Bible in 90 Days

²³ This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁴ “Haven’t you noticed what these people have been saying?—‘The Lord rejected the two families that he had chosen!’ They have contempt for my people and no longer consider them a nation. ²⁵ This is what the Lord says: ‘If I had not established my covenant for day and night and the laws that govern^[a] the heavens and earth, ²⁶ then I might reject the descendants^[b] of Jacob and my servant David by not taking some of his descendants as rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, I’ll restore their fortunes, and I’ll have compassion on them.’”

A Message to Zedekiah

34 This is^[c] the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord while king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his authority, along with all the people were fighting against Jerusalem and all its towns: ² “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Go and speak to king Zedekiah of Judah. Say to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Look, I’m giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will set it on fire. ³ You won’t escape from him. You will certainly be captured and given into his control.^[d] You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, he will speak to you face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’ ⁴ Yet, hear this message from the Lord, king Zedekiah of Judah. This is what the Lord says to you, ‘You won’t die by the sword. ⁵ You will die peacefully, and as they burned fires^[e] for your ancestors,^[f] the former kings who were before you, so they’ll burn fires^[g] for you, wailing, “Oh how terrible, your majesty!”’ For I’ve spoken the message,” declares the Lord.

⁶ Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all of this in Jerusalem to king Zedekiah of Judah, ⁷ while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah that were left, namely Lachish and Azekah. (They were the only fortified cities that remained among the cities of Judah.)

A Broken Agreement with Hebrew Servants

⁸ This is^[h] this message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem proclaiming release for them. ⁹ Each person was to set free his male and female slaves who were Hebrews, so that no Jewish person would enslave his brother.^{[i] 10} All the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant agreed^[j] that each would set his male and female slaves free so that they^[k] would not enslave them any longer. They obeyed and they released them. ¹¹ But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves that they had set free, and they forced them to become male and female slaves.

¹² Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ¹³ “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I made a covenant with your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. I told them: ¹⁴ “At the end of seven years, each of you is to set free your fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you and has served you for six years. You are to send him out from you with no further obligation.” But your ancestors didn’t obey me or pay attention.^{[l] 15} You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming release for one another, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name. ¹⁶ But then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves whom you had set free according to their desire, and you forced them to become male and female slaves.”’

¹⁷ “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You haven’t obeyed me by each of you proclaiming a release for your brothers and neighbors. Now I’m going to proclaim a release for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘a release^[m] to the sword, to plague, and to famine, and I’ll make you a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth. ¹⁸ I’ll give over the men who transgressed my covenant, who haven’t fulfilled the terms of the covenant that they made before me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts— ¹⁹ the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs,^[n] the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. ²⁰ I’ll give them to their enemies who are seeking to kill them, and their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land. ²¹ I’ll give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials into the domination of their enemies, to those^[o] who are seeking to kill them, and to^[p] the army of the king of Babylon that is coming against them. ²² Look, I’m in command of them,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I’ll bring them back to this city. They’ll capture it and burn it with fire, and I’ll turn the towns of Judah into desolate places without inhabitants.’”

The Example of the Rechabites

35 This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign^[q] of Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah: ² “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them. Bring them into the Lord’s Temple, to one of the offices, and offer them wine to drink.” ³ So I took Jeremiah’s son Jaazaniah (a descendant of Habazziniah), his brothers, all his sons, and the whole family of the Rechabites. ⁴ I brought them to the Lord’s Temple to the office of the descendants of Igdaliah’s son Hanan, the man of God, which was next to the office of the officials, and which was above the office of Shallum’s son Maaseiah, the keeper of the threshold.

⁵ I put containers full of wine and cups in front of the members of the Rechabite clan^[r] and told them, “Drink the wine!”

