Bible in 90 Days
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families He had chosen.’(A) My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep My covenant with the day and with the night and fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,(B) 26 then I might also reject the seed of Jacob and of My servant David—not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore their fortunes[a] and have compassion on them.”(C)
Jeremiah’s Word to King Zedekiah
34 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,(D) all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control,(E) and all other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go, speak to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and tell him: This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon,(F) and he will burn it down. 3 As for you, you will not escape from his hand but are certain to be captured and handed over to him. You will meet the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak face to face;[b](G) you will go to Babylon.
4 “Yet hear the Lord’s word, Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die peacefully. There will be a burning ceremony for you just like the burning ceremonies for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you.(H) ‘Our king is dead!’[c] will be the lament for you, for I have spoken this word.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
6 So Jeremiah the prophet related all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem 7 while the king of Babylon’s army was attacking Jerusalem and all of Judah’s remaining cities—against Lachish and Azekah,(I) for they were the only ones left of Judah’s fortified cities.
The People and Their Slaves
8 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom(J) to them, 9 so each man would free his male and female Hebrew slaves and no one would enslave his Judean brother.(K) 10 All the officials and people who entered into covenant to free their male and female slaves—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and freed them. 11 Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had freed and forced them to become slaves again.
12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant(L) with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying: 14 At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself[d] to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must send him out free from you.(M) But your ancestors did not obey Me or pay any attention. 15 Today you repented and did what pleased Me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me(N) at the temple called by My name.(O) 16 But you have changed your minds(P) and profaned My name.(Q) Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been freed to go wherever they wanted, and you have again subjugated them to be your slaves.
17 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed Me by proclaiming freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. I hereby proclaim freedom for you”(R)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth’s kingdoms. 18 As for those who disobeyed My covenant,(S) not keeping the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat them like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.(T) 19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf 20 will be handed over to their enemies, to those who want to take their life. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.(U) 21 I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials over to their enemies, to those who want to take their lives, to the king of Babylon’s army that is withdrawing. 22 I am about to give the command”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down.(V) I will make Judah’s cities a desolation,(W) without inhabitant.”
The Rechabites’ Example
35 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim(X) son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them,(Y) and bring them to one of the chambers(Z) of the temple of the Lord to offer them a drink of wine.”
3 So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites— 4 and I brought them into the temple of the Lord to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God,(AA) who had a chamber near the officials’ chamber, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 I set jars filled with wine and some cups before the sons of the house of the Rechabites and said to them, “Drink wine!”
6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, for Jonadab,(AB) son of our ancestor Rechab, commanded: ‘You and your sons must never drink wine. 7 You must not build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Rather, you must live in tents your whole life, so you may live a long time on the soil where you stay as a temporary resident.’(AC) 8 We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, in all he commanded us. So we haven’t drunk wine our whole life—we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters. 9 We also have not built houses to live in and do not have vineyard, field, or seed. 10 But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done as our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. 11 However, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched into the land,(AD) we said: Come, let’s go into Jerusalem to get away from the Chaldean and Aramean armies. So we have been living in Jerusalem.”
12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go, say to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem: Will you not accept discipline(AE) by listening to My words?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 14 “The words of Jonadab, son of Rechab, have been carried out. He commanded his sons not to drink wine, and they have not drunk to this very day because they have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But I have spoken to you time and time again,[e](AF) and you have not obeyed Me! 15 Time and time again[f] I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: Turn, each one from his evil way of life,(AG) and correct your actions. Stop following other gods to serve them.(AH) Live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors. But you would not pay attention or obey Me.(AI) 16 Yes, the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab carried out their ancestor’s command he gave them, but these people have not obeyed Me. 17 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring to Judah and to all the residents of Jerusalem all the disaster I have pronounced against them because I have spoken to them, but they have not obeyed, and I have called to them, but they would not answer.”
