Study Desk

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."

But now I am setting you free today from the chains on your hands. If you would like to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will see that it goes well with you. But if you do not want to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you. Go where you think it is good and right for you to go.

Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, who now fills you with fear. Do not be afraid of him,' says the Lord. ‘For I am with you to save you and take you from his hands.

For I am watching over them for trouble and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be destroyed by the sword and hunger until there is an end of them.

This will be the special thing for you to see,' says the Lord. ‘I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will be sure to stand against you for your hurt.'

‘You said, "O, it is bad for me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am tired from crying inside myself, and have found no rest."'"

"So you are to tell him, ‘The Lord says, "I am breaking down what I have built. And I am pulling up by the roots what I have planted, that is, the whole land."

Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for them. For I am bringing trouble to all flesh,' says the Lord. ‘But I will give you life in all the places you go.'"

The Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, "I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt and her gods and her kings. I will punish Pharaoh and those who trust in him.

"But do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant. Do not be troubled, O Israel. For I am going to save you from far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they are held. Jacob will return and have quiet and rest. And no one will make him afraid.

O Jacob My servant, do not be afraid," says the Lord, "for I am with you. I will make a complete end of all the nations where I have driven you. But I will not make a complete end of you. I will punish you so you will go the right way. I will not leave you without punishment."

For I am going to raise up and bring against Babylon a group of great nations from the land of the north. They will come ready for battle against her, and she will be taken. Their arrows will be like an able soldier who does not return with empty hands.

So the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.

"See, I am against you, O proud one," says the Lord God of All. "For your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

"See, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth," says the Lord. "I will put out My hand against you and roll you down from the high rocks. I will make you a burned-out mountain.

And say, ‘In this way Babylon will go down and not rise again, because of the trouble I am going to bring upon her. And her people will fall.'" The words of Jeremiah end here.

All her people cry inside themselves as they look for bread. They have traded their things of much worth for food to have strength. "Look and see, O Lord, for I am hated.

I am the man who has been suffering because of the power of God's anger.

Water flowed over my head, and I said, "I am cut off!"

Watch their sitting down and standing up. I am their song as they make fun of me.