Bible in 90 Days
14 People are so stupid and know so little.
·Goldsmiths [Smelters] are ·made ashamed [humiliated] by their idols,
because those ·statues are only false gods [L images are false].
They have no breath in them.
15 They are ·worth nothing [useless; meaningless; L a breath]; ·people make fun of them [laughable; a derision].
When they are judged, they will ·be destroyed [perish].
16 But Jacob’s [C another name for Israel] Portion [C referring to the Lord; God gives himself to Israel] is not like ·the idols [L these].
He ·made [L formed] everything,
and ·he chose Israel to be his special people [L Israel is the tribe of his inheritance].
The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] is his name.
Destruction Is Coming
17 ·Get everything you own [L Gather your goods] ·and prepare to leave [or from the ground],
you people who are ·trapped by your enemies [L under siege].
18 This is what the Lord says:
“At this time I will ·throw [L sling] out the people who live in this land.
I will bring ·trouble [distress] to them
so that they may be ·captured [L squeezed].”
19 ·How terrible it will be for me [Woe to me] because of my ·injury [fracture].
My wound ·cannot be healed [is severe].
Yet I told myself,
“This is my ·sickness [or punishment]; I must ·suffer through [endure] it.”
20 My tent is ·ruined [destroyed; desolated],
and all its ropes are broken.
My children have gone away and left me.
No one is left to ·put up [stretch out] my tent again
or to set up ·a shelter for me [L my curtains].
21 The shepherds are stupid
and don’t ·ask the Lord for advice [L seek the Lord].
So they do not have success,
and all their flocks are scattered.
22 Listen! The news is coming.
A ·loud noise [great commotion] comes from the north [C the Babylonian army]
to make the towns of Judah an ·empty desert [desolation]
and a ·home [haunt] for wild dogs [jackals]!
Jeremiah’s Prayer
23 Lord, I know that ·our lives don’t really belong to us [L his way/path does not belong to people].
·We can’t control our own lives [L People as they walk cannot establish their steps].
24 Lord, ·correct [teach; instruct] me, but be ·fair [just].
Don’t punish me in your anger,
or you will ·destroy me [L make me dwindle].
25 Pour out your anger on other nations
that do not know you
and do not pray to you.
Those nations have ·destroyed [consumed] the people of Jacob.
They have ·eaten [consumed] them up completely
and ·destroyed [desolated] their homeland.
The Agreement Is Broken
11 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2 “Listen to the words of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] and tell them to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the person who does not ·obey [listen to] the words of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] 4 that I ·made with [L commanded] your ·ancestors [fathers] when I brought them out of Egypt [Ex. 19–24]. Egypt was like a furnace for melting iron!’ I told them, ‘·Obey me [L Listen to my voice] and do everything I command you. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will ·keep [confirm] the ·promise [oath] I made to your ·ancestors [fathers] to give them a ·fertile land [L land flowing with milk and honey; Ex. 3:8].’ ·And you are living in that country today [L …as it is today].”
I answered, “·Amen [So be it], Lord.”
6 The Lord said to me, “·Announce [Proclaim] ·this message [L all these words] in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the words of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] and ·obey [L do] them. 7 I warned your ·ancestors [fathers] to obey me when I brought them out of Egypt [Ex. 12–15]. I have warned them again and again to this very day: “·Obey me [L Listen to my voice]!” 8 But your ·ancestors [fathers] did not ·listen [obey] or ·pay attention [L bend their ear] to me. They ·were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted [L walked in the stubborness of their evil hearts]. So I made all the ·curses [L words] of this ·agreement [covenant; treaty] come upon them [Deut. 28:15–68]. I commanded them to obey the ·agreement [covenant; agreement], but they did not.’”
9 Then the Lord said to me, “I know the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem have made ·secret plans [a conspiracy]. 10 They have ·gone back [returned] to the ·same sins their ancestors did [iniquity of their fathers of old]. ·Their ancestors [L They] refused to listen to my ·message [L words] and ·followed and worshiped [L went after and served] other gods instead [Ex. 20:3]. The ·families [L house] of Israel and [L the house of] Judah have broken the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I ·made [L cut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]. 11 So this is what the Lord says: ‘I will soon bring ·a disaster [harm; evil] on them [C the people of Judah] which they will not be able to escape. They will cry to me for help, but I will not listen to them. 12 The ·people living in the towns [L towns] of Judah and the ·city [L inhabitants] of Jerusalem will ·pray [L cry for help] to ·their idols [L the gods] to whom they burn incense. But ·those idols [L they] will not be able to ·help [save them] when ·disaster [harm; evil] comes. 13 Look, people of Judah, you have as many ·idols [L gods] as there are towns in Judah. You have built as many altars to burn incense to that shameful god Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem.’
14 “As for you [C Jeremiah], don’t pray for these people or cry out for them or ask anything for them. I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their ·trouble [disaster; harm; evil].
15 “What is my beloved [C Judah; 12:7; Deut. 33:12; Ps. 60:5; 108:6; 127:2; Is. 5:1] doing in my ·Temple [L house]
when she makes many evil plans [C their idolatry cancels their right to be there]?
Do you think ·animal sacrifices [L sacred meat] will stop your ·punishment [disaster; harm; evil]?
Can you then be happy?”
16 The Lord called you “a ·leafy [green] olive tree,
with beautiful fruit and shape [Hos. 14:6].”
But with the roar of a ·strong storm [tempest]
he will set that tree on fire,
and its branches will be burned up.
17 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], who planted you, has announced that ·disaster [harm; evil] will come to you. This is because the ·families [L houses] of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made him angry by burning incense to Baal.
Evil Plans Against Jeremiah
18 The Lord ·showed [L made known to] me that people were making plans against me. Because he showed me what they were doing [C their evil deeds], I knew they were against me. 19 Before this, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be ·butchered [slaughtered; Is. 53:7; John 1:29, 36]. I did not know they had made plans against me, saying:
“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit.
Let’s ·kill him [L cut him off from the land of the living] so ·people will forget him [L his name will no longer be remembered].”
20 But, Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], you ·are a fair judge [judge righteously].
You know how to test peoples’ ·hearts and minds [motives and thoughts].
I have ·told you what I have against them [committed my cause to you].
So let me see you give them the ·punishment [revenge] they deserve.
21 So the Lord speaks about the people from Anathoth [C Jeremiah’s hometown; 1:1; 12:6] who ·plan to kill Jeremiah [L seek your life] and say, “Don’t prophesy in the name of the Lord, or ·we will kill you [L you will die by our hand]!” 22 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: “I will soon punish the men [C from Anathoth]. Their young men will die ·in war [L by the sword]. Their sons and daughters will die from ·hunger [famine]. 23 ·No one from the city of Anathoth will be left alive [L They will have no remnant], because I will cause ·a disaster [harm; evil] to happen to them that year.”
Jeremiah’s First Complaint
12 Lord, when I bring ·my case to [charges against] you,
you are ·always right [righteous].
But I want to ·ask you about the justice you give [put my case to you].
Why ·are evil people [L is the way/path of the wicked] successful?
Why do ·dishonest [treasonous; treacherous] people ·have such easy lives [thrive; Job; Ps. 73; Eccl. 7:15–18; 8:10–12]?
