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And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.' In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.

This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says to his people: "Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord !

"If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ‘I have a prophecy from the Lord ,' I will punish that person along with his entire family.

"But the bad figs," the Lord said, "represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.

This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign.

"For the past twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until now—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.

"Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention.

"Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins," says the Lord . "I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.

I gave the cup to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials, and all his people,

"Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, "‘The Lord will roar against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout like those who tread grapes; he will shout against everyone on earth.

His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with the sword. I, the Lord , have spoken!'"

He has left his den like a strong lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the Lord 's fierce anger.

But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. "Kill him!" they shouted.

Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. "The Lord gave me every word that I have spoken.

But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.

But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord . They begged him for mercy. Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm."

Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.

All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.

So you must submit to Babylon's king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon's yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord . I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.

Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. "If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people.