until the time comes for his own nation to fall.<n id="2" /> Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon.<n id="3" />

Then he spoke up in the presence of all the people. &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;In the same way I will break the yoke of servitude of all the nations to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon<n id="1" /> before two years are over.&#8217;&#8221; After he heard this, the prophet Jeremiah departed and went on his way.<n id="2" />p>

For the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8220;I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations<n id="2" /> so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />

I will make myself available to you,&#8217;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" /> &#8216;Then I will reverse your plight<n id="3" /> and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" /> &#8216;I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.&#8217;p>

I will chase after them with war,<n id="1" /> starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them.

<p class="poetry">For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> thatp> <p class="poetry">I will be with you and will rescue you.p> <p class="poetry">I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you.p> <p class="poetry">But I will not completely destroy you.p> <p class="poetry">I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure.p> <p class="poetry">I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Moreover,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob.p> <p class="poetry">Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Make your praises heard.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Then say, &#8216;<sc>Lordsc>, rescue your people.p> <p class="poetry">Deliver those of Israel who remain alive.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>