18 Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: “This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your ancestor Jonadab and have kept all his commands and have done all that he commanded you, 19 this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to always stand before Me.’”(AJ)
Jeremiah Dictates a Scroll
36 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah,(AK) king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll,(AL) and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations from the time I first spoke to you during Josiah’s reign until today. 3 Perhaps when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their wrongdoing(AM) and their sin.”
4 So Jeremiah summoned Baruch(AN) son of Neriah. At Jeremiah’s dictation,[g] Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah. 5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am restricted;(AO) I cannot enter the temple of the Lord, 6 so you must go and read from the scroll—which you wrote at my dictation[h]—the words of the Lord in the hearing of the people at the temple of the Lord on a day of fasting. You must also read them in the hearing of all the Judeans who are coming from their cities. 7 Perhaps their petition will come before the Lord,(AP) and each one will turn from his evil way, for the anger and fury that the Lord has pronounced against this people are great.” 8 So Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet had commanded him. At the Lord’s temple he read the Lord’s words from the scroll.
Baruch Reads the Scroll
9 In the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month,(AQ) all the people of Jerusalem and all those coming in from Judah’s cities into Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.(AR) 10 Then at the Lord’s temple, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe,(AS) in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate(AT) of the Lord’s temple, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read Jeremiah’s words from the scroll.
11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace. All the officials were sitting there—Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor,(AU) Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 Micaiah reported to them all the words he had heard when Baruch read from the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent word to Baruch through Jehudi son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, saying, “Bring the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll and went to them. 15 They said to him, “Sit down and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing.
16 When they had heard all the words, they turned to each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must surely tell the king all these things.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us—how did you write all these words? At his dictation?”[i]
18 Baruch said to them, “At his dictation.[j] He recited all these words to me while I was writing on the scroll in ink.”
Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll
19 The officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide yourselves and tell no one where you are.” 20 Then they came to the king at the courtyard, having deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and reported everything in the hearing of the king. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi then read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing by the king. 22 Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters(AV) with a fire burning in front of him. 23 As soon as Jehudi would read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut the scroll[k] with a scribe’s knife and throw the columns into the blazing fire until the entire scroll was consumed by the fire in the brazier. 24 As they heard all these words, the king and all of his servants did not become terrified(AW) or tear their garments. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah had urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Then the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord had hidden them.
Jeremiah Dictates Another Scroll
27 After the king had burned the scroll with the words Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation,[l] the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll, and once again write on it the very words that were on the original scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned. 29 You are to proclaim concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: This is what the Lord says: You have burned the scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written on it:(AX) The king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and cause it to be without man or beast?’ 30 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne, and his corpse will be thrown out to be exposed to the heat of day and the frost of night.(AY) 31 I will punish him, his descendants, and his officers for their wrongdoing. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the disaster, which I warned them about but they did not listen.”
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at Jeremiah’s dictation[m] all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim,(AZ) Judah’s king, had burned in the fire. And many other words like them were added.
Jerusalem’s Last Days
37 Zedekiah son of Josiah(BA) reigned as king in the land of Judah(BB) in place of Jehoiachin[n](BC) son of Jehoiakim, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made him king. 2 He and his officers and the people of the land did not obey the words of the Lord(BD) that He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal(BE) son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah(BF) son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, requesting, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us!” 4 Jeremiah was going about his daily tasks[o] among the people, for they had not yet put him into the prison.(BG) 5 Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt,(BH) and when the Chaldeans, who were besieging Jerusalem, heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: This is what you will say to Judah’s king,(BI) who is sending you to inquire of Me: Watch: Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you,(BJ) is going to return to its own land of Egypt. 8 The Chaldeans will then return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it down.(BK) 9 This is what the Lord says: Don’t deceive yourselves by saying, ‘The Chaldeans will leave us for good,’ for they will not leave. 10 Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire Chaldean army that is fighting with you,(BL) and there remained among them only the badly wounded[p] men, each in his tent, they would get up and burn this city down.”
Jeremiah’s Imprisonment
11 When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there(BM) among the people. 13 But when he was at the Benjamin Gate,(BN) an officer of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, and he apprehended Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.”
