Amplified Bible (AMP)

Message to the Exiles

1 Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders in exile and to the priests, the prophets and all the people whomNebuchadnezzar had taken into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 (This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes (court officials) of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)

3 The letter washand-carried by Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,

4 “So says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon,

5 ‘Build houses and livein them;plant gardens and eat their fruit.

6 ~‘Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there and do not decrease [in number].

7 ~‘Seek peaceandwell-being for the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lordon its behalf; for in its peace (well-being) you will have peace.’

8 For thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your [false] prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you; pay no attentionandattach no significance to the dreams which they dreamorto yours,

9 for they prophesy falsely to you in My Name. I have not sent them,’ says the Lord.

10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years [of exile] have been completed for Babylon, I will visit (inspect) you and keep My good promise to you, to bring you back to this place.

11 ~‘For I know the plansandthoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peaceandwell-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.

12 ~‘Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice]andI will listen to you.

13 ~‘Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Meandrequire Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

14 ~‘I will be found by you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and I will [free you and] gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

15 “Because you [who have remained in Jerusalem] have said, ‘The Lordhas raised up prophets for us in Babylon,’

16 thus says the Lordconcerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who live in this city, your brothers (fellow people of Judah) who did not go with you into captivity–

17 thus says the Lordof hosts, ‘Behold (listen very carefully), I am sending the sword, famine, and virulent disease (pestilence) on them, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.

18 ~‘I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with virulent disease; and I will make them a terror (warning) to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a horror, a hissing, and a disgrace among all the nations to which I have driven them,

19 because they have not listened toandhonored My words,’ says the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets. Moreover, you [exiles] did not listen [either],’ says the Lord.

20 Hear, therefore, the word of the Lord, all you exiles whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 “Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in My Name, ‘Behold, I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slaughter them before your eyes [yes, all the false prophets in Babylon whom you follow shall die]!

22 ~‘Because of them, this curse shall be taken upandused by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “May the Lordmake you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,

23 because they have acted foolishly in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and in My Name have spoken falseandconcocted words, which I did not command them. I am He who knows and I am a witness,” says the Lord.’”

24 Also you shall speak to Shemaiah of Nehelam [among the exiles in Babylon], saying,

25 “Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

26 “The Lordhas made you [Zephaniah] priest instead of Jehoiada the [deputy] priest, to be the overseer in the house of the Lordover every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar,

27 now therefore [continued the letter from Shemaiah in Babylon to Zephaniah in Jerusalem], why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesies to you?

28 For he has sentwordto us in Babylon, saying,‘This captivity[of yours] will be long; build houses and livein themand plant gardens and eat their fruit.’”’”

29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Then came the word of the Lordto Jeremiah, saying,

31 “Send [this message] to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the Lordconcerning Shemaiah of Nehelam, “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie,”

32 therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah of Nehelam and his descendants. He will not have anyone [born] to live among this people, nor will he see the good that I am about to do to My people,” says the Lord, “because he has spokenandpreached rebellion against the Lord.”’”

Freedom from Captivity Promised

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

2 “Thus says the LordGod of Israel, ‘Write in a book all the words which I have spoken to you.

3 ~‘For behold (hear this), the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will return them to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they will take possession of it.’”

4 Now these are the words the Lordspoke concerning Israel and Judah:

5 “Thus says the Lord,

‘We have heard a terrified voice

Of panicanddread, and there is no peace.

6 ‘Ask now, and see

Whether a man can give birth [to a child].

Why then do I see every man

With his hands on hisloins, as a woman in labor?

Why have all faces turned pale?

7 ‘Alas! for that day is great,

There is none like it;

It is the time of Jacob’s [unequaled] trouble,

But he will be saved from it.

8 ‘It shall come about on that day,’ says the Lordof hosts, ‘that I will break the yoke off your neck and I will tear off your bondsandforce apart your shackles; and strangers will no longer make slaves of the people [of Israel].

9 ~‘But they shall serve the Lordtheir God and [the descendant of] David their King, whom I will raise up for them.

10 ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ says the Lord,

‘Nor be dismayedordowncast, O Israel;

For behold, I will save you from a distant land [of exile]

And your descendants from the land of their captivity.

Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease,

And no one will make him afraid.

11 ‘For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;

For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you,

But I will not destroy you completely.

But I will judgeanddiscipline you fairly

And will by no means regard you as guiltlessandleave you unpunished.’

12 “For thus says the Lord,

‘Your wound is incurable

And your injury is beyond healing.

13 ‘There is no one to plead your cause;

No [device to close and allow the] healing of your wound,

No recovery for you.

14 ‘All your lovers (allies) have forgotten you;

They do not seekandlong for you.

For I have injured you with the wound of an enemy,

With the punishment of a cruelandmerciless foe,

Because your guilt is great

And your sins are glaringandinnumerable.

15 ‘Why do you cry out over your injury [since it is the natural result of your sin]?

Your pain is incurable (deadly).

Because your guilt is great

And your sins are glaringandinnumerable,

I have done these things to you.

16 ‘Therefore all who devour you will be devoured;

And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity.

And they who plunder you will become plunder,

And all who prey upon you I will give for prey.

17 ‘For I will restore health to you

And I will heal your wounds,’ says the Lord,

‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying:

“This is Zion; no one seeks herandno one cares for her.”’

Restoration of Jacob

18 “Thus says the Lord,

‘Behold (hear this), I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob

And have mercy on his dwelling places;

The city will be rebuilt on its [old, mound-like] ruin,

And the palace will stand on its rightful place.

19 ‘From them (city, palace) will come [songs of] thanksgiving

And the voices of those who danceandcelebrate.

And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished [in number];

I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant.

20 ‘Their children too will be as in former times,

And their congregation will be established before Me;

And I will punish all their oppressors.

21 ‘Their prince will be one of them,

And their ruler will come forward from among them.

I will bring him near and he shall approach Me,

For who is he who would have the boldnessandwould dare [on his own initiative] to risk his life to approach Me?’ says the Lord.

22 ‘Then you shall be My people,

And I will be your God.’”

23 Behold, the tempest of the Lord!

Wrath has gone forth,

A sweepingandgathering tempest;

It will burst on the head of the wicked.

24 The fierce (righteous) anger of the Lordwill not turn back

Until He has fulfilled and until He has accomplished

The intent of His heart (mind);

In the latter days you will understand this.

Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy

1 “At that time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”

2 Thus says the Lord,

“The people who survived the sword

Found grace in the wilderness [of exile]–

Israel (the Northern Kingdom), when it went to find its rest.”

3 The Lordappeared to me (Israel) from ages past,saying,

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn youandcontinued My faithfulness to you.

4 “Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt,

O Virgin Israel!

You will again be adorned with your tambourinesandtimbrels

And go out to the dances of those who celebrate.

5 “Again you will plant vineyards

On the mountains of Samaria;

The planters will plant

And enjoy the [abundant] fruit [in peace].

6 “For there will be a day when the watchmen

On the hills of Ephraim cry out,

‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,

To the Lordour God.’”

7 For thus says the Lord,

“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

And shout for the firstandforemost of the nations [the chosen people, Israel];

Proclaim, give praise and say,

‘O Lordsave Your people,

The remnant of Israel!’

8 “Behold, I am bringing them from the north country,

And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth,

Among them [will be] the blind and the lame,

The woman with child and she who labors in childbirth, together;

A great company, they will return here [to Jerusalem].

9 “They will come with weeping [in repentance and for joy],

And by [their] prayer [for the future] I will lead them;

I will make them walk by streams of waters,

On a straight path in which they will not stumble,

For I am a Father to Israel,

And Ephraim (Israel) is My firstborn.”

10 Hear the word of the Lord, O you nations,

And declare it in the islesandcoastlands far away,

And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him

And will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”

11 For the Lordhas ransomed Jacob

And has redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.

12 “They will come and sing aloudandshout for joy on the height of Zion,

And will be radiant [with joy] over the goodness of the Lord–

For the grain, for the new wine, for the oil,

And for the young of the flock and the herd.

And their life will be like a watered garden,

And they shall never sorroworlanguish again.

13 “Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance,

And the young men and old, together,

For I will turn their mourning into joy

And will comfort them and make them rejoice after their sorrow.

