Jeremiah
Introduction
The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the kingdom of Judah for forty years – from the end of the Assyrian period until Judah was destroyed by Babylon. The book mixes sermons, prophetic oracles, and biographical narratives of Jeremiah’s experiences during the last years of the Judean kingdom. We are given an intimate look into the prophet’s own heart as he brings God’s message to his fellow Judeans, who reject him and even conspire to kill him.
The book begins and ends with historical references to the event Jeremiah was best known for predicting: the fall of Jerusalem. The four main parts generally consist (in order) of oracles, narratives (two sections), and then oracles. Significantly, each of these four parts ends with a reference to Jeremiah’s words being written in a book or scroll. A long poetic oracle is inserted in the middle narrative of the book. So Jeremiah’s prophecies appear at the beginning, middle and end of the book, highlighting their importance. The middle oracle, promising a new covenant designed to change the human heart, is shown to be the most important of all. God will do more than simply punish evil – he will overcome it with good.
The book of Jeremiah carries us to and fro in place and time as we turn its pages, yet its themes are consistent. The message of judgment for wrongdoing is followed by the restorative power of forgiveness and new life:
Chapter 1
1The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2The word of the
The call of Jeremiah
4The word of the
5‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’
6‘Alas, Sovereign
7But the
9Then the
11The word of the
‘I see the branch of an almond tree,’ I replied.
12The
13The word of the
‘I see a pot that is boiling,’ I answered. ‘It is tilting towards us from the north.’
14The
‘Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.
16I will pronounce my judgments on my people
because of their wickedness in forsaking me,
in burning incense to other gods
and in worshipping what their hands have made.
17‘Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land – against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the
Chapter 2
Israel forsakes God
1The word of the
‘This is what the
‘ “I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,
through a land not sown.
3Israel was holy to the
the firstfruits of his harvest;
all who devoured her were held guilty,
and disaster overtook them,” ’
declares the
4Hear the word of the
all you clans of Israel.
5This is what the
‘What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6They did not ask, “Where is the
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and ravines,
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no-one travels and no-one lives?”
7I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8The priests did not ask,
“Where is the
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
9‘Therefore I bring charges against you again,’
declares the
‘And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols.
12Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,’
declares the
13‘My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15Lions have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste his land;
his towns are burned and deserted.
16Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skull.
17Have you not brought this on yourselves
by forsaking the
when he led you in the way?
18Now why go to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile?
And why go to Assyria
to drink water from the Euphrates?
19Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realise
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the
and have no awe of me,’
declares the Lord, the
20‘Long ago you broke off your yoke
and tore off your bonds;
you said, “I will not serve you!”
Indeed, on every high hill
and under every spreading tree
you lay down as a prostitute.
21I had planted you like a choice vine
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt, wild vine?
22Although you wash yourself with soap
and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,’
declares the Sovereign
23‘How can you say, “I am not defiled;
I have not run after the Baals”?
See how you behaved in the valley;
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running here and there,
24a wild donkey accustomed to the desert,
sniffing the wind in her craving –
in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
at mating time they will find her.
25Do not run until your feet are bare
and your throat is dry.
But you said, “It’s no use!
I love foreign gods,
and I must go after them.”
26‘As a thief is disgraced when he is caught,
so the people of Israel are disgraced –
they, their kings and their officials,
their priests and their prophets.
27They say to wood, “You are my father,”
and to stone, “You gave me birth.”
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces;
yet when they are in trouble, they say,
“Come and save us!”
28Where then are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them come if they can save you
when you are in trouble!
For you, Judah, have as many gods
as you have towns.
29‘Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me,’
declares the
30‘In vain I punished your people;
they did not respond to correction.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
like a ravenous lion.
31‘You of this generation, consider the word of the
‘Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, “We are free to roam;
we will come to you no more”?
32Does a young woman forget her jewellery,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34On your clothes is found
the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all this
35you say, “I am innocent;
he is not angry with me.”
But I will pass judgment on you
because you say, “I have not sinned.”
36Why do you go about so much,
changing your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt
as you were by Assyria.
37You will also leave that place
with your hands on your head,
for the
you will not be helped by them.
Chapter 3
1‘If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers –
would you now return to me?’
declares the
2‘Look up to the barren heights and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land
with your prostitution and wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withheld,
and no spring rains have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.
4Have you not just called to me:
“My Father, my friend from my youth,
5will you always be angry?
Will your wrath continue for ever?”
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.’
Unfaithful Israel
6During the reign of King Josiah, the
11The
‘ “Return, faithless Israel,” declares the
“I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,” declares the
“I will not be angry for ever.
13Only acknowledge your guilt –
you have rebelled against the
you have scattered your favours to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,” ’
declares the
14‘Return, faithless people,’ declares the
19‘I myself said,
‘ “How gladly would I treat you like my children
and give you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.”
I thought you would call me “Father”
and not turn away from following me.
20But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,’
declares the
21A cry is heard on the barren heights,
the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten the
22‘Return, faithless people;
I will cure you of backsliding.’
‘Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the
23Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the
is the salvation of Israel.
24From our youth shameful gods have consumed
the fruits of our ancestors’ labour –
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame,
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned against the
both we and our ancestors;
from our youth till this day
we have not obeyed the
Chapter 4
1‘If you, Israel, will return,’ declares the
‘then return to me.’
‘If you put your detestable idols out of my sight
and no longer go astray,
2and if in a truthful, just and righteous way
you swear, “As surely as the
then the nations will invoke blessings by him
and in him they will boast.’
3This is what the
‘Break up your unploughed ground
and do not sow among thorns.
4Circumcise yourselves to the
circumcise your hearts,
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done –
burn with no-one to quench it.
Disaster from the North
5‘Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say:
“Sound the trumpet throughout the land!”
Cry aloud and say:
“Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities!”
6Raise the signal to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster from the north,
even terrible destruction.’
7A lion has come out of his lair;
a destroyer of nations has set out.
He has left his place
to lay waste your land.
Your towns will lie in ruins
without inhabitant.
8So put on sackcloth,
lament and wail,
for the fierce anger of the
has not turned away from us.
9‘In that day,’ declares the
‘the king and the officials will lose heart,
the priests will be horrified,
and the prophets will be appalled.’
10Then I said, ‘Alas, Sovereign
11At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, ‘A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows towards my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; 12a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them.’
13Look! He advances like the clouds,
his chariots come like a whirlwind,
his horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe to us! We are ruined!
14Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved.
How long will you harbour wicked thoughts?
15A voice is announcing from Dan,
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16‘Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
“A besieging army is coming from a distant land,
raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
17They surround her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,” ’
declares the
18‘Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!’
19Oh, my anguish, my anguish!
I writhe in pain.
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds within me,
I cannot keep silent.
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;
I have heard the battle cry.
20Disaster follows disaster;
the whole land lies in ruins.
In an instant my tents are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment.
21How long must I see the battle standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22‘My people are fools;
they do not know me.
They are senseless children;
they have no understanding.
They are skilled in doing evil;
they know not how to do good.’
23I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty;
and at the heavens,
and their light was gone.
24I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;
all the hills were swaying.
25I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.
26I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;
all its towns lay in ruins
before the
27This is what the
‘The whole land will be ruined,
though I will not destroy it completely.
28Therefore the earth will mourn
and the heavens above grow dark,
because I have spoken and will not relent,
I have decided and will not turn back.’
29At the sound of horsemen and archers
every town takes to flight.
Some go into the thickets;
some climb up among the rocks.
All the towns are deserted;
no-one lives in them.
30What are you doing, you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers despise you;
they want to kill you.
31I hear a cry as of a woman in labour,
a groan as of one bearing her first child –
the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath,
stretching out her hands and saying,
‘Alas! I am fainting;
my life is given over to murderers.’
