Jeremiah 25:34-38
God holds leaders accountable for the condition of His people and will bring devastating judgment upon those who fail in their responsibility.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry. Wallow in dust, you leader of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you will fall like fine pottery.
35 The shepherds will have no way to flee. The leader of the flock will have no escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the wailing of the leader of the flock, for Yahweh destroys their pasture.
37 The peaceful folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of Yahweh.
38 He has left his covert, as the lion; for their land has become an astonishment because of the fierceness of the oppression, and because of his fierce anger.
God holds leaders accountable for the condition of His people and will bring devastating judgment upon those who fail in their responsibility.
To announce the collapse of Judah’s leadership and the devastation of the land as the LORD executes judgment against the shepherds who failed to lead the people faithfully.
These verses conclude Jeremiah 25, bringing the oracle of judgment upon the nations to a climax. The warning now focuses specifically on rulers and leaders who bear responsibility for guiding their people in rebellion against God.
Seventy Years for Babylon and the Cup of the LORD's Wrath
Because Judah refused the LORD's persistent word, the LORD will bring seventy years of Babylonian judgment, yet Babylon too will drink the cup because the LORD judges all nations in righteousness.