Bible Reading Plan

Jeremiah Threatened With Death

¹ Early in the reign of Jehoiakim^(a) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the Lord : ² "This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard^(b) of the Lord 's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord .^(c) Tell^(d) them everything I command you; do not omit^(e) a word. ³ Perhaps they will listen and each will turn^(f) from their evil ways. Then I will relent^(g) and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. ⁴ Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen^(h) to me and follow my law,⁽ⁱ⁾ which I have set before you, ⁵ and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened^(j)), ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh^(k) and this city a curse^[a](l) among all the nations of the earth.'"

⁷ The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord . ⁸ But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded^(m) him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized⁽ⁿ⁾ him and said, "You must die!^{(o) 9} Why do you prophesy in the Lord 's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?"^(p) And all the people crowded^(q) around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord .

¹⁰ When the officials^(r) of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate^(s) of the Lord 's house. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man should be sentenced to death^(t) because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"^(u)

¹² Then Jeremiah said to all the officials^(v) and all the people: "The Lord sent me to prophesy^(w) against this house and this city all the things you have heard.^{(x) 13} Now reform^(y) your ways and your actions and obey^(z) the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent^(aa) and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, I am in your hands;^(ab) do with me whatever you think is good and right. ¹⁵ Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood^(ac) on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words^(ad) in your hearing."

¹⁶ Then the officials^(ae) and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man should not be sentenced to death!^(af) He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God."

¹⁷ Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, ¹⁸ "Micah^(ag) of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says:

¹⁹ "Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah^(al) fear the Lord and seek^(am) his favor? And did not the Lord relent,^(an) so that he did not bring the disaster^(ao) he pronounced against them? We are about to bring a terrible disaster^(ap) on ourselves!"

²⁰ (Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim^(aq) was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord ; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. ²¹ When King Jehoiakim^(ar) and all his officers and officials^(as) heard his words, the king was determined to put him to death.^(at) But Uriah heard of it and fled^(au) in fear to Egypt. ²² King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan^(av) son of Akbor to Egypt, along with some other men. ²³ They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword^(aw) and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)^(ax)

²⁴ Furthermore, Ahikam^(ay) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

Judah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar

¹ Early in the reign of Zedekiah^[a](a) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord : ² This is what the Lord said to me: "Make a yoke^(b) out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. ³ Then send^(c) word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon,^(d) Tyre and Sidon^(e) through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. ⁴ Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Tell this to your masters: ⁵ With my great power and outstretched arm^(f) I made^(g) the earth and its people and the animals^(h) that are on it, and I give⁽ⁱ⁾ it to anyone I please. ⁶ Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant^(j) Nebuchadnezzar^(k) king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.^{(l) 7} All nations will serve^(m) him and his son and his grandson until the time⁽ⁿ⁾ for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate^(o) him.

⁸ "‘"If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish^(p) that nation with the sword,^(q) famine^(r) and plague,^(s) declares the Lord , until I destroy it by his hand. ⁹ So do not listen to your prophets,^(t) your diviners,^(u) your interpreters of dreams,^(v) your mediums^(w) or your sorcerers^(x) who tell you, ‘You will not serve^(y) the king of Babylon.' ¹⁰ They prophesy lies^(z) to you that will only serve to remove^(aa) you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. ¹¹ But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke^(ab) of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live^(ac) there, declares the Lord ."'"

¹² I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, "Bow your neck under the yoke^(ad) of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live.^{(ae) 13} Why will you and your people die^(af) by the sword, famine and plague^(ag) with which the Lord has threatened any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? ¹⁴ Do not listen^(ah) to the words of the prophets^(ai) who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they are prophesying lies^(aj) to you. ¹⁵ ‘I have not sent^(ak) them,' declares the Lord . ‘They are prophesying lies in my name.^(al) Therefore, I will banish you and you will perish,^(am) both you and the prophets who prophesy to you.'"

¹⁶ Then I said to the priests and all these people, "This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles^(an) from the Lord 's house will be brought back from Babylon.' They are prophesying lies to you. ¹⁷ Do not listen^(ao) to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live.^(ap) Why should this city become a ruin? ¹⁸ If they are prophets and have the word of the Lord , let them plead^(aq) with the Lord Almighty that the articles remaining in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem not be taken to Babylon. ¹⁹ For this is what the Lord Almighty says about the pillars, the bronze Sea,^(ar) the movable stands and the other articles^(as) that are left in this city, ²⁰ which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away when he carried^(at) Jehoiachin^[b](au) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— ²¹ yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the Lord and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: ²² ‘They will be taken^(av) to Babylon and there they will remain until the day^(aw) I come for them,' declares the Lord . ‘Then I will bring^(ax) them back and restore them to this place.'"

