Bible in 90 Days
False Prophets Condemned
9 Concerning the prophets:
My heart is broken within me,(A)
and all my bones tremble.
I have become like a drunkard,
like a man overcome by wine,
because of the Lord,
because of his holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers;(B)
the land mourns(C) because of the curse,(D)
and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up.
Their way of life[a] has become evil,
and their power is not rightly used
11 because both prophet and priest are ungodly,(E)
even in my house(F) I have found their evil.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 Therefore, their way will seem
like slippery paths in the gloom.(G)
They will be driven away and fall down there,
for I will bring disaster on them,
the year of their punishment.(H)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
13 Among the prophets of Samaria
I saw something disgusting:
They prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.(I)
14 Among the prophets of Jerusalem also
I saw a horrible thing:(J)
They commit adultery and walk in lies.
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,
and none turns his back on evil.
They are all like Sodom(K) to me;
Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah.
15 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says concerning the prophets:
I am about to feed them wormwood(L)
and give them poisoned water to drink,(M)
for from the prophets of Jerusalem
ungodliness[b] has spread throughout the land.
16 This is what the Lord of Armies says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds,(N) not from the Lord’s mouth.(O) 17 They keep on saying to those who despise me,(P) ‘The Lord has spoken: You will have peace.’(Q) They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’”
18 For who has stood in the council(R) of the Lord
to see and hear his word?
Who has paid attention to his word and obeyed?
19 Look, a storm from the Lord!(S)
Wrath has gone out,
a whirling storm.
It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.
20 The Lord’s anger will not turn away(T)
until he has completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart.
In time to come you will understand it clearly.(U)
21 I did not send out these prophets,(V)
yet they ran.(W)
I did not speak to them,
yet they prophesied.
22 If they had really stood in my council,
they would have enabled my people to hear my words
and would have turned them from their evil ways
and their evil deeds.(X)
23 “Am I a God who is only near”(Y)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and not a God who is far away? 24 Can a person hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” (Z)—the Lord’s declaration. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” (AA)—the Lord’s declaration.
25 “I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in my name have said: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ (AB) 26 How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds? 27 Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause my people to forget my name as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.(AC) 28 The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 29 “Is not my word like fire”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and like a hammer that pulverizes rock? 30 Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets”(AD)—the Lord’s declaration—“who steal my words from each other. 31 I am against the prophets”—the Lord’s declaration—“who use their own tongues to make a declaration. 32 I am against those who prophesy false dreams”(AE)—the Lord’s declaration—“telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all(AF) to these people”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
The Burden of the Lord
33 “Now when these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden[c] of the Lord?’ you will respond to them, ‘What is the burden? I will throw you away! This is the Lord’s declaration.’ 34 As for the prophet, priest, or people who say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ I will punish that man and his household. 35 This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But no longer refer to[d] the burden of the Lord, for each man’s word becomes his burden and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of Armies, our God. 37 Say to the prophet, ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ then this is what the Lord says: Because you have said, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ and I specifically told you not to say, ‘The burden of the Lord,’ 39 I will surely forget you.[e] I will throw you away from my presence—both you and the city that I gave you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace and humiliation(AG) that will never be forgotten.”
The Good and the Bad Figs
24 After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported Jeconiah[f] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths(AH) from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs(AI) placed in front of the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket contained very good figs, like early figs,(AJ) but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. 3 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.”
4 The word of the Lord came to me: 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will keep my eyes on them for their good(AK) and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them.(AL) 7 I will give them a heart to know me,(AM) that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart.(AN)
8 “But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible,(AO) this is what the Lord says: In this way I will deal with King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land or living in the land of Egypt.(AP) 9 I will make them an object of horror(AQ) and a disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, an example for disgrace, scorn, ridicule,(AR) and cursing, wherever I have banished them.(AS) 10 I will send the sword, famine, and plague(AT) against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”
The Seventy-Year Exile
25 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim(AU) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon). 2 The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,(AV) king of Judah, until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,[g](AW) but you have not obeyed. 4 The Lord sent all his servants the prophets to you time and time again,[h] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.[i](AX) 5 He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds.(AY) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.(AZ) 6 Do not follow other gods to serve them and to bow in worship to them,(BA) and do not anger me by the work of your hands.(BB) Then I will do you no harm.