⁶ But they said, “We won’t drink wine, because our ancestor, Rechab’s son Jonadab commanded us: ‘You and your descendants are never to drink wine! ⁷ You aren’t to build houses, you aren’t to sow seeds, and you aren’t to plant vineyards, or own them. Instead, you are to live in tents all your lives,^[s] so you will enjoy a long life in the land where you reside.’^{[t] 8} We have obeyed everything that our ancestor, Rechab’s son Jonadab, commanded us. So we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters have drunk no wine all our lives,^{[u] 9} and have built no houses to live in. We don’t have vineyards, fields, or seed. ¹⁰ We have lived in tents. We have obeyed and have done everything that our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. ¹¹ Now when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come on! Let’s go to Jerusalem because of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of Aram. And now we’re living in Jerusalem.’”

¹² This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not accept correction by listening to what I say?” declares the Lord. ¹⁴ “But what Rechab’s son Jonadab commanded his sons about not drinking wine is observed, and they haven’t drunk wine until this day. Indeed, they obey the commands of their ancestor. But I’ve spoken to you again and again,^[v] and you haven’t obeyed me. ¹⁵ I’ve sent you all my servants, the prophets, sending them again and again.^[w] I’ve said, ‘Each of you turn from his evil behavior^[x] and make your deeds right. Don’t follow other gods to serve them. Then you will remain in the land that I gave to you and to your ancestors.’ But you haven’t paid attention^[y] and you haven’t obeyed me. ¹⁶ Indeed the descendants of Rechab’s son Jonadab have carried out the command of their ancestor that he gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.” ¹⁷ Therefore, this is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel says: “Look, I’m bringing on Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem all the disaster that I pronounced against them, because I spoke to them, but they didn’t listen, and I called out to them, but they didn’t answer.”’”

¹⁸ Then Jeremiah told the house of the Rechabites, “This is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you obeyed the commandment of your ancestor Jonadab, have observed all his commandments, and have done everything that he commanded you,’ ¹⁹ therefore, this is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Rechab’s son Jonadab won’t lack a descendant^[z] who serves me^[aa] always.’”

Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Temple

36 In the fourth year of the reign of^[ab] Josiah’s son King Jehoiakim of Judah, this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I’ve spoken to you about Israel, about Judah, and about all the nations, since I first spoke to you^[ac] in the time of Josiah until the present time. ³ Perhaps the house of Judah will hear about all the calamity that I’m planning to bring on them, and so each of them will turn from his wicked way and I’ll forgive their iniquities and sins.”

⁴ Jeremiah summoned Neriah’s son Baruch and at Jeremiah’s dictation, Baruch wrote on the scroll all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him.

⁵ Jeremiah instructed Baruch, “I’m confined and can’t go to the Lord’s Temple. ⁶ You go and read the words of the Lord that you wrote at my dictation from the scroll. Read them^[ad] to^[ae] the people at the Lord’s Temple on the fast day. Also read them to all the people of Judah who are coming from their towns. ⁷ Perhaps their pleas for help will come to the Lord’s attention, and each of them will turn from his evil lifestyle in light of the great anger and wrath that the Lord has declared against this people.” ⁸ So Neriah’s son Baruch did just as Jeremiah the prophet instructed him, reading the words of the Lord from the scroll at the Lord’s Temple.

⁹ In the ninth month of the fifth year of the reign of^[af] Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah, a fast was proclaimed in the Lord’s presence in Jerusalem for all the people of Jerusalem, as well as all the people who were coming from the towns of Judah. ¹⁰ Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll to^[ag] all the people at the Lord’s Temple. He did this^[ah] from the office of Shaphan’s son Gemariah the scribe, in the upper court at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s Temple.

Jeremiah’s Scroll Read in the Palace

¹¹ When Gemariah’s son Micaiah, the grandson of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, ¹² he went down to the palace, to the scribe’s office, where all the officials were sitting. Elishama the scribe, Shemaiah’s son Delaiah, Achbor’s son Elnathan, Shaphan’s son Gemariah, Hananiah’s son Zedekiah, and all the other officials were there. ¹³ Micaiah told them all the things that he had heard when Baruch read from the scroll to the people. ¹⁴ Then all the officials sent Nethaniah’s son Jehudi, (who was also the grandson of Shelemiah and Cushi’s great-grandson), to Baruch, who said, “Take the scroll that you read to^[ai] the people and come.” Neriah’s son Baruch took the scroll with him and went to them.