Chapter 5
Not one is upright
1‘Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive this city.
2Although they say, “As surely as the
still they are swearing falsely.’
3
You struck them, but they felt no pain;
you crushed them, but they refused correction.
They made their faces harder than stone
and refused to repent.
4I thought, ‘These are only the poor;
they are foolish,
for they do not know the way of the
the requirements of their God.
5So I will go to the leaders
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the
the requirements of their God.’
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds.
6Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them,
a wolf from the desert will ravage them,
a leopard will lie in wait near their towns
to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
and their backslidings many.
7‘Why should I forgive you?
Your children have forsaken me
and sworn by gods that are not gods.
I supplied all their needs,
yet they committed adultery
and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.
8They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.
9Should I not punish them for this?’
declares the
‘Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?
10‘Go through her vineyards and ravage them,
but do not destroy them completely.
Strip off her branches,
for these people do not belong to the
11The people of Israel and the people of Judah
have been utterly unfaithful to me,’
declares the
12They have lied about the
they said, ‘He will do nothing!
No harm will come to us;
we will never see sword or famine.
13The prophets are but wind
and the word is not in them;
so let what they say be done to them.’
14Therefore this is what the
‘Because the people have spoken these words,
I will make my words in your mouth a fire
and these people the wood it consumes.
15People of Israel,’ declares the
‘I am bringing a distant nation against you –
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16Their quivers are like an open grave;
all of them are mighty warriors.
17They will devour your harvests and food,
devour your sons and daughters;
they will devour your flocks and herds,
devour your vines and fig-trees.
With the sword they will destroy
the fortified cities in which you trust.
18‘Yet even in those days,’ declares the
20‘Announce this to the descendants of Jacob
and proclaim it in Judah:
21Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:
22Should you not fear me?’
declares the
‘Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they have turned aside and gone away.
24They do not say to themselves,
“Let us fear the
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.”
25Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.
26‘Among my people are the wicked
who lie in wait like men who snare birds
and like those who set traps to catch people.
27Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of deceit;
they have become rich and powerful
28and have grown fat and sleek.
Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
29Should I not punish them for this?’
declares the
‘Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?
30‘A horrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land:
31the prophets prophesy lies,
the priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?
Chapter 6
Jerusalem under siege
1‘Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet in Tekoa!
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster looms out of the north,
even terrible destruction.
2I will destroy Daughter Zion,
so beautiful and delicate.
3Shepherds with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents round her,
each tending his own portion.’
4‘Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon!
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
and the shadows of evening grow long.
5So arise, let us attack at night
and destroy her fortresses!’
6This is what the
‘Cut down the trees
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.
7As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you
and make your land desolate
so that no-one can live in it.’
9This is what the
‘Let them glean the remnant of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.’
10To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so that they cannot hear.
The word of the
they find no pleasure in it.
11But I am full of the wrath of the
and I cannot hold it in.
‘Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years.
12Their houses will be turned over to others,
together with their fields and their wives,
when I stretch out my hand
against those who live in the land,’
declares the
13‘From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practise deceit.
14They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.
15Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,’
says the
16This is what the
‘Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, “We will not walk in it.”
17I appointed watchmen over you and said,
“Listen to the sound of the trumpet!”
But you said, “We will not listen.”
18Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19Hear, you earth:
I am bringing disaster on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not listened to my words
and have rejected my law.
20What do I care about incense from Sheba
or sweet calamus from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;
your sacrifices do not please me.’
21Therefore this is what the
‘I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble over them;
neighbours and friends will perish.’
22This is what the
‘Look, an army is coming
from the land of the north;
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth.
23They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion.’
24We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp.
Anguish has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labour.
25Do not go out to the fields
or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
and there is terror on every side.
26Put on sackcloth, my people,
and roll in ashes;
mourn with bitter wailing
as for an only son,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.
27‘I have made you a tester of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28They are all hardened rebels,
going about to slander.
They are bronze and iron;
they all act corruptly.
29The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30They are called rejected silver,
because the
Chapter 7
False religion worthless
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the
‘ “Hear the word of the
9‘ “Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, ‘We are safe’ – safe to do all these detestable things? 11Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the
12‘ “Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. 13While you were doing all these things, declares the
16‘So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. 17Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger. 19But am I the one they are provoking? declares the
20‘ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign
21‘ “This is what the
27‘When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28Therefore say to them, “This is the nation that has not obeyed the
29‘ “Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the
The valley of slaughter
30‘ “The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the
Chapter 8
1‘ “At that time, declares the
Sin and punishment
4‘Say to them, “This is what the
‘ “When people fall down, do they not get up?
When someone turns away, do they not return?
5Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;
they refuse to return.
6I have listened attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent of their wickedness,
saying, ‘What have I done?’
Each pursues their own course
like a horse charging into battle.
7Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the
8‘ “How can you say, ‘We are wise,
for we have the law of the
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9The wise will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed and trapped.
Since they have rejected the word of the
what kind of wisdom do they have?
10Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practise deceit.
11They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace.
12Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,
says the
13‘ “I will take away their harvest,
declares the
There will be no grapes on the vine.
There will be no figs on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.
What I have given them
will be taken from them.” ’
14Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities
and perish there!
For the
and given us poisoned water to drink,
because we have sinned against him.
15We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
16The snorting of the enemy’s horses
is heard from Dan;
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.
They have come to devour
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17‘See, I will send venomous snakes among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,
and they will bite you,’
declares the
18You who are my Comforter in sorrow,
my heart is faint within me.
19Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:
‘Is the
Is her King no longer there?’
‘Why have they aroused my anger with their images,
with their worthless foreign idols?’
20‘The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.’
21Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
22Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?
Chapter 9
1Oh, that my head were a spring of water
and my eyes a fountain of tears!
I would weep day and night
for the slain of my people.
2Oh, that I had in the desert
a lodging place for travellers,
so that I might leave my people
and go away from them;
for they are all adulterers,
a crowd of unfaithful people.
3‘They make ready their tongue
like a bow, to shoot lies;
it is not by truth
that they triumph in the land.
They go from one sin to another;
they do not acknowledge me,’
declares the
4‘Beware of your friends;
do not trust anyone in your clan.
For every one of them is a deceiver,
and every friend a slanderer.
5Friend deceives friend,
and no-one speaks the truth.
They have taught their tongues to lie;
they weary themselves with sinning.
6You live in the midst of deception;
in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,’
declares the
7Therefore this is what the
‘See, I will refine and test them,
for what else can I do
because of the sin of my people?
8Their tongue is a deadly arrow;
it speaks deceitfully.
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbours,
but in their hearts they set traps for them.
9Should I not punish them for this?’
declares the
‘Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?’
10I will weep and wail for the mountains
and take up a lament concerning the wilderness grasslands.
They are desolate and untravelled,
and the lowing of cattle is not heard.
The birds have all fled
and the animals are gone.
11‘I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
a haunt of jackals;
and I will lay waste the towns of Judah
so that no-one can live there.’
12Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the
13The
17This is what the
‘Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come;
send for the most skilful of them.
18Let them come quickly
and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
and water streams from our eyelids.
19The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
“How ruined we are!
How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
because our houses are in ruins.” ’
20Now, you women, hear the word of the
open your ears to the words of his mouth.
Teach your daughters how to wail;
teach one another a lament.
21Death has climbed in through our windows
and has entered our fortresses;
it has removed the children from the streets
and the young men from the public squares.
22Say, ‘This is what the
‘ “Dead bodies will lie
like dung on the open field,
like cut corn behind the reaper,
with no-one to gather them.” ’
23This is what the
‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
24but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,’
declares the
25‘The days are coming,’ declares the
Chapter 10
God and idols
1Hear what the
‘Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it will not totter.
5Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good.’
6No-one is like you,
you are great,
and your name is mighty in power.
7Who should not fear you,
King of the nations?
This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
and in all their kingdoms,
there is no-one like you.