7 “‘But you have not obeyed me’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘with the result that you have angered me by the work of your hands and brought disaster on yourselves.’
8 “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 I am going to send for all the families of the north’(BC)—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant(BD) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror(BE) and scorn, and ruins forever.(BF) 10 I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,(BG) the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.(BH) 12 When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin forever.(BI) 13 I will bring on that land all my words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’”(BJ)
The Cup of God’s Wrath
15 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand and make all the nations to whom I am sending you drink from it.(BK) 16 They will drink, stagger,[j] and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.”(BL)
17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink from it.
18 Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an example for scorn and cursing—as it is today;
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,
20 and all the mixed peoples;
all the kings of the land of Uz;
all the kings of the land of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
21 Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
22 all the kings of Tyre,
all the kings of Sidon,
and the kings of the coasts and islands;
23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who clip the hair on their temples;[k](BM)
24 all the kings of Arabia,
and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;
25 all the kings of Zimri,
all the kings of Elam,
and all the kings of Media;
26 all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another;
that is, all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth.
27 “Then you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink,(BO) get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.’ 28 If[m] they refuse to accept the cup from your hand and drink, you are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: You must drink! 29 For I am already bringing disaster(BP) on the city that bears my name,(BQ) so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.’(BR)
Judgment on the Whole World
30 “As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them:
The Lord roars from on high;
he makes his voice heard from his holy dwelling.(BS)
He roars loudly over his grazing land;
he calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth
because the Lord brings a case against(BT) the nations.
He enters into judgment with all humanity.(BU)
As for the wicked, he hands them over to the sword—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
32 “This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Pay attention! Disaster spreads
from nation to nation.
A huge storm is stirred up
from the ends of the earth.”(BV)
33 Those slain by the Lord(BW) on that day will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned,(BX) gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the soil’s surface.
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.
Roll in the dust,(BY) you leaders of the flock.
Because the days of your slaughter have come,(BZ)
you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.
35 Flight will be impossible for the shepherds,
and escape, for the leaders of the flock.
36 Hear the sound of the shepherds’ cry,
the wail of the leaders of the flock,
for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
37 Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless
because of the Lord’s burning anger.(CA)
38 He has left his den like a lion,
for their land has become a desolation
because of the sword[n] of the oppressor,(CB)
because of his burning anger.
Jeremiah’s Speech in the Temple
26 At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim(CC) son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all Judah’s cities that are coming to worship there. Do not hold back a word.(CD) 3 Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I might relent(CE) concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds. 4 You are to say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me by living according to my instruction that I set before you(CF) 5 and by listening to the words of my servants the prophets(CG)—whom I have been sending to you time and time again,[o](CH) though you did not listen— 6 I will make this temple like Shiloh.(CI) I will make this city an example for cursing for all the nations of the earth.’”
Jeremiah Seized
7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of the Lord. 8 When he finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people, immediately the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die! 9 How dare you prophesy in the name of the Lord, ‘This temple will become like Shiloh and this city will become an uninhabited ruin’!” Then all the people crowded around Jeremiah at the Lord’s temple.
10 When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went from the king’s palace to the Lord’s temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s temple.[p](CJ) 11 Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man deserves the death sentence because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”(CK)
Jeremiah’s Defense
12 Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy all the words that you have heard against this temple and city. 13 So now, correct your ways and deeds,(CL) and obey the Lord your God so that he might relent concerning the disaster he had pronounced against you. 14 As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right. 15 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood(CM) on yourselves, on this city, and on its residents, for it is certain the Lord has sent me to speak all these things directly to you.”
