Study Desk

Johanan and the other army officers were afraid of the Chaldeans. The king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah to be governor of Judah. But Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, and Johanan was afraid that the Chaldeans would be angry. So they decided to run away to Egypt. On the way to Egypt, they stayed at Geruth Kimham, near the town of Bethlehem.

So today I have told you the message from the Lord. But you have not obeyed the Lord your God. You have not done all that he sent me to tell you to do.

So now be sure you understand this: You want to go live in Egypt. But these things will happen to you in Egypt: You will die by a sword, or hunger, or terrible sickness."

So Jeremiah finished telling the people the message from the Lord their God. He told them everything that the Lord their God had sent him to tell them.

Jeremiah, we think that Baruch son of Neriah is encouraging you to be against us. He wants you to give us to the Babylonians. He wants you to do this so they can kill us. Or he wants you to do this so that they can make us captives and take us to Babylon."

So Johanan, the army officers, and all the people disobeyed the Lord 's command. The Lord had commanded them to stay in Judah.

These people didn't listen to the Lord . So they all went to Egypt to the town of Tahpanhes.

So I showed my anger against them. I punished the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. My anger made Jerusalem and the towns of Judah the empty piles of stone they are today.'

"So this is what the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why are you hurting yourselves by continuing to worship idols? You are separating the men and women, the children and babies from the family of Judah. And so you leave yourselves without anyone left from the family of Judah.

"So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have decided to make terrible things happen to you. I will destroy the whole family of Judah.

The Lord hated the terrible things you did, and he could not be patient with you any longer. So he made your country an empty desert. No one lives there now. Other people say bad things about that country.

This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the people of Israel, says: ‘You women did what you said you would do. You said, "We will keep the promises we made. We promised to make sacrifices and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven." So go ahead. Do what you promised you would do. Keep your promises.'

This is what the Lord says: "They will chop down Egypt's forest. There are many trees in that forest, but they will all be cut down. There are more enemy soldiers than locusts. There are so many soldiers that no one can count them.

This is what the Lord says. "Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid. I am with you. I sent you away to many different places. But I will not destroy you completely. But I will destroy all those nations. You must be punished for the bad things you did. So I will not let you escape your punishment. I will discipline you, but I will be fair."

"You trust in the things you made and in your wealth, so you will be captured. The god Chemosh will be taken into captivity, and his priests and officials will be taken with him.

The Destroyer will come against every town. Not one town will escape. The valley will be ruined. The high plain will be destroyed. The Lord said this would happen, so it will happen.

"Moab has never known trouble. Moab is like wine left to settle. Moab has never been poured from one jar to another. He has not been taken into captivity. So he tastes as he did before, and his smell has not changed."

All you who live around Moab should cry for that country. You know how famous Moab is. So cry for it. Say, ‘The ruler's power is broken. Moab's power and glory is gone.'

"The people of Moab thought they were greater than the Lord . So punish them until they act like a drunk, falling and rolling around in his vomit. Then people will make fun of them.

So I cry for Moab. I cry for everyone in Moab. I cry for the men from Kir Hareseth.