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From the Greek Septuagint text as used by First Century Christians.
Written by the Prophet JeremiAh over a period from around 620-BCE to around 587-BCE.
Is it poetry or isn’t it poetry?
Something that only a Bible translator would notice is that whenever God or His spokesperson are quoted, the words were in the form of Hebrew poetry,
since there is a definite cadence that can be noted in the original language. Therefore, since this is the chosen style of God, we have rendered it as it should be, in poetic verse.
Why did God and His spokesperson communicate through poetry?
Because poetic words provide memory aids that can be easily recalled to mind, so that the messages could be spread throughout the population via the most common medium of communication at the time, song.
The curious case of the changing personal pronouns:
Another thing that all translators notice when translating the words of the Prophets is the constant changing of the personal pronouns from the first to the third person in many of the pronouncements.
And what we have come to realize is that God didn’t personally speak to the Prophets. Rather, He sent His messages through a mediator, who appears to have been referred to as ‘The Word’ throughout the text.
Who Was Actually Talking?
You will notice herein that the text often changes to a quotation and then even to italics. WHY?
Understand that there are actually THREE voices being represented here, one of the Prophet, one of the angel that is bring the message from God, and one of the actual words of God, and this is often overlooked in other Bibles.
How can we tell the difference? From the TENSES in which each verse is written.
If it is JeremiAh speaking, he is talking about what was happing or will be happening to his people.
If it is the angel (the Word) speaking, he is speaking of God in the third person.
And if it is God speaking, He is talking in the first person about what He will do.
Did we get it all right? Probably not, but it has been an honest attempt at doing so.

Chapter 1

¹ These are the words of God that came to JeremiAh (the son of HilkiAh), a Priest that lived in AnathOth in the land of BenJamin.

² God’s words came to him in the days of JosiAh (the son of AmMon) the king of Judah in the thirteenth year of his reign. ³ All of this happened from the time of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah, until the eleventh year of ZedekiAh (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah and [the beginning of] the captivity of JeruSalem, [which happened] in the fifth month.

⁴ The Word of Jehovah came to me and said:
⁵ ‘I knew you before you were formed in the womb
And before you came from the belly.
So I chose you and I made you holy
To serve as a Prophet to the nations.’

⁶ But I said,
‘O Great Being… O Lord… O Jehovah; {Look!} I don’t know how to speak, for I’m just a young man.’

⁷ And the Lord told me:
‘Don’t say that you’re just a young man;
For you’ll go to whomever I send you
And you’ll speak whatever I tell you to say!
⁸ So, don’t be afraid when you go before them,
Since I’m with you and I will protect you.’

⁹ Then the Lord stuck his hand out toward me and touched my mouth, and said:
‘Look! I’m putting my words in your mouth.
¹⁰ For I’ve appointed you over nations and kingdoms
To root out, cut down, and set free,
And then to rebuild and replant.’

¹¹ Thereafter, the Word of Jehovah came to me again and asked,
‘What do you see now, JeremiAh?’

And I said,
‘I see a walnut walking stick.’

¹² Then the Lord said to me:
‘You are [very observant];
And I’m [watching to see if you’ll] do as I [say].’

¹³ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me a second time and asked,
‘What do you see now?’

And I replied:
‘I see a kettle over a fire, and the front side of it is facing the north.’

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to me:
‘Thus, from the face of the north,
All those that are bad will be burned away
From among those that live in the land.
¹⁵ For, {Look!} this is what was said by Jehovah:
From the north, I’ll be gathering kingdoms
That will come, and then, they’ll each place their thrones
On the thresholds of JeruSalem’s gates,
And on the walls of the cities of Judah.

¹⁶ ‘Then I’ll speak My judgments against them
For all the bad things they’ve done…
[I’ll speak of] how they have left Me
And sacrificed to gods that they’ve never known,
Then they bowed before the works of their hands.

¹⁷ ‘So arise and wrap up your waist,
And say to them what I’ll tell you to say!
Don’t be afraid when you go there,
Nor be in terror before them;
For, this was said by Jehovah:
I’m with you and I will [protect] you.

¹⁸ ‘{Look!} So today, I’ve turned you into a fort…
A fortified wall made of brass
To resist Judah’s rulers and kings,
And to oppose the people of your land.’

¹⁹ And the Lord said:
‘Although they will wage war against you,
There’s no way that they will be able to win;
For I’m with you and I will [protect] you.’

Chapter 2

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me again and said,
² ‘Go and yell in JeruSalem’s ears…
Tell them that thus says Jehovah:
I remembered the mercy you had in your youth
And the love that you had for perfection
When you obeyed IsraEl’s Most Holy One.

‘Yes, this was said by Jehovah,
IsraEl’s Most Holy Lord.
³ For, IsraEl is Holy to Jehovah,
And because they are His first born,
He’s offended by those that are chewing them up,
And on those doing this, He’s bringing bad things.

⁴ ‘O house of Jacob (you families of the house of IsraEl);
Hear the word of Jehovah!
⁵ For Jehovah is asking you this:
What defect in Me, did your fathers find
That they’d leave Me to act in this way
And start following after such foolish things?

⁶ ‘They no longer ask, Where’s Jehovah…
The One that led us through the desert from Egypt…
Through that vast land of no water or fruit…
A land through which no man can travel…
A land where none can survive?

⁷ ‘For I led you to CarMel, where you ate its fruits,
As well as its other good things…
Then you entered My land and defiled it,
And My inheritance, you turned into something that’s foul.

⁸ ‘But the priests don’t ask, Where’s Jehovah?
So, those that were resisting the Law
Weren’t prompted to turn back to Me.
Your shepherds also showed no respect,
And your prophets spoke prophecies by BaAl,
So they followed after things that were worthless!

⁹ ‘But, despite all of this, I still chose them, says Jehovah;
And the sons of their sons, I’ve [accepted].

¹⁰ ‘Now, go to the Island of Cyprus and see…
Yes, send to Kedar and you’ll understand!
See if the gods of those nations
Have ever had any effect…
Then you’ll know that they really aren’t gods!

¹¹ ‘Yet, My people have left all their glory
For things that do them no good!
¹² And by this, the heavens were amazed…
[It caused them to] shudder, says Jehovah.

‘To Me, My people did two wicked things:
· ¹³ They abandoned the spring of the waters of life,
· And they dug cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.

¹⁴ ‘Is IsraEl a slave or a native-born son;
For, why did he choose to be plundered?
¹⁵ Now, lions are roaring before him
That are ordered to wipe out his land.
So his cities will be cut to the ground,
Then no one can live there again!

¹⁶ ‘The sons of Memphis and TahPanhes…
Those that know you, are laughing at you!
¹⁷ And this happened because you have left Me,
Says Jehovah, your God.

¹⁸ ‘Now, what are the ways of Egypt to you
That you would [long for] their waters?
And what are the ways of Assyria to you
That you’d wish to drink from their rivers?

¹⁹ ‘So because you’ve left Me, I’ll discipline you…
For your evil ways, I will scold You…
You’ll see it happen and then you will know
How bitter are the ways of turning from Me,
Says Jehovah, your God!

²⁰ ‘I’ve come to think [poorly] of you,
Says Jehovah your God.
For, through the ages, you’ve broken My yoke
And you have ripped off My bonds.

‘You said, I won’t be [Your] servant;
But I’ll climb up every high hill
And bow beneath every shade tree…
And there is where I’ll go whoring!

²¹ ‘Yet I planted you to be My grapevine
For the purpose of bearing the fruitage of truth.
So, why did you then turn so bitter
And become a grapevine that’s strange?

²² ‘Now, if I would wash you in lye,
And if I’d use plenty of soap,
You’d still be spotted in your sins before Me.

²³ ‘How can you say you’re not dirty
And that you’ve not chased after BaAl?
See how you’re acting in graveyards…
Yes, you know all the things that you’ve done!

²⁴ ‘Upon desert waters, her ways have been spread,
And she’s driven by the winds of desires.
So to them, she’s been handed over,
To turn her away from her [evil].

‘Now those searching for her won’t get tired,
And she will be humbled when they arrive.

²⁵ ‘Though she should divert her feet from this path
And turn her throat from this thirst,
This is what she’s still saying:
I will act like a man;
So, I will chase after strangers,
And with them, I will make love!

²⁶ ‘As a thief is shamed when he’s caught,
Is how IsraEl’s sons will be shamed…
Yes they, their kings, and their rulers,
As well as their prophets and priests.

²⁷ ‘For they’ve said to a tree, You’re my father;
And they’ve said to a stone, You gave me life.

‘Yet, though they have all turned their backs
(But not their faces) toward Me;
When hard times arrive, they’ll still say:
O Jehovah, please save us!

²⁸ ‘Will [your idols] still save you in difficult times,
And will [you turn] to these gods that you’ve made?

‘In Judah, each city now has its own gods,
And in all of JeruSalem’s streets
They offer sacrifices to BaAl.
²⁹ So, why are you even talking to me?

‘Jehovah says:
You’ve been irreverent and lawless toward Me,
³⁰ And it’s in vain that I’ve spanked you like children;
For, from My correction, you’ve failed to learn!

‘So, though your prophets were devoured by swords,
And though lions came and wiped them away,
This hasn’t [taught you] to fear Me.

³¹ ‘Therefore, hear the Word of Jehovah,
For Jehovah is asking you this:
To IsraEl, am I now a desert…
Am I a land that’s barren to you?

‘Why is it that My people say,
Because you aren’t our Lord anymore,
We’ll no longer be coming before You?

³² ‘Will the bride forget her tiara,
And will virgins forget the bands for their breasts?
Yet, I’ve been forgotten by you
Through too many days to be counted.

³³ ‘What good can you make of your ways,
So that you can seek [My] affection again?
It just won’t do any good,
Because you’ve made yourselves wicked.

‘All of your ways are now dirty,
And innocent blood is found in your hands.
³⁴ No, I don’t find [their bodies] in ditches,
But [hanging] from every [tall] tree.
³⁵ Yet you still say, I’m not guilty…
So, please turn back You rage!

‘{Look!} I’m the One that’s passing judgment on you
When you say that you have not sinned!
³⁶ And for you, I’ve come to feel great disdain
Because of the things that you’re doing.

‘Therefore, by Egypt, you will be disgraced,
As Assyria has disgraced you before.
³⁷ You’ll be taken from here with your hands on your heads,
For Jehovah has thrust you away…
And then, none of your hopes will succeed.

Chapter 3

¹ ‘If a man releases his woman
And she [then moves in with] another…
Then, if she thereafter [also leaves him],
Can she return [to first one] again?
For, once she has been defiled,
Isn’t she always defiled?

‘Yet, after [you’ve had] many shepherds,
You want to come back to Me, said Jehovah.
² So now, raise your eyes to see the right way…
See how you’ve been defiled!

‘For you sat by the road [and waited] for them
Alone and defiled like a crow
In this land of your evil and whoring.

³ ‘You’ve stumbled and had many shepherds,
And because you looked like a whore,
You have brought shame on them all.

⁴ ‘Yet, didn’t you call Me [your] Father…
The One that founded your virgin condition!
⁵ [And wasn’t it you that once said],
Through the age, I’ll still be a virgin…
I’ll guard this state ‘til I’ve won?
{Look!} Yet, though you made such a vow,
You went and did this vile thing!’

⁶ Well, it was during the days of King JosiAh that the Lord came and said this to me:
‘You saw what the house of IsraEl has done…
For she’s climbed upon every high mountain
And crawled under every tree in the woods,
And there, she’s committing [adultery].

⁷ ‘Then, after she does all her whoring;
Though I’ve told her to turn from this badness,
She still refuses to stop.

‘So when I saw that Judah had broken [her vows];
⁸ I knew that in order to benefit all,
I had to stand up [for what’s right].

‘For the house of IsraEl fell into seduction,
And then she committed adultery.
So with a certificate of divorce I sent her away.

‘But the [vow]-breaker Judah wasn’t bothered by this,
And she continued in her whoring ways.
⁹ For, whoring was nothing to her…
She even did it with wood and stone things…
¹⁰ Her heart refused to turn back,
And all she offered was lies.’

¹¹ Then the Lord said this to me:
‘Even IsraEl was better than this [vow]-breaker Judah;
¹² So, go to the north and then read these words…
Tell [those in the north] that thus says Jehovah:

‘O house of IsraEl, if you’ll come back to Me,
Against you, I’ll not set My face…
I will show mercy upon you, says Jehovah,
And through the age, I won’t be outraged.

¹³ ‘Just be aware of your sins!
For you’ve shown disrespect to Jehovah your God…
[Your love] you’ve given to strangers
Beneath every tree in the woods,
And you chose not to do what I said, says Jehovah.

¹⁴ ‘So return, you sons who’ve revolted, says God,
And I’ll be your Lord once again.
I’ll choose one man from each city,
And I will choose two from each family;
Then, I will take them to Zion
¹⁵ And appoint these ones that My heart has chosen
To serve as shepherds for you,
And with higher knowledge, they’ll watch over you.

¹⁶ ‘Then, as you grow and spread in the land, says Jehovah;
In those days, they’ll not speak anymore
Of IsraEl’s Holy Chest of the Sacred Agreement…
No, it won’t come into their hearts…
It won’t be named or examined…
This won’t be done anymore!

¹⁷ ‘For, in those days and during that time,
JeruSalem will everafter be known
As the place of the Throne of Jehovah,
And it’s where all the nations will gather
With no wicked thoughts in their hearts.

¹⁸ ‘And in those days, the houses of IsraEl and Judah
Will become one [nation] again.
They’ll be gathered from the lands of the north
To the place that I gave to their fathers.’

¹⁹ Well at that, I shouted:
‘May it happen, O Lord! For You told me that You will let me have children again, and that I will receive a choice piece of land… the inheritance of the Almighty God… [the God] that will be over all the nations! Yes, Father; You’ve called me, and now I’ll never turn away from You!’

²⁰ But the Lord said:
‘The house of IsraEl has left me,
Like a woman that’s rejected her man.
²¹ And for this, her lips will thereafter weep.

‘So, tell IsraEl’s sons to turn back and beg,
Because their ways have led them to sin,
And they’ve forgotten their Most Holy God.
²² So sons; it is time to turn back…
Turn back and I’ll heal your broken condition!’

[And I said]:
‘Look… that’s how we’ll be with You then, for You are our God Jehovah, ²³ and all the powers of the hills and mountains are really the powers of our Lord… our God who is IsraEl’s Savior! ²⁴ However, the efforts of our fathers have been eaten away by shame since the time of their youth, and now all their calves and sheep (their sons and daughters) ²⁵ go to bed in shame and they’re covered by their dishonor. Yes, like our fathers, we have sinned before God from the time of our youth down to this day, and we’ve failed to pay attention to the voice of our God Jehovah!’

Chapter 4

¹Then the Lord said:
‘If IsraEl should [choose to] return,
I’ll also turn back to them.
If they’ll wash the disgusting things from their mouths…
If they’ll show that they will respect me,
² And if they’ll swear As Jehovah is living in oaths;
I’ll bless them with equity, justice, and truth.
Then the rest of the nations will praise them,
And in JeruSalem, all will praise God.

³ ‘So to the men of Judah and JeruSalem
Jehovah gave these instructions:
Prepare your [hearts]… yes, get them ready to plow…
Don’t allow thorn bushes to grow here again!

⁴ ‘O men of Judah and JeruSalem;
Circumcise yourselves to your God…
Snip the hardness out of your hearts
So He doesn’t send the fire of His rage…
[A fire] that can’t be extinguished
Because of the bad things you’re doing!

⁵ ‘Announce [this message] to Judah,
And let them hear it in JeruSalem:
Blow trumpets throughout the whole land,
And then, cry out in loud voices!

⁶ ‘Say, All should gather inside the walled cities…
Gather your things and run to Mount Zion!
Do this quickly, don’t wait,
For from the north, bad things will arrive…
A terrible destruction is heading your way!

⁷ ‘Now the lion has come from his lair,
And he is wiping out nations.
He’s arisen and now he’s come from his place
To desolate lands and destroy them!

‘So your cities will all be demolished,
And you’ll no longer be living within them.
⁸ Because of this, put on sackcloth…
Yes, be sad, and then start to bawl!
For the anger and rage of Jehovah
Will not be diverted from you.

⁹ ‘And in that day,’ said the Lord,
‘There’ll be no heart in the king…
The hearts of the rulers and priests will be shocked
And the prophets will all be confused.’

¹⁰ Then I replied:
‘O Almighty Lord; You must surely be joking… aren’t you misleading these people? Aren’t you saying that there’ll really be peace for JeruSalem and that the sword won’t be coming into our lives?’

¹¹ [But He replied]:
‘At that time, I’ll say to these people
(To those that live in JeruSalem):
An addiction to delusions has come from the desert;
For the ways of the daughters of my people
Can no longer be thought of as pure…
None have kept themselves holy.
¹² So the spirit of fulfillment is coming from me,
And I’m now speaking judgments against them.’

¹³ ‘Look! Like a cloud, someone has arisen
Whose chariots are sending out blasts,
And whose horses are lighter than eagles.
So woe, for misery is headed your way!

¹⁴ ‘Therefore, O JeruSalem;
Rinse the evil out of your hearts
So that somehow, you might be saved!
For, how long did you think you can do all those things
That are [the root] of your [problems]?

¹⁵ ‘So from Dan, you’ll start hearing voices,
And from Ephraim will come misery.

¹⁶ ‘{Look!} Remind your nation of this,
And shout this aloud in JeruSalem:
From a far-away land will come an alliance
That’s speaking against the cities of Judah!

¹⁷ ‘For Jehovah had told me this:
They’ll [camp] around her and guard all her fields
Because I’ve been neglected by you.
¹⁸ It’s because of your [bad] ways and [evil] deeds
That they are coming against you…
Because your evil is now so bitter
That it has reached into your hearts!

¹⁹ ‘This [thought] brings pain to My belly…
It causes My heart to feel spasms and ache…
But My Soul has been forced to take action!

²⁰ ‘So, since I’ll no longer stay silent,
My Soul now hears trumpet blasts
And the cries of misery and war.

‘This conflict is something that’s called for,
And misery will come to your land.
For, you have abandoned My Tent,
And its covering of skins you have parted.

²¹ ‘Why must I watch [people] fleeing
And hear the blowing of trumpets?
²² Yet, this will all happen because,
The leaders of My people don’t know Me…
They’ve become undiscerning, foolish sons…
They’re just wise when it comes to doing what’s bad,
And they don’t remember how to do what is good.’

²³ Well at that, I looked down at the ground and I couldn’t see anything, then I looked up into the sky, and its lights weren’t there. ²⁴ I also noticed that the mountains were shaking and all the hills were being disturbed. ²⁵ So I looked around and I couldn’t see anyone, for even the birds in the skies had been frightened away. Then I noticed that CarMel was bare and all of its cities were burning… they had been set on fire by the face of Jehovah. ²⁶ For, due to His anger and rage, He had removed them from His view.

²⁷ And at that, the Lord said:
‘Though the whole land will soon lie in ruins;
No way will it all be destroyed.

²⁸ ‘But the land should now start to mourn,
Because the skies above will grow dark…
I’ve spoken, and I won’t change my mind.
No I won’t be dissuaded… it will happen!

²⁹ ‘So from the sounds of horsemen with tightly stretched bows,
In every place, they will run…
They’ll hide in caves and in sacred groves…
Down among rocks, they’ll descend.
Then their cities will all be abandoned…
No one will be living there.

³⁰ ‘So now, what will they do…
Will they wrap themselves in scarlet and gold?
If they rub antimony on their eyelids,
It will all be in vain!
For, though they may dress in their finest of clothes,
Their lovers have already pushed them away…
And now they are seeking their lives!

³¹ ‘So I hear the sounds of a woman in labor
And the moans of one that is giving first birth.
But the voice of the daughter of Zion grows faint,
And her hands grow weak as she says:
Woe to me, for my life has now failed
And I am being destroyed!’

Chapter 5

¹ ‘Now, run through JeruSalem’s streets…
Yes, seek and search in her squares…
See if you can find just one righteous man…
A single trustworthy person.
Then to such a one, I’ll be kind,’ said the Lord.

² ‘As Jehovah lives, they often say,
But, when they swear oaths, aren’t they lying?’

³ [And I said], ‘O Jehovah;
Your eyes have searched for those that are true;
But, when You whipped them, they felt no pain…
Even when You brought destruction on them,
They had still failed to learn…
Their faces remained as solid as rocks,
And they refused to turn back to You.

⁴ ‘But perhaps it’s only the poor
Who don’t understand the ways of the Lord,
Or comprehend the fairness of God.
⁵ So I’ll go and speak to the wealthy…
For they’ll recognize the ways of the Lord
And [trust in] the fairness of God.

‘But look! Together, they’ve broken their yokes
And they have torn off their bonds.
⁶ And because of this, lions have attacked…
Then, out of the woods came a wolf,
Which entered their homes and [consumed] them,
As leopards kept watch in their cities.

‘That’s how those that leave Him are hunted,
Since none have shown Him respect,
And their rejection [of God] has grown worse.’

⁷ [And the Lord said]:
‘What sort of kindness should they expect
Now that their sons have all left me?
Because they swear oaths by those that aren’t gods,
I’ve become filled with [their disrespect].
For they’re even committing adultery,
And whores find rest in their homes!

⁸ ‘Like horses, they snort and are sex crazed…
Each one for the wife of his neighbor.
⁹ So for this, shouldn’t I come to visit,’ asked the Lord?
‘Shouldn’t my soul now take vengeance
Upon a nation that’s acting this way?

¹⁰ ‘So her battle towers, they will scale,
And they’ll knock them down until none remain…
Yes, these are the ones that will do it!
They’ll destroy everything that supports them,
For [their badness] didn’t come from Jehovah!

¹¹ ‘Jehovah says:
They have not shown Me any respect…
Not the houses of IsraEl or of Judah.
¹² And about their Lord, they have lied;
For they’ve said, These things will not happen…
What’s bad won’t really come upon us…
Neither famine nor sword will we see.

¹³ ‘For [His] Prophets are really just windbags,
And they don’t [speak] the word of Jehovah;
So it will happen to them, not to us!’

¹⁴ ‘But because of this, says Jehovah the Almighty…
Because you have said all these things,
I’ve put My words like flames in your mouths,
And they’ll consume you like wood [on a fire].

¹⁵ ‘O house of IsraEl, pay attention:
For, from a far-away land
I’m bringing a nation against you,’ said the Lord,
‘Which speaks a tongue that you won’t understand.

¹⁶ ‘The quivers of their mighty are like open tombs,
¹⁷ And they’ll consume your harvests and bread,
As well as your sons and your daughters.

‘They’ll eat your sheep and your calves…
They’ll devour your vineyards and fig groves,
As well as all of your olives.
They’ll thresh your fortified cities with swords
(Those places that you have relied on).

¹⁸ ‘And in that day,’ said the Lord;
‘God won’t allow you to come to fulfillment.
¹⁹ And when you ask why this happened,
Jehovah will give this reply:
I did it because you have left Me
And served strange gods in My land.
So, you will now have to serve strangers
In a land that is no longer yours.

²⁰ ‘So, to the house of Jacob, announce all these things,
And let it be heard throughout Judah:
²¹ Pay attention, you foolish and heartless…
You who have eyes that can’t see,
And you who have ears that can’t hear.

²² ‘Why have you failed to show fear,
And not bowed to your faces before Me?
For, I’m the One that ordered the sands
To be the limits of the seas!
It’s the order [that I gave] through the ages
That the seas cannot go beyond them…
Its [waves] may never disturb them…
No way can they ever defeat them.
So, no matter how great the waves roar,
They can’t pass beyond the limits I’ve set.

²³ ‘But these people have hearts that don’t listen,
So they continue to resist My persuasion…
They’ve turned aside and they’ve left [Me]!

²⁴ ‘They haven’t said in their hearts,
We should fear Jehovah our God…
The One that gives rain in its seasons
(Both the early and late rains),
And that orders full harvests for us!

²⁵ ‘But, by your lawless deeds, you have turned from these things…
By your sins, you’ve removed what’s good from yourselves.
²⁶ For among My own people, the godless are found…
Those that set snares to corrupt other men,
As they devise plans to do evil.

²⁷ ‘As a trap is set to catch many birds…
With treachery, their homes are now filled.
And because of this, they are famous and rich…
They have grown fat on injustice!
²⁸ The side of orphans, they never take,
And they don’t give justice to widows.

²⁹ ‘Am I not watching such things, asks Jehovah?
Won’t My soul bring vengeance upon them?

³⁰ ‘So, this is why things have changed…
This is why they’ll shudder throughout the whole land!
³¹ For their prophets now prophesy lies
As their priests are applauding and clapping their hands.
So, since this is what My people have loved,
I must now do this bad thing!’

Chapter 6

¹ ‘O sons of BenJamin, be strong
There in JeruSalem’s midst.
But, you should start blowing your trumpets…
From the House in the Vineyards, sound the alarm!
For, bad things now loom in the north,
And a great destruction is headed your way!

² ‘O you daughter of Zion;
Your haughty ways will soon be removed!
³ For to you, will come shepherds and flocks
That will pitch their tents all around you,
And there, each one will tend his own lot.

⁴ ‘Get ready to wage war against her…
Arise, and we will attack her at noon!
But, woe to us, for the day is now gone
And the shadows of daylight have failed.
⁵ So, let’s get up and attack her at night,
Then wipe her to her foundations!

⁶ ‘For, thus says Jehovah of Armies:
Cut down all of her trees…
Against that city of liars, send troops…
Complete your tyranny against her!

⁷ ‘Just like the cool taste of well water,
You must cool off her evil.
Since disrespect and misery are in her,
Throw it back in her face!

⁸ ‘O you [that live] in JeruSalem;
In misery, with whips, you’ll be lashed,
But My soul won’t totally leave you…
I won’t make you a land that is no longer walked
And which won’t be lived in again.

⁹ ‘For, thus says Jehovah of Armies:
Glean them as you’d glean grapes
(Those few who’ll be left in IsraEl)…
Return as the picker returns to his [vines]!

¹⁰ ‘To whom should I be saying these things…
Yes, whom can I tell that will listen?
{Look!} For, because their ears are uncircumcised,
They are unable to hear.
And since, Jehovah’s words are something they scorn,
{Look!} They’ll be unwilling to listen!

¹¹ ‘But though I waited, My rage wasn’t filled,
And I didn’t completely finish them off…
So I’ll pour it out on their children
And upon their groups of young men.

‘Their women and men will be taken away
Along with the elders and those who’ve lived many days.
¹² Then their houses will be given to others,
Along with their women and fields.

‘Jehovah says,
Against all in this land, I’ll stretch out My hand…
¹³ Against all from the small to the great…
All those that are filled with their own lawless ways.

‘For their priests and all their false prophets
Have each acted in falsehood.
¹⁴ And though they claim to bring healing,
They are just bringing contempt.
They also claim there is peace…
But, where indeed is this peace?

¹⁵ ‘So now they’ll be shamed, because they have failed.
But, even though they’ll be disgraced,
They’ll refuse to accept their dishonor.
And because of this, they will fall…
They’ll perish when I come to visit, says Jehovah.

¹⁶ ‘And Jehovah said:
Now, stand in the roads and behold…
[Consider the] paths of the ages;
Then, choose the best road and travel that way
As you search for ways to clean up your lives!

‘But because you have said, We won’t go,
¹⁷ I’m appointing watchmen for you,
And you must listen for the sounds of their trumpets!

‘But, though you will say, We won’t listen,
¹⁸ The nations [that are coming] will listen,
As will those that are tending their flocks.

¹⁹ ‘O land, pay attention and look,
For I’m bringing what’s bad on your people…
It’s the fruitage of their rejection [of Me].
For, because they’ve ignored My words and My Laws,
I have pushed them away.