Jeremiah Released
16 Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn’t deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God!”
17 Some of the elders of the land stood up(CN) and said to all the assembled people, 18 “Micah the Moreshite(CO) prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah(CP) and said to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says:
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become ruins,
and the temple’s mountain will be a high thicket.’(CQ)
19 Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did not the king fear the Lord and plead for the Lord’s favor,[q](CR) and did not the Lord relent concerning the disaster he had pronounced against them?(CS) We are about to bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!”
The Prophet Uriah
20 Another man was also prophesying in the name of the Lord—Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim.(CT) He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like all those of Jeremiah. 21 King Jehoiakim, all his warriors, and all the officials heard his words, and the king tried to put him to death. When Uriah heard, he fled in fear and went to Egypt. 22 But King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor(CU) and certain other men with him went to Egypt. 23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who executed him with the sword and threw his corpse into the burial place of the common people.[r]
24 But Ahikam(CV) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
The Yoke of Babylon
27 At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah[s] son of Josiah, king of Judah,(CW) this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:[t] 2 This is what the Lord said to me: “Make chains and yoke bars(CX) for yourself and put them on your neck.(CY) 3 Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon(CZ) through messengers who are coming to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem. 4 Command them to go to their masters, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Tell this to your masters: 5 “By my great strength and outstretched arm,(DA) I made the earth,(DB) and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.[u](DC) 6 So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of my servant(DD) Nebuchadnezzar,(DE) king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him. 7 All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him.(DF)
8 “‘“As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and does not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish by sword, famine, and plague—this is the Lord’s declaration—until through him I have destroyed it. 9 So you should not listen to your prophets, diviners,(DG) dreamers, fortune-tellers,(DH) or sorcerers(DI) who say to you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon!’ 10 They are prophesying a lie(DJ) to you so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish. 11 But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will cultivate[v] it and reside in it. This is the Lord’s declaration.”’”
Warning to Zedekiah
12 I spoke to King Zedekiah of Judah(DK) in the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and live! 13 Why should you and your people die(DL) by the sword, famine, and plague as the Lord has threatened against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are telling you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you.(DM) 15 ‘I have not sent them’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and they are prophesying falsely in my name; therefore, I will banish you, and you will perish—you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and all these people, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets. They are prophesying to you, claiming, “Look, very soon now the articles of the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon.”(DN) They are prophesying a lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?(DO) 18 If they are indeed prophets and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them intercede with the Lord of Armies not to let the articles that remain in the Lord’s temple, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem go to Babylon.’ 19 For this is what the Lord of Armies says about the pillars, the basin,[w] the water carts,(DP) and the rest of the articles that still remain in this city, 20 those King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take when he deported Jeconiah[x] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon along with all the nobles of Judah(DQ) and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about the articles that remain in the temple of the Lord, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 ‘They will be taken to Babylon and will remain there until I attend to them again.’(DR) This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’”(DS)
Hananiah’s False Prophecy
28 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah,(DT) in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur from Gibeon(DU) said to me in the temple of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people, 2 “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.(DV) 3 Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles of the Lord’s temple(DW) that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from here and transported to Babylon. 4 And I will restore to this place Jeconiah[y] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah(DX) who went to Babylon’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’”
Jeremiah’s Response to Hananiah
5 The prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the temple of the Lord. 6 The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen!(DY) May the Lord do that. May the Lord make the words you have prophesied come true and may he restore the articles of the Lord’s temple and all the exiles from Babylon to this place! 7 Only listen to this message I am speaking in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster,[z] and plague against many lands and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace—only when the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one the Lord has truly sent.”(DZ)
Hananiah Breaks Jeremiah’s Yoke
10 The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke bar from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it.(EA) 11 In the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” The prophet Jeremiah then went on his way.