14 “That’s a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!” Irijah would not listen to him but apprehended Jeremiah and took him to the officials. 15 The officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan(BO) the scribe, for it had been made into a prison. 16 So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon(BP) and stayed there many days.
Jeremiah Summoned by Zedekiah
17 King Zedekiah later sent for him and received him, and in his house privately asked him, “Is there a word from the Lord?”(BQ)
“There is,” Jeremiah responded, and he continued, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”(BR) 18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and this land’?(BS) 20 So now please listen, my lord the king. May my petition come before you.(BT) Don’t send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”
21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and Jeremiah was placed in the guard’s courtyard.(BU) He was given a loaf of bread each day from the baker’s street until all the bread was gone from the city. So Jeremiah remained in the guard’s courtyard.
Jeremiah Thrown into a Cistern
38 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal[q] son of Shelemiah,(BV) and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard the words Jeremiah was speaking to all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live. He will keep his life like the spoils of war and will live.’(BW) 3 This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will most certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon’s army,(BX) and he will capture it.’”
4 The officials then said to the king, “This man ought to die, because he is weakening the morale of the warriors who remain in this city and of all the people by speaking to them in this way. This man is not seeking the well-being of this people, but disaster.”(BY)
5 King Zedekiah said, “Here he is; he’s in your hands since the king can’t do anything against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the guard’s courtyard, lowering Jeremiah with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.(BZ)
7 But Ebed-melech, a Cushite court official employed in the king’s palace, heard Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,(CA) 8 Ebed-melech went from the king’s palace and spoke to the king: 9 “My lord the king, these men have been evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern where he will die from hunger, because there is no more bread in the city.”(CB)
10 So the king commanded Ebed-melech, the Cushite, “Take from here 30 men under your authority and pull Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies.”
11 So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went to the king’s palace to a place below the storehouse.[r] From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Place these old rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, but he continued to stay in the guard’s courtyard.
Zedekiah’s Final Meeting with Jeremiah
14 King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, “I am going to ask you something; don’t hide anything from me.”
15 Jeremiah replied to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, you will kill me, won’t you? Besides, if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.”
16 King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in private,(CC) “As the Lord lives, who has given us this life,(CD) I will not kill you or hand you over to these men who want to take your life.”
17 Jeremiah therefore said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If indeed you surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon,(CE) then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive. 18 But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be handed over to the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape from them.’”
19 But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am worried about the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans. They may hand me over to the Judeans to abuse me.”(CF)
20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the Lord in what I am telling you, so it may go well for you and you can live. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the verdict[s] that the Lord has shown me: 22 ‘All the women[t] who remain in the palace of Judah’s king will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon and will say:
Your trusted friends[u] misled[v] you
and overcame you.
Your feet sank into the mire,
and they deserted you.
23 All your wives and sons will be brought out to the Chaldeans.(CG) You yourself will not escape from them, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon and this city will burn down.’”
24 Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Don’t let anyone know about these things or you will die. 25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you(CH) and come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king; don’t hide anything from us and we won’t kill you. Also, what did the king say to you?’ 26 then you will tell them, ‘I was bringing before the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”(CI) 27 When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he reported the exact words to them the king had commanded, and they quit speaking with him because nothing had been heard. 28 Jeremiah remained in the guard’s courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured, and he was there when it happened.[w]
The Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon
39 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it. 2 In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into. 3 All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim[x] the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.
4 When he saw them, Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah.(CJ) 5 However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains[y] of Jericho, arrested him, and brought him to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there.
6 At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles. 7 Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon.(CK) 8 The Chaldeans next burned down the king’s palace and the people’s houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards,(CL) deported the rest of the people to Babylon—those who had remained in the city and those deserters who had defected to him along with the rest of the people who had remained. 10 However, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and he gave them vineyards and fields at that time.(CM)
Jeremiah Freed by Nebuchadnezzar
11 Speaking through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah, saying: 12 “Take him, look after him, and don’t let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says.” 13 Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon 14 had Jeremiah brought from the guard’s courtyard(CN) and turned him over to Gedaliah(CO) son of Ahikam,(CP) son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he settled among his own people.