2 You ·have put the evil people here
like plants with strong roots [L plant them; they take root].
They grow and produce fruit [17:7–8].
·With their mouths they speak well of you [L You are near in their mouths],
but ·their hearts are really far away from you [L far from their hearts/thoughts].
3 But you know ·my heart [L me], Lord.
You see me and test my ·thoughts [L heart] about you [1:5; Ps. 139].
Drag the evil people away like sheep to be ·butchered [slaughtered].
·Set them aside [C Consecrate them] for the day of killing.
4 How much longer will the land ·stay dried up [L mourn]
and the grass in every field be ·dead [dry]?
The animals and birds in the land ·have died [L are swept away],
because the people are evil.
Yes, they are even saying,
“God does not see what happens to us.”
The Lord’s Answer to Jeremiah
5 “If you ·get tired while racing against people [L raced with foot-runners and got tired],
how can you ·race against [compete with] horses?
·If you stumble in a country that is safe, [or You feel confident in a country that is safe, but…]
what will you do in the thick thornbushes along the Jordan River?
6 Even your own brothers and ·members of your own family [L the house of your father]
are ·making plans against [betraying] you.
They are crying out against you.
Don’t trust them,
even when they say nice things to you!
7 “I have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] ·Israel [L my house; Ezek. 8:1—11:25];
I have ·left [cast off] my ·people [L inheritance].
I have given the people I love [C Judah]
·over to [L into the palm of] their enemies.
8 My ·people [L inheritance] have become to me
like a lion in the forest.
They ·roar [L give forth their voice] at me,
so I hate them.
9 My people have become to me
like a ·speckled bird [or hyena’s lair] attacked on all sides by ·hawks [birds of prey].
Go, gather the ·wild animals [L beasts of the field].
Bring them to get something to eat.
10 Many shepherds [C the leaders of Judah] have ruined my vineyards
and trampled ·the plants in my field [L my portion].
They have turned my ·beautiful [precious; coveted; treasured] ·field [L portion]
into an empty ·desert [wilderness].
11 They have turned ·my field [L it] into ·a desert [desolation]
that is ·wilted [desolate] and ·dead [L mourns].
The whole country is ·an empty desert [desolate],
because no one ·who lives there cares [L sets it on heart].
12 ·Many soldiers [L Destroyers] have marched over those barren hills.
·The Lord is using the armies to punish that land [L The sword of the Lord devours]
from one end to the other.
·No one is safe [L There is no peace for all flesh].
13 The people have planted wheat,
but they have harvested only thorns.
They have worked hard until they were very tired,
but they have nothing for all their work.
They are ashamed of their poor harvest,
because the Lord’s terrible anger has caused this.”
14 This is what the Lord said to me: “Here is what I will do to all my wicked neighbors [C like Edom; Ps. 137:7; Obad. 10–14] who ·take [L touch] the ·land [L inheritance] I ·gave my people Israel [L made my people Israel inherit]. I will ·pull them up and throw them out of [L uproot them from] their land. And I will ·pull up [uproot] the ·people [L house] of Judah from among them. 15 But after I ·pull them up [uproot them; 1:10], I will ·feel sorry for [have compassion on] them again. I will ·bring [restore] each person back to his own ·property [inheritance] and to his own land. 16 I want them to learn their lessons well. In the past they taught my people to swear by Baal’s name. But if they will now learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives…’ I will ·allow them to rebuild [build them up] among my people. 17 But if a nation will not listen to my message, I will ·pull it up [uproot] completely and destroy it,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Linen Belt
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen ·belt [loincloth; underwear; C priests like Jeremiah wore linen undergarments; Ex. 28:39; 39:27–29; Ezek. 44:17–18] and put it around your ·waist [loins]. Don’t let the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] ·get wet [be washed; be brought into water].”
2 So I bought a ·linen belt [loincloth; underwear], just as the Lord told me, and put it around my ·waist [loins]. 3 Then the Lord spoke his word to me a second time: 4 “Take the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] you bought and ·are wearing [L is on your loins], and go to Perath [C the name of the Euphrates River or a town near Jerusalem with a similar name (Josh. 18:23)]. Hide the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] there in a crack in the rocks.” 5 So I went to Perath and hid the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] there, just as the Lord ·told [commanded] me.
6 ·Many days later [L At the end of many days] the Lord said to me, “Now go to Perath [v. 4] and get the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] I ·told [commanded] you to hide there.” 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the ·belt [loincloth; underwear] and took it from where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined; it was good for nothing.
8 Then the Lord spoke his word to me. 9 This is what the Lord said: “In the same way I will ·ruin [destroy; rot away] the pride of the people of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These evil people refuse to listen to my ·warnings [L words]. They ·stubbornly do only what they want to do [L follow/go after their stubborn hearts], and they ·follow [L go after] other gods to serve and ·worship [bow down to] them. So they will become like this ·linen belt [loincloth; underwear]—good for nothing. 11 As a ·belt [loincloth; underwear] ·is wrapped tightly around [clings to] a person’s ·waist [loins], I ·wrapped the families of Israel and Judah around [L caused all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah to cling to] me,” says the Lord. “I did that so they would be my people and bring fame, praise, and ·honor [splendor] to me. But my people would not listen.
Warnings About Leather Wine Bags
12 “Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: All ·leather bags for holding wine [wineskins] should be filled with wine.’ People will say to you: ‘·Of course, we know [L Do we not know that…?] all wine bags should be filled with wine.’ 13 Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will ·make everyone in this land like a drunken person [L fill with drunkenness all who live in this land; C they will drink from the “cup of God’s wrath” (25:15–18)]—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests and the prophets, and all the people who live in Jerusalem. 14 I will make them smash against one another, fathers and sons alike, says the Lord. I will not feel sorry or have pity on them or show ·mercy [compassion] that would stop me from destroying them.’”
Threat of Slavery
15 Listen and ·pay attention [L give ear].
Don’t ·be too proud [exalt yourself],
because the Lord has spoken to you.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness
and before ·you slip and fall [L your feet stumble]
on the dark hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it into thick darkness;
he will change it into deep gloom [Amos 5:18–20].
17 If you don’t listen to him,
I will cry secretly
because of your pride.
I will cry painfully,
and my eyes will ·overflow [run down] with tears,
because the ·Lord’s people [L the flock of the Lord] will be ·captured [exiled].
18 Tell this to the king and the queen mother [L perhaps Jehoiachin and his mother Nehushta who went into exile in 597 bc (22:26; 29:2; 2 Kin. 24:8–17)]
“Come down from your thrones,
because your ·beautiful [splendid; glorious] crowns
·have fallen [or will fall] from your heads.”
19 The cities of ·southern Judah [L the Negev] are ·locked [shut] up,
and no one can open them.
All Judah will be ·taken as captives to a foreign land [exiled; C to Babylon];
they will ·be carried away [exiled] completely [C the exile in 597 bc was a precursor to the more complete one in 586 bc].
20 Look up and see [C addressed to queen mother]
the people coming from the north [C the Babylonian army].
Where is the flock ·God gave you to care for [L given to you],
·the flock you bragged about [L your splendid flock; C the people of Judah]?