The Lord’s Word against Hananiah
12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke bar from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go say to Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You broke a wooden yoke bar, but in its place you will make an iron yoke bar. 14 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations that they might serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,(EB) and they will serve him.(EC) I have even put the wild animals under him.’”(ED)
15 The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, but you have led these people to trust in a lie.(EE) 16 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to send you off the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’”(EF) 17 And the prophet Hananiah died that year in the seventh month.
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles
29 This is the text of the letter(EG) that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar(EH) had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah,[aa](EI) the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah,(EJ) whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter stated:
4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them.(EK) Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.(EL) 7 Pursue the well-being[ab] of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf,(EM) for when it thrives, you will thrive.”
8 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you(EN) and your diviners deceive you,(EO) and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.”(EP) This is the Lord’s declaration.
10 For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete,(EQ) I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you”(ER)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.(ES) 13 You will seek me(ET) and find me when you search for me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes[ac](EU) and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”(EV)
15 You have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!” 16 But this is what the Lord says concerning the king sitting on David’s throne(EW) and concerning all the people living in this city—that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile. 17 This is what the Lord of Armies says: “I am about to send sword, famine, and plague against them,(EX) and I will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad. 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations(EY) where I have banished them.(EZ) 19 I will do this because they have not listened to my words”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the words that I sent to them with my servants the prophets time and time again.[ad](FA) And you too have not listened.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
20 Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.(FB) 21 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in my name:(FC) “I am about to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. 22 Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse(FD) that says, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’ (FE) 23 because they have committed an outrage(FF) in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken in my name a lie, which I did not command them. I am he who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
24 To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, 25 “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You[ae] in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah(FG) son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada to be the chief officer(FH) in the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman(FI) who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks(FJ) and an iron collar. 27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you?(FK) 28 For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.”’” (FL)
29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah.
A Message about Shemaiah
30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send a message to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie,(FM) 32 this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people,(FN) nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to my people—this is the Lord’s declaration—for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.’”(FO)
Restoration from Captivity
30 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you,(FP) 3 for look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will restore the fortunes[af] of my people Israel and Judah,”(FQ) says the Lord. “I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.”
4 These are the words the Lord spoke to Israel and Judah. 5 This is what the Lord says:
We have heard a cry of terror,
of dread—there is no peace.
6 Ask and see
whether a male can give birth.
Why then do I see every man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor
and every face turned pale?(FR)
7 How awful that day will be!(FS)
There will be no other like it!(FT)
It will be a time of trouble for Jacob,
but he will be saved out of it.
8 On that day—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—
I will break his yoke from your neck(FU)
and tear off your chains,(FV)
and strangers will never again enslave him.(FW)
9 They will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them.(FX)
10 As for you, my servant Jacob,(FY)
do not be afraid—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and do not be discouraged, Israel,
for without fail I will save you out of a distant place,
your descendants, from the land of their captivity!
Jacob will return and have calm and quiet
with no one to frighten him.(FZ)
11 For I will be with you—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
to save you!(GA)
I will bring destruction on all the nations
where I have scattered you;
however, I will not bring destruction on you.
I will discipline you justly,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.(GB)
Healing Zion’s Wounds
12 For this is what the Lord says:
Your injury is incurable;
your wound most severe.(GC)
13 You have no defender for your case.(GD)
There is no remedy for your sores,
and no healing for you.[ag]
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;(GE)
they no longer look for you,
for I have struck you as an enemy would,
with the discipline(GF) of someone cruel,(GG)
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.
15 Why do you cry out about your injury?
Your pain has no cure!
I have done these things to you
because of your enormous guilt
and your innumerable sins.(GH)
16 Nevertheless, all who devoured you will be devoured,(GI)
and all your adversaries—all of them—
will go off into exile.
Those who plunder you will be plundered,
and all who raid you will be raided.(GJ)
17 But I will bring you health(GK)
and will heal you of your wounds—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
for they call you Outcast,
Zion whom no one cares about.