²⁰ ‘Why offer frankincense from SheBa to Me,
And cinnamon from far away lands?
For, your whole burnt-offerings, I will not accept,
Since your sacrifices delight Me no more.

²¹ ‘Because of this, says Jehovah,
Upon them, I’m bringing a weakness…
Yes, fathers and sons will be weak,
And their neighbors and loved ones will die.

²² ‘Then Jehovah said:
{Look!} From the north, a people are coming
Who’ll awaken the nations to the ends of the earth…
²³ They’ll come with their spears and their bows,
And on you, they will not show mercy.

‘Their sounds are like the roar of the sea,
And with horses and chariots, they will attack…
They’ll bring the fire of war against you,
O you daughters of Zion.’

²⁴ About them, we have heard the reports,
And the things that we’ve heard have made our hands weak…
Anguish has grabbed hold of us
Like the pangs of a woman about to give birth!

²⁵ So, don’t go out to the fields,
And do no walk on the roads,
For they’re filled with enemies that are carrying swords!

‘So, you daughters of My people;
[It’s time for you] to wear sackcloth…
Strew ashes and mourn for your loved ones,
²⁶ And in pity for yourselves, beat your breasts;
For misery will suddenly come upon you.

²⁷ ‘Among you (you people on trial),
I’ve appointed someone who’ll judge you;
And as you’re tried, you’ll know I’m the One
Who is judging your ways.

²⁸ ‘Yet, none have been willing to listen,
Because they all walk crooked paths…
They’re corrupted like brass touching iron.

²⁹ ‘Because the forge bellows have failed,
It’s in vain that the smith works his silver;
For their wicked ways will not melt.

³⁰ ‘So, call out and tell them
That their silver has all been rejected…
Yes, they’ve been rejected by [God].’

Chapter 7

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh and said,
‘Go stand at the gate of [the Temple],
And against them, you must read these words:

² ‘O Judah; Hear the Word of Jehovah,
For Jehovah of Armies (the God of IsraEl) says this:

³ ‘If you’ll set right the things that you’re doing,
And if you’ll choose to straighten your paths,
I’ll settle you here in this place.

⁴ ‘But you can’t rely on your lies anymore;
For they’ll be no help when you’re shouting,
O the Temple of Jehovah!
O the Temple of [God]!

⁵ ‘You must change your deeds and your ways,
And get yourselves straightened out.
Each man must start being fair with his neighbors,
⁶ As well as with foreigners, orphans, and widows.

⁷ ‘[No, you] may no longer be tyrants…
Innocent blood, don’t shed in this place…
And stop chasing after strange gods!

‘Then, [when you remove all this] badness,
I’ll bring you back to this land once again
That I gave to your fathers through the ages.

⁸ ‘But now, you are trusting in words that are lies
And which will do you no good.
⁹ You commit adultery, murder, and steal,
And when you swear oaths, you are lying!
You also burn incense to BaAl,
And follow strange gods that you’ve never known.

¹⁰ ‘So, though there’s just badness within you,
You still come and stand before Me
In the [Temple] that’s called by My Name,
And then dare to say, We are clean.

¹¹ ‘Hasn’t My House that’s standing before you
And which is called by My Name
Become just a den of thieves?
Look… this is what I have seen, says Jehovah!

¹² ‘Go to My old place in Shiloh
Where I camped and placed My Name long ago,
And see what I did because of their badness
Before the faces of IsraEl, My people!

¹³ ‘Now, because you are doing these things
About which I warned you, but you failed to hear…
The things that I shouted before you,
But to which, you failed to change;
¹⁴ I’ll do the same thing to this [Temple]…
The one that is called by My Name,
And upon which you have relied…
The Place that I gave to your fathers and you.

‘Yes, I’ll do the same as I did to Shiloh…
¹⁵ I’ll throw you away from My face
Like I cast off your brothers (Ephraim’s seed).

¹⁶ ‘Now, you must not pray for these people…
But don’t come and petition for mercy,
Nor approach Me with vows on their behalf…
For, I will not listen to you!

¹⁷ ‘Don’t you see the things that they’re doing
In all the cities of Judah
And in JeruSalem’s streets?

¹⁸ ‘The sons go out to gather the wood,
So their fathers can then light the fires
[To bake] the dough that their women knead
As cakes for the armies of the heavens.

‘They offer drinks to strange gods,
So they can provoke Me to rage…
¹⁹ Don’t they provoke Me to rage, asks Jehovah?
But, shouldn’t they be the ones who’re provoked
By the disgrace on their faces?

²⁰ ‘It’s because of this, says Jehovah,
That I’ll pour out My anger and rage on this Place…
Upon the men and their cattle…
Upon every tree in their fields,
As well as on the land’s produce.
This fire has been lit and it won’t be put out!

²¹ ‘Jehovah said:
Gather up all your burnt-offerings,
As well as your other sacrifices,
Then go on and just eat all the meats!

²² ‘For on the day that I led them from Egypt,
I didn’t ask your fathers to offer such things…
I didn’t really tell them to bring Me
Whole burnt offerings or other sacrifices.

²³ ‘The only instructions that I gave them
Was to pay attention to the things that I say!
For you’ll be My people and I’ll be your God
As long as you walk in My ways
And do whatever I tell you is good!

²⁴ ‘But, they didn’t listen to Me,
And their ears just paid no attention…
They followed the evil thoughts in their hearts
And became the butt not the head
From the day that their fathers left Egypt ‘til now.

²⁵ ‘So I sent them My servants the Prophets
Morning after morning and day after day.
²⁶ But they still didn’t listen to Me…
Their ears just paid no attention,
And then they made their necks stiffer…
Yes, harder than those of their fathers.

²⁷ ‘So, go and tell them these things,
But they won’t listen to you…
Yes, call out to them, but they won’t respond.

²⁸ ‘Go tell them that theirs is the nation
That refused to hear the voice of its God…
They failed to believe or give heed
To the instructions that came from [My] mouth.

²⁹ ‘So, shear your [hair] and throw it away,
Then let your lips start to wail;
For Jehovah’s rejected and pushed away
The generation that has done all these things!

³⁰ ‘For, Jehovah says:
The sons of Judah are wicked before Me,
Since they’ve brought disgusting things to My House
And defiled the Place that is called by My Name.

³¹ ‘They’ve built a shrine of Topheth for themselves
There in the Valley of Hinnom
Where they burn their sons and daughters in fire…
Something that I never told them to do
Or ever came into My heart.

³² ‘Jehovah says,
{Look!} Because they’ve done this, the days have arrived
When, from the Valley of Hinnom’s sons
And the Shrine that they [built there to] Topheth,
Nothing more will ever be heard.

‘For their valley will soon be destroyed
And Topheth will thereafter be buried,
Since his place will no longer exist.

³³ ‘His people will also be dead,
And they’ll serve as food for the birds in the skies,
As well as for the wild beasts on the ground,
Since no one will come to chase them away.

³⁴ ‘From the cities of Judah, I’ll take them,
And I’ll remove them from JeruSalem’s streets.
Then all the sounds of joy will be gone,
And the voices of brides and grooms won’t be heard;
For the land will become desolation.

Chapter 8

¹ ‘Then, during that time, says Jehovah,
Within the graveyards of JeruSalem,
They’ll dig up the bones of Judah’s kings,
As well as the bones of its rulers,
Along with the bones of its Prophets and Priests,
And the bones of the rest of the people,
² And let them dry under the sun…
Yes, under the moon and the stars,
Beneath the armies of the heavens
That they have served and so loved…
Those whom they worshiped and followed,
And those before whom they have bowed.

‘Thereafter, they will not be lamented,
Nor will their bones be returned to their tombs…
³ They’ll just lie on the ground as examples…
For, rather than life, they chose death.
Then, all that remain of those generations
Will be laid wherever I choose.’

⁴ ‘Then Jehovah asked:
Will the fallen not be resurrected…
Will those that rebelled not return?

⁵ ‘Why did they choose My rejection
And hold so firmly to their resolve…
Why didn’t they wish to [live once again]?

⁶ ‘So give ear and pay close attention;
For, since they’re not being told what is right,
None have repented their badness,
Nor have they asked what they have done wrong…
They’ve just stopped running the race
Like a horse that’s snorting and covered with sweat.

⁷ Well, storks in the skies know their time,
As do swallows and doves in the fields…
Even sparrows keep watch for their end.
Yet, my people do not understand
The judgments that Jehovah has made.

⁸ So, how can they say, We are wise,
And we have the Law of Jehovah?
For, all the lies that are written
By the quills of their scribes are in vain!

⁹ ‘Now the wise are frightened and shamed
Because they’ve rejected My Word…
So what wisdom do they truly have?

¹⁰ ‘For I’ll give their women to other men,
And I’ll leave their fields to other men’s heirs.
Since, from the small to the great,
They have chased after money;
And from prophets to priests, they’ve all lied!

¹¹ ‘They’ve dishonored the daughters of My people,
And they shout, Peace! Peace! when there’s really no peace!

¹² ‘So, by the disgusting things that they’re doing,
They have brought shame on themselves…
Yet they’re not ashamed of their shame…
They refuse to know any shame!

‘And because of this, they will fall
Along with the rest that will fall…
In the time of My visit, they’ll fall, says Jehovah.
¹³ And they will reap what they’ve [sown].

‘Now, there are no grapes on the vines,
And there are no figs on their trees…
Even the leaves have dropped off.

¹⁴ ‘So, why are you just sitting there…
You should flee to the fortified cities!
But there, you will be turned away,
Because your God has disowned you.

‘Then, bile you’ll be given for water,
Because you have sinned against [God].
¹⁵ And though you will gather for peace,
You will not receive any peace…
Just worry when you really need healing.

¹⁶ ‘Then from Dan, you’ll hear sounds of swift horses
(The sounds of snorting and those riding steeds)…
So many that the ground will be shaken.

‘They’ll come here and eat up your land
Along with everything in it…
The cities and all those that dwell there.

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} I’ll send snakes against you to kill you
(The types that have never been charmed).
¹⁸ Then, they will incurably bite you,
Adding grief to hearts already disturbed.

¹⁹ ‘Look! Hear these cries of the daughters of My people,
Which will come from far-away lands:
Isn’t Jehovah on Zion…
Don’t we have a king anymore?

‘But, they’ve provoked Me to rage
With their carvings of idols,
And by following many strange, worthless things.’

²⁰ Now, though summer has already passed,
We’ve not received any harvest.
²¹ And about the destruction of the daughters of my people,
I’m perplexed and swallowed by darkness…
I’m in labor like a woman about to give birth.

²² For in GileAd, there aren’t any ointments,
Nor do they have any doctors.
So the daughters of my people will never be healed.

Chapter 9

¹ Who’ll provide enough water to come from my head
And feed the springs of tears from my eyes,
So that, day and night I can cry for my people,
And for the daughters of those who’ll be slain?

² Who’ll provide me a hut in the desert
Where I can escape from them all?
For, they are committing adultery,
And they’re breaking their Sacred Agreement [with God].

³ ‘Their tongues are stretched tight like bows,
As lies and mistrust increase in the land;
For, evil after evil is what they pursue,
And they no longer know Me, said Jehovah.

⁴ ‘So each man must keep watch on his neighbor
And not rely on even his brother;
For their brothers will stomp them under their heels
And their friends will [try to] deceive them.

⁵ ‘Now, they all [laugh at] their friends
And no way do they tell them the truth.
Since their tongues have learned to speak lies,
They do whatever is wrong,
And they feel no sorrow for the bad things they do.

⁶ ‘They’re compounding interest on interest
And treachery upon treachery;
For they no longer wish to behold Me, says [God].

⁷ ‘Because of this, says Jehovah of Armies;
{Look!} I’ll judge them and set them on fire!
For, what else can I possibly do
In the face of these wicked ways
Being done by the daughters of My people?

⁸ ‘Their tongues are piercing like arrows,
And the words from their mouths are deceitful.
Though each one speaks peace to his neighbors;
Inside, they really feel hatred.

⁹ ‘So, shouldn’t I pay them a visit, asks Jehovah,
And bring My vengeance upon them?’

¹⁰ ‘[Thus, it’s time to] mourn for the mountains,
And time to wail for their desert roads…
They’re failing, because there aren’t enough men,
And they no longer hear sounds from the birds in the skies…
Why, even the cattle are gone!

¹¹ ‘Evacuation is coming to JeruSalem,
And she’ll become a home for wild beasts.
I’ve appointed extinction to the cities of Judah,
And they will no longer be lived in.

¹² ‘Now, who is the man that’s discerning?
Let him recognize this…
May the words of Jehovah be with him
So he can tell you the reasons
Why this land is being destroyed…
Being burned away into a desert
Where no one will thereafter live.

¹³ ‘So Jehovah said:
Because they’ve abandoned My Law
That I set in front of their faces,
And they’ve paid no attention to My voice
¹⁴ As they chase after things that pleasure their hearts
(Things that are evil and idols,
Which their fathers had taught them to worship)…
¹⁵ On account of this, says IsraEl’s God
(Jehovah of Armies is His Name);
{Look!} Upon distress, I will feed them,
And I’ll make them drink bile for their water.

¹⁶ ‘They’ll be scattered among many nations
That they and their fathers have never known;
For against them, I’m sending the sword
Until they’re completely consumed.’

¹⁷‘Then Jehovah said:
You should call for the women that wail…
Yes, shout and tell them to come!
Send for all the wise women
And tell them that this is their time to speak out.

¹⁸ ‘So, they should start their lamenting
And really bring tears to their eyes…
Cause water to flow from their eyelids!
¹⁹ For in Zion, this dirge will be heard:

‘How have we come to such misery?
We’re disgraced, for our land is abandoned
And our tents have been thrown away!

²⁰ ‘Yes, listen to this, O you women;
For, these are the words of your God!
Let your ears hear the words from His mouth,
Then teach this lament to your daughters…
Let each one teach her neighbors to wail!

²¹ ‘For, death has crept in through your windows…
It has come to your land to wipe out your young
And remove the young men from your squares.

²² ‘Then your men must die on the face of the plains,
To set an example for those in your land;
And just like grass that’s been mowed,
None will go out to collect them.

²³ ‘Then Jehovah said:
‘Don’t let the wise boast of their wisdom…
Don’t let the mighty boast of their strength…
Don’t let the rich boast of their wealth!
²⁴ For when they boast, let them brag about this:
That they perceive Me and know Me…
That they know of My mercy and fairness,
And that I’ve judged this land to bring justice…
So these things being done, are My will, says Jehovah.

²⁵ ‘{Look!} For the days are coming, says Jehovah,
When I’ll visit the uncircumcised,
As well as the circumcised of Edom
²⁶ (Those in Judah, Egypt, and Edom;
The sons of AmMon and MoAb…
All those that are shaving their faces
And those that live in the deserts).
For though the flesh of the nations is uncircumcised,
In their hearts, IsraEl is uncircumcised too.’

Chapter 10

¹ O house of IsraEl; Listen to the Word of Jehovah!
² ‘Don’t learn the ways of the gentiles
And don’t [follow] the [zodiac] signs…
These things that are feared by the nations,
³ For the customs of the nations are worthless!

‘An idol is a tree that they’ve cut from the woods,
Or it’s something that someone has cast [in a mold].
⁴ They adorn them with silver and gold,
And nail them in place with a hammer…
They [nail them tight] so they cannot move.

⁵ ‘But they’re just carved pieces of silver…
So, they are unable to speak,
And they also have to be carried,
For they can’t lift themselves into place!

‘Thus, there is no reason to fear them,
For nothing in them can do bad or good.
⁶ They aren’t like You, O Jehovah;
For You’re great… and great is the strength of Your Name.

⁷ ‘Who won’t fear You, O King of the Nations?
For to You come the wise from all lands;
Because, in each of their kingdoms,
They have no gods that are like You.
⁸ [For their idols] are foolish and thoughtless,
Since trees can just teach foolish things.

⁹ ‘It’s by the hands of skilled goldsmiths
That silver from Tarshish is melded
Into gold that comes from Uphaz…
But it’s all just the workings of craftsmen!
¹⁰ Then they deck those things in purple and blue.

¹¹ ‘As the result, tell them this:
Let these gods that didn’t make the skies or the ground
Be destroyed from all lands under heaven!
¹² For, it was Jehovah who made the earth…
By His might, He erected man’s home.
Then, in His intelligence and wisdom,
Above it, He stretched out the heavens.

¹³ ‘He gathers all the waters under the skies
And [assembles] the clouds to the ends of the earth.
He made the lightning and rain,
And from His treasuries, He brings forth the winds.

¹⁴ ‘The knowledge of men, He disgraces;
And goldsmiths are shamed by the idols they carve.
For false gods are just cast in ovens,
And there is no spirit within them.

¹⁵ ‘They are foolish works that are made to be mocked;
And in that time [when God] comes to visit,
They will all be destroyed.

¹⁶ ‘But this isn’t the portion of Jacob;
For the One that shaped everything
(IsraEl’s inheritance and scepter)
Is named Jehovah of Armies!
¹⁷ And from the [nations], He will gather supporters
Who will dwell among His elected.’

¹⁸ Then the Lord said:
‘{Look!} I’ll stumble those that live in this land,
And squeeze them to [show all that they’ve done].
¹⁹ So, woe to you, for you’ll be destroyed,
And your wounds will be very painful.’

Then I said: ‘But I’ve already been wounded… and this has surely come from you! ²⁰ For my tent is in such a miserable condition that it is almost totally destroyed… its coverings of skins have been ripped apart, my sons and my sheep are all gone, there are no walls for my tent, and I have no place to store its leather! ²¹ Even my shepherds have been acting stupidly. For since they’ve also failed to search for Jehovah, they’ve allowed all of my sheep to be scattered and confused in their pastures.

²² ‘{Look!} We’ve received a report that the sounds of great rumbling can be heard from the land in the north, and that orders have been given to wipe out our cities… to scatter us like the nest of an ostrich!

²³ But I know, O Lord, that our people don’t know the right way to go, and we don’t even know how to walk a straight path. ²⁴ So, correct us in fairness, O Lord… don’t send your rage and allow only a few of us to remain! ²⁵ Pour out your rage on the nations [instead]… on those kingdoms that really don’t know you, and on those that don’t call on [God’s] Name. For IsraEl has already been completely consumed, all of our pastures lie desolate, and now they’re getting ready to come and consume the rest of Jacob!’

Chapter 11

¹ Then these words came to JeremiAh from the Lord. He said:
² ‘Listen to these words about [God’s] Sacred Agreement,
And then read them to the people of Judah,
As well as to those in JeruSalem.
³ This is what IsraEl’s God Jehovah declared:

‘Cursed is the man that pays no regard
To the words of the Sacred Agreement
That I made with your fathers
On the day that I led them from Egypt…
From out of that furnace of iron.

⁴ ‘If you’ll pay close attention to My voice
And do all the things that I tell you to do,
You’ll be My people and I’ll be your God.
⁵ I’ll reestablish My oath
(The oath that I swore to your fathers)
To give them this land of honey and milk
That has flowed to them to this day.’

And I replied, ‘May it be so, O my Lord.’

⁶ And the Lord said to me:
‘Read these words in the cities of Judah
And at JeruSalem’s [gates].
Then, tell them to pay close attention
To the words of the Sacred Agreement,
And be sure to obey them!

⁷ ‘For, we bore witness together,
And I’ve testified to your fathers
From the day that I led them from Egypt
Down to this very day…
I came to them early each morning
In order to witness to them.
I told them to hear the words of my voice!
But, they wouldn’t listen or turn an ear…
They just followed the bad thoughts in their hearts.

‘Though they agreed to the words of this Contract
And to the things that I said they must do;
⁸ Thereafter, they just didn’t do them.

⁹ ‘So, because of this, tell them that thus says Jehovah:
A conspiracy has been found among Judah’s men
And among those that live in JeruSalem!
¹⁰ To their father’s bad ways, they’ve returned…
The ways of those that had lived before them,
And who also refused to listen to Me.
{Look!} For, those in the houses of IsraEl and Judah
Are following and serving strange gods…
They’ve annulled My Agreement with their fathers!

¹¹ ‘And because of this, says Jehovah;
{Look!} I’ll bring an evil upon them
That they won’t be able to end.

‘Then, once again, they’ll start calling to Me,
But this time, I will not listen.
¹² And [what happens to] those in the cities of Judah,
Will [be worse] than for those in JeruSalem.

‘So then, they’ll have to call to their gods…
Those to whom they burn incense…
Those that can’t save them in times of [distress].

¹³ ‘Now, each town in Judah has its own gods,
And there are shrines on all of JeruSalem’s streets
Where they burn incense to BaAl.

¹⁴ ‘So, you must not pray for these people…
Don’t beg or petition for them!
For when they call, I won’t listen
In their time of distress.

¹⁵ ‘Now, disgusting things are done in My House
By those for whom I’ve shown love!
So, will vows and holy meat atone for their bad…
Are they putting their hope in such things?

¹⁶ ‘As a pretty olive tree providing much shade
Was the sight of those that called on His Name.
Then I heard the sound of it being chopped down…
It was lit on fire [and burned]…
So her tender branches were wasted.

¹⁷ ‘Yet, it was planted by Jehovah of Armies…
The One against whom they spoke evil.
So, on the houses of IsraEl and Judah
There also came very bad things
That they brought on themselves by provoking His rage…
By their burning incense to BaAl.’

¹⁸ [But I said]: ‘O Lord; please tell me about it so I’ll know, because you’re the only one that is fully aware of what they’re doing! ¹⁹ However, I’m just an innocent lamb that doesn’t know he’s being led to the sacrifice; for they’re even plotting and making plans against me, saying:
Come, let’s give him wood for his bread…
From the land of the living, let’s wipe him away,
And make sure that his name is forgotten!

²⁰ ‘O Jehovah of Armies; Please judge them fairly over such things… try their kidneys and hearts! May I [live to] see Your punishment on them… but remember that I’ve acted uprightly.’

²¹ It was because of this that the Lord then replied concerning the men of AnathOth that were seeking my life. For these were the ones that were saying to me,
‘Don’t prophesy in the Name of Jehovah anymore, for if you do, we’ll kill you!’
²² So concerning them, Jehovah of Armies said this:
‘Look! I’ll pay them a visit,
Then, all their young men will die by the sword,
And their sons and daughters will starve.

²³ ‘None of them will remain;
For, to those that are living in AnathOth,
I will be bringing what’s bad
In the year that I come to visit.’

Chapter 12

¹ [And I said]:
‘You are righteous, O Lord; so, let me plead my case before You, and I’ll leave it for you to decide.

‘Why do the irreverent [seem to] succeed,
And the wicked and disrespectful continue to prosper?
² Yet, they were planted and rooted by you,
And they produced children and fruitage.
So it seems as though you are near to their mouths
But far away from their kidneys.

³ ‘You know me, O Lord,
And before you, my heart has been tried.
So, may they be gathered like flocks
That are dedicated for slaughter!

⁴ ‘How long will the land have to mourn
And all the grass in the fields become dry
Because of their evil deeds?
Though they offer God cattle and birds,
They say He doesn’t see what they’re doing.’

⁵ [And the Lord replied]:
‘Since your feet get so tired when they run,
How can you be ridden like a horse?
Why have you trusted that there will be peace
And why do you whinny for the Jordan?

⁶ ‘For, even your brothers and the house of your father
Have failed to pay attention to you…
Behind your back, they are yelling at you!
So, don’t trust them when they speak kind words.’

⁷ [And I said]:
‘I have abandoned my home…
My inheritance, I have forsaken…
And into the hands of her enemies
I’ve given the love of my life.

⁸ ‘For [she], (my inheritance) has now become
Like a lion that lives in the woods…
She roared, so I started to hate her.

⁹ ‘She’s become a den of hyenas,
And [this den] is now her protection.
So, gather to her the beasts of the fields
And let them go there to eat her!’

¹⁰ [And the Lord replied]:
‘Many shepherds have corrupted my vineyard…
Yes, they have tainted my portion…
They’ve turned my portion into a land that’s unwalked!

¹¹ ‘So, destruction and extinction is what I have planned.
And because of me, the land will all be destroyed.
Yet, the people have failed to take this to heart.

¹² ‘Then, through every pass in the desert
Will come those that bring misery…
Those that will use my sword to consume.
And from one end of the land to the other;
There won’t be any peace for all flesh.

¹³ ‘For, though I once planted wheat there,
Thorn-bushes is all that it [grew]…
So, all of my efforts were wasted.
Therefore, be ashamed of your prideful words
And for speaking in scorn to Jehovah!’

¹⁴ Then the Lord said:
‘When it comes to the wicked around you
(Those that have touched my belongings…
IsraEl, my people and portion);
{Look!} From their land, I will take them away…
I’ll uproot the people of Judah.

¹⁵ ‘But, after I drive them away,
I will also let them return,
And I will show mercy upon them.
Yes I’ll let them return and resettle
In the land they received from their fathers…
I’ll return each one to his [home].

¹⁶ ‘And if my people should learn the right way
Then start swearing their oaths by [God’s] Name…
If they’ll say, As Jehovah is living,
As they’re now swearing by BaAl;
I’ll let them return and rebuild their homes.

¹⁷ ‘But, if they should choose not to return,
I will lift that nation away…
I’ll remove them and then I’ll destroy them,’ said the Lord.

Chapter 13

¹ Then the Lord said:
‘Now, go buy a loin cloth of linen,
And thereafter, wrap it around you…
But, do not wash it in water.’

² So I went out and bought the loincloth, just as I was told by the Word of Jehovah, and I wrapped it around my loins. ³ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me a second time saying:
‘Now you should take off the loincloth
(The one that you’ve wrapped ‘round your loins),
⁴ Then get up and go to the River EuPhrates,
And hide it in a hole among rocks!’

⁵ So I went and hid it by the EuPhrates, just as the Lord had told me to do.

⁶ Then after many days, the Lord said to me:
‘Now, get up and go back to the River EuPhrates…
Go search and bring back that loincloth…
The one that I told you to hide there.’

⁷ So I went back to the EuPhrates and dug up the loincloth from the place where I’d hidden it… and {Look!} it was ruined… there’s no way that it could have been used after that!

⁸ Then the Word of Jehovah came and told me, ⁹ ‘This is what Jehovah has said:

‘Like this, I’ll corrupt the insolence of Judah
Because of JeruSalem’s insolent ways…
¹⁰ The insolence of those that don’t wish to obey…
Those that follow in the wicked ways of their hearts
By chasing and serving strange gods,
Then bowing to their faces before them.

‘They will become like this loincloth,
Which will never be useful again.
¹¹ For, just as this cloth hugs the loins of a man,
I’ve stuck by the houses of IsraEl and Judah, says Jehovah.

‘They’d have been a famous people to Me
And a reason for boasting and glory…
But they have paid Me no heed!

¹² ‘So, speak these words to those people…
Say that IsraEl’s God Jehovah says this:
Your leather bags will be filled with wine!

‘And when they ask,
Don’t you think that we already know
That our leather bags will be filled with wine?
Why have you have said this to us?

¹³ ‘Tell them that thus says Jehovah:
{Look!} I’ll fill those in this land with strong drink…
Their kings (David’s sons) that sit on their thrones,
As well as their priests and their prophets,
Along with all those living in Judah
And those that live in JeruSalem.

¹⁴ ‘Then, I will send them away…
Each man will be torn from his brother,
And all sons will be torn from their fathers.
And thereafter, I will not miss them, says Jehovah…
I won’t spare them or pity their ruin.’

¹⁵ So, hear this… yes listen, and then give up hope!
For, this is what the Lord said:

‘Give glory to Jehovah, your God…
¹⁶ Give glory before it gets dark…
Before your feet stumble amid mountain shade
Where you’ll wait for light in the shadow of death,
But where you will only find darkness!

¹⁷ ‘For, if you choose not to listen,
You’ll weep in secret, because of your pride;
And there, your eyes will shed tears
For the scattered flock of Jehovah.