21 What will you say when ·they [or God] appoint as your ·heads [rulers]
those you had thought were your ·friends [allies]?
Won’t ·you have much pain and trouble [L pain seize you],
like a woman giving birth to a baby [4:31; 6:24; 22:23; 30:6; 48:41; 49:22, 24; 50:43]?
22 You might ·ask yourself [L say in your heart],
“Why has this happened to me?”
It happened because of your many ·sins [iniquities].
Because of your ·sins [iniquities], your skirt was torn off
and your ·body [L heel; C euphemism for genitals] has been ·treated badly [violated].
23 Can a person from ·Cush [Ethiopia] change ·his skin [L its color]?
Can a leopard change his spots?
In the same way, you [C Jerusalem] cannot change and do good,
because you are accustomed to doing evil.
24 “I will scatter you like chaff that is ·blown away [driven] by the ·desert [wilderness] wind.
25 This is ·what will happen to you [L your lot];
·this is your part in my plans [L the portion decreed for you],” says the Lord.
“Because you forgot me
and ·trusted [had confidence] in ·false gods [falsehood; lies],
26 I will pull your skirts up over your face
so everyone will see your ·shame [humiliation; Nah. 3:6].
27 I have seen the terrible things you have done:
your acts of adultery and your ·snorting [neighing; C like a horse in heat],
your prostitution,
your ·hateful [abominable; detestable] acts
on the hills and in the fields [C where they had shrines to false gods].
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] you, Jerusalem.
How long will you continue being unclean?”
A Time Without Rain
14 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah ·about the time when there was no rain [concerning the drought; C often a punishment from God; Lev. 26:18–20; Deut. 28:22–24; 1 Kin. 17:1]:
2 “The nation of Judah ·cries as if someone has died [mourns],
and her ·cities [L gates] ·are very sad [languish].
They ·are distressed [wail] over the land.
A cry goes up [C to God] from Jerusalem.
3 The ·important men [nobles] send their ·servants [L young/little ones] to get water.
They go to the ·wells [cisterns],
but they find no water.
So they return with empty jars.
They are ·ashamed [humiliated] and embarrassed
and ·cover [veil] their heads [C in shame].
4 The ground is cracked open,
because no rain falls on the land.
The farmers are ·upset and sad [L ashamed],
so they ·cover [veil] their heads.
5 Even the mother deer in the field
·leaves her newborn fawn to die [L gives birth and leaves],
because there is no ·grass [vegetation].
6 Wild donkeys stand on the bare hills
and ·sniff the wind [pant] like ·wild dogs [jackals].
But their eyes go blind,
because there is no ·food [pasture].”
7 We know that we suffer because of our sins.
Lord, ·do something to help us for the good of your name [L act on behalf of your name/reputation].
·We have left you many times [L Many are our apostasies/infidelities];
we have sinned against you.
8 The Hope of Israel [C God],
you have ·saved [rescued] it [C Israel] in times of ·trouble [distress].
Why are you like a ·stranger [alien resident] in the land,
or like a traveler who only stays one night?
9 Why are you like someone who has been attacked by surprise,
like a warrior who is not able to ·save anyone [be victorious]?
But you are among us, Lord,
and we are called by your name
so don’t ·leave us without help [forsake us]!
10 This is what the Lord says about this people [C of Judah]:
“They really love to wander from me;
they don’t ·stop themselves from leaving me [L restrain their feet].
So now the Lord will not ·accept [be pleased with] them.
He will now remember ·the evil they do [their iniquity]
and will punish them for their sins.”
11 Then the Lord said, “Don’t pray for good things to happen to the people [C of Judah]. 12 Even if they fast, I will not listen to their ·prayers [cry; Prov. 1:28]. Even if they offer burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] to me, I will not ·accept [be pleased with] them. Instead, I will ·destroy [finish] them [C the people of Judah] with ·war [sword], ·hunger [famine], and ·terrible diseases [plagues; pestilence].”
13 But I said, “Oh, Lord God, the prophets keep telling the people, ‘·You will not suffer from an enemy’s [L Do not fear] sword or from ·hunger [famine]. I, the Lord, will give you ·lasting [reliable; true] peace in this land.’”
14 Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them or ·appoint [command] them or speak to them. They have been prophesying false visions, idolatries, worthless ·magic [divination], and ·their own wishful thinking [L the deceit of their hearts; Deut. 13:1–5; 18:14–22]. 15 So this is what I say about the prophets who are prophesying in my name. I did not send them. They say, ‘·No enemy will attack this country with swords. There will never be hunger [L Sword and famine will not be] in this land.’ So those prophets will ·die from [L be finished off by] ·hunger [famine] and from ·an enemy’s sword [L sword]. 16 And the people to whom the prophets speak will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem. There they will die from ·hunger [famine] and from ·an enemy’s sword [L sword]. And no one will be there to bury them, or their wives, or their sons, or their daughters. I will ·punish them [L pour out on them harm/disaster/evil].
17 “Speak [C addressed to Jeremiah] this ·message [word] to them [C the people of Judah]:
‘Let my eyes ·be filled [flow] with tears
night and day, without stopping.
·My people [L The virgin daughter of my people] have received a ·terrible blow [L great fracture];
they have been ·hurt [wounded] badly.
18 If I go into the ·country [L field],
I see people killed by swords.
If I go into the city,
I see ·much sickness, because the people have no food [L the sickness of famine].
Both the priests and the prophets
·have been taken to a foreign land [L wander/or ply their trade in a land they do not know].’”
19 Lord, have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?
Do you ·hate [L abhor] ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]?
Why have you ·hurt us so badly [L struck us]
·that we cannot be made well again [L and not healed us]?
We hoped for peace,
but nothing good has come.
We looked for a time of healing,
but only terror came.
20 Lord, we ·admit that we are wicked [L know our wickedness]
and ·that our ancestors did evil things [L the iniquity of our fathers].
We have sinned against you.
21 For ·your sake [L the sake of your name/fame/reputation], do not ·hate [despise] us [Lev. 26:11, 30, 44].
Do not ·take away the honor from [L treat disdainfully] your glorious throne.
Remember your ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with us,
and do not break it.
22 Do ·foreign idols [L futile/useless/meaningless things] have the power to bring rain?
Does the ·sky [heaven] itself have the power to send down showers?
·No, it is you [L Is it not you…?], Lord our God.
You are our only hope,
because you are the one who made all these things.
15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel ·prayed for them [L stood before me], ·I [L my soul] would not ·feel sorry for the people of Judah [L turn toward this people; C Moses and Samuel interceded on behalf of their sinful generations; Ex. 32:11–14, 30–34; Num. 14:13–19; 1 Sam. 7:5–11; 12:17–23]. Send them away from me! Tell them to go! 2 When they ask you, ‘Where will we go?’ tell them: ‘This is what the Lord says:
Those who are ·meant to die [L for death]
·will die [L to death].
Those who are meant ·to die in war [L for the sword]
·will die in war [L to the sword].
Those who are meant ·to die from hunger [L for famine]
·will die from hunger [L to famine].
Those who are meant ·to be taken captive [L for exile]
·will be taken captive [L to exile].’