The False Prophet Hananiah

¹ In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah^(a) king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon,^(b) said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: ² "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke^(c) of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles^(d) of the Lord 's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. ⁴ I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin^[a](e) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,' declares the Lord , ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'"^(f)

⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord . ⁶ He said, "Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord 's house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.^{(g) 7} Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: ⁸ From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague^(h) against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.⁽ⁱ⁾"

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke^(j) off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and he said^(k) before all the people, "This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.'" At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

¹² After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ "Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. ¹⁴ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke^(l) on the necks of all these nations to make them serve^(m) Nebuchadnezzar⁽ⁿ⁾ king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.^(o)'"

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent^(p) you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.^{(q) 16} Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.^(r) This very year you are going to die,^(s) because you have preached rebellion^(t) against the Lord .'"

¹⁷ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.^(u)

A Letter to the Exiles

¹ This is the text of the letter^(a) that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.^{(b) 2} (This was after King Jehoiachin^[a](c) and the queen mother,^(d) the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) ³ He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

Message to Shemaiah

²⁴ Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, ²⁵ "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah^(as) son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, ²⁶ ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the Lord ; you should put any maniac^(at) who acts like a prophet into the stocks^(au) and neck-irons. ²⁷ So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? ²⁸ He has sent this message^(av) to us in Babylon: It will be a long time.^(aw) Therefore build^(ax) houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.'"

²⁹ Zephaniah^(ay) the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. ³⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ³¹ "Send this message to all the exiles: ‘This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah^(az) the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send^(ba) him, and has persuaded you to trust in lies, ³² this is what the Lord says: I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants.^(bb) He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good^(bc) things I will do for my people, declares the Lord , because he has preached rebellion^(bd) against me.'"

Restoration of Israel

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord : ² "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘Write^(a) in a book all the words I have spoken to you. ³ The days^(b) are coming,' declares the Lord , ‘when I will bring^(c) my people Israel and Judah back from captivity^[a] and restore^(d) them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,' says the Lord ."

⁴ These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: ⁵ "This is what the Lord says:

¹² "This is what the Lord says:

¹⁸ "This is what the Lord says:

¹ "At that time," declares the Lord , "I will be the God^(a) of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people."

² This is what the Lord says:

³ The Lord appeared to us in the past,^[a] saying:

⁷ This is what the Lord says:

¹⁵ This is what the Lord says:

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says:

²³ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "When I bring them back from captivity,^[c](bv) the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless^(bw) you, you prosperous city,^(bx) you sacred mountain.'^{(by) 24} People will live^(bz) together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks.^{(ca) 25} I will refresh the weary^(cb) and satisfy the faint."^(cc)

²⁶ At this I awoke^(cd) and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

²⁷ "The days are coming,"^(ce) declares the Lord , "when I will plant^(cf) the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. ²⁸ Just as I watched^(cg) over them to uproot^(ch) and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster,^(ci) so I will watch over them to build and to plant,"^(cj) declares the Lord . ²⁹ "In those days people will no longer say,

³⁰ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin;^(cm) whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

³⁵ This is what the Lord says,

³⁷ This is what the Lord says:

³⁸ "The days are coming," declares the Lord , "when this city will be rebuilt^(di) for me from the Tower of Hananel^(dj) to the Corner Gate.^{(dk) 39} The measuring line^(dl) will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. ⁴⁰ The whole valley^(dm) where dead bodies^(dn) and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley^(do) on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate,^(dp) will be holy^(dq) to the Lord . The city will never again be uprooted or demolished."

Jeremiah Buys a Field

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth^(a) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth^(b) year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging^(c) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined^(d) in the courtyard of the guard^(e) in the royal palace of Judah.

³ Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, "Why do you prophesy^(f) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture^(g) it. ⁴ Zedekiah^(h) king of Judah will not escape⁽ⁱ⁾ the Babylonians^[a](j) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. ⁵ He will take^(k) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,^(l) declares the Lord . If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.'"^(m)

⁶ Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me: ⁷ Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,⁽ⁿ⁾ because as nearest relative it is your right and duty^(o) to buy it.'

