Jeremiah
Chapter 1
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, from the priests that {are} in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 which was the word of Yahweh to him in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 And it happened in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
4 And the word of Yahweh was to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the belly, I chose you,
and before you came out from the womb I set you apart;
I made you a prophet to the nations.”
6 And {I} said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I do not know {how} to speak, for I {am} a young lad.”
7 But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, ‘I {am} a young lad,’ but according to all that I shall send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I {am} with you to rescue you”—the declaration of Yahweh.
9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched on my mouth. And Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have placed my word in your mouth. 10 Look, I am appointing you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
11 And the word of Yahweh was to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And {I} said, “I see an almond branch.” 12 And Yahweh said to me, “You have done well to see, for I am watching over my word to do it.”
13 And the word of Yahweh was to me a second {time}, saying, “What do you see?” And {I} said, “I see a blown-on pot and its face {is away} from the face of the north.” 14 And Yahweh said to me, “From the north disaster will be released on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling to all the clans of the kingdoms of the north”—the declaration of Yahweh. “And they will come, and {each} man will set his throne {at} the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem and against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I shall speak my judgment {against} them according to all their evil in which they abandoned me and burned incense to other gods, and worshipped what they made with their own hands. 17 So you yourself shall gird your loins, and stand up and say to them all that I myself shall command you! Do not be dismayed from before their faces lest I dismay you before their faces! 18 And I—behold!—I have given you today a city of fortification and an iron pillar and bronze walls against all the land—for the kings of Judah, for its officials, for its priests, and for the people of the land. 19 And they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I {will be} with you to rescue you—the declaration of Yahweh.”
Chapter 2
1 And the word of Yahweh was to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh:
I have recalled for you the covenant faithfulness of your youth,
the love of your betrothal {time},
your going after me in the wilderness,
in the land not sown.
3 Israel {was} holy to Yahweh,
the first of his harvest!
All those who ate it became guilty;
disaster came upon them
—the declaration of Yahweh.’”
4 Hear the word of Yahweh, house of Jacob,
and all clans of the house of Israel.
5 Thus says Yahweh,
“What did your fathers find wrong with me,
that they went far away from upon me,
and they went after the empty,
and became empty?
6 And they did not say, ‘Where {is} Yahweh,
who led us up from the land of Egypt?
The one who led us in the wilderness,
in a land of a desert and a pit,
in a land of dryness and thick darkness,
in a land—no human passes through it and no man lives there?’
7 And I brought you to the land of Carmel,
to eat its fruit and its good things!
But you came and defiled my land,
and you made my inheritance into an abomination!
8 The priests did not say,
‘Where {is} Yahweh?’
and the handlers of the law did not know me,
and the shepherds transgressed against me,
and the prophets prophesied by Baal
and went after things not profitable.
9 Therefore still I shall make a case with you
—the declaration of Yahweh—
and with the sons of your sons I shall make a case .
10 For cross over {to} the coasts of Kittim and look,
and {to} Kedar send out and pay very close attention
and see if there has been {a thing} as this!
11 Has a nation exchanged gods,
though they {were} not gods?
But my people has exchanged its glory
for {what} does not profit.
12 Be appalled, heavens, because of this,
and shudder, be very desolate!
—the declaration of Yahweh.
13 For my people have done two evils {to} me:
They have abandoned the spring of living waters
to dig out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that do not hold the water.
14 {Is} Israel a slave? Or was he born {in} a household?
So why has he become for plunder?
15 Young lions roared against him;
they gave their voice.
And they made his land into a desolation;
his cities became ruins without an inhabitant.
16 Also, the people of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have shaved your skull.
17 Did you not do this to yourself
{when} you abandoned Yahweh your God,
in the time he led you on the way?
18 And now, why—to you, to the road of Egypt
to drink the waters of Shihor?
And why—to you, to the road of Assyria
to drink the waters of a river?
19 Your evil will rebuke you,
and your apostasy will punish you.
So think and understand
that {it is} wicked and bitter
{when} you forsake Yahweh your God,
and you have no fear of me.
—the declaration of Lord Yahweh of hosts.
20 For from long ago I broke your yoke;
I tore to pieces your fetters.
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every high hill
and beneath every leafy tree,
you yourself lie down, prostitute.
21 And I myself planted you {as} a choice vine,
all of it of genuine seed.
And how have you changed towards me
{into} degenerates of the strange vine?
22 For even if you clean yourself with natron
or multiply for yourself lye,
your iniquity is a stain before my face
—the declaration of Lord Yahweh.
23 How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not walked after the Baals’?
See your path in the valleys!
Know what you have done
—a swift female camel
entangling her ways,
24 a wild donkey, a pupil of the wilderness,
in the desire of its spirit gasping {for} air!
{In} her heat, who can turn her away?
All of the ones seeking her will not tire;
in her month they will find her.
25 Restrain your foot from {becoming} bare
and your throat from thirst!
But you have said, ‘{It is} hopeless!
No, for I love strangers
and after them I shall go!’
26 Like the shame of a thief when he is found,
so the house of Israel will be ashamed—
they, their kings, their princes,
and their priests and prophets,
27 the ones who say to the tree, ‘You {are} my father,’
and to the stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’
For they face the nape to me
and not faces.
But in the time of their misfortune they say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But where {are} the gods that you made for yourself?
Let them arise if they would save you
in the time of your misfortune,
for the number of your cities,
equal your gods, Judah!
29 Why do you complain to me?
All of you have rebelled against me
—the declaration of Yahweh.
30 For futility I have struck your sons.
They would not accept discipline.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
like a destructive lion!
31 You {are} the generation!
Know the word of Yahweh!
Have I been a wilderness to Israel?
Or a land of thick darkness?
Why would my people say, ‘We shall roam free,
we shall not go to you anymore’?
32 Will a virgin forget her jewelry,
a bride her sashes?
Yet my people have forgotten me
days without number!
33 How well you make your way to seek love,
so even {to} the wicked women you taught [1] your ways.
34 Also on your skirts has been found
the blood of the innocent, needy lives.
They were not discovered in burglary.
But despite all these,
35 you also say, ‘But I am innocent;
surely his nose has turned away from me.’
Behold, I shall judge you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you treat very lightly
to change your ways?
You will also be shamed from Egypt,
just as you were shamed from Assyria.
37 You will also go out from this {place},
and your hands {will be} on your head,
for Yahweh has rejected the ones you trusted,
and you will not be successful by them.”
Chapter 3
1 Saying, “If a man sends away his wife
and she goes from him and becomes another man’s,
will he return to her again?
Would that land not be greatly polluted?
And you have been a prostitute {with} many lovers
and would {you} return to me?
—the declaration of Yahweh.
2 Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see!
Where have you not been ravished?
By the roads you sat for them,
as an Arab in the wilderness.
And you have polluted the land
with your prostitution and with your evil.
3 So the showers have been withheld
and the late rains have not been;
yet you have the forehead of a prostitute woman;
you refuse to be embarrassed.
4 Have you not from now called to me: [1]
‘My father! You {are} a close friend of my youth!
5 Will he guard forever?
Or will he keep watch to eternity?’
Behold, you have spoken, [2]
but you do the evils as you can!”
6 Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Do you see what apostate Israel has done? She herself has walked up every high hill and to underneath every leafy tree, and she has been a prostitute there. 7 And {I} said, ‘After her doing all these, she will return to me,’ but she did not return. Then her treacherous sister Judah saw. 8 So I saw that because of all circumstances where apostate Israel had committed adultery, I had sent her away and had given a scroll of her divorce to her. But her sister Judah, acting treacherously, did not fear, and she went out, and she herself also prostituted. 9 And her prostitution was from thoughtlessness. And she defiled the land, and committed adultery {with} the stone and the tree. 10 And even in all of this, her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to me with all her heart, but with a lie—the declaration of Yahweh.”
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Apostate Israel has shown her spirit to be righteous more than Judah acting treacherously! 12 Go and proclaim these words to the north and say,
‘Return, apostate Israel!—the declaration of Yahweh—
I shall not cause my face to fall against you.
Since I {am} faithful—the declaration of Yahweh—
I shall not keep forever.
13 Only, know your iniquity,
for you have transgressed against Yahweh your God,
and you have spread your ways to strangers
under every leafy tree,
and to my voice you did not listen
—the declaration of Yahweh.
14 Turn back, apostatizing sons!—the declaration of Yahweh—for I myself am your husband, and I shall take you, one from a city and two from a clan, and I shall bring you {to} Zion! 15 Then I shall give you shepherds according to my heart, and they will shepherd you {with} knowledge and insight. 16 And it will happen that you will increase and be fruitful in the land in those days—the declaration of Yahweh—they will no longer say, “The Box of the Covenant of Yahweh!” And it will not come up in heart, and they will not remember it. And they will not miss {it}, and another will not be made.’ 17 In that time they will call to Jerusalem, ‘the throne of Yahweh,’ and all the nations will gather to her—to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem. And they will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 In those days, the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel. And they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I caused your fathers to inherit.
19 And I myself said,
‘How I would set you among sons
and give to you a pleasant land,
an inheritance of beautiful splendor of nations!’
And {I} said, ‘You shall call me “my father”.’
and from after me you shall not turn away.
20 But, {like} a woman dealing treacherously with her companion,
thus you have dealt treacherously against me, house of Israel
—the declaration of Yahweh.”
21 A voice is heard on the bare heights,
weeping pleas of the sons of Israel!
For they have made their ways crooked;
they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
22 “Turn back, apostatizing sons!
I will heal your apostasies!”
“Behold! We come to you,
for you {are} Yahweh our God!
23 But the lie {is} from the hills,
a commotion of mountains;
but with Yahweh our God
{is} the salvation of Israel.
24 Yet from our youth the shame has consumed
the toil of our fathers—
their flock and their cattle,
their sons and their daughters!
25 Let us lie down in our shame,
and let our humiliation cover us,
for against Yahweh our God we have sinned!
Ourselves and our fathers,
from our youth and to this day,
and we have not listened to the voice of Yahweh our God!”
Chapter 4
1 “If you return, Israel—the declaration of Yahweh—
to me you should return.
And if you remove your detestable things from before my face
and do not wander,
2 and you swear, ‘{As} Yahweh {is} alive’
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then the nations will bless themselves in him,
and in him they will boast.”
3 For thus says Yahweh to the man of Judah and to Jerusalem:
‘Plow your unplowed ground,
and do not sow into thorns.
4 Be circumcised to Yahweh,
and remove the foreskins of your heart,
man of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
lest my heat go out like the fire,
and burn, and there is no one to extinguish
from the face of the evil of your deeds.
5 Declare in Judah, and in Jerusalem announce, and say,
“Blow the horn in the land!”
Call out fully and say,
“Be gathered, and let us go
to the cities of fortification.”
6 Lift up a banner toward Zion,
and bring yourself to safety, do not stand still!
For I am bringing disaster from the north
and a great collapse.
7 A lion has come up from his thicket
and a destroyer of nations has set out.
He has gone out from his place
to make your land into a desolation;
your cities will become ruins,
without an inhabitant.
8 Because of this, gird yourselves {with} sackcloth,
lament and wail!
For the force of the nose of Yahweh
has not turned away from us.
9 And it will happen in that day—the declaration of Yahweh—
the heart of the king and the heart of the officials will perish,
And the priests will be appalled,
and the prophets will be horrified.’”
10 And I said, “Alas! Lord Yahweh, surely you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘It will be well for you.’ Yet the sword will reach as far as the life.”
11 In that time it will be said of this people and of Jerusalem, “A shimmering wind of the bare hills of the wilderness—the way of the daughter of my people, not to winnow and not to cleanse, 12 a wind more full than these will come to me. Now I myself shall also speak judgments {against} them.
13 Behold, like clouds he comes up,
and his chariots {are} like the storm.
His horses are faster than eagles.
Woe to us, for we are devastated! 14 Cleanse your heart from evil, Jerusalem so that you might be saved.
Until when will your unjust intentions lodge within you? 15 For a voice declares from Dan,
and announces coming disaster from the mount of Ephraim. 16 Report to the nations: Behold!
Announce over Jerusalem,
Guards are coming from the distant land,
and they give their voice against the cities of Judah. 17 Like the watchmen of a field they will be around against her,
since she has been rebellious {against} me
—the declaration of Yahweh— 18 your way and your deeds
have done these to you.
This {is} your evil.
Indeed {it is} bitter!
Indeed it reaches as far as your heart!
19 My inward parts! My inward parts!
I writhe in pain {in} the walls of my heart!
My heart is turbulent for me.
I shall not be silent,
for I hear the sound of the horn, my soul,
an alarm for battle. 20 Collapse upon collapse is called out,
for all the land is devastated.
Suddenly my tents are devastated,
in a moment, my curtains! 21 Until when will I see the banner,
will I hear the sound of the horn?
22 For my people {are} foolish;
they do not know me.
They {are} foolish sons
and they have no understanding.
They {are} wise to do evil,
but do not know to do good.
23 I saw the land,
and behold, {it was} formless and empty,
and to the heavens,
and there was not their light.
24 I saw the mountains.
and behold, they were quaking,
and all the hills were shaking themselves.
25 I saw, and behold, there was not the man,
and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26 I saw, and behold, the orchard {was} the wilderness,
and all the cities had been pulled down
before the face of Yahweh, before the face of the fury of his nose.”
27 For thus says Yahweh,
“All the land will become a devastation,
but complete destruction I shall not make.
28 Because of this the land will mourn,
and the heavens will darken from above.
Because I have spoken my plans and will not regret,
and I shall not turn away from it.
29 From the noise of the horseman and the shooter of the bow
every city will flee.
They will go into the thickets
and ascend onto the hollowed out rocks.
Every city will be abandoned,
and there will be no man dwelling in them.
30 And you, [1] what will you do {for} the devastated one?
Although you dress {in} scarlet,
although you adorn yourself {with} jewelry of gold,
although you tear open your eyes with eye paint,
you beautify yourself for futility.
The ones lusting reject you;
they seek your life.
31 For I hear a sound like a woman in labor,
distress like a woman birthing her firstborn,
the sound of the daughter of Zion;
she gasps for breath.
She spreads out her hands,
‘Woe now to me,
for my spirit faints {because of} murderers!.’”
Chapter 5
1 “Roam about in the streets of Jerusalem,
and see now and know
and seek in her plazas!
If you can find a man,
if there is one who does justice, who seeks honesty,
then I will forgive her.
2 And if they say, ‘{As} Yahweh {is} alive,’
surely they swear for falsehood.”
3 Yahweh, {are} not your eyes for honesty?
You struck them, but they do not tremble.
You have completely defeated them; they refuse to receive discipline.
They harden their faces more than rock;
they refuse to return.
4 So I myself said, “They are only ones who are poor.
They are foolish,
for they do not know the way of Yahweh,
the ordinance of their God.
5 I shall go for myself to the great ones
and speak {to} them,
for they themselves know the way of Yahweh,
the ordinance of their God.”
But they together broke the yoke;
they tore to pieces the fetters.
6 Therefore a lion from the thicket will strike them down;
a wolf of the deserts will devastate them;
a leopard watches over their cities;
all who go out from there will be torn apart,
for their transgressions increase;
their apostasies are numerous.
7 How, for this, could I forgive you?
Your sons have abandoned me
and have sworn by not-gods.
And I satisfied them,
but they committed adultery
and assembled themselves {to} the house of the prostitute.
8 {They were} well-fed, lusty horses. [1]
{Each} man neighed to the wife of his neighbor.
9 Should I not punish because of these
—the declaration of Yahweh—
or even against a nation that {is} like this,
should I not avenge myself?
10 Go up onto her terraces [2] and destroy!
But do not bring complete destruction.
Remove her vines,
for they {are} not of Yahweh.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
have utterly betrayed me
—the declaration of Yahweh.
12 They have denied Yahweh,
and they said, “He {is} not,
and no evil will come upon us,
and we will not see sword or famine.
13 And the prophets are for wind,
and the word is not in them,
thus it will be done to them.”
14 So thus says Yahweh the God of hosts:
“Because you have spoken this word,
behold, I shall place my word in your mouth for a fire,
and this people {will be} wood! And it will consume them.
15 Behold! I shall bring a nation against you from far away, house of Israel
—the declaration of Yahweh—
it {is} a lasting nation; it {is} a nation from ancient times!
A nation whose tongue you do not know,
and you will not hear what they speak.
16 Its quiver {is} like an open grave.
All of them {are} warriors.
17 And it will consume your harvest and your bread.
They will consume your sons and your daughters.
It will consume your flock and your cattle;
It will consume your vine and your fig tree.
It will beat down with a sword
your cities of fortification that you trusted in.
18 But even in those days—the declaration of Yahweh—I shall not make with you a complete end. 19 And it will happen when you say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you abandoned me and served gods of a foreigner in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land not yours.’
20 Declare this to the house of Jacob
and announce it in Judah, saying:
21 ‘Hear this, please, foolish people and without heart;
they have eyes but do not see;
they have ears but do not hear.
22 Should you not fear me—the declaration of Yahweh—
or should you not tremble from my face?
For I have placed sand {as} a border for the sea,
an eternal decree and it does not cross over it,
and {if} it rises and falls, still it would not prevail,
and {if} its waves roar, still they do not cross over it.
23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart.
It turns aside and walks away.
24 And they do not say in their hearts,
“Let us please fear Yahweh our God,
the one who gives the rain—both the early rain and the late rain—in its season,
he keeps the decreed weeks of the harvest for us.”
25 Your iniquities turned away these things,
and your sins have held back from you the good.
26 For wicked ones are found with my people;
he watches like fowlers lying in wait; [3]
they set a snare; they capture people.
27 Like a cage full of birds,
thus their houses {are} full of deceit,
thus they grow large and become rich.
28 They are fat; they are sleek. [4]
They also trespass {with} words of evil.
They do not plead the legal cause—
the legal cause of the fatherless one.
And they prosper, but the justice of the needy ones—
they have not given justice.
29 Why, on account of these things should I not punish?
—the declaration of Yahweh—
if against a nation that {is} like this
should my soul not avenge itself?
30 Desolation and horror
has happened in the land.
31 The prophets prophesy with falsehood,
and the priests rule with their hands,
and my people love it so,
but what will you do in the end?’”
Chapter 6
1 Bring yourselves to safety, sons of Benjamin,
from the midst of Jerusalem!
And in Tekoa blast a horn!
And over Beth Hakkerem lift up an uplifting!
For evil looks down from the north,
and a great collapse.
2 I liken [1] the daughter of Zion
{to} the beautiful and delicate woman.
3 To them shepherds and their flocks will go;
they will pitch tents against her all around;
a man will shepherd {with} his hand.
4 “Be sanctified {for} war against her!
Arise and let us go up at noon!
Woe to us for the day faces away,
for the shadows of evening are lengthening.
5 Arise and let us attack at night
and destroy her palaces.”
6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts:
Cut a tree,
and heap up siegeworks against Jerusalem!
She {is} the city he left behind, [2]
all of her {is} oppression in her midst.
7 Like a well keeps its waters fresh,
thus she keeps her evil fresh.
Violence and oppression are heard in her;
always before my face {are} sickness and plague.
8 Let yourself be instructed, Jerusalem,
lest my soul turns away in disgust from you,
lest I make you a wasteland,
a land not inhabited.’”
9 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
“They will certainly glean like a vineyard
the remnant of Israel.
Cause your hand to return
as to gather grapes on tendrils.
10 To whom should I speak and testify
and they would listen?
Behold! Their ear {is} uncircumcised,
and they are not able to pay attention!
Behold! The word of Yahweh has come to them for disgrace,
but they would not delight in it.”
11 But I am filled with the heat of Yahweh.
I am tired of holding {it in}.
“Pour it out on the children outside
and on the groups of young men altogether.
For also a husband will be captured with a wife,
an old person with fullness of days.