¹⁸ ‘Now, go and say this to your king:
Your rulers must sit down and humble themselves,
For their wreaths of glory will be knocked from their heads.

¹⁹ ‘The cities toward the south will be also closed,
And not be opened again.
Then the people of Judah will be resettled
In a complete relocation.

²⁰ ‘So, raise your eyes, O JeruSalem,
And see what’s coming to you from the north!

‘And where is the flock that was given to you…
[Yes, where are] the sheep of your glory?
²¹ What will you say when those people arrive
And you’ll have to teach them hard lessons
Against yourselves and your rule?

‘Won’t labor pangs then control you
As though you’re a woman about to give birth?

²² ‘And if you should ask in your heart,
Why has this happened to me?
It’s because your sins have been great!
So your butt will now be uncovered
To be an example to your heels.

²³ ‘If Ethiopians could change their skin color
Or leopards could change all their spots;
You’d also be able to do what is good
And learn [not to do] any evil.

²⁴ ‘So, your people will be scattered by [God]…
Like twigs that are blown in the desert by winds.
²⁵ Yes, this is your portion and lot,
Because of the ways you’ve opposed [Him], said the Lord.

‘For, you forgot [Him] and trusted in lies.
²⁶ So, to your faces, I’ll now show your butts…
Your dishonor will be exposed before all.

²⁷ ‘Yes I’ve seen your snorting and adultery…
Your disgusting acts and the whoring
That you’ve done in your hills and in all your fields.

‘So, woe to you, O JeruSalem,
Because you’re too dirty to follow me,
And for you, there’s no hope any longer!’

Chapter 14

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me (JeremiAh) to [speak about] the drought. [For I had said:]

² ‘Judah is mourning, for her gates are now empty,
And the land is enveloped in darkness,
As cries are ascending from JeruSalem.

³ ‘Her great ones send young men for water,
Who find nothing when they get to the wells;
So, all they bring back is just empty jars.

⁴ ‘The works in the land have failed also,
For there hasn’t been any rain.
So the farmers are shamed and they cover their heads.
⁵ And when the hinds in the prairies give birth,
They just abandon their young…
For there’s not enough [grass] in the fields.

⁶ ‘Wild burros in the woods must suck wind;
And because there is so little hay,
The eyes of the wild beasts have failed.

⁷ ‘Because of our sins, [You’ve] opposed us, O Lord;
But, help us for the sake of Your Name.
However, our errors are many,
And we’re [guilty] of sinning against You.

⁸ ‘But Jehovah;
You are IsraEl’s endurance…
In hard times, You’ve been our Savior.
So, why are You being a stranger to us…
Like a native-born son on vacation?

⁹ ‘Are You like a man that is sleeping,
Or someone that is able to save us?
For, You’ve been among us, O Lord,
And we are called by Your Name;
So, You should never forget us!

¹⁰ And the Lord replied concerning these people:
‘They’ve [sinned] and they have spared no one;
So, God hasn’t prospered their ways,
And because He is now recalling their sins…
For their errors, He’s coming to visit.’

¹¹ Then the Lord told me:
‘Don’t request good things for these people;
¹² For, when they fast, I won’t hear their prayers.
And if they should bring sacrifices,
I won’t look kindly upon them.
Rather, I’ll finish them off with the sword,
And to the rest, I will then send a famine.’

¹³ And I said:
‘O Great Being… O Lord; our prophets have said that we won’t ever see the sword and that we’ll never go hungry… rather, they’re saying that You’re going to bring peace to our land!’

¹⁴ And then the Lord said this to me:
‘Those that prophesy such in [God’s] Name
Are just telling them lies;
For, I did not really send them,
Nor did I tell them what they should say.

‘So the visions that they have are all lies;
And the signs and omens that they prophesy,
Are just things that come from their hearts.

¹⁵ ‘Therefore, this was said by Jehovah:
You must tell those that prophesy lies in My Name
(Those whom I didn’t send)…
[Because you’ve said] that famine and the sword
Will never come to this land;
You prophets will die by diseases,
And I’ll finish what’s left by starvation!

¹⁶ ‘Yes, you who are telling such stories
Will all die by the sword and by famine;
Then your bodies will be tossed in JeruSalem’s streets.

‘You won’t be buried in tombs…
Nor will your wives, sons, or daughters.
For I’ll pour your own badness upon you!

¹⁷ ‘Then tell them that Jehovah said this:
Your eyes will be filled with tears day and night…
For you will never stop crying!
To the daughters of My people will just come defeat…
Yes, they will be horribly beaten!

¹⁸ ‘So, when you go out to the fields,
You’ll see those cut down by the sword.
And when you enter the cities,
You’ll see the misery of famine.
Then, to lands that you’ve never known,
They’ll carry you prophets and priests!’

¹⁹ [And I asked:]
‘Are you saying that Jehovah has rejected all of Judah and that He has removed His Soul from Zion? Why is He striking us instead of healing us? For though we’ve been waiting for peace, nothing good has happened… [we’ve been waiting for] healing, but things are just getting worse!

²⁰ ‘O Lord, we’re aware of our errors and the sins of our fathers… yes we know that we’re guilty of sins before You. ²¹ But please back off because of Your Name… don’t destroy Your glorious throne! Please remember Your Sacred Agreement… please don’t wipe it away! ²² For, which idol of the nations can bring rain… which one can bring what they say they can bring from the skies? Who other than You can accomplish such things… [who other than] our God Jehovah? Therefore, we’ll continue to wait upon You, since You’re the One that created it all!’

Chapter 15

¹ And then the Lord said to me:
‘If you’d stand SamuEl and Moses before me…
Even for them, my soul wouldn’t change.
So, send these people away from my face…
Yes, let them [be carried away]!
² And if they should ask, Where are we going?
You should tell them that thus says Jehovah:

‘As many as are [appointed for] death
[Are the numbers of those] that will die;
As many as are [appointed] to the sword
[Are the numbers of those] that will die by the sword;
As many as are [appointed] to famine
[Are the numbers of those] that will starve;
And as many as are [appointed] to be captives
[Are the numbers of those] who’ll be carried away.’

³ ‘And Jehovah said:
I will take vengeance in four different ways:
· They’ll be put to death by the sword
· They’ll be torn to pieces by dogs
· They’ll serve as prey for wild beasts
· They’ll be rotting flesh for the birds in the skies.

⁴ ‘To many distresses, I’ll hand them
To all the kingdoms throughout the earth
Because of ManasSeh, king of Judah
(The son of King HezekiAh),
And for all that he did in JeruSalem.

⁵ ‘O JeruSalem; who will spare you?
Yes, who will be timid against you,
And who will say, May you have peace?
For to Me, you have now turned [your backs], says Jehovah.
⁶ So now, you will be [forced to] retreat;

‘Then I’ll stretch out My hand to destroy you
And I will not spare you thereafter.

⁷ ‘I’ll scatter and disperse those inside the gates,
And they will all become childless…
They’ll destroy My people, because they’re so bad.

⁸ ‘Then there’ll be more widows than the sands of the seas…
For to mothers of young men, I’ll send misery…
I’ll bring trembling and anxiety upon them at noon.

⁹ ‘So the one that bore seven will have none,
For their lives will meet with misfortune
And their sun will have set at midday.
They’ll be disgraced and berated,
And I’ll hand what’s left to the sword, says Jehovah.’

¹⁰ So, woe to you, O mother that bore me;
For I’ve become a man that must judge
And bring bad things to this land.

Yet, none of this will benefit me,
Since no one has offered to help me,
And I’ve been weakened by all those that curse me.

¹¹ So may it be, O Jehovah the Almighty…
May they get no help in their time of distress,
And may their enemies bring them no good.
¹² Let them know that [You are like] iron
And Your strength is like a robe made of brass.

¹³ [Then the Lord said this concerning the people]:
‘Because of the sins in your borders,
I’ll hand all your treasures to them.
¹⁴ Before them, you all will be slaves,
And you’ll live in lands that you’ve never known.
For a fire will start burning among you,
Which will be lit by my rage.’

¹⁵ But Lord; please do not forget me…
Save me from those that pursue me…
Please don’t hold back [Your hand],
Since it’s because of You, that I’m hated
¹⁶ By those that don’t want to hear what You’ve said.

If You’ll completely finish them off,
Your words will bring joy to my heart.
For, O Jehovah the Almighty;
I’m a man that is called by Your Name!

¹⁷ I don’t sit among those that have mocked You,
And before Your hand, I was cautious.
I sat by myself all alone
Filled with great indignation.

¹⁸ But, why do You allow those that bring grief to win?
For my wounds by them have been so severe…
And now, where can I go to get healed?
Yes, to me, this is untested water…
It’s something that I cannot trust.

¹⁹ Then the Lord said:
‘If you should ever return [to this land],
I’ll return everything that you’ve owned,
And before my face, you’ll stand once again.

‘But now, you must separate those that are worthy
From all the rest that are not,
And you must serve as my mouth.

‘And though they may come before you,
You must not go before them.
²⁰ For, to these people, I’ve made you
A fortified wall of forged brass.

‘So, though they’ll wage war against you,
They won’t be able to beat you,
Because I am here and I’ll save you.

‘Yes, I’ll rescue you from their hands,’ said [the Lord]…
‘From the hands of the wicked, I’ll save you…
I’ll ransom you from these cursed people.’

Chapter 16

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me and said:
² ‘Don’t take another wife in this place
And don’t father more daughters or sons.
³ For, concerning the sons and the daughters
That have been born in this place…
And concerning the mothers that gave them birth,
And those in this land that are fathers,
[Your God Jehovah says this]:

⁴ ‘They’ll die by death and disease,
And not be entombed or lamented…
As examples, they’ll lie on the face of the ground!

‘Most will fall by the sword,
And starvation will kill all the rest.
Their corpses will serve as food for wild beasts
And for the birds in the skies.’

⁵ And the Lord told me:
‘Don’t join in their [funeral processions],
And for them, don’t mourn or lament,
Since I’m the one that took peace away,
Along with compassion and mercy.

⁶ ‘So the great and the small of this land will all die
And they won’t be lamented or buried…
No one will beat their chests over them,
Nor cut on themselves or shave their heads.

⁷ ‘No way will there be feasts of mourning…
No bread will be broken to console
Those that are mourning their dead.
Nor will any drinks be provided
For the deaths of their fathers and mothers.

⁸ ‘So don’t enter their homes for a banquet…
Don’t sit beside them to eat or to drink;
⁹ For thus says Jehovah, IsraEl’s God:

‘{Look!} Before your eyes, I’ll remove them,
And during your [life, this will happen].
There’ll be no sounds of gladness or joy,
Nor the voices of grooms and their brides.

¹⁰ ‘Now, when you say this to the people, they’ll ask:
Why has Jehovah pronounced such bad things…
What wrongs have we really done…
How have we sinned against God?

¹¹ ‘And this must be your reply:
It’s because your fathers have left Me, says Jehovah;
And they have followed strange gods…
They bowed before them and served them…
They’ve abandoned Me and not kept My Laws…
¹² And you’re more wicked than them!

‘{Look!} For you’ve chased all the evil that pleases your hearts,
And you have refused to obey Me.
¹³ So I’ll drive you away from this land
To a land that is strange to your fathers and you,
Where you’ll serve strange gods day and night…
Those that will show you no mercy!

¹⁴ ‘Yes, because of this, days will come when they’ll say,
As Jehovah is living…
The One that led IsraEl from Egypt.
¹⁵ But then, they will also be saying:
As Jehovah is living…
The One that led IsraEl back
From the lands in the north,
And from everywhere else they were taken.
For then, I will bring them back to their land…
This land that I gave to their fathers.

¹⁶ ‘{Look!} To them, I will send men that fish, says Jehovah,
And they will go fishing for them.
I will also send out the hunters
Who’ll hunt for them on the mountains and hills
And even in holes among rocks.

¹⁷ ‘But My eyes are now watching their ways,
So they can’t hide their offenses from Me.
¹⁸ And it’s because of all their unrighteous ways…
For the sins with which they’ve ruined My land…
For the disgusting things of their rotting flesh
And for filling My inheritance with their lawless deeds,
That I will pay them back double!

¹⁹ ‘But thereafter, they will be saying,
O Jehovah, our helper and strength…
Our refuge during hard times…
To You, all the nations will come
From the ends of the earth.

‘And they will also be saying:
How false were the idols that our fathers acquired;
Because, in them, there was no hope at all…
²⁰ Though each man made his own gods,
None of these really proved to be gods.

²¹ ‘{Look!} At that time, I will show them My hand…
Yes, I will show them My might.
Then they’ll learn that My Name is Jehovah!’

Chapter 17

¹ ‘Thus says Jehovah:
All the sins of Judah have been inscribed
With a stylus of iron…
In the tablets of their hearts, they’ve been clawed,
And upon the horns of their altars.

² ‘So their sons will remember their altars,
As well as their sacred poles,
Which were found under every tree in the woods
And upon every high hill.

³ ‘And on the mountains, there in your plains,
I will give your wealth and treasures as loot
For the sins [you’ve committed] upon these high peaks.

⁴ ‘Then the inheritance that I gave to you will be gone,
And you’ll have to serve people that hate you
In a land that you’ve never known.
For you’ve kindled the fire of My wrath,
Which will blaze against you through the rest of this age.’

⁵ Then the Lord said:
‘Cursed is the man that has any hope;
For, though his flesh is still on his arms,
His heart is far from Jehovah.
⁶ So he’ll be like a tree in the desert,
And when good things arrive, he won’t see them.
For in a desert of salt, he’ll be planted…
In a brackish land, where no one has lived.

⁷ ‘But, praised is the man that relies on the Lord
And puts his hope in Jehovah.
⁸ For he’ll be like a tree planted near water
That shoots its roots into moisture.

‘He’ll have no fear of sweltering heat
And grow fat like a tree in the woods.
He’ll have nothing to fear in the year of the drought,
And he’ll keep on producing good fruit.

⁹ ‘Since hearts are the deepest of things,
Who can know [what’s inside] a man?
¹⁰ But, I can examine the hearts,
And I also put the kidneys on trial,
Then repay each one for his ways
By the fruits of the things that he’s done.

¹¹ ‘As a partridge calls out to [eggs] that won’t hatch,
Is the man that is rich but unfair.
For in the last half of his days,
He will lose all his wealth…
And this [will prove] that he’s been a fool.’

¹² [O Lord];
Our Holy Place is Your glorious throne,
Which we’ve held in esteem since most ancient times.
¹³ But, IsraEl now awaits the disgrace
That will come upon those that have left You.

So, may the names of those who’ve rebelled
Be written deep under the ground,
Since they’ve left their Lord and the source of their life!

¹⁴ Make the Sabbath days holy again…
Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed…
Save me and I’ll be delivered,
For, You are my reasons for boasting!

¹⁵ They ask, ‘Where is this Word of Jehovah?
May [whatever He says] come upon us!’
¹⁶ But I’ve never tired of following You,
And I’ve had no desire to do what they’ve done.

You know all the things that have come from my lips…
Before Your face, they’re all here!
¹⁷ So, please don’t push me away…
Protect me when that bad day arrives!

¹⁸ May those that chase me be shamed,
And may I not bring disgrace on myself.
Though they may come to know terror,
May terror never come upon me.
Yes, bring that bad day upon them…
Double the destruction upon them!

¹⁹ And then the Lord said this to me:
‘Go stand at the gates of the sons of your people
(The gates through which kings of Judah now walk …
Those gates through which they must pass).
Yes, go and stand at each of those gates,
²⁰ And this is what you should tell them:

‘O you kings of Judea…
You kings of Judah and JeruSalem
And all the rest that enter these gates;
Hear the Word of Jehovah!

²¹ ‘For Jehovah has said you can save yourselves
By not carrying loads here on the Sabbaths…
Don’t carry anything through JeruSalem’s gates
²² Or from your homes on the Sabbaths.
He told you not to do any work,
And to keep the Sabbath days holy;
Since, that’s what He told your fathers to do!

²³ ‘But, they’ll not turn and listen to you…
They’ll have stiffer necks than their fathers…
They’ll not pay attention or do what you say.’

²⁴ Then the Lord [told me to say this to them]:
‘If you will just listen to Me
And not carry goods through these gates on the Sabbaths…
If you’ll treat the Sabbaths as holy
By refusing to do any work;
Then, kings and rulers will enter these gates
Who will still sit upon David’s throne.

²⁵ ‘They’ll come through here with horses and chariots,
And I will appoint them the rulers
Of Judah and JeruSalem…
Then they’ll settle in this city through the ages.

²⁶ ‘And at that time, [the people] will come
From Judah and JeruSalem.
And from BenJamin’s land they’ll come also…
From the mountains and fields in the south.

‘Here they’ll be bringing burnt-offerings,
Along with incense and frankincense,
As well as offerings of praise and thanksgiving…
Here to the Temple of Jehovah.

²⁷ ‘But, if you should choose not to listen
And not treat My Sabbaths as holy…
If you continue to lift and tote loads
Through JeruSalem’s gates on the Sabbaths;
I’ll kindle a fire inside of these gates
To devour JeruSalem’s plazas…
A fire that won’t be extinguished!’

Chapter 18

¹ This message came to JeremiAh from Jehovah. ² He said:
‘Get up and go to the house of the potter
And hear the words that I’ll say there.’

³ So I went to the house of the potter, and {Look!} there I found the man making a [pot] on his stone. ⁴ However, the pot that he was making then fell apart, so he reshaped it into one that he was pleased with.

⁵ It was then that the Word of Jehovah came to me and said:
⁶ ‘Now, Jehovah is asking this question:
O House of IsraEl;
Can’t I shape you in the same way
That the potter just [reshaped this pot]?
For, O house of IsraEl;
Like clay in the hands of a potter
Is what you are in My hands.

⁷ ‘So, when I speak of bringing an end
To any nation or kingdom,
And I plan to destroy them and lift them away;
⁸ If the nation should turn from the bad,
I can then change My mind
About the bad things that I’d planned.

⁹ ‘And when I speak of building a nation or kingdom,
¹⁰ And they [choose to be] wicked before Me,
Refusing to hear what I say;
About the good things of which I had planned,
I can then change My mind.

¹¹ ‘So, say this to those men of Judea
And to those that live in JeruSalem…
Tell them that thus says Jehovah:

‘{Look!} I will shape bad things against you
And devise against you, a plot,
Unless you turn from your evil ways
And change your bad ways to good!

¹² ‘Yet, this is what they’ll say in reply:
We’ll act like men and do as we please…
We’ll do whatever is bad in our hearts!

¹³ ‘And because of this, thus says Jehovah:
Go and ask the gentiles this question:
Have you heard better reasons to shudder
Than what IsraEl, the virgin, has done?

¹⁴ ‘Will snow leave the rocks on the mountains?
Will rain not fall when it’s blown by the wind?
¹⁵ Yet, because My own people forgot Me,
It’s in vain that they’re burning incense to Me,
And they’ll now grow weak in their paths.

‘On the roads of the ages, they will not walk;
For, since they don’t know the right way to go,
¹⁶ They’ve ordered extinction upon their own land…
A hissing [that will last] through the ages.

‘Then, all that go there will be stupefied,
And they will just shake their heads.
¹⁷ For, enemies will blow them away
As though they are flames in the wind…
Yes, I’ll show them the rear not the front
In the day that they’re being destroyed.’

¹⁸ Well after that, [the people] started saying:
‘We need to come up with a plot [to destroy] JeremiAh, for the Law won’t really pass away, nor will the wisdom or words of [our] prophets. Come on, let’s beat him on his tongue so we won’t have to listen to his words anymore!’

¹⁹ Hear me, O Lord; Hear the [results] of my righteous deeds! ²⁰ Should I be repaid with evil for the good [that I’m doing]? For right now they’re meeting and talking about doing something evil to my life!

Please remember [all the times] that I stood here before You and asked You to do good things for them… when I urged You to turn from Your rage against them! ²¹ But now, because of [these things that they’re saying], please bring a famine upon all their sons and hand them over to those that are carrying swords! Let their women become childless and widows… may all of their husbands be killed, and may all their young men fall by the sword! ²² let there be cries in their homes as You set looters upon them… for now they’re plotting to arrest me and they’re hiding snares to catch me!

²³ Yes, You know, O Lord, that they’re planning to kill me; so don’t overlook their errors and sins, and wipe them away from before You. Let their failures always remain in Your [eyes], and then deal with them in the day of Your rage!

Chapter 19

¹ Well at that, the Lord said to me:
‘Go buy a shaped earthenware pitcher
From the elders of the people and the priests.
² Then go to the graveyard of Hinnom’s sons
At the threshold of the East Gate,
And read all these words that I’ll tell you:

³ ‘Say, O you kings of Judea,
And you who live in JeruSalem;
Hear the word of Jehovah!
For Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl now says
That He’ll bring so many bad things to this place
That it will ring in the ears of those hearing about it.

⁴ ‘For, they’ve left Him and [chosen] this place
Where they burn incense to their strange gods
(Gods that their fathers never knew).
And the kings of Judah have filled up this place
With the blood of innocent men.

⁵ ‘Here, they’ve built [altars] to BaAl,
And they’ve burned their sons in a fire…
Something that God never spoke of
And which He never told them to do,
Or ever came into His heart!

⁶ ‘And because of this, days will come, said the Lord,
‘When they’ll call this [The Valley] no longer,
Nor the Graveyard of Hinnom’s sons.
It’ll be called, The Graveyard of Slaughter!

⁷ ‘For there, I’ll slay the counselors of Judah,
As well as those of JeruSalem…
Before their enemies, I’ll cut them down
Through the hands of those that are seeking their lives.
Then I’ll hand their dead to the birds as their food,
As well as to the wild beasts of the ground.

⁸ ‘I’ll order the extinction of this city…
It’ll be just a place where hissing is heard.
And all that come here will look at it sadly,
Then whistle [when they see] its disaster.

⁹ ‘Here they’ll eat the flesh of their daughters and sons,
And in their strongholds, the flesh of their neighbors,
When their enemies (those seeking their lives) have arrived.

¹⁰ ‘Then, break that pitcher in front of their eyes,
And before those who’ve traveled there with you,
¹¹ Then tell them that thus says Jehovah:

‘This is how I will do it;
I’ll break your city and its people
Just like this pot has been shattered
So that it cannot be repaired.
Then they will be buried here in this place
Where [they now play] tambourines…
And there’ll be no other place to be buried.

¹² ‘Jehovah says:
This is what I will do to this place,
And to all those that live here…
I’ll hand this city to destruction…
¹³ Yes, all of JeruSalem’s homes
And the palaces of all of its rulers.

‘It will all fall into ruin
Because of the bad things they’ve done here.
For here, they’ve burned incense on roofs
To each of the [Zodiac signs],
And they’ve offered drinks to strange gods.’

¹⁴ Then JeremiAh left [the valley] where The Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he went and stood in the courtyard of the [Temple] of Jehovah and said this to all the people that were there:
‘Thus says Jehovah of Armies:
{Look!} I’ll bring calamity on this city
And to the rest of its cities and towns.
I’m bringing all of the evils that I’ve spoken against her;
For, you have hardened your necks,
And not listened to the instructions that I sent.’

Chapter 20

¹ Well, when Pashur, the son of ImMer the Priest (who had been anointed as the leader of the Temple of Jehovah) heard what JeremiAh was prophesying, ² he had him beaten and thrown into the dungeon near the Upper Gate of the House of BenJamin, which was near the Temple of Jehovah.

³ Then the next morning, as Pashur was leading JeremiAh out of the dungeon, JeremiAh said to him:
‘Jehovah won’t call your name Pashur anymore. Rather, He’s going to call you Refugee. ⁴ Because, Jehovah says this:

‘{Look!} I will hand over you and your friends,
And you’ll be taken away from this place.
Then, each one will be cut down by enemy swords…
And your eyes will see it all happen.

‘Then I’ll hand over Judah to Babylon’s king,
And he’ll move the people away
Or cut them to pieces with swords.

⁵ ‘I’ll remove the strength from this city
– All its works and all the king’s treasures –
And give them into their enemy’s hands.

‘Then to Babylon, they all will be led;
⁶ And you and all that live in your house
Will be taken to Babylon as captives,
And that is the place where you’ll die…
It’s where you’ll be entombed with your friends
To whom you prophesied lies.’

⁷ Then I said:
‘You’ve deceived me, O Lord… yes, I was truly deceived! Though You’ve held on and won, I’m the butt of their laughter every day and I’m the one at whom they’re all sneering! ⁸ So from here on, I’m just going to laugh at the bitterness and call for more misery and rebellion, since all that speaking the word of Jehovah has brought me is scorn and taunting every day.’

⁹ And I said:
‘There’s no way that I’m going to [speak of] Jehovah anymore… I won’t even mention His Name!’
However, soon it became like a fire that burned and blazed in my bones and made me weak on the inside, until I was no longer able to bear it. [So I said:]
¹⁰ ‘I’ve heard that they’ve said in their meetings,
We should all rise up against him…
Yes, let’s stand together against him
As well as against all his friends.

‘Let’s ignore what he says will be coming…
Yes, let him keep on being deceived.
For against him, we will prevail,
And then, we’ll take vengeance upon him.

¹¹ ‘However, Jehovah is with me,
As a warrior that’s making me strong.
So, they have chased me in vain…
And though they will all meet with shame,
They’ll fail to see their dishonor,
Which will not be forgotten through ages.

¹² ‘O Lord;
Try me according to Your righteous ways…
Examine my kidneys and heart.
May I witness Your punishment on them…
For before You, I’ve laid out my pleas for defense.

¹³ ‘So, sing to Jehovah and praise Him,
Because He’ll save the lives of the poor
From the hands of those that have power!

¹⁴ ‘O cursed is the day I was born…
May the day that my mother gave birth
Never be longed for again!

¹⁵ ‘And may that person be cursed
Who brought this as news to my father:
Rejoice, for you have a male child!
¹⁶ May he be as the cities that did not repent
And were destroyed by Jehovah!

‘Let him hear their cries in the mornings,
As well as their shouting at noon!
¹⁷ For [God] failed to kill me in my mother’s womb
And let it serve as my tomb through the ages.

¹⁸ ‘Why did I come from the womb…
Just to see all of this misery
And to spend all my days in such shame?’

Chapter 21

¹ The following are the words that came to JeremiAh from Jehovah after King ZedekiAh had sent Pashur (the son of MelchiAh) and ZephaniAh (the son of MaAseJah) the Priest to him to say this:
² ‘Go beg to Jehovah for us, because the king of Babylon has us surrounded. [Ask] if the Lord will send wonders and drive that king from [our walls].’

³ So the Lord then told JeremiAh,
‘Give this reply to King ZedekiAh:

‘I’ll turn back the weapons of war in your hands
That you’re using to fight those Chaldeans
Who have come to oppress you,
And that are outside of your walls;
⁴ Then, I’ll bring them into your city.

⁵ ‘For, I will wage war against you
With My outstretched hand and My mighty arm
In [My] anger and rage.

⁶ ‘I’ll strike all those that live in this city
In a slaughter of men and their cattle…
Yes, they will all be destroyed!

⁷ ‘And then, said Jehovah,
I’ll hand over Judah’s King ZedekiAh,
As well as all of his servants,
Along with those that live in this city
Who’ll survive death from the famine
And the swords in the hands of those seeking their lives.

‘By the mouth of the sword, they’ll cut them to bits…
They will not spare or feel pity.

⁸ ‘Then, speak to these people and tell them…
Yes, tell them that thus says Jehovah:

‘{Look!} Before your faces, I’ve put life and death.
⁹ And those that stay in this city
Will die by famine or by the sword.
But those that leave to join the Chaldeans
(Those men that have you surrounded) will live…
Your [reward] will be your own lives!