⁸ "Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field^(p) at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.'

"I knew that this was the word of the Lord ; ⁹ so I bought the field^(q) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels^[b] of silver.^{(r) 10} I signed and sealed the deed,^(s) had it witnessed,^(t) and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹ I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— ¹² and I gave this deed to Baruch^(u) son of Neriah,^(v) the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

¹³ "In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ¹⁴ ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed^(w) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. ¹⁵ For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.'^(x)

¹⁶ "After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch^(y) son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord :

²⁶ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁷ "I am the Lord , the God of all mankind.^(bb) Is anything too hard for me?^{(bc) 28} Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar^(bd) king of Babylon, who will capture it.^{(be) 29} The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,^(bf) along with the houses^(bg) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings^(bh) to other gods.^(bi)

³⁰ "The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;^(bj) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger^(bk) with what their hands have made,^(bl) declares the Lord . ³¹ From the day it was built until now, this city^(bm) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove^(bn) it from my sight. ³² The people of Israel and Judah have provoked^(bo) me by all the evil^(bp) they have done—they, their kings and officials,^(bq) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. ³³ They turned their backs^(br) to me and not their faces; though I taught^(bs) them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.^{(bt) 34} They set up their vile images^(bu) in the house that bears my Name^(bv) and defiled^(bw) it. ³⁵ They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(bx) to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,^(by) though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind^(bz)—that they should do such a detestable^(ca) thing and so make Judah sin.^(cb)

³⁶ "You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague^(cc) it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon'; but this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ³⁷ I will surely gather^(cd) them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger^(ce) and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.^{(cf) 38} They will be my people,^(cg) and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them singleness^(ch) of heart and action, so that they will always fear^(ci) me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant^(cj) with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire^(ck) them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.^{(cl) 41} I will rejoice^(cm) in doing them good^(cn) and will assuredly plant^(co) them in this land with all my heart and soul.^(cp)

⁴² "This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity^(cq) on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised^(cr) them. ⁴³ Once more fields will be bought^(cs) in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate^(ct) waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.' ⁴⁴ Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds^(cu) will be signed, sealed and witnessed^(cv) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,^(cw) because I will restore^(cx) their fortunes,^[c] declares the Lord ."

Promise of Restoration

¹ While Jeremiah was still confined^(a) in the courtyard^(b) of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time:^{(c) 2} "This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth,^(d) the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name:^{(e) 3} ‘Call^(f) to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable^(g) things you do not know.' ⁴ For this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege^(h) ramps⁽ⁱ⁾ and the sword ⁵ in the fight with the Babylonians^[a]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath.^(j) I will hide my face^(k) from this city because of all its wickedness.

⁶ "‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal^(l) my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace^(m) and security. ⁷ I will bring Judah⁽ⁿ⁾ and Israel back from captivity^[b](o) and will rebuild^(p) them as they were before.^{(q) 8} I will cleanse^(r) them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive^(s) all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown,^(t) joy, praise^(u) and honor^(v) before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble^(w) at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'

¹⁰ "This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals."^(x) Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted,^(y) inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more ¹¹ the sounds of joy and gladness,^(z) the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings^(aa) to the house of the Lord , saying,

For I will restore the fortunes^(ad) of the land as they were before,^(ae)' says the Lord .

¹² "This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate^(af) and without people or animals^(ag)—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.^{(ah) 13} In the towns of the hill^(ai) country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,^(aj) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand^(ak) of the one who counts them,' says the Lord .

¹⁴ "‘The days are coming,' declares the Lord , ‘when I will fulfill the good promise^(al) I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

¹⁷ For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail^(at) to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, ¹⁸ nor will the Levitical^(au) priests^(av) ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.^(aw)'"

¹⁹ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁰ "This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day^(ax) and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,^{(ay) 21} then my covenant^(az) with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites^(ba) who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.^{(bb) 22} I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless^(bc) as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.'"

²³ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁴ "Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms^[d](bd) he chose'? So they despise^(be) my people and no longer regard them as a nation.^{(bf) 25} This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night^(bg) and established the laws^(bh) of heaven and earth,^{(bi) 26} then I will reject^(bj) the descendants of Jacob^(bk) and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes^[e](bl) and have compassion^(bm) on them.'"