15 Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard’s courtyard:(CQ) 16 “Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite:(CR) This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill My words for harm and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day. 17 But I will rescue you on that day”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and you will not be handed over to the men you fear. 18 Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will keep your life like the spoils of war.”(CS) This is the Lord’s declaration.
Jeremiah Stays in Judah
40 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, released him at Ramah.(CT) When he found him, he was bound in chains with all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster on this place,(CU) 3 and the Lord has fulfilled it. He has done just what He decreed. Because you people have sinned against the Lord(CV) and have not obeyed Him, this thing has happened. 4 Now pay attention: Today I am setting you free from the chains that were on your hands.(CW) If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther.[z] Look—the whole land is in front of you.(CX) Wherever it seems good and right for you to go, go there.” 5 When Jeremiah had not yet turned to go, Nebuzaradan said to him: “Return[aa] to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people or go wherever you want to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him a ration(CY) and a gift(CZ) and released him. 6 Jeremiah therefore went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah,(DA) and he stayed with him among the people who remained in the land.
Gedaliah Advises Peace
7 When all the commanders of the armies in the field—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and children from the poorest of the land who had not been deported to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The commanders included Ishmael(DB) son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.(DC) 10 As for me, I am going to live in Mizpah to represent[ab] you before the Chaldeans(DD) who come to us. As for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have captured.”
11 When all the Judeans in Moab(DE) and among the Ammonites and in(DF) Edom and in all the other lands(DG) also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them, 12 they all returned from all the places where they had been banished(DH) and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and harvested a great amount of wine and summer fruit.
13 Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and warned him, “Don’t you realize that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah(DI) to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan son of Kareah suggested to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah, “Let me go kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know it. Why should he kill you and scatter all of Judah that has gathered to you so that the remnant of Judah would perish?”(DJ)
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam responded to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do that! What you’re saying about Ishmael is a lie.”
Gedaliah Assassinated by Ishmael
41 In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with 10 men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. They ate a meal together there in Mizpah, 2 but then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the 10 men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword; he killed the one the king of Babylon had appointed in the land. 3 Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.(DK)
4 On the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, when no one knew yet, 5 80 men came from Shechem, Shiloh,(DL) and Samaria(DM) who had shaved their beards,(DN) torn their garments, and gashed themselves, and who were carrying grain and incense offerings to bring to the temple of the Lord.(DO) 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah came out of Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. When he encountered them, he said: “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam!” 7 But when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into[ac] a cistern.
8 However, there were 10 men among them who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he stopped and did not kill them along with their companions. 9 Now the cistern where Ishmael had thrown all the corpses of the men he had struck down was a large one[ad] that King Asa had made in the encounter with Baasha king of Israel.(DP) Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
10 Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah including the daughters of the king—all those who remained in Mizpah over whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.(DQ)
The Captives Rescued by Johanan
11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies(DR) with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done, 12 they took all their men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah and found him by the great pool in Gibeon.(DS) 13 When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced, 14 and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and rejoined Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites. 16 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him then took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam—men, soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom he brought back from Gibeon. 17 They left, stopping in Geruth Chimham,(DT) which is near Bethlehem, in order to make their way into Egypt, 18 away from the Chaldeans. For they feared them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed in the land.(DU)
The People Seek Jeremiah’s Counsel
42 Then all the commanders of the armies, along with Johanan son of Kareah,(DV) Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest,(DW) approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you;(DX) pray to the Lord your God on our behalf,(DY) on behalf of this entire remnant (for few of us remain out of the many,(DZ) as you can see with your own eyes), 3 that the Lord your God may tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.”
4 So Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. I will now pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and every word that the Lord answers you I will tell you; I won’t withhold a word from you.”(EA)
5 And they said to Jeremiah, “As for every word the Lord your God sends you to tell us, if we don’t act accordingly, may the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us.(EB) 6 Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you so that it may go well with us.(EC) We will certainly obey the voice of the Lord our God!”