¹⁵ They told him, “Please sit down and read it to us.”^[aj] So Baruch read it to them. ¹⁶ When they heard all the words, they turned to one another in fear, saying to Baruch, “We must report all these things to the king.” ¹⁷ Then they asked Baruch, “Please tell us how you wrote all the words. Did Jeremiah dictate them all?”^[ak]

¹⁸ Baruch answered them, “Yes, Jeremiah dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in the scroll with ink.”

¹⁹ Then the officials told Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, both you and Jeremiah, and don’t let anyone know where you are.”

The King Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll

²⁰ The officials^[al] went to the king in the courtyard, but they deposited the scroll in the office of Elishama the scribe. Then they reported everything written on the scroll^[am] to the king. ²¹ The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the office of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi read it to the king^[an] and to all the officials who were standing beside the king. ²² The king was sitting in the winter palace in the ninth month and a stove^[ao] was burning in front of him.^{[ap] 23} As Jehudi would read three or four columns, the king^[aq] would cut it with a scribe’s knife and throw it into the fire which was in the stove, until all the scroll was burned^[ar] in the fire in the stove. ²⁴ The king and all his officials^[as] who were listening to these words were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments. ²⁵ Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. ²⁶ The king ordered his^[at] son Jerahmeel, Azriel’s son Seraiah, and Abdeel’s son Shelemiah to get Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord had hidden them.

Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll

²⁷ This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation: ²⁸ “Go back, take another scroll and write on it all the original^[au] words which were on the scroll that Jehoiakim, king of Judah, burned. ²⁹ Concerning Jehoiakim, king of Judah, you are to say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You burned this scroll, all the while saying, ‘Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon will definitely come, destroy this land, and eliminate both people and animals from it?’” ³⁰ Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim, king of Judah, “He will have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his corpse will be thrown out to rot during the heat of the day and the frost of the night. ³¹ I’ll punish him, his descendants, and his officials^[av] for their iniquity. I’ll bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the calamity about which I’ve warned them, but they would not listen.”’”

³² Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Neriah’s son Baruch the scribe. He wrote on it, at Jeremiah’s dictation, all the words of the book that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned in the fire. He also added to them many similar words.

Zedekiah Consults Jeremiah

37 Josiah’s son King Zedekiah reigned in place of Jehoiakim’s son Coniah,^[aw] whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had made king of the land of Judah. ² But neither he nor his officials nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that were spoken by^[ax] Jeremiah the prophet.

³ King Zedekiah sent Shelemiah’s son Jehucal and Maaseiah’s son Zephaniah the priest to Jeremiah the prophet, asking him, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.” ⁴ Now Jeremiah was still^[ay] going in and out among the people since he had not yet been put in prison. ⁵ Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

⁶ Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: ⁷ “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘This is what you are to say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, “Look, Pharaoh’s army that has come to help will go back to its own land of Egypt, ⁸ and then the Chaldeans will come back to fight against this city, to capture it, and burn it with fire.”’ ⁹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Don’t deceive yourselves by saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” ‘for they won’t go. ¹⁰ Indeed, even if you defeated the entire Chaldean army that is fighting against you, and they had only wounded men left in their tents, they would get up and burn this city with fire.’”’”

Jeremiah Arrested for Treason

¹¹ When the Chaldean army was leaving Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, ¹² Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin to take possession of his property^[az] there among the people. ¹³ He was in the Gate of Benjamin, and chief officer Irijah, Shelemiah’s son and the grandson of Hananiah, was there. He arrested Jeremiah the prophet, accusing him: “You are going over to the Chaldeans!”

¹⁴ Jeremiah said, “It’s a lie! I’m not going over to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah^[ba] would not listen to him, and he^[bb] arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. ¹⁵ The officials were angry with Jeremiah and beat him. They put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe because they had made it into a prison. ¹⁶ So Jeremiah came into the cells in the dungeon^[bc] and remained there for a long time.^[bd]

¹⁷ Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah^[be] and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house: “Is there a message from the Lord?”