Restoration of the Land
18 This is what the Lord says:
I will certainly restore the fortunes[ah] of Jacob’s tents(GL)
and show compassion(GM) on his dwellings.
Every city will be rebuilt on its mound;
every citadel will stand on its proper site.
19 Thanksgiving will come out of them,
a sound of rejoicing.
I will multiply them, and they will not decrease;(GN)
I will honor them, and they will not be insignificant.
20 His children will be as in past days;
his congregation will be established in my presence.
I will punish all his oppressors.(GO)
21 Jacob’s leader will be one of them;
his ruler will issue from him.
I will invite him to me, and he will approach me,(GP)
for who would otherwise risk his life to approach me?
This is the Lord’s declaration.
22 You will be my people,
and I will be your God.(GQ)
The Wrath of God
23 Look, a storm from the Lord!(GR)
Wrath has gone out,
a churning storm.
It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.
24 The Lord’s burning anger will not turn back
until he has completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart.
In time to come you will understand it.(GS)
God’s Relationship with His People
31 “At that time”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“I will be the God of all the families of Israel,(GT) and they will be my people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
The people who survived the sword
found favor in the wilderness.(GU)
When Israel went to find rest,(GV)
3 the Lord appeared to him[ai] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;(GW)
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you.(GX)
4 Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.(GY)
You will take up your tambourines again(GZ)
and go out in joyful dancing.
5 You will plant vineyards again(HA)
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters will plant and will enjoy the fruit.(HB)
6 For there will be a day when watchmen will call out
in the hill country of Ephraim,
“Come, let’s go up to Zion,(HC)
to the Lord our God!”
God’s People Brought Home
7 For this is what the Lord says:
Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save your people,(HD)
the remnant of Israel!” (HE)
8 Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(HF)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,(HG)
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(HH)
9 They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[aj](HI)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water,
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(HJ)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.(HK)
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coasts and islands!(HL)
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him.(HM)
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.”(HN)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;(HO)
they will be radiant with joy(HP)
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(HQ)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
13 Then the young women will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(HR)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[ak](HS)
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Lament Turned to Joy
15 This is what the Lord says:
A voice was heard in Ramah,(HT)
a lament with bitter weeping—
Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted for her children
because they are no more.(HU)
16 This is what the Lord says:
Keep your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for the reward for your work will come—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return from the enemy’s land.
17 There is hope for your future(HV)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
and your children will return to their own territory.
18 I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.(HW)
Take me back, so that I can return,
for you, Lord, are my God.(HX)
19 After my return, I felt regret;
After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.(HY)
I was ashamed and humiliated(HZ)
because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”
20 Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me,
a delightful child?(IA)
Whenever I speak against him,
I certainly still think about him.
Therefore, my inner being yearns for him;
I will truly have compassion on him.(IB)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Repentance and Restoration
21 Set up road markers(IC) for yourself;
establish signposts!
Keep the highway in mind,
the way you have traveled.
Return, Virgin Israel!
Return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you turn here and there,
faithless daughter?(ID)
For the Lord creates something new in the land[al]—
a female[am] will shelter[an] a man.
23 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I restore their fortunes,[ao] they will once again speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities: ‘May the Lord bless you, righteous settlement,(IE) holy mountain.’(IF) 24 Judah and all its cities will live in it together—also farmers and those who move[ap] with the flocks— 25 for I satisfy the thirsty person and feed all those who are weak.”(IG)
26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.
27 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will sow the house of Israel(IH) and the house of Judah with the seed of people and the seed of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and to tear them down, to demolish and to destroy, and to cause disaster,(II) so will I watch over them to build and to plant them”(IJ)—this is the Lord’s declaration. 29 “In those days, it will never again be said,
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’(IK)
30 Rather, each will die for his own iniquity.(IL) Anyone who eats sour grapes—his own teeth will be set on edge.
The New Covenant
31 “Look, the days are coming”(IM)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant(IN) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”[aq](IO)—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’(IP) for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”(IQ)—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity(IR) and never again remember their sin.