Warning to Zedekiah

¹ While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples^(a) in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem^(b) and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord : ² "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah^(c) king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.^{(d) 3} You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands.^(e) You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

⁴ "‘Yet hear the Lord 's promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;^{(f) 5} you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire^(g) in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, "Alas,^(h) master!" I myself make this promise, declares the Lord .'"

⁶ Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, ⁷ while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachish⁽ⁱ⁾ and Azekah.^(j) These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.

Freedom for Slaves

⁸ The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people^(k) in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom^(l) for the slaves. ⁹ Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.^{(m) 10} So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. ¹¹ But afterward they changed their minds⁽ⁿ⁾ and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

¹² Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors^(o) when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.^(p) I said, ¹⁴ ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.'^[a](q) Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention^(r) to me. ¹⁵ Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people.^(s) You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.^{(t) 16} But now you have turned around^(u) and profaned^(v) my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.

¹⁷ "Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom' for you,^(w) declares the Lord —‘freedom' to fall by the sword, plague^(x) and famine.^(y) I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.^{(z) 18} Those who have violated my covenant^(aa) and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.^{(ab) 19} The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials,^(ac) the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, ²⁰ I will deliver^(ad) into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them.^(ae) Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.^(af)

²¹ "I will deliver Zedekiah^(ag) king of Judah and his officials^(ah) into the hands of their enemies^(ai) who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon,^(aj) which has withdrawn^(ak) from you. ²² I am going to give the order, declares the Lord , and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take^(al) it and burn^(am) it down. And I will lay waste^(an) the towns of Judah so no one can live there."

The Rekabites

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim^(a) son of Josiah king of Judah: ² "Go to the Rekabite^(b) family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms^(c) of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink."

³ So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites. ⁴ I brought them into the house of the Lord , into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.^(d) It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum^(e) the doorkeeper.^{(f) 5} Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, "Drink some wine."

⁶ But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab^[a](g) son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.^{(h) 7} Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents.⁽ⁱ⁾ Then you will live a long time in the land^(j) where you are nomads.' ⁸ We have obeyed everything our forefather^(k) Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine ⁹ or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops.^{(l) 10} We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. ¹¹ But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded^(m) this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem⁽ⁿ⁾ to escape the Babylonian^[b] and Aramean armies.' So we have remained in Jerusalem."

¹² Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ¹³ "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell^(o) the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson^(p) and obey my words?' declares the Lord . ¹⁴ ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather's command.^(q) But I have spoken to you again and again,^(r) yet you have not obeyed^(s) me. ¹⁵ Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets^(t) to you. They said, "Each of you must turn^(u) from your wicked ways and reform^(v) your actions; do not follow other gods^(w) to serve them. Then you will live in the land^(x) I have given to you and your ancestors." But you have not paid attention or listened^(y) to me. ¹⁶ The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather^(z) gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.'

¹⁷ "Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster^(aa) I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen;^(ab) I called to them, but they did not answer.'"^(ac)

¹⁸ Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather^(ad) Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' ¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail^(ae) to have a descendant to serve^(af) me.'"

Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah's Scroll

¹ In the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(a) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord : ² "Take a scroll^(b) and write on it all the words^(c) I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah^(d) till now. ³ Perhaps^(e) when the people of Judah hear^(f) about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn^(g) from their wicked ways; then I will forgive^(h) their wickedness and their sin."

⁴ So Jeremiah called Baruch⁽ⁱ⁾ son of Neriah,^(j) and while Jeremiah dictated^(k) all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll.^{(l) 5} Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord 's temple. ⁶ So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting^(m) and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated.⁽ⁿ⁾ Read them to all the people of Judah^(o) who come in from their towns. ⁷ Perhaps they will bring their petition^(p) before the Lord and will each turn^(q) from their wicked ways, for the anger^(r) and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great."

⁸ Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord 's temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. ⁹ In the ninth month^(s) of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting^(t) before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. ¹⁰ From the room of Gemariah^(u) son of Shaphan^(v) the secretary,^(w) which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate^(x) of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord 's temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

¹¹ When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, ¹² he went down to the secretary's^(y) room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan^(z) son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.^{(aa) 13} After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, ¹⁴ all the officials sent Jehudi^(ab) son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Bring the scroll^(ac) from which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. ¹⁵ They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us."