3 “I will ·send [appoint] four kinds of destroyers against them,” says the Lord. “I will send ·war [L the sword] to kill, dogs to drag the bodies away, and the birds of the ·air [sky; heavens] and ·wild animals [L beasts of the land] to eat and destroy the bodies. 4 I will make them [C the people of Judah] ·hated by [a horror to] everyone on earth because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. (Manasseh son of Hezekiah was king of the nation of Judah [C from 698–642 bc; he was a particularly wicked king; 2 Kin. 21:1–18; 23:26–27].)
5 “Who will ·feel sorry for [have pity on] you, Jerusalem?
Who will ·be sad and cry [grieve] for you?
Who will go out of his way to ask how you are [Nah. 3:7]?
6 You [C Jerusalem] have ·left me [cast me off],” says the Lord.
“You keep going ·farther and farther away [backward],
so I have ·taken hold of you [L stretched out my hand] and destroyed you.
I was tired of ·holding back my anger [relenting].
7 I have ·separated [winnowed] them [C the people of Judah] with my ·pitchfork [winnowing fork] in the gates of the land.
My people haven’t changed their ways.
So I have destroyed ·them [L my people]
and ·taken away their children [bereaved them].
8 There are more widows than grains of sand in the sea [C an ironic reference to Gen. 22:17; 32:12; 41:49].
I brought a destroyer at noontime
against the mothers of the young men of Judah.
I suddenly ·brought pain and fear
on the people of Judah [L made anguish and fear fall on them].
9 A woman with seven sons ·felt faint [languishes; C because they would all die].
She ·became weak and unable to breathe [L swoons].
Her ·bright day became dark from sadness [L sun went down while it was still day].
She felt ·shame [humiliation] and disgrace.
And ·everyone else left alive in Judah [L the rest of them]
I will hand over to the sword of their enemies, too!” says the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Second Complaint
10 Mother, ·I am sorry [woe to me] that you gave birth to me
·since I must accuse and criticize [L a man of strife and contention to] the whole land.
I have not loaned or borrowed anything,
but everyone curses me.
11 The Lord said,
“·I have [L Have I not…?] ·saved [or intervened for] you for a good reason.
·I have made your enemies beg you [or Will I not bring the enemy against you…?]
in times of ·disaster [harm; evil] and ·trouble [distress].
12 ·No one can smash a piece of iron or bronze
that comes from the north [L Can iron break the iron of the north and the bronze?; C the iron is Babylon (1:13–15; 4:6) and the bronze is Jeremiah (15:20)].
13 Your wealth and treasures
I will give ·to others free of charge [L as plunder without price/charge],
because of all your [C the people of Judah] sins
throughout the country.
14 I will make you ·slaves to [serve] your enemies
in a land you have never known.
My anger ·is [L kindles] like a hot fire,
and it will burn against you.”
15 Lord, you ·understand [L know].
Remember me and take care of me.
·Punish for me [Avenge me on] those who are ·hurting [persecuting; pursuing] me.
Don’t ·destroy [snatch] me while you remain patient with them.
Think about the ·shame [reproaches] I ·suffer [endure] for you.
16 Your words ·came to me [L were found], and I ·listened carefully to [L ate] them.
Your words made me very happy
and were the delight of my heart,
because I am called by your name,
Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
17 I never sat with the ·crowd
as they laughed [L crowd of merrymakers/revelers] and ·had fun [L I did not rejoice].
I sat by ·myself [alone], ·because you were there [L from before your hand/power],
and you filled me with anger [C at the evil people around him].
18 ·I don’t understand why my pain has [L Why does my pain have…?] no end.
·I don’t understand why my injury is not cured or healed [L My wound is uncurable and refuses to be healed].
Will you be like a ·brook that goes dry [L deceitful brook]?
Will you be like a ·spring that stops flowing [L unreliable spring]?
19 So this is what the Lord says:
“If you ·change your heart and return to me [L return/repent], I will ·take you back [L return to you].
Then you may ·serve me [L stand before me].
And if you [C Jeremiah] speak things that ·have worth [are precious],
not useless words,
then you may ·speak for me [L be like my mouth].
Let them [C the people of Judah] turn to you,
but you must not ·change and be like them [L turn to them].
20 I will make you as strong as a wall to this people,
·as strong [fortified] as a wall of bronze [v. 12].
They will fight against you,
but they will not ·defeat [prevail over] you,
because I am with you.
I will ·save [have victory for] you and ·rescue [protect] you,” says the Lord.
21 “I will ·rescue [protect] you from ·these wicked people [L the hand/control of evil people]
and redeem you from ·these cruel people [L the hand of the violent].”
The Day of Disaster
16 Then the Lord spoke his word to me: 2 “You must not ·get married [L take a wife for yourself] or have sons or daughters in this place.”
3 The Lord says this about the sons and daughters born in this ·land [L place] and their mothers who bear them and fathers who ·father [L beget] them in this land: 4 “They will die of ·terrible diseases [plagues; pestilence], and no one will ·cry for them [mourn] or bury them. Their bodies will lie on the ground like dung. They will ·die [perish] ·in war [L by sword], or ·they will starve to death [L by famine]. ·Their bodies [L They] will be food for the birds of the ·sky [air; heavens] and for the ·wild animals [L beasts of the land].”
5 So this is what the Lord says [C addressed to Jeremiah]: “Do not go into a house where there is a funeral ·meal [feast; C a pagan mourning festival; Amos 6:7]. Do not go there to ·cry for the dead [lament] or to ·show your sorrow for [bemoan] them, because I have taken back my ·blessing [peace; welfare], my ·love [loyalty], and my ·pity [compassion] from these people,” says the Lord. 6 “·Important people and common people [L Great and small] will die in this land [C of Judah]. No one will bury them or ·cry [lament] for them or ·cut [gash] himself or shave his head for them [C pagan rituals of mourning; Lev. 19:27–28; 21:5; Deut. 14:1]. 7 No one will ·bring food [break bread; L break] to comfort those who are crying for the dead. No one will offer a ·drink [L cup] to comfort someone whose mother or father has died.
8 “Do not go into a ·house where the people are having a feast [banquet house; L drinking house] to sit down to eat and drink, 9 because this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: I will soon stop the sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms in this place. This will happen ·during your lifetime [L in your days and before your eyes].
10 “When you tell this people [C of Judah] these things, they will ask you, ‘Why has the Lord said these ·terrible [evil; harmful] things to us? What ·have we done wrong [L is our iniquity]? What sin have we done against the Lord our God?’
11 “Then say to them: ‘This is because your ·ancestors [fathers] ·quit following [abandoned; left; forsook] me,’ says the Lord. ‘And they ·followed [went after] other gods and served and ·worshiped [bowed down to] them. Your ·ancestors [fathers] ·left [abandoned; forsook] me and ·quit obeying [L did not keep/guard] my ·teaching [law; instruction]. 12 But you have done even more ·evil [harm] than your ·ancestors [fathers]. You are ·very stubborn and do only what you want to do [L going after your stubborn heart]; you have not ·obeyed [listened to] me. 13 So I will ·throw [hurl] you out of this ·country [land] and send you into a land that you and your ·ancestors [fathers] never knew. There you can ·serve [worship] other gods day and night, because I will not show you any favors.’