Jeremiah said, “There is,” and then he said, “You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon.” ¹⁸ Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What offense have I committed against you, your officials, or these people that you have put me in prison? ¹⁹ Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, telling you: ‘The king of Babylon won’t come against you or against this land’? ²⁰ Now, please listen, your majesty,^[bf] and pay attention to what I’m asking you. Don’t make me go back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, so I don’t die there.”

²¹ So King Zedekiah gave the order, and they assigned Jeremiah to the courtyard of the guard. Each day they gave him a loaf of bread from the bakers’ street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Jeremiah is Arrested and Imprisoned

38 Mattan’s son Shephatiah, Pashhur’s son Gedaliah, Shelemiah’s son Jucal, and Malchijah’s son Pashhur heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people: ² “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, and by the plague, but the one who goes over to the Chaldeans will live. His life will be spared,^[bg] and he will live.’ ³ This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will surely be given to the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.’”

⁴ Then the officials told the king, “Let this man be put to death because he’s undermining the efforts^[bh] of the soldiers who remain in this city and that of all the people by speaking words like these to them. Indeed, this man is not seeking the well-being of this people, but rather their harm.”

⁵ King Zedekiah said, “Look, he’s in your hands, and the king can do nothing to you.” ⁶ So they threw Jeremiah into a cistern that belonged to the king’s son Malchijah and was located in the courtyard of the guard. When they let Jeremiah down with ropes, because there was no water in the cistern—only mud—Jeremiah sank into the mud.

Jeremiah Rescued from the Cistern

⁷ Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch^[bi] in the king’s house, heard that Jeremiah had been put in the cistern. The king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, ⁸ so Ebed-melech went out of the palace and spoke to the king: ⁹ “Your majesty,^[bj] these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the cistern. He will die where he is because of the famine since there is no more bread in the city.”

¹⁰ Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Ethiopian:^[bk] “Thirty men are at your disposal. Take them with you and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies.” ¹¹ So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the palace, underneath the storeroom. He took worn out rags and worn out clothes from there, and using ropes he lowered them down to Jeremiah in the cistern.

¹² Ebed-melech the Ethiopian told Jeremiah, “Put the worn out rags and clothes under your armpits under the ropes,” and Jeremiah did as he said.^{[bl] 13} They pulled Jeremiah with the ropes and brought him up from the cistern, but Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah Again Seeks Advice from Jeremiah

¹⁴ King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to him^[bm] at the third entrance to the Lord’s Temple. The king told Jeremiah, “I’m going to ask you something, and don’t hide anything from me.”

¹⁵ Jeremiah told Zedekiah, “When I tell you, you will surely put me to death, won’t you? And when I give you advice, you don’t listen to me.”

¹⁶ Then King Zedekiah, in secret, swore an oath to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who gave us this life to live, I won’t have you put to death, nor will I hand you over to these men who are seeking to kill you.”

¹⁷ So Jeremiah told Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you will immediately surrender^[bn] to the officers^[bo] of the king of Babylon, then you will live, and this city won’t be burned with fire. Both you and your family will live. ¹⁸ But if you don’t surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given to the Chaldeans, and they’ll burn it with fire. You won’t escape from their hands.’”

¹⁹ Then King Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “I’m afraid of the Judeans who have gone over to the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans^[bp] may turn me over to them,^[bq] and they may treat me harshly.”

²⁰ Jeremiah said, “They won’t turn you over. Obey the Lord in what I’m telling you, and it will go well for you and you will live. ²¹ But if you refuse to surrender,^[br] this is what the Lord has shown me: ²² Look, all the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon, and will say,

²³ “They’ll bring all your women and children out to the Chaldeans, and you won’t escape from their hand. Indeed, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.”

