Bible in 90 Days
23 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying: 24 “Have you [C Jeremiah] heard what the people are saying? They say: ‘The Lord ·turned away from [rejected] the two ·families [kingdoms; C of Israel and Judah] that he chose.’ Now they [L hold my people in such contempt that they] don’t think of them as a nation anymore!”
25 This is what the Lord says: “If I had not made my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with day and night [v. 20], and if I had not made the ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] for the ·sky [heavens] and earth, 26 only then would I ·turn away from [reject] Jacob’s ·descendants [L seed]. And only then would I not let the ·descendants [L seed] of David my servant rule over the ·descendants [L seed] of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will be ·kind [compassionate] to them and ·cause good things to happen to them [restore their fortunes] again.”
A Warning to Zedekiah
34 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and all the towns around it. Nebuchadnezzar had with him all his army and the armies of all the kingdoms and peoples ·he ruled [under his hand]. 2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said: “Jeremiah, go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord says: I will soon hand this city [C Jerusalem] over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it ·down [L with fire]! 3 You will not escape from ·the king of Babylon [L his hand]; you will surely be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon ·with your own eyes [eye to eye], and he will talk to you face to face. And you will go to Babylon. 4 But, Zedekiah king of Judah, listen to the promise of the Lord. This is what the Lord says about you: You will not be killed with a sword. 5 You will die in a peaceful way. As people ·made funeral fires [or burn spices; L burn] to honor your ·ancestors [fathers], the kings who ruled before you, so people will ·make a funeral fire [or burn spices; L burn] to honor you. They will ·cry for you and sadly [mourn for you and] say, “Ah, master!” I myself make this promise to you, says the Lord [52:8–11].’”
6 So Jeremiah the prophet gave this message to Zedekiah in Jerusalem. 7 This was while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that ·had not yet been taken [remained]—Lachish and Azekah [C fortress cities to the west of Jerusalem]. These were the only ·strong, walled [fortified] cities left in the land of Judah.
Slaves Are Mistreated
8 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. This was after King Zedekiah had ·made [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with all the people in Jerusalem to ·free all the Hebrew slaves [L proclaim liberty/emancipation; Ex. 21:1–11; Lev. 25:39–46; Deut. 15:12–18]. 9 Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to keep a fellow ·Jew [L Judean] as a slave. 10 All the officers and all the people ·accepted [obeyed] this agreement; they agreed to free their male and female slaves and no longer keep them as slaves. So all the slaves were set free. 11 But after that, they [C the people who owned slaves] ·changed their minds [L turned back]. So they took back the people they had set free and made them slaves again.
12 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought your ·ancestors [fathers] out of Egypt ·where they were slaves [L the house of bondage/slavery] and ·made [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with them. 14 I said to your ·ancestors [fathers]: ‘At the end of every seven years, each one of you must set his Hebrew slaves free. If a fellow Hebrew has sold himself to you, you must let him go free after he has served you for six years.’ But your ·ancestors [fathers] did not listen or ·pay attention [L incline their ear] to me. 15 A short time ago you ·changed your hearts [repented] and did what ·I say is right [L was right in my eyes]. ·Each of you gave freedom [L …to proclaim liberty/emancipation] to his fellow Hebrews who were slaves. And you even ·made [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] before me in the place ·where I have chosen to be worshiped [L called by my name]. 16 But now you have ·changed your minds [turned around]. You have ·shown you do not honor [profaned; dishonored] me. Each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free, and you have forced them to become your slaves again.
17 “So this is what the Lord says: You have not ·obeyed [listened to] me. You have not ·given freedom [proclaimed liberty/emancipation] to your fellow Hebrews, neither ·relatives [brothers] nor ·friends [neighbors]. But now I will ·give freedom [proclaim liberty/emancipation to you], says the Lord, to ·war [L the sword], to ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence], and to ·hunger [famine]. I will make you ·hated by [a horror to] all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 I will hand over the men who ·broke [transgressed] my ·agreement [covenant; treaty], who have not kept the ·promises [L terms of the covenant/treaty] they made before me. They cut a calf into two pieces before me and ·walked between [L passed through] the pieces [C an ancient oath ritual saying that if one broke the agreement they would die like the calf; Gen. 15:9–20]. 19 These people made the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] before me by ·walking between [L passing through] the pieces of the calf: the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the ·officers of the court [or eunuchs], the priests, and all the people of the land. 20 So I will hand them over to their enemies and to everyone who ·wants to kill them [L seeks their life]. Their ·bodies [corpses] will become food for the birds of the ·air [heavens] and for the wild animals of the earth. 21 I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officers over to their enemies, and to everyone who ·wants to kill them [L seeks their life], and to the army of the king of Babylon, even though they have ·left Jerusalem [L gone up from you]. 22 I will give the order, says the Lord, to ·bring the Babylonian army back to Jerusalem [L return them to this city]. It will fight against it, capture it, set it on fire, and burn it down. I will ·destroy the towns in Judah so that they become ruins [L make the towns of Judah a desolation] where no one lives!”