12 And their houses will be turned over to others,
fields and wives altogether.
For I shall stretch out my hand
against the inhabitants of the land
—the declaration of Yahweh.
13 For from the smallest and to the greatest,
all of them are greedy {for} dishonest gain.
And from a prophet and as far as a priest,
each makes deceit.
14 And they have healed the collapse of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, Peace,’ but there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they did an abomination?
Even to be ashamed, they were not ashamed;
they did not even know to be humiliated!
Therefore they will fall among the fallen ones;
At the time I punish them they will stumble
says Yahweh.
16 Thus says Yahweh,
“Stand at the roads and see,
and ask for the ancient paths.
‘Where {is} this, the way of the good?’ Then go on it
and find rest for your spirit.
But they say, ‘We shall not go.’
17 And I stationed lookouts over you.
Pay attention for the sound of the horn!
But they said, ‘We shall not pay attention.’
18 Therefore, hear, nations!
And know, assembly,
what {will be} among them!
19 Hear, the earth:
Behold, I shall bring disaster to this people—
the fruit of their plans.
For to my word they did not pay attention,
and my law, they rejected it.
20 What {is} this to me, frankincense coming from Sheba?
Or reed perfume from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings {are} not acceptable,
and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus says Yahweh,
‘Behold, I shall give a stumbling block to this people,
and they will stumble on it—fathers and sons together.
A resident and his neighbor will perish.’
22 Thus says Yahweh,
‘Behold, a people is coming
from the land of the north,
and a great nation is being woken up
from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They hold bows and spears.
It {is} cruel and they are not compassionate.
Their sound roars like the sea,
and they ride on horses,
arranged like men for battle
against you, daughter of Zion.’”
24 We have heard the reports {about} them
and our hands fall limp.
Distress seizes us,
writhing as a woman giving birth.
25 Do not go out {to} the field,
and do not walk {on} the road,
for the sword of the enemy,
terror from all around.
26 Daughter of my people, gird yourself {with} sackcloth
and roll in ash;
make mourning for yourself {as for} an only son
a lamentation of bitterness,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.
27 “I have given you {as} a tester to my people, an appraiser,
so you can know and test their way.
28 All of them {are} stubborn ones [3] who rebel,
going about {in} gossip
All of them {are} bronze and iron;
they act corruptly.
29 The bellows are burned;
the lead {is} from their fire. [4]
For worthlessness he refines to refine,
but the evil things are not torn away.
30 They will be called, ‘rejected silver,’
for Yahweh has rejected them.”
Chapter 7
1 The word that was to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Stand at the gate of the house of Yahweh and proclaim there this word! And you shall say, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, all of Judah, who enter these gates to bow down to Yahweh. 3 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel: Make your ways and your deeds good, and I will cause you to settle in this place. 4 Do not entrust yourself to words of deceit, saying, “Temple of Yahweh! Temple of Yahweh! Temple of Yahweh {are} they!” 5 For if you completely make your ways and your deeds good, if you completely do justice between a man and between his neighbor— 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless one, or the widow and do not pour out innocent blood in this place, and do not walk after other gods to your harm— 7 then I will cause you to settle in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers from ancient times and to eternity. 8 Behold! You entrust yourself in words of deceit to no profit.
9 Are {you} stealing, murdering, and committing adultery and swearing for deceit and offering incense to Baal and walking after other gods whom you have not known, 10 then you come and stand before my face in this house over which my name is called and say, “We are saved,” in order to do all of these abominations? 11 Has this house, over which my name is called, become a cave of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have also seen—the declaration of Yahweh.
12 But go, please, to my place that {was} in Shiloh, there where I settled my name in the beginning, and see what I did to it from the face of the evil of my people Israel. 13 So now, on account of your doing all of these deeds—the declaration of Yahweh—and I spoke to you rising early and speaking, but you did not listen. And I called you, but you did not answer. 14 And I shall do to this house over which my name is called, the house in which you have trusted, and this place that I gave to you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15 And I shall cast you out from my face just as I cast out all your brothers, all the seed of Ephraim.’
16 And you, do not pray on behalf of this people, and do not lift up a wail or a prayer on their behalf, and do not plead with me, for I shall not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The sons are collecting wood and the fathers kindling the fire, and the women are kneading dough to make cakes for the queen of the heavens and pour out drink offerings for other gods in order to provoke me to anger! 19 Are they provoking me to anger?—the declaration of Yahweh—{is it} not them, in order to shame their faces?
20 Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, my nose and my heat will gush out onto this place—on man and on beast and on the tree of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be extinguished.’
21 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, ‘Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat the meat. 22 For I did not speak with your ancestors and I did not command them on the day I brought them out from the land of Egypt concerning matters of burnt offering and sacrifice. 23 Except I commanded them this word, saying, “Listen to my voice, and I will be your God and you will be my people. So walk in every way that I am commanding you so that it may go well for you.” 24 But they did not listen and they did not incline their ear. And they walked by schemes in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and they went to the back and not to the face. 25 From the day when your fathers went out from the land of Egypt until this day, then I have sent all of my servants, my prophets, to you; {each} day rising early and sending. 26 But they did not listen to me, and they did not incline their ear, and they hardened their neck. They were more wicked than their fathers.’
27 So you will speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. And you will call out to them, but they will not answer. 28 And you will say to them: This {is} the nation that does not listen to the voice of Yahweh its God and does not receive discipline. Honesty is lost and cut off from their mouth.
29 Shear your consecration {hair} and throw {it} away. And lift up on the bare heights a funeral song. For Yahweh has rejected and abandoned the generation of his rage. 30 For the sons of Judah have done evil in my eyes—the declaration of Yahweh—they have set their detestable things in the house over which my name is called, to defile it. 31 Then they built the high places of Topheth which {are} in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in fire—which I did not command, and it did not come up to my heart. 32 Therefore behold, days are coming—the declaration of Yahweh—and it will no longer be called Topheth or Valley of Ben Hinnom, instead, the Valley of Slaughter. And they will bury in Topheth because there is no room. 33 And the corpses of this people will be for food for the bird of the skies and for the beast of the earth, and there will be none to startle {them}. 34 And I shall cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem: the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride. For the land will be for a desolation.”
Chapter 8
1 “At that time—the declaration of Yahweh—they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and and the bones of its rulers, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the dwellers of Jerusalem from the graves. 2 And they will spread them out to the sun and to the moon and to all of the armies of the heavens that they loved them and that they served them, and that they walked after them and that they sought them, and that they bowed down to them. They will not be gathered, and they will not be buried again. They will be for dung on the face of the land. 3 And they will choose death more than life for all of the remnant who are remaining from this evil family, in all of the places of those who {are} remaining, where I drove them there—the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.
4 And I will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, "Will they fall and not get up? If they will turn, will they not also turn?
5 Why {is} this people, Jerusalem, turned, enduring apostasy?
They grasp upon deceit and refuse to turn.
6 I paid attention and listened, they did not speak right. There was not a man sorry because of his wickedness, saying,
“What have I done?” All of them turn in their running,
like a stallion plunging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the heavens knows its times,
and a dove, and a swift one, and a crane keep the time of their coming, and my people do not know the judgment of Yahweh.
8 How will you say, “We are wise, and the law of Yahweh {is} with us”?
Indeed, behold! The stylus of the deceitful scribes have made {it} for a deceitful thing.
9 The wise men have been ashamed, they are dismayed and captured.
Behold! They refused against the word of Yahweh, and the wisdom of what {is} to them?
10 Therefore I will give their wives to others, their fields to those possessing them,
for from the least until the greatest, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain! From the prophet and until the priest, all of them practice deceit.
11 They healed the breaking of the daughter of my people upon being light,
saying, “Peace, Peace,” and there is not peace.
12 Were they ashamed when they did an abomination? Even being ashamed, they were not ashamed, they did not know to be humiliated! Therefore they will fall among the fallen, they will stumble in the time of their visitation says Yahweh.
13 Gathering I will gather them—the declaration of Yahweh—there are not grapes on the vine, and there are not figs on the fig tree, and the foliage {is} withered, and I gave to them, they pass over them.
14 Because of what {are} we sitting? Be gathered! Let us go to the cities of fortification, and we will perish there.
For Yahweh our God will cause us to perish, and he will make us drink water of poison, for we have sinned against him.
15 Hope for peace, and there is not good,
for a time of healing, and behold, terror. 16 The snorting of his stallions was heard from Dan. From the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole earth quakes,
and they will come and consume the land and its fullness, the city and those dwelling in it.
17 For behold, I {am} sending out snakes among you, poisonous snakes that there is not for them a charm.
and they will bite you—the declaration of Yahweh.’”
18 My incurable is upon grief, and my heart is sick within me.
19 Behold! The sound of a cry for help of the daughter of my people from a far away land! Is Yahweh not in Zion?
Is her king no longer in her? Why do they provoke me to anger with their idols and with vain foreign things?
20 The harvest has passed, summer has ended, and we have not been delivered.
21 I am broken because of the breaking of the daughter of my people. I mourn at the horrible thing. It has seized me.
22 Is there no Balsam medicine in Gilead? Is there not a healer there?
Why does the healing of the daughter of my people not go up?
Chapter 9
1 If only my head {was} water, and my eyes {were} a fountain of tears,
and I will weep day and night, the slain of the daughter of my people.
2 Who will give me a lodging place of travelers in the desert, and I would leave my people and walk away from them.
For all of them are adulterers, a company of ones dealing treacherously!
3 “They tread on their deceitful bow with their tongues,
and not of faithfulness {do} they grow strong in the land.
For from wicked thing to wicked thing they go, and they do not know me—the declaration of Yahweh.”
4 Let each one guard against his neighbor and do not trust in any brother.
For every brother, being a deceiver, deceives, and every neighbor walks {in} slander.
5 And each one will deceive against his neighbor and they will not speak the truth.
They teach their tongue to speak deceitful things. Committing iniquity, they become weary.
6 Your dwelling {is} in the midst of deceit, in deceit they refuse to know me—the declaration of Yahweh.”
7 Therefore, thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Behold, I am refining them and will test them,
for how shall I act from before the face of the daughter of my people?
8 Their tongue is a murderous arrow, it speaks a deceitful thing.
With his mouth he speaks peace with their neighbors, and in his midst he sets his ambush.
9 Shall I not visit against them because of these things—the declaration of Yahweh—
shall I not avenge my life against a nation that {is} like this?
10 upon the mountains I will raise up weeping and lamentation, and upon the pastures of the wilderness a funeral song,
for they are burned from no man passing through. They do not hear the sound of cattle,
from the birds of the heavens until the animals, they have fled and gone away.
11 And I will appoint Jerusalem for piles of ruins, a dwelling-place of jackals,
and I will make the cities of Judah a ruin without dwellers.”
12 Who is the man that {is} wise and he understands this? And whom has the mouth of Yahweh spoken to him, and he will declare it?
Because of what has the land perished and been destroyed like the wilderness from no man passing through?
13 And Yahweh said, “Because of their abandoning my law that I set before the face of them, and they do not listen to my voice and they do not walk by it. 14 And they walked after their stubborn hearts and after the Baals, which fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am feeding them, this people wormwood and making them drink water of poison. 16 And I will scatter them among the nations that they have not known, they and their fathers, and I will send out a sword after them until my destroying them.’”
17 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “Think about this,
and call funeral singers and let them come, and send out to the skilled ones and let them come.
18 Let them hurry and lift up a lament over us,
and our eyes have melted {with} tears, and our eyelids flow {with} water.
19 For the sound of lamentation is heard from Zion, ‘How we are devastated.
We are greatly ashamed, for we have abandoned the land because they tore down our dwellings.’
20 Now hear Yahweh’s word, women, let your ear receive the word of his mouth,
and teach your daughters a lamentation and each woman, her neighbor a funeral song.
21 For death has come up into our windows, it enters into our palaces,
cutting off children from outside, and young men from the open places.
22 Speak ’thus {is} the declaration of Yahweh—the corpse of a man will fall like dung upon the face of the ground,
and like fallen grain after the reapers, and there is no one to gather them.’”
23 Thus says Yahweh, “Do not let the wise one boast on account of his wisdom,
and do not let the warrior boast on account of his strength. Do not let the rich one boast on account of his riches.
24 For if in this let the boaster boast, understanding and knowing me,
for I {am} Yahweh, doing covenant faithfulness, justice and righteousness on the earth. For in these I take pleasure—the declaration of Yahweh.”
25 “Behold, days {are} coming—the declaration of Yahweh—and I will visit against all of the circumcised in the foreskin, 26 against Egypt and against Judah, and against Edom and against the sons of Ammon, and against Moab and against all of those cutting a corner, those dwelling in the desert, for all of the uncircumcised nations and all of the house of Israel {has} an uncircumcised heart.”
Chapter 10
1 “Hear the word that Yahweh spoke against you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says Yahweh, ‘Do not train upon the way of the nations,
and do not be dismayed from the signs of the heavens, for the nations are dismayed from them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain,
for a tree from the forest they cut it down, the hands of a craftsman making with an axe.
4 Then they decorate it with silver and gold. They strengthen it with hammers and nails, and it will not totter.
5 They {are} like scarecrows of a cucumber field, and they do not speak, carrying, they are carried because they do not walk.
Do not fear from them, for they will not cause harm, and also there is not good with them.’”
6 There is not one like you, Yahweh. You are great, and your name is great in power.
7 Who does not fear you, king of the nations? For it is fitting to you,
for there is no one like you among all the wise of the nations and among all of their kingdoms.
8 And with one they are stupid and foolish, the teaching of vain things of wood it {is}.
9 Hammered silver from Tarshish was brought, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman,
and the hands of refiners. Their clothes {are} purple and reddish-purple cloth. The work of skilled ones {are} all of them.
10 And Yahweh {is} the true God, he {is} the living God and eternal king.
The earth quakes from his anger, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
11 You will speak to them like this, “The gods that did not make the heavens and earth
will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 the maker of the earth by his strength, the establisher of the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out the heavens.
13 Of the sound of his giving, tumult of waters in the heavens, and he brings up the mists from the ends of the earth,
he made the lightning for the rain, and sends out wind from his storehouse.
14 Every man has become stupid from knowledge. Every metalworker is put to shame from his idols,
for his molten images are false, no spirit {is} in them.
15 They are vain, the work of mockery; they will perish at the time of their visitation.
16 Not like these {is} the portion of Jacob, for he {is} the molder of all things,
and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance. Yahweh of hosts {is} his name.
17 Gather your bundle and leave the land, you dwellers in distress.
18 For thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am slinging the dwellers of the land at this time.
I will cause them distress in order that they will find.”
19 Woe to me! Because of my breaking, my wound is severe,
and I said, “Surely this {is} affliction, and I will bear it.”
20 My tent is devastated, and all of my cords are ripped apart.
My sons have gone out {from} me and they are not. There is not one spreading out my tent again, raising up my tent curtains.
21 For the shepherds are stupid and they do not seek Yahweh,
because of this they have not prospered, and all their flock has been scattered.
22 The sound of a report, “Behold! It is coming, and a great earthquake from the land of the north,
to appoint the cities of Judah a ruin, a dwelling place of jackals.”
23 I know, Yahweh, that of a man {is} not his way, and not to a man {is} walking and establishing his steps.
24 Discipline me, Yahweh, surely with justice, not in your anger lest you would diminish me.
25 Pour out your fury on the nations that do not know you and on the families that do not call on your name,
for they have consumed Jacob and consumed him and they destroy him and desolated his pasture.
Chapter 11
1 The word that was to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak them to each one of Judah and upon the dwellers of Jerusalem 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘“Cursed is the man who does not hear the words of this covenant, 4 that which I commanded your fathers on the day of my bringing them out from the land of Egypt, from the furnace of iron, saying, “‘“Listen upon my voice and do them, as everything that I command you, and you will be to me for a people and I will be to you for a God, 5 for the sake of standing the oath that I swore to your fathers, giving to them the land flowing of milk and honey, as this day.’” Then I, Jeremiah, answered and said, “Truly, Yahweh!”
6 And Yahweh said to me, “Proclaim all these things in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Say, ‘Listen to the words of this covenant and carry them out. 7 For warning, I warned upon your ancestors in the day I caused them to go up from the land of Egypt until this day, persisting and warning saying, “Listen upon my voice." 8 And they did not listen and they did not stretch out their ear, and each one has walked in the stubbornness of their wicked heart, and I brought upon them all of the words of this covenant that I commanded to do, and they did not do.”
9 And Yahweh said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the dwellers of Jerusalem. 10 They have returned upon the iniquities of their first fathers, who refused to listen to my words, and they walked after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah broke my covenant that I cut with their fathers. 11 Therefore thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I {am} bringing calamity to them, that they will not be able to go out from it, and they will call out to me, and I will not listen to them. 12 And the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and call out to the gods that they {are} offering to them, and saving they will not save them at the time of their calamity. 13 For the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah, and the number of the streets of Jerusalem, you have appointed altars of shame, altars of sacrificing to Baal.
14 And you, do not pray for this people. Do not lift up a cry and a prayer on their behalf, for there is not me listening in the time of their calling to me on account of their calamity.
15 What is to my beloved one in my house, her doing much evil?
The flesh of the holy thing they pass over from upon you, for then you rejoice of your evil.
16 Yahweh called your name a leafy, beautiful olive tree, fruit of good appearance.
Of the sound of a great roaring he kindled a fire upon her, and its branches were bad. 17 And Yahweh of hosts, the one who planted you, has spoken calamity against you because of the wickedness of the house of Israel and the house of Judah which they did for themselves, to anger me, offering to Baal.’
18 Yahweh made me know, and I know. Then Yahweh made me see their deeds. 19 I was like a gentle lamb being led for slaughtering, and I did not know that they had planned plans against me, ‘Let us destroy the tree with its fruit! And let us cut him off from the land of the living, and his name will not be remembered any longer.’
20 And Yahweh of hosts {is} a righteous judges, examining the kidneys and the heart.
I will see your vengeance from them, for I have uncovered my dispute to you.
21 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the men of Anathoth who {are} seeking your life saying, “You shall not prophesy in the name of Yahweh, and you will not die by our hand.” 22 Therefore thus says Yahweh of armies, ‘Behold, I {am} visiting against them. The chosen young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by famine, 23 and a remnant will not be to them, for I will bring calamity to the men of Anathoth, a year of their visitation.’”
Chapter 12
1 You {are} righteous, Yahweh, when I argue to you.
I will surely speak with you of my cases: Why {is} the way of the wicked successful? All of the treacherous ones of the treacherous are at ease.
2 You planted them, also they took root. They grew, also they produced fruit.
You {are} near to them in their mouths, and far away from their kidneys. 3 And you, O Yahweh, know me. You see me and you test my heart with you.
Lure them away like sheep for slaughtering, and set them apart for the day of slaughter!
4 Until when will the land dry up and the plants in every field wither from the wickedness of those dwelling in it?
The animals and the birds have been taken away, for they say, “He will not see our end.”
5 For you have run with foot soldiers and they have worn you out, how will you compete with horses?
You {are} trusting in a land of peace, how will you do in the majesty of the Jordan?
6 For even your brothers and your father’s house, even they have betrayed you, even they have called after you fully.
Do not trust in them, for they speak good things to you.
7 I have abandoned my house, I have left my inheritance.
I have given the beloved of my life into the hand of her enemies.
8 My inheritance has become to me like a lion in a forest,
she has set against me with her voice, because of this I hate her.
9 Is my inheritance to me speckled birds of prey, birds of prey surrounding against her?
Go, gather all the animals of the field, bring them to eat.
10 Many shepherds have ruined my vineyard. They have trampled my portion,
they appointed the portion of my delight for a wilderness, a desolation.
11 He set her for a desolation, she mourns upon me, a desolation.
All the land has been made desolate, for there is not a man setting upon the heart.
