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Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Jeremiah 25:34

Wail, shepherds! Cry out for help! Grovel in the dirt, you masters of flocks! Time's up—you're slated for the slaughterhouse, like a choice ram with its throat cut. There's no way out for the rulers, no escape for those shepherds. Hear that? Rulers crying for help, shepherds of the flock wailing! God is about to ravage their fine pastures. The peaceful sheepfolds will be silent with death, silenced by God 's deadly anger. God will come out into the open like a lion leaping from its cover, And the country will be torn to pieces, ripped and ravaged by his anger.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Sin;   Thompson Chain Reference - Nebuchadnezzar;   The Topic Concordance - Controversy;   Day of the Lord;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Egypt;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Flock;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Shepherd;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Prophet;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Dispersion;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jeremi'ah, Book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Flock;   Wallow;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock.Because the days of your slaughter have come,you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.
Hebrew Names Version
Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow [in ashes], you principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and you shall fall like a goodly vessel.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
"Wail, you shepherds, and cry out, and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come, and you shall fall like a choice vessel.
New American Standard Bible
"Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; Wallow in the dust, you masters of the flock; For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions have come, And you will fall like a precious vessel.
New Century Version
Cry, you leaders! Cry out loud! Roll around in the dust, leaders of the people! It is now time for you to be killed. You will fall and be scattered, like pieces of a broken jar.
Amplified Bible
"Wail, you shepherds, and cry; And roll in ashes, you masters of the flock. For the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have come in full, And you will fall and be broken into pieces like a choice vessel.
World English Bible
Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow [in ashes], you principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are fully come, and you shall fall like a goodly vessel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Howle, ye shepherdes, and crie, and wallowe your selues in the ashes, ye principall of the flocke: for your dayes of slaughter are accomplished, and of your dispersion, and ye shall fall like precious vessels.
Legacy Standard Bible
Wail, you shepherds, and cry out;And roll yourselves in ashes, you masters of the flock;For the days of your slaughter and your scatterings are being fulfilled,And you will fall like a desirable vessel.
Berean Standard Bible
Wail, 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.
Contemporary English Version
The Lord 's people are his flock, and you leaders were the shepherds. But now it's your turn to be butchered like sheep. You'll shatter like fine pottery dropped on the floor. So roll on the ground, crying and mourning.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Wail, shepherds! Cry! Wallow in the dust, you lords of the flock! For the days for your slaughter have come. I will break you in pieces, and like a prized vase you will fall."
Darby Translation
Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves [in the dust], noble ones of the flock: for the days of your slaughter are accomplished, and I will disperse you; and ye shall fall like a precious vessel.
Easy-to-Read Version
Shepherds, you should be leading the sheep. Start crying, you great leaders! Roll around on the ground in pain, you leaders of the sheep. It is now time for your slaughter. You will be scattered everywhere, like pieces flying from a broken jar.
George Lamsa Translation
Howl, you shepherds, and cry; wallow in the ashes, you who have great flocks; for the days of your slaughter are at hand, anal you shall be broken, and fall like choice vessels.
Good News Translation
Cry, you leaders, you shepherds of my people, cry out loud! Mourn and roll in the dust. The time has come for you to be slaughtered, and you will be butchered like rams.
Lexham English Bible
Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. And roll about in mourning in the dust, O leaders of the flock. For your days of slaughter and your dispersions have arrived, and you will fall like a vessel of desire.
Literal Translation
Howl, O shepherds, and cry, and roll in ashes , O leaders of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and of your scatterings are fulfilled, and you shall fall like a desirable vessel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Mourne (o ye shepherdes) & crie: sprinckle youre selues with a?shes, o ye rammes of the flocke: for the tyme of youre slaughter is fulfilled, and ye shal fall like vessels connyngly made for pleasure.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
Give cries of grief, you keepers of sheep; give cries for help, rolling yourselves in the dust, you chiefs of the flock: for the days of your destruction have fully come, and I will send you in all directions, and your fall will be like that of the males of the flock.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wail, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the dust, ye leaders of the flock; for the days of your slaughter are fully come, and I will break you in pieces, and ye shall fall like a precious vessel.
King James Version (1611)
Howle yee shepheards and cry, and wallow your selues in the ashes ye principall of the flocke: for the dayes of your slaughter, and of your dispersions are accomplished, and yee shall fall like a pleasant vessell.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Mourne O ye sheepheardes, and crye, sprinckle your selues with asshes O ye rammes of the flocke: for the tyme of your slaughter and breache is fulfylled, and ye shall fall lyke vessels that were much set by.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
THE PROPHECIES OF JEREMIAS AGAINST THE NATIONS OF ÆLAM.
English Revised Version
Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter are fully come, and I will break you in pieces, and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yelle, ye scheepherdis, and crye, and, ye princypals of the floc, bispreynge you with aische; for youre daies ben fillid, that ye be slayn, and youre scateryngis ben fillid, and ye schulen falle as precious vessels.
Update Bible Version
Wail, you shepherds, and cry; and wallow [in ashes], you principal of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions have fully come, and you shall fall like a goodly vessel.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
Wail and cry out in anguish, you rulers! Roll in the dust, you who shepherd flocks of people! The time for you to be slaughtered has come. You will lie scattered and fallen like broken pieces of fine pottery.
New King James Version
"Wail, shepherds, and cry! Roll about in the ashes, You leaders of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled; You shall fall like a precious vessel.
New Living Translation
Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like a fragile vase.
New Life Bible
Cry in a loud voice, you shepherds. And roll in ashes, you leaders of the flock. For the days for you to be killed and sent everywhere have come, and you will fall and be broken like a fine pot.
New Revised Standard
Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter have come—and your dispersions, and you shall fall like a choice vessel.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Howl ye shepherds and make outcry, And roll in the dust ye illustrious of the flock, Because your days for being slaughtered, are fulfilled, - Therefore will I break you in pieces, and ye shall fall like a precious vessel!
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
"Wail, you shepherds, and cry, and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come, and you shall fall like choice rams.
Young's Literal Translation
Howl, ye shepherds, and cry, And roll yourselves, ye honourable of the flock, For full have been your days, For slaughtering, and [for] your scatterings, And ye have fallen as a desirable vessel.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Wail, you shepherds, and cry; And wallow in ashes, you masters of the flock; For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions have come, And you will fall like a choice vessel.