The Recabite Family Obeys God
35 When Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C ruled 609–597 bc], the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying: 2 “Go to the ·family [L house] of Recab. Invite them to come to one of the ·side rooms [chambers] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and offer them wine to drink.”
3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah [C not the prophet, but a man with the same name], the son of Habazziniah. And I gathered all of Jaazaniah’s brothers and sons and the whole ·family [L house] of the Recabites together. 4 Then I brought them into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. We went into the ·room [chamber] of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, who was a man of God. The ·room [chamber] was next to the one where the officers stay and above the ·room [chamber] of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the ·doorkeeper in the Temple [L guard/keeper of the threshold]. 5 Then I put some ·bowls [pitchers] full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite ·family [L house]. And I said to them, “Drink some wine.”
6 But the Recabite men answered, “We never drink wine. Our ·ancestor [father] Jonadab son of Recab [2 Kin. 10:15–17] gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, ·plant [L sow] seeds, or plant vineyards, or do any of those things. You must live only in tents all your days. Then you will live ·a long time [L many days] in the land where you are ·wanderers [sojourners; resident aliens].’ 8 So we Recabites ·have obeyed everything [L listened to the voice of] Jonadab our ·ancestor [father] commanded us. Neither we nor our wives, sons, or daughters ever drink wine. 9 We never build houses in which to live, or own fields or vineyards, or ·plant crops [L seed]. 10 We have lived in tents and have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ·attacked Judah [L came up to the land], we said to each other, ‘Come, we must enter Jerusalem ·so we can escape [L from before] the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army and the Aramean army.’ So we have stayed [lived] in Jerusalem [C though they may not be living in houses, in conformity to their ancestor’s command].”
12 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: Jeremiah, go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem: ‘·You should [L Can you not…?] learn a lesson and obey my message,’ says the Lord. 14 ‘Jonadab son of Recab ordered his descendants not to drink wine, and that command has been obeyed. Until today they have obeyed their ·ancestor’s [father’s] command; they do not drink wine. But I, the Lord, have given you messages again and again, but you did not ·obey [listen to] me. 15 I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, “Each of you must ·stop doing evil [L turn from his evil way/path]. You must change and be good. Do not ·follow [L go after] other gods to serve them. If you obey me, you will live in the land I have given to you and your ·ancestors [fathers].” But you have not ·listened [L inclined your ear] to me or paid attention to my message. 16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab obeyed the commands their ancestor gave them, but the people of Judah have not obeyed me [C the Recabites carefully observe the law of a human while Israel rejects divine law].’
17 “So the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘I will soon bring every ·disaster [trouble; evil] I said would come to Judah and to everyone living in Jerusalem. I spoke to those people, but they refused to listen. I called out to them, but they did not answer me.’”
18 Then Jeremiah said to the [L house of the] Recabites, “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘You have ·obeyed [listened to] the commands of your ·ancestor [father] Jonadab and have ·followed all of his teachings [kept/guarded all his commands]; you have done everything he commanded.’ 19 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘·There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of Recab to serve me [L Jonadab son of Recab will not lack a descendant to stand before me for all days].’”
Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll
36 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah during the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C 605 bc]: 2 “Get a scroll. Write on it all the words I have spoken to you about Israel and Judah and all the nations. Write everything from when I first spoke to you, when Josiah was king, until now [C his prophecies began in the thirteenth year of this king, 626 bc; 1:1–3]. 3 Maybe the ·family [L house] of Judah will hear what ·disasters [evil; troubles] I am planning to ·bring on [L do to] them and will ·stop doing wicked things [L turn back from his evil ways/paths]. Then I would forgive them for ·the sins and the evil things they have done [L their iniquities and their sins].”
4 So Jeremiah called for Baruch son of Neriah [32:12; 43:3, 6; 45:1–2]. ·Jeremiah spoke the messages the Lord had given him, and Baruch wrote those messages [L Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which he spoke to him] on the scroll. 5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I cannot go to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. I ·must stay here [L am confined/restricted/imprisoned]. 6 So I want you to go to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord on a day when the people are fasting. Read from the scroll ·to [L in the ears of] all the people of Judah who come into Jerusalem from their towns. Read the messages from the Lord, which are the words you wrote on the scroll ·as I spoke them to you [L from my mouth]. 7 Perhaps ·they will ask the Lord to help them [L their supplications will fall before the Lord]. Perhaps each one will ·stop doing wicked things [L turn from their evil ways], because the Lord has announced that he is very angry with them.” 8 So Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet ·told [L commanded] him to do. In the Lord’s ·Temple [L house] he read aloud the scroll that had the Lord’s messages written on it.
9 In the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king [C 604 bc], a fast was announced. All the people of Jerusalem and everyone who had come into Jerusalem from the towns of Judah were supposed to ·give up eating to honor [L fast before] the Lord. 10 At that time Baruch read to all the people there the scroll containing Jeremiah’s words. He read the scroll in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord in the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan, a ·royal secretary [scribe]. That ·room [chamber] was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the Temple.
