New Living Translation
If this happens, just tell them you begged me not to send you back to Jonathan’s dungeon, for fear you would die there.”
The Message
Earlier, while Jeremiah was still in custody in the courtyard of the royal guards, God’s Message came to him: “Go and speak with Ebed-melek the Ethiopian. Tell him, ‘God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, Listen carefully: I will do exactly what I said I would do to this city—bad news, not good news. When it happens, you will be there to see it. But I’ll deliver you on that doomsday. You won’t be handed over to those men whom you have good reason to fear. Yes, I’ll most certainly save you. You won’t be killed. You’ll walk out of there safe and sound because you trusted me.’” God’s Decree.
The Voice
But do not worry, for I will rescue you on that day so that you will not be taken prisoner by those you fear.New English Translation
But I will rescue you when it happens. I, the Lord, affirm it! You will not be handed over to those whom you fear.New Living Translation
but I will rescue you from those you fear so much.
The Message
Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, promised them and their men, “You have nothing to fear from the Chaldean officials. Stay here on the land. Be subject to the king of Babylon. You’ll get along just fine.
The Message
What You Fear Will Catch Up with You
All the army officers, led by Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, accompanied by all the people, small and great, came to Jeremiah the prophet and said, “We have a request. Please listen. Pray to your God for us, what’s left of us. You can see for yourself how few we are! Pray that your God will tell us the way we should go and what we should do.”
The Message
He then spoke: “This is the Message from God, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your prayer. He says, ‘If you are ready to stick it out in this land, I will build you up and not drag you down, I will plant you and not pull you up like a weed. I feel deep compassion on account of the doom I have visited on you. You don’t have to fear the king of Babylon. Your fears are for nothing. I’m on your side, ready to save and deliver you from anything he might do. I’ll pour mercy on you. What’s more, he will show you mercy! He’ll let you come back to your very own land.’
The Message
“But do not say, ‘We’re not staying around this place,’ refusing to obey the command of your God and saying instead, ‘No! We’re off to Egypt, where things are peaceful—no wars, no attacking armies, plenty of food. We’re going to live there.’ If what’s left of Judah is headed down that road, then listen to God’s Message. This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: ‘If you have determined to go to Egypt and make that your home, then the very wars you fear will catch up with you in Egypt and the starvation you dread will track you down in Egypt. You’ll die there! Every last one of you who is determined to go to Egypt and make it your home will either be killed, starve, or get sick and die. No survivors, not one! No one will escape the doom that I’ll bring upon you.’
The Voice
the wars you fear and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt. And there, you will die.New English Translation
the wars you fear will catch up with you there in the land of Egypt. The starvation you are worried about will follow you there to Egypt. You will die there.New Living Translation
the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there.
The Voice
Jeremiah: This is what the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies and God of Israel, has to say: “You saw what happened to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah when the people disobeyed Me. I brought disaster upon them because of their wickedness, and now the cities are in ruins and no one dares to live there. The people infuriated Me when they burned incense and worshiped other so-called gods that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors ever knew.
The Message
It’s Doomsday for Philistines
God’s Message to the prophet Jeremiah regarding the Philistines just before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. This is what God says: “Look out! Water will rise in the north country, swelling like a river in flood. The torrent will flood the land, washing away city and citizen. Men and women will scream in terror, wails from every door and window, As the thunder from the hooves of the horses will be heard, the clatter of chariots, the banging of wheels. Fathers, paralyzed by fear, won’t even grab up their babies Because it will be doomsday for Philistines, one and all, no hope of help for Tyre and Sidon. God will finish off the Philistines, what’s left of those from the island of Crete. Gaza will be shaved bald as an egg, Ashkelon struck dumb as a post. You’re on your last legs. How long will you keep flailing?
The Voice
For they will hear the pounding hooves of the charging horses, the clatter of enemy chariots, and the rumbling of their wheels. Fathers will panic and abandon their children, their hands limp with fear.New English Translation
Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies’ horses, the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels. They will not turn back to save their children because they will be paralyzed with fear.
New Living Translation
You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down,” says the Lord.
New English Translation
Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings, a nation will soar up and swoop down on Bozrah. At that time the soldiers of Edom will be as fearful as a woman in labor.”
The Message
The Blood Will Drain from the Face of Damascus
The Message on Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad will be in shock when they hear the bad news. Their hearts will melt in fear as they pace back and forth in worry. The blood will drain from the face of Damascus as she turns to flee. Hysterical, she’ll fall to pieces, disabled, like a woman in childbirth. And now how lonely—bereft, abandoned! The once famous city, the once happy city. Her bright young men dead in the streets, her brave warriors silent as death. On that day”—Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies— “I’ll start a fire at the wall of Damascus that will burn down all of Ben-hadad’s forts.”New Living Translation
A Message about Damascus
This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the Lord says: “The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear, for they have heard the news of their destruction. Their hearts are troubled like a wild sea in a raging storm.
New Living Translation
Damascus has become feeble, and all her people turn to flee. Fear, anguish, and pain have gripped her as they grip a woman in labor.
The Message
The Winds Will Blow Away Elam
God’s Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: “Watch this! I’ll break Elam’s bow, her weapon of choice, across my knee. Then I’ll let four winds loose on Elam, winds from the four corners of earth. I’ll blow them away in all directions, landing homeless Elamites in every country on earth. They’ll live in constant fear and terror among enemies who want to kill them. I’ll bring doom on them, my anger-fueled doom. I’ll set murderous hounds on their heels until there’s nothing left of them. And then I’ll set up my throne in Elam, having thrown out the king and his henchmen. But the time will come when I make everything right for Elam again.” God’s Decree.
New English Translation
A drought will come upon her land; her rivers and canals will be dried up. All this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.
New English Translation
The king of Babylon will become paralyzed with fear when he hears news of their coming. Anguish will grip him, agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby.
The Voice
How Babylon has been captured! Babylon, the pride of all the earth, has fallen! How mighty Babylon has become an object of horror among all the nations that once feared and admired her.
The Voice
Do not lose heart or give in to fear and panic when the rumors start to fly in the land. Year after year, the rumors will come—rumors of violence and reports of one ruler warring against another.
The Voice
By the 9th day of the 4th month of that year, the famine had become so severe inside the city that no one had anything to eat. Panic was setting in as people feared starvation.