So Baruch read it to them. ¹⁶ When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear^(ad) and said to Baruch, "We must report all these words to the king." ¹⁷ Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come to write^(ae) all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?"

¹⁸ "Yes," Baruch replied, "he dictated^(af) all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll."

¹⁹ Then the officials^(ag) said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah, go and hide.^(ah) Don't let anyone know where you are."

²⁰ After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. ²¹ The king sent Jehudi^(ai) to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king^(aj) and all the officials standing beside him. ²² It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment,^(ak) with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. ²³ Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll,^(al) the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.^{(am) 24} The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear,^(an) nor did they tear their clothes.^{(ao) 25} Even though Elnathan, Delaiah^(ap) and Gemariah^(aq) urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶ Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest^(ar) Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden^(as) them.

²⁷ After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation,^(at) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁸ "Take another scroll^(au) and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. ²⁹ Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it^(av) both man and beast?"^{(aw) 30} Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim^(ax) king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out^(ay) and exposed^(az) to the heat by day and the frost by night.^{(ba) 31} I will punish him and his children^(bb) and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster^(bc) I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.^(bd)'"

³² So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated,^(be) Baruch wrote^(bf) on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned^(bg) in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah in Prison

¹ Zedekiah^(a) son of Josiah was made king^(b) of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin^[a](c) son of Jehoiakim. ² Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention^(d) to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

³ King Zedekiah, however, sent^(e) Jehukal^(f) son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah^(g) son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: "Please pray^(h) to the Lord our God for us."

⁴ Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.^{(i) 5} Pharaoh's army had marched out of Egypt,^(j) and when the Babylonians^[b] who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew^(k) from Jerusalem.^(l)

⁶ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: ⁷ "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire^(m) of me, ‘Pharaoh's army, which has marched⁽ⁿ⁾ out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt.^{(o) 8} Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture^(p) it and burn^(q) it down.'

⁹ "This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive^(r) yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.' They will not! ¹⁰ Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian^[c] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn^(s) this city down."

¹¹ After the Babylonian army had withdrawn^(t) from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army, ¹² Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property^(u) among the people there. ¹³ But when he reached the Benjamin Gate,^(v) the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, "You are deserting to the Babylonians!"^(w)

¹⁴ "That's not true!" Jeremiah said. "I am not deserting to the Babylonians." But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested^(x) Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. ¹⁵ They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten^(y) and imprisoned^(z) in the house^(aa) of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.

¹⁶ Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. ¹⁷ Then King Zedekiah sent^(ab) for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked^(ac) him privately,^(ad) "Is there any word from the Lord ?"

"Yes," Jeremiah replied, "you will be delivered^(ae) into the hands of the king of Babylon."

¹⁸ Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What crime^(af) have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? ¹⁹ Where are your prophets^(ag) who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land'? ²⁰ But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there."^(ah)

²¹ King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread^(ai) in the city was gone.^(aj) So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.^(ak)

Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern

¹ Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur^(a), Jehukal^[a](b) son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, ² "This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague,^(c) but whoever goes over to the Babylonians^[b] will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.'^{(d) 3} And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.'"^(e)

⁴ Then the officials^(f) said to the king, "This man should be put to death.^(g) He is discouraging^(h) the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin."

⁵ "He is in your hands,"⁽ⁱ⁾ King Zedekiah answered. "The king can do nothing^(j) to oppose you."

⁶ So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard.^(k) They lowered Jeremiah by ropes^(l) into the cistern; it had no water in it,^(m) only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.⁽ⁿ⁾

⁷ But Ebed-Melek,^(o) a Cushite,^[c] an official^[d](p) in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate,^{(q) 8} Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, ⁹ "My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern,^(r) where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread^(s) in the city."

¹⁰ Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, "Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."

¹¹ So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes^(t) to Jeremiah in the cistern. ¹² Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes." Jeremiah did so, ¹³ and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.^(u)

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

¹⁴ Then King Zedekiah sent^(v) for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord . "I am going to ask you something," the king said to Jeremiah. "Do not hide^(w) anything from me."

¹⁵ Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me."

¹⁶ But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly^(x) to Jeremiah: "As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath,^(y) I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you."^(z)

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender^(aa) to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.^{(ab) 18} But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands^(ac) of the Babylonians and they will burn^(ad) it down; you yourself will not escape^(ae) from them.'"