12 Destroyers have come against all the bare places in the wilderness,
for the sword of Yahweh {is} consuming from the end of the land until the end of the land.
There is not peace for any flesh.
13 They have sown wheat and harvested thorn bushes. They have become worn out, they did not profit,
and they were ashamed from your produce, from the anger of the face of Yahweh.”
14 Thus says Yahweh against all my wicked neighbors who strike at the possession that I made my people Israel possess, “Behold, I {am} pulling them up from upon their ground, and I will pluck up the house of Judah from their midst. 15 And it will happen after my plucking them up, I will turn and have compassion on them and bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. 16 And it will happen, if learning, they learn the ways of my people, to swear upon my name ‘As Yahweh lives’ just as they have taught my people to swear upon Baal, they will be built in the midst of my people. 17 And if they do not listen, and I will pluck up that nation, it will be plucked up and destroyed—the declaration of Yahweh.”
Chapter 13
1 Thus says Yahweh to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth for yourself and put it around your hips, and do not put it in water.” 2 And I bought a loincloth as Yahweh spoke, and I put it around my hips. 3 And the word of Yahweh was to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the loincloth that you purchased, that {is} around your hips, and rise, go to Perath [1] and hide it there in a cleft of a rock.” 5 And I went and hid it in Perath, just as Yahweh commanded me. 6 And it happened from the end of many days, and Yahweh said to me, “Rise, go back to Perath, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 And I went to Perath [2] and dug and I took the loincloth from the place that I hid it there, and behold, the loincloth ruined, it was not useful for anything.
8 And the word of Yahweh was to me, saying, 9 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Thus I will destroy the great majesty of Judah and Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people who refuses to listen to my word, who walk in the hardness of their heart, who go after other gods to worship them and bow down to them—they will be like this undergarment that is good for nothing. 11 For just as an undergarment clings to someone’s hips, so I have made all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah cling to me—this is Yahweh’s declaration—to be my people, to bring me fame, praise, and honor. But they would not listen to me.
12 So you must speak this word to them, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this: Every jar will be filled with wine.’ They will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?’ 13 So say to them, ‘Yahweh says this: See, I am about to fill with drunkenness every inhabitant of this land, the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 14 Then I will smash each man against his brother, fathers and children together—this is Yahweh’s declaration—I will not pity them or have compassion, and I will not spare them from destruction.’”
15 Listen and pay attention. Do not be arrogant, for Yahweh had spoken.
16 Give honor to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness,
and before he causes your feet to stumble on the mountains at twilight.
For you are hoping for light, but he will turn the place into a deep darkness, into a dark cloud.
17 So if you will not listen, I will weep alone because of your arrogance.
My eyes will certainly weep and flow with tears, for Yahweh’s flock has been taken captive.
18 “Say to the king and to the queen, ‘Come down from your thrones,
for your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.’
19 The cities in the Negev will be shut up, with no one to open them. All Judah will be taken captive, completely taken captive.
20 Lift up your eyes and look at the ones coming from the north.
Where is the flock he gave to you, the flock that was so beautiful to you?
21 What will you say when God sets over you those you had trained to be your special allies?
Are these not the beginnings of the labor pains that will seize you just like a woman in childbirth?
22 Then you might say in your heart, ‘Why are these things happening to me?’
It will be for the multitude of your iniquities that your skirts are raised up and you have been violated.
23 Can the people of Cush change their skin color, or can a leopard change its spots?
If so, then you yourself, although accustomed to wickedness, would be able to do good.
24 So I will scatter them like chaff that perishes in the desert wind.
25 This is what I have given to you, the portion I have decreed for you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
because you have forgotten me and trusted in deceit.
26 So also I myself will strip your skirts off you, and your private parts will be seen.
27 I have seen your adultery and neighing,
the wickedness of your prostitution on the hills and in the fields,
these detestable things!
Woe to you, Jerusalem! How long until you are made clean again?”
Chapter 14
1 This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah regarding the drought,
2 “Let Judah mourn; let her gates fall apart. They are wailing for the land;
their cries for Jerusalem are going up.
3 Their mighty ones send out their servants for water.
When they go to the trenches, they cannot find water. They all return with empty vessels;
they cover their heads ashamed and dishonored.
4 Because of this the ground is cracked, for there is no rain in the land.
The plowmen are ashamed and cover their heads.
5 For even the doe abandons her young in the fields, for there is no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare plains and they pant in the wind like jackals.
Their eyes fail to work, for there is no vegetation.”
7 Even though our iniquities testify against us, Yahweh, act for the sake of your name.
For our faithless actions increase; we have sinned against you.
8 You are the Hope of Israel, the one who saves him in the time of distress.
Why will you be like a stranger in the land, like a foreign wanderer who stretches out and spends just one night?
9 Why are you like someone who is astounded, or like a warrior who has no power to rescue?
You are in our midst, Yahweh, and your name is called over us. Do not leave us!
10 Yahweh says this to this people: “Since they love to wander, they have not held back their feet from doing so.”
Yahweh is not pleased with them. Now he calls to mind their iniquity and has punished their sins. 11 Yahweh said to me, “Do not pray for good on behalf of this people. 12 For if they fast, I will not listen to their wailing, and if they offer up burnt offerings and food offerings, I will not take pleasure in them. For I will put an end to them by sword, famine, and plague.”
13 Then I said, “Oh, Lord Yahweh! Behold! The prophets are saying to the people, ‘You will not see the sword; there will be no famine for you, for I will give you true security in this place.’” 14 Yahweh said to me, “The prophets prophesy deceit in my name. I did not send them out, nor did I give them any command or speak to them. But deceitful visions and useless, deceitful divination coming from their own minds are what they are prophesying to you.” 15 Therefore Yahweh says this, “About the prophets prophesying in my name but whom I did not send out—those who say there will be no sword or famine in this land: These prophets will perish by sword and famine. 16 Then the people to whom they prophesied will be thrown out in the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword, for there will be no one to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters—for I will pour out their wickedness on them.
17 Say this word to them: ‘Let my eyes flow with tears, night and day.
Do not let them stop, for there will be a great collapse of the virgin daughter of my people—
a great and incurable wound.
18 If I go out to the field, there are the ones who were killed by the sword!
If I come to the city, there are the diseases that are caused by famine.
Both the prophet and the priest wander about the land, and they do not know.’”
19 Have you completely rejected Judah? Do you hate Zion?
Why will you afflict us when there is no healing for us? We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good—
and for a time of healing, but see, there is only terror.
20 We admit, Yahweh, our offenses, the iniquity of our ancestors, for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not reject us! For the sake of your name, do not make your glorious throne a disgrace.
Remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Or can the skies themselves send down showers?
Are you not the one, Yahweh our God? We wait for you, for you are the one who does all these things.
Chapter 15
1 Then Yahweh said to me, “Even if Moses or Samuel were standing in front of me, I would still not be in favor of this people. Send them out from before me, for them to go away. 2 It will happen that they will say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ Then you must say to them, ‘Yahweh says this:
Those who are for death should go to death; those who are for the sword should go to the sword.
Those who are for famine should go to famine; and those who are for captivity should go to captivity.’
3 For I will assign them to four groups—this is Yahweh’s declaration—the sword to slaughter some, the dogs to drag some away, the birds of the skies and the beast of the earth to consume and destroy some. 4 I will make of them a horrifying thing to all the kingdoms of the earth, because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
5 For who will have compassion for you, Jerusalem? Who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your well-being?
6 You have forsaken me—this is Yahweh’s declaration—you have gone back from me.
So I will strike you with my hand and destroy you. I am tired of having mercy on you.
7 So I will winnow them with a pitchfork at the gates of the land.
I will bereave them. I will destroy my people since they will not turn from their ways.
8 I will make their widows number more than the sands of the seashore. Against the mothers of young men I will send
the destroyer at noonday. I will make shock and horror suddenly fall on them.
9 The mother who has borne seven children will waste away. She will gasp. Her sun will set while it is still day.
She will be ashamed and embarrassed, for I will give those who remain to the sword in the presence of their enemies—
this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
10 Woe to me, my mother! For you have borne me, I who am a man of controversy and argument through all the land.
I have not lent, nor has anyone lent to me, but they all curse me.
11 Yahweh said: “Will I not rescue you for good?
I will certainly make your enemies beg for help in the time of calamity and distress.
12 Can one smash iron? Especially iron from the north that is mixed with bronze?
13 I will give to your enemies your wealth and treasures as free plunder.
I will do this because of all your sins committed within all your borders.
14 Then I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know,
for a fire will ignite, kindled in my wrath against you.” [1]
15 Yahweh, you know! Remember me and help me. Bring vengeance for me against those who persecute me.
You are patient, but do not allow them to take me away; know that I suffer reproach for your sake.
16 Your words have been found, and I consumed them. Your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I bear your name, Yahweh, God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the circle of those who celebrated or rejoiced.
I sat in solitude because of your powerful hand, for you filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain ongoing and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will you be like deceitful waters to me, waters that dry up?
19 Therefore Yahweh said this, “If you repent, then I will restore you, and you will stand before me.
For if you separate the foolish things from the precious things, you will be like my mouth. The people will come back to you,
but you yourself must not go back to them.
20 I will make you like an impenetrable bronze wall to this people, and they will wage war against you.
But they will not defeat you, for I am with you to save and rescue you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
21 for I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the hand of the tyrant.”
Chapter 16
1 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Do not take a wife for yourself, and do not have sons or daughters for yourself in this place. 3 For Yahweh says this to the sons and daughters who are born in this place, to the mothers who bear them, and to the fathers who caused them to be born in this land, 4 ‘They will die diseased deaths. They will not be mourned or buried. They will be like dung on the ground. For they will come to an end by sword and famine, and their corpses will be food for the birds of the skies and the beasts of the earth.’
5 For this says Yahweh, ‘Do not enter a house where there is mourning. Do not go to mourn or to show sympathy for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and my covenant faithfulness and mercy. 6 Both the great and the small will die in this land. They will not be buried, and no one will mourn for them or cut themselves or shave their heads for them. 7 No one must share any food in mourning to comfort them because of the deaths, and none must give a comforting cup to his father or his mother. 8 You must not go to a banquet house to sit with them in order to eat or drink.’ 9 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘See, before your eyes, in your days and in this place, I am about to put an end to the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the sound of the groom and the sound of the bride.’
10 Then it will happen that you will report all these words to this people, and they will say to you, ‘Why has Yahweh decreed all this great disaster against us? What is our iniquity and sin that we sinned against Yahweh our God?’ 11 So say to them, ‘Because your ancestors abandoned me—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and they went after other gods and worshiped and bowed down to them. They abandoned me and have not kept my law. 12 But you yourselves have brought about more wickedness than your ancestors, for see, each person is walking by the stubbornness of his wicked heart; there is no one who listens to me. 13 So I will throw you from this land to a land that you have not known, neither you nor your ancestors, and you will worship other gods there by day and night, for I will not give any favor to you.’
14 Therefore, behold, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when it will no longer be said, ‘As Yahweh lives, the one who brought up the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ 15 but, ‘As Yahweh lives, the one who brought up the people of Israel from the land of the north and from the lands where he had scattered them.’ For I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors.
16 Behold! I will send for many fishermen—this is Yahweh’s declaration—so they will fish the people out. After this I will send for many hunters so they will hunt for them among all the mountains and hills, and in rock crevices. 17 For my eye is on all their ways; they cannot be hidden from before me. Their iniquity cannot be concealed from before my eyes. 18 I will first pay back double for their iniquity and sin for their polluting of my land with their disgusting idol figures, and for their filling my inheritance with their disgusting idols.”
19 Yahweh, you are my stronghold and my refuge, my place of safety in the day of distress.
The nations will go to you from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our ancestors inherited deceit.
They are empty; there is no profit in them.
20 Do people make gods for themselves? But they are not gods.”
21 Therefore see! I will cause them to know in this time, I will cause them to know my hand and my power,
so they will know that Yahweh is my name.
Chapter 17
1 “The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus having a diamond point.
It is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of your altars.
2 Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles
that were beside the spreading trees and on the high hills.
3 My mountain in the open country,
and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder,
together with your high places,
because of the sin you committed in all your territories.
4 You will lose the inheritance that I gave to you.
I will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you do not know,
for you have ignited a fire in my wrath, which will burn forever.”
5 Yahweh says, “The person who trusts in mankind is accursed;
he makes flesh his strength but turns his heart away from Yahweh.
6 For he will be like a small bush in the Arabah and will not see anything good coming.
He will stay in the arid places in the wilderness, barren land without inhabitants.
7 But the person who trusts in Yahweh is blessed, for Yahweh is his reason for confidence.
8 For he will be like a tree planted by water, its roots will spread out by the stream.
It will not fear the heat when it comes, for its leaves are always green.
It is not anxious in a year of drought, and it will not stop producing fruit.
9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else. It is sick; who can understand it?
10 I am Yahweh, the one who searches through the mind, who tests the hearts.
I give to each person according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.
11 A partridge hatches an egg that she did not lay. Someone may become rich unjustly,
but when half his days are over, those riches will abandon him, and in the end he will be a fool.”
12 “The place of our temple is a glorious throne, elevated from the beginning.
13 Yahweh is the hope of Israel. All who abandon you will be put to shame; those who turn away from you will be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken Yahweh, the fountain of living waters.
14 Heal me, Yahweh, and I will be healed! Rescue me, and I will be rescued. For you are my song of praise.
15 See, they are saying to me, ‘Where is the word of Yahweh? Let it come!’
16 As for me, I did not run from being a shepherd following you. I did not long for the day of disaster.
You know the proclamations that came from my lips. They were made in your presence.
17 Do not be a terror to me. You are my refuge on the day of disaster.
18 May my pursuers be ashamed, but do not let me be ashamed. May they be dismayed, but do not let me be dismayed.
Send the day of disaster against them and shatter them with a double share of destruction.”
19 Yahweh said this to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the people where the kings of Judah enter and where they exit, then in all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah and all you people of Judah, and every resident of Jerusalem who comes in through these gates. 21 Yahweh says this: “Be careful for the sake of your lives and do not carry a burden on the Sabbath day to bring it to the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out from your house on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work, but set apart the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors to do.”’ 23 They did not listen or pay attention, but stiffened their neck so they would not hear me nor accept discipline.
24 It will happen that if you truly listen to me—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and do not bring a load to the gates of this city on the Sabbath day but instead set apart the Sabbath day to Yahweh and not do any work on it, 25 then kings, princes, and those who sit on David’s throne will come to the gates of this city in chariots and with horses, they and their leaders, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 They will come from the cities of Judah and from all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and the lowlands, from the mountains, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, thank offerings to the house of Yahweh. 27 But if you do not listen to me—to set apart the Sabbath day and to not carry heavy loads and to not enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day—then I will light a fire in its gates, and it will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem, and it cannot be put out.”
Chapter 18
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Arise and go out to the potter’s house, for I will have you hear my word there.” 3 So I went out to the potter’s house, and behold! The potter was working on the potter’s wheel. 4 But the pot he was making from the clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, so he returned the clay and formed it into another pot, and he made it into an object that was pleasing in his eyes.
5 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 6 “Should I not be able to act like this potter with you, house of Israel?—this is Yahweh’s declaration. Behold! Like clay in a potter’s hand—that is how you are in my hand, house of Israel. 7 At one moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will drive it out, tear it down, or destroy it. 8 But if the nation about which I have made that proclamation turns from its evil, then I will relent from the disaster that I was planning to bring upon it.
9 At another moment, I may proclaim something about a nation or a kingdom, that I will build it up or plant it. 10 But if it does evil in my eyes by not listening to my voice, then I will stop the good that I had said I would do for them. 11 So now, speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say, ‘Yahweh says this: See, I am about to form disaster against you. I am about to devise a plan against you. Repent, each person from his wicked way, so your ways and your practices will bring good to you.’ 12 But they will say, ‘This is no use. We will act according to our own plans. Each one of us will do what his evil, stubborn heart desires.’
13 Therefore Yahweh says this, ‘Ask the nations, who has ever heard of such a thing as this?
The virgin Israel has committed a horrible act.
14 Does the snow in Lebanon ever leave the rocky hills on its sides?
Are the mountain streams coming from far away ever destroyed, those cold streams?
15 Yet my people have forgotten me. They have made offerings to useless idols and been made to stumble in their paths;
they have left the ancient paths to walk lesser paths.
16 Their land will become a horror, an object of everlasting hissing.
Everyone who passes by her will shudder and shake his head.
17 I will scatter them before their enemies like an eastern wind. I will show them my back, and not my face, on the day of their disaster.’”
18 So the people said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, since the law will never perish from the priests, or advice from the wise men, or words from the prophets. Come, let us attack him with our words and no longer pay attention to anything he proclaims.”
19 Pay attention to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of my enemies.
20 Will disaster from them really be my reward for being good to them? For they have dug a pit for me.
Remember how I stood before you to speak for their welfare, to cause your fury to turn away from them.
21 Therefore give their children over to famine, and give them to the hands of those who use the sword.
So let their women become bereaved and widows, and their men be killed, and their young men killed by the sword in battle.
22 Let a distressed shout be heard from their houses, as you suddenly bring raiders against them.
For they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet.
23 But you, Yahweh, you know all of their plans against me to kill me.
Do not forgive their iniquities and sins. Do not wipe their sins away from you.
Instead, let them be overthrown before you. Act against them in the time of your wrath.
Chapter 19
1 Yahweh said this, “Go and purchase a potter’s clay flask while you are with the elders of the people and the priests. 2 Then go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom at the entry of the Broken Pottery Gate, and there proclaim the words that I will tell you. 3 Say, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, “See, I am about to bring disaster on this place, and the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 4 I will do this because they have abandoned me and profaned this place. In this place they offer sacrifices to other gods that they did not know. They, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have also filled this place with innocent blood. 5 They built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to him—something that I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.
6 Therefore, see, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when this place will no longer be called Topheth, the Valley of Ben Hinnom, for it will be the Valley of Slaughter. 7 In this place I will make the plans of Judah and Jerusalem useless. I will make them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of the ones seeking their lives. Then I will give their corpses as food to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth. 8 Then I will make this city a ruin and the object of hissing, for everyone passing by it will shudder and hiss regarding all of its plagues. 9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters; each man will consume the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the anguish brought on them by their enemies and the ones seeking their lives.”’
10 Then you will break the clay flask in the sight of the men who went with you. 11 You will say to them, ‘Yahweh of hosts says this: I will do this same thing to this people and this city just as Jeremiah shattered the clay flask so that it could not be repaired again. People will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no place left for any more dead. 12 This is what I will do to this place and its inhabitants when I make this city like Topheth—this is Yahweh’s declaration— 13 so the houses of Jerusalem and of the kings of Judah will become like Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops the unclean people worship all the stars of the heavens and pour out drink offerings to other gods.’”
14 Then Jeremiah went from Topheth, where Yahweh had sent him to prophesy. He stood in the courtyard of Yahweh’s house and he said to all the people, 15 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘See, I am about to bring to this city and to all of its towns all the disaster that I have proclaimed against it, since they stiffened their neck and refused to listen to my words.’”
Chapter 20
1 Pashhur son of Immer the priest—he was a leading officer—heard Jeremiah prophesying these words before Yahweh’s house. 2 So Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet and then placed him in the stocks that were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in Yahweh’s house. 3 It happened on the next day that Pashhur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but you are Magor Missabib. 4 For Yahweh says this, ‘Look, I will make you an object of horror, you and all of your loved ones, for they will fall by the sword of their enemies and your eyes will see it. I will give all of Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will make them captives in Babylon or attack them with the sword. 5 I will give him all the wealth of this city and all of its riches, all of its precious items and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. I will place these things in the hand of your enemies, and they will seize them. They will take them and bring them to Babylon. 6 But you, Pashhur, and all the inhabitants of your house will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon and die there. You and all of your loved ones to whom you prophesied deceitful things will be buried there.’”