8They are all senseless and foolish;
they are taught by worthless wooden idols.
9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish
and gold from Uphaz.
What the craftsman and goldsmith have made
is then dressed in blue and purple –
all made by skilled workers.
10But the
he is the living God, the eternal King.
When he is angry, the earth trembles;
the nations cannot endure his wrath.
11‘Tell them this: “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” ’
12But God made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
14Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;
they have no breath in them.
15They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
16He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including Israel, the people of his inheritance –
the
Coming destruction
17Gather up your belongings to leave the land,
you who live under siege.
18For this is what the
‘At this time I will hurl out
those who live in this land;
I will bring distress on them
so that they may be captured.’
19Woe to me because of my injury!
My wound is incurable!
Yet I said to myself,
‘This is my sickness, and I must endure it.’
20My tent is destroyed;
all its ropes are snapped.
My children are gone from me and are no more;
no-one is left now to pitch my tent
or to set up my shelter.
21The shepherds are senseless
and do not enquire of the
so they do not prosper
and all their flock is scattered.
22Listen! The report is coming –
a great commotion from the land of the north!
It will make the towns of Judah desolate,
a haunt of jackals.
Jeremiah’s prayer
23
it is not for them to direct their steps.
24Discipline me,
not in your anger,
or you will reduce me to nothing.
25Pour out your wrath on the nations
that do not acknowledge you,
on the peoples who do not call on your name.
For they have devoured Jacob;
they have devoured him completely
and destroyed his homeland.
Chapter 11
The covenant is broken
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the
I answered, ‘Amen,
6The
9Then the
14‘Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.
15‘What is my beloved doing in my temple
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.’
16The
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,
and its branches will be broken.
17The
Plot against Jeremiah
18Because the
‘Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.’
20But you,
and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21‘Therefore this is what the
Chapter 12
Jeremiah’s complaint
1You are always righteous,
when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
2You have planted them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts.
3Yet you know me,
you see me and test my thoughts about you.
Drag them off like sheep to be butchered!
Set them apart for the day of slaughter!
4How long will the land lie parched
and the grass in every field be withered?
Because those who live in it are wicked,
the animals and birds have perished.
Moreover, the people are saying,
‘He will not see what happens to us.’
God’s answer
5‘If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?
6Your relatives, members of your own family –
even they have betrayed you;
they have raised a loud cry against you.
Do not trust them,
though they speak well of you.
7‘I will forsake my house,
abandon my inheritance;
I will give the one I love
into the hands of her enemies.
8My inheritance has become to me
like a lion in the forest.
She roars at me;
therefore I hate her.
9Has not my inheritance become to me
like a speckled bird of prey
that other birds of prey surround and attack?
Go and gather all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.
10Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.
11It will be made a wasteland,
parched and desolate before me;
the whole land will be laid waste
because there is no-one who cares.
12Over all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will swarm,
for the sword of the
from one end of the land to the other;
no-one will be safe.
13They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the
14This is what the
Chapter 13
A linen belt
1This is what the
3Then the word of the
6Many days later the
8Then the word of the
Wineskins
12‘Say to them: “This is what the
Threat of captivity
15Hear and pay attention,
do not be arrogant,
for the
16Give glory to the
before he brings the darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the darkening hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it to utter darkness
and change it to deep gloom.
17If you do not listen,
I will weep in secret
because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears,
because the
18Say to the king and to the queen mother,
‘Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns
will fall from your heads.’
19The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
and there will be no-one to open them.
All Judah will be carried into exile,
carried completely away.
20Look up and see
those who are coming from the north.
Where is the flock that was entrusted to you,
the sheep of which you boasted?
21What will you say when the
those you cultivated as your special allies?
Will not pain grip you
like that of a woman in labour?
22And if you ask yourself,
‘Why has this happened to me?’ –
it is because of your many sins
that your skirts have been torn off
and your body ill-treated.
23Can an Ethiopian change his skin
or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil.
24‘I will scatter you like chaff
driven by the desert wind.
25This is your lot,
the portion I have decreed for you,’ declares the
‘because you have forgotten me
and trusted in false gods.
26I will pull up your skirts over your face
that your shame may be seen –
27your adulteries and lustful neighings,
your shameless prostitution!
I have seen your detestable acts
on the hills and in the fields.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
How long will you be unclean?’
Chapter 14
Drought, famine, sword
1This is the word of the
2‘Judah mourns,
her cities languish;
they wail for the land,
and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
3The nobles send their servants for water;
they go to the cisterns
but find no water.
They return with their jars unfilled;
dismayed and despairing,
they cover their heads.
4The ground is cracked
because there is no rain in the land;
the farmers are dismayed
and cover their heads.
5Even the doe in the field
deserts her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights
and pant like jackals;
their eyes fail
for lack of food.’
7Although our sins testify against us,
do something,
For we have often rebelled;
we have sinned against you.
8You who are the hope of Israel,
its Saviour in times of distress,
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveller who stays only a night?
9Why are you like a man taken by surprise,
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us!
10This is what the
‘They greatly love to wander;
they do not restrain their feet.
So the
he will now remember their wickedness
and punish them for their sins.’
11Then the
13But I said, ‘Alas, Sovereign
14Then the
17‘Speak this word to them:
‘ “Let my eyes overflow with tears
night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin Daughter, my people,
has suffered a grievous wound,
a crushing blow.
18If I go into the country,
I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see the ravages of famine.
Both prophet and priest
have gone to a land they know not.” ’
19Have you rejected Judah completely?
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
so that we cannot be healed?
We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
20We acknowledge our wickedness,
and the guilt of our ancestors;
we have indeed sinned against you.
21For the sake of your name do not despise us;
do not dishonour your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us
and do not break it.
22Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you,
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.
Chapter 15
1Then the
‘ “Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;
those for starvation, to starvation;
those for captivity, to captivity.”
3‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ declares the
5‘Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?
Who will mourn for you?
Who will stop to ask how you are?
6You have rejected me,’
declares the
‘You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out and destroy you;
I am tired of holding back.
7I will winnow them with a winnowing fork
at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people,
for they have not changed their ways.
8I will make their widows more numerous
than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer
against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
anguish and terror.
9The mother of seven will grow faint
and breathe her last.
Her sun will set while it is still day;
she will be disgraced and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword
before their enemies,’
declares the
10Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,
a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!
I have neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me.
11The
‘Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose;
surely I will make your enemies plead with you
in times of disaster and times of distress.
12‘Can a man break iron –
iron from the north – or bronze?
13‘Your wealth and your treasures
I will give as plunder, without charge,
because of all your sins
throughout your country.
14I will enslave you to your enemies
in a land you do not know,
for my anger will kindle a fire
that will burn against you.’
15
remember me and care for me.
Avenge me on my persecutors.
You are long-suffering – do not take me away;
think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.
16When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
17I never sat in the company of revellers,
never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand was on me
and you had filled me with indignation.
18Why is my pain unending
and my wound grievous and incurable?
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
like a spring that fails.
19Therefore this is what the
‘If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them.
20I will make you a wall to this people,
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you
to rescue and save you,’
declares the
21‘I will save you from the hands of the wicked
and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.’
Chapter 16
Day of disaster
1Then the word of the
5For this is what the
8‘And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink. 9For this is what the
10‘When you tell these people all this and they ask you, “Why has the
14‘However, the days are coming,’ declares the
16‘But now I will send for many fishermen,’ declares the
19
my refuge in time of distress,
to you the nations will come
from the ends of the earth and say,
‘Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,
worthless idols that did them no good.
20Do people make their own gods?
Yes, but they are not gods!’
21‘Therefore I will teach them –
this time I will teach them
my power and might.
Then they will know
that my name is the
Chapter 17
1‘Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool,
inscribed with a flint point,
on the tablets of their hearts
and on the horns of their altars.
