Jeremiah 25:34-38·~1 min
The Cry of the Shepherds
The shepherds and leaders of the flock are commanded to wail and roll in ashes because their days for slaughter and scattering have come. No refuge or escape remains, and their cries rise up as the LORD destroys their pasture.
W34ail, you shepherds, and cry out; 35Flight will evade the shepherds, 36Hear the cry of the shepherds,
Peaceful meadows are silenced because of the LORD's fierce anger. Like a lion leaving its den, He has made the land a desolation through the oppressor's sword and the burning force of His wrath.
37The peaceful meadows have been silenced 38He has left His den like a lion,
Section summaryThe chapter ends by turning again to rulers and leaders, calling them shepherds and lords of the flock. They are told to wail because their time for slaughter and shattering has come; there will be no escape, the peaceful pastures are silenced, and the LORD has gone out like a lion from His lair to leave the land desolate under His fierce anger.
Role in the chapterThis section brings the worldwide judgment back into sharp focus on those responsible for leading the peoples, showing that authority offers no shelter when the LORD rises against the land.