7 “Yahweh, you deceived me, and I was deceived. You are stronger than I, and you overpowered me.
I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.
8 For whenever I have spoken, I have called out and proclaimed, ‘Violence and destruction.’
Then Yahweh’s word has become for me reproach and mocking every day.
9 If I say, ‘I will not think about Yahweh anymore. I will not speak any longer in his name.’
Then it is like a consuming fire in my heart, held within my bones. So I struggle to contain it but I cannot.
10 I have heard rumors of terror from many people all around. ‘Report! We must report it!’
Those who are close to me watch to see if I will fall. ‘Perhaps he can be tricked.
If so, we can overpower him and take our revenge on him.’
11 But Yahweh is with me like a powerful warrior, so the ones pursuing me will stagger.
They will not defeat me. They will be greatly ashamed, because they will not succeed.
They will have unending shame, it will never be forgotten.
12 But Yahweh of hosts, you examine the righteous and see the mind and the heart.
Let me see your vengeance on them for I have committed my cause to you.
13 Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh!
For he has rescued the lives of those who are oppressed from the hand of evildoers.
14 Let the day when I was born be cursed.
Do not let the day that my mother bore me be blessed.
15 Let the man who informed my father be cursed,
the one who said, ‘A male child has been born to you,’ causing great joy.
16 Let that man be like the cities that Yahweh overthrew and he did not have compassion on them.
Let him hear a cry for help in the dawn, a battle cry at noontime,
17 because he did not kill me in the womb, making my mother to be my tomb,
a womb that was pregnant forever.
18 Why is it that I came out from the womb to see troubles and agony,
so that my days are filled with shame?”
Chapter 21
1 The word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest to him, and they said, 2 “Please seek advice from Yahweh on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war on us. Perhaps Yahweh will do miracles for us, as in times past, and will make him withdraw from us.”
3 So Jeremiah said to them, “This is what you must say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: See, I am about to turn back the instruments of war that are in your hand, with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are closing you in from outside the walls! For I will gather them in the middle of this city. 5 Then I myself will fight against you with a raised hand and a strong arm, and with wrath, fury, and great anger. 6 For I will attack the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a severe plague. 7 After this—this is Yahweh’s declaration—Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, the people, and whoever remains in this city after the plague, the sword, and the famine, I will give them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their life. Then he will kill them with the edge of the sword. He will not pity them, spare them, or have compassion.’
8 Then to this people you must say, ‘Yahweh says this: See, I am about to place before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Anyone staying in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague; but anyone going out and falling on his knees before the Chaldeans who have closed in against you will live. He will escape with his life. 10 For I have set my face against this city in order to bring disaster and not to bring good—this is Yahweh’s declaration. It has been given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it.’
11 Concerning the house of the king of Judah, listen to the word of Yahweh.
12 House of David, Yahweh says, ‘Bring about justice in the morning.
Rescue the one who has been robbed by the hand of the oppressor,
or my fury will go out like fire and burn,
and there is no one who can quench it, because of your evil deeds.
13 See, inhabitant of the valley! I am against you, rock of the plain—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
I am against anyone who is saying, “Who will come down to attack us?” or “Who will enter our houses?”
14 I have assigned the fruit of your practices to come against you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
and I will light a fire in the thickets, and it will consume everything around it.’”
Chapter 22
1 This is what Yahweh says, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and proclaim this word there. 2 Say, ‘King of Judah, listen to the word of Yahweh—you who sit on David’s throne—you, and your servants, and your people who come through these gates. 3 Yahweh says this, “Perform justice and righteousness, and anyone who has been robbed—rescue him from the hand of the oppressor. Do not mistreat any foreigner in your land, or any orphan or widow. Do not commit violence or pour out innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you truly do these things, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter the gates of this house riding in a chariot and on horses, he, his servants, and his people! 5 But if you do not listen to these words from me that I have announced—this is Yahweh’s declaration—then this royal house will become a ruin.”’ 6 For Yahweh says this concerning the house of the king of Judah,
‘You are like Gilead, or like the summit of Lebanon to me. Yet I will turn you into a wilderness,
into cities with no inhabitants.
7 For I have designated destroyers to come against you! Men with their weapons
will cut off the best of your cedars and let them fall into the fire. 8 Then many nations will pass by this city. Each person will say to the next, “Why has Yahweh acted in this way toward this great city?”
9 Then the other will answer, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God and bowed down to other gods and worshiped them.”
10 Do not weep for the one who is dead or mourn for him; but weep bitterly for him who is about to go away,
because he will never return and see his native land again.’
11 For Yahweh says this about Jehoahaz son of Josiah king of Judah, who served as king instead of Josiah his father, ‘He has gone from this place and will not come back. 12 He will die there in the place to where they have exiled him, and he will never again see this land.’
13 Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice,
who makes his neighbor work for him for nothing, and he does not give him his wages;
14 he says, ‘I will build for myself a large house with spacious upper rooms.’
So he cuts out large windows for it, and he panels it with cedar, and he paints it red. 15 Is this what makes you a good king, that you wanted to have boards of cedar?
Did not your father also eat and drink, yet do justice and righteousness? Then things went well for him.
16 He judged in favor of the poor and needy. It was good then. Is this not what it means to know me?—this is Yahweh’s declaration. 17 But there is nothing in your eyes and heart except worry for your unjust profit and for pouring out innocent blood,
for producing oppression and crushing of others.
18 Therefore this is what Yahweh says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
They will not lament for him, saying,
‘Woe, my brother!’ or ‘Woe, my sister!’
They will not lament for him, saying,
‘Woe, master!’ or ‘Woe, majesty!’
19 He will be buried with a donkey’s burial,
dragged away and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20 Go up Lebanon’s mountains and shout. Lift your voice in Bashan.
Shout from the Abarim mountains, for all of your friends will be destroyed.
21 I spoke to you when you were safe, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’
This was your custom since your youth, for you have not listened to my voice.
22 The wind will shepherd away all your shepherds, and your friends will go into captivity.
Then you will certainly be ashamed and humiliated by all of your evil deeds.
23 You who live in ‘Lebanon,’ who is nestled in cedar buildings,
how you will be pitied when the labor pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!”
24 “As I live—this is Yahweh’s declaration—even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, I would tear you off. 25 For I have given you to the hand of the ones seeking your life and to the hand of those before whom you are afraid, even to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. 26 I will throw you and your mother who bore you into another land, a country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27 About this land to which they will want to return, they will not come back here.
28 Is this a despised and shattered vessel? Is this man Jehoiachin a pot that pleases no one?
Why have they thrown him and his descendants out, and have poured them out into a land that they did not know?
29 Land, Land, Land! Hear the word of Yahweh!
30 Yahweh says this, ‘Write about this man Jehoiachin: He will be childless.
He will not prosper during his days, and no one among his descendants will achieve success
or ever again sit on David’s throne and rule over Judah.’”
Chapter 23
1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture—this is Yahweh’s declaration.” 2 Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this concerning the shepherds who are shepherding his people, “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away. You have not cared for them. So I am about to punish you for the evil you have done—this is Yahweh’s declaration. 3 I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all of the lands where I have driven them, and I will return them to a grazing place, where they will be fruitful and increase. 4 Then I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them so they will no longer fear or be shattered. None of them will go missing—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
5 See, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will raise up for David a righteous branch.
He will reign as king; he will act wisely and cause justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be rescued, and Israel will live in security.
Then this is the name by which he will be called: Yahweh is our righteousness.
7 Therefore see, days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when they will no longer say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought the people of Israel up from the land of Egypt.’ 8 Instead they will say, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up and who led back the descendants of the house of Israel from the northern land and all the lands where they had been driven.’ Then they will live in their own land.”
9 Regarding the prophets, my heart is broken in me, and all of my bones tremble. I have become like a drunk man,
like a man whom wine has overpowered, because of Yahweh and his holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers. Because of these the land is dried up.
The meadows in the wilderness dry up. These prophets’ paths are wicked; their power is not used in a right manner.
11 “For both the prophets and the priests are polluted. I even found their wickedness in my house!—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
12 therefore their way will be like a slippery place in the darkness. They will be pushed down. They will fall in it.
For I will send disaster against them in the year of their punishment—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
13 For I have seen the prophets in Samaria doing what is repulsive:
They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.
14 Among the prophets in Jerusalem I have seen horrible things:
They commit adultery and walk in deceit.
They strengthen the hands of evildoers; no one turns back from his evildoing.
All of them have become like Sodom to me and its inhabitants like Gomorrah!”
15 Therefore Yahweh of hosts says this concerning the prophets,
“Look, I am about to make them eat wormwood and drink poisonous water,
for pollution has gone out from the prophets of Jerusalem to all the land.”
16 Yahweh of hosts says this, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They have deluded you! They are announcing visions from their own minds, not from Yahweh’s mouth.
17 They are constantly saying to those who dishonor me, ‘Yahweh declares there will be peace for you.’
For everyone walking in the stubbornness of his own heart says, ‘Disaster will not come upon you.’
18 Yet who has stood in Yahweh’s council meeting? Who sees and hears his word?
Who pays attention to his word and listens?
19 See, there is a storm coming from Yahweh! His fury is going out, and a tempest is whirling about.
It is whirling around the heads of the wicked.
20 Yahweh’s wrath will not return until it has carried out and brought into being his heart’s intentions.
In the final days, you will understand it.
21 I did not send out these prophets. They just appeared.
I did not proclaim anything to them, but they have still prophesied.
22 For if they had stood in my council meeting, they would have caused my people to hear my word;
they would have caused them to turn from their wicked words and corrupt practices.
23 Am I only a God nearby—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and not also a God far away?
24 Can anyone hide in a secret place so I cannot see him?—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
and do I not fill the heavens and the earth?—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
25 I have heard what the prophets have said, those who were prophesying deceit in my name. They said, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this go on, prophets who prophesy lies from their minds, and who prophesy from the deceit in their hearts? 27 They are planning on making my people forget my name with the dreams that they report, each one to his neighbor, just as their ancestors forgot my name in favor of Baal’s name.
28 The prophet who has a dream, let him report the dream. But the one to whom I have declared something, let him declare my word truthfully. What does straw have to do with grain?—this is Yahweh’s declaration— 29 Is not my word like fire?—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and like a hammer that shatters a rock into pieces? 30 So see, I am against the prophets—this is Yahweh’s declaration—anyone who steals words from another person and says they come from me. 31 See, I am against the prophets—this is Yahweh’s declaration—who use their tongues to prophesy proclamations. 32 See, I am against the prophets who dream deceitfully—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and then proclaim them and in this way mislead my people with their deceit and boasting. I am against them, for I have not sent them out nor given them commands. So they will certainly not help this people—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
33 When these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of Yahweh?’ you will say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off’—this is Yahweh’s declaration. 34 As for the prophets, priests, and people who are saying, ‘This is the burden of Yahweh’ I will punish that man and his house. 35 You continue to say, each person to his neighbor and each man to his brother, ‘What did Yahweh answer?’ and ‘What did Yahweh declare?’ 36 But you must no longer talk about the ‘burden of Yahweh,’ for the burden is every man’s own word, and you have perverted the words of the living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God. 37 This is what you will say to the prophet, ‘What answer did Yahweh give you?’ or ‘What did Yahweh say?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden of Yahweh’, this is what Yahweh says:
‘Because you have said these words, ‘The burden of Yahweh,’ when I sent to you, saying, ‘You will not say, “The burden of Yahweh,”’
39 therefore, behold, I am about to pick you up and throw you away from me, along with the city that I gave you and your ancestors.
40 Then I will put everlasting shame and insult on you that will not be forgotten.’”
Chapter 24
1 Yahweh showed me something. Behold, two baskets of figs were placed before Yahweh’s temple. (This vision happened after Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took into exile Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, the officials of Judah, the craftsmen and the metalworkers from Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon.) 2 One basket of figs was very good, like first ripe figs, but the other basket of figs was so very bad that they could not be eaten. 3 Yahweh said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs. Figs that are very good and figs that are so very bad they cannot be eaten.”
4 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 5 “Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: I will look on the exiles of Judah for their benefit, just like these good figs, the exiles whom I have sent out from this place to the land of Chaldea. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good and restore them to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down. I will plant them, and not uproot them. 7 Then I will give them a heart to know me, for I am Yahweh. They will be my people and I will be their God, so they will turn to me with all their heart.
8 But like the bad figs that are too bad to be eaten—this is what Yahweh says—I will act in this way with Zedekiah, king of Judah, with his officials, and with the rest of Jerusalem who remain in this land or go to stay in the land of Egypt. 9 I will turn them into a frightening thing, a disaster, in the sight of all the kingdoms on earth, a disgrace and a subject for proverbs, taunts, and curses in every place where I will have driven them. 10 I will send out sword, famine, and plague against them, until they are destroyed from the land that I gave them and their ancestors.”
Chapter 25
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. That was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. 2 Jeremiah the prophet proclaimed this to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 3 He said, “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah until this day, Yahweh’s words have been coming to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 4 Yahweh sent out all his servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or paid any attention. 5 These prophets said, ‘Let each man turn from his wicked way and the corruption of his practices and return to the land that Yahweh gave in ancient times to your ancestors and to you, as a permanent gift. 6 So do not walk after other gods to worship them or bow down to them, and do not provoke him with the work of your hands so that he does you harm.’ 7 But you have not listened to me—this is Yahweh’s declaration—so you have provoked me with the work of your hands to do harm to you. 8 So Yahweh of hosts says this, ‘Because you did not listen to my words, 9 see, I am about to send out a command to gather all the peoples of the north—this is Yahweh’s declaration—with Nebuchadnezzar my servant, king of Babylon, and bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all the nations around you. For I will set them apart for destruction. I will turn them into a horror, an object for hissing, and an unending desolation. 10 I will put an end to the sound of joy and sound of gladness, the sound of the groom and the sound of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 Then all of this land will become a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.
12 Then it will happen when seventy years have been completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans—this is Yahweh’s declaration—for their iniquity and make it an unending desolation. 13 Then I will carry out against that land all the words that I had spoken, and everything written in this book that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14 For also many other nations and great kings will make slaves out of these nations. I will repay them for their deeds and the works of their hands.’”
15 For Yahweh, God of Israel, said this to me, “Take this cup of the wine of fury from my hand and make all the nations to which I am sending you drink it. 16 For they will drink and then stagger about and rant madly before the sword that I am sending out among them.” 17 So I took the cup from Yahweh’s hand, and I made all the nations to which Yahweh had sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem, the cities of Judah and her kings and officials—to turn them into ruins and something terrifying, and into an object for hissing and cursing, as they are at this present day. 19 Other nations also had to drink it: Pharaoh king of Egypt and his servants; his officials and all his people; 20 all people of mixed heritage and all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of Philistia—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; 21 Edom and Moab and the people of Ammon. 22 The kings of Tyre and Sidon, the kings of the coasts on the other side of the sea, 23 Dedan, Tema, and Buz with all the ones who cut the hair on the sides of their heads, they also had to drink it. 24 All the kings of Arabia and all the kings of people of mixed heritage who live in the wilderness; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes; 26 all the kings of the north, the ones close by and the ones far away—everyone with his brother and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the surface of the earth, all of them had to drink the cup from Yahweh’s hand. Finally, the king of Babylon will also drink from that cup.
27 Yahweh said to me, “Now you must say to them, ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Drink and become drunk, then vomit, fall down, and do not rise before the sword that I am sending among you.’ 28 Then it will happen that if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, you will say to them, ‘Yahweh of hosts says this: You must certainly drink it. 29 For see, I am about to bring disaster on the city that is called by my name, and should you yourselves be free from punishment? You will not be free, for I am calling a sword against all the inhabitants of the land!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.’
30 You must prophesy all these words against them, and say to them,
‘Yahweh will roar from the heights
and he will shout with his voice from his holy dwelling,
and he will roar mightily against his fold;
and he will shout, like those who tread the grapes
against all those who live on the earth.
31 The sound of battle will resound to the ends of the earth,
for Yahweh brings charges against the nations,
and he brings judgment on all flesh,
and the wicked ones he will put to the sword—this is Yahweh’s declaration.’
32 Yahweh of hosts says this,
‘See, disaster is going out from nation to nation,
and a great storm is beginning from the farthest parts of the earth.
33 Then those killed by Yahweh will on that day extend from one end of the earth to the other;
they will not be mourned, gathered, or buried.
They will be like dung on the ground.
34 Wail, shepherds, and shout for help!
Roll about in the dust,
you leaders of the flock,
for the days of your slaughter have come;
you will be scattered when you fall like fine pottery.
35 There is no refuge for the shepherds, there will be no escape for the leaders of the flock.
36 Hear the cries of the shepherds and the wails of the leaders of the flock,
for Yahweh is destroying their pastures.
37 So the peaceful pastures will be devastated because of Yahweh’s fierce anger.
38 Like a young lion, he has left his den, for their land will become a horror because of the oppressor’s anger,
because of his angry wrath.’” [1]
Chapter 26
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, this word came from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Yahweh says this: Stand in the courtyard of my house and speak about all the cities of Judah who come to worship at my house. Proclaim all the words that I have commanded you to say to them. Do not cut short any word! 3 It may be that they will listen, that each man will turn from his wicked ways, so I will relent concerning the disaster that I am planning to bring on them because of the wickedness of their practices. 4 So you must say to them, ‘Yahweh says this: If you do not listen to me so as to walk in my law that I have placed before you— 5 if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I am persistently sending to you—but you have not listened!— 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh; I will turn this city into a curse in the sight of all the nations on earth.’”
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah announcing these words in Yahweh’s house. 8 So it happened that when Jeremiah had finished announcing all that Yahweh commanded him to say to all the people, the priests, prophets, and all the people seized him and said, “You will certainly die! 9 Why have you prophesied in Yahweh’s name and said that this house will become like Shiloh and this city will become desolate, with no inhabitant?” For all the people had formed a mob against Jeremiah in Yahweh’s house.
10 Then the officials of Judah heard these words and went up from the king’s house to Yahweh’s house. They sat in the gateway at the New Gate of Yahweh’s house. 11 The priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people. They said, “It is right for this man to die, for he prophesied against this city, just as you heard with your own ears!” 12 So Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people and said, “Yahweh has sent me out to prophesy against this house and this city, to say all the words that you have heard. 13 So now, improve your ways and your practices, and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God so that he will relent concerning the disaster that he has proclaimed against you. 14 I myself—look at me!—am in your hand. Do to me what is good and right in your eyes. 15 But you must surely know that if you kill me, then you are bringing innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its inhabitants, for Yahweh has truly sent me to you to proclaim all these words for your ears.”
16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, “It is not right for this man to die, for he has proclaimed things to us in the name of Yahweh our God.” 17 Then men from the elders of the land rose up and spoke to the entire assembly of the people. 18 They said, “Micah the Morashite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He spoke to all the people of Judah and said, ‘Yahweh of hosts says this:
Zion will become a plowed field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
and the hill of the temple will become a thicket.’ 19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Yahweh and appease the face of Yahweh so that Yahweh would relent concerning the disaster that he proclaimed to them? So will we do greater evil against our own lives?”
20 Meanwhile there was another man who prophesied in the name of Yahweh—Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim—he also prophesied against this city and this land, agreeing with all of Jeremiah’s words. 21 But when King Jehoiakim and all his soldiers and officials heard his word, then the king tried to put him to death, but Uriah heard and was afraid, so he ran away and went to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent out men to go to Egypt—Elnathan son of Akbor and men to go into Egypt after Uriah. 23 They took Uriah out from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim. Then Jehoiakim killed him with a sword and sent his corpse out to the graves of the ordinary people. 24 But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so he was not given into the hand of the people to be put to death.