²⁴ Then Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “Don’t let anyone know about these words and you won’t die. ²⁵ If the officials hear that I’ve spoken with you, and they come to you and say,^[bs] ‘Tell us what you told the king, and what the king told you; don’t hide it from us, and we won’t put you to death,’ ²⁶ then you are to say to them, ‘I was presenting my request to the king that I not be taken back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

²⁷ When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he replied to them exactly as the king had ordered him.^[bt] So they stopped speaking with him because the conversation had not been overheard. ²⁸ Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem and the Capture of Zedekiah

39 This is how Jerusalem was captured:^[bu] In the tenth month of the ninth year of the reign of^[bv] Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. ² On the ninth day of the fourth month, in the eleventh year of the reign of^[bw] Zedekiah, the wall of^[bx] the city was breached. ³ All the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate, including^[by] Nergal-sarri-usur, governor^[bz] of Sinmagir,^[ca] Nabu-sarrussu-ukin the high official,^[cb] Nergal-sarri-user, the chief official,^[cc] and^[cd] all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night through the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls. Then he went out on the road toward the Arabah. ⁵ The Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. When they seized him they brought him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed judgment on him. ⁶ At Riblah, the king of Babylon executed Zedekiah’s sons right^[ce] before his eyes. He^[cf] also executed all the nobles of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze fetters to take him to Babylon.

⁸ The Chaldeans burned the palace and the houses of the people with fire, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the Babylonian guard, took into exile in Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar, and the rest of the people who remained. ¹⁰ Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who did not have anything, and he gave them vineyards and fields on that day.

Jeremiah’s Release from Prison

¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard: ¹² “Take him, look after him, and don’t do anything to harm him. Rather, do for him whatever he tells you.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, Nebushazban, the high official, Nergal-sar-ezer, the chief official, and all the officials of the king of Babylon sent for Jeremiah.^{[cg] 14} They sent for Jeremiah^[ch] and took^[ci] him from the courtyard of the guard. They handed him over to Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, to take him home. So he remained among the people.

Ebed-melech Rewarded

¹⁵ This message from the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was confined in the courtyard of the guard: ¹⁶ “Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian: ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Look, I’m going to fulfill my promise against this city for disaster rather than for good, and on that day it will happen before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I’ll deliver you on that day,” declares the Lord. “You won’t be given into the hands of the men you fear. ¹⁸ For I’ll surely deliver you, and you won’t fall by the sword. Your life will be spared^[cj] because you trusted me,” declares the Lord.’”

Jeremiah Chooses to Remain in Judah

40 This is^[ck] the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had released him from Ramah, when he was bound in chains, along with all the exiles from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken into exile in Babylon.

² The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and told him, “The Lord your God has predicted this disaster on this place. ³ And now the Lord has brought it about and has done just as he said. Because you people sinned against the Lord and didn’t obey him, this has happened to you. ⁴ Now, look, I’ve freed you today from the chains that were on your hands. If you want^[cl] to come with me to Babylon, come, and I’ll look after you. But if you don’t want^[cm] to come with me to Babylon, don’t.^[cn] Look, the whole land lies before you, so go wherever it seems good and right for you to go.”

⁵ When he still did not respond, Nebuzaradan said,^[co] “Return to Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and remain with him among the people—or go wherever it seems right for you to go.” Then the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a gift and sent him off. ⁶ Jeremiah came to Ahikam’s son Gedaliah at Mizpah, and he remained with him among the people who were left in the land.

Gedaliah and the Community in Judah

⁷ All the leaders of the forces who were in the field along with their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Ahikam’s son Gedaliah over the men, women, children, and the poor of the land who had not been taken into exile in Babylon. ⁸ Those who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah included Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, Jonathan, Kareah’s son Jonathan, Tanhumeth’s son Seraiah, Ephai’s sons from Netophah; and Jezaniah, the son of a man from Maacah. They came along with^[cp] their men.

⁹ Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men: “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Remain in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and things will go well for you. ¹⁰ As for me, I’ll remain at Mizpah to represent you before^[cq] the Chaldeans who come to us. As for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil. Put it in your containers and live in your cities that you have taken over.”

¹¹ All the Judeans who were in Moab, those with the people in Ammon, those in Edom, and those in all the other^[cr] countries also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah and that he had appointed Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, over them. ¹² So all the Judeans returned from all the countries where they had been scattered. They came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and they gathered wine and summer fruit in great abundance.

A Plot against Gedaliah

¹³ Kareah’s son Jonathan and all leaders of the forces who were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. ¹⁴ They told him, “Are you aware that Baalis, the king of the people of Ammon, has sent Nethaniah’s son Ishmael to take your life?” But Ahikam’s son Gedaliah did not believe them.