¹⁰ ‘For against this city, I’ve now set My face
To do just bad things, not good, says Jehovah.
It’s going to be handed to Babylon’s king,
And he will then burn it in fire.

¹¹ ‘O house of the kings of Judea;
Hear the Word of Jehovah!
¹² And to you, the house of [King] David;
Against you, Jehovah said this:

‘In the morning, discuss the judgment on you,
And then get yourselves straightened out.
Rescue those being shredded
From the hands of those that are doing them wrong!

‘Don’t let My anger be lit like a fire;
For, after it has been kindled,
No one will come here to put it out!

¹³ ‘Look… it’s Me that’s coming against
All you that live in these [mountains],
And you that live in the plains…
Those that have asked, Whom must we fear?
And, Who could enter our homes?

¹⁴ ‘Yes, I am the One that is watching
And the One that will light the fire,
Which will burn everything that’s around [you]!’

Chapter 22

¹ Then the Lord said,
‘So now, go to the [palace] of Judah’s king,
And these are the words you must speak there:

² ‘O you king of Judea,
Hear the Word of Jehovah…
Yes, you who are sitting upon David’s throne…
You, as well as your servants,
And all the people that enter your gates!

³ ‘Tell him that this is what was said by Jehovah:
You must [learn to] be righteous and fair,
And rescue those being plundered
From the hands of those who are doing them wrong!

‘Don’t tyrannize strangers, orphans, or widows…
Don’t be irreverent anymore…
And stop shedding innocent blood in this place!

⁴ ‘For, if you [continue] doing such things,
Their kings will enter the gates of this house,
And on David’s throne, they will sit.
Yes, they, their children, and people
Will come here on chariots and horses!

⁵ ‘If you choose not to listen to Me,
I swear this oath by Myself, says Jehovah:
On your house, I will bring desolation!’

⁶ ‘And Jehovah said this against the [palace] of the king of Judah:
You’re the same as GileAd to Me;
For, you are Lebanon’s head.
So, shouldn’t I wipe you away
And leave your cities deserted?

⁷ ‘I’ll bring annihilation upon you
By a man that carries the axe.
He’ll cut down all your fine cedars,
And throw them into a fire.

⁸ ‘Then, nations will [march] through this city,
And each man will ask his companion,
Why did [God] let this happen?
⁹ And the other will give this reply:
Because they abandoned their Sacred Agreement
With Jehovah their God…
Because they bowed to and served other gods.

¹⁰ ‘So don’t weep or feel sorry for those that will die…
Rather, weep for those who’ll be carried away.
For, they will never return
Or see the land of their fathers again.'

¹¹ The Lord also said these words against ShalLum (JehoiAkim) the king of Judah (the son of [King] JosiAh), who reigned in place of his [brother] who’d been carried] off [to Egypt]. He said:

‘You will never return here,
¹² And you’ll die where I’ll have you taken…
So this land will never see you again!

¹³ ‘For your [palace] was built on injustice,
And unfairly, its rooms were constructed,
Since you made your neighbors work without pay…
You didn’t even pay them their wages!

¹⁴ ‘A well-designed house, you’ve built for yourself,
With windows and good ventilation,
And cedar walls that are painted vermillion.
¹⁵ But, should you have started to rule
Because you disliked your father?

‘Of food and drink, he had plenty,
Because he was fair, honest, and just!
¹⁶ But, you have not [seen the need]
To judge the humble in fairness,
Or to be just with the poor!
Have you done this because you don’t know Me, asks Jehovah?

¹⁷ ‘{Look!} There is nothing good in your eyes or your heart,
And your desire is just to gain wealth.
So, you are shedding innocent blood
And committing such evils as murder!

¹⁸ Then the Lord said this against JehoiAkim, king of Judah:
'Because of all that he’s done,
Woe [will come to] this man.
So let no one feel sorry for him,
And no one should wail, O my brother!

‘Over him, they should never weep,
Or say, Too bad for you, O my Lord!
¹⁹ For, he’ll be buried like a donkey…
He’ll be scraped up and tossed from JeruSalem’s [walls]!

²⁰ ‘Now, go up to Lebanon and shout…
Go to Bashan and call to the ends of the sea,
[And you’ll see that] your lovers have been beaten!

²¹ ‘I’ve spoken to you of your sins,
And you said that you’d pay me no heed.
This has been your way since your youth…
You’ve paid no attention to my voice!

²² ‘So your shepherds will just tend the wind,
And your lovers will be taken as captives.
Then, you’ll be shamed and disgraced
Before all of those with whom you’ve made love.

²³ ‘O you that call Lebanon [your home],
And you that nest among cedars;
You’ll groan like a [woman] about to give birth;
For, pangs of grief are coming to you!

²⁴ ‘As I live, says Jehovah;
King ConiJah (JehoiAkim’s son)
Will become a seal on My right hand;
For, from your place, I will take you
²⁵ And hand you to the man that is seeking your life…
The one before whom you are cautious…
To the hands of King NebuChadNezzar
And to the hands of all his Chaldeans.

²⁶ ‘I’ll throw you and the mother that bore you
Into a land where you were not born…
And then you will die in that place!
²⁷ So, to this land that’s the love of your life,
You will never return.

²⁸ ‘ConiJah will also meet with disgrace…
And like a pot [that’s been thrown] in the trash;
He’ll be thrown in a land that he’s never known.’

²⁹ ‘O land, hear the Word of Jehovah:
³⁰ Record this king as one that’s been banished,
And thereafter, proclaim this in public:
Nothing will grow from his seed
That will ever sit upon David’s throne,
Or rule in Judah again!’

Chapter 23

¹ ‘O you shepherds that scatter
And destroy the sheep of His pasture;
Against you, Jehovah said this…
He said this to those that shepherd His [sheep]:

² ‘You have scattered My sheep…
Yes, you have pushed them away
And refused to [watch over] them.
So, {Look!} I will take vengeance upon you
For the wicked things that you’ve done.

³ ‘Then, from wherever they are on the earth,
I will gather them back
(Those that are left of My people)
From wherever they have been pushed,
And bring them [back] to their pastures,
Where they’ll multiply and grow once again.

⁴ ‘Then, I will raise shepherds to tend them
So they won’t know terror or fear,
Nor will they have to be searched for again, says Jehovah.

⁵ ‘Look! The days are now coming, says Jehovah,
When I’ll bring a righteous dawning to David,
And an understanding king will then reign,
Who’ll bring what’s righteous and fair to the land.

⁶ ‘In his days, he’ll bring salvation to Judah,
And IsraEl will camp in submission.
Then the Lord will call him, Jehovah is Righteous.

⁷ ‘And because of this, {Look!} days will come,’ said the Lord;
‘When they’ll not say, As Jehovah’s alive…
The One that led IsraEl from Egypt.
⁸ But rather, they will be saying,
As Jehovah is living…
The One that gathered back IsraEl’s seed
From the lands in the north,
And from everywhere else that they had been pushed…
And then, He returned them to their own land.

⁹ ‘But their prophets have broken my heart…
Yes, they have rattled my bones.
I became like a person that’s broken,
Or as one that’s had too much wine
Before the face of Jehovah…
Before His beautiful, glorious face…
¹⁰ For the land is now full of adultery.

‘Because of this, the land is in mourning,
And all of its pastures have dried.
For their race has become wicked and weak,
¹¹ And their prophets and priests are corrupt.

‘Yes, I saw their wicked ways in My [Temple], said Jehovah,
¹² So I allowed them to slip into darkness,
Where they have stumbled and fallen!
Then, in the year that I come to visit,
I’ll bring more bad things upon them, says Jehovah.

¹³ ‘Among Samaria’s prophets,
I beheld the violations of [My] Law.
For, it was by BaAl that they prophesied
To mislead IsraEl, My people.

¹⁴ ‘Then, among the prophets in JeruSalem,
I also saw reasons to shudder.
For they committed adultery and lied,
While shaking hands with the wicked…
Not turning their hands from bad ways.

‘So, they are like Sodom to Me,
And like GomorRah, are the rest of those living there.
¹⁵ And because of this, says Jehovah to those prophets;
{Look!} I will feed you on grief,
And bitter water, I’ll give you to drink.
For, everywhere throughout the whole land,
JeruSalem’s prophets have brought what is foul.

¹⁶ ‘So, thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
Don’t listen to the words of those prophets…
Those that speak prophecies before you.
For their visions prove how foolish they are,
And that what they speak just comes from their hearts,
Not from the mouth of Jehovah.

¹⁷ ‘They are told by those that have pushed the Lord’s Word aside:
You will find peace if you’ll follow your hearts…
No evil will come to any of those
Who follow the delusions in their own hearts.’

¹⁸ O who has stood in the fort of Jehovah…
Who has beheld and heard what He said…
Yes, who has listened and paid close attention?

¹⁹ Look! A shaking will come from Jehovah…
His anger will arrive as a rumble;
Then a whirl-wind will come to the godless.

²⁰ But this won’t turn back the rage of Jehovah
Until His heart has been satisfied.
And they won’t comprehend ‘til their days reach their end.

[For He said]:
²¹ ‘Though I didn’t send those false prophets,
They came to you anyhow.
And though I’ve never spoken to them,
They have still prophesied.

²² ‘If they had followed My council
And paid attention to what I had said,
My people would have turned from their wicked ways.

²³ ‘But, I am a God that is near,’ says Jehovah!
‘I’m not a God that is far away.
²⁴ So, what can be hidden [from Me]…
What is the secret that I cannot see…
Weren’t the heavens and earth filled by Me,’ asks Jehovah?

²⁵ ‘Yet I’ve heard what those prophets have said…
Those that speak lies in My Name…
Those that say, This is what I saw in a dream!

²⁶ ‘How long will their lies still continue
To come from the hearts of those prophets…
How long will they prophesy lies,
And speak the things that their hearts desire?

²⁷ ‘They’ve come up with ways to forget My Name,
Then they use their dreams to describe to their neighbors
How [it was really] their fathers
That had forgotten My Name,
And then turned to the service of BaAl.

²⁸ ‘Let those dreaming prophets describe all their dreams!
And let those who say that they have My word
Describe what I truly have said!

‘As straw is to grain; so are My words,’ says Jehovah.
²⁹ ‘And aren’t My words like the flames of a fire,’ asks the Lord?
‘Aren’t they like an axe that cuts rocks?

³⁰ ‘Look! I am against all those prophets
Who steal My words from their neighbors.
³¹ Yes, I am against all those prophets,’ says Jehovah,
Who roll prophecies from their tongues,
While all they’ve really done is just sleep.

³² ‘Look, I am against all those prophets
Who prophesy from their false dreams;
For, they are misleading My people
With all their lies and delusions!

‘No, I did not really send them,
Nor did I tell them to do this…
I gave them nothing to bring to these people,’ says Jehovah.

³³ ‘And if you are asked by these people
Or if you’re asked by their prophets or priests,
What is bothering Jehovah?
This is what you must tell them:

‘What bothers Me is you people,
For I’ll beat you down, says Jehovah…
³⁴ You people, you prophets, and priests…
You who’ve dared to ask why I’m bothered!
So I’ll punish you men along with your homes!

³⁵ ‘Then each one will be asking his neighbor,
And each man will be asking his brother:
What was Jehovah’s reply…
What answer came from the Lord?
³⁶ But don’t ask Jehovah about this again;
For the things that He said should be your concern,
³⁷ Since you have twisted His words!

‘So, [in the future, when] those prophets ask,
What was said by Jehovah?
³⁸ Because they’ve spoken these words once again;
I’ll send Jehovah’s concerns upon them!
For I told them that they shouldn’t be asking
What things Jehovah’s concerned with.

³⁹ ‘Yes, because they’ve done this again,
I’ll take them and beat them down in this land
That I once gave to their fathers.
⁴⁰ Through the ages, I’ll place scorn upon them…
A dishonor that won’t be forgotten.’

Chapter 24

¹ Well, after NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon) had taken JeconiJah (the son of JehoiAkim) the king of Judah and the governors from JeruSalem as prisoners and led them into Babylon; The Lord showed me two reed baskets of figs sitting before the Temple of Jehovah. ² The first basket of figs was much fresher and better than the other, for the second basket of figs was so bad that they couldn’t be eaten.

³ Then the Lord asked me,
‘What do you see, JeremiAh?’

And I replied,
‘Figs… some are good, but the others are so rotten that they can’t be eaten.’

⁴ Then the Word of Jehovah came to me and said,
⁵ ‘Jehovah, the God of IsraEl, says this:
These good figs are like those Judeans
Whom I already sent away from this place
Into the land of Chaldea.

⁶ ‘I will fix My eyes upon them for good,
And I’ll bring them back to this land…
I’ll rebuild them and not destroy them again…
I’ll plant them and not pluck them up.

⁷ ‘I’ll give them hearts that will know Me…
So they’ll realize that I am their Lord.
Then they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God,
And with their whole hearts, they’ll turn back to Me.

⁸ ‘But, when it comes to those bad figs
That no one could possibly eat…
Because he has made himself rotten, says Jehovah;
I’ll hand over King ZedekiAh
Along with all his great men.

‘Then the rest of the people in JeruSalem
And those who’ve remained in this land,
As well as all those [fleeing to] Egypt,
⁹ Will be scattered throughout the whole earth.

‘As a parable of hatred, they will be scorned
And cursed everywhere that I’ll push them.
¹⁰ Upon them, I will bring famine,
As well as plagues and the sword,
Until they’ve been forced out of this land
That I gave to their fathers and them.’

Chapter 25

¹ Well, it was in the fourth year [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah that these words came to JeremiAh concerning all the people of Judah. And then, during the first year [of the reign] of NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon), ² the Prophet JeremiAh went and spoke to all the people of Judah and to those that were living in JeruSalem. This is what he said to them:

³ ‘From the thirteenth year of JosiAh (the son of Amon) – for [the past] twenty three years – Jehovah’s word has been coming to me, and I’ve been getting up early each morning to tell you [what God has said]. However, you just haven’t listened. ⁴ [So now, Jehovah says this]:

‘Every morning, I sent you My servants the Prophets,
But your ears refused to listen to them,
And you chose to pay no attention.

⁵ ‘They told you to turn from your wicked ways,
And then, you’d continue to live in the land
That I gave to your fathers and you
Through the age and into the ages.

⁶ ‘I told you not to follow strange gods…
Not to serve them or bow down before them,
So you wouldn’t provoke Me to rage
With these things that you made with your hands,
And I wouldn’t bring bad things upon you…
⁷ However, you just wouldn’t listen!

⁸ ‘So because of this, says Jehovah…
Since you didn’t trust the things that I said;
⁹ {Look!} I’ve called for a family that lives in the north
And led them down to this land…
I’ve brought them against those that live here
And against the nations roundabout,
To bring desolation upon you…
They’ll appoint you to extinction, hissing, and scorn
Throughout [the rest of] the age.

¹⁰ ‘They’ll destroy the sounds of happiness and joy…
The voices of grooms and their brides,
As well as the scent of lamps and perfumes.

¹¹ ‘There’ll be an extinction throughout the whole land,
Then you’ll serve that nation for seventy years…
As well as Babylon’s king.

¹² ‘And after the seventy years are fulfilled;
On the king of Babylon and his wicked nation,
I will then bring My vengeance
For the unrighteous things that they’ll do, says Jehovah.

‘I’ll appoint the land of Chaldea
To extinction throughout the rest of the age.
¹³ And against that land, I’ll bring all the words
That I have spoken against them…
All the things that JeremiAh will write in this scroll,
And which he will speak against them!

¹⁴ ‘For, they will force many nations,
And their great kings to serve them.
Then I’ll pay them back for the bad things they’ll do…
According to the works of their hands.’

¹⁵ ‘Then Jehovah the God of IsraEl said:
Take this cup of pure wine from My hand
And give it to those nations where I’ll send you…
Yes, give it to them as their drink!
¹⁶ Then they’ll drink it and vomit it out,
And go mad before the sword that I’ll send.’

¹⁷ So after that, I took the cup that the Lord had given to me and I gave it to the nations to drink (all of those to whom He had sent me… to JeruSalem and the cities of Judah… to the king of Judah and his governors), ¹⁸ so as to appoint desolation upon them and to be lands that are no longer walked (places of hissing and curses), ¹⁹ as well as on Pharaoh (the king of Egypt), on his children, on his people, and on all his great men (yes, all that live in his realm), ²⁰ and upon the kings of Philistia and Uz; on AshKelon, Gaza, EkRon, and those who are left in AshDod, ²¹ and on those in Edom and in MoAb.

‘For He said:
‘The sons of AmMon will then be extinct,
²² As will be the kings of Sidon and Tyre,
And the kings that [live] ‘cross the sea,
²³ Such as Dedan, Tema, and Buz
(All those that are shaving their faces),
²⁴ And the kings of Arabia and their subjects
(Those who rest in the desert)…
²⁵ All the kings of Zimri and Elam;
All the kings of the Medes;
²⁶ And all the kings from the east wind
(Both those that are near and those far away),
Along with all of their brothers,
And the rest of the kingdoms on the face of the earth…
Then Shishak will also drink with them!’

²⁷ ‘Yes, tell them that thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
They all will drink it and all will get drunk,
And then, they will vomit and fall,
For they will be unable to stand
Before the sword that I’m sending to them!

²⁸ ‘And if they refuse to drink from the cup;
Explain that Jehovah of Armies said this:
[You have no choice] but to drink it;
²⁹ For this affliction has already started
In the city that carries My Name.

‘And if you should try to clean yourselves up,
There’s no way that you’ll ever be holy;
For now, I have called for a sword
To come upon all your lands,
Says Jehovah of Armies.

³⁰ ‘You must speak these words against them and say:
From high above in His Holy Place,
Jehovah will bring execution…
He’ll speak a word with His voice,
And against your place, He’s sending destruction.

‘Then, those that gather this vintage will say
To those that have settled the land:
³¹ Part of the earth has been ruined;
And from Jehovah, this judgment of nations has come.
For, with all flesh, He’s contending,
And the irreverent will be given to the sword.’

³² ‘Jehovah of Armies also said this:
{Look!} From a nation, evil will come to the nations,
And a storm will rage to the ends of the earth.
³³ And in that day;
From one part of the earth to the other,
Those that are slain by Jehovah
Won’t be lamented, gathered, or buried…
They’ll be like manure on the face of the ground.

³⁴ ‘So shout, O shepherds, and cry out!
Yes, beat on your chests, O rams of the flocks!
For your days until slaughter have now been fulfilled,
And you will fall like the choicest of rams.

³⁵ ‘For the shepherds; their chance for flight will be gone,
And safety will flee from the rams of the flocks.
³⁶ So from the shepherds, cries will arise,
As well as the bleating of rams,
When Jehovah wipes their pastures away.

³⁷ ‘Then there’ll no longer be peaceful places to rest,
In the face of Jehovah’s anger and rage.
For He’ll arrive like a lion that’s abandoned its lair
To make their lands unwalked places,
With the face of His mighty sword.’

Chapter 26

¹ It was in the first part of King JehoiAkim’s (the son of JosiAh) reign that this word came from Jehovah. [The Lord] said:

² ‘Go and stand in [the Temple] courtyard
And there, give orders to those in Judea…
To all who are coming to bow here.
Tell them all the things that I said,
And don’t forget any words!
³ Then perhaps they will listen and turn from their bad,
And I can bring an end to the evil
That I’ve arranged to send upon them
Because of the bad things they’re doing.

⁴ ‘So, tell them that thus says Jehovah:
If you refuse to listen to Me
And obey all the Laws that I’ve set before you…
[If you won’t] obey the words of My servant
⁵ (The words of the Prophet I sent,
But to whom you chose not to listen),
⁶ I’ll make this [Temple] like Shiloh
And appoint this city as a curse
Before all the nations on earth.’

⁷ Well, all the priests and false prophets, as well as all the people heard what JeremiAh said when he spoke those words in the [Temple] of Jehovah. ⁸ And after he finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to the people, the priests, and the false prophets, they grabbed him and said:
⁹ ‘We’re going to kill you for prophesying in the Name of Jehovah and for saying that this [Temple] will become like Shiloh and that this city will be desolate with no one living in it!’

So thereafter, they all gathered inside the [Temple] of Jehovah and put JeremiAh on trial. ¹⁰ But when the rulers of Judah heard [what JeremiAh was saying], they went from the king’s [palace] up to the [Temple] of Jehovah, and they all sat down on the threshold of the New Gate. ¹¹ Then the priests and false prophets said this before the rulers and all the people:
‘This man deserves the judgment of death for prophesying against this city… something that you all heard him say with your own ears!’

¹² And [in reply], JeremiAh said this to the rulers and the people:
‘It was Jehovah that sent me here to prophesy all these words that you heard me speak against this [Temple] and this city. ¹³ So, it would really best for you to change the ways that you’re acting and the things that you’re doing, and to start listening to the voice of your God Jehovah. For then the Lord would bring an end to all of these evils that He has spoken against you here.

¹⁴ ‘However, {Look!} here I am in your hands! So, do to me whatever you think is going to be advantageous and best for yourselves! ¹⁵ But know and understand that if you do away with me, you will have brought the guilt of innocent blood against yourselves, this city, and everyone that lives here; for it was really Jehovah that sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears!’

¹⁶ Well at that, the rulers and people said to the priests and false prophets:
‘This man doesn’t really deserve the sentence of death, for he was speaking in the Name of our God Jehovah!’

¹⁷ Then, men from among the elders of the land stood up and spoke before the whole gathering and said:
¹⁸ ‘MicAh the Morasthite was a Prophet in the days of HezekiAh, the king of Judah, and he spoke to all the people of Judah and told them that Jehovah of Armies had said this:
Zion is now a field to be plowed,
For JeruSalem will be a storehouse of fruits,
And the Temple Mount will soon be converted
Into a grove of sacred poles.
¹⁹ However, King HezekiAh and the people of Judah didn’t do away with him, because they were afraid of Jehovah. So they begged and bowed before [God], and He brought an end to the evils that He had spoken against them… and once again, we have [for a fact, been sinning] in a great way against our own souls!’

²⁰ Well, around that same time, there was another man that had been prophesying in the Name of Jehovah, UriAh the son of ShemaiAh (from KiriAth JaiRim). For he had also prophesied about the city and the land, using the very same words as JeremiAh. ²¹ But when he heard what King JehoiAkim and all the rulers had said about seeking to kill [JeremiAh], UriAh became afraid and he fled down to Egypt. ²² However, the king sent his men (ElNathan the son of AchBor, and some others) to Egypt ²³ and they brought him back from there. Then when he stood before the king, he was cut down with a sword and [his body] was thrown into the tomb of the sons of his people. ²⁴ But because the hand of AhiKam (the son of ShaPhan) was with JeremiAh, he kept him from being handed over to the people so they could do away with him.

Chapter 27

¹ It was at the beginning of the reign of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah, that these words came to JeremiAh from Jehovah. ² The Lord said:

‘Now, make some shackles for yourself
And a collar [of iron] to be put ‘round your neck.
³ Then send them to the kings of Edom and MoAb,
And to those of AmMon, Sidon, and Tyre
By the hands of those who have come here
To see ZedekiAh, king of Judah.

⁴ ‘Tell them that they must say to their Lords
That IsraEl’s God Jehovah of Armies said this:

⁵ ‘I’m the One that created the earth and its people,
And all cattle on the face of the ground
By means of My strength and My mighty arm,
And I’ll hand it to whomever I choose.

⁶ ‘So now, I have given all of your lands
To NebuChadNezzar (Babylon’s King),
[And all the people] must start serving him,
As must all the beasts in the fields,
⁷ As well as your sons and the sons of your sons
Through the time that I’ve set for your land…
Yes, all of this is now his!

‘Many nations and kings will start serving him,
⁸ And upon any nation or kingdom
That refuses to serve King NebuChadNezzar
(That won’t wear his yoke on their necks),
I’ll send the sword, famine, and plague, says Jehovah,
Until they yield to his hand.

⁹ ‘So don’t listen to what your false prophets say
(Those who through dreams prophecy,
Or those who give omens through potions)
When they tell you not to serve Babylon’s king;
¹⁰ For they are just lying to you,
And then you’ll be driven out of your land…
For I’ll drive you out and [destroy] you!

¹¹ ‘To the nation that puts its neck in the yoke
And chooses to serve Babylon’s king;
I’ll allow them to stay in their land, says Jehovah…
They’ll continue to work there and live.’

¹² So I went and spoke all these words to ZedekiAh the king of Judah. I told him:
‘If you’ll put your neck in the yoke of Babylon’s king ¹³ and work for him and his men, you’ll live! Why should you and your people choose to die by the sword, famines, and plagues, as Jehovah told the nations would happen to them if they don’t wish to serve Babylon’s king?

¹⁴ ‘You shouldn’t listen to the words of those prophets when they tell you that you must not serve him, for they’re prophesying unrighteous things! ¹⁵ Jehovah says that He didn’t send them, and what they’re prophesying in His Name is unrighteous, so He’ll have to destroy both them and you… yes, you’ll die along with those prophets who are lying to you!’

¹⁶ Then I spoke to the priests and to all the people, and told them that Jehovah said this:
‘Don’t listen to the words of the prophets
When they speak prophecies and they tell you
That the items of the [Temple] of Jehovah
Will soon be returned from Babylon.
For, they are lying to you!

¹⁷ ‘No, do not listen to them…
Serve Babylon’s king and you’ll live…
Why bring your city to ruin?’

¹⁸ [I said],
‘If they truly are Prophets
And if they really have the word of Jehovah;
Then, have them all come here and meet me,
So that the things which are left in the Temple
And the things that belong to Judea’s kings
(Whatever is left in JeruSalem)
Will not be taken to Babylon.

¹⁹ ‘For Jehovah sent me this warning
About the [Temple’s sacred] columns,
And about the [Sacred] Sea and its base,
As well as about all the rest that is left,
²⁰ Which Babylon’s king didn’t already take
When he removed JehoiAkim’s son, JeconiJah…
The king of Judah and all of his rulers,
Then took them from Judah and JeruSalem,
And carried them to Babylon.

²¹ ‘For Jehovah of Armies (the God of IsraEl)
Said this about the things left behind
At the [Temple] of Jehovah
And all that is left in the homes of the kings
In Judah and JeruSalem:
²² To Babylon, it will be carried,
And there is where it will stay
Until the day that I come to visit,
And they bring it back to this place.’

Chapter 28

¹ It was in the fifth month of the fourth year of the reign of ZedekiAh (king of Judah) that HananiAh (the son of Azur) the false prophet from GibeOn spoke to me in the [Temple] of Jehovah before the eyes of the priests and all the people. He said:
² ‘Jehovah of Armies the God of IsraEl spoke to me and said this:
I will break the yoke of Babylon’s king.
³ And in two more years, I will return
All the things of the [Temple] of Jehovah,
⁴ As well as JeconiJah and the [people] of Judah
Whom they have moved away.
For I’ll break the yoke of Babylon’s king.’

⁵ Then the Prophet JeremiAh replied to HananiAh, there before the priests and before the eyes of all the people that were standing in the [Temple] of Jehovah. He said:
⁶ ‘May Jehovah indeed do what you’ve said in the words of your prophecy and return all the things of the [Temple] of Jehovah along with all the [people] that were carried off to Babylon. ⁷ However, listen to the words that I’ll speak into your ears before all of these people:
⁸ Through the ages (long before you and me), there have been many men who’ve prophesied great things against this land concerning war, oppression, and plagues… ⁹ and there were also those that prophesied peace. Then after it happened, the [people] started believing whichever prophet that had really been sent by Jehovah.’

¹⁰ Well at that, HananiAh tore the yoke from the neck of JeremiAh and broke it. ¹¹ And he said (there before the eyes of all the people):
‘Jehovah told me that this is how He will break the yoke of the king of Babylon from the necks of all the nations in just two more years!’