Jeremiah’s Advice to Stay
7 Now at the end of 10 days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, 8 and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the armies who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.
9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord says, the God of Israel to whom you sent me to bring your petition before Him: 10 ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will rebuild and not demolish you,(ED) and I will plant and not uproot you, because I relent concerning the disaster(EE) that I have brought on you. 11 Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon(EF) whom you now fear; don’t be afraid of him’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘because I am with you to save you(EG) and deliver you from him. 12 I will grant you compassion,(EH) and he[ae] will have compassion on you and allow you to return to your own soil. 13 But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’(EI) so as not to obey the voice of the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, instead we’ll go to the land of Egypt(EJ) where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn(EK) or hunger for food, and we’ll live there,’ 15 then hear the word of the Lord, remnant of Judah! This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: If you are firmly resolved to go to Egypt(EL) and live there for a while, 16 then the sword(EM) you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine you are worried about will follow on your heels[af] there to Egypt, and you will die there. 17 All who resolve to go to Egypt to live there for a while will die by the sword, famine, and plague. They will have no one escape or survive from the disaster I will bring on them.’
18 “For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and fury were poured out on Jerusalem’s residents,(EN) so will My fury pour out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing, scorn,(EO) execration, and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’ 19 The Lord has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah: ‘Don’t go to Egypt.’ Know for certain that I have warned you today!(EP) 20 You have led your own selves astray because you are the ones who sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray to the Lord our God on our behalf, and as for all that the Lord our God says, tell it to us, and we’ll act accordingly.’ 21 For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in everything He has sent me to tell you. 22 Now therefore, know for certain that by the sword, famine, and plague you will die in the place where you desired to go to live for a while.”
Jeremiah’s Counsel Rejected
43 When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God—all these words the Lord their God had sent him to give them— 2 then Azariah[ag] son of Hoshaiah,(EQ) Johanan son of Kareah, and all the other arrogant men responded to Jeremiah, “You are speaking a lie! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to live there for a while!’ 3 Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans to put us to death or to deport us to Babylon!”
4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies did not obey the voice of the Lord to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies took the whole remnant of Judah,(ER) those who had returned from all the nations where they had been banished to live in the land of Judah for a while— 6 the men, women, children, king’s daughters, and everyone whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had allowed to remain with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan,(ES) along with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah— 7 and they went to the land of Egypt because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. They went as far as Tahpanhes.(ET)
God’s Sign to the People in Egypt
8 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes: 9 “Pick up some large stones and set them in the mortar of the brick pavement that is at the opening of Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes. Do this in the sight of the Judean men 10 and tell them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will place his throne on these stones that I have embedded, and he will pitch his pavilion over them. 11 He will come and strike down the land of Egypt(EU)—those destined for death, to death; those destined for captivity, to captivity; and those destined for the sword,(EV) to the sword. 12 I[ah] will kindle a fire in the temples of Egypt’s gods,(EW) and he will burn them and take them prisoner. He will clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks lice off[ai] his garment,(EX) and he will leave there unscathed. 13 He will smash the sacred pillars of the sun temple[aj][ak] in the land of Egypt and burn down the temples of the Egyptian gods.”
God’s Judgment against His People in Egypt
44 This is the word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt—at Migdol,(EY) Tahpanhes,(EZ) Memphis,(FA) and in the land of Pathros:(FB) 2 “This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disaster I brought against Jerusalem and all Judah’s cities; look, they are a ruin today without an inhabitant in them 3 because of their evil ways that provoked Me to anger,(FC) going and burning incense to serve other gods(FD) that they, you, and your fathers did not know. 4 So I sent you all My servants the prophets time and time again,[al] saying: Don’t do this detestable thing that I hate. 5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their evil or stop burning incense to other gods. 6 So My fierce wrath poured out and burned in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets(FE) so that they became the desolate ruin they are today.