Contextual Overview

30"Preach it all, Jeremiah. Preach the entire Message to them. Say: "‘ God roars like a lion from high heaven; thunder rolls out from his holy dwelling— Ear-splitting bellows against his people, shouting hurrahs like workers in harvest. The noise reverberates all over the earth; everyone everywhere hears it. God makes his case against the godless nations. He's about to put the human race on trial. For the wicked the verdict is clear-cut: death by the sword.'" God 's Decree. 32 A Message from God -of-the-Angel-Armies: "Prepare for the worst! Doomsday! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation. A huge storm is about to rage all across planet Earth." 33 Laid end to end, those killed in God 's judgment that day will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. No tears will be shed and no burials conducted. The bodies will be left where they fall, like so much horse dung fertilizing the fields. 34Wail, shepherds! Cry out for help! Grovel in the dirt, you masters of flocks! Time's up—you're slated for the slaughterhouse, like a choice ram with its throat cut. There's no way out for the rulers, no escape for those shepherds. Hear that? Rulers crying for help, shepherds of the flock wailing! God is about to ravage their fine pastures. The peaceful sheepfolds will be silent with death, silenced by God 's deadly anger. God will come out into the open like a lion leaping from its cover, And the country will be torn to pieces, ripped and ravaged by his anger.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Howl: Jeremiah 25:23, Jeremiah 25:36, Jeremiah 4:8, Jeremiah 4:9, Ezekiel 34:16, James 5:1, James 5:2