¹⁵ Then Kareah’s son Jonathan spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah: “Let me go kill Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, and no one will know. Why should he take your life? Otherwise^[cs] all the Judeans who have gathered around you will be scattered, and the remnant of Judah will perish.”

¹⁶ Ahikam’s son Gedaliah replied to Kareah’s son Jonathan, “Don’t do this! You’re lying about Ishmael!”

Gedaliah is Assassinated

41 In the seventh month, Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, the grandson of Elishama, a member of the royal family and one of the chief officers of the king, came to Ahikam’s son Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with ten men. While they were dining together there at Mizpah, ² Nethaniah’s son Ishmael and the ten men with him got up and killed Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, with swords and killed the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. ³ Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with him (that is, with Gedaliah) at Mizpah, along with the Chaldean soldiers who were found there.

⁴ Now on the day after Gedaliah was killed, when as yet no one knew about it,^{[ct] 5} eighty men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria came with their beards shaved, their clothes torn, and their bodies slashed. They had grain offerings and incense with them to present at the Lord’s Temple.

⁶ Nethaniah’s son Ishmael went out from Mizpah to meet them, crying as he went. As he met them he told them, “Come meet with Ahikam’s son Gedaliah.” ⁷ When they reached the middle of the city, Nethaniah’s son Ishmael and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.^[cu]

⁸ Ten men who were among^[cv] them told Ishmael, “Don’t kill us, because we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the field.” So Ishmael stopped and did not kill them or their companions. ⁹ Ishmael threw the bodies of the men he killed on account of Gedaliah into the cistern that King Asa had made for protection against^[cw] King Baasha of Israel. That is the same one Nethaniah’s son Ishmael filled with those he killed. ¹⁰ Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, including the king’s daughters and all the rest of the people in Mizpah over whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had appointed Ahikam’s son Gedaliah. Nethaniah’s son Ishmael took them captive and then set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

The Captives Rescued; Ishmael Escapes

¹¹ Kareah’s son Jonathan and all the military leaders who were with him heard about all the terrible things that Nethaniah’s son Ishmael had done. ¹² So they took all the men and went to fight Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, and they found him at the large pool that is at Gibeon. ¹³ When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Kareah’s son Jonathan and all the military leaders who were with him, they were glad. ¹⁴ All the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and went back to Kareah’s son Jonathan. ¹⁵ But Nethaniah’s son Ishmael and eight other^[cx] men escaped from Jonathan and went to the Ammonites. ¹⁶ Kareah’s son Jonathan and all the military leaders who were with him took all the rest of the people from Mizpah whom he had rescued^[cy] from Nethaniah’s son Ishmael after he had killed Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, including the young men, the soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs^[cz] whom he had rescued from Gibeon. ¹⁷ They traveled and then stopped at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt ¹⁸ because of the Chaldeans. They were afraid of the Chaldeans^[da] because Nethaniah’s son Ishmael had killed Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

Jeremiah Asked to Pray for the People

42 Then all the military leaders, Kareah’s son Jonathan, Hoshaiah’s son Jezaniah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah.^{[db] 2} They told Jeremiah the prophet, “Please listen to what we have to ask of you. Pray to the Lord your God for us and for all these survivors. Indeed, only a few of us remain out of many, as you can see.^{[dc] 3} Pray that the Lord your God may inform us as to how we should live^[dd] and what we should do.”

⁴ Jeremiah the prophet told them, “I’ve heard, and I’m going to pray to the Lord your God just as you have requested. Whatever the Lord answers, I’ll tell you. I won’t withhold anything from you.”

⁵ Then they told Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we don’t do everything that the Lord your God tells us through you.^{[de] 6} Whether it seems good or bad, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we send you, so it may go well for us. Indeed, we will obey the Lord our God.”