7 “So now, this is what the Lord, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves? You are cutting off man and woman, child and infant(FF) from Judah, leaving yourselves without a remnant. 8 You are provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands. You are burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to live for a while. As a result, you will be cut off and become an object of cursing and insult among all the nations of earth.(FG) 9 Have you forgotten the evils of your fathers, the evils of Judah’s kings, the evils of their wives, your own evils, and the evils of your wives that were committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10 They have not become humble to this day, and they have not feared or followed My instruction or My statutes that I set before you and your ancestors.
11 “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you to bring disaster,(FH) to cut off all Judah. 12 And I will take away the remnant of Judah,(FI) those who have resolved to go to the land of Egypt to live there for a while; they will meet their end. All of them in the land of Egypt will fall by the sword; they will meet their end by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by the sword and by famine. Then they will become an object of cursing, scorn,(FJ) execration, and disgrace. 13 I will punish those living in the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem by sword, famine, and plague. 14 Then the remnant of Judah—those going to live for a while there in the land of Egypt—will have no fugitive or survivor to return to the land of Judah where they are longing[am] to return to live,(FK) for they will not return except for a few fugitives.”
The People’s Stubborn Response
15 However, all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, all the women standing by—a great assembly—and all the people who were living in the land of Egypt at Pathros answered Jeremiah, 16 “As for the word you spoke to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you! 17 Instead, we will do everything we said we would: burn incense to the queen of heaven[an] and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities(FL) and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food and good things and saw no disaster, 18 but from the time we ceased to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to offer her drink offerings, we have lacked everything, and through sword and famine we have met our end.”
19 And the women said,[ao] “When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it apart from our husbands’ knowledge(FM) that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”
20 But Jeremiah responded to all the people—the men, women, and all the people who were answering him: 21 “As for the incense you burned in Judah’s cities(FN) and in Jerusalem’s streets—you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land—did the Lord not remember them? He brought this to mind. 22 The Lord can no longer bear your evil deeds and the detestable acts you have committed, so your land has become a waste, a desolation, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as you see today. 23 Because you burned incense and sinned against the Lord and didn’t obey the Lord’s voice(FO) and didn’t follow His instruction, His statutes, and His testimonies, this disaster has come to you, as you see today.”
24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt.(FP) 25 This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for you and your wives, you women have spoken with your mouths, and you men fulfilled it by your deeds, saying, “We will keep our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings for her.” Go ahead, confirm your vows! Pay your vows!’
26 “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, all you Judeans who live in the land of Egypt: ‘I have sworn by My great name,(FQ) says Yahweh, that My name will never again be invoked by anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt,(FR) saying, “As the Lord God lives.” 27 I am watching over them for disaster and not for good,(FS) and every man of Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine until they are finished off. 28 Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah only few in number,(FT) and the whole remnant of Judah, the ones going to the land of Egypt to live there for a while, will know whose word stands, Mine or theirs! 29 This will be a sign to you’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘that I am about to punish you in this place, so you may know that My words of disaster concerning you will certainly come to pass.(FU) 30 This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand over Pharaoh Hophra,(FV) Egypt’s king, to his enemies, to those who want to take his life, just as I handed over Judah’s King Zedekiah(FW) to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, who was his enemy, the one who wanted to take his life.’”
The Lord’s Message to Baruch
45 This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch son of Neriah(FX) when he wrote these words on a scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation[ap](FY) in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:(FZ) 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 ‘You have said, “Woe is me, because the Lord has added misery to my pain! I am worn out with[aq] groaning and have found no rest.”’(GA)
4 “This is what you are to say to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: What I have built I am about to demolish, and what I have planted I am about to uproot(GB)—the whole land! 5 But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I am about to bring disaster on every living creature’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘but I will grant you your life like the spoils of war(GC) wherever you go.’”
Prophecies Against the Nations
46 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations:(GD)
Prophecies against Egypt
2 About Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco, Egypt’s king,(GE) which was defeated at Carchemish(GF) on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Judah’s King Jehoiakim son of Josiah:(GG)
3 Deploy small shields(GH) and large;
draw near for battle!