Well when he did that, JeremiAh left. And as he was leaving ¹² (after HananiAh had broken the yoke from his neck), the Word of Jehovah came to [JeremiAh] and said this:
¹³ ‘Go back and tell HananiAh that Jehovah said this:
Because you have broken that wooden yoke,
I’ll turn the wooden yokes into iron.

¹⁴ So JeremiAh [went back and said]:
‘Jehovah of Armies (the God of IsraEl) said this:
On the necks of all nations, I’ll put an iron yoke,
Then they’ll serve and work for Babylon’s king…
And to him, I’ll give all their cattle.’

¹⁵ Then JeremiAh said this to HananiAh:
‘Listen O HananiAh; Jehovah hasn’t sent you to these people just so they can learn to rely on the things that they’ve been doing wrong. ¹⁶ And because of what you’ve been telling them, this is what the Lord told me to say:
{Look!} I’ll remove you from the face of the earth…
Yes, this very year, you will die
For speaking against Jehovah!’

¹⁷ Well, he did in fact die that year, in the seventh month.

Chapter 29

¹ These are the words of the scroll that JeremiAh the Prophet sent from JeruSalem to the elders that had already been relocated, as well as to the priests and false prophets… to all the people that NebuChadNezzar had moved from JeruSalem to Babylon ² after King JeconiJah, his queen, his eunuchs, and all the freemen, servants, and craftsman had been taken from JeruSalem. ³ [He sent it] by the hand of ElAsah (the son of ShaPhan) and GemariJah (the son of HilkiJah). For they were the ones whom ZedekiAh (the king of Judah) had sent to the king of the Babylonian [Empire] that lived in [the city of] Babylon.

[The scroll] said,
⁴ ‘Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl, says this
To those that were carried away
(Those whom He’d moved from JeruSalem to Babylon):

⁵ Build houses and get ready to live there…
Plant gardens and then eat their fruits…
⁶ Take wives and also have children…
Father both daughters and sons!

‘Then, take [mates] for your daughters and sons;
And they’ll also give birth to daughters and sons…
They’ll multiply and not be reduced!

⁷ ‘Yes, seek peace in the land where I’ve sent you,
And pray to Jehovah on its behalf;
For, in its peace, you’ll find peace!

⁸ ‘Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl, also said this:

‘Don’t believe the false prophets among you…
Do not be influenced by those
Who say that you will find comfort…
And pay no attention to the things that they’ve dreamed!
⁹ For, there will be those that will come in My Name,
And they will prophesy falsely;
But by Me, they were not sent, says Jehovah!

¹⁰ ‘Then, this is what I was told by Jehovah:
After the seventy years
Upon Babylon have been fulfilled,
I’ll come to visit and do as I said…
I’ll bring you people back to your [homes].

¹¹ ‘I’ll work out a way that’s peaceful, not bad,
To bring you back from this place.
¹² Then you can pray to Me and I’ll hear you…
¹³ You can search for Me and you’ll find Me.
And if wholeheartedly, you’ll search for Me,
¹⁴ By you, I will be found!

¹⁵ ‘But you say that the Lord has put Prophets among those that are living in Babylon. ¹⁶ Well, Jehovah says this to the king that is sitting on the throne of David and to all the people that are living in this city, as well as to all your brothers that didn’t leave and weren’t taken into captivity along with you… ¹⁷ Yes, [concerning these prophets], Jehovah of Armies said this:

‘{Look!} I’ll send them the sword, famines, and plagues…
Like a bad fig, I will make them…
[A fig] that’s too rotten to eat.

¹⁸ ‘I’ll pursue them with swords, famines, and plagues,
Then scatter them to all the kingdoms of earth.
And to confusion, hissing, and scorn they’ll be cursed
Among all the nations where I’ll send them.

¹⁹ ‘For they’ve paid no attention to My words, said Jehovah,
That I spoke to them through My servants, the Prophets…
Those whom I sent and rose early [each day],
But to whom, they chose not to listen, said Jehovah.

²⁰ ‘Yet, those of you who’ve been moved away
From JeruSalem to Babylon,
Have also ignored the Word of Jehovah.

²¹ ‘For Jehovah once spoke against Ahab (the son of KolaiJah)
And ZedekiAh (the son of MaAseJah)
Who prophesied lies to you in His Name.
And this is what He has said about them:

‘{Look!} To Babylon’s king, I will hand them,
And he’ll cut them down in front of your eyes.
²² So when Babylon’s Jews speak curses, they’ll say:
May Jehovah do the same thing to you
That He did to ZedekiAh and Ahab…
Those that Babylon’s king fried in fires.

²³ ‘For, JeruSalem’s people are lawless…
They’re committing adultery with their countrymen’s wives.
Yet [their prophets] are saying things in My Name
That I didn’t tell them to say…
And I am the witness [against them],’ says Jehovah!

²⁴ Then [the Lord instructed me] to say this to ShemaiAh the NeHelamite:
‘Though you were not sent in My Name;
You wrote to the Priest, ZephaniAh,
Saying that thus says Jehovah:
²⁵ ‘I’m the One that appointed you as the Priest
To take the place of JehoiAda
And to be in charge of [the Temple],
As well as to be over the prophets.

²⁶ ‘And now, I tell you to put every man
Who acts [like a prophet], in prison…
Put them in the [lowest of] dungeons.

²⁷ ‘So, why haven’t you joined in and scolded
JeremiAh from [the city of] AnathOth
Who has served as a Prophet to you?

²⁸ ‘For to us who are living in Babylon
And in its most-distant places,
He says that freedom is still far away.
So, they should build houses and dwell there…
Plant gardens and then eat their fruits.’

²⁹ Well, after the Prophet JeremiAh read this letter in the ears of ZephaniAh, ³⁰ the Word of Jehovah came to him again and said:
³¹ ‘Send [a message] to those who’ve been sent away
And say that Jehovah has brought condemnation
Upon ShemaiAh the NeHeLamite.
He said:
Since ShemaiAh has prophesied before you
Despite the fact that I didn’t send him,
And he urged you to trust in the bad things you do…
³² Yes, because of this, says Jehovah;
I’ll visit ShemaiAh and all of his kind,
And there won’t be a man left among them
Who will see the good I’ll do among you, says Jehovah;
For he’s preached a turning from Me.’

Chapter 30

¹ These words came to JeremiAh from the Lord. He was told that Jehovah the God of IsraEl said this:

² ‘You must write all these words that I’ve spoken to you in a scroll:
³ {Look!} The days are coming, said Jehovah,
When I will return those of IsraEl and Judah
(All those who’ve been moved away)…
Yes, I’ll bring them back to this land
That I gave to their fathers,
And once more, they will be its lords.’

⁴ And after that, these were the words that the Lord spoke concerning IsraEl and Judah:
⁵ ‘Jehovah says:
[But first], you will hear fearful sounds…
You will hear fearful sounds and there’ll be no peace.

⁶ ‘So, ask if a male has ever given birth…
Yet I see all men with their hands on their hips
As though they are women about to give birth,
And their faces are [yellow with] jaundice.

⁷ ‘For, that will be a great day of woe,
And there couldn’t be any days worse…
Yet, Jacob will still be returned to his land.

⁸ ‘For thus says Jehovah of Armies:
In that day, I’ll break all the yokes from their necks…
I’ll also tear off their bonds,
And they’ll no longer be toiling for strangers.
⁹ At that time, they’ll work for Jehovah, their God,
And I will raise David to be their king.

¹⁰ ‘So you, O My servant Jacob;
Don’t be afraid, says Jehovah…
O IsraEl, do not be in terror,
For {Look!} I’ll bring you back from those far-away lands!

‘I’ll bring your seed from that captive place…
Jacob will be returned and find rest.
Then he’ll receive an abundance of good things,
And he will have nothing to fear.

¹¹ ‘Because I’m with you, I’ll save you, says Jehovah.
And I will appoint a conclusion
To those nations where you have been scattered,
For no way have I appointed your end.
But I will correct you in fairness,
And I’ll scrub you until you are clean!’

¹² ‘Jehovah said:
I’ll remove the pain of destruction;
¹³ For, no one else will be judging your case,
And no one else will be treating your [wounds]
To bring consolation to you.

¹⁴ ‘But by your friends, you will be forgotten,
And none will ask why I struck you…
Why I let your enemies beat you.

‘For My discipline will be very substantial,
Because the things that you did were so bad!
¹⁵ So don’t yell [to Me] about your destruction,
And the incurable state of your misery!

‘It will happen because your sins were so great,
And because of the harsh things you’ve done…
This is why I’m bringing these bad things upon you.

¹⁶ ‘But those who [are now] eating you
Will find themselves being consumed,
And your enemies will be taken as captives…
Those scattering you, will be scattered,
And those looting you, will be plundered.

¹⁷ ‘Then your grievous wounds, I will cure…
Yes, I will treat all your ailments, says God.
Then Zion will be called The Replanted Place,
And none will [attack] her again.

¹⁸ ‘Jehovah said:
{Look!} I’ll return those of Jacob who’ve been taken away…
All that were led off as captives.
Then, I will show mercy upon them
And rebuild their city there in the heights,
Where I will seat all the people
According to the ways they’ve been fair.

¹⁹ ‘And from among them, there will come singers,
As well as the music of musicians
That will grow in super abundance,
And no way will it be diminished.

²⁰ ‘Each man will then enter [the Temple]
Along with all of his sons,
Just as they’ve done in the past,
And their praises will rise up to Me,
When I come against those who’ve oppressed them.

²¹ ‘From among them, I’ll then choose a leader…
Yes, their ruler will be one of them.
I’ll collect them and bring them to Me
(All those whose hearts will want to return), says Jehovah…
²² Then they’ll be My people and I’ll be their Lord.

²³ ‘For this is why the rage of Jehovah was sent…
To change the godless, His anger went out
In order to make them turn back to Him.

²⁴ ‘But no way will [God’s] anger and rage be turned back
Until He has taken some action…
Until He’s done what His heart has decided…
And in the last days, you’ll understand why.’

Chapter 31

¹ Then the Lord told me this:
‘They’ll be the race of IsraEl’s God…
Yes they’ll be His people once more.’

² And the Lord said:
‘Though they found it hot in the desert
When they were destroyed by the sword;
IsraEl will again find places to rest!

³ ‘For they’ll see Jehovah off in the distance,
And this is what He will say:
With the love of the ages, I’ve loved you,
So I’ve drawn you close to show mercy on you…
⁴ I will rebuild you and you’ll be rebuilt,
O virgin daughter of IsraEl.

‘Your tambourines will be raised once again
And you’ll play them before the assembly.
⁵ You will also plant vineyards again
Upon Samaria’s mountains…
Yes, you will go planting and plant,
And you will go praising and praise!

⁶ ‘Then, on the day that I call out to you;
On Ephraim’s mountains, the watchmen will cry:
Get up and go to Mount Zion…
Return to Jehovah your God!

⁷ ‘Then Jehovah said this concerning [the people of] Jacob:
Be glad and shout to those leading the nations…
Do it… shout loudly in praise!
Say, Jehovah has rescued His people…
Those IsraElites that survived!

⁸ ‘Look… from the north, I will lead them,
And I’ll gather them from the ends of the earth
To observe a [glorious] Passover…
They’ll return, and they’ll have many children!

⁹ ‘Though when they left, they did so in tears;
I’ll send them comfort and lead them to rest
Along straight roads with [pure] streams…
It’s a path from which they’ll not stray.
Then I’ll be IsraEl’s Father again,
And [a Father] to Ephraim, My firstborn.

¹⁰ ‘O nations; hear the word of Jehovah
And announce it as far as the islands.
Say, The One that blew IsraEl off like the chaff
Will gather them back once again,
And like a grazing flock, He will guard them.

¹¹ ‘For Jehovah will [pay] Jacob’s ransom,
And from mighty hands, He will save them…
¹² Then in joy, they’ll come back to Zion.

‘And there in a land filled with grain,
They will find good things from their God…
Wine, olive oil, fruit, cattle, and sheep.
So their lives will then be like fruit trees,
And they will go hungry no more.

¹³ ‘Then the virgins will all be rejoicing,
And men young and old will be shouting in joy.
For their mourning will be changed into cries of glee…
They’ll be happy, and He’ll bring them comfort.

¹⁴ ‘Then I’ll magnify the lives of the Priests
And [the lives of] the sons of Levi…
My people will own many good things!

‘Jehovah said:
¹⁵ A voice was heard crying from RamAh…
The sounds of weeping, wailing, and grief.
It was RachEl crying over her sons…
She refused to accept any comfort,
Because they aren’t here anymore.

¹⁶ ‘Then to her, Jehovah said this:
Stop crying and dry the tears from your eyes,
For you’ll be paid a wage for your work…
They’ll be returned from their enemies’ lands,
¹⁷ And there is still hope for those that survived, says Jehovah;
For your sons will return to their borders.

¹⁸ ‘Then I heard Ephraim grieving;
So I listened and he told Me this:
You beat me and I was corrected;
For I had acted like a [wild] calf.
But You turned me around and now I’ve returned;
For, You are Jehovah, my God!

¹⁹ ‘Captivity brought a change to my mind
In that day when You brought me shame.
But, after I moaned, I then understood…
Plainly, I showed You that I had accepted
That, from my youth, [I deserved] all the scorn.

²⁰ ‘Yes, Ephraim is My dearly loved son…
A child in whom I find joy.
And because My words are within him,
I will never forget him.

‘It was because of this, that I hurried;
For, when it comes to showing him mercy,
I will show mercy upon him, said Jehovah.

²¹ ‘So erect the road signs and guideposts,
And give your hearts to your shoulders,
For they will be [coming back home]!
Yes return, O IsraEl, the virgin…
Return to the cities where they’re mourning [your loss]!

²² ‘O My daughter;
When will you return from those places
Where you were being disgraced?
For the Lord has made new places for you
Where it will be safe to do planting,
And where people can travel in safety.

²³ ‘Then Jehovah of Armies (IsraEl’s God) told me this:
Once more, you’ll be speaking of Me
In the land of Judah and in all your towns,
When I bring back those that were carried away.

‘So, praise Jehovah on His Holy Mount!
²⁴ For, those that live in the cities of Judah
And the farmers [that dwell] in His land
Will grow once again, along with their flocks!

²⁵ ‘To thirsty souls, I’ll send something to drink,
And all hungry souls, I will fill.
²⁶ Then, when you wake up [in the morning],
You’ll see that your sleep has been peaceful.

²⁷ ‘Look! The days are coming, says Jehovah,
When I’ll sow both IsraEl and Judah
With the seeds of men and the seeds of wild beasts.

²⁸ ‘It’ll be as when I watched over them
(Not when I brought them destruction).
And then, over them, I’ll be watchful…
They’ll be rebuilt and replanted, said Jehovah.

²⁹ ‘In those days, no way will they say,
Though it was the fathers that ate unripe grapes,
The teeth of their children felt chills.
³⁰ For then, only sinners will die
Because of the bad things they do,
And those eating green grapes will feel their own chills.

³¹ ‘Look… the days are coming, says Jehovah,
When I’ll make an arrangement with IsraEl’s house,
As well as with the houses of Judah.

‘I’ll conclude a New Sacred Agreement
³² That’s unlike the one that I made with their fathers
In the day that I grabbed their hands
To lead them from Egypt’s land.
But because they didn’t keep My Sacred Agreement,
I had to let them go, says Jehovah.

³³ ‘So, this is My [New] Sacred Agreement
That I will conclude with IsraEl then, said Jehovah:
I will put My Laws in their minds,
And into their hearts, I will write them.
Then, they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

³⁴ ‘There’s no way they’ll then teach their neighbors and brothers
That they must learn of Jehovah;
For, all will know Me from the least to the great.
And when it comes to their errors and sins…
I will kindly forget them!

³⁵ ‘Yet, this is what Jehovah [then said]
(The One that appointed the sun
To serve as light for the day,
And the moon and the stars as light for the nights…
The One that brought the roar of the seas,
As well as the sounds of their waves…
Jehovah the Almighty, is His Name):

³⁶ ‘If these Laws should [be voided] before Me,
Then the race of IsraEl will no longer stand
As a nation before Me
Throughout the rest of the days.

³⁷ ‘Jehovah says:
If the skies can be raised even higher
And the floor of the ground can be lowered,
I can reject the race of IsraEl, says Jehovah,
For all the things that they’ve done.

³⁸ ‘But, look! The days are coming,’ said the Lord,
‘When the city of Jehovah will be rebuilt.
[It’s walls will run] from the HananEl Tower
All the way to the gate at the corner…
³⁹ To the hills of Gareb, I’ll measure it out
And surround it with most precious stones.

‘From the Valley of Phagarim and its ashes,
And from AsaRemOth to the Wadi of Cedars,
Then east to the corner of the Horse Gate,
It’ll be a Holy Place to Jehovah,
And its roots won’t be pulled up again…
Through the age, it won’t be destroyed.’

Chapter 32

¹ Well, all these words had come from Jehovah to JeremiAh in the tenth year [of the reign] of ZedekiAh, the king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of [the reign of] NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon. ² And at the time, the army of the king of Babylon had built a siege wall around JeruSalem, and JeremiAh [was under arrest and being kept in] the courtyard of the guard, which was located inside the [palace] of the kings of Judah, ³ since King ZedekiAh had him thrown in jail. [For the king had asked him],
‘Why did you prophesy and tell us that Jehovah said, {Look!} I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it… ⁴ and that, ZedekiAh won’t escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, where he will speak to him mouth to mouth and eye to eye… ⁵ and that, ZedekiAh will be taken into Babylon and stay there until I look favorably upon him. So, if you wage war against the Chaldeans, you won’t succeed?’

⁶ Then JeremiAh told him:
‘The Word of Jehovah came to me and said,
⁷ {Look!} Your paternal uncle HanamEl (the son of ShalLum) will come to you and ask you to buy his field in AnathOth… and it will be advantageous for you to acquire it!

⁸ ‘And thereafter, that’s what happened… my paternal uncle HanamEl (the son of ShalLum) did what the Lord said he would do. It was there in the courtyard of the guard that he said to me,
Buy my field, the one in AnathOth of the land of BenJamin, because you are the eldest and it would be advantageous for you to acquire it!
And since I knew that this was the word of Jehovah, ⁹ I purchased the field in AnathOth from HanamEl (my paternal uncle); I paid him seven large silver coins for it, ¹⁰ then I recorded [the transaction] in a scroll, put a seal on it before witnesses, and weighed out the silver in a balance scale.

¹¹ ‘So then I took the scroll that had been testified to and sealed and gave it to BarUch (the son of NeriAh, the son of MaAseJah) before the eyes of HanamEl (my uncle), ¹² as well as before those that had served as witnesses of the deed scroll, and before the eyes of all the Judeans that were sitting in the courtyard of the guard at the time.

¹³ ‘Then before them all, I gave BarUch these orders:
¹⁴ Jehovah the Almighty God of IsraEl says that you should take this scroll that has been sealed as my proof of ownership, then you must read it and then store it away in an earthenware jar, so that it will last [a long time]. ¹⁵ Because, Jehovah of Armies the God of IsraEl told me this:
Fields, houses, and vineyards
Will again be restored in this land.’

¹⁶ ‘Well, after I gave the deed scroll to BarUch (the son of NeriAh), I prayed to Jehovah, saying:
¹⁷ O Great Being; O Lord God; You who made the lands and the skies with Your mighty arm held high above You, and from whom nothing at all can be hidden; ¹⁸ O You who show mercy to thousands and who brings the sins of the fathers upon the chests of their children; the great and Almighty God whose Name is Jehovah of Armies:
¹⁹ ‘[You are the God] of great counsel,
And mighty are all of Your works.
Your eyes see the things that the sons of men do,
And You pay each one back for their deeds
According to the fruits of their works.

²⁰ ‘You’re the One that brought the miracles and signs
To IsraEl when they were in Egypt
And which continue to happen down to this day.
For, You have made Your Name known
To all who’ve been born on the earth until now.

²¹ ‘You’re the One that led IsraEl from Egypt
With signs and miracles from Your mighty right hand…
With Your arm held high and through visions.
²² And thereafter, You gave them the land
About which You swore to their fathers…
A land that’s flowing with honey and milk.

²³ ‘So they entered this land and they claimed it,
But they chose not to listen to Your orders or voice…
They wouldn’t do what You told them to do,
So You brought all these bad things upon them.

²⁴ ‘{Look!} Now, a great army has come to this city,
And they have made plans to destroy it.
To the hands of Chaldeans, it has been given…
To those that are warring against it,
Bringing the sword, famine, and plague…
{Look!} All that You said has now come to pass!

²⁵ ‘Then You’ve told me to bring along silver,
And before witnesses, purchase a field…
Despite the fact that this city’s been given
To the hands of Chaldeans!

²⁶ ‘Then the Word of Jehovah came to me and said:
²⁷ Since I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh;
[Did you think] that such things were hidden from Me?’

²⁸ ‘Then Jehovah said:
I have allowed this city to be given
Into the hands of the Chaldeans,
And into the hands of Babylon’s king…
So, he will [very soon] take it!

²⁹ ‘The Chaldeans will come and [capture] this city,
Then they will burn it with fire,
Consuming the houses where people burn incense
Upon their roofs, before BaAl,
And where they offer [food] to their gods
In order to make Me feel bitter.

³⁰ ‘Only the sons of IsraEl and Judah
Would practice such evil in front of My eyes.
For, since their youth, they’ve offered such things
Before [those gods] that they made with their hands,
In order to make Me feel bitter, says Jehovah.

³¹ ‘So My anger and rage has been on this place
From the day it was built until now,
To remove it from in front of My face
³² For the bad ways of IsraEl and Judah.

‘They’ve done all these things to make Me feel bitter…
Their kings, their rulers, their prophets, and priests…
The men of Judah and JeruSalem.

³³ ‘They turned their faces and showed Me their backs…
So each morning, I [sent someone] to teach them,
But they chose not to listen or learn.

³⁴ ‘Then, in their unclean condition,
They put disgusting things in the House
That is called by My Name.

³⁵ ‘There, they built shrines to BaAl;
And to Molech, they’ve offered their daughters and sons
Down in the Valley of Hinnom…
Something that I never told them to do.
Such disgusting things never entered My heart
To make Judah sin [in this way].’

³⁶ ‘Then Jehovah the God of IsraEl made a pronouncement against the city, for He told me to say this:
Through famine, sword, and the plague,
I’ve handed this city to Babylon’s king.
³⁷ But {Look!} I’ll also gather them back from those lands
Where I’ll scatter them in My rage…
From all that I’ll do in My fury!

‘I’ll bring them back to this place,
And in safety, I’ll resettle them here;
³⁸ Then, they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.

³⁹ ‘I’ll give them new ways and new hearts
So that they will learn how to fear Me
For the rest of their days and for their own good,
And for the good of their children.

⁴⁰ ‘A [New] Sacred Agreement of the ages
I’ll make with them at that time…
An Agreement that I won’t take away.
Then I’ll put the fear of Me in their hearts,
So from Me, they’ll not turn again.

⁴¹ ‘Then I’ll visit them just to do good things;
And with My whole heart and soul,
I’ll plant them securely here in this land.

⁴² ‘Then Jehovah said:
And as I brought bad things upon them,
I’ll also bring the good things that I promised.
⁴³ Then they will buy fields in this land
That you say won’t be walked by man or by beast,
For it’s been handed over to the Chaldeans.

‘So with silver, they’ll buy these fields once again,
Which they’ll record and seal in a scroll,
And to which, witnesses will then testify.

⁴⁴ ‘[It will happen] in BenJamin’s land,
And in JeruSalem and the cities of Judah…
In all the towns in the mountains,
And in the Shephela and Negev…
From wherever they were taken, I’ll be bringing them back, says Jehovah.’

Chapter 33

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh a second time while he was still shackled in the courtyard of the guard. ² He said,
‘The Lord who shaped and created the earth
Whose Name is Jehovah, says this:

³ ‘Call out to Me and I will reply…
I’ll report of things both mighty and great
About which, you’ve never known!’

⁴ Then the Lord God of IsraEl told me how the houses of the city [of JeruSalem] and the [palace] of the king of Judah would be demolished for use as siege mounds and fortifications ⁵ in their fight against the Chaldeans, and of how they would then be filled with the [bodies] of those whom [He will] strike down in His anger and rage when He turns His face away from the city because of all its wickedness.

⁶ [He said]:
‘{Look!} Then I’ll bring a cure and a closing of wounds…
I’ll treat them, and then I’ll make sure
That they will all hear and then come to know
That I’ll bring them peace they can trust.

⁷ ‘I’ll return those of IsraEl and Judah
That were [carried away] and resettled,
And I will rebuild them as they once were.

⁸ ‘I will cleanse them of all their errors,
And from the ways that they’ve sinned against Me.
No way will I remember their errors,
Or all the ways that they left Me.

⁹ ‘Then, before all those that live on the earth,
I’ll give them a joyful, praised name.
For, all will hear of the good things I’ll do,
And they will be humbled and fearful
Because of the good and the peace
That I will be bringing upon them.’

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to me:
‘In this place that you’ll call desolation,
You’ll hear [the sounds of] both men and beasts
Once more in the cities of Judah.

‘And then, outside of JeruSalem
(In those desolate places where the sounds of men and beasts are not heard),
¹¹ There’ll be the voices of gladness and joy…
The sounds of grooms and their brides,
And the sounds of men who are saying,
Praise the Almighty God;
For Jehovah really does care,
And upon us, He’ll show mercy through the ages!

‘Then they’ll carry gifts to the House of Jehovah;
And those taken from the land, I’ll return,’ said the Lord.

¹² ‘And Jehovah of Armies said:
But this first must become a desolate place,
And its cities will be void of cattle and men…
It will be a place where shepherds will lodge,
And a place for them to bed down their flocks.

¹³ ‘In all the cities in the mountains…
In the cities of the Shephela and Negev…
Throughout BenJamin’s land…
In the places outside of JeruSalem
And in all the cities of Judah,
There will just be those that count sheep, said Jehovah.

¹⁴ ‘Look! The days are coming, says Jehovah,
When I’ll [fulfill] all the good words I’ve spoken
About the houses of IsraEl and Judah.

¹⁵ ‘Yes, in those days and at that time;
From David, a shoot that is righteous will sprout,
And a king will reign who’ll bring understanding,
As well as what’s righteous and fair to this land.

¹⁶ ‘In those days, upon Judah, salvation will come,
And JeruSalem will be lived in securely.
Then they’ll call [Me] Jehovah Our Justice.’

¹⁷ ‘And Jehovah said:
There’ll always be a man of David’s [line]
That will sit on IsraEl’s throne.

¹⁸ ‘And from among the Levites and Priests,
There will always be a man that will stand
To bring burnt offerings before Me,
Along with sacrifices, incense, and gifts
Throughout the rest of the days.’

¹⁹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh saying,
²⁰ ‘This is what Jehovah has said:
If you could annul My Sacred Agreement
– My Agreement with the day and the night –
So there’d be no day and night in that time;
²¹ Then, there would be no more need
For [David’s] sons to reign from his throne,
Nor for Levites and Priests to serve before Me.

²² ‘For the seed of My firebrand, David,
Will become too many to be counted
– Like the armies of the heavens and the sands of the seas –
And the same will be true for the seed of the Levites
Who will be serving before Me.’

²³ Then the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh and said:
²⁴ ‘Don’t you hear what those people are talking about?
They’re saying that the Lord selected two families,
And then, He threw them both out…
That [I am oppressing] My people,
And they’re no longer a nation before Me.

²⁵ ‘So, this was said by Jehovah:
If My Agreement with the day and the night hadn’t been,
And if I hadn’t sent them all of My Laws
[To govern] the lands and the skies;
²⁶ Jacob’s seed would not have been chosen,
Nor would the seed of My servant David,
And the seed of the rulers [that came] from the seed
Of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob…
So no way could they come back to Me.