The Lord’s Answer through Jeremiah

⁷ At the end of ten days a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. ⁸ So he called Kareah’s son Jonathan, all the military leaders who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest. ⁹ He told them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says, to whom you sent me to take your request:

The Refugees Reject the Lord’s Instruction

43 When Jeremiah had finished telling all the people all the words that the Lord their God had sent him to tell them—that is, all these words— ² Hoshaiah’s son Azariah, Kareah’s son Johanan, and all the arrogant men told Jeremiah, “You’re lying! The Lord our God didn’t send you to say, ‘Don’t go to Egypt to settle there.’ ³ Indeed, Neriah’s son Baruch is inciting you against us in order to give us into the hands of the Chaldeans, to kill us, or to take us into exile to Babylon.”

⁴ So Kareah’s son Johanan, all the military leaders, and all the people did not obey the instructions given by^[dj] the Lord to remain in the land of Judah. ⁵ Kareah’s son Johanan and all the military leaders took the entire remnant of Judah that had returned from all the nations where they had been scattered to settle in the land of Judah— ⁶ the young men, the women, the children, the daughters of the king, and everyone whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Ahikam’s son Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, along with Jeremiah the prophet and Neriah’s son Baruch. ⁷ So they went into the land of Egypt, because they did not obey the Lord, and they travelled as far as Tahpanhes.^[dk]

Nebuchadnezzar’s Invasion of Egypt Predicted

⁸ Then this message from the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes: ⁹ “Take large stones in your hands, and, in the sight of the men of Judah, bury them in the mortar of the brickwork at the entrance of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes. ¹⁰ Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I’m going to send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I’ll take him and set his throne over these stones that I’ve buried, and he will spread his canopy over them. ¹¹ He will come and attack the land of Egypt—those meant for death will be put to death, those meant for captivity will be taken captive, and those meant for the sword will be put to the sword. ¹² He^[dl] will set fire to the temples^[dm] of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their idols^[dn] and take them captive. He will wrap himself with the land of Egypt like a shepherd wraps himself with a garment, and then he will leave from there in peace. ¹³ He will shatter the pillars of Heliopolis^[do] in the land of Egypt and will burn the temples of the gods of Egypt with fire.”’”

Jeremiah Warns the Refugees in Egypt

44 This is the message that came to Jeremiah for all the Judeans who were living in the land of Egypt, who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in the land of Pathros,^[dp] saying, ² “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen the disaster that I brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah. Look, they’re in ruins today, with no one living in them, ³ because of the^[dq] wickedness that they did, provoking me to anger by continuing to offer sacrifices and worship other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors had known. ⁴ Yet I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again,^[dr] saying, “Don’t do this repulsive thing that I hate.” ⁵ ‘But they didn’t listen or pay attention^[ds] by turning from their wickedness and not offering sacrifices to other gods. ⁶ My wrath and my anger were poured out, and they burned in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem so that they have become a ruin and a desolate place, as is the case today.’

⁷ “Now, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Why are you doing great harm to yourselves so as to cut off from Judah^[dt] man and woman, child and infant from you, leaving yourselves without a remnant? ⁸ And why have you provoked me to anger by the works of your hands,^[du] by offering sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to settle so that you cut yourselves off and become an object of ridicule and scorn among all the nations of the earth? ⁹ Have you forgotten the evil deeds of your ancestors, the evil deeds of the kings of Judah, the evil deeds of their^[dv] wives, your evil deeds, and the evil deeds of your wives, that they did in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰ To this day they haven’t humbled themselves, they haven’t shown reverence for the Lord,^[dw] and they haven’t lived according to my Law and my statutes that I set before them and before their ancestors.’

¹¹ “Therefore, this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Look, I’ve determined to bring disaster on you^[dx] and to cut off all Judah. ¹² I’ll take the remnant of Judah that determined to go to the land of Egypt to settle there, and all of them^[dy] will come to an end in the land of Egypt. They’ll fall by the sword, and they’ll come to an end by famine. They’ll become a curse, an object of horror, ridicule, and scorn. ¹³ I’ll punish those who live in the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem—with the sword, with famine, and with plague. ¹⁴ Of the remnant of Judah that came into the land of Egypt to settle there, no one will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah where they long to return and live.^[dz] Indeed, they won’t return, except for some^[ea] refugees.’”