4 Harness the horses;
mount the steeds;[ar]
take your positions with helmets on!
Polish the lances;
put on armor!(GI)
5 Why have I seen this?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are crushed,
they flee headlong,
they never look back,
terror is on every side!(GJ)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
6 The swift cannot flee,
and the warrior cannot escape!
In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River,
they stumble and fall.(GK)
7 Who is this, rising like the Nile,(GL)
like rivers whose waters churn?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
and its waters churn like rivers.
He boasts, “I will go up, I will cover the earth;
I will destroy cities with their residents.”
9 Rise up, you cavalry!
Race furiously, you chariots!
Let the warriors go out—
Cush and Put,(GM)
who are able to handle shields,
and the Ludim,(GN)
who are able to handle and string the bow.(GO)
10 That day belongs to the Lord, the God of Hosts,
a day of vengeance to avenge Himself
against His adversaries.
The sword will devour and be satisfied;
it will drink its fill of their blood,
because it will be a sacrifice(GP) to the Lord, the God of Hosts,
in the northern land by the Euphrates River.
11 Go up to Gilead and get balm,(GQ)
Virgin Daughter Egypt!
You have multiplied remedies in vain;
there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your dishonor,(GR)
and your outcry fills the earth,
because warrior stumbles against warrior
and together both of them have fallen.
13 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt:(GS)
14 Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol!(GT)
Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes!
Say: Take positions! Prepare yourself,
for the sword devours all around you.(GU)
15 Why have your strong ones been swept away?
Each has not stood,
for the Lord has thrust him down.
16 He continues to stumble.(GV)
Indeed, each falls over the other.
They say, “Get up! Let’s return to our people
and to the land of our birth,
away from the sword that oppresses.”(GW)
17 There they will cry out,
“Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise;
he let the opportune moment pass.”
18 As I live—
this is the King’s declaration;
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.(GX)
He will come like Tabor among the mountains
and like Carmel by the sea.
19 Get your bags ready for exile,
inhabitant of Daughter Egypt!(GY)
For Memphis will become a desolation,
uninhabited ruins.
20 Egypt is a beautiful young cow,(GZ)
but a horsefly from the north is coming against her.[as](HA)
21 Even her mercenaries among her
are like stall-fed calves.
They too will turn back;
together they will flee;
they will not take their stand,
for the day of their calamity is coming on them,
the time of their punishment.(HB)
22 Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake,[at]
for the enemy will come with an army;
with axes they will come against her
like those who cut trees.(HC)
23 They will cut down her forest—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
though it is dense,
for they are more numerous than locusts;
they cannot be counted.(HD)
24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
handed over to a northern people.(HE)
25 The Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes,(HF) along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings—Pharaoh and those trusting in him. 26 I will hand them over to those who want to take their lives(HG)—to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But after this,(HH) it will be inhabited again as in ancient times.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Reassurance for Israel
27 But you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid,(HI)
and do not be discouraged, Israel,
for without fail I will save you from far away
and your descendants, from the land of their captivity!
Jacob will return and have calm and quiet
with no one to frighten him.
28 And you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
for I will be with you.(HJ)
I will bring destruction on all the nations
where I have banished you,
but I will not bring destruction on you.
I will discipline you with justice,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.(HK)
Prophecies against the Philistines
47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines(HL) before Pharaoh defeated Gaza.(HM) 2 This is what the Lord says:
Look, waters are rising from the north
and becoming an overflowing wadi.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,(HN)
the cities and their inhabitants.
The people will cry out,
and every inhabitant of the land will wail.
3 At the sound of the stomping hooves of his stallions,(HO)
the rumbling of his chariots,
and the clatter of their wheels,(HP)
fathers will not turn back for their sons,
because they will be utterly helpless[au]
4 on account of the day that is coming
to destroy all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
every remaining ally.(HQ)
Indeed, the Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,
the remnant of the islands of Caphtor.[av](HR)
5 Baldness is coming to Gaza.(HS)
Ashkelon will become silent,(HT)
a remnant of their valley.
How long will you gash yourself?
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