Chapter 27
1 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh. [1] 2 This is what Yahweh said to me, “Make fetters and a yoke for yourself. Place them on your neck. 3 Then send them out to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the people of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon. Send them by the hand of those kings’ ambassadors who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give commands to them for their masters and say, ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: This is what you must say to your masters, 5 “I myself made the earth by my great strength and my raised arm. I also made the people and animals on the earth, and I give it to anyone who is right in my eyes. 6 So now, I myself am giving all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, my servant. Also, I am giving the living things in the fields to him to serve him. 7 For all the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his land comes. Then many nations and great kings will subdue him. 8 So the nation and the kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and that does not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon—I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with the plague—this is Yahweh’s declaration—until I have destroyed it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your seers, your soothsayers, and sorcerers, who have been speaking to you and saying, ‘Do not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For they are prophesying deceit to you in order to send you far away from your lands, for I will drive you away, and you will die. 11 But the nation that places its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, I will allow it to rest in its land—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and they will cultivate it and make their homes in it.”’”
12 So I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah and gave him this message, “Place your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and you will live. 13 Why will you die—you and your people—by the sword, famine, and plague, just as I have declared about the nation that refuses to serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you and say, ‘Do not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying lies to you. 15 ‘For I have not sent them out—this is Yahweh’s declaration—for they are prophesying deceit in my name so that I will drive you out and you will perish, both you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’”
16 I proclaimed this to the priests and all the people and said, “Yahweh says this: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you and say, ‘Look! The objects belonging to Yahweh’s house are being returned from Babylon now!’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Do not listen to them. You should serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a ruin? 18 If they are prophets, and if the word of Yahweh has truly come to them, let them beg Yahweh of hosts not to send to Babylon the objects that remain in his house, the house of the king of Judah, and Jerusalem. 19 Yahweh of hosts says this about the pillars, the large basin known as “The Sea” and its base, and the rest of the objects that remain in this city— 20 the objects that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this about the objects that remain in the house of Yahweh, the house of the king of Judah, and Jerusalem, 22 ‘They will be brought to Babylon, and they will remain there until the day I have set to come for them—this is Yahweh’s declaration—then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’”
Chapter 28
1 It happened in that year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and the fifth month, Hananiah son of Azzur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in Yahweh’s house in front of the priests and all the people. He said, 2 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: I have broken the yoke imposed by the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the objects belonging to Yahweh’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took from this place and transported to Babylon. 4 Then I will bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the captives of Judah who were sent to Babylon—this is Yahweh’s declaration—for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5 So Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Hananiah the prophet in front of the priests and to all the people who stood in Yahweh’s house. 6 Jeremiah the prophet said, “May Yahweh do this! May Yahweh confirm the words that you prophesied and bring back to this place the objects belonging to Yahweh’s house, and all the captives from Babylon. 7 However, listen to the word that I am proclaiming in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who existed before me and you from long ago also prophesied about many nations and against great kingdoms, about war, famine [1] , and plague. 9 So the prophet who prophesies that there will be peace—if his word comes true, then it will be known that he is indeed a prophet sent out by Yahweh.” 10 But Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. 11 Then Hananiah spoke in front of all the people and said, “Yahweh says this: Just like this, within two years I will break from off the neck of every nation the yoke imposed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” Then Jeremiah the prophet went on his way.
12 After Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Go and speak to Hananiah and say, ‘Yahweh says this: You broke a yoke of wood, but I will make instead a yoke of iron.’ 14 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: I have placed a yoke of iron on the neck of all of these nations to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have also given him the wild beasts in the fields to rule over.” 15 Next Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen Hananiah! Yahweh has not sent you, but you yourself have caused this people to believe in lies. 16 So Yahweh says this: Look, I am about to send you out from the earth. You will die this year, since you proclaimed rebellion against Yahweh.” 17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.
Chapter 29
1 These are the words in the scroll that Jeremiah the prophet sent out from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the captives and to the priests, prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after Jehoiachin the king, the queen mother, and the high officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen had been sent away from Jerusalem. 3 He sent this scroll by the hand of Elasah son of Shapan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, had sent to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 4 The scroll said, “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this to all the captives whom I caused to be exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 ‘Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and give birth to sons and daughters. Then take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands. Let them give birth to sons and daughters and increase there so you do not become too few. 7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be exiled, and intercede with me on its behalf since there will be peace for you if it is at peace.’ 8 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that you yourselves are having. 9 For they are prophesying deceitfully to you in my name. I did not send them—this is Yahweh’s declaration.’
10 For Yahweh says this, ‘When Babylon has ruled you for seventy years, I will help you and carry out my good word for you to bring you back to this place. 11 For I myself know the plans that I have for you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call to me, and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 For you will seek me and find me, since you will seek me with all your heart. 14 Then I will be found by you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and I will bring back your fortunes; I will gather you from all the nations and places where I scattered you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—for I will bring you back to the place from where I caused you to be exiled.’
15 Since you said that Yahweh has raised up prophets for us in Babylon, 16 Yahweh says this to the king who sits on the throne of David and to all the people who are staying in that city, your brothers who have not gone out with you into captivity— 17 Yahweh of hosts says this, ‘See, I am about to send sword, famine, and disease on them. For I will make them like rotten figs that are too bad to be eaten. 18 Then I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague and make them a horrible sight to all the kingdoms on earth—a horror, an object of curses and hissing, and a shameful thing among all the nations where I scattered her. 19 This is because they did not listen to my word—this is Yahweh’s declaration—that I sent out to them through my servants the prophets. I repeatedly sent them, but you would not listen—this is Yahweh’s declaration.’ 20 So you yourselves listen to the word of Yahweh, all you exiles whom he has sent out from Jerusalem to Babylon,
21 ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in my name: See, I am about to put them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He will kill them before your eyes. 22 Then a curse will be spoken about these persons by all the captives of Judah in Babylon. The curse will say: May Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in fire. 23 This will happen because of the shameful things they did in Israel when they committed adultery with their neighbor’s wives and declared false words in my name, things that I never commanded them to say. For I am the one who knows; I am the witness—this is Yahweh’s declaration.’”
24 “About Shemaiah the Nehelamite, say this: 25 ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Because you sent out letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, and said, 26 “Yahweh has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, for you to be in charge of Yahweh’s house. You are in control of all the people who rave and make themselves into prophets. You should put them in stocks and chains. 27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself into a prophet against you? 28 For he has sent to us in Babylon and said, ‘It will be a long time. Build houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.”’” 29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 31 “Send word to all the exiles and say, ‘Yahweh says this about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you when I myself did not send him, and he has led you to believe lies, 32 therefore Yahweh says this: Look, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be a man for him to stay among this people. He will not see the good that I will do for my people—this is Yahweh’s declaration—for he has proclaimed rebellion against Yahweh.’”
Chapter 30
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2 “This is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says, ‘Write in a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For look, days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah. I, Yahweh, have said it. For I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will possess it.’”
4 These are the words that Yahweh declared concerning Israel and Judah, 5 “For Yahweh says this,
‘We have heard a trembling voice of dread and not of peace.
6 Ask and see if a man bears a child.
Why do I see every young man with his hand on his loins like a woman bearing a child?
Why have all their faces become pale?
7 Woe! For that day will be great, with none like it.
It will be a time of anxiety for Jacob, but he will be rescued from it.
8 For it will be in that day—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—that I will break the yoke off your neck, and I will shatter your chains, so foreigners will no longer enslave you.
9 But they will worship Yahweh their God and serve David their king, whom I will make king over them.
10 So you, my servant Jacob, do not fear—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and do not be dismayed, Israel.
For see, I am about to bring you back from far away, and your descendants from the land of captivity.
Jacob will return and be at peace; he will be secure, and there will be no more terror.
11 For I am with you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—to save you. Then I will bring a complete end
to all the nations where I have scattered you. But I will certainly not put an end to you,
though I discipline you justly and will certainly not leave you unpunished.’
12 For Yahweh says this, ‘Your injury is incurable; your wound is infected.
13 There is no one to plead your case; there is no remedy for your wound to heal you.
14 All of your lovers have forgotten you. They will not look for you,
for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy and the discipline of a cruel master
because of your many iniquities and your innumerable sins.
15 Why do you call for help for your injury? Your pain is incurable.
Because of your many iniquities, your innumerable sins, I have done these things to you.
16 So everyone who consumes you will be consumed, and all of your adversaries will go into captivity.
For the ones who have plundered you will become plunder, and I will make all of the ones despoiling you a spoil.
17 For I will bring healing on you; I will heal you of your wounds—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
I will do this because they called you: Outcast. No one cares for this Zion.’”
18 Yahweh says this, “See, I am about to bring back the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his homes.
Then a city will be built on the heap of ruins, and a stronghold will exist again where it used to be.
19 Then a song of praise and a sound of merriment will go out from them,
for I will increase them and not diminish them; I will honor them so they will not be humbled.
20 Then their people will be like before, and their assembly will be established before me
when I punish all the ones who are now tormenting them.
21 Their leader will come from among them. He will emerge from their midst
when I draw him near and when he approaches me.
If I do not do this, who would dare come close to me?—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
22 Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.
23 See, the tempest of Yahweh, his fury, has gone out. It is a continual tempest.
It will whirl on the heads of the wicked people.
24 Yahweh’s wrath will not return until it has carried out and brought into being his heart’s intentions.
In the final days, you will understand it.”
Chapter 31
1 “At that time—this is Yahweh’s declaration—I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.” 2 Yahweh says this,
“The people who have survived the sword have found favor in the wilderness; I will go out to give rest to Israel.”
3 Yahweh appeared to me in the past and said, “I have loved you, Israel, with everlasting love.
So I have drawn you toward myself with covenant faithfulness.
4 I will build you up again so you will be built, virgin Israel.
You will again pick up your tambourines and go out with happy dances.
5 You will plant vineyards again on the mountains of Samaria; the farmers will plant and put the fruit to good use.
6 For a day will come when the watchmen in the mountains of Ephraim will proclaim,
‘Arise, let us go up to Zion to Yahweh our God.’
7 For Yahweh says this, “Shout for joy over Jacob! Shout in gladness for the chief people of the nations! Let praise be heard. Say, ‘Yahweh has rescued his people, the remnant of Israel.’
8 See, I am about to bring them from the northern lands. I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth.
The blind and lame will be among them;
pregnant women and those who are about to give birth will be with them.
A great assembly will return here.
9 They will come weeping; I will lead them as they make their pleas. I will have them journey to streams of water
on a straight road. They will not stumble on it, for I will be a father to Israel,
and Ephraim will be my firstborn.”
10 “Hear the word of Yahweh, nations. Report along the coasts in the distance.
You nations must say, ‘The one who scattered Israel is gathering her up and keeping her as a shepherd keeps his sheep.’
11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from the hand that was too strong for him.
12 Then they will come and rejoice on the heights of Zion. Their faces will shine because of Yahweh’s goodness,
over the corn and the new wine, over the oil and the offspring of the flocks and herds.
For their lives will become like a watered garden, and they will never again feel any more sorrow.
13 Then virgins will rejoice with dancing, and young and old men will be together.
For I will change their mourning into celebration. I will have compassion on them and cause them to rejoice instead of sorrowing.
14 Then I will saturate the lives of the priests in abundance.
My people will fill themselves with my goodness—this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
15 Yahweh says this: “A voice is heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter weeping.
It is Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted over them, for they live no longer.”
16 Yahweh says this, “Hold your voice back from weeping and your eyes from tears;
there is a reward for your work—this is Yahweh’s declaration—your children will return from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future—this is Yahweh’s declaration—your descendants will return inside their borders.”
18 “I have certainly heard Ephraim sorrowing, ‘You punished me, and I have been punished like an untrained calf.
Bring me back and I will be brought back, for you are Yahweh my God.
19 For after I turned back to you, I was sorry; after I was trained, I slapped my thigh.
I was ashamed and humiliated, for I have borne the guilt of my youth.’
20 Is not Ephraim my precious child? Is he not my dear, delightful son?
For whenever I speak against him, I certainly still call him to my loving mind. In this way my heart longs for him.
I will certainly have compassion on him—this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
21 Place road signs for yourself. Set up guideposts for yourself. Set your mind on the right path,
the way you should take. Come back, virgin Israel! Come back to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you waver, faithless daughter?
For Yahweh has created something new on earth—a woman surrounds a strong man.
23 Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says this, “When I bring back the people to their land, they will say this in the land of Judah and its cities, ‘May Yahweh bless you, you righteous place where he lives, you holy mountain.’ 24 For Judah and all its cities will live together there, as will farmers and those who set out with flocks. 25 For I will cause those who are weary to drink, and I fill up those who are faint.” 26 After this I awoke, and I realized that my sleep had been refreshing.
27 “Look, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will sow the houses of Israel and Judah with the descendants of man and beast. 28 In the past, I kept them under surveillance in order to uproot them and to tear them down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring them harm. But in the coming days, I will watch over them, in order to build them up and to plant them—this is Yahweh’s declaration. 29 In those days no one will say any longer,
‘Fathers have eaten sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are dulled.’ 30 For each man will die in his own iniquity; everyone who eats sour grapes, his teeth will be dulled.
31 Look, the days are coming—
this is Yahweh’s declaration—
when I will establish a new covenant
with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
that I established with their fathers in the days
when I took them by their hand
to bring them out from the land of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
although I was a husband for them—
this is Yahweh’s declaration.
33 This is the covenant
that I will establish with the house of Israel
after these days
—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
I will place my law within them
and will write it on their heart,
for I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 Then each man will no longer teach his neighbor,
or a man teach his brother and say, ‘Know Yahweh!’
For all of them will know me,
from the smallest of them to the greatest
—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
for I will forgive their iniquity
and will no longer call their sins to mind.”
35 Yahweh says this,
it is he who makes the sun to shine by day
and fixes the moon and stars to shine by night.
He is the one who sets the sea in motion
so that its waves roar—
Yahweh of hosts is his name.
36 “Only if these permanent things vanish from my sight—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
will Israel’s descendants ever stop from forever being a nation before me.”
37 Yahweh says this, “Only if the highest heavens can be measured,
and only if the earth’s foundation below can be discovered, will I reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all that they have done—this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
38 “Look, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when the city will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 Then the measuring line will go out again farther, to the hill of Gareb and around Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the terraced fields going out to the Kidron Valley as far as the corner of the Horse Gate on the east, will be set apart for Yahweh. The city will not be pulled up or overthrown again, forever.”
Chapter 32
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard at the house of the king of Judah. 3 Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him and said, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Yahweh says this: Look, I am about to give over this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 4 Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, for he will certainly be given into the hand of the king of Babylon. His mouth will speak to the king’s mouth, and his eyes will see the king’s eyes. 5 He will take Zekediah to Babylon, and he will remain there until I have dealt with him—this is Yahweh’s declaration. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’”
6 Jeremiah said, “The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 7 ‘Look, Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you and will say, “Buy my field that is in Anathoth for yourself, for the right to buy it belongs to you.”’” 8 Then, as Yahweh had declared, Hanamel, the son of my uncle, came to me in the courtyard of the guard, and he said to me, “Buy my field that is in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of inheritance is yours, and the right to buy it belongs to you. Buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was Yahweh’s word. 9 So I bought the field in Anathoth from Hanamel, the son of my uncle, and I weighed out for him the silver, seventeen shekels in weight. 10 Then I wrote in a scroll and sealed it, and had witnesses witness it. Then I weighed the silver in the scales. 11 Next I took the deed of purchase that was sealed, following the command and the statutes, as well as the unsealed deed. 12 I gave the sealed scroll to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah in front of Hanamel, the son of my uncle, and the witnesses who had written in the sealed scroll, and in front of all the Judeans who sat in the courtyard of the guard. 13 So I gave a command to Baruch before them. I said, 14 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Take these documents, both this receipt of purchase that is sealed and the unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last for a long time. 15 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”
16 After I gave the receipt of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh and said, 17 “Woe, Lord Yahweh! Look! You alone have made the heavens and the earth by your great strength and with your raised arm. Nothing you say is too difficult for you to do. 18 You show covenant faithfulness to thousands and pour the guilt of men into the laps of their children after them. You are the great and mighty God; Yahweh of hosts is your name. 19 You are great in wisdom and mighty in deeds, for your eyes are open to all the ways of people, to give to each man what his conduct and deeds deserve. 20 You did signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. To this present day here in Israel and among all mankind, you have made your name famous. 21 For you brought your people Israel out from the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand, with a raised arm, and with great terror. 22 Then you gave them this land—which you had sworn to their ancestors to give to them—a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 So they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or live in obedience to your law. They did nothing of what you had commanded them to do, so you brought all this disaster on them. 24 Look! The siege mounds have reached up to the city to capture it. For because of sword, famine, and plague, the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. For what you have said would happen is happening, and see, you are watching. 25 Then you yourself said to me, ‘Purchase a field for yourself with silver and have witnesses witness it, even though this city is being given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”
26 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 “Look! I am Yahweh, God of all mankind. Is anything too difficult for me to do? 28 Therefore Yahweh says this, ‘See, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will capture it. 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come and set fire to this city and burn it, along with the houses on the roofs of which the people worshiped Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods in order to provoke me. 30 For the people of Israel and Judah have certainly been people who have been doing evil before my eyes since their youth. The people of Israel have certainly offended me with the practices of their hands—this is Yahweh’s declaration. 31 Yahweh declares that this city has been a provocation of my wrath and fury since the day that they built it. It has been that right up to this present day. So I will remove it from before my face 32 because of all the wickedness of the people of Israel and Judah, the things that they have done to provoke me—they, their kings, princes, priests, prophets, and every person in Judah and inhabitant of Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs to me instead of their faces, though I had eagerly taught them. I tried to teach them, but not one of them listened in order to receive correction. 34 They set up their abominable idols in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom in order to put their sons and daughters in the fire for Molech. I did not command them. It never entered my mind that they should do this detestable thing and so cause Judah to sin.’
36 So now therefore, I, Yahweh, the God of Israel, say this concerning this city, the city about which you are saying, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, famine, and plague.’ 37 See, I am about to gather them from every land where I had driven them in my wrath, fury, and great anger. I am about to bring them back to this place and enable them to live in security. 38 Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way to honor me every day so it will be good for them and their descendants after them. 40 Then I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. I will set honor for me in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 Then I will rejoice in doing good to them. I will faithfully plant them in this land with all my heart and all my life.
42 For Yahweh says this, ‘Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good things that I have said I would do for them. 43 Then fields will be bought in this land, about which you are saying, “This is a ruined land, which has neither man nor beast. It has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 44 They will buy fields with silver and write in sealed scrolls. They will assemble witnesses in the land of Benjamin, all around Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, in the cities in the hill country and in the lowlands, and in the cities of the Negev. For I will bring back their fortunes—this is Yahweh’s declaration.’”
Chapter 33
1 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut within the courtyard of the guard, saying, 2 “Yahweh the maker, says this—Yahweh, who forms in order to establish—Yahweh is his name, 3 ‘Call to me, and I will answer you. I will demonstrate great things to you, mysteries that you do not understand.’ 4 For Yahweh, God of Israel, says this concerning the houses in this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that are torn down because of the siege ramps and the sword, 5 ‘The Chaldeans are coming to fight and to fill the houses with corpses of people whom I will kill in my wrath and fury, when I hide my face from this city because of all their wickedness. 6 But see, I am about to bring healing and a cure, for I will heal them and will bring to them abundance, peace, and faithfulness. 7 For I will bring back the fortunes of Judah and Israel; I will build them up as in the beginning. 8 Then I will purify them from all the iniquity that they have committed against me. I will pardon all the iniquities that they have done against me, and all the ways that they rebelled against me. 9 For this city will become for me an object of joy, a song of praise and honor for all the nations of the earth who will hear of all the good things that I am going to do for it. Then they will fear and tremble because of all the good things and the peace that I will give to it.’