14 “I will fully satisfy the soul of the priests with abundance,

And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” says the Lord.

15 Thus says the Lord,

“Avoice is heard in Ramah,

Lamentation (songs of mourning) and bitter weeping.

Rachel (Israel) is weeping for her children;

She refuses to be comforted for her children,

Because they are gone.”

16 Thus says the Lord,

“Restrain your voice from weeping

And your eyes from tears,

For your work will be rewarded,” says the Lord;

“And your children will return from the enemy’s land.

17 “There is [confident] hope for your future,” says the Lord;

“Your children will come back to their own country.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim (Israel) moaningandgrieving,

‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,

Like a bull unaccustomed to the yokeoran untrained calf;

Bring me back that I may be restored,

For You are the Lordmy God.

19 ‘After I turned away [from You], I repented;

After I was instructed, I struck my thigh [in remorse];

I was ashamed and even humiliated

Because I carried the disgrace of my youth [as a nation].’

20 “Is Ephraim My dear son?

Is he a darlingandbeloved child?

For as often as I have spoken against him,

I certainly still remember him.

Therefore My affection is renewedandMy heart longs for him;

I will surely have mercy on him,” says the Lord.

21 “Place for yourself road signs [toward Canaan],

Make for yourself guideposts;

Turn your thoughtandattention to the highway,

To the way by which you went [into exile].

Retrace your steps, O virgin of Israel,

Return to these your cities.

22 “How long will you hesitate [to return],

O you faithlessandrenegade daughter?

For the Lordhas created anew thing in the land [of Israel]:

A woman will encompass (tenderly love) a man.”

23 Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, “Once more they will speak these words in the land of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and in her cities when I restore their fortunesandrelease them from exile,

‘The Lordbless you, O habitation of justiceandrighteousness,

O holy mountain!’

24 And [the people of] Judah and all its cities will live there together–the farmer and they who wander about with flocks.

25 For I [fully] satisfy the weary soul, and I replenish every languishingandsorrowful person.”

26 At this I (Jeremiah) awoke and looked, and my [trancelike] sleep was sweet [in the assurance it gave] to me.

A New Covenant

27 “Behold (listen carefully), the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast.

28 It will be that as I have watched over them to uproot and to break down, to overthrow, destroy, and afflict with disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant [with good],” says the Lord.

29 “In those days they will not say again,

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 But everyone will die [only] for his own wickedness; every man who eats sour grapes–his [own] teeth shall be set on edge.

31 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with thehouse of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and with the house of Judah (the Southern Kingdom),

32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the Lord.

33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

34 And each man will no longer teach his neighbor and his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me [through personal experience], from the least of them to the greatest,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness, and I will no longer remember their sin.”

35 Thus says the Lord,

Who gives the sun for light by day

And the fixed order of the moon and of the stars for light by night,

Who stirs up the sea’s roaring billowsorstills the waves when they roar;

The Lordof hosts is His name:

36 “If this fixed order departs

From before Me,” says the Lord,

“Then the descendants of Israel also will cease

From being a nation before Me forever.”

37 Thus says the Lord,

“If the heavens above can be measured

And the foundations of the earth searched out below,

Then I will also cast offandabandon all the descendants of Israel

For all that they have done,” says the Lord.

38 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when the city [of Jerusalem] will be rebuilt for the Lordfrom theTower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

39 The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn toGoah.

40 And the whole valley (Hinnom) of the dead bodies and [the hill] of the ashes [long dumped there from the temple sacrifices], and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It (the city) will not be uprooted or overthrown anymore to the end of the age.”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lordin the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year ofNebuchadnezzar.

2 Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah.

3 For Zedekiah [the last] king of Judah had locked him up, saying, “Why do you prophesy [disaster] and say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

4 and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hand of theChaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye;

5 and he will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him [for evaluation and judgment],” says the Lord. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed”’?”

6 And Jeremiah [answered King Zedekiah and] said, “The word of the Lordcame to me, saying,

7 ‘Behold (listen carefully), Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, “Buy my field that is inAnathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it [in accordance with the law].”’

8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the guard in accordance with the word of the Lord, and he said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin, for you have the right of inheritance and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

9 “I bought the field that was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and weighed out the money for him, seventeen shekels of silver.

