Study Desk

Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am in fear of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for they may hand me over to them, and they will abuse me."

But Jeremiah said, "They will not turn you over. Please obey the LORD in what I am saying to you, so that it may go well for you and you may live.

"Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: "Behold, I am going to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day.

"But now, behold, I am setting you free today from the chains that are on your hands. If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, do not come. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go."

"Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay in Mizpah to stand for you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, and put them in your storage vessels, and live in your cities that you have taken over."

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD gives you as an answer. I will not withhold a word from you."

'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,' declares the LORD, 'for I am with you to save you and rescue you from his hand.

"So all the people who set their minds to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; and they will have no refugees or survivors from the disaster that I am going to bring on them."'"

and say to them, 'This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: "Behold, I am going to send men and get My servant Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and I am going to set his throne over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his canopy over them.

"Therefore this is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: 'Behold, I am going to set My face against you for a disaster, even to eliminate all Judah.

'Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword or by famine until they are completely gone.

'And this will be the sign to you,' declares the LORD, 'that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will assuredly stand against you for harm.'

"This is what the LORD says: 'Behold, I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies, to those who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.'"

'You said, "Oh, woe to me! For the LORD has added grief to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest."'

"This is what you are to say to him: 'This is what the LORD says: "Behold, what I have built I am going to tear down, and what I have planted I am going to uproot, that is, all the people of the land."

'But as for you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,' declares the LORD, 'but I will give your life to you as plunder in all the places where you may go.'"

The LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: "Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, indeed, Pharaoh and those who trust in him.

"But as for you, Jacob My servant, do not fear, Nor be dismayed, Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from far away, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be undisturbed And secure, with no one making him afraid.

"Jacob My servant, do not fear," declares the LORD, "For I am with you. For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a complete destruction of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished."

"Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you," Declares the Lord GOD of armies, "From all directions around you; And you will be driven away one after another, With no one to gather the fugitives together.