10 Yahweh says this, ‘In this place about which you are now saying, “It is desolate, a place with neither man nor beast,” in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate having neither man nor beast, there will be heard again 11 the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the sound of the groom and the sound of the bride, the sound of those who say, while they bring thank offerings to the house of Yahweh, “Give thanks to Yahweh of hosts, for Yahweh is good, and his unfailing love lasts forever!” For I will restore the fortunes of the land to what they were before,’ says Yahweh.
12 Yahweh of hosts says this: ‘In this desolate place, where now there is neither man nor beast—in all its cities there will again be pastures where shepherds can rest their flocks. 13 In the cities in the hill country, the lowlands, and the Negev, in the land of Benjamin and all around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of the ones counting them,’ says Yahweh.
14 ‘Look! Days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will do what I have promised for the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and in that time I will make a righteous branch to grow for David, and he will carry out justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in security, for this is what she will be called, “Yahweh is our righteousness.”’ 17 For Yahweh says this: ‘A man from David’s line will never be lacking to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 nor will a man from the Levitical priests be lacking before me to raise burnt offerings, to burn food offerings, and to perform grain offerings all the time.’”
19 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 “Yahweh says this: ‘If you can break my covenant with day and night so that there will no longer be day or night at their proper times, 21 then you will be able to break my covenant with David my servant, so that he will no longer have a son to sit on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests, my servants. 22 As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted, and as the sand of the seashores cannot be measured, so I will increase the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who serve before me.’”
23 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 “Have you not considered what this people has declared when they said, ‘The two families that Yahweh chose, now he has rejected them’? In this way they despise my people, saying that they are no longer a nation in their sight. 25 I, Yahweh, say this, ‘If I have not established the covenant of day and night, and if I have not fixed the laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant, and not bring from them a person to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and show mercy to them.’”
Chapter 34
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all of his army, together with all the kingdoms of the earth, the domains under his power, and all their people were waging war against Jerusalem and all of her cities, saying: 2 “Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Yahweh says this: Look, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will burn it. 3 You will not escape from his hand, for you will certainly be seized and given into his hand. Your eyes will look at the eyes of the king of Babylon; he will speak directly to you as you go to Babylon.’ 4 Listen to the word of Yahweh, Zedekiah king of Judah! Yahweh says this concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword. 5 You will die in peace. As in the funeral burning of your ancestors, the kings who were before you, they will burn your body. They will say, “Woe, master!” They will lament for you. Now I have spoken—this is Yahweh’s declaration.’”
6 So Jeremiah the prophet proclaimed to Zedekiah king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem. 7 The army of the king of Babylon made war against Jerusalem and all the remaining cities of Judah: Lachish and Azekah. These cities of Judah remained as fortified cities.
8 The word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem, to proclaim freedom to them, 9 that each man must free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so one was to make a slave of a Jew, who was his brother. 10 So all the leaders and people entered into the covenant that each person would free his male and female slaves so that they would not be enslaved any longer. They obeyed and set them free. 11 But after this they changed their minds. They brought back the slaves whom they had freed. They forced them to become slaves again.
12 So the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, ‘I myself made a covenant with your ancestors on the day that I brought them out from the land of Egypt, out from the house of slavery. That was when I said, 14 “At the end of every seven years, each man must send away his brother, his fellow Hebrew who had sold himself to you and served you for six years. Send him away in freedom.” But your ancestors did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. 15 Now you yourselves repented and began to do what is right in my eyes. You proclaimed freedom, each man to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name. 16 But then you turned and polluted my name; you caused each man to bring back his male and female slaves, the ones whom you had sent out to go where they wished. You forced them to become your slaves again.’
17 Therefore Yahweh says this, ‘You yourselves have not listened to me. You should have proclaimed freedom, every one of you, to your brothers and fellow Israelites. So look! I am about to proclaim freedom to you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—freedom for the sword, the plague, and famine, for I am going to make you a horrible thing in the sight of every kingdom on earth. 18 Then I will deal with the people who have broken my covenant, who did not keep the words of the covenant that they established before me when they cut a bull in two and walked between its parts, 19 and then the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land walked between the parts of the bull. 20 I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who are seeking their lives. Their bodies will be food for the birds of the skies and the beasts on the earth. 21 So I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his leaders into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who are seeking their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon that has risen up against you. 22 Look, I am about to give a command—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and will bring them back to this city to wage war against it and take it, and to burn it. For I will turn the cities of Judah into ruined places in which there will be no inhabitants.’”
Chapter 35
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 “Go to the family of the Rekabites and speak with them. Then bring them to my house, into one of the rooms there, and give them wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah and his brothers, all his sons, and all the family of the Rekabites. 4 I took them to the house of Yahweh, into the rooms of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God. These rooms were beside the room of the leaders, which was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the gatekeeper. 5 Then I placed bowls and cups full of wine in front of the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.” 6 But they said, “We will not drink any wine, for our ancestor, Jonadab son of Rekab, commanded us, ‘Do not drink any wine, neither you nor your descendants, forever. 7 Also, do not build any houses, sow any seeds, or plant any vineyards; this is not for you. For you must live in tents all your days, so that you might live many days in the land where you are staying as foreigners.’ 8 We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab son of Rekab, our ancestor, in all that he commanded us, to never drink wine all of our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters. 9 We will never build houses to live in, and there will be no vineyard, field, or seed in our possession. 10 We have lived in tents and we have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our ancestor commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked the land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape from the Chaldean and Aramean armies.’ So we are living in Jerusalem.”
12 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive correction and listen to my words? —this is Yahweh’s declaration. 14 The words of Jonadab son of Rekab that he gave to his sons as a command, not to drink any wine, have been observed to this very day. They have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But as for me, I myself have been making persistent proclamations to you, but you do not listen to me. 15 I sent out to you all my servants, the prophets. I was persistent in sending them to say, ‘Let each person turn from his wicked way and do good deeds; let no one walk any longer after other gods and worship them. Instead, come back to the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.’ Yet you will not listen to me or pay attention to me. 16 For the descendants of Jonadab son of Rekab have observed the commands of their ancestor that he gave them, but this people refuses to listen to me.”’ 17 So Yahweh, God of hosts and God of Israel, says this, ‘Look, I am bringing upon Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem, all the disasters I pronounced against them because I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.’”
18 Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: You have listened to the commands of Jonadab your ancestor and have kept them all—you have obeyed all that he commanded you to do— 19 so Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘There will always be someone descended from Jonadab son of Rekab to serve me.’”
Chapter 36
1 It came about in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, and he said, 2 “Take a scroll for yourself and write on it all the words that I have told you concerning Israel and Judah, and every nation. Do this for everything I have told from the days of Josiah until this very day. 3 Perhaps the people of Judah will listen to all the disasters that I intend to bring on them. Perhaps everyone will turn away from his wicked way, so I can forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote in a scroll, at Jeremiah’s dictation, all the words of Yahweh spoken to him. 5 Next Jeremiah gave a command to Baruch. He said, “I am in prison and cannot go to Yahweh’s house. 6 So you must go and read from the scroll that you wrote at my dictation. On the day of the fast, you must read Yahweh’s words in the hearing of the people in his house, and also in the hearing of all of Judah who have come from their cities. Proclaim these words to them. 7 Perhaps their pleas for mercy will come before Yahweh. Perhaps each person will turn from his wicked way, since the wrath and fury that Yahweh has proclaimed against this people are severe.” 8 So Baruch son of Neriah did everything that Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him to do. He read aloud the words of Yahweh in the house of Yahweh.
9 It came about in the fifth year and ninth month of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, that all the people in Jerusalem and the people who came to Jerusalem from the cities of Judah proclaimed a fast before Yahweh. 10 Baruch read aloud Jeremiah’s words in the house of Yahweh, from the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper courtyard, by the gate of the entrance to the house of Yahweh. He did this in the hearing of all the people.
11 Now Micaiah son of Gemariah son of Shaphan heard all of Yahweh’s words in the scroll. 12 He went down to the house of the king, to the secretary’s room. Look, all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the officials. 13 Then Micaiah reported to them all the words that he had heard that Baruch read aloud in the hearing of the people. 14 So all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah son of Shelemiah son of Cushi, to Baruch. Jehudi said to Baruch, “Take the scroll in your hand, the scroll from which you were reading in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and went to the officials. 15 Then they said to him, “Sit down and read this in our hearing.” So Baruch read the scroll. 16 It happened that when they heard all these words, each man turned in fear to the one next to him and said to Baruch, “We must certainly report all of these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all these words at Jeremiah’s dictation?” 18 Baruch said to them, “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on this scroll.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, and Jeremiah, too. Do not let anyone know where you are.”
20 So they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, and they went to the king in the courtyard and they reported everything in the hearing of the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi took it from the room of Elishama the secretary. Then he read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him. 22 Now the king was staying in the winter house in the ninth month, and a brazier was burning in front of him. 23 It happened that as Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut it off with a knife and throw it into the fire in the brazier until all of the scroll was destroyed. 24 But neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words were frightened, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah had even urged the king not to burn the scroll, but he did not listen to them. 26 Then the king commanded Jerahmeel, a relative, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but Yahweh had hidden them.
27 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll and the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, saying, 28 “Go back, take another scroll for yourself, and write in it all the words that were on the original scroll, the one that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned. 29 Then you must say this to Jehoiakim king of Judah: ‘You burned that scroll, saying, “Why have you written on it, ‘The king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, for he will destroy both man and beast in it’?”’” 30 Therefore Yahweh says this concerning you, Jehoiakim king of Judah: “No descendant of yours will ever sit on the throne of David. As for you, your corpse will be thrown out into the heat of day and the frost of night. 31 For I will punish you, your descendants, and your servants for the iniquity of you all. I will bring on you, on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on every person in Judah all the disasters with which I have threatened you with, but to which you paid no attention.” 32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah the scribe. Baruch wrote on it at Jeremiah’s dictation all the words that had been in the scroll burned by Jehoiakim king of Judah. Furthermore, many other similar words were added to this scroll.
Chapter 37
1 Now Zedekiah son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made Zedekiah king over the land of Judah. 2 But Zedekiah, his servants, and the people of the land did not listen to the words of Yahweh that he proclaimed by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.
3 So King Zedekiah, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest sent a message to Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Pray on our behalf to Yahweh our God.” 4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5 Pharaoh’s army came out from Egypt, and the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news about them and left Jerusalem.
6 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 7 “Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: This is what you will say to the king of Judah, because he has sent you to seek advice from me, ‘See, Pharaoh’s army, which came to help you, is about to go back to Egypt, its own land. 8 The Chaldeans will return. They will fight against this city, capture it, and burn it.’ 9 Yahweh says this: Do not deceive yourselves by saying, ‘Surely the Chaldeans are leaving us,’ for they will not leave. 10 Even if you had defeated the entire Chaldean army that is fighting you so that only wounded men were left in their tents, they would get up and burn this city.”
11 So it was when the Chaldean army had left Jerusalem as Pharaoh’s army was coming, 12 then Jeremiah went out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin. He wanted to take possession of a tract of land there among his people. 13 As he was in the Benjamin Gate, a chief guard was there. His name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah. He grabbed hold of Jeremiah the prophet and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” 14 But Jeremiah said, “That is not true. I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah did not listen to him. He took Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 The officials were angry with Jeremiah. They beat him and put him in prison, which had been the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had turned it into a prison.
16 So Jeremiah was put into an underground cell, where he stayed for many days. 17 Then King Zedekiah sent someone who brought him to the palace. In his house, the king asked him privately, “Is there any word from Yahweh?” Jeremiah answered, “There is a word: You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, your servants, or this people so that you have placed me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets, the ones who prophesied for you and said the king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land? 20 But now listen, my master the king! Let my pleas come before you. Do not return me to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave an order. His servants confined Jeremiah in the courtyard of the guard. A loaf of bread was given him every day from the street of the bakers, until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard.
Chapter 38
1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard the words that Jeremiah was declaring to all the people. He was saying, 2 “Yahweh says this: Anyone staying in this city will be killed by sword, famine, and plague. But anyone who goes out to the Chaldeans will survive. He will escape with his own life, and live. 3 Yahweh says this: This city will be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.” 4 So the officials said to the king, “Let this man die, for in this way he is weakening the hands of the fighting men who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people. He is proclaiming these words, for this man is not working for safety for this people, but disaster.” 5 So King Zedekiah said, “Look, he is in your hand since there is no king able to resist you.” 6 Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malkijah, son of the king. The cistern was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah down on ropes. There was no water in the cistern, but it was muddy, and he sank down into the mud.
7 Now Ebed-Melek the Cushite was one of the eunuchs in the king’s house. He heard that they had placed Jeremiah in the cistern. Now the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate. 8 So Ebed-Melek went from the king’s house and spoke with the king. He said, 9 “My master the king, these men have done evil with the way they have treated Jeremiah the prophet. They threw him into a cistern for him to die in it from hunger, since there is no more food in the city.” 10 Then the king gave a command to Ebed-Melek the Cushite. He said, “Take command of thirty men from here and take Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-Melek took command of those men and went to the king’s house, to a storeroom for clothing under the house. From there he took rags and worn-out clothing and then let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and worn-out clothing under your arms and on top of the ropes.” So Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they pulled Jeremiah by the ropes. In this way they brought him up from the cistern. So Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guard.
14 Then King Zedekiah sent word and brought Jeremiah the prophet to himself, to the third entrance in Yahweh’s house. The king said to Jeremiah, “I want to ask you something. Do not keep the answer from me.” 15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I answer you, will you not certainly kill me? But if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.” 16 But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in private and said, “As Yahweh lives, the one who made us, I will not kill you or give you into the hand of those men who are seeking your life.”
17 So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Yahweh, God of hosts, God of Israel, says this: If you indeed go out to the officials of the king of Babylon then you will live, and this city will not be burned. You and your family will live. 18 But if you do not go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans. They will burn it, and you will not escape from their hand.” 19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “But I am afraid of the people of Judah who have deserted to the Chaldeans, because I might be given over into their hand, for them to treat me badly.” 20 Jeremiah said, “They will not give you over to them. Obey the message from Yahweh that I am telling you, so that things will go well for you, and so that you will live. 21 But if you refuse to go out, this is what Yahweh has shown me. 22 Look! All the women who are left in your house, king of Judah, will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. These women will say to you,
‘You have been deceived by your friends; they have ruined you.
Your feet are now sunk into the mud, and your friends will run away.’
23 For all of your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand. You will be captured by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned.”
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not inform anyone about these words, so that you do not die. 25 If the officials hear that I have talked with you, and if they come and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’ 26 then you must say to them, ‘I made a humble plea before the king that he would not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’” 27 Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, so he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped talking with him, because they had not heard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king. 28 So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
Chapter 39
1 In the ninth year and tenth month of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 In the eleventh year and fourth month of Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nebo-Sarsekim, Samgar Nebo, and Sarsechim, an important official. Nebo-Sarsekim was a high official and all the rest were the officials of the king of Babylon.
4 It happened that when Zedekiah, king of Judah, and all his fighting men saw them, they fled. They went out at night from the city by the king’s garden path, through the gate between the two walls. The king went out in the direction of the Arabah. 5 But the army of Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of the Jordan River valley near Jericho. Then they captured him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him. 6 The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his own eyes at Riblah. He also slaughtered all the noblemen of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains in order to take him to Babylon. 8 Then the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the people’s houses. They also tore down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king’s bodyguards, took into exile the rest of the people who were left in the city. This included the people who had deserted to the Chaldeans and the rest of the people who were left in the city. 10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the king’s bodyguards allowed the poorest people who had nothing for themselves to remain in the land of Judah. He gave them vineyards and fields on that same day.
11 Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had given an order about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the commander of the king’s bodyguards. He had said, 12 “Take him and care for him. Do not harm him. Do for him anything he tells you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the king’s bodyguards, Nebushazban the high eunuch, Nergal-Sharezer the high official, and all the most important officials of the king of Babylon sent men out. 14 Their men took Jeremiah from the courtyard of the guard and entrusted him to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, to take him home, so Jeremiah stayed among the people.
15 Now the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah while he was under arrest in the courtyard of the guard, saying, 16 “Speak to Ebed-Melek the Cushite and say, ‘Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: See, I am about to carry out my words against this city for disaster and not for good. For they will all come true before you on that day. 17 But I will rescue you on that day—this is Yahweh’s declaration—and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you fear. 18 For I will certainly rescue you. You will not fall by the sword. You will escape with your life, since you trust in me—this was Yahweh’s declaration.’”
Chapter 40
1 The word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after Nebuzaradan the commander of the king’s bodyguards had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound with chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2 The chief guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “Yahweh your God decreed this disaster for this place. 3 So Yahweh brought it about. He did just as he had decreed, since you people sinned against him and did not obey his voice. That is why this thing has happened to you people. 4 But now look! I have released you today from the chains that were on your hands. If it is good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take care of you. But if it is not good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, then do not do so. Look at all the land before you. Go where it is good and right in your eyes to go.” 5 When Jeremiah did not reply, Nebuzaradan said, “Go to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has put in charge of the cities of Judah. Stay with him among the people or go wherever it is good in your eyes to go.” The commander of the king’s bodyguards gave him food and a gift, and then sent him away. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. He stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.
7 Now some commanders of Judean soldiers who were still in the countryside—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor over the land. They also heard that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and children who were the poorest people in the land, those who had not been exiled to Babylon. 8 So they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah; Johanan and Jonathan, sons of Kareah; Seraiah son of Tanhumeth; the sons of Ephai the Netophathite; and Jaazaniah son of the Maakathite—they and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan took an oath to them and to their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 10 Look, I am living in Mizpah to meet with the Chaldeans who came to us. So harvest wine, summer fruit, and oil and store them in your containers. Live in the cities that you have occupied.” 11 Then all the Judeans in Moab, among the people of Ammon, and in Edom, and in every land heard that the king of Babylon had allowed a remnant of Judah to stay, that he had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan over them. 12 So all the Judeans returned from every place where they had been scattered. They came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They harvested wine and summer fruit in great abundance.
13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders in the countryside came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14 They said to him, “Do you realize that Baalis king of the people of Ammon sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to murder you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikim did not believe them. 15 So Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah and said, “Allow me to go kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will suspect me. Why should he kill you? Why allow all of Judah that has been gathered to you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah destroyed?” 16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are telling lies about Ishmael.”
Chapter 41
1 But it happened that in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, from the royal family, and some officers of the king, came—ten men were with him—to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. They ate food together there in Mizpah. 2 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him rose up and attacked Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, with the sword. Ishmael killed Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land. 3 Then Ishmael killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah in Mizpah and the Chaldean fighting men found there.
4 Then it was the second day after the killing of Gedaliah, but no one knew. 5 Some men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria—eighty men who had shaved their beard, torn their clothes, and cut themselves—with food offerings and frankincense in their hands to go to Yahweh’s house. 6 So Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them as they went, walking and weeping. Then it happened that as he encountered them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam!” 7 It came about that when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah slaughtered them and threw them into a pit, he and the men who were with him. 8 But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for there are provisions of ours in a field: Wheat and barley, oil and honey.” So he did not kill them with their other companions. 9 The cistern where Ishmael threw all the dead bodies that he had killed, was a large cistern that King Asa dug to make a defense against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it in with the dead. 10 Next Ishmael captured all the other people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah whom Nebuzaradan the chief guard had assigned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. So Ishmael son of Nethaniah captured them and went to cross over to the people of Ammon.
11 But Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him heard of all the harm that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done. 12 So they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him at the great pool of Gibeon. 13 Then it happened that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders who were with him, they were very happy. 14 So all the people whom Ishmael had captured at Mizpah turned around and went to Johanan son of Kareah.
15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah fled with eight men from Johanan. He went to the people of Ammon. 16 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him took from Mizpah all the people who had been rescued from Ishmael son of Nethaniah. This was after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Johanan and his companions took the strong men, the fighting men, the women and children, and the eunuchs who had been rescued at Gibeon. 17 Then they went and stayed for a while in Geruth Kimham, which is near Bethlehem. They were going to go to Egypt 18 because of the Chaldeans. They were afraid of them since Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land.
