Study Desk

After that happens,'" says the Lord , "‘I will give King Zedekiah of Judah and all his officials to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And I will give to Nebuchadnezzar the people who remain alive in Jerusalem—those who did not die from the terrible disease and the people who did not die in war or from hunger. I will give them all to King Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah will be captured by their enemies who want to kill them. Nebuchadnezzar's army will use their swords to kill the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy. He will not feel sorry for them.'

I have decided to make trouble for the city of Jerusalem. I will not help this city! I will give it to the king of Babylon, who will burn it with fire.'" This message is from the Lord .

Don't cry for the king who has died. Don't cry for him. But cry very hard for the king who must leave this place. Cry for him because he will never return or see his homeland again.

"It will be very bad for King Jehoiakim. He is doing wrong so that he can build his palace. He is cheating people so that he can build rooms upstairs. He is not paying his own people. He is making them work for nothing.

"Jehoiakim says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with huge rooms upstairs.' So he built it with large windows. He used cedar wood for paneling, and he painted it red.

"Jehoiakim, having a lot of cedar in your house does not make you a great king. Your father Josiah was satisfied to have food and drink. He did what was right and fair, so everything went well for him.

Josiah helped poor and needy people, so everything went well for him. Jehoiakim, what does it mean "to know God"? It means living right and being fair. That is what it means to know me. This message is from the Lord .

"Jehoiakim, your eyes look only for what benefits yourself. You are always thinking about getting more for yourself. You are willing to kill innocent people. You are willing to steal things from other people."

So this is what the Lord says to King Jehoiakim son of Josiah: "The people of Judah will not cry for Jehoiakim. They will not say to each other, ‘Brother, I am so sad! Sister, I am so sad!' They will not cry for Jehoiakim. They will not say about him, ‘Master, I am so sad! King, I am so sad!'

"It will be very bad for the shepherds of the people of Judah. They are destroying the sheep. They are making the sheep run from my pasture in all directions." This message is from the Lord .

They are responsible for my people. And this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says to them: "You shepherds have made my sheep run away in all directions. You have forced them to go away, and you have not taken care of them. But I will take care of you—I will punish you for the evil things you did." This message is from the Lord :

When he rules, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This will be his name: The Lord Makes Things Right for Us.

I will stop giving my messages to them. They will walk in darkness. The road will be slippery for those prophets and priests, and they will fall in that darkness. I will bring disaster on them; I will punish them." This message is from the Lord .

Someone might try to hide from me in some hiding place. But it is easy for me to see that person, says the Lord , because I am everywhere in heaven and earth." This message is from the Lord :

I am against the false prophets who tell false dreams." This message is from the Lord . "They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings. I did not send them to teach the people. I never commanded them to do anything for me. They cannot help the people of Judah at all." This message is from the Lord .

But you will never again use the expression, ‘The announcement of the Lord .' That is because his message should not be a heavy load for anyone. But you changed the words of our God. He is the living God, the Lord All-Powerful!

I have been a prophet for these past 23 years, from the 13th year that Josiah son of Amon was the king of Judah. And from that time until today, I have spoken messages to you from the Lord again and again. But you have not listened.

I will soon send for all the tribes of the north." This message is from the Lord . "I will soon send for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He is my servant. I will bring those people against the land of Judah and against the people of Judah. I will bring them against all the nations around you too. I will destroy all those countries. I will make those lands like an empty desert forever. People will see those countries, and whistle at how badly they were destroyed.

That whole area will be an empty desert. All these people will be slaves of the king of Babylon for 70 years.

"But when the 70 years have passed, I will punish the king of Babylon. I will punish the nation of Babylon." This message is from the Lord . "I will punish the land of the Babylonians for their sins. I will make that land a desert forever.