10 I signed the deed and sealed it, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the money on the scales.

11 So I took the deeds of the purchase, both the sealedcopy containingthe terms and conditions, and the unsealed copy;

12 and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in sight of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, in the presence of all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard.

13 And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying,

14 ‘Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this unsealed deed, and put them in an earthen jar, that they may last a long time.”

15 ~‘For thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be purchased in this land.”’

Jeremiah Prays and God Explains

16 “Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying,

17 ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is nothing too difficultortoo wonderful for You–

18 You who show lovingkindness to thousands, but repay the wickedness (sin, guilt) of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], O great and mighty God; the Lordof hosts is His name;

19 great [are You] in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to rewardorrepay each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds;

20 who set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day [continues to do so] both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.

21 ~‘You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror;

22 and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land [of plenty]flowing with milk and honey.

23 ~‘They entered and took possession of it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do. Therefore You have caused all this disasterandsuffering to come upon them.

24 ~‘See the siege ramps [of mounded earth that the enemy has built against the walls]; they have come up to the city to capture it. And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans [of Babylon] who fight against it, because of the sword, the famine and the virulent disease [that have overcome the people]. What You have spoken has come to pass, and behold, You see it.

25 ~‘Yet, O Lord God, You said to me, “Buy the field with money and get witnesses,” even though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

26 Then came the word of the Lordto Jeremiah, saying,

27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?”

28 Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it.

29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in and set this city on fire and burn it, along with the houses on whose roofs incense has been offered to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods to provoke Me to anger.

30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil in My sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have been provoking Me to anger by the [idols that are the] work of their hands,” says the Lord.

31 “From the day that they built it [during the reign ofSolomon], even to this day, this city has been sucha provocation ofMy anger and My wrath, that I must remove it from My sight,

32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger–they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

33 They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them repeatedly, yet they would not listen and receive instruction.

34 But they put their detestable things (idols) in the house which is called by MyName, to defile it.

35 They built the high places [for worship] of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom (son of Hinnom) to make their sons and their daughters pass throughthe fireto [worship and honor] Molech–which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this repulsive thing, to cause Judah to sin.

36 “Now therefore thus says the LordGod of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and by famine and by virulent disease.’

37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them live in safety.

38 They will be My people, and I will be their God;

39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may [reverently] fear Me forever, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will do them good and not turn away from them; and I will put in their heart a fearandreverential awe of Me, so that they will not turn away from Me.

41 I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

42 For thus says the Lord, ‘Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them.

43 ~‘Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “It is desolate, without man or animal; it is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.”

44 ~‘People will buy fields for money, sign deeds, seal them, and call in witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South (the Negev); for I will restore their fortunesandrelease them from exile,’ says the Lord.”

Restoration Promised

1 Then the word of the Lordcame to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying,

2 “Thus says the Lordwho madethe earth,the Lordwho formed it to establish it–the Lordis His name,

3 ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not knowandunderstandandcannot distinguish.’

4 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah which are torn downto make a defenseagainst the siege ramps and against the sword,

5 ‘While they (the besieged Jews) are coming to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill the houses with the dead bodies of men whom I have slain in My anger and in My wrath, for I have hidden My face [in disgust] from this city because of all their wickedness.

6 ~‘Behold, [in the restored Jerusalem] I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth.

7 ~‘I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first.

8 ~‘I will cleanse them from all their wickedness (guilt) by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon (forgive) all their sins by which they rebelled against Me.

9 ~‘Jerusalem will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace (prosperity, security, stability) that I provide for it.’

10 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place of which you say, “It is a [desolate] waste, without man and without animal”–even in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal–

11 the [sound of the] voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the [song-filled] voice of those who say,

“Give praiseandthanks to the Lordof hosts,

For the Lordis good;

For His [steadfast] lovingkindness (mercy) endures forever”;

and of thosewho bring a thank offering into the house of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the Lord.

12 “Thus says the Lordof hosts, ‘There will again be in this desolate place–[a place] without man or animal–and in all its cities, pastures for shepherds who rest their flocks.

13 ~‘In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South (the Negev), in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

The Davidic Kingdom

14 ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good wordandpromise which I have made regarding the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

15 ~‘In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He (the Messiah) shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.