Chapter 42
1 Then all the army commanders and Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet. 2 They said to him, “Let our pleas come before you. Pray for us to Yahweh your God for these people who remain since we are so few in number, as you see. 3 Ask Yahweh your God to tell us the way we should go and what we should do.” 4 So Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Look, I will pray to Yahweh your God as you have requested. Whatever Yahweh answers, I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you.” 5 They said to Jeremiah, “May Yahweh be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not do everything that Yahweh your God tells us to do. 6 Whether it is good or if it is bad, we will obey the voice of Yahweh our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of Yahweh our God.”
7 At the end of ten days, the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah. 8 So Jeremiah called to Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him, and to all the people from the least to the greatest. 9 Then he said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel—to whom you sent me so I might lay your pleas before him—says, 10 ‘If you go back and live in this land, then I will build you and not tear you down; I will plant you and not pull you up, for I will turn back the disaster that I have brought on you. 11 Do not fear the king of Babylon, whom you are fearing. Do not fear him—this is Yahweh’s declaration—since I am with you to save you and rescue you from his hand. 12 For I will give you mercy. I will have compassion on you, and I will bring you back to your land. 13 But suppose that you say, “We will not stay in this land”—if you do not listen to my voice, the voice of Yahweh your God. 14 Suppose that you say, “No! We will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see any war, where we will not hear the sound of the trumpet, and we will not go hungry for food. We will live there.” 15 Now listen to this word of Yahweh, you remnant of Judah. Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘If you actually set out to go to Egypt, to go and live there, 16 then the sword that you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt. The famine that you are worrying about will pursue you to Egypt, and you will die there. 17 So it will happen that all the men who set out to go to Egypt to live there will die by sword, famine, or plague. There will be no survivor of them, no one to escape the disaster that I will bring on them.
18 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: Just as my wrath and my fury were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, in the same way my fury will be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and a horror, an object for speaking curses, and something dishonorable, and you will not see this place again.’” 19 Then Jeremiah said, “Yahweh has spoken concerning you—the remnant of Judah. Do not go to Egypt! You certainly know that I have been a witness against you today. 20 For you fatally deceived yourselves when you sent me to Yahweh your God and said, ‘Pray to Yahweh our God for us. Everything that Yahweh our God says, tell us, and we will carry it out.’ 21 For I have reported to you today, but you have not listened to the voice of Yahweh your God or to anything about which he sent me to you. 22 So now, you should certainly know that you will die by sword, famine, and plague in the place where you desired to go to live.”
Chapter 43
1 It happened that Jeremiah finished proclaiming to all the people all the words of Yahweh their God that Yahweh their God had told him to say. 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling lies. Yahweh our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there.’ 3 For Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, for you to cause our death and to make us captives in Babylon.” 4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the princes of the army, and all the people refused to listen to Yahweh’s voice to live in the land of Judah. 5 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders took away all the remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations where they had been scattered to live in the land of Judah. 6 They took the men and women, the children and the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king’s bodyguards, had let remain with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan. They also took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 They went to the land of Egypt, to Tahpanhes, because they did not listen to Yahweh’s voice.
8 So the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 9 “Take some large stones in your hand, and, in the sight of the people of Judah, hide them in the mortar in the pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes.” 10 Then say to them, “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘See, I am about to send messengers to take Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon as my servant. I will place his throne over these stones that you, Jeremiah, have buried. Nebuchadnezzar will place his pavilion over them. 11 For he will come and attack the land of Egypt. Anyone who is assigned to death will be given to death. Anyone who is assigned to captivity will be taken captive. Anyone who is assigned to the sword will be given to the sword. 12 Then I will light a fire in the temples of Egypt’s gods. Nebuchadnezzar will burn them or capture them. He will clean out the land of Egypt just as shepherds clean vermin off their clothes. He will go out from that place in victory. [1] 13 He will break the stone pillars at Heliopolis in the land of Egypt. He will burn the temples of Egypt’s gods.’”
Chapter 44
1 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, the ones staying in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in Upper Egypt: 2 “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says, ‘You yourselves have seen all the disasters that I brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah. See, they are ruins today. There is no one to live in them. 3 This is because of the wicked things they did to offend me by going to burn incense and to worship other gods. These were gods that neither they themselves, nor you, nor your ancestors knew.’ 4 So I repeatedly sent all of my servants the prophets to them. I sent them to say, ‘Stop doing these abominable things that I hate.’ 5 But they did not listen. They refused to pay attention or turn from their wickedness in burning incense to other gods. 6 So my fury and my wrath were poured out and kindled a fire in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. So they became ruins and devastations, as at this present day.’ 7 So now Yahweh, the God of hosts and the God of Israel, says this, ‘Why are you doing great wickedness against yourselves? Why are you causing yourselves to be cut off from among Judah—men and women, children and babies? No remnant of you will be left. 8 By your wickedness you have offended me with the deeds of your hands, by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to live. You have gone there so that you will be destroyed, so that you will be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth. 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors and the wickedness committed by the kings of Judah and their wives? Have you forgotten the evil committed by yourselves and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? 10 To this day, they still are not humbled. They do not honor my law or decrees that I placed before them and their ancestors, nor do they walk in them.’
11 Therefore Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘See, I am about to set my face against you to bring disaster to you and to destroy all of Judah. 12 For I will take the remnant of Judah that has set out to go to the land of Egypt to live there. I will do this so that they will all perish in the land of Egypt. They will fall by sword and famine. From the least to the greatest they will perish by sword and famine. They will die and will become an object of swearing, cursing, reproaching, and a horrible thing. 13 For I will punish the people inhabiting the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem with the sword, with famine, and with the plague, 14 so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in the land of Egypt will escape or survive or return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and live; and none of them will return except a few who escaped from there.’”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were in the great assembly, and all the people who were living in Lower and Upper Egypt, answered Jeremiah. 16 They said, “About the word that you have told us in Yahweh’s name—we will not listen to you. 17 For we will certainly do all the things that we said we would do—burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders did in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. Then we will be filled with food and will prosper, without experiencing any disaster. 18 When we refrained from doing these things, not offering incense to the queen of heaven and not pouring out drink offerings to her, we were all suffering poverty and were dying by sword and famine.” 19 The women said, “When we were making incense offerings before the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, was it against our husbands that we did these things, making cakes in her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?”
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people—to the men and women, and all the people who answered him—he proclaimed and said, 21 “Did not Yahweh remember the incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem—you and your ancestors, your kings and leaders, and the people of the land? For Yahweh calls this to mind; it comes to his thoughts. 22 Then he was no longer able to bear it because of your wicked practices, because of the abominations that you did. Then your land became a desolation, a horror, and a curse so there was no longer an inhabitant as at this present day. 23 Because you burned incense and sinned against Yahweh, and because you would not listen to his voice, his law, his statutes, or his covenant decrees, this disaster against you has happened as at this present day.”
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the word of Yahweh, all of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25 Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘You and your wives both have said with your mouths and carried out with your hands what you said, “We will certainly carry out the vows that we made to worship the queen of heaven, to pour out drink offerings to her.” Now fulfill your vows; carry them out.’ 26 So then, hear the word of Yahweh, all of Judah who are staying in the land of Egypt, ‘See, I have sworn by my great name—says Yahweh. My name will no longer be called upon by the mouths of any of the men of Judah in all the land of Egypt, you who now say, “As the Lord Yahweh lives.” 27 See, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. Every person of Judah in the land of Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all finished. 28 Then the survivors of the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, only a small number of them. So all the remnant of Judah who went to the land of Egypt to live there will know whose word will stand—mine or theirs. 29 This will be the sign for you—this is Yahweh’s declaration—that I am setting against you in this place, so that you will know that my words will certainly attack you with disaster.’ 30 Yahweh says this, ‘Look, I am about to give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek to kill him. It will the same as when I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’”
Chapter 45
1 This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet told Baruch son of Neriah. This happened when he wrote in a scroll these words at Jeremiah’s dictation—this was in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, and he said, 2 “Yahweh, God of Israel, says this to you, Baruch: 3 You have said, ‘Woe is me, for Yahweh has added agony to my pain. My groaning has wearied me; I find no rest.’ 4 This is what you must say to him: ‘Yahweh says this: See, what I built, I am now tearing down. What I planted, I am now pulling up—I will do this throughout all the earth. 5 But are you hoping for great things for yourself? Do not hope for that. For see, disaster is coming on all humanity—this is Yahweh’s declaration—but I am giving you your life as your plunder everywhere you will go.’”
Chapter 46
1 This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. 2 For Egypt: “This is about the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt that was at Carchemish by the Euphrates river. This was the army that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 Get the small shields and the large shields ready, and go forward to fight.
4 Put the harness on the horses; mount up on the horses and take your stand with your helmets on;
polish the spears and put on your armor.
5 What am I seeing here? They are filled with terror and are running away, for their soldiers are defeated.
They are running for safety and are not looking back. Terror is all around—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
6 the swift cannot run away, and the soldiers cannot escape.
They stumble in the north and fall beside the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this who rises like the Nile, whose waters toss up and down like the rivers?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of water that rise and fall.
Egypt says, ‘I will go up and I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.
9 Go up, horses. Be angry, you chariots. Let the soldiers go out,
Cush and Put, men skillful with a shield, and Ludim, men skillful at bending their bows.’
10 That day will be the day of vengeance for the Lord Yahweh of hosts, and he will avenge himself on his foes.
The sword will devour and be satisfied. It will drink its fill of their blood. For there will be a sacrifice
to the Yahweh Lord of hosts in the northern land by the Euphrates River.
11 Go up to Gilead and obtain medicine, virgin daughter of Egypt.
It is useless that you put much medicine on yourself. There is no cure for you.
12 The nations have heard of your disgrace. The earth is filled with your laments,
for soldier stumbles against soldier; both of them fall together.”
13 This is the word that Yahweh told Jeremiah the prophet when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and attacked the land of Egypt:
14 “Announce in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes.
‘Take your station and prepare yourself, for the sword will devour those around you.’
15 Why are your mighty ones face-down on the ground? They will not stand, because I, Yahweh, have pushed them to the ground.
16 He increases the numbers of those who stumble. Each soldier falls against the next one. They are saying, ‘Get up. Let us go home.
Let us go back to our own people, to our native land. Let us leave this sword that is beating us down.’
17 They proclaimed there, ‘Pharaoh the king of Egypt is only a noise, one who has let his opportunity slip away.’
18 As I live—declares the King, whose name is Yahweh of hosts—
someone will come like Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel by the sea.
19 Pack for yourselves baggage to carry into exile, you who live in Egypt.
For Memphis will become a waste, it will lie in ruins and no one will live there.
20 Egypt is a very beautiful young cow, but a stinging insect is coming from the north. It is coming.
21 The hired soldiers in her midst are like a fattened bull, but they will also turn away and run away.
They will not stand together, for the day of their disaster is coming against them, the time of their punishment.
22 Egypt hisses like a snake and crawls away, for her enemies are marching against her.
They are going toward her like woodcutters with axes.
23 They will cut down the forests—this is Yahweh’s declaration—although it is very dense.
For the enemies will be more numerous than locusts, unable to be counted.
24 The daughter of Egypt will be made ashamed. She will be given into the hand of people from the north.”
25 Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “See, I am about to punish Amon of Thebes, Pharaoh, Egypt and her gods, her kings the Pharaohs, and those who trust in them. 26 I am giving them into the hand of the ones seeking their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his servants. Then after this Egypt will be inhabited as in previous days—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
27 But you, my servant Jacob, do not fear. Do not be dismayed, Israel, for see, I am about to bring you back from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Then Jacob will return, find peace, and be secure, and there will be no one to terrify him. 28 You, my servant Jacob, do not fear—this is Yahweh’s declaration—for I am with you, so I will bring complete destruction against all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not destroy you completely. Yet I will discipline you justly and will certainly not leave you unpunished.”
Chapter 47
1 This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines. This word came to him before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.
2 “Yahweh says this: See, floods of water are rising in the north. They will be like an overflowing river!
Then they will overflow the land and everything in it, its cities and its inhabitants! So everyone will shout for help,
and all the inhabitants of the land will lament.
3 At the sound of the stamping of their strong horses’ hooves,
at the roar of their chariots and the noise of their wheels,
fathers will not help their children because of their own weakness.
4 For the day is coming that will devastate all of the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
every survivor who wants to help them. For Yahweh is devastating the Philistines,
those who remain from the island of Caphtor. 5 Baldness will come upon Gaza. As for Ashkelon, the people who are left in their valley will be made silent.
How long will you cut yourself in mourning?
6 Woe, sword of Yahweh! How long will it be until you become silent?
Go back to your scabbard! Stop and be silent.
7 How can it rest when Yahweh has commanded it,
when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coastlands along the sea?”
Chapter 48
1 To Moab, Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this,
“Woe to Nebo, for it has been devastated. Kiriathaim has been humiliated and captured.
Her fortress has been disgraced and crushed.
2 The honor of Moab is no more. Their enemies in Heshbon plotted disaster against her.
They said, ‘Come and let us destroy her as a nation. Madmen will also perish—a sword will go after you.’
3 Listen! A sound of screaming is coming from Horonaim, where there is ruin and great destruction.
4 Moab has been destroyed. Her children have made their cries heard.
5 They go up the hill of Luhith weeping,
for on the way down to Horonaim, screams are heard because of the destruction.
6 Flee! Save your lives and become like a juniper bush in the wilderness.
7 For because of your trust in your practices and your wealth, you also will be captured.
Then Chemosh will go away into captivity, together with his priests and leaders.
8 For the destroyer will come to every city; no city will escape.
So the valley will perish and the plain will be devastated, as Yahweh has said.
9 Give wings to Moab, for she must certainly fly away.
Her cities will become a wasteland, where there is no one to live in them.
10 May anyone who is lazy in doing Yahweh’s work be cursed! May anyone who keeps his sword back from shedding blood be cursed!
11 Moab has felt secure since he was young. He is like his wine
that has never been poured from pot to pot. He has never gone into captivity.
Therefore he tastes as good as ever; his flavor remains unchanged.
12 So see, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will send him those who will tip him over and pour out all his pots and shatter his jars.
13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh just as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their object of trust.
14 How can you say, ‘We are soldiers, powerful fighting men’?
15 Moab will be devastated and its cities attacked. For its finest young men have gone down to the place of slaughter. This is the king’s declaration! Yahweh of hosts is his name.
16 Moab’s disaster is soon to happen; calamity is hurrying quickly.
17 All you who are around Moab, wail; and all you who know its fame,
shout this, ‘Woe, the strong staff, the honored rod, has been broken.’
18 Come down from your honored place and sit on the dry ground, you daughter living in Dibon.
For the one who will destroy Moab is attacking you,
the one who will destroy your strongholds.
19 Stand on the road and watch, you people who live in Aroer.
Ask the ones who are fleeing and escaping. Say, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab has been shamed, for it has been shattered.
Howl and lament; shout for help.
Tell it to people by the Arnon River that Moab has been devastated.
21 Now punishment has come to the hill country,
to Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,
22 to Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim,
23 to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon,
24 To Kerioth and Bozrah,
and to all the cities in the land of Moab—
the farthest and the closest cities.
25 The horn of Moab has been hacked off; its arm has been broken—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
26 Make him drunk, because he acted proudly against Yahweh. Let Moab wallow in his vomit, and let him be an object of ridicule. 27 For did not Israel become an object for laughter to you? Was he found among thieves, so that you shook your head at him as often as you spoke about him?
28 Abandon the cities and camp on the cliffs, inhabitants of Moab.
Become like a dove that is nesting over the mouth of a hole in the rocks.
29 We have heard of Moab’s pride—his arrogance,
his haughtiness, his pride, his self-glory and the conceit in his heart. 30 This is Yahweh’s declaration—I myself know his defiant speech, which amounts to nothing, like his deeds.
31 So I will howl a lament for Moab, and I will shout in sorrow for all of Moab.
I will lament for the people of Kir Hareseth.
32 I will weep for you more than I did for Jazer, vine of Sibmah! Your branches passed across the Salt Sea and reached
as far as Jazer. The destroyers have attacked your summer fruit and your wine.
33 So celebration and rejoicing have been taken away from the fruit trees and the land of Moab.
I have put an end to the wine from their winepresses. They will not tread with joyful shouts. Any shouts will not be shouts of joy.
34 From the shouts at Heshbon as far as Elealeh, their sound is heard at Jahaz, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, since even the waters of Nimrim have dried up. 35 For I will put an end to anyone in Moab who makes sacrifices on the high places and burns incense to his gods—this is Yahweh’s declaration. 36 So my heart is lamenting for Moab like a flute. My heart is lamenting like flutes for the people of Kir Hareseth. The riches they gained are gone. 37 For every head is bald and every beard shaved. Incisions are on every hand, and sackcloth is around their waists. 38 There is mourning everywhere, on every flat roof of Moab and in Moab’s plazas. For I have destroyed Moab like pots that no one wants—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
39 How it has been shattered! How they howl in their lamenting! Moab turns its back in shame! So Moab will become an object of derision and a terror to all those who are around him.” 40 For Yahweh says this, “See, the enemy will come flying like an eagle, spreading out his wings over Moab.
41 Kerioth has been captured, and its strongholds have been seized.
For in that day the hearts of Moab’s soldiers will be like the hearts of women in birth labor.
42 So Moab will be destroyed and be no longer a people, because he made himself to be great against Yahweh.
43 Terror and the pit, and a trap are coming on you, inhabitant of Moab—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
44 Anyone who flees because of terror will fall into the pit,
and anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap, for I will bring this on them
in the year of my vengeance against them—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
45 The ones who flee will stand in the shadow of Heshbon without any strength, for fire will go out from Heshbon,
flame from the middle of Sihon. It will devour the forehead of Moab and the top of the heads of the boastful people.
46 Woe to you, Moab! Chemosh’s people are destroyed,
For your sons are taken as captives and your daughters into captivity.
47 But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in later days—this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
The judgment on Moab ends here.
Chapter 49
1 About the people of Ammon, Yahweh says this,
“Does Israel have no children? Is there no one to inherit anything in Israel?
Why does Molech occupy Gad, and his people live in its cities? [1]
2 So look, the days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will sound the signal for battle
against Rabbah among the people of Ammon, so it will become a deserted heap and its villages will be set on fire.
For Israel will possess those who possessed him,” says Yahweh.
3 “Howl in lament, Heshbon, for Ai will be devastated! Shout out, daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth.
Lament and run about in futility, for Molech is going into captivity,
together with his priests and leaders.
4 Why do you brag about your valleys, your valleys that are so fruitful, faithless daughter?
you who trust in your wealth and say, ‘Who will come against me?’
5 See, I am about to bring terror on you—this is the declaration of Lord Yahweh of hosts—
this terror will come from all those who surround you. Each one of you will be scattered before it.
There will be no one to gather those running away.
6 But after this I will restore the fortunes of the people of Ammon—this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
7 About Edom, Yahweh of hosts says this, “Is there no longer any wisdom to be found in Teman?
Has good advice disappeared from those who have understanding? Has their wisdom become corrupted?
8 Flee! Turn back! Stay in holes in the ground, inhabitants of Dedan.
For I am bringing the disaster of Esau on him at the time that I punish him.
9 If grape harvesters came to you, would they not leave a little bit behind?
If thieves came in the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10 But I have stripped Esau bare. I have revealed his hiding places.
So he will not be able to hide himself. His children, his brothers, and his neighbors are destroyed, and he is gone.
11 Leave your orphans behind. I will take care of their lives, and your widows can trust in me.”
12 For Yahweh says this, “See, those who did not deserve it must certainly drink some of the cup. Do you yourself think you will go without punishment? You will not, for you will certainly drink. 13 For I have sworn by myself—this is Yahweh’s declaration—that Bozrah will become a horror, a disgrace, a devastation, and an object for cursing. All of its cities will become devastations forever.