¹⁹ King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid^(af) of the Jews who have gone over^(ag) to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me."

²⁰ "They will not hand you over," Jeremiah replied. "Obey^(ah) the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well^(ai) with you, and your life^(aj) will be spared. ²¹ But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: ²² All the women^(ak) left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:

²³ "All your wives and children^(an) will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape^(ao) from their hands but will be captured^(ap) by the king of Babylon; and this city will^[e] be burned down."^(aq)

²⁴ Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not let anyone know^(ar) about this conversation, or you may die. ²⁵ If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,' ²⁶ then tell^(as) them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house^(at) to die there.'"

²⁷ All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.

²⁸ And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard^(au) until the day Jerusalem was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(av)

This is how Jerusalem^(aw) was taken:

^1 1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah^(a) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(b) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege^(c) to it. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(d) month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall^(e) was broken through.^{(f) 3} Then all the officials^(g) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(h) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](i)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(j) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(k) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(l) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(m) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes⁽ⁿ⁾ and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(o)

⁸ The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(p) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(q) of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(r) and the rest of the people.^{(s) 10} But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ¹² "Take him and look after him; don't harm^(t) him but do for him whatever he asks." ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers^(u) of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(v) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(w) son of Ahikam,^(x) the son of Shaphan,^(y) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(z)

¹⁵ While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: ¹⁶ "Go and tell Ebed-Melek^(aa) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words^(ab) against this city—words concerning disaster,^(ac) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I will rescue^(ad) you on that day, declares the Lord ; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save^(ae) you; you will not fall by the sword^(af) but will escape with your life,^(ag) because you trust^(ah) in me, declares the Lord .'"

Jeremiah Freed

¹ The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.^(a) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives^(b) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. ² When the commander^(c) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, "The Lord your God decreed^(d) this disaster^(e) for this place.^{(f) 3} And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned^(g) against the Lord and did not obey^(h) him. ⁴ But today I am freeing⁽ⁱ⁾ you from the chains^(j) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don't come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please."^{(k) 5} However, before Jeremiah turned to go,^[a] Nebuzaradan added, "Go back to Gedaliah^(l) son of Ahikam,^(m) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed⁽ⁿ⁾ over the towns^(o) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please."^(p)

Then the commander gave him provisions and a present^(q) and let him go. ⁶ So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah^(r) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Gedaliah Assassinated^(s)

⁷ When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor^(t) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(u) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, ⁸ they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(v)—Ishmael^(w) son of Nethaniah, Johanan^(x) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,^(y) and Jaazaniah^[b] the son of the Maakathite,^(z) and their men. ⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. "Do not be afraid to serve^(aa) the Babylonians,^[c](ab)" he said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.^{(ac) 10} I myself will stay at Mizpah^(ad) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,^(ae) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,^(af) and live in the towns you have taken over."^(ag)

¹¹ When all the Jews in Moab,^(ah) Ammon, Edom^(ai) and all the other countries^(aj) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, ¹² they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.^(ak) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

¹³ Johanan^(al) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^{(am) 14} and said to him, "Don't you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites^(an) has sent Ishmael^(ao) son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

¹⁵ Then Johanan^(ap) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, "Let me go and kill^(aq) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered^(ar) and the remnant^(as) of Judah to perish?"

¹⁶ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan^(at) son of Kareah, "Don't do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true."

¹ In the seventh month Ishmael^(a) son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king's officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, ² Ishmael^(b) son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,^(c) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed^(d) as governor over the land.^{(e) 3} Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian^[a] soldiers who were there.

⁴ The day after Gedaliah's assassination, before anyone knew about it, ⁵ eighty men who had shaved off their beards,^(f) torn their clothes^(g) and cut^(h) themselves came from Shechem,⁽ⁱ⁾ Shiloh^(j) and Samaria,^(k) bringing grain offerings and incense^(l) with them to the house of the Lord .^{(m) 6} Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping⁽ⁿ⁾ as he went. When he met them, he said, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam."^{(o) 7} When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.^{(p) 8} But ten of them said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field."^(q) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. ⁹ Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa^(r) had made as part of his defense^(s) against Baasha^(t) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

¹⁰ Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people^(u) who were in Mizpah—the king's daughters^(v) along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.^(w)

