Study Desk

The Lord has spoken his word to me again and again for these past twenty-three years. I have been a prophet since the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. I have spoken messages from the Lord to you from that time until today, but you have not listened.

The Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you over and over again, but you have not listened or paid any attention to them.

"But when the seventy years have passed, I will punish the king of Babylon and his entire nation for their evil," says the Lord . "I will make that land a desert forever.

I also made these people drink of the Lord 's anger: the king of Egypt, his servants, his officers, all his people,

"You, Jeremiah, will prophesy against them with all these words. Say to them: ‘The Lord will roar from heaven and will shout from his Holy Temple. He will roar loudly against his land. He will shout like people who walk on grapes to make wine; he will shout against all who live on the earth.

Like a lion, he has left his den. Their land has been destroyed because of the terrible war he brought, because of his fierce anger.

Now change your lives and start doing good and obey the Lord your God. Then he will change his mind and not bring on you the disaster he has told you about.

"Hezekiah king of Judah and the people of Judah did not kill Micah. You know that Hezekiah feared the Lord and tried to please the Lord . So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on Judah the disaster he had promised. If we hurt Jeremiah, we will bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!"

(Now there was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord . His name was Uriah son of Shemaiah from the city of Kiriath Jearim. He preached the same things against Jerusalem and the land of Judah that Jeremiah did.

When King Jehoiakim, all his army officers, and all the leaders of Judah heard Uriah preach, King Jehoiakim wanted to kill Uriah. But Uriah heard about it and was afraid. So he escaped to Egypt.

and they brought Uriah back from Egypt. Then they took him to King Jehoiakim, who had Uriah killed with a sword. His body was thrown into the burial place where poor people are buried.)

The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah soon after Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah.

All nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and grandson. Then the time will come for Babylon to be defeated, and many nations and great kings will make Babylon their servant.

"‘"But if some nations or kingdoms refuse to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and refuse to be under his control, I will punish them with war, hunger, and terrible diseases, says the Lord . I will use Nebuchadnezzar to destroy them.

The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off of the prophet Jeremiah's neck.

You said to Zephaniah, ‘The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. You are to be in charge of the Temple of the Lord . You should arrest any madman who acts like a prophet. Lock his hands and feet between wooden blocks, and put iron rings around his neck.

Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah:

So the Lord says, I will soon punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his family. He will not see the good things I will do for my people, says the Lord . None of his family will be left alive among the people, because he has taught the people to turn against me.'"

Ask this question, and consider it: A man cannot have a baby. So why do I see every strong man holding his stomach in pain like a woman having a baby? Why is everyone's face turning white like a dead man's face?

And from far away the Lord appeared to his people and said, "I love you people with a love that will last forever. That is why I have continued showing you kindness.