‘But I’ll bring them back from their captive condition,
And upon them, I will show mercy.’

Chapter 34

¹ These words came to JeremiAh from Jehovah concerning NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon, as well as about the entire camp of his army and all the kingdoms of the earth that are under the domination of his hand… all those people that are waging war against JeruSalem and the cities of Judah. ² For the Lord God of IsraEl told me to go to ZedekiAh the king of Judah and tell him that this is what Jehovah had decreed:

‘When it comes to handing things over;
I’ll hand this city to Babylon’s king…
He’ll capture it and burn it with fire.

³ ‘Then no way will you be saved from his hands;
For he’ll capture you and snatch you away…
He’ll look at you eye to eye
And speak to you mouth to mouth…
And to Babylon, he will then take you.

⁴ ‘Listen to what Jehovah’s decreed,
O ZedekiAh, king of Judah:
You will not die by the broadsword;
Rather, in peace, you will die.
⁵ And when you die, they’ll burn incense
As they did for your fathers before you.
And as they burn it, they’ll cry out O Lord,
While they are mourning for you.
Yes, this is what Jehovah’s decreed.’

⁶ So I (JeremiAh) then went and said all these things to King ZedekiAh there in JeruSalem. ⁷ And thereafter, the armies of the king of Babylon attacked JeruSalem and all the remaining cities of Judah (because the fortified cities of LachIsh and AzekAh in Judea still hadn’t [been conquered]).

⁸ And once again, the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh after King ZedekiAh [had issued a decree] to the people in JeruSalem concerning [God’s] Sacred Agreement, in which he called for everyone to set ⁹ all their Hebrew male and female servants free (as well as all of the rest of their slaves), so that there would be no more slaves in Judah. ¹⁰ And all the great men and all the rest of the people actually agreed to release their male and female slaves, so they wouldn’t have to serve them anymore… yes, they actually paid attention and set them all free! ¹¹ But right after they did that, they went and took back their male and female slaves (whom they had just set free) and once again put them back to work as their slaves!

¹² So the Lord said to JeremiAh:
‘In the day that I saved your fathers from Egypt
And from the houses in which they were slaves,
¹³ I made a Sacred Agreement with them,
¹⁴ Where I said that after every sixth year,
They must release all their brothers
(Those who’d sold themselves as their slaves)…
That they may only toil for six years,
And [on the seventh], they must be set free!

‘But, they haven’t listened to Me,
Or turned their ears so they’d hear what I say!

¹⁵ ‘Yet today, they decided to do the right thing
When you told them to release their neighbors;
And before Me, they said they would do this,
There in the [Temple] that’s called by My Name.

¹⁶ ‘Then they turned and broke their promise to Me
By reclaiming [all of] their slaves…
Those whose lives had just been set free…
They turned back and made them slaves once again!

¹⁷ ‘It’s because of this, says Jehovah…
Because they refused to listen to Me
And release their brothers and neighbors;
{Look!} I’m calling the release on their behalf
By the sword, by famine, and plague!
And then, I will scatter these people
Throughout the kingdoms of the whole earth.

¹⁸ ‘As to those that voided My Sacred Agreement
By not keeping the promise they made before Me
With a calf that they cut in two pieces;
¹⁹ I will come through the midst of those halves…
To the rulers of Judah and JeruSalem
(To the mighty, as well as the priests,
And to all the people who live in the land);
²⁰ Then, to their enemies, I’ll hand them…
I’ll hand them to those that are seeking their lives!

‘Then their rotting flesh will serve as a meal
For all the birds in the skies,
And for all the wild beasts on the ground.

²¹ ‘Then I’ll hand over Judah’s King ZedekiAh,
As well as all of his princes
To their enemies that are seeking their lives…
To the armies of Babylon’s king…
To those before whom they are fleeing!

²² ‘Look! I’m the One that issued the order, said Jehovah,
To bring them into this city,
Where they’ll fight against it and take it,
And then they will burn it with fire…
I’ll make all the cities of Judah
Places where no one will walk.’

Chapter 35

¹ It was during the time of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah that the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh saying:
² ‘Call for the Rechabite families,
Then bring them to the House of Jehovah
And into one of the courtyards,
Where you must offer them wine.’

³ So I went and brought JaAzaniAh (the son of JeremiAh and grandson of HabaZiniAh), as well as his brothers and sons, and the rest of the families of the Rechabites, into the [Temple] of Jehovah. ⁴ There I [seated them] in the dining room of the sons of Hanan (the son of IgDaliYah, a man of God), which was located next to the house of the [Temple] overseers and above the house of MaAseJah the son of ShalLum (who was in charge of guarding the entryways), ⁵ and I set a clay pitcher of wine before them and some cups, and I offered them some wine.

⁶ But they said:
‘There’s no way that we’re going to drink any wine, because our ancestor JoNadab (the son of Rechab) told us:
You must never drink wine – you and your sons – through the ages! ^7
8 So we’ve obeyed the instructions of JoNadab (the son of Rechab) our ancestor, and we haven’t done anything that he told us not to do. We haven’t drunk any wine throughout our lives – not us, our wives, our sons, or our daughters – ⁹ nor have we built houses, owned vineyards, or planted seeds in fields… none of this has ever happened among us. ¹⁰ We’ve done everything that our ancestor JoNadab told us to do, and we’ve been living in tents. ¹¹ Then when NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon came to this land, we told him:
We will leave [our position] in front of the Chaldeans and the armies of the Assyrians and go up to JeruSalem…
and we’ve been living here ever since then.’

¹² Well after that, the Word of Jehovah came to me and told me that ¹³ Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl, told me to do this:
‘You must go and speak to the men of Judea
And to those that are living in JeruSalem;
Then, tell them that thus says Jehovah:

‘There’s no way that you’ve heard the things that I’ve said;
¹⁴ Yet, the sons of JoNadab (the son of Rechab)
Have obeyed the instructions he gave to his sons
Not to drink any wine…
And they’ve drunk no wine to this day!
They’ve paid attention to their father’s commands.
But, when I spoke plainly to you,
You refused to listen to Me!

¹⁵ ‘So each morning, I sent you My servants the Prophets…
I sent them and told them to teach every man
To turn from his evil ways…
To be better and not follow or serve other gods,
So you could continue to live in the land
That I gave to your fathers and you.
But, you have learned nothing at all…
Your ears have paid no attention!

¹⁶ ‘Yet the sons of JoNadab (the son of Rechab)
Have obeyed the commands of their father…
They’ve not done the things he said [not to do],
While you haven’t listened to Me!

¹⁷ ‘So because of this, says IsraEl’s God Jehovah of Armies;
{Look!} I will be bringing on Judah
And on those that live in JeruSalem
All the bad that I’ve spoken against them.
For, when I spoke, they paid no attention…
When I called out to them, they didn’t reply.’

¹⁸ Then JeremiAh said to the house of the Rechabites,
‘This is what Jehovah has declared:
Since the descendants of JoNadab (the son of Rechab)
Have paid attention to their father’s commands
And done everything that he told them to do;
It’s because of this, says IsraEl’s God, Jehovah of Armies;
¹⁹ No way will a man of JoNadab’s sons
Ever fail to stand before Me.’

Chapter 36

¹ It was in the fourth year [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah that the Word of Jehovah came to me saying:

² ‘Get a papyrus scroll for yourself
And write all the words that I’ve said
About both IsraEl and Judah,
And about all the nations of which I spoke
From the time of King JosiAh of Judah
Down to this very day!
³ Then perhaps the house of Judah will hear
About all the bad things I’ve planned
And then turn from their wicked ways,
So I can cover their failures and sins.’

⁴ Therefore, JeremiAh called BarUch (the son of NeriAh), who wrote all the words of Jehovah that came from the mouth of JeremiAh on a papyrus scroll. ⁵ Then JeremiAh said to BarUch:
‘Because I’m being watched, I can’t enter the [Temple] of Jehovah. ⁶ So you’ll have to go there and read this papyrus scroll into the ears of all the people that happen to be in the House of Jehovah on a fast day… read it into the ears of all the Judeans that are coming there from all their cities, ⁷ and perhaps their need for mercy will fall before Jehovah and they’ll turn from their evil ways. For the anger and rage that Jehovah has spoken against these people is great!’

⁸ As the result, BarUch (the son of NeriAh) did everything that JeremiAh told him to do. He went and read the scroll of the words of the Lord there at the [Temple] of Jehovah. ⁹ Then in the fifth year and ninth month [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah, all the people of JeruSalem and of the house of Judah held an assembly to fast before Jehovah, ¹⁰ and BarUch again read the scroll of the words of JeremiAh into the ears of all the people that were there at the [Temple] of Jehovah. [He did this] from the [apartment] of GemariAh (the son of Shapha) the scribe, in the upper courtyard, which is in front of the threshold of the [Temple’s] New Gate.

¹¹ Well, after MichaiAh (the son of GemariAh and grandson of ShaPhan) heard all the words of Jehovah being read from the scroll, ¹² he went down to the palace of the king and entered the house of the [royal] scribe, where {Look!} he found all the rulers gathered – EliShama the scribe, DalaiJa (the son of ShemaiAh), ElNathan (the son of AchBor), GemariAh (the son of ShaPhan), ZedekiAh (the son of HananiAh), and all the supervisors. ¹³ Then MichaiAh told them everything that he’d heard BarUch read from the scroll into the ears of the people.

¹⁴ So, the rulers sent for BarUch (the son of NeriAh, the son of JeHudi, the son of NathaniAh, the son of ShelemiAh, the son of Cushi) and told him:
‘Go get the scroll that you read into the ears of the people and bring it here!’

Then BarUch (the son of NeriAh) went and picked up the scroll and returned to them, ¹⁵ and they said:
‘Now, read that scroll into our ears!’
And BarUch read it to them.

¹⁶ Well, after they heard all the words being read, each person started discussing it with their neighbor, and they said to BarUch:
‘We’ve decided that we should announce all these words to the king!’

¹⁷ Then they asked BarUch:
‘Just where were you when you wrote all these words?’

¹⁸ And he replied:
‘These words came from the mouth of JeremiAh… he’s the one that spoke the words. All I did was record them in this scroll!’

¹⁹ Then the rulers said to BarUch:
‘Go somewhere and hide… both you and JeremiAh! Don’t let anyone know where you are!’

²⁰ Then they had the scroll kept under guard in the house of EliShama the scribe, and they went into the courtyard of the king and told the king everything that it said. ²¹ So the king sent JehuDi to get the scroll, and he went and took it from the house of EliShama the scribe, and JehuDi read it before the king and all the rulers that were sitting around him.

²² The king happened to be in his winter palace at the time (for it was the ninth month), and he was sitting in front of his fireplace. ²³ And after JeHudi had read just three or four lines, [the king] shredded [the scroll] with a scribe’s razor and tossed it into the fire in his fireplace. As the result, the papyrus scroll was entirely burned up and destroyed.

²⁴ Well, nobody was surprised… none of those that were there ripped their clothes… not the king, any of his servants, or any of those that heard those words. ²⁵ Though ElNathan, DalaiJa, and GemariAh had suggested to the king that he shouldn’t burn the papyrus, ²⁶ he refused to listen to them. Then the king told JerahMeEl (the king’s son), SaraiAh (the son of AzriEl), and ShelemiAh (the son of AbDeEl) to go and arrest both BarUch the scribe and JeremiAh the Prophet. However, these men were already in hiding.

²⁷ Well, after the king burned the scroll that BarUch wrote containing all the words that were spoken by JeremiAh; the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh again, and said,
²⁸ ‘Now take another scroll of papyrus
And write the same words that you wrote in the scroll
That King JehoiAkim burned.
²⁹ Then tell JehoiAkim (king of Judah)
That this is what was said by Jehovah:

‘Though you have burned up this scroll,
You still asked why I had it written.
For it told you that Babylon’s king
Will enter this land and destroy it,
Wiping away all the men and their beasts.

³⁰ ‘And because you did [such a thing],
Jehovah made this pronouncement against [you]:

‘O JehoiAkim, king over Judah
Who is sitting upon David’s throne;
You’ll no longer sit [on that throne]…
For, into the sweltering heat of the day
And into the icy cold of the night,
Your decaying flesh will be tossed.

³¹ ‘Yes, I’m coming against you, your family and sons,
Because of your lawless ways;
Then upon you and those in JeruSalem and Judah,
I’ll bring all the evils about which I’ve warned,
And to which you chose not to listen.’

³² Then JeremiAh took another papyrus scroll and gave it to BarUch (the son of NeriAh) the scribe, and he once again wrote the same words that came from the mouth of JeremiAh upon it – all the words that JehoiAkim the king of Judah had burned in the fire – and he added many more words to it (such as these).

Chapter 37

¹ Well thereafter, ZedekiAh (the son of JosiAh) started reigning in place of ConiJah (the son of JehoiAkim), whom NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon had appointed to reign in the land of Judah. ² But he, his servants, and the people of the land wouldn’t listen to the words that Jehovah had spoken through JeremiAh either. ³ Yet later, King ZedekiAh sent JehuKal (the son of ShelemiAh) and ZephaniAh (the son of MaAseJah) the Priest to JeremiAh to say this to him:
‘Please pray to Jehovah your God for us.’

⁴ Well at the time, JeremiAh was free to come and go in the city as he wished, because they hadn’t locked him up yet. ⁵ However, when the Chaldeans heard that the armies of Pharaoh were marching from the land of Egypt, they [started their attack] on JeruSalem.⁶ And that’s when the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh and said,
⁷ ‘Jehovah the God of IsraEl says that you are to go and shout these words to the king of Judah (the person that sent you to inquire of Me):
‘{Look!} This army of Pharaoh that is marching to help you
Will turn and flee back into Egypt.
⁸ And then the Chaldeans will come here
To wage war on this city…
They will take it and burn it with fire!’

⁹ ‘Jehovah says:
Now your souls shouldn’t think about saying,
The Chaldeans will turn back once more,
For there is no way this will happen.

¹⁰ ‘And if you should beat the Chaldeans
Who are coming to wage war against you;
Even the wounded that they leave behind
Will arise and burn this city with fire.’

¹¹ Well, that’s what happened… soon the Chaldean armies [attacked] JeruSalem right in front of the armies of Pharaoh.

¹² Meanwhile, JeremiAh had left JeruSalem and gone to the land of BenJamin to purchase some land there among his people. ¹³ But when he arrived at the gates of BenJamin, IriJah (the son of ShelemiAh and grandson of HananiAh) had him arrested. He seized JeremiAh and accused him of running away to the Chaldeans. ¹⁴ Yet, though [JeremiAh] told him that was a lie and he wasn’t running away to the Chaldeans, IriJah refused to listen. He arrested JeremiAh and took him before the local rulers. ¹⁵ Then, because the rulers [hated] JeremiAh, they had him flogged and sent him to the house of JoNathan the scribe, which had been turned into a prison. ¹⁶ There JeremiAh [was thrown] into an [outhouse] pit [near] the [main] house, where he was confined for several days.

¹⁷ Fortunately, King ZedekiAh thereafter sent for him, and the king asked him secretly if he had received any word from Jehovah. And JeremiAh replied,
‘Yes… He says that you’ll be handed over to the king of Babylon!’

¹⁸ Then JeremiAh asked the king this:
‘How have I wronged you, your servants, or your people, so that you would have me thrown into a prison latrine… ¹⁹ and where are those prophets that prophesied to you and told you there’s no way that the king of Babylon will ever come into this land?

²⁰ ‘Now, hear this, O Lord, O king; You must show mercy on me as I’m standing here before you… you must not return me to the house of JoNathan the scribe and allow me to die there!’

²¹ So the king gave orders, and then they locked JeremiAh in the guard house, where they provided him with a loaf of bread each day (which was baked outside of the city, because there was no bread left there). And after that, JeremiAh stayed in the courtyard of the guards.

Chapter 38

¹ Well, ShephatiJah (the son of MatTan), GedaliAh (the son of Pashur), JuKal (the son of ShelemiAh), and Pashur (the son of MelchiAh) started thinking about the words that JeremiAh had spoken to the people when he warned them that ² Jehovah had said that anyone who remained in the city would die by the broadsword, famine, and plague, but those that [surrendered] to the Chaldeans could save their own lives and live. ³ For this is what he told them that Jehovah had said:
‘When it comes to being handed over;
This city will be handed over
To the armies of Babylon’s king,
And soon thereafter, he’ll take it.’

⁴ So those rulers went to the king and said this to him:
‘We have to do away with that man, because he’s weakening the hands of the troops that remain in this city and the hands of all the people when he says things like that. He doesn’t prophesy peace, he’s just telling us bad things!’

⁵ So because the king was unable to resist them, King ZedekiAh said:
‘Look! He’s in your hands!’
⁶ And as the result, they took JeremiAh and threw him into the [outhouse pit] that belonged to MelchiJah (the king’s son), which was located in the courtyard of the guard. They took rough cords and lowered him into the pit, which contained no water (just manure), and that’s where he had to stay… in the filth!

⁷ Well, the Ethiopian Eunuch EbedMelech happened to be in the King’s courtyard when they threw JeremiAh into the pit. And at the time, the king was outside sitting on the Gate of BenJamin. ⁸ So EbedMelech left the king’s palace and went to speak to the king. He said to him:
⁹ ‘O my lord and king; These men have done something very wicked when they dropped the Prophet JeremiAh into the outhouse pit… he’ll starve to death there, since there’s no more bread left in the city!’

¹⁰ So the king gave orders to EbedMelech, saying:
‘Take thirty men to the pit and pull him out, so he doesn’t die.’

¹¹ Then EbedMelech gathered the men and they went to the sub-basement of the king’s palace and found some old rags and ropes, and they tossed them down to JeremiAh in the pit, ¹² saying,
‘Wrap these around you!’
And that’s what JeremiAh did. ¹³ So they lifted him with the ropes and pulled him up out of the pit. And thereafter, JeremiAh once again stayed in the courtyard of the guards.

¹⁴ Well after that, the king sent for JeremiAh while he (the king) was staying in the house of AsaLiseEl (which is located inside the [Temple area] of Jehovah). And the king said to him:
‘I want to ask you something… and don’t hide the truth from me!’

¹⁵ But JeremiAh asked,
‘If I answer you [truthfully], won’t you just have me killed? Besides, you haven’t listened to any of the advice that I’ve given to you up to this point.’

¹⁶ Then the king secretly swore an oath to him, saying,
‘As Jehovah who gave us this life lives; I won’t kill you or hand you over to these men that are seeking your life!’

¹⁷ So JeremiAh said to him,
‘Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl, said this:

‘If you will go and surrender
To the governors of Babylon’s king,
You’ll live… you will save your own life,
And this city won’t be burned with fire…
Both you and your family will live!

¹⁸ ‘But, if you don’t go [and surrender],
This city will be handed to the Chaldeans
And they will burn it with fire…
When that happens, you won’t be saved from their hands.’

¹⁹ Then the king said to JeremiAh:
‘But if I do that, I’ll have a problem with the Judeans that went over to the side of the Chaldeans… if I’m handed over to them, they’ll make [life miserable for] me!’

²⁰ However, JeremiAh told him:
‘There’s no way that you’ll be handed over to those people. Rather, you should listen to the words of Jehovah that I’ve spoken to you, because it would be better for you to save your own life and survive! ²¹ But if you don’t choose to go out and surrender, this is what Jehovah has decreed:

²² ‘{Look!} All the women that remain in [your] house
Will be carried to the king of Babylon’s princes.
Then these women will say that your allies deceived you;
For they care so little about you
That they’ll turn and stumble your feet,
And help them to bring you to ruin.

²³ ‘Then they’ll take your wives and your children,
And no way will you then be saved…
You’ll be taken by Babylon’s king,
And this city will be burned to the ground.’

²⁴ Well at that, ZedekiAh said to JeremiAh:
‘If you don’t speak about this to anyone else, you won’t die. ²⁵ But if the rulers hear that I’ve spoken to you about this and they come and ask you,
What did you say to the king… if you don’t hide it from us, we won’t do away with you… what did you say to the king?
²⁶ You must tell them,
I went to plead for mercy before the eyes of the king. I just asked him not to take me back to the house of JoNathan and let me die there.’

²⁷ And in fact, the rulers did come to JeremiAh and say this to him, and he said what the king told him to say. So they didn’t ask him anything more, because they didn’t know what had happened. ²⁸ And after that, JeremiAh stayed in the courtyard of the guards until the time that JeruSalem was captured.

Chapter 39

¹ Well, it was in the ninth year and tenth month [of the reign] of ZedekiAh the king of Judah that NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon came to JeruSalem with all his armies and attacked it. ² And it was in the eleventh year, on the fourth month and ninth day of ZedekiAh’s reign that the city’s walls were breached. ³ Then all the governors of the king of Babylon entered [the city] and they sat down at the Central Gate… these included NergalSharezer, SamGar, NeboSarsechim, NebuSarkes, NergalShareZer (the King’s advisor), and all the rest of the governors of the king of Babylon.

⁴ Meanwhile, ZedekiAh (the king of Judah) and all his soldiers had fled the city during the night, going through the king’s garden and then through the gate that leads between the city wall and the fortification around the wall, following the road to the ArabAh. ⁵ However, the Chaldean army chased them down and caught up with ZedekiAh on the other side of JeriCho. Then they carried him back to NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon, who was at RibLah (a city in the land of HaMath), where he passed judgment on him… ⁶ and the king of Babylon had ZedekiAh’s sons killed there in front of his eyes (there in RibLah), along with all the rest of the rulers of Judah. ⁷ Then he had ZedekiAh blinded and bound in shackles, before he was led off to Babylon.

⁸ Well after that, the Chaldeans set the King’s palace and the houses of the people on fire and demolished them. ⁹ Then all those that were left in the city and the deserters were taken before the king of Babylon, ¹⁰ and NabuZarAdan (the chief of the guards) had them carried off to Babylon. However, he did leave many of the poor people of the land of Judah and those that were of no importance behind, assigning them to watch over the fields and vineyards.

¹¹ Then NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon) gave instructions to NebuZarAdan (the chief of the guards) concerning JeremiAh. He said,
¹² ‘Take this man and keep an eye on him… but don’t do anything bad to him. Just treat him as you would like to be treated.’

¹³ So NabuZarAdan (the chief of the guards), as well as NabuShasban, RabSares, Nergel, SharEzer, RabMag, and all the princes of the king of Babylon sent for JeremiAh… ¹⁴ they took him out of the courtyard of the guards and handed him over to GedaliAh (the son of AhiKam and grandson of ShaPhan), who then led him outside to sit among the rest of the people. ¹⁵ But it was while he was still in the courtyard of the guards that the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh and said:
¹⁶ ‘Go speak to the black man, EbedMelech,
And tell him that thus says Jehovah…
Yes, say that the God of IsraEl said this:

‘{Look!} I’ve fulfilled My words on this city
To do just bad things, not good!
And now, though you must stand before them;
¹⁷ On that day, I will be there to save you, says Jehovah.
I will not be handing you over
To stand before the faces of those whom you fear.

¹⁸ ‘So when it comes to salvation, I’ll save you…
No way will you fall by the sword…
Your reward will be your own life,
Because you trusted in Me, says Jehovah.’

Chapter 40

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah came to JeremiAh again after he had been led off in shackles by NabuZarAdan (the chief of the guards) and after he’d been separated from the rest of the Judeans that were being relocated from RamAh to [the empire of] Babylon. ² And as the chief of the guards was leading him away, he said this to JeremiAh:
‘Your God Jehovah spoke to you against this place and against all of its badness, ³ and then the Lord did just as He said He would do, because you had all sinned against Him and you refused to listen to His voice. So, these things that happened to you are just the things that He said He would do. ⁴ Therefore, after I remove the manacles from your hands, you can choose to travel with me to Babylon where I’ll watch out for you, or you can just run away from here! Look… the whole land before you is good! So you can go anywhere that pleases your eyes, ⁵ or you can choose to return to GedaliAh (the son of AhiKam and grandson of ShaPhan), whom the king of Babylon has appointed to be over the land of Judah, and you can live among your people under him… yes, if it seems good in your eyes to go there, then go!’

Well after that, the chief of the guards held a feast for JeremiAh and they gave him some gifts before sending him away. ⁶ Then [JeremiAh] went to GedaliAh at MizPah and stayed among the people who’d been left behind in the land.

⁷ Meanwhile, when all the [Judean] generals that were still in the fields with their armies heard that the king of Babylon had appointed GedaliAh to be over the land, they brought their men and their wives to him, along with the simple people and the poor of the land… all those that hadn’t been relocated by the Babylonians.

⁸ Then IshMaEl (the son of NethaniAh), JoHanan (the son of KareAh), SeraiAh (the son of TanHumeth), the sons of EphAi the Netophathite, and JezaniAh (the son of the MaAchathite) came to GedaliAh at MizPah… they and all their men went to him. ⁹ And GedaliAh swore an oath to them and their men, saying,
‘You will no longer have anything to fear from the servants of the Chaldeans. Therefore, I urge you to come and live in this land and work for the king of Babylon, since this would be the best thing for you to do! ¹⁰ {Look!} As I’m sitting here in MizPah, I’m doing so before the faces of the Chaldeans, and [they’re protecting us from anyone] that might come against us. So, collect your wine, autumn fruits, and olive oil in jars, then come and live in these cities that we’ve been able to retain!’

¹¹ Well, when those Judeans that were in MoAb and all the rest that had stayed among the sons of AmMon (those who’d been scattered throughout the land of Edom) heard that the king of Babylon had given an allotment to Judah and that he had appointed GedaliAh (the son of AhiKam) to be over them, ¹² they each returned from the places where they’d been scattered and they gathered to GedaliAh in MizPah in the land of Judah, bringing along all their wine, autumn fruits, and a tremendous amount of olive oil.

¹³ However, JoHanan (the son of KareAh) and all the generals of the armies that were still in the fields then went to GedaliAh at MizPah ¹⁴ and they warned him, saying:
‘Don’t you know that BaAl Ish (the king of the sons of AmMon) is sending IshMaEl (the son of NathaniAh) to [assassinate] you?’
But GedaliAh (the son of AhiKam) just didn’t believe them.

¹⁵ Then JoHanan (the son of KareAh) went and spoke to GedaliAh in secret there in MizPah. He told him:
‘I will go and strike down IshMaEl (the son of NathaniAh)… however, don’t tell anyone! For he’s going to kill you and scatter all the Judeans that have gathered here with you, then he will wipe out the rest of Judah!’

¹⁶ But GedaliAh told JoHanan (the son of KareAh):
‘Don’t you dare to do this thing… for you’re really lying about IshMaEl!’

Chapter 41

¹ Well, it was in the seventh month that IshMaEl, the son of NathaniAh and grandson of EliShama (who was related to the king) came to GedaliAh in MizPah with some of the royal appointees and ten other men. Then, after sharing some bread, ² IshMaEl and the ten men that came with him got up and struck down GedaliAh with their swords, killing him (the man that had been appointed over the land by the king [of Babylon]) ³ as well as all the Judeans that were with him at MizPah, and any Chaldeans that they found there… he even killed the guards!

⁴ Then, two days after they’d killed GedaliAh (for no one had found out about it yet), ⁵ some eighty men came there from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria with their beards shaved off and wearing torn clothes, beating their chests and carrying gifts of frankincense in their hands [to offer before] Jehovah. ⁶ So IshMaEl (the son of NathaniAh) came out of MizPah to meet them, and they all started crying. Then [IshMaEl] said to them:
‘Now, let’s all go and visit GedaliAh.’

⁷ However, as they were traveling through the city, [IshMaEl] and his men started striking them down and killing them next to a well.

⁸ But as they were seeing this happen, ten of the men said to IshMaEl,
‘You shouldn’t kill us, because we’ve brought along treasures from the fields… wheat, barley, honey, and olive oil!’
And as the result, he passed them by and left them alive there in the midst of their [murdered] brothers.

⁹ Now, the well where IshMaEl had killed the men was very large (it’s the one that King Asa [had dug] in fear of BaAsha, the king of IsraEl), so IshMaEl (the son of NathaniAh) threw the men’s bodies into it. ¹⁰ Then IshMaEl took all the people that were left in MizPah – which included the daughters of the king that had been left in the care of the chief of the guards by GedaliAh (the son of AhiKam) – and he set out for the other side [of the land] of the sons of AmMon.

¹¹ Well, when JoHanan (the son of KareAh) and the generals that were with him heard of all the evil things that IshMaEl (the son of NathaniAh) had done, ¹² they took everyone in their camp and went to wage war with IshMaEl, catching up with him next to the water of the great pool in GibeOn. ¹³ And when all the people that were with IshMaEl saw JoHanan (the son of KareAh) coming with the generals, they were very happy, ¹⁴ so they all went over to JoHanan’s side.

¹⁵ Nevertheless, IshMaEl was able to escape along with eight of his men, and they headed toward the [land of] the sons of AmMon. ¹⁶ So JoHanan then took all the generals and their armies, along with all the remaining people from MizPah – those whom IshMaEl (the son of NathaniAh) had captured after he killed GedaliAh (the son of Ahikam), all the mighty men of war, as well as all the women, the eunuchs, and everything that was left in GibeOn – ¹⁷ and they set up camp at KimHam (near BethLehem), as they planned to travel toward the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ [For they had decided] to run from the Chaldeans, since they were afraid to face them because of IshMaEl’s striking down GedaliAh (the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to be over their land).

Chapter 42

¹ Well, they traveled on from there – all the generals, JoHanan (the son of KareAh), JezaniAh (the son of HoshaiAh), and all the people from the least to the greatest – and they went to JeremiAh the Prophet and said this:
² ‘May our need for mercy fall before you! Please pray to Jehovah your God about all these things; for there were once as many of us as your eyes could see, but now we are so few. ³ Tell us which way Jehovah your God says we should go, and that’s the way we will go!’

⁴ And JeremiAh the Prophet said to them:
‘I’ve heard you, so {Look!} I will pray to Jehovah our God about the things you’ve said, and then I’ll announce to you whatever Jehovah tells me to say… there’s no way that I’ll hide a single word from you!’

⁵ Then they replied to JeremiAh:
‘May Jehovah be a righteous and trustworthy witness against us if we fail to follow every word that Jehovah your God sends to us. ⁶ We will obey [every word] from the voice of our God Jehovah, the One to whom we are sending you, whether it’s for the good or for the bad! We will pay attention and listen to the voice of our God Jehovah, so that things will go well for us!’

⁷ Well, it was ten days later that the Word of Jehovah finally came to JeremiAh. ⁸ So he called for JoHanan (the son of KareAh), the generals, and all the people (from the least to the greatest), ⁹ and he said this to them,
‘Jehovah the God of IsraEl to whom you sent me, has heard all your prayers before Him. ¹⁰ [And this is what He told me to say]:

‘If you wish to survive, you must stay in this land,
For I’ll build you up, not wipe you away…
I’ll plant you and not pluck you out…
I’ll bring you rest from the bad that I’ve sent.

¹¹ ‘So don’t worry about Babylon’s king,
The one whose face you now fear…
No, don’t be afraid,’ says Jehovah;
‘For I’m with you, and I will save you…
From his hands, I will save you!

¹² ‘I will grant you this one act of kindness,
And I will show mercy upon you…
For I’ll take you back to your land.

¹³ ‘But if you should say to yourselves,
No way will we stay in this land,
And you fail to obey the voice of your God…
¹⁴ If you should say, There’s no way…
For we’ve chosen to go down to Egypt
So that we will no longer know fighting
Or hear the sounds of the trumpets,
Nor will we go hungry, because there’s no bread…
Yes, we’ll [go down to Egypt] and live there;
¹⁵ Then, hear the Word of Jehovah,
O you remnant of Judah!
For Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl says this:
If you point your faces toward Egypt,
And enter [that land] and then plan to stay…
¹⁶ The broadsword that you are now facing
– The one of which you’re in fear –
Will also find you in Egypt.
And the famine that you have been facing
Will also overtake you in Egypt…
So, there is where you will die!

¹⁷ ‘Yes, all those men whose faces are set
To go down to Egypt and live,
Will fall by the broadsword, famine, and plague…
None will survive all the evils
That I will be bringing upon them!

¹⁸ ‘Then Jehovah of Armies, the ² God of IsraEl, said this:
As My rage has dripped on JeruSalem,
My rage will then drip upon you,
Should you choose to go down into Egypt.

‘You’ll become a land that’s unwalked,
And come under the hands of other men…
You’ll be a cursed [people] that’s scorned,
And never again will you see this [land]!

¹⁹ ‘Yes, this is what Jehovah spoke against you, O remaining ones of Judah… you must not go down into Egypt!

‘Now, you’re aware of all this, for I’ve testified to you about it today! ²⁰ But you [weren’t really being honest] with yourselves when you sent me to Jehovah your God and said,
Pray to the Lord for us and we’ll do whatever Jehovah our God tells us… whatever He says, we will do!

²¹ ‘And now, although I’ve warned you, you won’t listen to the voice of Jehovah your God and follow [the words] that He sent to you.
So, by means of the broadsword, famine, and plague
You will come to your end in that place
Where you’ve chosen to go and to live .’

Chapter 43

¹ Well, just after JeremiAh had finished speaking all the words that Jehovah their Lord God had sent to them, ² AzariAh (the son of HoshaiAh), JoHanan (the son of KareAh), and all the proud ones started shouting at JeremiAh and saying:
‘You’re lying! Our God Jehovah didn’t send you to tell us that we shouldn’t go down into Egypt and live there! ³ And look at BarUch (the son of NeriJah)… he has joined with you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans, so that they can just kill us or move us to Babylon!’

⁴ Well, JoHanan (the son of KareAh), the generals, and all the people refused to listen to the voice of Jehovah and stay in the land of Judah. ⁵ So JoHanan took all the generals, all the rest of the Judeans, those that had returned from the nations where they’d been scattered to live in the land of Judah, ⁶ as well as all the mighty men, the women, the children, the remaining daughters of the king (all the souls that had been left behind by NabuZarAdan the chief of the [Babylonian] guards), as well as GedaliAh (the son of AhiKam), ⁷ the Prophet JeremiAh, and BarUch (the son of NeriJah), and they went to TahPanHes in Egypt. For the people refused to listen to the voice of Jehovah.

⁸ And it was while JeremiAh was in TahPanHes that the Word of Jehovah came to him again and said:
⁹ ‘Now, take two huge rocks for yourself
And [bury] them under the thresholds
Of the gates of Pharaoh’s house in TahPanHes.
Do this in front of the men of Judea,
¹⁰ And tell them that thus says Jehovah of Armies:

‘{Look!} I’ll send for My servant NebuChadNezzar,
And he’ll set his throne on these [buried] rocks,
Then lay his shields down upon them.
¹¹ For he’ll come and then attack Egypt,
Bringing death to those that are already dead,
Resettlement to those who’ve been moved away,
And the sword to those bearing swords.

¹² ‘Then he’ll burn the [temples] of their gods,
And he will resettle them all…
The land of Egypt, he will then fumigate
As a shepherd fumigates his own clothes…
Only then, will he leave there in peace.

¹³ ‘He’ll destroy the columns of the City of the Sun,
And he’ll burn Egypt’s gods in a fire.’

Chapter 44

¹ Then the Word of Jehovah once again came to JeremiAh concerning the Judeans that were living in the land of Egypt… those that had settled near the watchtower, or in TahPanHes, or in Memphis, or in the land of Pathros. He said,
² ‘Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl says this:

‘You have witnessed all the bad things
That I brought upon JeruSalem
And upon the cities of Judah;
For {Look!} they have lain desolate down to this day…
No one lives there at all,
³ Because of their wicked faces,
And what they did to make Me feel bitter
By burning incense to gods they’ve not known…
Which you and your fathers have done also!

⁴ ‘So [each morning], I sent them My servants the Prophets
To tell them not to do those bad things…
Those disgusting things that I’ve hated.
⁵ But they chose not to listen to Me,
Or lean their ears to pay any attention
And then turn from their evil ways
Of burning incense before other gods.

⁶ ‘So My anger and rage dripped upon them.
And now, all the cities of Judah
(All those surrounding JeruSalem)
Have been desolated and burned…
They lie unwalked to this day.

⁷ ‘So Jehovah (IsraEl’s Almighty God) asks you this:
Why are you still bringing evil
Into your lives, O My people…
Upon your women, your infants, and babies,
So there’ll be no survivors in Judah?

⁸ ‘For you continue to make Me feel bitter
By the things that you do with your hands,
When you burn incense to other gods
In the land of Egypt where you’ve gone to live.
So now, you’ll be cut off and cursed,
And scorned among all the nations!

⁹ ‘Have you forgotten all the evils
That your fathers have committed [in the past]…
The evil deeds of Judea’s kings…
The evils of all of your rulers,
And the bad things your women have done
In JeruSalem and in Judah…
¹⁰ And which they’re still doing today?

‘For, they have not learned to fear Me,
Nor have they followed the orders
That I set before them and their fathers.

¹¹ ‘It’s because of this,
Said IsraEl’s God, Jehovah of Armies;
{Look!} Against you, I’ve now set My face
Because of all the bad things you’ve done
Since the time that I sent destruction to Judah.

¹² ‘So I’ll take the remnant of Judah
That went down to Egypt to live,
And I’ll cause them to fail throughout the whole land…
Yes, from their least to their greatest.
They’ll all fall by the broadsword and famine…
They’ll be cursed, scorned, and destroyed!

¹³ ‘I’ll visit those who’ve settled in Egypt
The same as I visited JeruSalem…
I’ll bring the same broadswords, famines, and plagues,
¹⁴ Which [JeruSalem’s people] could not escape.

‘So, none of the remnant of Judah
That went down to Egypt and hoped to return,
Will be allowed to go back again.
There’s no way that they’ll ever return…
Except for a few who’ll escape.’

¹⁵ Well, [none of the men] would reply to JeremiAh, because they all knew that their women were burning incense to other gods. And at the time, there was a great gathering of the women among all those that had settled in the land of Egypt at Pathros. And there these women said,
¹⁶ ‘We won’t pay any attention to the words that you’ve spoken to us in the Name of Jehovah, ¹⁷ and we’ll do whatever we choose to do… we’ll keep on burning incense to the Queen of Heaven! Yes, we’ll keep on offering her [food and drink] as our fathers, our kings, our rulers, and the rest of us have done in Judah and around JeruSalem in the past… back when we were better off… back when we had enough bread to eat and things weren’t so bad! ¹⁸ For it was only after we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and offering her [food and drink] that things became worse and we started falling by the sword and from famine. ¹⁹ Haven’t you noticed all that has happened since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven… back when we (without the aid of our husbands) made cakes and offered drinks to her?’

²⁰ Then JeremiAh replied to all the people (the mighty men, the women, and everyone else that had responded to him) saying:
²¹ ‘When it comes to the incense that you’ve burned in the cities of Judah and in JeruSalem (you, your ancestors, your kings, your rulers, and the rest of the people of the land); Jehovah hasn’t forgotten this! Yes, it has reached all the way up to His heart! ²² And it’s because He was unable to bear all your wicked deeds and the disgusting things you were doing that He brought desolation upon your land… He made it an unwalked place and a curse to this day!

²³ ‘For you stood there before Him and burned incense – sinning against Jehovah – and you didn’t pay any attention to the voice of the Lord, or to His instructions, His Laws, or His proofs. Rather, you went and took up all these evil practices that you’ve continued to do down to this day.’

²⁴ And JeremiAh said to the women and to all the people:
‘Hear the Word of Jehovah, all you Judeans who are now living in Egypt! ²⁵ For Jehovah the God of IsraEl says that you and your women have brought this [upon yourselves] by your own mouths and your own hands, when you said that you will continue to acknowledge and burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, and to offer [food and drink] before her.

‘So, you still plan to continue making offerings before her, do you? ²⁶ Well, because of this, hear the Word of Jehovah all you in Judah and those of you who have settled in the land of Egypt:
{Look!} I have sworn this oath by My Name, said Jehovah,
That My Name won’t remain in the mouths of these Jews,
Because they have failed to say,
O Jehovah, our Lord;
Come and live among us in Egypt!

²⁷ ‘{Look!} I’ll be zealous about bringing them harm (not the good)!
So those Jews that are living in Egypt
Will fall by the broadsword and famine
Until [they all] cease to be!

²⁸ ‘Just the [few] that escape from the sword
Will ever return to Judea…
And there will be very few!

‘Then, all the remnant of Judah
(Those that went and started living in Egypt)
Will know whose words have proved to be true…
If it’s My words, or those [of their gods].

²⁹ ‘And this is your sign, says Jehovah,
That I will visit this place,
So you’ll know that My words have stuck upon you
Because of your evil deeds:

³⁰ ‘{Look!} I’ll hand the house of Egypt’s King HophRa
To his enemies and those that are seeking his life,
As I handed Judah’s King ZedekiAh
To his enemy NebuChadNezzar,
Who was seeking his life.’

Chapter 45

¹ These were the words that the Prophet JeremiAh spoke to BarUch (the son of NeriAh) as he was writing all the words that came from the mouth of JeremiAh in this scroll during the fourth year of [the reign of] JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah. He said,
² ‘Jehovah, the God of IsraEl, said this about you, O BarUch, ³ because you made this complaint:
Alas, to my misery, Jehovah has added hard labor;
For I went to bed moaning and there found no rest.

⁴ ‘So Jehovah told me that I should say this to you:
{Look!} That which I’ve built, I’ll demolish,
And that which I’ve planted, I will pluck…
Yes, even this land that is Mine.

⁵ ‘Were you looking for great things to happen? If so;
You had best remove that thought from your mind;
For {Look!} upon all flesh, I’m bringing what’s bad, says Jehovah.
But as your reward, I’ll give you your life,
No matter which way you may choose to go.’

Chapter 46

¹ These are the words that Jehovah sent to JeremiAh the Prophet against the nations. ² [He said this concerning] Egypt and the armies of Pharaoh Necho the king of Egypt, who was at the EuPhrates River in CarChemIsh when he was [killed] by NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon, which happened in the fourth year [of the reign] of JehoiAkim (the son of JosiAh) the king of Judah:

³ ‘Now, pick up your weapons and shields,
And then get ready for battle!
⁴ Saddle the horses and mount up their riders…
Don your helmets and chest plates,
And you should take up your spears!

⁵ ‘Why are they frightened and running?
It’s because their mighty have fallen,
And into exile, they’re going…
They’ll not return to their land,’ says Jehovah.

⁶ ‘Their nimble will not be able to flee,
And their strong won’t be saved from those in the north…
For at the EuPhrates, they’ll fall.

⁷ ‘What is this that’s rising like a river…
Yes, like a river that’s swollen?
⁸ The waters of the river of Egypt arose,
And said, I will rise and cover their land…
I’ll destroy their cities and all those that live there.

⁹ ‘So, ready the chariots and mount up your horsemen…
Assemble the Ethiopians and Libyans
All armed and carrying shields!

‘Come, O Lydians, and stretch tight your bows,
¹⁰ For this day belongs to Jehovah of Armies,
Who’ll arise to take vengeance on His enemies.
Then the sword will devour and be filled…
It will get drunk on their blood.

‘There’ll be a sacrifice to Jehovah of Armies
[Being offered by those] from the land to the north
At the River EuPhrates.

¹¹ ‘So, go to Gilead for ointment
[To heal] the virgin daughter of Egypt!
But the attempts to heal her will all be in vain,
And the ointments will do her no good.

¹² ‘Now, the nations have all heard your voices,
For your cries have filled the whole earth.
Warriors fighting warriors have weakened together,
And together, they’ve fallen [in battle].’

¹³ This is what Jehovah said through JeremiAh the Prophet concerning the coming of NebuChadNezzar (the king of Babylon) to strike the land of Egypt:

¹⁴ ‘Send the announcement to Egypt…
Yes, let them hear it in Migdol,
And then give warning to Memphis!
Tell those that live in TahPanHes
To prepare their yew to be [chopped] by the sword!

¹⁵ ‘Why are your mighty all lying face down?
They can’t get up, for the Lord knocked them down!

¹⁶ ‘Yes your mighty [armies] have weakened,
Then they turned to their comrades and said,
Let’s get up and go back to our people and homes…
Let’s [flee from] the faces of Greeks!

¹⁷ ‘You can call on the name, Pharaoh Necho…
The one that’s the king of all Egypt,
But [his time of glory has past].

¹⁸ ‘As I live,’ says the King, Jehovah of Armies;
‘As sure as Tabor is found among mountains,
And as sure as CarMel is found by the sea,
¹⁹ I’ve come here to settle up matters.

‘So get ready, O daughter of Egypt,
And those of you that are still left alive;
For Memphis will now be destroyed,
And she’ll be referred to as Woe,
Because she’ll be left without people.

²⁰ ‘Egypt is a heifer prepared for the slaughter
By a broken branch that will come from the north.
²¹ For the soldiers they’ve hired are like calves
That are cared for and very-well fed.
But, they will all turn back and flee,
²² Because they won’t wish to wait for the day
When their destruction will come…
The time when they will be punished.

‘Since her voice is like the hissing of snakes
That slither along in the sand;
They will attack her with axes
As though they are chopping up wood.

²³ ‘Then they’ll cut down all her forests,’ says Jehovah!
‘For, no one can imagine their numbers…
As with locusts, there’s no way to count them!

²⁴ ‘Disgrace will come to the daughter of Egypt,
And she’ll be given to the men from the north.

²⁵ ‘Yes, IsraEl’s God, Jehovah of Armies says this:
{Look!} Amun (Thebes’ God) will be punished;
For, I will bring this on Egypt,
As well as on her gods and her kings…
To Pharaoh and those that are trusting in him.

²⁶ ‘To those seeking his life, I will hand them…
To the hands of King NebuChadNezzar,
And to the hands of his servants.

‘Once again, it will be as it was long ago, says Jehovah.
²⁷ So My servant Jacob should not be afraid,
Nor should IsraEl ever feel terrified.

‘{Look!} For I’ll bring you back from faraway lands…
Your seed, from where they were captives.
Jacob will come and then sleep in peace,
And no one will bring them more trouble.

²⁸ ‘So, don’t be afraid, O Jacob, My child, says Jehovah;
For, I will be there with you!
And all the nations to which you were led
Will be appointed to destruction…
The nations where I sent you will all be consumed.

‘But though I’ll never appoint you an end,
I will still judge and correct you.
I won’t declare you free from all guilt,
Nor will you ever be acquitted.’

Chapter 47

¹ These words of the Lord came to JeremiAh the Prophet against the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

² ‘Jehovah says:
{Look!} From the north, the waters will rise
To become a river that’s flooding.
It will flood the land and all its good things…
The city and all those that live there.

³ ‘Then, all the men will start crying,
And those living there will be shouting,
Because of the sounds of the beating of hoofs
And the rumble of chariot wheels.

‘Fathers won’t [help] their own sons
Because their hands will be just too weak
⁴ In the day that he comes to destroy the Philistines…
To wipe away Sidon, Tyre, and their friends.

‘To the Philistines, Jehovah is sending destruction,
As well as to the islands of CappaDocia.
⁵ Baldness will come upon Gaza,
And AshKelon will be thrown away,
Along with Anakim’s [giants].’

⁶ How long will you strike with the sword of Jehovah…
Until when, will it finally be stilled?
Please put it back into its sheath…
Yes, lift it away and put it to rest!

⁷ But, what can make it be stilled?
For it came from Jehovah upon AshKelon
And against [her cities] by the sea,
So that all the rest would be shaken.

Chapter 48

¹ Jehovah of Armies, the God of IsraEl, said this against MoAb:

‘Woe to Nebo, for it was destroyed,
And KiriAth JaiRim was taken…
Their forts were all vanquished and shamed.

² ‘MoAb won’t be dancing in HeshBon,
For God has planned many bad things against her.
Come and cut her out of the nations…
Let’s bring her to an end with the sword!

³ ‘From HoroNaim comes the sound of men shouting,
For destruction and ruin have arrived,
⁴ And MoAb will be wiped away!

Announce this too in Zogora!
⁵ For Luhith is now filled with weeping,
And on the road to HoroNaim, they’re crying.

‘You can hear the cries of destruction;
⁶ So escape, and run for your lives…
Go live in the desert like zebras!

⁷ ‘But you’ll be captured because you’ve relied
On your treasures and forts.
So you’ll be taken away and resettled,
Along with your princes and priests.

⁸ ‘To your cities, ruin is coming…
None of your towns will be saved.
So your valleys will then be destroyed,
As will even your plains,’ says Jehovah.

⁹ ‘Post signs over MoAb that say she has the plague;
So, soon she’ll have to be burned.
Her cities will become unwalked lands,
For there’ll be no one living within them.

¹⁰ ‘O cursed is the one that’s indifferent
When it comes to doing the work of the Lord…
Cursed is the one that holds back his sword!

¹¹ ‘MoAb has rested since childhood,
Relying upon his own glory.
He’s never poured dregs from pitcher to pitcher,
Nor has he been carried away…
So his sense of taste hasn’t left him,
And his ability to smell still remains.

¹² ‘But because of this,’ says Jehovah,
‘{Look!} The days are coming when I will send
Those that wish to lean upon him.

‘Then, they’ll water [the wine] in his pitchers,
And they will break all his trumpets.
¹³ MoAb will be disgraced before Chemosh
As IsraEl was disgraced before BethEl.

¹⁴ ‘So, how can you say, We are strong…
All our men are mighty for war?
¹⁵ For, MoAb and his cities are gone…
His young men have fallen in slaughter,’
Says the King, Jehovah of Armies.

¹⁶ ‘MoAb’s day of harm has quickly arrived.
¹⁷ So those around him should all move away,
And those that were trusting in him should now ask,
Who broke this famous one’s staff…
Who broke that magnificent rod?

¹⁸ ‘So, descend from your glory and sit where it’s damp,
O you daughters of Dibon!
For now that MoAb has been destroyed,
Someone is coming to you
Who will destroy all your forts!

¹⁹ ‘Stand in the road and then look,
All you who are sitting in AroEr,
Then ask the fleeing what has happened.

²⁰ ‘MoAb is broken and he’s been disgraced.
So shriek, cry out, and announce it in Arnon
That mighty MoAb has fallen!

²¹ ‘For, judgment has come to the land of Misor…
On MephaAth, JaHazah, and Holon,
²² As well as on Dibon and Nebo,
And on the house of the DiblaThaim.

²³ ‘On KiriAth JaiRim, it has arrived,
And on the house of GaMul,
As well as on the house of MeOn.

²⁴ ‘It has come on KiriAth and BozRah…
Upon all the cities of MoAb,
Both those that are near and those far away.

²⁵ ‘The horn of MoAb has been broken
And his mighty arm is now destroyed,’ says Jehovah.
²⁶ ‘So let [all of his people] get drunk;
For before them, he made himself great.

‘In his own vomit, MoAb will wallow,
And he’ll be considered a joke.
²⁷ O IsraEl; you’re the reason why this came to be…
It was your cunning ways that brought this on them,
Because they were [your ally] in war.

²⁸ ‘The people of MoAb have all fled their towns,
And now they must live among rocks…
They must live like doves among stones.

²⁹ ‘I heard the insolence of MoAb,
And he was very insulting…
Then his insults and pride raised his heart.

³⁰ ‘But I’m aware of the [bad] things he’s done,’ says Jehovah,
‘And from him, I’ve endured far too much…
Yes, I know of his [wicked] deeds.

³¹ ‘Because of this, MoAb will shriek,
And the men of KeIr will be yelling
Because of their squalid conditions!

³² ‘The same as I’ve wept over JaZer
Is how I’ll cry over you,
O great grapevine of SibMah.
For your vines have reached to the sea,
And they’ve touched the city of JaZer.

‘Now, ruin has come to your autumn fruits,
And on those that are picking your grapes.

³³ ‘But at CarMel, there’s reason for shouting and joy;
For there’s no one to tread MoAb’s wine vats…
Yes, from morning to evening, they’re [shouting in] joy.

³⁴ ‘From HeshBon, to ElYaleh, and to JaHaz
There now arises a cry;
From ZoAr to HoroNaim there’s bleating
As though coming from three-year-old heifers…
For the waters at NimRim have dried.

³⁵ ‘To MoAb, I will bring destruction,’ says Jehovah…
‘To this one that goes up to his shrines
And burns incense there to his gods.

³⁶ ‘So like pipes, MoAb’s heart will soon resonate
The same as My heart resonates
For all the people of KeIr-Aras…
Where like pipes, their [hearts] will resonate too,
Since the things that they’ve gained will all perish.

³⁷ ‘Then all their heads will be shorn,
And all their beards will be shaved…
They’ll be beating their chests with their hands,
And every loin will wear sackcloth.

³⁸ ‘[There’ll be wailing] on the rooftops of MoAb,
As well as in all of their squares,
Because I will have smashed MoAb,’ says Jehovah,
‘Like a pot that is no longer used.

³⁹ ‘O how very contrite;
O how MoAb’s repented;
For, MoAb’s now laughed at and shamed…
An object of horror to those [passing by].’

⁴⁰ Jehovah says:
‘I’ll spread and stretch out My wings over MoAb…
⁴¹ KiriAth and her forts will be seized.
In that day, the hearts of the armies of MoAb
Will become like the hearts of their women.

⁴² ‘MoAb will [soon] be destroyed,
So he will no longer be many…
For against him, Jehovah will prove Himself great.

⁴³ ‘Snares, fear, and the pit have arrived
Upon you that have settled in MoAb,’ says Jehovah.
⁴⁴ ‘For those fleeing in fear will fall into pits,
And those climbing out will be caught in a snare.

‘I’ll be bringing these things upon MoAb
In the year that I go there to visit,’ says Jehovah.

⁴⁵ ‘In the shadow of HeshBon, they stopped…
The army that was running away.
For, fire arose out of HeshBon,
And in SiHon’s midst, there were flames
That devoured the forehead of MoAb
And the scalps of the sons of SiHon.

⁴⁶ ‘Woe upon you, O MoAb!
For the people of Chemosh have all been destroyed,
And their sons and daughters were carried away.
⁴⁷ But the captives of MoAb, I will return
In the last days,’ says Jehovah.

This was the judgment upon MoAb.

Chapter 49

¹ To the sons of AmMon:

Jehovah asked this:
‘Are there no sons in IsraEl…
Is there no one left to inherit?
Why has Moloch inherited Gad and his sons,
And why does he dwell in their cities?

² ‘{Look!} Because of this, days will come,’ says Jehovah,
‘When I’ll cause the disturbance of war
To be heard in RabBah by AmMon’s sons,
And then, they will all be destroyed.
So their land [will soon] be unwalked,
And their shrines will be burned up in fire.
Then, IsraEl will inherit its kingship,’ says Jehovah.

³ ‘Shout, O HeshBon, for Ai was destroyed…
Cry out, O daughters of RabBah,
And then wrap sackcloth around you!
Give in and lament over Moloch;
For together, his priests and his rulers
Will be carried away and resettled.

⁴ ‘Why are there cheers in EmaKeim,
O you presumptuous daughter…
You who’ve relied on you treasures and asked,
Who would dare come against me?

⁵ ‘{Look!} I will bring you something to fear,’
Says Jehovah of Armies…
‘From your cities, [your people] will scatter
In whichever direction their faces [will look],
And those that flee will never return.

⁶ ‘But the sons of AmMon, I will return
From wherever they’ve been taken captive,’ says Jehovah.

⁷ To Edom:

Jehovah says:
‘There is no more wisdom in Teman;
For the council of their experts has been wiped away,
And their wisdom has been beguiled and undone.

⁸ ‘So, get accustomed to sitting,
All you are living in Dedan;
For, in the day that I come to visit,
I will be bringing hard times.

⁹ ‘Then, those that harvest grapes will arrive,
And they will leave nothing behind…
They’ll come upon you and snatch you away
As though they are thieves in the night.

¹⁰ ‘For, in the same way that I dragged Esau down;
I’ll uncover the things that you’ve tucked away…
No way can you keep them hidden.
Then, you’ll be destroyed by a people
Who are not your neighbors or brothers.

¹¹ ‘So abandon your orphans, that they might survive;
For, I will keep them alive
As I’ll also keep your widows alive,
Because they’ve put faith in Me.’

¹² Jehovah says:
‘{Look!} Those that weren’t under [My] Law
Were given the cup from which they must drink.
And because you will be found guilty,
You will also have to drink from that cup.

¹³ ‘For I swear this oath by Myself,’ says Jehovah,
‘That your land will soon be scorned and unwalked…
In her midst, you will be cursed,
And through ages, your cities will be deserts!’

¹⁴ Then I listened and heard this from Jehovah. For He sent His messengers to all the nations in order to give them this warning:

‘Gather and come here against her…
Arise and get ready for war!
¹⁵ Look! I’ve appointed her to be small among nations,
And something despised by all people.

¹⁶ ‘For her [schemes] have worked out against her,
And because of the audacious ways of her heart,
Her people will be living in the hills,
And in the holes among rocks.
So, if they set their nests higher than eagles,
I will still bring them back down,’ says Jehovah.

¹⁷ ‘Then Edom will be a land that’s unwalked…
All that go there will just be amazed
And whistle at all that has happened to her.

¹⁸ ‘For as Sodom and GomorRah were destroyed
Along with all those that lived there,’ said Jehovah;
‘No man will sit [in Edom] again,
Nor will sons of men ever dwell there.

¹⁹ ‘{Look!} Like lions, they will then arrive
[And attack] AiTham from the Jordan…
They’ll quickly drive them away from their land,
And a young man [will serve as their ruler]!

‘For, who else can be likened to Me,
And by whom can I be opposed…
Which shepherd can stand and oppose Me?’

²⁰ So, hear the plan of Jehovah…
His plan against Edom and what He’s devised
Against those that are dwelling in Teman:

‘Even their smallest of sheep
Will soon be taken away,
And the places where they rest will be empty.
²¹ The sounds of their downfall will shake the whole earth,
And their cries will be heard ‘cross the seas.

²² ‘{Look!} He’ll soar like an eagle and spot her,
Then stretch out his wings toward her forts.
In that day, the hearts of the mighty of Edom
Will become like women with birth pangs.’

²³ To Damascus:

‘HaMath will soon be disgraced,
And from Arpad, they’ll hear bad reports…
They will be startled and enraged,
And they’ll be unable to rest.

²⁴ ‘Damascus was weakened and she turned to flee…
By trembling, she was overcome.
Concern and grief held her down
Like a woman that’s about to give birth.

²⁵ ‘O you praised city that was never abandoned…
You town that was ever so loved;
²⁶ Your young men will fall in your squares,
And your mighty will all be cut down,’ says Jehovah of Armies.

²⁷ ‘For I’ll kindle a fire on the walls of Damascus,
And burn the Plaza of the Sons of Hadad.’

²⁸ To Cypress and its queen in her courtyard, [concerning the attack by] NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon.

Jehovah of Armies says this:
‘Arise and go up to Cypress,
And then attack Kedem’s sons.
²⁹ Take all their tents and their sheep,
As well as their clothes, their camels, and jars;
For I’ve called for destruction upon them.

³⁰ ‘Flee right away… just grab what you need,
O you that are resting in yards,’ says Jehovah!
‘Since King NebuChadNezzar has made plans against you,
³¹ Get up and flee to a nation that’s safe,
All you that are sitting and resting
In a place with no gates and no bars.

³² ‘Then, all your camels will be plundered,
And your cattle will all be destroyed…
I’ll blow them away with the winds
And shave them away from your sides…
I’ll bring your enemies to drive them away,’ said Jehovah.

³³ ‘Then your yards will become ostrich playgrounds…
Places unwalked through the ages.
No way will men ever sit there again,
Nor will sons of men ever live there.’

³⁴ Well, after the Lord told the Prophet JeremiAh that these things would happen to them, this is what did happen to Elam around the beginning of the reign of ZedekiAh, the king of Judah. ³⁵ For Jehovah of Armies said this [to JeremiAh]:

‘Look! I will break Elam’s bows,
As well as his sources of power.
³⁶ I’ll bring the four winds against Elam
From the four corners of the skies,
And to those four winds, they’ll be scattered.

‘Many nations will come against Elam
To push them out of their land.
³⁷ Before their foes, they’ll be scattered
(Before those that are seeking their lives).
For upon them, I’m bringing My anger and rage,’ says Jehovah,
‘And I’ll chase them away with My sword
Until they’re completely consumed.

³⁸ ‘Then in Elam, I will establish My throne…
And that’s where I’ll send a king and great men,’ says Jehovah.
³⁹ ‘But in the last days, I will also return
All the captives of Elam,’ says Jehovah.

Chapter 50

¹ These are the words that the Lord spoke against Babylon and the land of the Chaldea through the mouth of JeremiAh, the Prophet:

² ‘Announce it to all of the nations…
Make it heard and erect a sign…
Let them all know, do not hide it!

‘Say, Babylon has now been captured,
And to Bel, disgrace has arrived.
MeroDach has been [destroyed]…
All of his idols were shamed,
And have now been [carried away].

³ ‘For a nation from the north came against her
And brought her land to extinction.
So, no one will ever live there again…
None from among men or beasts.

⁴ ‘During those days and at that time,
They will be entered and shaken, says Jehovah.
Then the sons of IsraEl and Judah
Will get together and leave her.

‘Before Jehovah, they’ll be weeping [in joy],
For they will be seeking their God.
⁵ They’ll ask for directions to Zion,
And that’s where they’ll set their faces to go.

‘In Jehovah, they will seek refuge,
And they’ll remember His Sacred Agreement.

⁶ ‘For my people became as sheep that were lost,
Since their shepherds had pushed them into the hills…
They led them astray from mountain to hill,
And then, they just walked away.

⁷ ‘So, those that found them consumed them…
Their enemies said, We won’t spare them
Because they’ve sinned against God
In those pastures [that He gave] to their fathers.

⁸ ‘So, flee from Babylon’s midst…
Get out of the land of Chaldea…
Escape like sheep being chased by wild beasts!
⁹ For {Look!} against Babylon, I will be bringing
A great nation from the lands in the north,
Which will then come and attack her,
And take [her people] as captives…
For the arrows of their finest of warriors
Won’t return without seeing success.

¹⁰ ‘Then all the Chaldeans will be plundered,
And those that loot her will take what they want, said Jehovah.

¹¹ ‘For, she was glad and found glory
When My inheritance was plundered by her…
She leaped like a calf in My pasture,
And then, she gored like a bull.

¹² ‘So, she will bring shame to her mother,
And become the least of the nations…
A barren parched land, and a desert.

‘{Look!} It will lie empty as a place that’s unwalked;
¹³ For because of the rage of Jehovah,
She will no longer be lived in…
Yes, everyone there will be gone.
And those that travel through Babylon,
Will look sadly and whistle at her fate.

¹⁴ ‘So, come and lay siege against Babylon…
Stretch tight your bows and then shoot her down!
Don’t spare the arrows in your attack,
For against Jehovah, she’s sinned.

¹⁵ ‘Then tie up her hands and lead her away…
Raze her parapets and all of her walls!
For, this is vengeance from God…
Do to her as she once did to you!

¹⁶ ‘May Babylon’s seed be taken away
(Those that [swing] sickles in the harvest)
Before the swords of the Greeks,
Who will carry them back to their people,
As they are going back home.

¹⁷ ‘IsraEl was a flock that had strayed,
So lions pushed them out [of their land].
Assyria’s king ate them first,
And then Babylon’s king chewed on their bones.

¹⁸ ‘But because of the things they will do, says Jehovah of Armies;
{Look!} I’ll take vengeance on Babylon’s king and his land,
As I’ve done to Assyria’s king.

¹⁹ ‘Then I’ll bring IsraEl back to their pastures,
And in Bashan and CarMel, they’ll feed…
Yes, upon Ephraim’s mountains,
And in Gilead, their souls will be filled.

²⁰ ‘In those days and at that time, says Jehovah;
In IsraEl, you’ll search for unrighteous ways,
But they will no longer exist.
And if they search throughout Judah for sins,
They won’t be able to find them…
They’ll only find kindness from those that return.

²¹ ‘So, go to that land and attack her…
Attack all the people that live there…
Punish the ones that once clapped their hands…
Wipe them away with the sword, says Jehovah…
Do to them, what I told you to do!

²² ‘There’s the sound of destruction and war
In the land of Chaldea.
²³ For they’ll be defeated and smashed
By the hammer of the whole earth…
O how the nations will bring
Extinction upon Babylon!

²⁴ ‘They’ll attack her and she will be captured
Before those in Babylon know
That they’ll be relocated and taken away;
For it’s Me, Jehovah, whom they have opposed!

²⁵ ‘The Lord has opened His storehouse
And withdrawn the things of his rage
To do the work of Jehovah of Armies
Within the land of Chaldea.

²⁶ ‘So, because it’s her time, you must open her stores,
Then search her through like a cave…
And thereafter, you should destroy her…
Don’t leave a trace [of where she has been]!

²⁷ ‘Then, dry up all of her fruits
And carry them down to the slaughter!
Woe to them, for their day has arrived…
The time for them to be punished!

²⁸ ‘There’s the sound of [people] that are fleeing…
From Babylon’s lands, they are running.
So announce Jehovah’s vengeance to Zion…
God’s vengeance over what they did to His Temple.

²⁹ ‘Urge many to come against Babylon…
Tell all to stretch tight their bows!
Around her, set up your camps
And allow no one to escape.

‘Pay her back for the things she has done…
Do to her as she once did to you!
For Jehovah’s the One that she has opposed…
IsraEl’s Most Holy God.

³⁰ ‘It’s because of this, that she’ll fall.
And all the young men in her squares,
As well as all of her warriors,
Will be [run through] in that day, says Jehovah.

³¹ ‘Look! I’m the One that’s against you, O proud one,
Says Jehovah of Armies,
And your day has finally come…
The day for you to be punished!

³² ‘The insolence you had will now fall
And no one will raise it again.
In her woods, I’ll kindle a fire
To devour everything that’s around her.

³³ ‘Jehovah of Armies also said:
To the sons of IsraEl, you were tyrants,
And to the sons of Judah, you were even [more cruel]…
You’ve been tyrants to all whom you’ve captured,
And let no one return to their homes.

³⁴ ‘But the Almighty will ransom them back
(Jehovah the Almighty is His Name).
He judges His opponents in fairness,
Before He takes them away from their lands.
And now, He is sending His rage
To those that are living in Babylon.

³⁵ ‘Bring a sword upon the Chaldeans, says Jehovah,
And upon all of Babylon’s people…
Upon all her great men and experts!

³⁶ ‘Bring a sword against her clairvoyants,
And prove them all to be fools!
Bring a sword against all her soldiers,
And let them each receive wounds!

³⁷ ‘Bring a sword upon all their horses,
And upon their chariots also.
Then those in her midst will be acting like girls!

‘Bring a sword upon all her treasures…
[Yes, haul them away] as your loot!

³⁸ ‘And though she’s relied on her waters,
They will soon be disgraced.
For, they are a land of carved idols
Before which, those in the islands have bowed.
³⁹ So their idols will be sent to those islands,
Where among chained demons, they’ll dwell.

‘Through the ages, she’ll not be lived in again…
Through generations, no one will camp there.
⁴⁰ For as God destroyed Sodom and GomorRah,
As well as the places round-about them,’ said the Lord,
‘There’s no way that men will live there again,
Nor will sons of men ever stay there.

⁴¹ ‘{Look!} There are people that are coming from the far north…
A great nation will come from the ends of the earth
Along with many [great] kings,
⁴² All brandishing arrows and swords.

‘They will be very audacious;
For, they will act without mercy,
And their voices [will roar] like the seas.

‘O you daughters of Babylon;
They’ll come against you on horses,
And with fire, as they’re preparing for war.

⁴³ ‘Babylon’s king will hear the report,
And then his hands will grow weak…
He’ll be gripped with pangs like a woman giving birth.

⁴⁴ ‘{Look!} Like a lion, he’ll ascend from the Jordan,
And he’ll go to a place called AiTham.
Then quickly, I’ll drive them upon her…
I’ll set all their young men against her.

‘For who else is like Me and who can resist…
What shepherd can stand before Me?

⁴⁵ ‘So, hear the plan of Jehovah…
His plans against Babylon
And the equipment that He has devised
Against those in the land of Chaldea.

‘Surely their lambs will all be destroyed…
Surely their fields will be captured!

⁴⁶ ‘From the sounds of Babylon’s conquest,
All on the earth will be shaken,
And her cries will be heard in all nations.’

Chapter 51

¹ The Lord said:
‘{Look!} I’ll awaken a wind that burns and destroys
Against Babylon’s people
And all the Chaldeans who live there.

² ‘Against Babylon, I’ll be sending the proud
Who’ll insult her and wipe out her land.
Woe to Babylon and those round-about
In the day that she is oppressed.

³ ‘Let the bowman stretch tight his bow
And strap on all of his weapons!
Do not spare her young men…
Wipe all her armies away…
⁴ May all in the land of Chaldea fall dead.

‘May their [mercenary troops] be pierced through and fall.
⁵ For, IsraEl and Judah aren’t the widows
Of Jehovah the Almighty God.

‘It was because their land was filled with injustice,
And from IsraEl’s holy ways, they had strayed,
That they were allowed to be captured.

⁶ ‘So, those in Babylon’s midst should now flee…
Each man should save his own soul!
In her unrighteous ways, don’t get involved,
Since it’s time for her to be punished…
To be repaid for the bad things she’s done!

⁷ ‘Within the hands of Jehovah,
Babylon is like a gold cup
From whose wine, the earth became drunk.
For she forced all the nations to drink it,
And this is why they are reeling.

⁸ ‘So, Babylon will fall and be broken;
Then the [time to] lament her will come when they’ll say:
‘Bring an ointment to heal all her wounds,
And to see if she can be saved!

⁹ ‘Though we treated her, she couldn’t be healed…
So, all should return to their lands,
Since heaven has approached to pass judgment on her…
Before the stars, she has been exposed.’

¹⁰ Yes, Jehovah’s brought judgment upon her;
So come, let’s announce it in Zion…
For, this is the work of Jehovah our God.

¹¹ ‘Prepare your bows… fill your quivers;
For, the spirit of the king of the Medes
Has now been aroused by Jehovah
To bring His rage against Babylon
And to wipe her away.
Yes, this is the vengeance from God…
He’s getting revenge for His people.

¹² ‘Raise the flags on Babylon’s walls!
Prepare the watchmen and ready the shields!
For Jehovah’s about to do what He said
Against those that are dwelling in Babylon.

¹³ ‘O you who camp between waters
And you who [put trust in] your treasures;
The limit has finally been reached
As to what your bowels can hold.

¹⁴ ‘For Jehovah has now sworn this oath
By [the power of] His mighty arm:
I’ll fill you with men (like locusts they’ll come)…
And they’ll shout as they are attacking!’

¹⁵ ‘He’s the Mighty One who created the earth…
The One, who in His great wisdom
Prepared mankind’s habitation,
And the One who with great understanding,
Stretched out the heavens above it.

¹⁶ ‘With His voice, He sends waters down from the skies,
And He brings the clouds from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning along with the rain,
And from His treasures, He then draws the light.

¹⁷ ‘He has proven all men to be foolish,
[And foolish] is the knowledge of their goldsmiths;
For, they have cast idols and they have carved gods,
Which are unable to breathe.

¹⁸ ‘So their deeds are wasted and scornful,
And they’ll be destroyed when He visits.
¹⁹ Yet, this won’t be the portion of Jacob…
Their inheritance is the One that shaped all,
Whose Name is Jehovah of Armies!

²⁰ ‘So before Me, lay out your items of war,
And I’ll scatter [many] nations before you…
Over many kings, I will raise you,
²¹ And before you, I’ll scatter their horses and riders,
As well as their chariots and horsemen.

²² ‘I’ll scatter before you, their husbands and wives…
I’ll scatter their elders and children.
Before you, I’ll scatter their young men and virgins,
²³ And I’ll scatter their shepherds and flocks.

‘I’ll scatter before you their farmers and farms…
Governors and commanders, I’ll scatter.
²⁴ Before your eyes, I will pay back
Those of Chaldea and Babylon
For the evils they committed against Zion, said Jehovah.

²⁵ ‘Look… I’m against you, you mount of corruption,
And I oppose your iron that corrupts the whole earth.
So I’ll stretch My hand out against you,
Then upon you, I will roll rocks,
As I set your mountain on fire!

²⁶ ‘No way will your stones then be carried
To be used as foundation blocks…
You’ll be wiped away through the ages, said Jehovah.

²⁷ ‘So, raise the banners throughout the whole earth…
Signal the nations with trumpets;
Then, make them holy against her…
The Araratites and the AshKenazi!

‘Bring many weapons against her…
Bring horses like locusts, upon her!
²⁸ Drag many nations [to fight] her…
The king of the Medes and the rest of the earth…
Their leaders and all their commanders!

²⁹ ‘Then the earth will be shaken and reel
By Jehovah’s plans against Babylon,
Since He’s arranged the extinction of Babylon’s land
So that no one will live there again!

³⁰ ‘Babylon’s soldiers will fail to wage war…
They’ll just sit in their forts as they’re losing control.
They’ll become like women whose tents are ablaze,
And then, her bars will be broken.

³¹ ‘Those chasing will meet others chasing,
As they pursue the announcers
Who will meet with those that proclaim,
And make the announcement to Babylon’s king
That his great city was captured,
³² And the last of his moats have been breached…
That his ramparts have been burned by fire,
And all of his men have surrendered.

³³ ‘For Jehovah of Armies (the God of IsraEl) says this:
The palace of Babylon’s king
Will become a floor to do threshing…
And now is the season for threshing,
Because it’s time for the harvest!

³⁴ ‘[And those living in Zion will say],
By NebuChadNezzar, Babylon’s King,
I was crushed and divided…
He caught up with me in the darkness;
Then, like a beast, he swallowed me down,
And his belly was filled with My good things.
³⁵ So in misery and in great trouble,
To Babylon, I was taken,
And my blood was laid upon those Chaldeans.

³⁶ ‘But because of this, says Jehovah;
{Look!} I will judge your opponents
And send My vengeance to them for the ways
That they will be punishing you.

‘I’ll destroy her [rivers] and dry up her springs,
³⁷ And Babylon will become an extinction
– A den for wild beasts and for snakes –
Which won’t be lived in again.

³⁸ ‘As lions and their cubs are aroused in the heat,
I’ll give them a drink that will make them all drunk…
I’ll stupefy them and put them to sleep,
³⁹ Which will be a sleep for the ages
From which they’ll never awaken, says Jehovah.

⁴⁰ ‘I’ll bring them like lambs for the slaughter…
Like rams that are mixed among [goats].

⁴¹ ‘Thereafter, Sheshach will be captured,
And the earth’s boastful ones will be hunted…
For, Babylon will not be great again
Among the rest of the nations.

⁴² ‘May Babylon be covered up by the sea…
May she be covered by the roar of its waves…
⁴³ May all her cities meet with destruction,
And may her land become dry and unwalked.

‘Nothing alive will go there again,
Nor will sons of men ever rest there.
⁴⁴ For, I will take vengeance upon Babylon,
And from her mouth, I’ll snatch what she ate.
No more will nations gather with her,
And even her walls will soon fall.

⁴⁵ ‘So, get out of her midst, O my people…
Let each man save his own life
From the anger and rage of Jehovah.

⁴⁶ ‘And don’t let your hearts be consumed…
Don’t fear the reports that are heard in that land;
For in one year, there’ll come a report,
And in the next, another will come
Of misery and sin in that land,
And of one leader ruling another.

⁴⁷ ‘Because of this, {Look!} days will come
When I’ll bring vengeance on Babylon’s idols.
Then, all in their land will be shamed,
As in her midst, the slain will be falling.

⁴⁸ ‘Heaven and earth will be joyful,
As well as all those that live there.
For her destroyer will come from the north, says Jehovah.
⁴⁹ And as Babylon murdered the IsraElites,
The slain will fall in Babylon’s land.

⁵⁰ ‘So flee, O you who’ve been saved from the sword,
For you should stay there no longer!
Then speak of Jehovah in far-away lands…
And JeruSalem should remain in your hearts!

⁵¹ ‘We were shamed when we heard of our scorn,
And in dishonor, we covered our faces;
For, foreigners entered our Most Holy Place…
They entered the House of Jehovah!

⁵² ‘And because of this, {Look!} days will come, said Jehovah,
When I’ll take vengeance upon her carved idols,
And the slain will fall in her land.

⁵³ ‘So if Babylon could climb up into the skies
And fortify her strength in the heights;
I’d still send those who’d destroy her, said Jehovah.

⁵⁴ ‘So from Babylon, you will hear cries,
As destruction comes to the Chaldeans.
⁵⁵ Jehovah will remove Babylon…
With the sounds of waves, He’ll destroy her,
And to her voice, He’ll bring ruin.

⁵⁶ ‘Misery will come upon Babylon,
For her warriors will soon all be captured,
And terror will come to her bowmen…
Yes, this is her payback from God.

⁵⁷ ‘The Lord will repay her with what she is due,
And he’ll make them all [reel like] drunks…
Yes, her governors, commanders, and wise men,
Says the King, Jehovah the Almighty.

⁵⁸ ‘And thus says Jehovah the Almighty:
The broad walls of Babylon will fall,
And her gates will fail and be burned;
For the nations and peoples will tire of her pride.’

⁵⁹ These were the words that the Lord had instructed JeremiAh the Prophet to say to SeraiAh (the son of NeriAh and grandson of MaAseJah) when he went with ZedekiAh (the king of Judah) into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign (SeraiAh was in charge of the gifts that were [brought to the king]). ⁶⁰ Then JeremiAh wrote of all the bad things that were to come upon Babylon in a scroll, including all the rest of these words that were written against Babylon.

⁶¹ JeremiAh also told SeraiAh that when he got to Babylon, he was to read all of these words to [the people of Babylon], and then say,
⁶² ‘It was Jehovah that spoke ill of this place…
He’s the One that said He’d destroy it
So that no one will ever live here again…
Neither man nor beast, through the ages.

⁶³ [Then JeremiAh told him:] ‘Then, when you finish reading this scroll, tie it to a rock and toss it into the EuPhrates, and tell them:
⁶⁴ This is how Babylon will sink
And not be raised up again…
She’ll vanish, because of the bad things He’ll bring.’

Yes, these were all the words of JeremiAh.

Chapter 52

¹ Well, King ZedekiAh was twenty-one years old when he started his reign, and he ruled from JeruSalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was HamuTal, and she was the daughter of JeremiAh of LibNah. ² For, like JehoiAkim, the things that he did were wicked before Jehovah. ³ And this is why the wrath of Jehovah stayed upon JeruSalem and Judah until He finally cast them away from His face… for then ZedekiAh rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴ It was in the ninth year and tenth month of his reign, on the tenth day of the month that NebuChadNezzar the king of Babylon came against JeruSalem with all his armies. He camped outside of the city and built a rampart around it, ⁵ and the city stayed under siege until the eleventh year of King ZedekiAh. ⁶ So by the ninth day of the fourth month, there was famine in the city, and there was no longer any bread for the people in the land.

⁷ Thereafter, the city’s [walls] were breached and all its warriors fled… they escaped during the night by way of the gate in the middle of the wall and the area around the wall that was next to the king’s garden. [They did this] as the Chaldeans were already in and around the city… and then they headed toward the desert.

⁸ Well, the army of the Chaldeans chased after the king, catching up with him on the other side of JeriCho, where all of his servants had left him.

⁹ So they captured the king and led him to the king of Babylon (who was in RibLah in the land of HaMath at the time), where he spoke to him and then passed judgment on him. ¹⁰ Then the king of Babylon had all the sons of ZedekiAh killed before his eyes, and he killed all the rulers of Judah there in RibLah. ¹¹ And thereafter, he blinded the eyes of ZedekiAh, bound him in shackles, and the king of Babylonian had him carried to Babylon, where he was kept in a mill house until the day that he died.

¹² It was during the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, that NabuZarArdan (the chief of the guards that always stood before the king of Babylon) came to JeruSalem ¹³ and he burned the [Temple] of Jehovah, the king’s palace, and all the houses in the city with fire, including all of its mansions. ¹⁴ Then the chief of the guards had the Chaldean armies tear down all of the city walls, ¹⁵ and he removed all the poor people (those that had been left behind in the city) as well as those that had gone over to the king of Babylon, along with everyone else. ¹⁶ However, the chief of the guards did leave some of the poor people behind to serve as vinedressers and farmers.

¹⁷ Then the Chaldeans broke up the columns of brass that stood outside the [Temple] of Jehovah, along with their bases and the brass Sea, and they carried all the brass off to Babylon. ¹⁸ This included the bowls, the meat hooks, and the rest of the brass items that were used to officiate [at the Temple], ¹⁹ as well as the silver things (the snuffers, the oil flasks, the lamp stands, the incense pans, and the cups). Then the chief of the guards took all the things that were made of gold and silver ²⁰ (along with the two columns, the Sea, and the twelve brass calves that were under the Sea, which King Solomon had made for the [Temple] of Jehovah) [back to Babylon].

²¹ No one could know the weight of all the brass; for the columns were each thirty-three feet tall, they had a circumference of twenty-two feet, and their walls were four fingers thick. ²² The moldings were also eight feet long (one of them was very fine), and there was a net of pomegranates around the moldings, all of which was made of brass. ²³ There were ninety-six pomegranates on each [molding] and a hundred pomegranates on each of the nets that encircled them.

²⁴ Then the chief of the guards carried off SeraiAh (the High Priest), ZephaniAh (his second in command), and three of the [Temple’s] entrance guards. ²⁵ And from the city, he took one of the eunuchs who was in charge of the warriors, seven of the famous men who stood before the king (all of whom were found in the city), the scribe of the armies, the one who acted as scribe for the people of the land, and sixty men from among the people of the land that were found in the midst of the city. ²⁶ NabuZarArdan (the chief of the guards) took them all away and led them before the king of Babylon in RibLah, ²⁷ and the king of Babylon had them all killed at RibLah (in the land of HaMath). Then the rest of the people of Judah were deported from the land.

²⁸ There were three thousand and twenty-three people whom NebuChadNezzar deported in his seventh year. ²⁹ Then in the eighteenth year of NebuChadNezzar’s [reign], he deported another eight hundred and thirty-two souls from JeruSalem. ³⁰ And in the twenty-third year of [his reign], the chief of the guards deported seven hundred and forty-five more souls from among the Judeans. So, all those [that were carried way] came to four thousand, six hundred.

³¹ Then in the thirty-seventh year, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month after the relocation of JehoiAchin the king of Judah, EvilMerodach (the king of Babylon) took JehoiAchin (the king Judah) and led him from the house where he’d been kept under guard (he did this in the first year of his reign). ³² Then he spoke to him kindly and gave him a throne that was higher than all the thrones of the other kings that were there with him in Babylon. ³³ He took him from his prison, provided him with better clothes, and allowed him to eat bread before him for as long as he lived. ³⁴ He was also provided a daily allowance by the king of Babylon until the day that he died.

Note that this is the legacy version of the translation last updated in December 2020. You can also see the latest version.

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