¹¹ When Johanan^(x) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, ¹² they took all their men and went to fight^(y) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool^(z) in Gibeon. ¹³ When all the people^(aa) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. ¹⁴ All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah^(ab) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. ¹⁵ But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped^(ac) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

¹⁶ Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(ad) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,^(ae) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. ¹⁷ And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham^(af) near Bethlehem^(ag) on their way to Egypt^{(ah) 18} to escape the Babylonians.^[b] They were afraid^(ai) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah^(aj) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

¹ Then all the army officers, including Johanan^(a) son of Kareah and Jezaniah^[a] son of Hoshaiah,^(b) and all the people from the least to the greatest^(c) approached ² Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, "Please hear our petition and pray^(d) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.^(e) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few^(f) are left. ³ Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."^(g)

⁴ "I have heard you," replied Jeremiah the prophet. "I will certainly pray^(h) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell⁽ⁱ⁾ you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you."^(j)

⁵ Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true^(k) and faithful^(l) witness^(m) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. ⁶ Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well⁽ⁿ⁾ with us, for we will obey^(o) the Lord our God."

⁷ Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. ⁸ So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(p) who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest.^{(q) 9} He said to them, "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition,^(r) says:^{(s) 10} ‘If you stay in this land,^(t) I will build^(u) you up and not tear you down; I will plant^(v) you and not uproot you,^(w) for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.^{(x) 11} Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,^(y) whom you now fear.^(z) Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord , for I am with you and will save^(aa) you and deliver you from his hands.^{(ab) 12} I will show you compassion^(ac) so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.'^(ad)

¹³ "However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,' and so disobey^(ae) the Lord your God, ¹⁴ and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,^(af) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet^(ag) or be hungry for bread,'^{(ah) 15} then hear the word of the Lord ,^(ai) you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, ¹⁶ then the sword^(aj) you fear^(ak) will overtake you there, and the famine^(al) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.^{(am) 17} Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;^(an) not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.' ¹⁸ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath^(ao) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,^(ap) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse^[b](aq) and an object of horror,^(ar) a curse^[c] and an object of reproach;^(as) you will never see this place again.'^(at)

¹⁹ "Remnant^(au) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.'^(av) Be sure of this: I warn you today ²⁰ that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.'^{(aw) 21} I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.^{(ax) 22} So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine^(ay) and plague^(az) in the place where you want to go to settle."^(ba)

¹ When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them^(a)— ² Azariah son of Hoshaiah^(b) and Johanan^(c) son of Kareah and all the arrogant^(d) men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying!^(e) The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.'^{(f) 3} But Baruch^(g) son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,^[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon."^(h)

⁴ So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people⁽ⁱ⁾ disobeyed the Lord 's command^(j) to stay in the land of Judah.^{(k) 5} Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered.^{(l) 6} They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women,^(m) the children and the king's daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch⁽ⁿ⁾ son of Neriah along with them. ⁷ So they entered Egypt^(o) in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.^(p)

⁸ In Tahpanhes^(q) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ⁹ "While the Jews are watching, take some large stones^(r) with you and bury them in clay in the brick^(s) pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace^(t) in Tahpanhes. ¹⁰ Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant^(u) Nebuchadnezzar^(v) king of Babylon, and I will set his throne^(w) over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy^(x) above them. ¹¹ He will come and attack Egypt,^(y) bringing death^(z) to those destined^(aa) for death, captivity to those destined for captivity,^(ab) and the sword to those destined for the sword.^{(ac) 12} He will set fire^(ad) to the temples^(ae) of the gods^(af) of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive.^(ag) As a shepherd picks^(ah) his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. ¹³ There in the temple of the sun^[b](ai) in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars^(aj) and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.'"

Disaster Because of Idolatry

¹ This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt^(a)—in Migdol,^(b) Tahpanhes^(c) and Memphis^(d)—and in Upper Egypt:^{(e) 2} "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster^(f) I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.^(g) Today they lie deserted and in ruins^{(h) 3} because of the evil⁽ⁱ⁾ they have done. They aroused my anger^(j) by burning incense^(k) to and worshiping other gods^(l) that neither they nor you nor your ancestors^(m) ever knew. ⁴ Again and again⁽ⁿ⁾ I sent my servants the prophets,^(o) who said, ‘Do not do this detestable^(p) thing that I hate!' ⁵ But they did not listen or pay attention;^(q) they did not turn from their wickedness^(r) or stop burning incense^(s) to other gods.^{(t) 6} Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out;^(u) it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins^(v) they are today.