16 ~‘In those days Judah will be saved and [the people of] Jerusalem will live in safety; and this isthe nameby which she will be called: the LordOur Righteousness (Justice).’

17 For thus says the Lord, ‘David shall never lack a man (descendant) to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;

18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man (descendant) to offer burnt offerings before Me and to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices all day long.’”

19 The word of the Lordcame to Jeremiah, saying,

20 “Thus says the Lord, ‘If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night do not take place at their appointed times,

21 then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and [My covenant may also be broken] with the Levitical priests, My ministers.

22 ~‘As the host of [the stars of] heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’”

23 And the word of the Lordcame to Jeremiah, saying,

24 “Have you not noticed what this people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families [Israel the northern kingdom, and Judah the southern kingdom] which the Lordchose, He has rejected’? Thus they despise My [chosen] people, no longer are they [considered] as a nation in their sight.

25 Thus says the Lord, ‘If My covenant with day and night does not stand, and if I have not established the fixed patterns of heaven and earth, [the whole order of nature,]

26 then I would [also] reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes, and will have mercy on them.’”

A Prophecy against Zedekiah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lordwhen Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his sovereignty and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all of its cities:

2 “Thus says the LordGod of Israel, ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him: “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will set it on fireandburn it down.

3 ~‘You will not escape from his hand, for you will definitely be captured and handed over to him; you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face; and you will go to Babylon.’”’

4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lordconcerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword.

5 ~‘You will die in peace; and asspiceswere burned for [the memory and honor of] your fathers, the former kings who reigned before you, so shall a [ceremonial] burning be made for you; and people will lament (grieve) for you, saying, “Alas, lord (master)!”’ For I have spoken the word,” says the Lord.

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem

7 when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, against Lachish and Azekah, for these were the [only] fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

8 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lordafter King Zedekiah had made a covenant (solemn pledge) with all the [Hebrew] people who were [slaves] in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them:

9 that every man should let his Hebrew slaves, male and female, go free, so that no one should make a slave of a Jew, his brother.

10 So all the princes and all the people who had entered into the covenant agreed that everyone would let his male servant and his female servant go free, and that no one would keep them in bondage any longer; they obeyed, and setthem free.

11 But afterward they backed out [of the covenant] and made the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free return [to them], and brought the male servants and the female servants again into servitude.

12 Therefore the word of the Lordcame to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

13 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I made a covenant (solemn pledge) with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,

14 “At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself [into servitude]orwho has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall release him from [serving] you; but your forefathers did not listen [submissively] to Me or obey Me.

15 So then you recently turnedandrepented, doing what was right in My sight, each man proclaiming release [from servitude] to his countryman [who was his bond servant]; and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by MyName.

16 Yet you backed out [of the covenant] and profaned My Name, and each man took back his servants, male and female, whom had been set free in accordance with their desire, and you brought them into servitude [again] to be your male servants and your female servants.”’

17 “Therefore says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed liberty to your brother and your countryman. Behold (listen very carefully), I am proclaiming liberty to you–[liberty to be put] to the sword, [liberty] to [be ravaged by] the virulent disease, and [liberty] to [be decimated by] famine,’ says the Lord; ‘and I will make you a horroranda warning to all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 ~‘The men who have violated My covenant, who have not kept the terms of the solemn pledge which they made before Me when they split the [sacrificial] calf in half, and then afterwards walked between its separated pieces [sealing their pledge to Me by placing a curse on themselves should they violate the covenant–those men I will make like the calf]!

19 ~‘The princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the high officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf,

20 I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And [like the body of the calf] their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

21 ~‘Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes I will place into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you.

22 ~‘Behold, I am going to command [the Chaldeans who rule Babylon],’ says the Lord, ‘and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and set it on fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”

The Rechabites’ Obedience

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lordin the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

2 “Go to the house of theRechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the [side] chambers; then give them [who are pledged not to drink wine] some wine to drink.”

3 So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites,

4 and I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum the doorkeeper.

5 Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.”

6 But they said, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us: ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons, forever.

7 ~‘Nor shall you build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard or own one; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners (temporary residents).’