2Even their children remember
their altars and Asherah poles
beside the spreading trees
and on the high hills.
3My mountain in the land
and your wealth and all your treasures
I will give away as plunder,
together with your high places,
because of sin throughout your country.
4Through your own fault you will lose
the inheritance I gave you.
I will enslave you to your enemies
in a land you do not know,
for you have kindled my anger,
and it will burn for ever.’
5This is what the
‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the
6That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no-one lives.
7‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the
whose confidence is in him.
8They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.’
9The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
10‘I the
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.’
11Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay
are those who gain riches by unjust means.
When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them,
and in the end they will prove to be fools.
12A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,
is the place of our sanctuary.
13
all who forsake you will be put to shame.
Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust
because they have forsaken the
the spring of living water.
14Heal me,
save me and I shall be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
15They keep saying to me,
‘Where is the word of the
Let it now be fulfilled!’
16I have not run away from being your shepherd;
you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips is open before you.
17Do not be a terror to me;
you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction.
Keeping the Sabbath holy
19This is what the
Chapter 18
At the potter’s house
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the
5Then the word of the
11‘Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, “This is what the
13Therefore this is what the
‘Enquire among the nations:
who has ever heard anything like this?
A most horrible thing has been done
by Virgin Israel.
14Does the snow of Lebanon
ever vanish from its rocky slopes?
Do its cool waters from distant sources
ever stop flowing?
15Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to worthless idols,
which made them stumble in their ways,
in the ancient paths.
They made them walk in byways,
on roads not built up.
16Their land will be an object of horror
and of lasting scorn;
all who pass by will be appalled
and will shake their heads.
17Like a wind from the east,
I will scatter them before their enemies;
I will show them my back and not my face
in the day of their disaster.’
18They said, ‘Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.’
19Listen to me,
hear what my accusers are saying!
20Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you
and spoke on their behalf
to turn your wrath away from them.
21So give their children over to famine;
hand them over to the power of the sword.
Let their wives be made childless and widows;
let their men be put to death,
their young men slain by the sword in battle.
22Let a cry be heard from their houses
when you suddenly bring invaders against them,
for they have dug a pit to capture me
and have hidden snares for my feet.
23But you,
all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes
or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you;
deal with them in the time of your anger.
Chapter 19
1This is what the
7‘ “In this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, at the hands of those who want to kill them, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds and the wild animals. 8I will devastate this city and make it an object of horror and scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. 9I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh because their enemies will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.”
10‘Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, 11and say to them, “This is what the
14Jeremiah then returned from Topheth, where the
Chapter 20
Jeremiah and Pashhur
1When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the official in charge of the temple of the
Jeremiah’s complaint
7You deceived me,
you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me.
8Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the
insult and reproach all day long.
9But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,’
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.
10I hear many whispering,
‘Terror on every side!
Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!’
All my friends
are waiting for me to slip, saying,
‘Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail over him
and take our revenge on him.’
11But the
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonour will never be forgotten.
12
and probe the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
13Sing to the
Give praise to the
He rescues the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked.
14Cursed be the day I was born!
May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
15Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,
who made him very glad, saying,
‘A child is born to you – a son!’
16May that man be like the towns
the
May he hear wailing in the morning,
a battle cry at noon.
17For he did not kill me in the womb,
with my mother as my grave,
her womb enlarged for ever.
18Why did I ever come out of the womb
to see trouble and sorrow
and to end my days in shame?
Chapter 21
God rejects Zedekiah’s request
1The word came to Jeremiah from the
3But Jeremiah answered them, ‘Tell Zedekiah, 4“This is what the
8‘Furthermore, tell the people, “This is what the
11‘Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, “Hear the word of the
‘ “Administer justice every morning;
rescue from the hand of the oppressor
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done –
burn with no-one to quench it.
13I am against you, Jerusalem,
you who live above this valley
on the rocky plateau, declares the
you who say, ‘Who can come against us?
Who can enter our refuge?’
14I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the
I will kindle a fire in your forests
that will consume everything around you.” ’
Chapter 22
Judgment against wicked kings
1This is what the
6For this is what the
‘Though you are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
I will surely make you like a wasteland,
like towns not inhabited.
7I will send destroyers against you,
each man with his weapons,
and they will cut up your fine cedar beams
and throw them into the fire.
8‘People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, “Why has the
10Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss;
rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled,
because he will never return
nor see his native land again.
11For this is what the
13‘Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,
his upper rooms by injustice,
making his own people work for nothing,
not paying them for their labour.
14He says, “I will build myself a great palace
with spacious upper rooms.”
So he makes large windows in it,
panels it with cedar
and decorates it in red.
15‘Does it make you a king
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
16He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?’
declares the
17‘But your eyes and your heart
are set only on dishonest gain,
on shedding innocent blood
and on oppression and extortion.’
18Therefore this is what the
‘They will not mourn for him:
“Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!”
They will not mourn for him:
“Alas, my master! Alas, his splendour!”
19He will have the burial of a donkey –
dragged away and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem.’
20‘Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
let your voice be heard in Bashan,
cry out from Abarim,
for all your allies are crushed.
21I warned you when you felt secure,
but you said, “I will not listen!”
This has been your way from your youth;
you have not obeyed me.
22The wind will drive all your shepherds away,
and your allies will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced
because of all your wickedness.
23You who live in “Lebanon,”
who are nestled in cedar buildings,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
pain like that of a woman in labour!
24‘As surely as I live,’ declares the
28Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot,
an object no-one wants?
Why will he and his children be hurled out,
cast into a land they do not know?
29O land, land, land,
hear the word of the
30This is what the
‘Record this man as if childless,
a man who will not prosper in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring will prosper,
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule anymore in Judah.’
Chapter 23
The righteous Branch
1‘Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the
5‘The days are coming,’ declares the
‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
6In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The
7‘So then, the days are coming,’ declares the
Lying prophets
9Concerning the prophets:
My heart is broken within me;
all my bones tremble.
I am like a drunken man,
like a strong man overcome by wine,
because of the
and his holy words.
10The land is full of adulterers;
because of the curse the land lies parched
and the pastures in the wilderness are withered.
The prophets follow an evil course
and use their power unjustly.
11‘Both prophet and priest are godless;
even in my temple I find their wickedness,’
declares the
12‘Therefore their path will become slippery;
they will be banished to darkness
and there they will fall.
I will bring disaster on them
in the year they are punished,’
declares the
13‘Among the prophets of Samaria
I saw this repulsive thing:
they prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.
14And among the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen something horrible:
they commit adultery and live a lie.
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that not one of them turns from their wickedness.
They are all like Sodom to me;
the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.’
15Therefore this is what the
‘I will make them eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,
because from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness has spread throughout the land.’
16This is what the
‘Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions from their own minds,
not from the mouth of the
17They keep saying to those who despise me,
“The
And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts
they say, “No harm will come to you.”
18But which of them has stood in the council of the
to see or to hear his word?
Who has listened and heard his word?
19See, the storm of the
will burst out in wrath,
a whirlwind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
20The anger of the
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand it clearly.
21I did not send these prophets,
yet they have run with their message;
I did not speak to them,
yet they have prophesied.
22But if they had stood in my council,
they would have proclaimed my words to my people
and would have turned them from their evil ways
and from their evil deeds.
23‘Am I only a God nearby,’
declares the
‘and not a God far away?
24Who can hide in secret places
so that I cannot see them?’
declares the
‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’
declares the
25‘I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, “I had a dream! I had a dream!” 26How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. 28Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?’ declares the
30‘Therefore,’ declares the
False prophecy
33‘When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, “What is the message from the
Chapter 24
Two baskets of figs
1After Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the skilled workers and the craftsmen of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the
3Then the
‘Figs,’ I answered. ‘The good ones are very good, but the bad ones are so bad that they cannot be eaten.’