14 “Therefore the ·time [L days] is coming,” says the Lord, when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the ·people [L sons] of Israel out of Egypt.’ 15 They will say instead, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the ·Israelites [L sons of Israel] from the northern land [C Babylon] and from all the countries where he had ·sent [driven] them…’ And I will ·bring them back [restore them] to the land I gave to their ·ancestors [fathers; C a second Exodus; Is. 40:1–11; 52:10; Hos. 2:14–15].
16 “I will soon send for many fishermen,” says the Lord. “And they will catch them [C the people of Judah]. After that, I will send for many hunters. And they will hunt them on every mountain and hill and in the ·cracks [clefts] of the rocks. 17 ·I see everything they do [L My eyes are on all their ways]. They ·cannot hide from me the things they do [L are not hidden from me]; their ·sin [iniquity] is not ·hidden [concealed] from my eyes. 18 I will first pay them back twice for ·every one of their sins [L their iniquities and their sins], because they have made my land unclean [C in a ritual sense] with their lifeless idols. They have filled my ·country [inheritance] with their ·hateful idols [L abominations].”
19 Lord, you are my strength and my ·protection [stronghold],
my ·safe place [refuge] in times of ·trouble [distress].
The nations will come to you from ·all over [L the ends of] the world
and say, “Our ·ancestors [fathers] ·had [L have inherited] only ·false gods [L lies],
·useless [meaningless] idols that didn’t ·help [profit] them.
20 Can people make gods for themselves?
They will not really be gods!”
21 The Lord says, “So I will teach those who make idols.
This time I will teach them
about my ·power [L hand] and my strength.
Then they will know
that my name is the Lord.
Judah’s Guilty Heart
17 “The sin of Judah is written with an iron ·tool [L pen].
Their sins were cut with a ·hard [L diamond] point into the ·stone that is [L tablet of] their hearts.
Their sins were cut into the ·corners [L horns] of their altars [Ex. 27:2].
2 Even their children remember
their altars [C to idols] and their ·Asherah idols [sacred poles; L Asherim]
beside the green trees
and on the high hills [2:20].
3 My mountain in the open country
and your wealth and treasures
I will give ·away to other people [L as plunder].
I will give away the places of worship in your country,
because you sinned by worshiping there.
4 You will ·lose [drop] the ·land [L inheritance] I gave you,
and it is your own fault.
I will ·let your enemies take you as their slaves [L make you serve your enemies]
to a land you have never known.
This is because you ·have made my anger burn like a hot fire [L kindled a fire in my anger],
and it will burn forever [15:11–14].”
Trusting in Humans or God
5 This is what the Lord says:
“·A curse is placed on [L Cursed are] those who ·trust [have confidence in] other people,
who ·depend on humans for [L make flesh their] strength,
who have ·stopped trusting [L turned their heart from] the Lord.
6 They are like a ·bush [shrub; or juniper] in a ·desert [steppe]
that ·grows in a land where no one lives [L lives in a salt land where no one lives],
a ·hot and dry land with bad soil [L parched land in the wilderness].
They don’t ·know about the good things God can give [L see when good comes].
7 “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [L …whose trust/confidence is in him].
8 He will be like a tree planted near water [C vital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [L heat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit.
9 “·More than anything else [T Above all things], ·a person’s mind is evil [T the heart is deceitful; L the heart is devious/crooked]
and ·cannot be healed [T desperately wicked; L it is perverse/sick].
Who can ·understand [know] it?
10 But I, the Lord, ·look into a person’s [investigate/test the] heart
and test the ·mind [L kidneys].
·So I can decide what each one deserves [L …to give to each according to his way/path];
I can give each one the right payment for what he does.”
11 Like a ·bird [L partridge] hatching an egg it did not lay,
so are the people who get rich ·by cheating [unjustly].
When their ·lives [L days] are half finished, ·they will lose their riches [L it will leave/abandon them].
At the end of their lives, it will be clear they were fools.
12 From the beginning, our ·Temple [L sanctuary] has been ·honored [L exalted]
as a glorious throne [C for God; Is. 6:1–3; Ezek. 1:26–28; 43:2–5].
13 Lord, hope of Israel,
those who ·leave [abandon; forsake] you will be ·shamed [humiliated].
People who ·quit following the Lord [L turn away from you] will be ·written [recorded] in the ·dust [or underworld],
because they have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] the Lord, the spring of living water [2:13].
Jeremiah’s Third Complaint
14 Lord, heal me, and I will truly be healed.
·Save [Rescue] me, and I will truly be ·saved [rescued].
You are ·the one I praise [L my praise].
15 The people of Judah keep asking me,
“Where is the word from the Lord?
·Let’s see that message come true [L Let it come]!”
16 Lord, I didn’t ·run away from [or insist on] being the shepherd ·you wanted [L after you].
I didn’t want the ·terrible day [or day of despair] to come.
You know ·everything I have said [L what comes out of my lips];
·you see all that is happening [L it was before your face].
17 Don’t be a terror to me.
·I run to you for safety [L You are my refuge] in ·times [L days] of ·trouble [disaster; evil].
18 Make those who are ·hurting [persecuting; pursuing] me be ·ashamed [humiliated],
but don’t bring ·shame to [humiliation on] me.
Let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring the day of ·disaster [evil; trouble] on them [C my enemies].
Destroy them, ·and destroy them again [L with double destruction].
Keeping the Sabbath Holy
19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the People’s Gate [C of Jerusalem], where the kings of Judah go in and out. And then go to all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say to them there: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, all you people of Judah, and all who live in Jerusalem, who come through these gates into the city. 21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to ·carry [lift] a ·load [burden] on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Don’t take a ·load [burden] out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work on that day. But keep the Sabbath as a holy day, as I commanded your ·ancestors [fathers; Ex. 20:8–11; 31:12–18; Deut. 5:12–15]. 23 But your ·ancestors [fathers] did not listen or ·pay attention [L incline their ear] to me. They ·were very stubborn [L stiffened their necks] and did not listen. ·I punished them, but it didn’t do any good [L They did not take instruction/discipline]. 24 But you must ·be careful to obey [listen to] me, says the Lord. You must not bring a ·load [burden] through the gates of this city [C Jerusalem] on the Sabbath, but you must keep the Sabbath as a holy day and not do any work on that day.
25 “‘If you obey this command, kings who sit on David’s throne [2 Sam. 7:11–16] will come through the gates of ·Jerusalem [L this city] with their officers. They will come riding in chariots and on horses, along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem. And ·the city of Jerusalem [L this city] will have people living in it forever. 26 People will come [C to Jerusalem] from the villages around it, from the towns of Judah, from the land of Benjamin, from the ·western hills [L Shephelah], from the mountains, and from ·southern Judah [L the Negev]. They will all bring to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], sacrifices, ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], incense, and ·offerings to show thanks to God [thank offerings]. 27 But you must obey me and keep the Sabbath day as a holy day. You must not carry any loads into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. If you don’t ·obey [listen to] me, to keep the Sabbath day as a holy day, I will ·start [kindle] a fire at its gates [C of Jerusalem], and it will ·burn until it burns even [L consume; devour] the ·strong towers [palaces]. And it will not be put out.’”
The Potter and the Clay
18 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah: 2 “Get up and go down to the potter’s house, and I will ·give you my message there [L make you hear my words].” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the potter’s wheel. 4 He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be.
5 Then the Lord spoke his word to me: 6 “·Family [L House] of Israel, can’t I do the same thing with you?” says the Lord. “You are in my hands like the clay in the potter’s hands. 7 There may come a time when I will ·speak about [declare concerning] a nation or a kingdom that I will ·pull [pluck] up by its roots or that I will ·pull [tear] down to destroy it [1:10]. 8 But if the people of that nation ·stop doing the evil they have done [turn back/repent from its evil concerning which I have spoken], I will ·change my mind [repent] and not carry out my plans to bring ·disaster to [evil on] them. 9 There may come another time when I will ·speak about a [declare concerning that] nation that I will build up and plant. 10 But if ·I see it doing evil [L it does evil in my eyes] by not ·obeying [listening to] me, I will ·change my mind [repent] and not carry out my plans to do good for them.
11 “·So [Now], say this to the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am ·preparing [shaping] ·disaster [evil] for you and making plans against you. ·So stop doing evil [L Turn away from your evil way/path]. ·Change [Improve/Amend] your ·ways [paths] and ·do what is right [L your actions].’ 12 But they [C the people of Judah] will answer, ‘It won’t do any good to try! We will ·continue to do what we want [L go after our plans]. Each of us will do what his stubborn, evil heart wants!’”
13 So this is what the Lord says:
“Ask ·the people in other nations this question [L among the nations]:
‘·Have you ever [L Who has] heard anything like this?’
The ·people [L virgin daughter] of Israel have done a horrible thing.
14 ·The [L Does the…?] snow of Lebanon
·never melts from [ever leave the] the rocks of ·the fields [L or Sirion; C another name for Mount Hermon].
Its cool, ·flowing [L foreign; strange] streams
do not ·dry up [L get plucked up].
15 But my people have forgotten me.
They burn incense to ·worthless [useless; meaningless] idols
and ·have stumbled [L they make them stumble] in ·what they do [L their ways/paths]
and in the ·old ways of their ancestors [L ancient ways].
They walk along back roads
·and on poor [L ways/paths that are not] highways.
16 So ·Judah’s country [L their land] will become an ·empty desert [wasteland; desolation].
People will not stop ·making fun of [L hissing at] it.
They will shake their heads as they pass by;
they will be shocked at how the country was destroyed.
17 Like a strong east wind,
I will scatter them [C the people of Judah] before their enemies.
·At that awful time [L In the day of their calamity] ·they will not see me coming to help them;
they will see me leaving [L I will show them my back and not my face].”
Jeremiah’s Fourth Complaint
18 Then the people said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah. Surely the ·teaching of the law [instruction] by the priest will not ·be lost [perish]. We will still have the ·advice [counsel] from the wise teachers and the words of the prophets. So let’s ·ruin him by telling lies about him [bring charges against him; L strike him with the tongue]. We won’t pay attention to ·anything he says [L his words].”
19 Lord, ·listen [pay attention] to me.
Listen to what my ·accusers [adversaries] are saying!
20 ·Good should not [L Should good…?] be paid back with evil,
but they have dug a pit ·in order to kill me [L for my life].
Remember that I stood before you
and asked you to do good things for these people
and to turn your anger away from them.
21 So now, ·let their children starve [L give their children to starvation],
and ·let their enemies kill them with swords [L give them over to the power of the sword].
Let their wives ·lose their children and husbands [L be childless and widows].
Let the men [C from Judah] be ·put to death [slain by pestilence]
and the young men be killed with swords in battle.
22 Let them cry out in their houses
when you bring ·an enemy [plunderers; marauders] against them suddenly.
Let all this happen, because my enemies have dug
a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet.
23 Lord, you know
about all their plans to kill me.
Don’t forgive their ·crimes [iniquity]
or ·erase [wipe away; blot out] their sins from ·your mind [L before you].
Make them ·fall [stumble] ·from their places [L before you];
·punish [L deal with] them while you are angry.
Judah Is like a Broken Jar
19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay ·jar [jug] from a potter. 2 Take some of the elders of the people and the ·priests [L elders of the priests], and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. There speak [proclaim] the words I tell you. 3 Say, ‘Kings of Judah and ·people [L inhabitants] of Jerusalem, listen to this ·message [L word] from the Lord. This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: I will soon bring ·a disaster [evil; trouble] on this place [C Judah and Jerusalem] that will ·amaze and frighten [L tingle the ears of] everyone who hears about it. 4 They [C the people of Judah] have ·quit following [abandoned; forsaken] me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ·ancestors [fathers], nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people. 5 They have built ·places on hilltops to worship [L high places to; C sites associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] Baal [C God of the Canaanites], where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even ·entered my mind [L came up in my heart; Lev. 18:21; Deut. 12:31; 18:10]. 6 Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom [2 Kin. 23:10–11] or Topheth [C “Spit”], but the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will call it the Valley of Killing [Slaughter; 7:30–34].
7 “‘At this place I will ·ruin [make void] the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The enemy will chase them, and I will ·have them killed with swords [L make them fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life]. I will make their ·dead bodies [corpses] food for the birds of the ·sky [heavens] and ·wild animals [L beasts of the land/country]. 8 I will ·completely destroy this city [make this city a desolation]. People will ·make fun of [hiss at] it and shake their heads when they pass by. They will ·be shocked [hiss] when they see how the city was destroyed. 9 An enemy army will ·surround [besiege] the city and will not let anyone go out to get food. I will make the people so hungry that they will eat the ·bodies [flesh] of their own sons and daughters, and then they will begin to eat ·each other [their neighbors].’
10 “While the people with you are watching, break that ·jar [jug]. 11 Then say this: ‘The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: I will break this ·nation [people] and this city just as someone breaks a clay ·jar [jug] that cannot be ·put back together [mended; repaired] again. The dead people will be buried here in Topheth [C “Spit”; v. 6; 7:32], because there is no other place for them. 12 This is what I will do to these ·people [inhabitants] and to this place, says the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth. 13 The houses in Jerusalem and the king’s palaces will become as unclean [C in a ritual sense] as this place, Topheth, because the people worshiped gods on the roofs of their houses [C flat roofs were living space]. They ·worshiped the stars and burned incense to honor them [L burned incense to the whole host of heaven] and gave drink offerings to gods.’”
14 When Jeremiah left Topheth [v. 11] where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he went to the Lord’s ·Temple [L house], stood in the courtyard, and said to all the people: 15 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘I will soon bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] to ·Jerusalem [L this city] and the villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because ·the people are very stubborn [L they stiffened their necks] and do not listen at all to ·what I say [L my words].’”