35 “This is what the Lord says:
The one who gives the sun for light by day,
the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar(IS)—
the Lord of Armies is his name:
36 If this fixed order departs from before me—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
only then will Israel’s descendants cease
to be a nation before me forever.(IT)
37 “This is what the Lord says:
Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below explored,
will I reject all of Israel’s descendants
because of all they have done—
this is the Lord’s declaration.
38 “Look, the days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when the city[ar] from the Tower of Hananel(IU) to the Corner Gate(IV) will be rebuilt for the Lord. 39 A measuring line will once again stretch out straight to the hill of Gareb(IW) and then turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley—the corpses, the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Kidron Valley(IX) to the corner of the Horse Gate(IY) to the east—will be holy to the Lord. It will never be uprooted or demolished again.”
Jeremiah’s Land Purchase
32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah(IZ) of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.(JA) 2 At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem,(JB) and the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned in the guard’s courtyard(JC) in the palace of the king of Judah. 3 King Zedekiah of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why are you prophesying as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am about to hand this city over to Babylon’s king, and he will capture it. 4 King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the Chaldeans; indeed, he will certainly be handed over to Babylon’s king. They will speak face to face[as] and meet eye to eye.(JD) 5 He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I attend to him—this is the Lord’s declaration. For you will fight the Chaldeans, but you will not succeed.’”(JE)
6 Jeremiah replied, “The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Watch! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy my field in Anathoth(JF) for yourself, for you own the right of redemption(JG) to buy it.’
8 “Then, as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out the silver to him(JH)—seventeen shekels[at] of silver. 10 I recorded it on a scroll,(JI) sealed it, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 I took the purchase agreement—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions and the open copy— 12 and gave the purchase agreement to Baruch(JJ) son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah. I did this in the sight of my cousin[au] Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the purchase agreement, and all the Judeans sitting in the guard’s courtyard.
13 “I charged Baruch in their sight, 14 ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Take these scrolls—this purchase agreement with the sealed copy and this open copy—and put them in an earthen storage jar so they will last a long time. 15 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’(JK)
16 “After I had given the purchase agreement to Baruch, son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:(JL) 17 Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earth(JM) by your great power(JN) and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!(JO) 18 You show faithful love to thousands but lay the fathers’ iniquity on their sons’ laps after them,(JP) great and mighty God(JQ) whose name is the Lord of Armies, 19 the one great in counsel and powerful in action. Your eyes are on all the ways of the children of men[av] in order to reward each person according to his ways and as the result of his actions.(JR) 20 You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt(JS) and still do today, both in Israel and among all mankind. You made a name(JT) for yourself, as is the case today. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.(JU) 22 You gave them this land you swore to give to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.(JV) 23 They entered and possessed it, but they did not obey you or live according to your instructions.(JW) They failed to perform all you commanded them to do,(JX) and so you have brought all this disaster on them. 24 Look! Siege ramps(JY) have come against the city to capture it, and the city, as a result of the sword, famine, and plague, has been handed over to the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you have spoken has happened. Look, you can see it! 25 Yet you, Lord God, have said to me, ‘Purchase the field and call in witnesses’—even though the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans!”
26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Look, I am the Lord, the God over every creature.(JZ) Is anything too difficult for me?(KA) 28 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the Chaldeans,(KB) to Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzar, and he will capture it. 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come and set this city on fire. They will burn it, including the houses where incense has been burned to Baal on their rooftops and where drink offerings have been poured out to other gods to anger me.(KC) 30 From their youth, the Israelites and Judeans have done nothing but what is evil in my sight! They have done nothing but anger me by the work of their hands”(KD)—this is the Lord’s declaration— 31 “for this city has caused my wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. I will therefore remove it from my presence(KE) 32 because of all the evil the Israelites and Judeans have done to anger me—they, their kings,(KF) their officials, their priests, and their prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. 33 They have turned their backs to me and not their faces.(KG) Though I taught them time and time again,[aw](KH) they do not listen and receive discipline. 34 They have placed their abhorrent things(KI) in the house that bears my name and have defiled it. 35 They have built the high places of Baal in Ben Hinnom Valley to sacrifice their sons and daughters in the fire[ax] to Molech(KJ)—something I had not commanded them. I had never entertained the thought[ay] that they do this detestable act causing Judah to sin!
36 “Now therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to this city about which you said, ‘It has been handed over to Babylon’s king through sword, famine, and plague’: 37 I will certainly gather them from all the lands where I have banished them in my anger, fury, and intense wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them live in safety.(KK) 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God.(KL) 39 I will give them integrity of heart(KM) and action[az] so that they will fear me always, for their good and for the good of their descendants after them.
40 “I will make a permanent covenant with them:(KN) I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put fear of me in their hearts so they will never again turn away from me.(KO) 41 I will take delight in them to do what is good for them, and with all my heart and mind I will faithfully plant them in this land.(KP)
42 “For this is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all this terrible disaster on these people,(KQ) so am I about to bring on them all the good I am promising them. 43 Fields will be bought in this land about which you are saying,(KR) ‘It’s a desolation(KS) without people or animals; it has been handed over to the Chaldeans!’ 44 Fields will be purchased, the transaction written on a scroll and sealed,(KT) and witnesses will be called on in the land of Benjamin,(KU) in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in Judah’s cities—the cities of the hill country, the cities of the Judean foothills, and the cities of the Negev—because I will restore their fortunes.”[ba]
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Israel’s Restoration
33 While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard,(KV) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: 2 “The Lord who made the earth,[bb] the Lord who forms it to establish it,(KW) the Lord is his name,(KX) says this: 3 Call to me and I will answer you(KY) and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.(KZ) 4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of Judah’s kings, the ones torn down for defense against the assault ramps and the sword:(LA) 5 The people coming to fight the Chaldeans will fill the houses with the corpses of their own men that I strike down in my wrath and fury. I have hidden my face(LB) from this city because of all their evil. 6 Yet I will certainly bring health(LC) and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance[bc] of true peace.(LD) 7 I will restore the fortunes[bd] of Judah and of Israel and will rebuild them as in former times.(LE) 8 I will purify them from all the iniquity they have committed against me,(LF) and I will forgive all the iniquities they have committed against me, rebelling against me. 9 This city will bear on my behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory(LG) before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the prosperity I will give them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace(LH) I will bring about for them.
10 “This is what the Lord says: In this place, which you say is a ruin,(LI) without people or animals—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without people, without inhabitants, and without animals—there will be heard again 11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride,(LJ) and the voice of those saying,
Give thanks to the Lord of Armies,
for the Lord is good;
his faithful love endures forever
as they bring thanksgiving sacrifices to the temple of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the Lord.
12 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: In this desolate place—without people or animals—and in all its cities there will once more be a grazing land where shepherds may rest flocks.(LK) 13 The flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them(LL) in the cities of the hill country,(LM) the cities of the Judean foothills, the cities of the Negev, the land of Benjamin—the areas around Jerusalem and in Judah’s cities, says the Lord.
God’s Covenant with David
14 “Look, the days are coming”—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
“when I will fulfill the good promise
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.(LN)
15 In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch(LO)
to sprout up for David,
and he will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,(LP)
and this is what she will be named:
The Lord Is Our Righteousness.[be]
17 “For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.(LQ) 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.”(LR)
19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,(LS) 21 then also my covenant with my servant David(LT) may be broken. If that could happen, then he would not have a son reigning on his throne and the Levitical priests would not be my ministers.(LU) 22 Even as the stars of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured,(LV) so too I will make innumerable the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.”
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.