The Refugees Refuse to Repent

¹⁵ Then all the men who knew that their wives were offering sacrifices to other gods and all the women who were standing by—a large group, including all the people who were living in the land of Egypt in Pathros—answered Jeremiah: ¹⁶ “As for the message that you reported to us in the name of the Lord, we won’t listen to you! ¹⁷ Rather, we will keep doing everything that we said we would^[eb] by offering sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven^[ec] and by pouring out liquid 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 had plenty of bread, things went well for us, and we didn’t experience disaster. ¹⁸ From the time we stopped offering sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out liquid offerings to her, we have lacked everything, and we have been consumed^[ed] by the sword and famine. ¹⁹ Indeed, we^[ee] are going to continue offering sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out liquid offerings to her. And do you think we have made^[ef] cakes to represent her or poured out liquid offerings for her without our husbands’ approval?”^[eg]

Final Judgment Proclaimed

²⁰ Then Jeremiah spoke a message to all the people, to the young men, to the women, and to all the people who were answering him: ²¹ “As for the sacrifices that you, your ancestors, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land offered in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, the Lord remembered them, did he not? And they came to his attention, did they not? ²² The Lord could no longer bear it because of your evil deeds and the repulsive things that you did. So your land has become a ruin and an object of horror and ridicule without an inhabitant, as is the case today. ²³ Because you offered sacrifices and sinned against the Lord, you didn’t obey the Lord and didn’t live according to his Law, his statutes, or his testimonies; therefore, this disaster has happened to you, as is the case today.”

²⁴ Then Jeremiah told all the people and all the women, “All you people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt, listen to this message from the Lord! ²⁵ This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and acted with your hands: “We will certainly carry through^[eh] on the vows that we vowed to offer sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pour out liquid offerings to her!” Go ahead, carry through on your vows, and diligently do what you vowed!’ ²⁶ But^[ei] listen to this message from the Lord, all you people of^[ej] Judah who are living in the land of Egypt. ‘Look, I’ve sworn by my great name’, says the Lord, ‘my name will no longer be invoked by the mouth of any person in the entire land of Egypt, as he says, “As surely as the Lord God^[ek] lives…”^[el]

²⁷ “‘Look, I’m watching over them to bring disaster rather than good. Every person of Judah in the land of Egypt will be brought to an end by the sword and by famine until they’re completely gone. ²⁸ The ones who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have come into the land of Egypt to settle will know whose message will stand, mine or theirs. ²⁹ This will be a sign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I’ll punish you in this place so that you may know that my words concerning disaster against you will surely stand.’

³⁰ This is what the Lord says: “Look, I’m going to give Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of his enemies and into the hands of those seeking his life, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who was seeking his life.”

God’s Message to Baruch

45 This is^[em] the message that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Neriah’s son Baruch, when in the fourth year of the reign of^[en] Josiah’s son King Jehoiakim of Judah had, at Jeremiah’s dictation, written these words in a scroll: ² “This is what the Lord God of Israel says to you, Baruch: ³ ‘You have said, “How terrible for me, for the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I’m weary with my groaning, and I haven’t found rest.”’ ⁴ Say this to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Look! What I’ve built I’m about to tear down, and what I’ve planted I’m about to pull up—and this will involve the entire land.” ⁵ Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t seek them. Indeed, I’m about to bring disaster on all flesh,’ declares the Lord, ‘but your life will be spared^[eo] wherever you go.’”

Prophecies against the Nations

46 This is^[ep] the message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

Prophecies against Egypt: Its Defeat at Carchemish

² To Egypt: Concerning the army of King Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, which was encamped by the Euphrates River at Carchemish and which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of the reign of^[eq] Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Conquest of Egypt

¹³ This is the message that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to conquer^[ew] the land of Egypt.

²⁵ The Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel says, “Look, I’m going to punish Amon of Thebes, Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods and its kings, Pharaoh, and those who trust in him. ²⁶ I’ll give them to those who are seeking their lives and to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers.^[fa] Then afterwards, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.

Israel will be Delivered

A Prophecy against the Philistines

47 This is^[fb] the message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh conquered Gaza. ² This is what the Lord says: