Study Desk

But after this they turned around and took back the male and female servants whom they had set free. They brought them back and made them work for them again as male and female servants.

"At the end of seven years each of you must set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to you and has served you for six years. You must send him away from you as a free man." But your fathers did not obey Me, or listen to Me.

And I will give them over to those who hate them and to those who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth.

But they said, "We will not drink wine. For Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, told us, ‘You and your sons must never drink wine.

"The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, telling his sons not to drink wine, are obeyed. They do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not listened to Me.

And again and again I have sent you all My servants who spoke for Me, saying, ‘Everyone turn now from your sinful way, and do what I tell you to do. Do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and to your fathers before you. But you have not turned your ear to listen to Me.

So the Lord, the God of All, the God of Israel, says, ‘I am bringing on Judah and on all the people of Jerusalem all the trouble I have said would come upon them. For I spoke to them but they did not listen. I have called them but they did not answer.'"

It may be that their prayer will come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his sinful way. For the punishment that the Lord said would come to these people because of His anger is very bad."

When they had heard all the words, they turned in fear to one another and said to Baruch, "For sure we will tell all these words to the king."

I will punish him and his children and his servants for their sin. And I will bring on them and the people of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the trouble that I have said would come to them, because they would not listen."'"

King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the religious leader, to Jeremiah the man of God, saying, "Pray to the Lord our God for us."

Now Jeremiah was still free to come and go among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.

The Lord says, ‘Do not fool yourselves, saying, "For sure the Babylonians will go away from us." For they will not go.

King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to his house. The king asked him in secret, "Is there any word from the Lord?" And Jeremiah said, "There is!" Then he said, "You will be given over to the king of Babylon!"

The Lord says, ‘For sure this city will be given to the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.'"

Then the leaders said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death. For he is making the hearts of the men of war weak who are left in this city, and of all the people, by saying such words to them. This man does not care about the well-being of these people, but instead wants them hurt."

"My lord the king, these men have been very sinful in all they have done to Jeremiah the man of God. They have put him in the well. And he will die there of hunger, for there is no more bread in the city."

King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the man of God and had him brought to him at the third door of the house of the Lord. And the king said to him, "I am going to ask you something. Do not hide anything from me."

But King Zedekiah promised Jeremiah in secret, "As the Lord lives, Who gave us life, for sure I will not kill you or give you over to these men who want to kill you."

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians. I am afraid I will be given over to them, and that they will make it hard for me."