Study Desk

But then you changed your minds. You profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free to live as they wished, and brought them back into subjection as your slaves.'

But they said, "We will not drink any wine; because Yonadav the son of Rekhav, our ancestor, gave us this order: ‘You are not to drink wine, neither you nor your descendants, forever.

But when N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel came up to attack the land, we said, ‘Come, let's go up to Yerushalayim,' because we were afraid of the army of the Kasdim and the army of Aram; hence we are living in Yerushalayim."

‘The words of Yonadav the son of Rekhav which he ordered his offspring, not to drink wine, are obeyed; so to this day they don't drink any; because they heed their ancestor's order. But I have spoken to you, spoken frequently, and you have not listened to me.

I have also sent you all my servants the prophets, sent them frequently, with the message, "Every one of you should turn back now from his evil way, improve your actions and not follow other gods in order to serve them. Then you will live in the land I gave you and your ancestors. But you have not paid attention or listened to me.

Because the descendants of Yonadav the son of Rekhav have obeyed the order of their ancestor, which he ordered them; but this people has not listened to me;

therefore — " here is what Adonai Elohei-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: "I will inflict on Y'hudah and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim all the disaster I have decreed against them; because I have spoken to them, but they have not listened; and I have called out to them, but they have not answered."'"

But even though they heard all these words, neither the king nor any of his servants grew afraid or tore their clothes.

Elnatan, D'layahu and G'maryahu had begged the king not to burn the scroll; but he wouldn't listen to them.

Then the king ordered Yerachme'el the king's son, S'rayahu the son of ‘Azri'el and Shelemyahu the son of ‘Avde'el to arrest Barukh the scribe and Yirmeyahu the prophet; but Adonai hid them.

But neither he, his servants nor the people of the land paid attention to the words of Adonai , which he spoke through the prophet Yirmeyahu.

" Adonai the God of Isra'el says to tell the king of Y'hudah, who sent you to me to consult me: ‘Pharaoh's army has marched out to assist you; but they will return to Egypt, to their own country.

Yirmeyahu answered, "That is a lie! I am not deserting to the Kasdim"; but Yir'iyah wouldn't listen to him. So he arrested Yirmeyahu and brought him to the officials.

But Sh'fatyah the son of Mattan, G'dalyahu the son of Pash'chur, Yukhal the son of Shelemyahu and Pash'chur the son of Malkiyah heard these words which Yirmeyahu had said to all the people,

"Here is what Adonai says: whoever remains in this city will die by sword, famine and plague; but whoever leaves and surrenders to the Kasdim will stay alive; his own life will be his only ‘spoils of war,' but he will stay alive.

The leaders said to the king, "Please let this man be put to death; because by speaking such words to the soldiers left in this city and to all the people, he is demoralizing them. This man is seeking not to benefit this people, but to harm them."

Then they took Yirmeyahu and threw him into the cistern of Malkiyahu the king's son, which was in the guards' quarters; they let down Yirmeyahu into it with ropes. In the pit there was no water, but there was mud; and Yirmeyahu sank into the mud.

But if you will not go out to the king of Bavel's officers, then this city will be handed over to the Kasdim; they will burn it to the ground; and you will not escape from them.'"

But if you refuse to surrender, then this is the word Adonai has shown me:

But the army of the Kasdim went in pursuit of them and overtook Tzidkiyahu on the plains near Yericho. Upon capturing him, they brought him up to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel at Rivlah, in the land of Hamat, where he passed judgment on him.