ye shepherds: Ye kings and chiefs of the people

wallow: Jeremiah 6:26, Jeremiah 48:26, Ezekiel 27:30, Ezekiel 27:31

ye principal: Ezekiel 34:17, Ezekiel 34:20

the days of your: Heb. your days for, Jeremiah 25:12, Jeremiah 27:7, Jeremiah 51:20-26, Isaiah 10:12, Isaiah 33:1, Lamentations 4:21

ye shall: Jeremiah 19:10-12, Jeremiah 22:28, Psalms 2:9, Isaiah 30:14

pleasant vessel: Heb. vessel of desire, Jeremiah 3:19, 2 Chronicles 36:10, Isaiah 2:16, Daniel 11:8, Amos 5:11, *marg.

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 5:12 - the cry 2 Samuel 9:7 - eat bread 1 Kings 20:6 - pleasant Isaiah 13:6 - Howl ye Jeremiah 18:22 - a cry Jeremiah 23:1 - pastors Jeremiah 48:12 - empty Jeremiah 48:38 - broken Ezekiel 21:12 - howl Ezekiel 26:12 - thy pleasant houses Nahum 2:9 - pleasant furniture Zephaniah 1:11 - Howl Zechariah 11:3 - a voice

Cross-References

Genesis 25:17
Ishmael lived 137 years. When he breathed his last and died he was buried with his family. His children settled down all the way from Havilah near Egypt eastward to Shur in the direction of Assyria. The Ishmaelites didn't get along with any of their kin.
Genesis 25:19
This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.
Ecclesiastes 8:15
So, I'm all for just going ahead and having a good time—the best possible. The only earthly good men and women can look forward to is to eat and drink well and have a good time—compensation for the struggle for survival these few years God gives us on earth.
Zechariah 11:13
God told me, "Throw it in the poor box." This stingy wage was all they thought of me and my work! So I took the thirty silver coins and threw them into the poor box in God 's Temple.
Matthew 22:5
"They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Howl, ye shepherds, and cry,.... The Targum is,

"howl, ye kings, and cry;''

and the rulers and governors of the nations before threatened with destruction are meant; who are here called upon to lamentation and mourning for the ruin and loss of their kingdoms; though Calvin thinks that this is an apostrophe to the Jewish nation, and the rulers of it. It is no uncommon thing in Scripture to call kings and civil magistrates shepherds; see Jeremiah 23:1;

and wallow yourselves [in the ashes], ye principal of the flock; or "roll yourselves [in dust]", as a token of mourning; as being in the utmost distress, and incapable of helping themselves, and redressing the grievances of their people; and therefore lie down and tumble about as in the greatest anxiety and trouble, the Targum is,

"cover your heads with ashes, ye mighty of the people;''

meaning those who were in the highest posts of honour and profit; the chief as to authority and power, riches and wealth;

for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; the time is come when they who were the fat of the flock, and were nourished up for slaughter, should be slain. The allusion to shepherds and sheep is still kept up; and such who should escape that, should be scattered up and down the world, as a flock of sheep is by the wolf, or any other beast of prey, when some are seized and devoured, and others dispersed; and this was not the case of the Jews only, but of other nations in their turn;

and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel; a vessel of worth and value, and so desirable; as vessels of glass, of gems, or of earth, as of Venice glass, of alabaster, of China; which when they fall and are broken, become useless, and are irreparable; signifying hereby, that their desirableness and excellency would not secure them from destruction, and that their ruin would be irretrievable.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Principal of the flock - i. e., noble ones.

Wallow yourselves in the ashes - Rather, roll yourselves on the ground.

For ... - Read; “for your days for being slaughtered are accomplished, and I will scatter you” (or, (dash you in pieces).

Fall like a pleasant vessel - The comparison suggests the idea of change from a thing of value into worthless fragments.

Jeremiah 25:36

Hath spoiled - Or, spoileth.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 25:34. Howl, ye shepherds — Ye kings and chiefs of the people.

Ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. — As a fall will break and utterly ruin a precious vessel of crystal, agate, &c., so your overthrow will be to you irreparable ruin.


 
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