Study Desk

But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me:

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the king's officials came to Jeremiah and asked him why the king had called for him. But Jeremiah followed the king's instructions, and they left without finding out the truth. No one had overheard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king.

But the Babylonian troops chased them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.

But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in the land of Judah, and he assigned them to care for the vineyards and fields.

but I will rescue you from those you fear so much.

But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don't want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you—go wherever you like.

If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. He has been appointed governor of Judah by the king of Babylon. Stay there with the people he rules. But it's up to you; go wherever you like." Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, gave Jeremiah some food and money and let him go.

They said to him, "Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?" But Gedaliah refused to believe them.

But Gedaliah said to Johanan, "I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael."

But in midautumn of that year, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and had been one of the king's high officials, went to Mizpah with ten men to meet Gedaliah. While they were eating together,

But as soon as they were all inside the town, Ishmael and his men killed all but ten of them and threw their bodies into a cistern.

But when Johanan son of Kareah and the other military leaders heard about Ishmael's crimes,

"But if you refuse to obey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘We will not stay here;

And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the Lord your God any better now than you have in the past.

But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these gods.

But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine."

"But listen to this message from the Lord , all you Judeans now living in Egypt: ‘I have sworn by my great name,' says the Lord , ‘that my name will no longer be spoken by any of the Judeans in the land of Egypt. None of you may invoke my name or use this oath: "As surely as the Sovereign Lord lives."

Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don't do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord , have spoken!'"

But what do I see? The Egyptian army flees in terror. The bravest of its fighting men run without a backward glance. They are terrorized at every turn," says the Lord .

"Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing.