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Jeremiah 35-40
Christian Standard Bible

The Rechabites’ Example

35 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim(A) son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them,(B) and bring them to one of the chambers(C) of the temple of the Lord to offer them a drink of wine.”

3 So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites— 4 and I brought them into the temple of the Lord to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God,(D) who had a chamber near the officials’ chamber, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 I set jars filled with wine and some cups before the sons of the house of the Rechabites and said to them, “Drink wine!”

6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, for Jonadab,(E) son of our ancestor Rechab, commanded, ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 You must not build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Rather, you must live in tents your whole life, so you may live a long time on the soil where you stay as a resident alien.’(F) 8 We have obeyed Jonadab, son of our ancestor Rechab, in all he commanded us. So we haven’t drunk wine our whole life—we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters. 9 We also have not built houses to live in and do not have vineyard, field, or seed. 10 But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. 11 However, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched into the land,(G) we said, ‘Come, let’s go into Jerusalem to get away from the Chaldean and Aramean armies.’ So we have been living in Jerusalem.”

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go, say to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not accept discipline(H) by listening to my words?—this is the Lord’s declaration. 14 The words of Jonadab, son of Rechab, have been carried out. He commanded his descendants not to drink wine, and they have not drunk to this day because they have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But I have spoken to you time and time again,[a](I) and you have not obeyed me! 15 Time and time again[b] I have sent you all my servants the prophets, proclaiming, “Turn, each one from his evil way,(J) and correct your actions. Stop following other gods to serve them.(K) Live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay attention or obey me.(L) 16 Yes, the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab carried out their ancestor’s command he gave them, but these people have not obeyed me. 17 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring on Judah and on all the residents of Jerusalem all the disaster I have pronounced against them because I have spoken to them, but they have not obeyed, and I have called to them, but they did not answer.’”

18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your ancestor Jonadab and have kept all his commands and have done everything he commanded you, 19 this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before me always.’”(M)

Jeremiah Dictates a Scroll

36 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah,(N) king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll,(O) and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations from the time I first spoke to you during Josiah’s reign until today. 3 Perhaps when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their iniquity(P) and their sin.”

4 So Jeremiah summoned Baruch(Q) son of Neriah. At Jeremiah’s dictation,[c] Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah. 5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am restricted;(R) I cannot enter the temple of the Lord, 6 so you must go and read from the scroll—which you wrote at my dictation[d]—the words of the Lord in the hearing of the people at the temple of the Lord on a day of fasting. Read his words in the hearing of all the Judeans who are coming from their cities. 7 Perhaps their petition will come before the Lord,(S) and each one will turn from his evil way, for the anger and fury that the Lord has pronounced against this people are intense.” 8 So Baruch son of Neriah did everything the prophet Jeremiah had commanded him. At the Lord’s temple he read the Lord’s words from the scroll.

Baruch Reads the Scroll

9 In the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month,(T) all the people of Jerusalem and all those coming in from Judah’s cities into Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord.(U) 10 Then at the Lord’s temple, in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe,(V) in the upper courtyard at the opening of the New Gate(W) of the Lord’s temple, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read Jeremiah’s words from the scroll.

11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace. All the officials were sitting there—Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor,(X) Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 Micaiah reported to them all the words he had heard when Baruch read from the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent word to Baruch through Jehudi son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, saying, “Bring the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah took the scroll and went to them. 15 They said to him, “Sit down and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing.

16 When they had heard all the words, they turned to each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must surely tell the king all these things.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you write all these words? At his dictation?” [e]

18 Baruch said to them, “At his dictation. He recited all these words to me while I was writing on the scroll in ink.”

Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll

19 The officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must hide and tell no one where you are.” 20 Then, after depositing the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, the officials came to the king at the courtyard and reported everything in the hearing of the king. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. Jehudi then read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing by the king. 22 Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters(Y) with a fire burning in front of him. 23 As soon as Jehudi would read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut the scroll[f] with a scribe’s knife and throw the columns into the fire in the hearth until the entire scroll was consumed by the fire in the hearth. 24 As they heard all these words, the king and all his servants did not become terrified(Z) or tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah had urged the king not to burn the scroll, he did not listen to them. 26 Then the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah, but the Lord hid them.

Jeremiah Dictates Another Scroll

27 After the king had burned the scroll and the words Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation,[g] the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll, and once again write on it the original words that were on the original scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah burned.(AA) 29 You are to proclaim concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have burned the scroll, asking, “Why have you written on it that(AB) the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land and cause it to be without people or animals?” (AC) 30 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David’s throne,(AD) and his corpse will be thrown out to be exposed to the heat of day and the frost of night.(AE) 31 I will punish him, his descendants, and his officers for their iniquity. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah all the disaster, which I warned them about but they did not listen.’”

32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at Jeremiah’s dictation[h] all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim,(AF) Judah’s king, had burned in the fire. And many other words like them were added.

Jerusalem’s Last Days

37 Zedekiah son of Josiah(AG) reigned as king in the land of Judah(AH) in place of Coniah[i](AI) son of Jehoiakim, for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made him king. 2 He and his officers and the people of the land did not obey the words of the Lord(AJ) that he spoke through the prophet Jeremiah.

3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal(AK) son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah(AL) son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, requesting, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf!” 4 Jeremiah was going about his daily tasks[j] among the people, for he had not yet been put into the prison.(AM) 5 Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt,(AN) and when the Chaldeans, who were besieging Jerusalem, heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

6 The word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah: 7 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: This is what you will say to Judah’s king,(AO) who is sending you to inquire of me: ‘Watch: Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you,(AP) is going to return to its own land of Egypt. 8 The Chaldeans will then return and fight against this city. They will capture it and burn it.(AQ) 9 This is what the Lord says: Don’t deceive yourselves by saying, “The Chaldeans will leave us for good,” for they will not leave. 10 Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire Chaldean army that is fighting with you,(AR) and there remained among them only the badly wounded[k] men, each in his tent, they would get up and burn this city.’”

Jeremiah’s Imprisonment

11 When the Chaldean army withdrew from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to claim his portion there(AS) among the people. 13 But when he was at the Benjamin Gate,(AT) an officer of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, and he apprehended the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans.”

14 “That’s a lie,” Jeremiah replied. “I am not defecting to the Chaldeans!” Irijah would not listen to him but apprehended Jeremiah and took him to the officials. 15 The officials were angry at Jeremiah and beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan(AU) the scribe, for it had been made into a prison. 16 So Jeremiah went into a cell in the dungeon(AV) and stayed there many days.

Jeremiah Summoned by Zedekiah

17 King Zedekiah later sent for him and received him, and in his house privately asked him, “Is there a word from the Lord?” (AW)

“There is,” Jeremiah responded. He continued, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”(AX) 18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you or your servants or these people that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, claiming, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and this land’?(AY) 20 So now please listen, my lord the king. May my petition come before you.(AZ) Don’t send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”

21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and Jeremiah was placed in the guard’s courtyard.(BA) He was given a loaf of bread each day from the bakers’ street until all the bread was gone from the city. So Jeremiah remained in the guard’s courtyard.

Jeremiah Thrown into a Cistern

38 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal[l] son of Shelemiah,(BB) and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard the words Jeremiah was speaking to all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague,(BC) but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live.(BD) He will retain his life like the spoils of war and will live.’(BE) 3 This is what the Lord says: ‘This city will most certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon’s army,(BF) and he will capture it.’”

4 The officials then said to the king, “This man ought to die, because he is weakening the morale[m] of the warriors who remain in this city and of all the people by speaking to them in this way. This man is not pursuing the welfare of this people, but their harm.”(BG)

5 King Zedekiah said, “Here he is; he’s in your hands since the king can’t do anything against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the guard’s courtyard, lowering Jeremiah with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.(BH)

7 But Ebed-melech, a Cushite court official in the king’s palace, heard Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,(BI) 8 Ebed-melech went from the king’s palace and spoke to the king: 9 “My lord the king, these men have been evil in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah. They have dropped him into the cistern where he will die from hunger, because there is no more bread in the city.”(BJ)

10 So the king commanded Ebed-melech, the Cushite, “Take from here thirty men under your authority[n] and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority[o] and went to the king’s palace to a place below the storehouse.[p] From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-melech the Cushite called down to Jeremiah, “Place these old rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did this. 13 They pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, but he remained in the guard’s courtyard.

Zedekiah’s Final Meeting with Jeremiah

14 King Zedekiah sent for the prophet Jeremiah and received him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, “I am going to ask you something; don’t hide anything from me.”

15 Jeremiah replied to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, you will kill me, won’t you? Besides, if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.”

16 King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in private,(BK) “As the Lord lives, who has given us this life,(BL) I will not kill you or hand you over to these men who intend to take your life.”

17 Jeremiah therefore said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If indeed you surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon,(BM) then you will live, this city will not be burned, and you and your household will survive. 18 But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be handed over to the Chaldeans.(BN) They will burn it, and you yourself will not escape from them.’”

19 But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am worried about the Judeans who have defected to the Chaldeans. They may hand me over to the Judeans to abuse me.”(BO)

20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord in what I am telling you, so it may go well for you and you can live. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the verdict[q] that the Lord has shown me: 22 ‘All the women[r] who remain in the palace of Judah’s king will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon and will say to you,[s]

“Your trusted friends[t] misled[u] you
and overcame you.
Your feet sank into the mire,
and they deserted you.”

23 All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans.(BP) You yourself will not escape from them, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon and this city will burn.’”

24 Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Don’t let anyone know about this conversation[v] or you will die. 25 The officials may hear that I have spoken with you(BQ) and come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king; don’t hide anything from us and we won’t kill you. Also, what did the king say to you?’ 26 If they do, tell them, ‘I was bringing before the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”(BR) 27 All the officials did come to Jeremiah, and they questioned him. He reported the exact words to them the king had commanded, and they quit speaking with him because the conversation[w] had not been overheard. 28 Jeremiah remained in the guard’s courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured, and he was there when it happened.[x]

The Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon

39 In the ninth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to it.(BS) 2 In the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, on the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.(BT) 3 All the officials of the king of Babylon entered and sat at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar, Nebusarsechim[y] the chief of staff, Nergal-sharezer the chief soothsayer, and all the rest of the officials of Babylon’s king.(BU)

4 When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the fighting men saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king’s garden(BV) through the city gate between the two walls. They left along the route to the Arabah.(BW) 5 However, the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s king, at Riblah in the land of Hamath. The king passed sentence on him there.(BX)

6 At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all Judah’s nobles. 7 Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon.(BY) 8 The Chaldeans next burned down the king’s palace and the people’s houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem.(BZ) 9 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards,(CA) deported the rest of the people to Babylon—those who had remained in the city and those deserters who had defected to him along with the rest of the people who remained. 10 However, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and he gave them vineyards and fields at that time.(CB)

Jeremiah Freed by Nebuchadnezzar

11 Speaking through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah: 12 “Take him and look after him. Don’t do him any harm, but do for him whatever he says.” 13 Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, Nebushazban the chief of staff, Nergal-sharezer the chief soothsayer, and all the captains of Babylon’s king 14 had Jeremiah brought from the guard’s courtyard(CC) and turned him over to Gedaliah(CD) son of Ahikam,(CE) son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he settled among his own people.

15 Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard’s courtyard:(CF) 16 “Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite,(CG) ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words for disaster and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day. 17 But I will rescue you on that day—this is the Lord’s declaration—and you will not be handed over to the men you dread. 18 Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in me, you will retain your life like the spoils of war.(CH) This is the Lord’s declaration.’”

Jeremiah Stays in Judah

40 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, released him at Ramah.(CI) When he found him, he was bound in chains with all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guards took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster on this place,(CJ) 3 and the Lord has fulfilled it. He has done just what he decreed. Because you people have sinned against the Lord(CK) and have not obeyed him, this thing has happened. 4 Now pay attention: Today I am setting you free from the chains that were on your hands.(CL) If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther.[z] Look—the whole land is in front of you.(CM) Wherever it seems good and right for you to go, go there.” 5 When Jeremiah had not yet turned to go, Nebuzaradan said to him,[aa] “Return[ab] to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people or go wherever it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the guards gave him a ration(CN) and a gift(CO) and released him. 6 Jeremiah therefore went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah,(CP) and he stayed with him among the people who remained in the land.

Gedaliah Advises Peace

7 All the commanders of the armies that were in the countryside—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land. He had been put in charge of the men, women, and children from among the poorest of the land, who had not been deported to Babylon. 8 So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The commanders included Ishmael(CQ) son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.

9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.(CR) 10 As for me, I am going to live in Mizpah to represent you[ac] before the Chaldeans(CS) who come to us. As for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have captured.”

11 When all the Judeans in Moab(CT) and among the Ammonites and in(CU) Edom and in all the other lands(CV) also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them, 12 they all returned from all the places where they had been banished(CW) and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and harvested a great amount of wine and summer fruit.

13 Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the countryside came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and warned him, “Don’t you realize that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah(CX) to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan son of Kareah suggested to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah, “Let me go kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know it. Why should he kill you and allow all of Judah that has gathered around you to scatter and the remnant of Judah to perish?” (CY)

16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam responded to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do that! What you’re saying about Ishmael is a lie.”

Footnotes

  1. 35:14 Lit you, rising up early and speaking
  2. 35:15 Lit Rising up early and sending
  3. 36:4 Lit From Jeremiah’s mouth
  4. 36:6 Lit wrote from my mouth
  5. 36:17 Lit From his mouth, also in v. 18
  6. 36:23 Lit columns, he would tear it
  7. 36:27 Lit written from Jeremiah’s mouth
  8. 36:32 Lit it from Jeremiah’s mouth
  9. 37:1 = Jehoiachin
  10. 37:4 Lit was coming in and going out
  11. 37:10 Lit the pierced
  12. 38:1 = Jehucal in Jr 37:3
  13. 38:4 Lit hands
  14. 38:10 Lit men in your hand
  15. 38:11 Lit men in his hand
  16. 38:11 Or treasury
  17. 38:21 Or promise; lit word
  18. 38:22 Or wives
  19. 38:22 to you supplied for clarity
  20. 38:22 Lit “The men of your peace
  21. 38:22 Or incited
  22. 38:24 Lit about these words
  23. 38:27 Lit word
  24. 38:28 Or captured. This is what happened when Jerusalem was captured:
  25. 39:3 LXX; MT reads Samgar-nebu, Sarsechim
  26. 40:4 Lit Babylon, stop
  27. 40:5 Nebuzaradan said to him supplied for clarity
  28. 40:5 LXX reads “But if not, run, return; Hb obscure
  29. 40:10 Lit to stand
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Jeremiah 35-40
New International Version

The Rekabites

35 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim(A) son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 “Go to the Rekabite(B) family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms(C) of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.”

3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites. 4 I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.(D) It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum(E) the doorkeeper.(F) 5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”

6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab[a](G) son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.(H) 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents.(I) Then you will live a long time in the land(J) where you are nomads.’ 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather(K) Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops.(L) 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded(M) this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem(N) to escape the Babylonian[b] and Aramean armies.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell(O) the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson(P) and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. 14 ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command.(Q) But I have spoken to you again and again,(R) yet you have not obeyed(S) me. 15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets(T) to you. They said, “Each of you must turn(U) from your wicked ways and reform(V) your actions; do not follow other gods(W) to serve them. Then you will live in the land(X) I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened(Y) to me. 16 The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather(Z) gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster(AA) I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen;(AB) I called to them, but they did not answer.’”(AC)

18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather(AD) Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ 19 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail(AE) to have a descendant to serve(AF) me.’”

Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll

36 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim(AG) son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll(AH) and write on it all the words(AI) I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah(AJ) till now. 3 Perhaps(AK) when the people of Judah hear(AL) about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn(AM) from their wicked ways; then I will forgive(AN) their wickedness and their sin.”

4 So Jeremiah called Baruch(AO) son of Neriah,(AP) and while Jeremiah dictated(AQ) all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll.(AR) 5 Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. 6 So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting(AS) and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated.(AT) Read them to all the people of Judah(AU) who come in from their towns. 7 Perhaps they will bring their petition(AV) before the Lord and will each turn(AW) from their wicked ways, for the anger(AX) and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”

8 Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord’s temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. 9 In the ninth month(AY) of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting(AZ) before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. 10 From the room of Gemariah(BA) son of Shaphan(BB) the secretary,(BC) which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate(BD) of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the secretary’s(BE) room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan(BF) son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.(BG) 13 After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, 14 all the officials sent Jehudi(BH) son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll(BI) from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. 15 They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear(BJ) and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write(BK) all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

18 “Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated(BL) all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”

19 Then the officials(BM) said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide.(BN) Don’t let anyone know where you are.”

20 After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king sent Jehudi(BO) to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king(BP) and all the officials standing beside him. 22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment,(BQ) with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll,(BR) the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.(BS) 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear,(BT) nor did they tear their clothes.(BU) 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah(BV) and Gemariah(BW) urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest(BX) Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden(BY) them.

27 After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation,(BZ) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll(CA) and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29 Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it(CB) both man and beast?”(CC) 30 Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim(CD) king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out(CE) and exposed(CF) to the heat by day and the frost by night.(CG) 31 I will punish him and his children(CH) and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster(CI) I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.(CJ)’”

32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated,(CK) Baruch wrote(CL) on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned(CM) in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah in Prison

37 Zedekiah(CN) son of Josiah was made king(CO) of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin[c](CP) son of Jehoiakim. 2 Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention(CQ) to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

3 King Zedekiah, however, sent(CR) Jehukal(CS) son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah(CT) son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray(CU) to the Lord our God for us.”

4 Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison.(CV) 5 Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt,(CW) and when the Babylonians[d] who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew(CX) from Jerusalem.(CY)

6 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire(CZ) of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched(DA) out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt.(DB) 8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture(DC) it and burn(DD) it down.’

9 “This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive(DE) yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! 10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian[e] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn(DF) this city down.”

11 After the Babylonian army had withdrawn(DG) from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property(DH) among the people there. 13 But when he reached the Benjamin Gate,(DI) the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”(DJ)

14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested(DK) Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten(DL) and imprisoned(DM) in the house(DN) of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.

16 Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. 17 Then King Zedekiah sent(DO) for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked(DP) him privately,(DQ) “Is there any word from the Lord?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered(DR) into the hands of the king of Babylon.”

18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime(DS) have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets(DT) who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’? 20 But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”(DU)

21 King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread(DV) in the city was gone.(DW) So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.(DX)

Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern

38 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur(DY), Jehukal[f](DZ) son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague,(EA) but whoever goes over to the Babylonians[g] will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’(EB) 3 And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”(EC)

4 Then the officials(ED) said to the king, “This man should be put to death.(EE) He is discouraging(EF) the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

5 “He is in your hands,”(EG) King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing(EH) to oppose you.”

6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard.(EI) They lowered Jeremiah by ropes(EJ) into the cistern; it had no water in it,(EK) only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.(EL)

7 But Ebed-Melek,(EM) a Cushite,[h] an official[i](EN) in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate,(EO) 8 Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern,(EP) where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread(EQ) in the city.”

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes(ER) to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.(ES)

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

14 Then King Zedekiah sent(ET) for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide(EU) anything from me.”

15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”

16 But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly(EV) to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath,(EW) I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”(EX)

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender(EY) to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.(EZ) 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands(FA) of the Babylonians and they will burn(FB) it down; you yourself will not escape(FC) from them.’”

19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid(FD) of the Jews who have gone over(FE) to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey(FF) the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well(FG) with you, and your life(FH) will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: 22 All the women(FI) left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:

“‘They misled you and overcame you—
    those trusted friends(FJ) of yours.
Your feet are sunk in the mud;(FK)
    your friends have deserted you.’

23 “All your wives and children(FL) will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape(FM) from their hands but will be captured(FN) by the king of Babylon; and this city will[j] be burned down.”(FO)

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know(FP) about this conversation, or you may die. 25 If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ 26 then tell(FQ) them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house(FR) to die there.’”

27 All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.

28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard(FS) until the day Jerusalem was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem(FT)

This is how Jerusalem(FU) was taken: 39 1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah(FV) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar(FW) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege(FX) to it. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourth(FY) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall(FZ) was broken through.(GA) 3 Then all the officials(GB) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,(GC) and headed toward the Arabah.[k](GD)

5 But the Babylonian[l] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah(GE) in the plains of Jericho. They captured(GF) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah(GG) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles(GH) of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes(GI) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.(GJ)

8 The Babylonians[m] set fire(GK) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls(GL) of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,(GM) and the rest of the people.(GN) 10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: 12 “Take him and look after him; don’t harm(GO) him but do for him whatever he asks.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers(GP) of the king of Babylon 14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.(GQ) They turned him over to Gedaliah(GR) son of Ahikam,(GS) the son of Shaphan,(GT) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.(GU)

15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: 16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melek(GV) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words(GW) against this city—words concerning disaster,(GX) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will rescue(GY) you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. 18 I will save(GZ) you; you will not fall by the sword(HA) but will escape with your life,(HB) because you trust(HC) in me, declares the Lord.’”

Jeremiah Freed

40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.(HD) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives(HE) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2 When the commander(HF) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed(HG) this disaster(HH) for this place.(HI) 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned(HJ) against the Lord and did not obey(HK) him. 4 But today I am freeing(HL) you from the chains(HM) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”(HN) 5 However, before Jeremiah turned to go,[n] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah(HO) son of Ahikam,(HP) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed(HQ) over the towns(HR) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”(HS)

Then the commander gave him provisions and a present(HT) and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah(HU) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Gedaliah Assassinated(HV)

7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor(HW) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest(HX) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah(HY)—Ishmael(HZ) son of Nethaniah, Johanan(IA) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,(IB) and Jaazaniah[o] the son of the Maakathite,(IC) and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve(ID) the Babylonians,[p](IE)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.(IF) 10 I myself will stay at Mizpah(IG) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,(IH) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,(II) and live in the towns you have taken over.”(IJ)

11 When all the Jews in Moab,(IK) Ammon, Edom(IL) and all the other countries(IM) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.(IN) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

13 Johanan(IO) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah(IP) 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites(IQ) has sent Ishmael(IR) son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

15 Then Johanan(IS) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill(IT) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered(IU) and the remnant(IV) of Judah to perish?”

16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan(IW) son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 35:6 Hebrew Jonadab, a variant of Jehonadab; here and often in this chapter
  2. Jeremiah 35:11 Or Chaldean
  3. Jeremiah 37:1 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin
  4. Jeremiah 37:5 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 8, 9, 13 and 14
  5. Jeremiah 37:10 Or Chaldean; also in verse 11
  6. Jeremiah 38:1 Hebrew Jukal, a variant of Jehukal
  7. Jeremiah 38:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 18, 19 and 23
  8. Jeremiah 38:7 Probably from the upper Nile region
  9. Jeremiah 38:7 Or a eunuch
  10. Jeremiah 38:23 Or and you will cause this city to
  11. Jeremiah 39:4 Or the Jordan Valley
  12. Jeremiah 39:5 Or Chaldean
  13. Jeremiah 39:8 Or Chaldeans
  14. Jeremiah 40:5 Or Jeremiah answered
  15. Jeremiah 40:8 Hebrew Jezaniah, a variant of Jaazaniah
  16. Jeremiah 40:9 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 10
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