4Then the word of the
8‘ “But like the bad figs, which are so bad that they cannot be eaten,” says the
Chapter 25
Seventy years of captivity
1The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 2So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3For twenty-three years – from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day – the word of the
4And though the
7‘But you did not listen to me,’ declares the
8Therefore the
12‘But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,’ declares the
The cup of God’s wrath
15This is what the
18Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn, a curse – as they are today;
19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials and all his people, 20and all the foreign people there;
all the kings of Uz;
all the kings of the Philistines (those of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod);
21Edom, Moab and Ammon;
22all the kings of Tyre and Sidon;
the kings of the coastlands across the sea;
23Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who are in distant places;
24all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who live in the wilderness;
25all the kings of Zimri, Elam and Media;
26and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other – all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.
And after all of them, the king of Sheshak will drink it too.
27‘Then tell them, “This is what the
30‘Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
‘ “The
he will thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
31The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the
he will bring judgment on all mankind
and put the wicked to the sword,” ’
declares the
32This is what the
‘Look! Disaster is spreading
from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
from the ends of the earth.’
33At that time those slain by the
34Weep and wail, you shepherds;
roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered has come;
you will fall like the best of the rams.
35The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
the leaders of the flock no place to escape.
36Hear the cry of the shepherds,
the wailing of the leaders of the flock,
for the
37The peaceful meadows will be laid waste
because of the fierce anger of the
38Like a lion he will leave his lair,
and their land will become desolate
because of the sword of the oppressor
and because of the
Chapter 26
Jeremiah threatened with death
1Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the
7The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the
10When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the
12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: ‘The
16Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, ‘This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the
17Some of the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of people, 18‘Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, “This is what the
‘ “Zion will be ploughed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.”
19‘Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not Hezekiah fear the
20(Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the name of the
24Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Chapter 27
Judah to serve Nebuchadnezzar
1Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the
8‘ “ ‘If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the
12I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, ‘Bow your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and you will live. 13Why will you and your people die by the sword, famine and plague with which the
16Then I said to the priests and all these people, ‘This is what the
Chapter 28
The false prophet Hananiah
1In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the
5Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the
10Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11and he said before all the people, ‘This is what the
12After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the
15Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Listen, Hananiah! The
17In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.
Chapter 29
A letter to the exiles
1This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2(This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the craftsmen had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
4This is what the
10This is what the
15You may say, ‘The
20Therefore, hear the word of the
Message to Shemaiah
24Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite, 25‘This is what the
29Zephaniah the priest, however, read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30Then the word of the
Chapter 30
Restoration of Israel
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the
4These are the words the
‘ “Cries of fear are heard –
terror, not peace.
6Ask and see:
can a man bear children?
Then why do I see every strong man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labour,
every face turned deathly pale?
7How awful that day will be!
No other will be like it.
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.
8‘ “In that day,” declares the
“I will break the yoke off their necks
and will tear off their bonds;
no longer will foreigners enslave them.
9Instead, they will serve the
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.
10‘ “So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel,”
declares the
“I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no-one will make him afraid.
11I am with you and will save you,”
declares the
“Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
12‘This is what the
‘ “Your wound is incurable,
your injury beyond healing.
13There is no-one to plead your cause,
no remedy for your sore,
no healing for you.
14All your allies have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you.
I have struck you as an enemy would
and punished you as would the cruel,
because your guilt is so great
and your sins so many.
15Why do you cry out over your wound,
your pain that has no cure?
Because of your great guilt and many sins
I have done these things to you.
16‘ “But all who devour you will be devoured;
all your enemies will go into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered;
all who make spoil of you I will despoil.
17But I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,” declares the
“because you are called an outcast,
Zion for whom no-one cares.”
18‘This is what the
‘ “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents
and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
19From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honour,
and they will not be disdained.
20Their children will be as in days of old,
and their community will be established before me;
I will punish all who oppress them.
21Their leader will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them.
I will bring him near and he will come close to me –
for who is he who will devote himself
to be close to me?”
declares the
22“So you will be my people,
and I will be your God.” ’
23See, the storm of the
will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down
on the heads of the wicked.
24The fierce anger of the
until he fully accomplishes
the purposes of his heart.
In days to come
you will understand this.
Chapter 31
1‘At that time,’ declares the
2This is what the
‘The people who survive the sword
will find favour in the wilderness;
I will come to give rest to Israel.’
3The
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
4I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with the joyful.
5Again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.
6There will be a day when watchmen cry out
on the hills of Ephraim,
“Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the
7This is what the
‘Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
“
the remnant of Israel.”
8See, I will bring them from the land of the north
and gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the lame,
expectant mothers and women in labour;
a great throng will return.
9They will come with weeping;
they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead them beside streams of water
on a level path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
10‘Hear the word of the
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
“He who scattered Israel will gather them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.”
11For the
and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
12They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more.
13Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
14I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,’
declares the
15This is what the
‘A voice is heard in Ramah,
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.’
16This is what the
‘Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,’
declares the
‘They will return from the land of the enemy.
17So there is hope for your descendants,’
declares the
‘Your children will return to their own land.
18‘I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
“You disciplined me like an unruly calf,
and I have been disciplined.
Restore me, and I will return,
because you are the
19After I strayed,
I repented;
after I came to understand,
I beat my breast.
I was ashamed and humiliated
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20Is not Ephraim my dear son,
the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
I have great compassion for him,’
declares the
21‘Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway,
the road that you take.
Return, Virgin Israel,
return to your towns.
22How long will you wander,
unfaithful Daughter Israel?
The
the woman will return to the man.’
23This is what the
26At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
27‘The days are coming,’ declares the
“The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
30Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes – their own teeth will be set on edge.
31‘The days are coming,’ declares the
‘when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
32It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,’
declares the
33‘This is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,’ declares the
‘I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34No longer will they teach their neighbour,
or say to one another, “Know the
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,’
declares the
‘For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.’
35This is what the
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar –
the
36‘Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,’
declares the
‘will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.’
37This is what the
‘Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,’
declares the
38‘The days are coming,’ declares the
Chapter 32
Jeremiah buys a field
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the
3Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, ‘Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, “This is what the
6Jeremiah said, ‘The word of the
8‘Then, just as the
‘I knew that this was the word of the
13‘In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: 14“This is what the
16‘After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the
17‘Ah, Sovereign
24‘See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see. 25And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign
26Then the word of the
30‘The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the
36‘You are saying about this city, “By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon”; but this is what the
42‘This is what the
Chapter 33
Promise of restoration
1While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the
6‘ “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honour before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.”
10‘This is what the
‘Give thanks to the
for the
his love endures for ever.’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,” says the
12‘This is what the
14‘ “The days are coming,” declares the
15‘ “In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16In those days Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called:
The
17For this is what the
19The word of the
23The word of the
Chapter 34
Warning to Zedekiah
1While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the
4‘ “Yet hear the
6Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out – Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.
Freedom for slaves
8The word came to Jeremiah from the
12Then the word of the
17‘Therefore this is what the
21‘I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. 22I am going to give the order, declares the
Chapter 35
The Rekabites
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the
3So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons – the whole family of the Rekabites. 4I brought them into the house of the
6But they replied, ‘We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave us this command: “Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.” 8We have obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. 11But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, “Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.” So we have remained in Jerusalem.’
12Then the word of the
17‘Therefore this is what the
18Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, ‘This is what the
Chapter 36
Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah’s scroll
1In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the
4So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the
8Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the
11When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the
So Baruch read it to them. 16When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, ‘We must report all these words to the king.’ 17Then they asked Baruch, ‘Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?’
18‘Yes,’ Baruch replied, ‘he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.’
19Then the officials said to Baruch, ‘You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.’
20After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. 22It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the brazier in front of him. 23Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the brazier, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the
27After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the
32So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
Chapter 37
Jeremiah in prison
1Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. 2Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the
3King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: ‘Please pray to the
4Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6Then the word of the
9‘This is what the
11After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. 13But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, ‘You are deserting to the Babylonians!’