14 I have heard news from Yahweh, and a messenger has been sent out to the nations,
‘Gather together and attack her. Get ready for battle.’
15 “For see, I have made you small compared to the other nations, despised by people.
16 As for your fearsomeness, your heart’s pride has deceived you, inhabitants of places on the cliff,
you who have occupied the highest hills so that you may make your nest high like an eagle.
I will bring you down from there—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
17 Edom will become a horror to everyone passing by it.
Every such person will tremble and hiss because all of its disasters.
18 Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says Yahweh,
“no one will live there; no person will stay there.
19 See, he will go up like a lion from the forests of the Jordan to the green pasturelands.
For I will quickly make Edom run from it, and I will put someone who will be chosen in charge of it.
For who is like me, and who will summon me? What shepherd is able to resist me?”
20 “So listen to the plans that Yahweh has decided against Edom,
the plans that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman.
They will certainly be dragged away, even the smallest flock.
Their pasturelands will be turned into ruined places.
21 At the sound of their falling the earth shakes. The sound of distressed shouts is heard at the Sea of Reeds.
22 See, someone will attack like an eagle, and swoop down and spread his wings over Bozrah.
Then on that day, the hearts of Edom’s soldiers will become like the heart of a woman in birth labor.”
23 About Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad will be ashamed, for they have heard news of disaster.
They melt away! They become as troubled as the sea, which cannot stay calm.
24 Damascus has become very weak. It turns away to flee; terror seizes it.
Distress and pain seize it, like the pain of a woman giving birth.
25 How has the city of praise not been forsaken, the town of my joy?
26 Therefore its young men will fall in its plazas,
and all the fighting men will perish on that day—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.”
27 “For I will light a fire on the wall of Damascus, and it will devour the strongholds of Ben Hadad.”
28 About Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, Yahweh says this to Nebuchadnezzar (now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was going to attack these places):
“Arise and attack Kedar and destroy those people of the east.
29 Their tents and their flocks will be taken,
along with their tent curtains and all of their equipment;
their camels will be led away from them,
and men will shout to them, ‘Terror is on every side!’
30 Flee! Wander far away! Stay in holes in the ground, inhabitants of Hazor—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devised a plan against you. Flee! Turn back!
31 Arise! Attack the nation at ease, that lives in safety,” says Yahweh.
“They have no gates or bars in them, and its people live by themselves.
32 For their camels will become plunder, and the abundance of their property will become war plunder.
Then I will scatter to every wind those who cut the corners of their hair,
and I will bring disaster on them from every side—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
33 Hazor will become a lair of jackals, a permanent wasteland.
No one will live there; no human being will stay there.”
34 This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah the prophet about Elam. This happened at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, and he said, 35 “Yahweh of hosts says this: See, I am about to break the bowmen of Elam, the main part of their power.
36 For I will bring the four winds from the four corners of the heavens,
and I will scatter the people of Elam to all of those winds. There is no nation
to which those scattered from Elam will not go.
37 So I will shatter Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their lives.
for I will bring disaster against them, the fury of my wrath—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
and I will send the sword after them until I have annihilated them.
38 Then I will put my throne in Elam and will destroy its king and leaders from there—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
39 and it will happen in later days that I will bring back the fortunes of Elam—this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
Chapter 50
1 This is the word that Yahweh declared about Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet,
2 “Report to the nations and cause them to listen. Lift up a signal and cause them to listen. Do not conceal it.
Say, ‘Babylon is taken. Bel is made ashamed. Marduk is dismayed. Its idols are put to shame; its images are dismayed.’
3 A nation from the north will arise against it, and make her land a desolation.
No one will live in it; both man and beast will flee away.
4 In those days and at that time—this is Yahweh’s declaration—the people of Israel and the people of Judah
will come together to go with weeping and seek Yahweh their God.
5 They will ask the way to Zion and will set off toward it, saying,
We will go and join ourselves to Yahweh in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.”
6 My people have been a lost flock. Their shepherds have led them astray in the mountains;
they have turned them around from hill to hill. They went, they forgot the place where they had lived.
7 Everyone who went out to them devoured them. Their adversaries said, ‘We are not guilty,
because they sinned against Yahweh, their true home—Yahweh, the hope of their ancestors.’
8 Leave from the midst of Babylon; go out from the land of the Chaldeans;
be like male goats that leave before the rest of the flock does.
9 For see, I am about to set in motion and raise up a group of great nations from the north against Babylon.
They will arrange themselves against her. Babylon will be captured from there.
Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed.
10 Chaldea will become plunder. All those who plunder it will be satisfied—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
11 You rejoice, you celebrate the plundering of my inheritance;
you jump around like a calf stamping in its pasture;
you neigh like a powerful horse.
12 So your mother will be greatly ashamed; the one who bore you will be embarrassed.
See, she will be the least of nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
13 Because of Yahweh’s anger, Babylon will not be inhabited, but will be a complete devastation.
Everyone who passes by will shudder because of Babylon and will hiss because all of its wounds.
14 Arrange yourselves against Babylon all around her. Everyone who bends a bow must shoot at her.
Do not keep back any of your arrows, for she has sinned against Yahweh.
15 Raise a shout against her all around! She has surrendered; her towers have fallen;
her walls are torn down, for this is Yahweh’s vengeance.
Take vengeance on her! Do to her just as she has done!
16 Destroy both the farmer who sows seed and the one who uses a sickle at the time of harvest in Babylon.
Let each person turn back to his own people from the oppressor’s sword; let them flee to their own land.
17 Israel is a sheep scattered and driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him;
then after this, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon broke his bones. 18 Therefore Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says this: See, I am about to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.
19 I will restore Israel to his homeland; he will graze on Carmel and Bashan.
Then he will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In those days and at that time, says Yahweh, iniquity will be looked for in Israel,
but none will be found. I will inquire about the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant that I spare.”
21 “Arise against the land of Merathaim, against it and the ones inhabiting Pekod.
Put them to the sword and set them apart for destruction—this is Yahweh’s declaration—do everything that I am commanding you.
22 The sounds of battle and enormous destruction are in the land.
23 How the hammer of all the lands has been cut apart and destroyed.
How Babylon has become a destroyed place among the nations.
24 I have set a trap for you and you were taken, Babylon, and you did not know it!
You were found and captured, because you opposed Yahweh.
25 Yahweh has opened his armory and is bringing out the weapons for carrying out his anger.
There is work for the Lord Yahweh of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Attack her from far away. Open her granaries and pile her up like heaps of grain.
Set her apart for destruction. Leave no remnant of her.
27 Kill all her bulls. Send them down to the place of slaughter.
Woe to them, for their day has come—the time for their punishment.
28 There is the sound of those fleeing, of those who are survivors, from the land of Babylon.
These will report the vengeance of Yahweh our God for Zion, and vengeance for his temple.”
29 “Summon the archers against Babylon—all those who bend their bows.
Camp against her, and let no one escape.
Repay her for what she has done.
Do to her by the measure she has used.
For she had defied Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.
30 So her young men will fall in the city squares,
and all her fighting men will be destroyed on that day—
this is Yahweh’s declaration.”
31 “See, I am against you, proud one—this is the declaration of the Lord Yahweh of hosts—
for your day has come, proud one, the time when I will punish you.
32 So the proud ones will stumble and fall. No one will raise them up.
I will light a fire in their cities; it will devour everything around him.
33 Yahweh of hosts says this: The people of Israel are oppressed, together with the people of Judah.
All the ones who captured them still hold them; they refuse to let them go.
34 The one who rescues them is strong. Yahweh of hosts is his name. He will truly plead their case,
in order to bring rest to the land, and to bring strife to the ones inhabiting Babylon.
35 A sword is against the Chaldeans—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
and against the inhabitants of Babylon, her leaders, and her wise men.
36 A sword against those who say empty words! They will become fools!
A sword against her soldiers! They will be filled with terror.
37 A sword is coming against their horses, their chariots and all of the people who are in the midst of Babylon,
so they will become like women. A sword is coming against her storerooms, and they will be plundered.
38 A drought is coming on her waters, so they will become dry.
For she is a land of worthless idols, and they act like people made insane by their dreadful idols.
39 So desert beasts with the jackals will inhabit there, and the young of ostriches will live in her.
For all time, she will no longer be inhabited. From generation to generation, she will not be lived in.
40 Just as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
no one will live there; no person will stay in her.”
41 “See, a people is coming from the north;
a great nation and many kings
are being stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth.
42 They will pick up bows and spears. They are cruel and have no compassion.
Their sound is like the sea roar,
and they are riding on horses,
set out in order as men for battle, against you,
daughter of Babylon.
43 The king of Babylon heard the reports about them and his hands fell limp in distress.
Anguish seized him like a woman giving birth.
44 Behold! He goes up like a lion from the heights of the Jordan to the enduring grazing place
For I will quickly cause them to run from it, and I will put someone who will be chosen in charge of it.
For who is like me, and who will summon me? What shepherd is able to resist me?
45 So listen to the plans that Yahweh has decided against Babylon,
the plans that he has planned against the land of the Chaldeans. They will certainly be dragged away,
even the smallest flock. Their pasturelands will be turned into ruined places.
46 At the sound of conquered Babylon the earth shakes, and their shout of distress is heard among the nations.”
Chapter 51
1 “Yahweh says this: See, I am about to stir up a wind of destruction against Babylon
and against those who live in Leb Kamai.
2 I will send foreigners to Babylon. They will scatter her and devastate her land,
for they will come against her from all around on the day of disaster.
3 Do not let the archers bend their bows; do not let them put on armor.
Do not spare her young men; set her whole army apart for destruction.
4 For the wounded people will fall in the land of the Chaldeans; those who are killed will fall in her streets.
5 For Israel and Judah are not forsaken by their God, by Yahweh of hosts,
although their land is filled with offenses committed against the Holy One of Israel.
6 Flee from the midst of Babylon; let each man save himself. Do not perish in her iniquity.
For it is the time of Yahweh’s vengeance. He will repay all of it to her.
7 Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of Yahweh that made all the world drunk;
nations drank her wine and became insane.
8 Babylon will fall suddenly and be destroyed.
Wail for her! Give her medicine for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
9 ‘We wished to heal Babylon, but she is not healed. Let us all leave her and go away,
to our own land. For her guilt reaches up to the heavens; it is piled up to the clouds.
10 Yahweh has declared our innocence. Come, let us tell in Zion
the deeds of Yahweh our God.’
11 Sharpen the arrows and take up the shields. Yahweh is stirring up
the spirit of the king of the Medes in a plan to destroy Babylon.
This is for Yahweh’s vengeance, vengeance for the destruction of his temple.
12 Lift up a banner over Babylon’s walls; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes;
for the LORD will do what he has said concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
13 You people who live by many streams of water, you people who are rich with treasures,
your end has come. The thread of your life is now cut short.
14 Yahweh of hosts has sworn by his own life, ‘I will fill you with men, like a swarm of locusts,
and they will raise a battle cry against you.’
15 He has made the earth by his power; he set in place the world by his wisdom.
By his understanding he stretched out the heavens.
16 When he thunders, there is the roar of waters in the heavens, for he brings up the mist from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for rain and sends out wind from his storehouses.
17 Every man has become ignorant, without knowledge. Every metalworker is put to shame by his idols.
For his cast images are frauds, and there is no life in them.
18 They are useless, the work of mockers; they will perish at the time of their punishment.
19 But God, the portion of Jacob, is not like these, for he is the molder of all things. Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
Yahweh of hosts is his name.
20 You are my war hammer, my weapon for battle.
With you I will smash nations and destroy kingdoms.
21 With you I will smash horses and their riders; with you I will smash chariots and their drivers.
22 With you I will smash each man and woman; with you I will smash the old and the young.
With you I will smash the young men and the virgin girls.
23 With you I will smash the shepherds and their flocks; with you I will smash the plowmen and their teams.
With you I will smash the governors and officials.
24 For in your sight I will pay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea
for all of the evil that they did in Zion—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
25 See, I am against you, mountain of destruction—this is Yahweh’s declaration—which destroys the whole earth.
I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the cliffs,
and make you a burned-out mountain.
26 So they will not take from you any stone to construct a building’s corner or foundation;
for you will become an everlasting devastation—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
27 Lift up a banner over the earth. Blow the trumpet over the nations. Call the nations to attack her:
Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a commander to attack her; bring up horses like swarming locusts.
28 Prepare the nations to attack her: The kings of the Medes and his governors,
all of his officials and all the lands under his rule.
29 For the land will shake and be in anguish, since Yahweh’s plans continue against Babylon,
to make the land of Babylon a wasteland where there is no inhabitant.
30 The soldiers in Babylon have stopped fighting; they stay in their strongholds.
Their strength has failed; they have become women—her homes are on fire, the bars of her gates are broken.
31 A messenger runs to proclaim to another messenger, and a runner tells another runner
to report to the king of Babylon that his city has been taken from end to end.
32 So the fords over the river are seized; the enemy is burning the reed marshes,
and Babylon’s fighting men are confused.
33 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor.
It is time to trample her down. In a little while the time of harvest will come to her.
34 ‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me,
he has driven me into confusion and has made me an empty pot.
Like a monster he has swallowed me,
he has filled his stomach with my delicious foods,
and then he has spit me out.’
35 The one who lives in Zion will say, ‘May the violence done to me and my flesh be on Babylon.’
Jerusalem will say, ‘May my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea.’
36 Therefore Yahweh says this: See, I am about to plead your case and bring about vengeance for you.
For I will dry up Babylon’s waters and make her springs run dry.
37 Babylon will become heaps of rubble, a den of jackals, a horror,
an object of hissing, where there are no inhabitants.
38 The Babylonians will roar together like young lions. They will growl like lion cubs.
39 When they become hot with greed, I will make a feast for them; I will make them drunk so they become happy,
and then sleep an unending sleep and not wake up—this is Yahweh’s declaration—
40 I will send them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.
41 How Babylon has been captured! So the praise of all the earth is seized.
How Babylon has become a ruined place among the nations.
42 The sea has come up over Babylon! She is covered with its roaring waves.
43 Her cities have become a desolation, a dry land and a wilderness,
a land that no one inhabits, and no human being passes through.
44 So I will punish Bel in Babylon; I will bring out from his mouth what he swallowed,
and the nations will no longer flow to him with their offerings. The walls of Babylon will fall.
45 Go out from her midst, my people. Let each of you save his own life from the fury of my wrath.
46 Do not let your hearts be timid or fear the news that is heard in the land,
for the news will come one year. After it in the next year there will be news,
and violence will be in the land. Ruler will be against ruler.
47 Therefore, see, days are coming when I will punish the carved idols of Babylon.
All of her land will be ashamed, and all of her slaughtered ones will fall in her midst.
48 Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them will rejoice over Babylon.
For destroyers will come for her from the north—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
49 As Babylon has made the killed of Israel fall,
so the killed of all her land will fall in Babylon.
50 Survivors of the sword, go away! Do not stay still.
Call Yahweh to mind from far away; let Jerusalem come to mind.
51 We are ashamed, for we have heard insults; reproach has covered our faces,
for foreigners have entered the holy places of Yahweh’s house.
52 Therefore, see, days are coming—this is Yahweh’s declaration—when I will punish her carved idols,
and the wounded people will groan in all of her land.
53 For even if Babylon went up to the heavens or fortified her highest fortresses,
destroyers would come from me to her—this is Yahweh’s declaration.
54 A shout of distress came from Babylon, a great collapse from the land of the Chaldeans.
55 For Yahweh is destroying Babylon. He is causing her loud voice to perish.
Their enemies roar like the waves of many waters; their noise becomes very strong.
56 For the destroyers have come against her—against Babylon!—and her warriors have been captured.
Their bows are broken, for Yahweh is the God of vengeance; he will surely carry out this repayment.
57 For I will make her princes, her sages, her officials, and her soldiers drunk,
and they will sleep in an unending sleep and never wake up—
this is the King’s declaration: Yahweh of hosts is his name.
58 Yahweh of hosts says this: The thick walls of Babylon will be completely demolished,
and her high gates will be burned.
Then the peoples coming to her aid will labor uselessly; everything that the nations try to do for her will be burned up.”
59 This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah
son of Mahseiah when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon
in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was a chief officer. 60 For Jeremiah had written in a scroll about all the disaster that was going to come on Babylon—all these words that were written about Babylon. 61 Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you go to Babylon, then you will see and you will read these words aloud. 62 Then you will say, ‘Yahweh, you yourself have declared that you would destroy this place, and that no man or animal will live in it, and it will be desolate forever.’ 63 Then when you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates. 64 Say, ‘Babylon will sink like this. It will not arise because of the disaster that I am sending against it, and they will fall.’” Jeremiah’s words end here.
Chapter 52
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal; she was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 2 He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh; he did everything that Jehoiakim had done. 3 Through Yahweh’s anger, all these events happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until he drove them from before himself. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4 It happened that in the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came with all his army against Jerusalem. They camped opposite it, and they built a siege wall around it. 5 So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah’s reign. 6 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 7 Then the city was broken into, and all the fighting men fled and went out of the city at night by the way of the gate that was between the two walls, by the king’s garden, although the Chaldeans were all around the city. So they went in the direction of the Arabah. 8 But the army of Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of the Jordan River valley near Jericho. All his army was scattered away from him. 9 They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he passed sentence on him. 10 The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his own eyes, and at Riblah he also slaughtered all the leaders of Judah. 11 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and brought him to Babylon. The king of Babylon put him in prison until the day of his death.
12 Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. He was the commander of the king’s bodyguards and a servant of the king of Babylon. 13 He burned the house of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; also every important building in the city he burned. 14 As for the walls around Jerusalem, all the army of the Babylonians who were with the commander of the bodyguards destroyed them. 15 As for the poorest people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen— Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguards, took some of them away into exile. 16 But Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguards, left some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
17 As for the bronze pillars that belonged to the house of Yahweh, and the stands, and the large bronze basin called “The Sea” that were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke them into pieces and carried all the bronze back to Babylon. 18 The pots, shovels, lamp trimmers, bowls, and all the utensils of bronze with which the priests had served in the temple—the Chaldeans took them all away. 19 The basins and the incense burners, the bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and basins that were made of gold, and those made of silver—the commander of the king’s guard took them away as well. 20 The two pillars, the large bronze basin known as “The Sea,” and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the stands, things that Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh, contained more bronze than could be weighed. 21 The pillars were eighteen cubits high each, and a line around each one measured twelve cubits. Each was four fingers thick and hollow. 22 A capital of bronze was on top of it. The capital was five cubits high, with latticework and pomegranates all around. It was all made of bronze. The other pillar and its pomegranates were the same as the first. 23 So there were ninety-six pomegranates on the capital’s sides, and one hundred pomegranates above the surrounding latticework.
24 The commander of the bodyguards took prisoner Seraiah, the high priest, together with Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three gatekeepers. 25 From the city he took prisoner an officer who was in charge of soldiers, and seven men of those who advised the king, who were still in the city. He also took prisoner the king’s army officer responsible for drafting men into the army, along with sixty important men from the land who were in the city. 26 Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. In this way, Judah went out of its land into exile.
28 These were the people who Nebuchadnezzar exiled: In the seventh year, 3, 023 Judeans. 29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he took 832 people from Jerusalem. 30 In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king’s bodyguards, exiled 745 Judean people. All the exiled people totaled 4, 600.
31 It happened later in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Awel-Marduk, king of Babylon released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. This happened in the year that Awel-Marduk began to reign. 32 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat more honorable than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 33 Awel-Marduk removed Jehoiachin’s prison clothes, and Jehoiachin ate regularly at the king’s table for the rest of his life, 34 and a regular food allowance was given to him every day for the rest of his life until his death.