8 We have obeyed the words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, in all our days we have never drunk wine, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters,

9 nor have we built ourselves houses to live in; nor do we have vineyards or fields or seed.

10 We have lived only in tents, and have obeyed and done [everything] according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans [who rule Babylon] and for fear of the army of the Arameans.’ So we have lived in Jerusalem.”

Judah Rebuked

12 Then came the word of the Lordto Jeremiah, saying,

13 “Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction by listening to My wordsandhonoring them?” says the Lord.

14 “The command which Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons not to drink wine has been observed [as a custom for more than two hundred years]. To this day they do not drinkwine,for they have obeyed their father’s command. But I have repeatedly spoken to you, yet you have not listened to Me.

15 I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them repeatedly, saying, ‘Let every one of you turn now from his evil way and alter your behavior, and do not follow other gods to worshipandserve them; and then you will live in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers. But you have not submitted or listened to Me.

16 ~‘Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he gave them, but this people has not listened to Me.’”’

17 Therefore thus says the LordGod of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold (hear this), I am bringing on Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not listened, and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”

18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and have kept all his commands and have done according to all that he commanded you,

19 therefore thus says the Lordof hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never fail to have a man (descendant) to stand before Me always.”’”

Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Temple

1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2 “Take a scroll [of parchment] and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel and Judah, and all the nations, from the day I [first] spoke to you in the days of [King] Josiah until this day.

3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster which I plan to bring on them, so that each one will turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on the scroll of the book all the words which Jeremiah dictated, [words] which the Lordhad spoken to him.

5 Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am [in hiding, virtually] restrained; I cannot go into the house of the Lord.

6 So you go to the Lord’shouse on a day of fasting and read from the scroll the words of the Lordto the people which you have written as I dictated. And also you shall read them to allthe people ofJudah who come from their cities.

7 It may be that their supplication [for mercy] will come before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the Lordhas pronounced against this people.”

8 Baruch the son of Neriah did everything that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from [Jeremiah’s scroll] the words of the Lordin the Lord’shouse.

9 Now in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, a fast was proclaimed before the Lordfor all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came to Jerusalem from the cities of Judah.

10 Then Baruch read to all the people the words of Jeremiah from the scroll of the book in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’shouse.

11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard all the words of the Lordfrom the scroll,

12 he went down to the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber; and behold, all the princes were sitting there: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the [other] princes.

13 Then Micaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read from the scroll to all the people.

14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read to the people and come [to us].” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and went to them.

15 And they said to him, “Sit down now and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them.

16 Now when they had heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear and said to Baruch, “We must surely report all these words to the king.”

17 And they asked Baruch, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words? At his (Jeremiah’s) dictation?”

18 Then Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the scroll.”

19 Then the princes said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.”

The Scroll Is Burned

20 Then they went into the court to the king, but they [first] put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; then they reported all the words to the king.

21 So the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the princes who stood beside the king.

22 Now it was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, witha fireburning there in the brazier before him.

23 And after Jehudi had read three or four columns [of the scroll],King Jehoiakimwould cut offthat portionwith a scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until the [entire] scroll was consumed by the fire.

24 Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they tear their clothes.

25 Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lordhid them.

The Scroll Is Replaced

27 Then the word of the Lordcame to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll containing the words which Baruch had written at the dictation of Jeremiah:

28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned.

29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off man and beast from it?’”

30 ~‘Therefore thus says the Lordconcerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, “He shall have no heir to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be thrown out to the heat of the day and to the frost of the night.

31 I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their wickedness, and I will bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the destruction that I have declared against them–but they would not listen.”’”

32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah Warns against Trust in Pharaoh

1 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made Zedekiah the son of Josiah king in the land of Judah so he reigned as king instead of Coniah (also called Jeconiah and Jehoiachin) the son of Jehoiakim.

2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lordwhich He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah.

3 Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah [along] with Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Please pray [now] to the Lordour God for us.”

4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not [yet] put him in prison.

5 Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

6 Then the word of the Lordcame to the prophet Jeremiah:

7 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘This is what you are to say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt, to their own land.

8 And the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will come again and fight against this city, and they will capture it and set it on fire.”’

9 Thus says the Lord, ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will certainly stay away from us,” for they will not stay away.

