Jeremiah 25:35
New International Version
The shepherds will have nowhere to flee, the leaders of the flock no place to escape.

New Living Translation
You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape.

English Standard Version
No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock.

Berean Standard Bible
Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock.

King James Bible
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

New King James Version
And the shepherds will have no way to flee, Nor the leaders of the flock to escape.

New American Standard Bible
“There will be no sanctuary for the shepherds, Nor escape for the masters of the flock.

NASB 1995
“Flight will perish from the shepherds, And escape from the masters of the flock.

NASB 1977
“Flight shall perish from the shepherds, And escape from the masters of the flock.

Legacy Standard Bible
Refuge will perish from the shepherds And escape from the mighty ones of the flock.

Amplified Bible
“The shepherds will have no way to flee, Nor the masters of the flock any [way of] escape.

Christian Standard Bible
Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, and escape, for the leaders of the flock.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, and escape, for the leaders of the flock.

American Standard Version
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

Contemporary English Version
You have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. *

English Revised Version
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
There will be no place for the shepherds to flee, no escape for the leaders of the flock.

Good News Translation
There will be no way for you to escape.

International Standard Version
Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, as will be escape for the leaders of the flock.

Majority Standard Bible
Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock.

NET Bible
The leaders will not be able to run away and hide. The shepherds of the flocks will not be able to escape.

New Heart English Bible
The shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

World English Bible
The shepherds will have no way to flee. The leader of the flock will have no escape.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And refuge has perished from the shepherds, "" And escape from the majestic of the flock.

Young's Literal Translation
And perished hath refuge from the shepherds, And escape from the honourable of the flock.

Smith's Literal Translation
And flight perished from the shepherds, and escaping from the chiefs of the flock.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the leaders of the flock to save themselves.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And escape will flee from the shepherds, and safety will flee from the nobility of the flock.”

New American Bible
There is no flight for the shepherds, no escape for the leaders of the flock.

New Revised Standard Version
Flight shall fail the shepherds, and there shall be no escape for the lords of the flock.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the shepherds shall not find the way to flee, nor shall the rams of the flock escape.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the place of escape of the Shepherds shall be cut off, and the escape of the rams of the sheep
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, Nor the leaders of the flock to escape.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And flight shall perish from the shepherds, and safety from the rams of the flock.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Cry of the Shepherds
34Wail, 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. 35Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock. 36Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 34:10
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand from them My flock and remove them from tending the flock, so that they can no longer feed themselves. For I will deliver My flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.’

Zechariah 11:3
Listen to the wailing of the shepherds, for their glory is in ruins. Listen to the roaring of the young lions, for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed.

Isaiah 13:14
Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land.

Lamentations 2:6
He has laid waste His tabernacle like a garden booth; He has destroyed His place of meeting. The LORD has made Zion forget her appointed feasts and Sabbaths. In His fierce anger He has despised both king and priest.

Amos 2:14-16
Escape will fail the swift, the strong will not prevail by his strength, and the mighty will not save his life. / The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet of foot will not escape, and the horseman will not save his life. / Even the bravest of mighty men will flee naked on that day,” declares the LORD.

Hosea 4:5
You will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you by night; so I will destroy your mother—

Isaiah 24:17-18
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth. / Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Ezekiel 7:15-16
The sword is outside; plague and famine are within. Those in the country will die by the sword, and those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague. / The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity.

Isaiah 10:3
What will you do on the day of reckoning when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you leave your wealth?

Micah 2:3
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “I am planning against this nation a disaster from which you cannot free your necks. Then you will not walk so proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.

Matthew 9:36
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

John 10:11-13
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. / The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. / The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.

Luke 21:35-36
For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. / So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Revelation 6:15-17
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. / And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.


Treasury of Scripture

And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

the shepherds.

Jeremiah 32:4
And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

Jeremiah 34:3
And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

Jeremiah 38:18,23
But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand…

nor.

Jeremiah 48:44
He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 52:8-11,24-27
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him…

Amos 9:1-3
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered…

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Chiefs Escape Flee Flight Flock Honourable Keepers Leaders Masters Noble Nowhere Ones Perish Perished Principal Refuge Road Safely Sheep Shepherds Way
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Chiefs Escape Flee Flight Flock Honourable Keepers Leaders Masters Noble Nowhere Ones Perish Perished Principal Refuge Road Safely Sheep Shepherds Way
Jeremiah 25
1. Jeremiah, reproving the Jews' disobedience to the prophets,
8. foretells the seventy years' captivity;
12. and after that, the destruction of Babylon.
15. Under the type of a cup of wine he foreshows the destruction of all nations.
34. The howling of the shepherds.














Flight will perish
The phrase "flight will perish" conveys a sense of inevitable doom and the futility of escape. In the Hebrew text, the word for "flight" is "נָס" (nas), which means to flee or escape. This word is often used in contexts where there is a pursuit or a threat. The imagery here is powerful, suggesting that even the natural instinct to flee from danger will be rendered impossible. Historically, this reflects the situation of the leaders of Judah who, despite their attempts to avoid the consequences of their actions, could not escape the judgment that God had decreed through the prophet Jeremiah. This serves as a sobering reminder of the inescapability of divine justice.

from the shepherds
The term "shepherds" in this context is metaphorical, referring to the leaders and rulers of the people. In ancient Near Eastern culture, shepherds were often used as symbols for kings and leaders, responsible for the welfare and guidance of their people. The Hebrew word "רֹעִים" (ro'im) is used here, emphasizing the role of these leaders as caretakers who have failed in their duties. This failure is not just a political or social one, but a spiritual failure to lead the people in accordance with God's laws and commandments. The shepherds' inability to find "flight" underscores their accountability before God.

and escape will fail
The word "escape" in Hebrew is "מִלְטָה" (miltah), which implies a way out or deliverance. The phrase "will fail" indicates that any hope of deliverance or rescue is futile. This is a direct consequence of the leaders' disobedience and the people's idolatry, as repeatedly warned by Jeremiah. The historical context here is the impending Babylonian exile, a period of great suffering and displacement for the people of Judah. Theologically, this serves as a warning that turning away from God leads to a loss of His protection and the collapse of any human-devised plans for salvation.

from the leaders of the flock
The "leaders of the flock" again uses pastoral imagery to describe those in positions of authority. The Hebrew word "אַדִּירֵי" (addirei) is used for "leaders," which can also mean nobles or mighty ones. This highlights the responsibility and power these individuals held, and yet, despite their status, they are unable to avert the coming disaster. The "flock" refers to the people of Judah, who are depicted as sheep in need of guidance and protection. The failure of their leaders to provide this results in the flock being left vulnerable to the consequences of their collective sin. This serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of godly leadership and the dire consequences when leaders fail to uphold God's standards.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Flight
מָנ֖וֹס (mā·nō·ws)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4498: Flight, place of escape or refuge

will evade
וְאָבַ֥ד (wə·’ā·ḇaḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

the shepherds,
הָֽרֹעִ֑ים (hā·rō·‘îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7462: To tend a, flock, pasture it, in, to graze, to rule, to associate with

and escape [will elude]
וּפְלֵיטָ֖ה (ū·p̄ə·lê·ṭāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6413: Deliverance, an escaped portion

the leaders
מֵאַדִּירֵ֥י (mê·’ad·dî·rê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 117: Wide, large, powerful

of the flock.
הַצֹּֽאן׃ (haṣ·ṣōn)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 25:35 The shepherds shall have no way (Jer.)
Jeremiah 25:34
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