Pashhur Will Be Captured
20 Pashhur son of Immer was a priest and the ·highest [chief] officer in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. When he heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2 he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten. And he ·locked [put] Jeremiah in stocks [C wooden restraints] at the Upper Gate of Benjamin of the Lord’s Temple. 3 The next day when Pashhur ·took [released] Jeremiah ·out of the blocks of wood [from the stocks], Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name for you is not Pashhur. Now his name for you is Magor-Missabib [C “Terror on Every Side”]. 4 This is what the Lord says: ‘I will soon make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. You will watch enemies ·killing [L make fall] your friends with swords. And I will give all the people of Judah to the king of Babylon, who will ·take them away as captives [exile them] to Babylon and then will ·kill [L strike] them with swords. 5 I will give all the wealth of this city to its enemies—its goods, its valuables, and the treasures of the kings of Judah. ·The enemies will carry all those valuables off to Babylon [L …into the hands of their enemies who will plunder them, take them and bring them to Babylon]. 6 And Pashhur, you and everyone in your house will ·be taken captive [go into exile]. You will be forced to go to Babylon, where you will die and be buried, you and your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.’”
Jeremiah’s Fifth Complaint
7 Lord, you ·tricked [enticed; seduced] me, and I was ·fooled [tricked; enticed; seduced].
You ·are stronger than I am [overpowered me], so you won.
I have become a ·joke [laughing-stock];
everyone ·makes fun of [ridicules] me all day long.
8 Every time I speak, I shout.
·I am always shouting about violence and destruction [L I call out “Violence” and “Destruction”].
·I tell the people about the message I received from the Lord [L …for the word of the Lord is with me],
·but this only brings me insults
and mockery [L for reproach and derision are with me] all day long.
9 Sometimes I say to myself,
“I will ·forget about the Lord [L not remember him],
I will not speak anymore in his name.”
But then his message becomes like a burning fire ·inside me [L in my heart],
·deep within [L shut in] my bones.
I get tired of trying to hold it inside of me,
and finally, I cannot hold it in.
10 I hear many people whispering about me:
“Terror on every side!
Tell on him! Let’s tell [C the rulers] about him.”
My friends are all just waiting for me to make ·some mistake [a false step].
They are saying,
“Maybe we can ·trick [entice; seduce] him
so we can defeat him
and ·pay him back [take revenge against him].”
11 But the Lord is with me like a ·strong [or fearful] warrior,
so those who are ·chasing [persecuting] me will trip and ·fall [stumble];
they will not defeat me.
They will be ·ashamed [humiliated] because they have failed,
and their shame will never be forgotten.
12 Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], you test ·good [righteous] people;
you look deeply into the ·heart [L kidneys] and ·mind [L heart] of a person.
I have ·told [committed/revealed to] you my ·arguments [case] against these people,
so let me see ·you give them the punishment they deserve [your vengeance against them].
13 Sing to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
He ·saves [protects; rescues] the life of the ·poor [needy]
from the ·power [hand] of the wicked.
Jeremiah’s Sixth Complaint
14 ·Let there be a curse on [Cursed be] the day I was born;
let there be no blessing on the day when my mother gave birth to me.
15 ·Let there be a curse on [Cursed be] the man
who brought my father the news:
“You have a son!”
This made my father very glad.
16 Let that man be like the towns
the Lord ·destroyed [overturned] without ·pity [mercy; Gen. 18].
Let him hear loud crying in the morning
and battle cries at noon,
17 because he did not kill me ·before I was born [L in the womb; 1:5].
Then my mother would have been my grave;
she would have stayed pregnant forever.
18 Why did I have to come out of ·my mother’s body [the womb]?
All I have known is trouble and sorrow,
and my ·life [days] will end in ·shame [humiliation; Job 3].
God Rejects King Zedekiah’s Request
21 This is the word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. It came when Zedekiah king of Judah [C ruled 597–586 bc] sent Pashhur son of Malkijah [C not the same man as in 20:1; 38:1; 1 Chr. 9:12] and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah [29:25, 29; 37:3; 52:24; 2 Kin. 25:18] to Jeremiah. 2 They said, “·Ask [Inquire of; L Seek] the Lord for us what will happen, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is ·attacking [fighting against] us. Maybe the Lord will do ·miracles [wonderful works] for us as he did in the past so ·Nebuchadnezzar will stop attacking us and leave [he will go up from us].”
3 But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell King Zedekiah this: 4 ‘Here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have weapons of war in your hands to defend yourselves against the king of Babylon and the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans], who are all around the city wall. But I will ·make those weapons useless [turn them against you]. Soon I will ·bring [assemble] them [C the weapons] into the center of this city. 5 In my anger, my ·very great anger [fury and great wrath], I myself will fight against you with my ·great power [outstretched hand] and ·strength [strong arm]. 6 I will ·kill [strike] ·everything living in Jerusalem [L the inhabitants of this city]—both people and animals. They will die from ·terrible diseases [plagues; pestilence]. 7 Then, says the Lord, I’ll hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in Jerusalem who do not die from the ·terrible diseases [plagues; pestilence] or ·battle [L sword] or ·hunger [famine], ·to [L into the hands of] Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [L and into the hands of their enemies]. ·I will let those win who want to kill the people of Judah [L …and into the hands of those who seek their lives], so ·the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be killed in war [L he will strike them with the edge of the sword]. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy or pity or ·feel sorry [compassion] for them!’
8 “Also tell this to this people [C of Jerusalem]: ‘This is what the Lord says: I ·will let you choose to live or die [L place before you the way of life and the way of death; Deut. 30:11–20]. 9 Anyone who ·stays [resides] in Jerusalem will die ·in war [L by sword] or from ·hunger [famine] or from a ·terrible disease [plague; pestilence]. But anyone who goes out [C of Jerusalem] and ·surrenders to [L falls before] the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] who are ·attacking [L besieging] you will live. Anyone who leaves the city will save his life as if it were ·a prize won [L plunder] in war. 10 I have ·decided to make trouble for [L set my face against] this city and not ·to help it [L for good], says the Lord. I will give it to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.’
11 “Say to ·Judah’s royal family [L the house of the king of Judah]: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 ·Family [L House] of David, this is what the Lord says:
You must judge people ·fairly [with justice] every morning.
·Save [Protect; Rescue] the person who has been robbed
from the ·power [L hand] of his ·attacker [oppressor].
If you don’t, ·I will become very angry [L my wrath will come out like fire].
·My anger will be like a fire that no one can put out [L It will burn and no one can extinguish; 2 Kin. 25:9],
because you have done evil things.
13 “‘I am against you [C Jerusalem],
you who live ·on top of the mountain
over this valley [L in the valley, the rock of the plain], says the Lord.
You say, “·No one can attack [L Who can come down against…?] us
or come into our ·strong city [refuge].”
14 But I will give you the punishment you deserve, says the Lord.
I will ·start [kindle] a fire in your forests
that will ·burn up [L devour] everything around you!’”