10 ~‘For even if you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only the wounded men among them, yet they would rise up, every man confined in his tent, and burn down this city with fire.’”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 Now it happened when the army of the Chaldeans departed from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s [approaching] army,

12 that Jeremiah left Jerusalem [during the withdrawal of the Chaldean invaders] to go to [Anathoth, his hometown, in] the land of Benjamin to take possession of [the title to] the land [which he had purchased] there among the people.

13 When he was at the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah was there; and he seizedandarrested Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to join the Chaldeans [of Babylon]!”

14 But Jeremiah said, “That is a lie! I am not deserting to join the Chaldeans.” But the guard would not listen to him. So Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes (court officials).

15 The princes were enraged with Jeremiah and beat him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe–for they had made that the prison.

16 When Jeremiah had come intothe vaulted cell in the dungeon and had remained there many days,

17 Zedekiah the king sent and brought him out; and in his palace the king secretly asked him, “Is there any word from the Lord?” And Jeremiah said, “There is!” Then he said, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

18 Moreover, Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “In what way have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

19 Where then are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?’

20 Therefore now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my petition come before youandbe acceptable and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I may not die there.”

21 Then King Zedekiah commanded, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse, and a [round] loaf of bread from the bakers’ street was given to him daily, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained [imprisoned] in the court of the guardhouse.

Jeremiah Thrown into the Cistern

1 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal (also called Jehucal) the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying,

2 “So says the Lord, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by virulent disease (pestilence), but he who goes out to the Chaldeans [of Babylon] will live and have his [own] life as a reward and stay alive.’

3 Thus says the Lord, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will take it.’”

4 Therefore the princes (court officials) said to the king, “Please [we implore you] let this man [Jeremiah] be put to death; for [speaking] in this way he discouragesandweakens [the will of] the soldiers who remain in this city and he discouragesandweakens [the will of] all the people by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but rather their harm.”

5 Then King Zedekiah [fearing the princes] said, “Listen, he is in your hand; for the king is in no position to do anything against you.”

6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into thecistern of Malchijah the king’s son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down [into the cistern] with ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

7 Now Ebed-melech the Ethiopian (Cushite), one of the eunuchs who was in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern, and while the king was sitting in the Gate of Benjamin,

8 Ebed-melech went out of the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying,

9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have thrown into the cistern; and he will die [of hunger] where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the palace of the king toa placeunder the storeroom and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah.

12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits, then place the ropes under the padding”; and Jeremiah did so.

13 So they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and took him up out of the cistern; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse.

14 Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah, “I am going to ask you something; hide nothing from me.”

15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Even if I do give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the Lordlives, who made our lives, be assured that I will not put you to death or put you into the hand of these men who are seeking your life.”

Interview with Zedekiah

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LordGod of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will go outandsurrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live and this city will not be burned with fire; and you and your household will live.

18 ~‘But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans [of Babylon] and they will set it on fire; and you yourself will not escape from their hand.’”

19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews [my former subjects] who have deserted to join the Chaldeans, for the enemy may put me into their hand and they will mock meandabuse me.”

20 But Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over [to them]. Please obey [the voice of] the Lord[who speaks to you through me] in what I am saying to you. Then it will go well with you and you will live.

21 But if you keep refusing to go outandsurrender to them, this is the word [and the vision] which the Lordhas shown me:

22 ‘Then behold, all the women who are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon and those women will say [to you, King Zedekiah],

“Your close friends

Have prevailed against your better judgmentandhave overpowered and deceived you;

While your feet were sunk in the mire [of trouble],

They turned back.”

23 ~‘Also, all your wives and your children will be brought out to the Chaldeans; and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city [Jerusalem] will be burned down with fire.’”

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no man know about this conversation and you will not die.

25 But if the princes (court officials) hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us now what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us and we will not execute you,’

26 then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my [humble] petitionandplea to the king so that he would not send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’”

27 Then all the princes (court officials) came to Jeremiah and asked him [just what King Zedekiah had anticipated they would ask], and he reported to them in accordance with all that the king had commanded. So they stopped questioning him, since the conversation [with the king] had not been overheard.

28 So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem was captured [by the Chaldeans of Babylon].