14‘That’s not true!’ Jeremiah said. ‘I am not deserting to the Babylonians.’ But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.
16Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. 17Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, ‘Is there any word from the
‘Yes,’ Jeremiah replied, ‘you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.’
18Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, ‘What crime have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, “The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land”? 20But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I shall die there.’
21King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Chapter 38
Jeremiah thrown into a cistern
1Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2‘This is what the
4Then the officials said to the king, ‘This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.’
5‘He is in your hands,’ King Zedekiah answered. ‘The king can do nothing to oppose you.’
6So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, 8Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, 9‘My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.’
10Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.’
11So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, ‘Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so, 13and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Zedekiah questions Jeremiah again
14Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the
15Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.’
16But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: ‘As surely as the
17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘This is what the
19King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, ‘I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will ill-treat me.’
20‘They will not hand you over,’ Jeremiah replied. ‘Obey the
‘ “They misled you and overcame you –
those trusted friends of yours.
Your feet are sunk in the mud;
your friends have deserted you.”
23‘All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.’
24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, ‘Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. 25If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, “Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,” 26then tell them, “I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.” ’
27All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no-one had heard his conversation with the king.
28And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
The fall of Jerusalem
This is how Jerusalem was taken:
Chapter 39
1In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. 2And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. 3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 4When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed towards the Arabah.
5But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
8The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. 10But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
11Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: 12‘Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.’ 13So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon 14sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They handed him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.
15While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the
Chapter 40
Jeremiah freed
1The word came to Jeremiah from the
Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. 6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.
Gedaliah assassinated
7When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah – Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. ‘Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,’ he said. ‘Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 10I myself will stay in Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.’
11When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
13Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14and said to him, ‘Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?’ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, ‘Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no-one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?’
16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, ‘Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.’
Chapter 41
1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
4The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the
10Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah – the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
11When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. 13When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.
Flight to Egypt
16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam – the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt 18to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
Chapter 42
1Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached 2Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, ‘Please hear our petition and pray to the
4‘I have heard you,’ replied Jeremiah the prophet. ‘I will certainly pray to the
5Then they said to Jeremiah, ‘May the
7Ten days later the word of the
13‘However, if you say, “We will not stay in this land,” and so disobey the
19‘Remnant of Judah, the
Chapter 43
1When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the
4So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the
8In Tahpanhes the word of the
Chapter 44
Disaster because of idolatry
1This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt – in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis – and in Upper Egypt: 2‘This is what the
7‘Now this is what the
11‘Therefore this is what the
15Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present – a large assembly – and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, 16‘We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the
19The women added, ‘When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?’
20Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, 21‘Did not the
24Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, ‘Hear the word of the
‘Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! 26But hear the word of the
29‘ “This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,” declares the
Chapter 45
A message to Baruch
1When Baruch son of Neriah wrote on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: 2‘This is what the
Chapter 46
A message about Egypt
1This is the word of the
2Concerning Egypt:
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the River Euphrates by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
3‘Prepare your shields, both large and small,
and march out for battle!
4Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish your spears,
put on your armour!
5What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
They flee in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror on every side,’ declares the
6‘The swift cannot flee
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates
they stumble and fall.
7‘Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters?
8Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, “I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.”
9Charge, you horses!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
March on, you warriors – men of Cush and Put who carry shields,
men of Lydia who draw the bow.
10But that day belongs to the Lord, the
a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.
The sword will devour till it is satisfied,
till it has quenched its thirst with blood.
For the Lord, the
in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.
11‘Go up to Gilead and get balm,
Virgin Daughter Egypt.
But you try many medicines in vain;
there is no healing for you.
12The nations will hear of your shame;
your cries will fill the earth.
One warrior will stumble over another;
both will fall down together.’
13This is the message the
14‘Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;
proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:
“Take your positions and get ready,
for the sword devours those around you.”
15Why will your warriors be laid low?
They cannot stand, for the
16They will stumble repeatedly;
they will fall over each other.
They will say, “Get up, let us go back
to our own people and our native lands,
away from the sword of the oppressor.”
17There they will exclaim,
“Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;
he has missed his opportunity.”
18‘As surely as I live,’ declares the King,
whose name is the
‘one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,
like Carmel by the sea.
19Pack your belongings for exile,
you who live in Egypt,
for Memphis will be laid waste
and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
20‘Egypt is a beautiful heifer,
but a gadfly is coming
against her from the north.
21The mercenaries in her ranks
are like fattened calves.
They too will turn and flee together,
they will not stand their ground,
for the day of disaster is coming upon them,
the time for them to be punished.
22Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent
as the enemy advances in force;
they will come against her with axes,
like men who cut down trees.
23They will chop down her forest,’ declares the
‘dense though it be.
They are more numerous than locusts,
they cannot be counted.
24Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,
given into the hands of the people of the north.’
25The
27‘Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no-one will make him afraid.
28Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
for I am with you,’
declares the
‘Though I completely destroy all the nations
among which I scatter you,
I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’
Chapter 47
A message about the Philistines
1This is the word of the
2This is what the
‘See how the waters are rising in the north;
they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
all who dwell in the land will wail
3at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
at the noise of enemy chariots
and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
their hands will hang limp.
4For the day has come
to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
who could help Tyre and Sidon.
The
the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.
5Gaza will shave her head in mourning;
Ashkelon will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
how long will you cut yourselves?
6‘ “Alas, sword of the
how long till you rest?
Return to your sheath;
cease and be still.”
7But how can it rest
when the
when he has ordered it
to attack Ashkelon and the coast?’
Chapter 48
A message about Moab
1Concerning Moab:
This is what the
‘Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined.
Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;
the stronghold will be disgraced and shattered.
2Moab will be praised no more;
in Heshbon people will plot her downfall:
“Come, let us put an end to that nation.”
You, the people of Madmen, will also be silenced;
the sword will pursue you.
3Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,
cries of great havoc and destruction.
4Moab will be broken;
her little ones will cry out.
5They go up the hill to Luhith,
weeping bitterly as they go;
on the road down to Horonaim
anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
6Flee! Run for your lives;
become like a bush in the desert.
7Since you trust in your deeds and riches,
you too will be taken captive,
and Chemosh will go into exile,
together with his priests and officials.
8The destroyer will come against every town,
and not a town will escape.
The valley will be ruined
and the plateau destroyed,
because the
9Put salt on Moab,
for she will be laid waste;
her towns will become desolate,
with no-one to live in them.
10‘A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the
A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed!
11‘Moab has been at rest from youth,
like wine left on its dregs,
not poured from one jar to another –
she has not gone into exile.
So she tastes as she did,
and her aroma is unchanged.
12But days are coming,’ declares the
‘when I will send men who pour from pitchers,
and they will pour her out;
they will empty her pitchers
and smash her jars.
13Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,
as Israel was ashamed
when they trusted in Bethel.
14‘How can you say, “We are warriors,
men valiant in battle”?
15Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;
her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,’
declares the King, whose name is the
16‘The fall of Moab is at hand;
her calamity will come quickly.
17Mourn for her, all who live around her,
all who know her fame;
say, “How broken is the mighty sceptre,
how broken the glorious staff!”
18‘Come down from your glory
and sit on the parched ground,
you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,
for the one who destroys Moab
will come up against you
and ruin your fortified cities.
19Stand by the road and watch,
you who live in Aroer.
Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,
ask them, “What has happened?”
20Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.
Wail and cry out!
Announce by the Arnon
that Moab is destroyed.
21Judgment has come to the plateau –
to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,
22to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
23to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,
24to Kerioth and Bozrah –
to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
25Moab’s horn is cut off;
her arm is broken,’
declares the
26‘Make her drunk,
for she has defied the
Let Moab wallow in her vomit;
let her be an object of ridicule.
27Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?
Was she caught among thieves,
that you shake your head in scorn
whenever you speak of her?
28Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,
you who live in Moab.
Be like a dove that makes its nest
at the mouth of a cave.
29‘We have heard of Moab’s pride –
how great is her arrogance! –
of her insolence, her pride, her conceit
and the haughtiness of her heart.
30I know her insolence but it is futile,’ declares the
‘and her boasts accomplish nothing.
31Therefore I wail over Moab,
for all Moab I cry out,
I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.
32I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,
you vines of Sibmah.
Your branches spread as far as the sea;
they reached as far as Jazer.
The destroyer has fallen
on your ripened fruit and grapes.
33Joy and gladness are gone
from the orchards and fields of Moab.
I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;
no-one treads them with shouts of joy.
Although there are shouts,
they are not shouts of joy.
34‘The sound of their cry rises
from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,
from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,
for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.
35In Moab I will put an end
to those who make offerings on the high places
and burn incense to their gods,’ declares the
36‘So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe;
it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.
The wealth they acquired is gone.
37Every head is shaved
and every beard cut off;
every hand is slashed
and every waist is covered with sackcloth.
38On all the roofs in Moab
and in the public squares
there is nothing but mourning,
for I have broken Moab
like a jar that no-one wants,’ declares the
39‘How shattered she is! How they wail!
How Moab turns her back in shame!
Moab has become an object of ridicule,
an object of horror to all those around her.’
40This is what the
‘Look! An eagle is swooping down,
spreading its wings over Moab.
41Kerioth will be captured
and the strongholds taken.
In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labour.
42Moab will be destroyed as a nation
because she defied the
43Terror and pit and snare await you,
you people of Moab,’
declares the
44‘Whoever flees from the terror
will fall into a pit,
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare;
for I will bring on Moab
the year of her punishment,’
declares the
45‘In the shadow of Heshbon
the fugitives stand helpless,
for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
a blaze from the midst of Sihon;
it burns the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls of the noisy boasters.
46Woe to you, Moab!
The people of Chemosh are destroyed;
your sons are taken into exile
and your daughters into captivity.
47‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
in days to come,’
declares the
Here ends the judgment on Moab.
Chapter 49
A message about Ammon
1Concerning the Ammonites:
This is what the
‘Has Israel no sons?
Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad?
Why do his people live in its towns?
2But the days are coming,’ declares the
‘when I will sound the battle cry
against Rabbah of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,’
says the
3‘Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed!
Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth and mourn;
rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek will go into exile,
together with his priests and officials.
4Why do you boast of your valleys,
boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,
you trust in your riches and say,
“Who will attack me?”
5I will bring terror on you
from all those around you,’
declares the Lord, the
‘Every one of you will be driven away,
and no-one will gather the fugitives.
6‘Yet afterwards, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,’
declares the
A message about Edom
7Concerning Edom:
This is what the
‘Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,
you who live in Dedan,
for I will bring disaster on Esau
at the time when I punish him.
9If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his hiding-places,
so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
also his allies and neighbours,
so there is no-one to say,
11“Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive.
Your widows too can depend on me.” ’
12This is what the
14I have heard a message from the
an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
‘Assemble yourselves to attack it!
Rise up for battle!’
15‘Now I will make you small among the nations,
despised by mankind.
16The terror you inspire
and the pride of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,
who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s,
from there I will bring you down,’
declares the
17‘Edom will become an object of horror;
all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
because of all its wounds.
18As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown,
along with their neighbouring towns,’ says the
‘so no-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.
19‘Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
to a rich pasture-land,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?
And what shepherd can stand against me?’
20Therefore, hear what the
what he has purposed against those who live in Teman:
the young of the flock will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
21At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;
their cry will resound to the Red Sea.
22Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down,
spreading its wings over Bozrah.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors
will be like the heart of a woman in labour.
A message about Damascus
23Concerning Damascus:
‘Hamath and Arpad are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like the restless sea.
24Damascus has become feeble,
she has turned to flee
and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
pain like that of a woman in labour.
25Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
26Surely, her young men will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’
declares the
27‘I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.’
A message about Kedar and Hazor
28Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked:
This is what the
‘Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.
29Their tents and their flocks will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
“Terror on every side!”
30‘Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,’
declares the
‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you;
he has devised a plan against you.
31‘Arise and attack a nation at ease,
which lives in confidence,’
declares the
‘a nation that has neither gates nor bars;
its people live far from danger.
32Their camels will become plunder,
and their large herds will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places
and will bring disaster on them from every side,’
declares the
33‘Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,
a desolate place for ever.
No-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.’
A message about Elam
34This is the word of the
35This is what the
‘See, I will break the bow of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36I will bring against Elam the four winds
from the four quarters of heaven;
I will scatter them to the four winds,
and there will not be a nation
where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37I will shatter Elam before their foes,
before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
even my fierce anger,’
declares the
‘I will pursue them with the sword
until I have made an end of them.
38I will set my throne in Elam
and destroy her king and officials,’
declares the
39‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,’
declares the
Chapter 50
A message about Babylon
1This is the word the
2‘Announce and proclaim among the nations,
lift up a banner and proclaim it;
keep nothing back, but say,
“Babylon will be captured;
Bel will be put to shame,
Marduk filled with terror.
Her images will be put to shame
and her idols filled with terror.”
3A nation from the north will attack her
and lay waste her land.
No-one will live in it;
both people and animals will flee away.
4‘In those days, at that time,’ declares the
‘the people of Israel and the people of Judah together
will go in tears to seek the
5They will ask the way to Zion
and turn their faces towards it.
They will come and bind themselves to the
in an everlasting covenant
that will not be forgotten.
6‘My people have been lost sheep;
their shepherds have led them astray
and caused them to roam on the mountains.
They wandered over mountain and hill
and forgot their own resting-place.
7Whoever found them devoured them;
their enemies said, “We are not guilty,
for they sinned against the
the
8‘Flee out of Babylon;
leave the land of the Babylonians,
and be like the goats that lead the flock.
9For I will stir up and bring against Babylon
an alliance of great nations from the land of the north.
They will take up their positions against her,
and from the north she will be captured.
Their arrows will be like skilled warriors
who do not return empty-handed.
10So Babylonia will be plundered;
all who plunder her will have their fill,’
declares the
11‘Because you rejoice and are glad,
you who pillage my inheritance,
because you frolic like a heifer threshing corn
and neigh like stallions,
12your mother will be greatly ashamed;
she who gave you birth will be disgraced.
She will be the least of the nations –
a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.
13Because of the
but will be completely desolate.
All who pass Babylon will be appalled;
they will scoff because of all her wounds.
14‘Take up your positions round Babylon,
all you who draw the bow.
Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,
for she has sinned against the
15Shout against her on every side!
She surrenders, her towers fall,
her walls are torn down.
Since this is the vengeance of the
take vengeance on her;
do to her as she has done to others.
16Cut off from Babylon the sower,
and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
Because of the sword of the oppressor
let everyone return to their own people,
let everyone flee to their own land.
17‘Israel is a scattered flock
that lions have chased away.
The first to devour them
was the king of Assyria;
the last to crush their bones
was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.’
18Therefore this is what the
‘I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
as I punished the king of Assyria.
19But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture,
and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied
on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
20In those days, at that time,’ declares the
‘search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
but there will be none,
and for the sins of Judah,
but none will be found,
for I will forgive the remnant I spare.
21‘Attack the land of Merathaim
and those who live in Pekod.
Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,’
declares the
‘Do everything I have commanded you.
22The noise of battle is in the land,
the noise of great destruction!
23How broken and shattered
is the hammer of the whole earth!
How desolate is Babylon
among the nations!
24I set a trap for you, Babylon,
and you were caught before you knew it;
you were found and captured
because you opposed the
25The
and brought out the weapons of his wrath,
for the Sovereign
in the land of the Babylonians.