Judgment Against Evil Kings
22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the ·palace [L house] of the king of Judah and ·prophesy this message [L say this word] there: 2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah, who ·rules from [L sits on] David’s throne. You and your officers, and your people who come through these gates, listen! 3 This is what the Lord says: Do ·what is fair and right [L justice and righteousness]. ·Save [Protect; Rescue] the one who has been robbed from the ·power [L hand] of his ·attacker [L oppressor]. Don’t mistreat or ·hurt [do violence to] the ·foreigners [resident aliens; Ex. 23:21; Lev. 19:33], orphans, or widows [Ex. 22:22; Deut. 10:18; 27:19]. Don’t ·kill innocent people [L spill innocent blood; Deut. 19:10; 27:25] here. 4 If you carefully ·obey these commands [perform this word], kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this ·palace [L house] with their officers and people, riding in chariots and on horses. 5 But if you don’t ·obey these commands [L listen to these words], says the Lord, I swear by my ·own name [L myself] that this ·king’s palace [L house] will become a ruin.’”
6 This is what the Lord says about the ·palace where the king of Judah lives [L house of the king of Judah]:
“You are like Gilead to me,
like the ·mountaintops [summit] of ·Lebanon [C lush; the palace was built with the cedars of Lebanon; 1 Kin. 7:2].
But I will truly make you into a ·desert [wilderness],
into towns where no one lives.
7 I will ·send [L consecrate; set apart] ·men to destroy the palace [destroyers],
each with his weapons.
They will cut up your ·strong, beautiful cedar beams [L choice cedars]
and throw them into the fire.
8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and ask each other, ‘Why has the Lord done such a terrible thing to Jerusalem, this great city?’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘Because they [C the people of Judah] ·quit following [abandoned; forsook] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Lord their God. They ·worshiped [bowed down to] and served other gods.’”
Judgment Against Jehoahaz
10 Don’t cry for the dead one [C the king] or ·be sad about [bemoan] him.
But cry ·painfully for the king who is being taken [L for the one who goes] away [C into exile],
because he will never return
or see ·his homeland [L the land of his birth] again.
11 This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz [L Shallum; C ruled 597 bc; 2 Kin. 23:31–33] son of Josiah who became king of Judah after his father left this place [C died]: “He will never return. 12 He will die where he has been taken ·captive [into exile], and he will not see this land again.”
Judgment Against Jehoiakim
13 “·How terrible it will be for one [Woe to the one; C King Jehoiakim (605–597 bc), placed on the throne by the Egyptian pharaoh to replace his brother Jehoahaz; 2 Kin. 23:34] who builds his ·palace [L house] by ·doing evil [L unrighteousness],
·who cheats people so he can build its upper rooms [his upper rooms without justice].
He makes his ·own people [L neighbors] work for nothing
and does not pay them.
14 He says, ‘I will build a ·great palace [L spacious house] for myself
with large upper rooms.’
So he ·builds it with [cuts out] large windows
and uses cedar wood for the ·walls [panels],
which he paints ·red [vermilion].
15 “Does having a lot of cedar [C in your house]
make you a great king?
·Your father was satisfied to [L Did not your father…?; C Josiah, a godly king] have food and drink.
He did what was right and fair,
so everything went well for him.
16 He ·helped [L judged the cause of] those who were poor and needy,
so everything went well for him.
·That is what it [L Is this not what it…?] means to know ·God [L me],”
says the Lord.
17 “But ·you only look for and think about [L your eyes and your heart are on]
what you can get dishonestly.
You are even willing to ·kill innocent people [L pour out innocent blood] to get it.
You feel free to ·hurt [oppress] people and to steal from them.”
18 So this is what the Lord says to Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
“They [C the people of Judah] will not cry [mourn] ·when Jehoiakim dies [L for him],
saying: ‘·Oh [Woe], my brother,’ or ‘·Oh [Woe], my sister.’
They will not ·cry [mourn] for him, saying:
‘·Oh [Woe], master,’ or ‘·Oh [Woe], my king.’
19 They will bury him like a donkey,
dragging and throwing his body away
outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20 “Judah, go up to Lebanon and cry out.
Let your voice be heard in Bashan.
Cry out from Abarim,
because all your friends are destroyed!
21 When you [C Judah] were ·successful [prosperous], I warned you,
but you said, ‘I won’t listen.’
·You have acted like this [L This is your way/path] since you were young;
you have not ·obeyed me [L listened to my voice].
22 ·Like a storm, my punishment will blow all your shepherds away [L The wind will shepherd all your shepherds away]
and send your ·friends [or lovers] into ·captivity [exile; 2 Kin. 23:36—24:7].
Then you will really be ashamed and ·disgraced [humiliated]
because of all the ·wicked things [evil] you did.
23 You [C King Jehoiakim] live in Lebanon [C the palace was made of cedar from Lebanon],
·cozy [nestled] in your rooms of cedar.
But when your ·punishment [L pangs] comes, how you will groan
like a woman ·giving birth to a baby [in labor]!
Judgment upon Jehoiachin
24 “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “·Jehoiachin [L Coniah; C ruled 597 bc; 2 Kin. 24:8–17; 2 Chr. 36:9–10] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, even if you were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still ·pull [tear] you off. 25 I will ·hand you over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans]—those people you fear because they ·want to kill you [L seek your life]. 26 I will ·throw [hurl] you and your mother who bore you into another country [C Babylon]. Neither of you was born there, but both of you will die there. 27 They will want to come back, but they will never be able to return.”
28 ·Jehoiachin is like a broken pot someone threw away [L Is this man Jehoiachin a despised broken pot…?];
·he is like something [L a vessel…?] no one wants.
Why will Jehoiachin and his children be ·thrown out [hurled away]
and ·sent [thrown] into a ·foreign land [country they do not know; C exiled to Babylon]?
29 Land, land, land [C of Judah],
hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
“Write this down ·in the record about [L about this man; C Jehoiachin]:
He is a man without children,
a man who will not be successful in his ·lifetime [L days].
And none of his descendants will be successful;
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule in Judah.”
The Evil Leaders of Judah
23 “·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] ·those [L the shepherds; C the leaders of Judah] who are scattering and destroying ·my people [L the sheep of my pasture],” says the Lord.
2 They are ·responsible for the people [L the shepherds who shepherd my people; Num. 27:7; Ps. 78:70–72; Ezek. 34], so the Lord, the God of Israel, says to them: “You have scattered my ·people [flock] and forced them away and not taken care of them. So I will ·punish [take care of] you for the evil things you have done,” says the Lord. 3 “But I will gather ·those who are left alive [L the remnant of my flock] from all the lands where I have driven them and bring them back to their own ·country [flock]. Then they will ·have many children and grow in number [be fruitful and multiply]. 4 I will ·place [raise up] ·new leaders over my people, who will take care of them [L shepherds who will shepherd them]. And my people will not be afraid or terrified again, and none of them will be lost,” says the Lord.
The Good Branch Will Come
5 “The days are coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a ·good [righteous] branch ·in David’s family [L for David; Is. 4:2; Zech. 3:8; 6:12].
He will be a king who will rule in a wise way;
he will do ·what is fair and right [justice and righteousness] in the land.
6 In his time Judah will be ·saved [rescued],
and Israel will live ·in safety [with confidence].
This will be his name:
The Lord ·Does What Is Right [L Our Righteousness].
7 “So the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when people will not say again: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought Israel out of Egypt….’ 8 But people will say something new: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the ·descendants of Israel [L seed of the house of Israel] from the land of the north [C Babylon] and from all the countries where he had ·sent [driven] them away….’ Then the people of Israel will live in their own land [16:14–15].”
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