⁷ "Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster^(w) on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women,^(x) the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant?^{(y) 8} Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made,^(z) burning incense^(aa) to other gods in Egypt,^(ab) where you have come to live?^(ac) You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse^[a] and an object of reproach^(ad) among all the nations on earth. ⁹ Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors^(ae) and by the kings^(af) and queens^(ag) of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives^(ah) in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem?^{(ai) 10} To this day they have not humbled^(aj) themselves or shown reverence,^(ak) nor have they followed my law^(al) and the decrees^(am) I set before you and your ancestors.^(an)

¹¹ "Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty,^(ao) the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster^(ap) on you and to destroy all Judah. ¹² I will take away the remnant^(aq) of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest,^(ar) they will die by sword or famine.^(as) They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach.^{(at) 13} I will punish^(au) those who live in Egypt with the sword,^(av) famine and plague,^(aw) as I punished Jerusalem. ¹⁴ None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives."^(ax)

¹⁵ Then all the men who knew that their wives^(ay) were burning incense^(az) to other gods, along with all the women^(ba) who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt,^(bb) said to Jeremiah, ¹⁶ "We will not listen^(bc) to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord !^{(bd) 17} We will certainly do everything we said we would:^(be) We will burn incense^(bf) to the Queen of Heaven^(bg) and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials^(bh) did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.^(bi) At that time we had plenty of food^(bj) and were well off and suffered no harm.^{(bk) 18} But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings^(bl) to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.^(bm)"

¹⁹ The women added, "When we burned incense^(bn) to the Queen of Heaven^(bo) and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands^(bp) know that we were making cakes^(bq) impressed with her image^(br) and pouring out drink offerings to her?"

²⁰ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, ²¹ "Did not the Lord remember^(bs) and call to mind the incense^(bt) burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem^(bu) by you and your ancestors,^(bv) your kings and your officials and the people of the land?^{(bw) 22} When the Lord could no longer endure^(bx) your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse^(by) and a desolate waste^(bz) without inhabitants, as it is today.^{(ca) 23} Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed^(cb) his law or his decrees^(cc) or his stipulations, this disaster^(cd) has come upon you, as you now see."^(ce)

²⁴ Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women,^(cf) "Hear the word of the Lord , all you people of Judah in Egypt.^{(cg) 25} This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives^(ch) have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.'^(ci)

"Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows!^{(cj) 26} But hear the word of the Lord , all you Jews living in Egypt:^(ck) ‘I swear^(cl) by my great name,' says the Lord , ‘that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, "As surely as the Sovereign^(cm) Lord lives."^{(cn) 27} For I am watching^(co) over them for harm,^(cp) not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish^(cq) by sword and famine^(cr) until they are all destroyed.^{(cs) 28} Those who escape the sword^(ct) and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few.^(cu) Then the whole remnant^(cv) of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand^(cw)—mine or theirs.^(cx)

²⁹ "‘This will be the sign^(cy) to you that I will punish^(cz) you in this place,' declares the Lord , ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.'^{(da) 30} This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh^(db) Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah^(dc) king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.'"^(dd)

A Message to Baruch

¹ When Baruch^(a) son of Neriah^(b) wrote on a scroll^(c) the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(d) son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: ² "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: ³ You said, ‘Woe^(e) to me! The Lord has added sorrow^(f) to my pain;^(g) I am worn out with groaning^(h) and find no rest.'^{(i) 4} But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot^(j) what I have planted,^(k) throughout the earth.^{(l) 5} Should you then seek great^(m) things for yourself? Do not seek them.⁽ⁿ⁾ For I will bring disaster^(o) on all people,^(p) declares the Lord , but wherever you go I will let you escape^(q) with your life.'"^(r)

A Message About Egypt

¹ This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:^(a)

² Concerning Egypt:^(b)

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho^(c) king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish^(d) on the Euphrates^(e) River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(f) son of Josiah king of Judah:

¹³ This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(ae) to attack Egypt:^(af)

²⁵ The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes,^(bf) on Pharaoh,^(bg) on Egypt and her gods^(bh) and her kings, and on those who rely^(bi) on Pharaoh. ²⁶ I will give them into the hands^(bj) of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king^(bk) of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited^(bl) as in times past," declares the Lord .