26Come against her from afar.
Break open her granaries;
pile her up like heaps of grain.
Completely destroy her
and leave her no remnant.
27Kill all her young bulls;
let them go down to the slaughter!
Woe to them! For their day has come,
the time for them to be punished.
28Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon
declaring in Zion
how the
vengeance for his temple.
29‘Summon archers against Babylon,
all those who draw the bow.
Encamp all round her;
let no-one escape.
Repay her for her deeds;
do to her as she has done.
For she defied the
the Holy One of Israel.
30Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’
declares the
31‘See, I am against you, you arrogant one,’
declares the Lord, the
‘for your day has come,
the time for you to be punished.
32The arrogant one will stumble and fall
and no-one will help her up;
I will kindle a fire in her towns
that will consume all who are around her.’
33This is what the
‘The people of Israel are oppressed,
and the people of Judah as well.
All their captors hold them fast,
refusing to let them go.
34Yet their Redeemer is strong;
the
He will vigorously defend their cause
so that he may bring rest to their land,
but unrest to those who live in Babylon.
35‘A sword against the Babylonians!’
declares the
‘against those who live in Babylon
and against her officials and wise men!
36A sword against her false prophets!
They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors!
They will be filled with terror.
37A sword against her horses and chariots
and all the foreigners in her ranks!
They will become weaklings.
A sword against her treasures!
They will be plundered.
38A drought on her waters!
They will dry up.
For it is a land of idols,
idols that will go mad with terror.
39‘So desert creatures and hyenas will live there,
and there the owl will dwell.
It will never again be inhabited
or lived in from generation to generation.
40As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
along with their neighbouring towns,’
declares the
‘so no-one will live there;
no people will dwell in it.
41‘Look! An army is coming from the north;
a great nation and many kings
are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.
42They are armed with bows and spears;
they are cruel and without mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Babylon.
43The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
and his hands hang limp.
Anguish has gripped him,
pain like that of a woman in labour.
44Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
to a rich pasture-land,
I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like me and who can challenge me?
And what shepherd can stand against me?’
45Therefore, hear what the
what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians:
the young of the flock will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
46At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;
its cry will resound among the nations.
Chapter 51
1This is what the
‘See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer
against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai.
2I will send foreigners to Babylon
to winnow her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
in the day of her disaster.
3Let not the archer string his bow,
nor let him put on his armour.
Do not spare her young men;
completely destroy her army.
4They will fall down slain in Babylon,
fatally wounded in her streets.
5For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken
by their God, the
though their land is full of guilt
before the Holy One of Israel.
6‘Flee from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
It is time for the
he will repay her what she deserves.
7Babylon was a gold cup in the
she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
therefore they have now gone mad.
8Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
Wail over her!
Get balm for her pain;
perhaps she can be healed.
9‘ “We would have healed Babylon,
but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to our own land,
for her judgment reaches to the skies,
it rises as high as the heavens.”
10‘ “The
come, let us tell in Zion
what the
11‘Sharpen the arrows,
take up the shields!
The
because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
The
vengeance for his temple.
12Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon!
Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,
prepare an ambush!
The
his decree against the people of Babylon.
13You who live by many waters
and are rich in treasures,
your end has come,
the time for you to be destroyed.
14The
I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts,
and they will shout in triumph over you.
15‘He made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
16When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
17‘Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;
they have no breath in them.
18They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
19He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including the people of his inheritance –
the
20‘You are my war club,
my weapon for battle –
with you I shatter nations,
with you I destroy kingdoms,
21with you I shatter horse and rider,
with you I shatter chariot and driver,
22with you I shatter man and woman,
with you I shatter old man and youth,
with you I shatter young man and young woman,
23with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
with you I shatter governors and officials.
24‘Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,’ declares the
25‘I am against you, you destroying mountain,
you who destroy the whole earth,’
declares the
‘I will stretch out my hand against you,
roll you off the cliffs,
and make you a burnt-out mountain.
26No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone,
nor any stone for a foundation,
for you will be desolate for ever,’ declares the
27‘Lift up a banner in the land!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Prepare the nations for battle against her;
summon against her these kingdoms:
Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a commander against her;
send up horses like a swarm of locusts.
28Prepare the nations for battle against her –
the kings of the Medes,
their governors and all their officials,
and all the countries they rule.
29The land trembles and writhes,
for the
to lay waste the land of Babylon
so that no-one will live there.
30Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting;
they remain in their strongholds.
Their strength is exhausted;
they have become weaklings.
Her dwellings are set on fire;
the bars of her gates are broken.
31One courier follows another
and messenger follows messenger
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his entire city is captured,
32the river crossings seized,
the marshes set on fire,
and the soldiers terrified.’
33This is what the
‘Daughter Babylon is like a threshing-floor
at the time it is trampled;
the time to harvest her will soon come.’
34‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us,
he has thrown us into confusion,
he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
and then has spewed us out.
35May the violence done to our flesh be on Babylon,’
say the inhabitants of Zion.
‘May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,’
says Jerusalem.
36Therefore this is what the
‘See, I will defend your cause
and avenge you;
I will dry up her sea
and make her springs dry.
37Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
a haunt of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,
a place where no-one lives.
38Her people all roar like young lions,
they growl like lion cubs.
39But while they are aroused,
I will set out a feast for them
and make them drunk,
so that they shout with laughter –
then sleep for ever and not awake,’
declares the
40‘I will bring them down
like lambs to the slaughter,
like rams and goats.
41‘How Sheshak will be captured,
the boast of the whole earth seized!
How desolate Babylon will be
among the nations!
42The sea will rise over Babylon;
its roaring waves will cover her.
43Her towns will be desolate,
a dry and desert land,
a land where no-one lives,
through which no-one travels.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon
and make him spew out what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
And the wall of Babylon will fall.
45‘Come out of her, my people!
Run for your lives!
Run from the fierce anger of the
46Do not lose heart or be afraid
when rumours are heard in the land;
one rumour comes this year, another the next,
rumours of violence in the land
and of ruler against ruler.
47For the time will surely come
when I will punish the idols of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced
and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
48Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will shout for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north
destroyers will attack her,’
declares the
49‘Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
just as the slain in all the earth
have fallen because of Babylon.
50You who have escaped the sword,
leave and do not linger!
Remember the
and call to mind Jerusalem.’
51‘We are disgraced,
for we have been insulted
and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the
52‘But days are coming,’ declares the
‘when I will punish her idols,
and throughout her land
the wounded will groan.
53Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens
and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
I will send destroyers against her,’
declares the
54‘The sound of a cry comes from Babylon,
the sound of great destruction
from the land of the Babylonians.
55The
he will silence her noisy din.
Waves of enemies will rage like great waters;
the roar of their voices will resound.
56A destroyer will come against Babylon;
her warriors will be captured,
and their bows will be broken.
For the
he will repay in full.
57I will make her officials and wise men drunk,
her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep for ever and not awake,’
declares the King, whose name is the
58This is what the
‘Babylon’s thick wall will be levelled
and her high gates set on fire;
the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,
the nations’ labour is only fuel for the flames.’
59This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. 60Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon – all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. 61He said to Seraiah, ‘When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62Then say, “
The words of Jeremiah end here.
Chapter 52
The fall of Jerusalem
1Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 2He did evil in the eyes of the
Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
4So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. 5The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
6By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 7Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled towards the Arabah,8but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, 9and he was captured.
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 10There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. 11Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.
12On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13He set fire to the temple of the
17The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the
20The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the
24The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. 25Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisors. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city. 26Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.
So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.
28This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:
in the seventh year,
3,023 Jews;
29in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year,
832 people from Jerusalem;
30in his twenty-third year,
745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard.
There were 4,600 people in all.
Jehoiachin released
31In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison. 32He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 33So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 34Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death.
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