11 Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the messages from the Lord that were on the scroll. 12 Micaiah went down to the ·royal secretary’s [scribe’s] room in the king’s ·palace [L house] where all of the officers were sitting: Elishama the ·royal secretary [scribe]; Delaiah son of Shemaiah; Elnathan son of Acbor [2 Kin. 22:8–10]; Gemariah son of Shaphan; Zedekiah son of Hananiah; and all the other officers. 13 Micaiah told those officers everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll.
14 Then the officers sent a man named Jehudi son of Nethaniah to Baruch. (Nethaniah was the son of Shelemiah, who was the son of Cushi.) Jehudi said to Baruch, “·Bring [L Take in your hand] the scroll that you read ·to [L in the ears of] the people and come with me.”
So Baruch son of Neriah took in his hand the scroll and went with Jehudi to the officers. 15 Then the officers said to Baruch, “Please sit down and read the scroll ·to us [L in our ears].”
So Baruch read the scroll ·to them [L in their ears] . 16 When the officers heard all the words, they became afraid and looked at each other. They said to Baruch, “We must certainly tell the king about these words.” 17 Then the officers asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, ·where did you get all these words you wrote on the scroll [L how did you write all these words]? ·Did you write down what Jeremiah said to you [At his dictation; L From his mouth]?”
18 “Yes,” Baruch answered. “Jeremiah spoke them ·all to me [L from his mouth], and I wrote them down with ink on this scroll.”
19 Then the officers said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must go and hide, and ·don’t tell anyone [L no one must know] where you are.”
20 The officers put the scroll in the room of Elishama the ·royal secretary [scribe]. Then they went to the king in the courtyard and told ·him all about the scroll [L all these words in the ear of the king]. 21 So King Jehoiakim sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought the scroll from the room of Elishama the ·royal secretary [scribe] and read it ·to [L in the ears of] the king and ·to [L in the ears of] all the officers who stood around the king. 22 It was the ninth month of the year [C late autumn], so King Jehoiakim was sitting in the winter apartment. There was a fire burning in a ·small firepot [brazier] in front of him. 23 After Jehudi had read three or four columns, ·the king [L he] cut those columns off of the scroll with a penknife and threw them into the ·firepot [brazier]. Finally, the whole scroll was burned in the fire. 24 King Jehoiakim and his servants heard ·everything that was said [L all these words], but they were not frightened! They did not tear their clothes [C to show their sorrow]. 25 Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah ·even tried to talk [beseeched] King Jehoiakim out of burning the scroll, but he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king ordered Jerahmeel son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the ·secretary [scribe] and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.
27 So King Jehoiakim burned the scroll where Baruch had written ·all the words Jeremiah had spoken to him [L from the mouth of Jeremiah]. Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 28 “Get another scroll. Write all the words on it that were on the first scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29 Also say this to Jehoiakim king of Judah: ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned up that scroll and said, “Why, Jeremiah, did you write on it ‘the king of Babylon will surely come and destroy this land and the people and animals in it’?” 30 So this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: Jehoiakim’s descendants will not sit on David’s throne. When Jehoiakim dies, his body will be thrown out on the ground. It will be left out in the heat of the day and in the frost of the night. 31 I will punish Jehoiakim and his ·children [L seed] and his servants, because ·they have done evil things [of their guilt/iniquity]. I will bring ·disasters [evil; trouble] upon them and upon all the people in Jerusalem and Judah—everything I promised but which they refused to hear.’”
32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, his ·secretary [scribe]. ·As Jeremiah spoke [L From the mouth of Jeremiah], Baruch wrote on the scroll the same words that were on the scroll Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to the second scroll.
Jeremiah in Prison
37 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had ·appointed [made king] Zedekiah son of Josiah to be king of Judah [C in 597 bc; he ruled until 586 bc]. Zedekiah took the place of ·Jehoiachin [L Coniah] son of Jehoiakim. 2 But Zedekiah, his servants, and the people of Judah did not listen to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 Now King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah [21:1; 29:25, 29; 52:24] with a message to Jeremiah the prophet. This was the message: “Jeremiah, please pray to the Lord our God for us.”
4 At that time Jeremiah had not yet been put into ·prison [L the house of confinement]. So he ·was free to go anywhere he wanted [L came and went among the people]. 5 The army of the ·king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] had marched from Egypt [C toward Judah]. Now the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans] had ·surrounded [besieged] the city of Jerusalem. When they heard about the Egyptian army marching toward them, the Babylonian army left Jerusalem.
6 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Jehucal and Zephaniah, I know Zedekiah king of Judah sent you to seek me [C to get his help]. Tell this to King Zedekiah: ‘The army of the king of Egypt came here to help you, but they will ·go back [return] to Egypt. 8 After that, the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans] will return and ·attack [fight] this city [C Jerusalem] and capture it and burn it ·down [L with fire].’
9 “This is what the Lord says: People of Jerusalem, do not ·fool [deceive] yourselves. Don’t say, ‘The ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans] will surely ·leave us alone [L go away from us].’ They will not! 10 Even if you ·defeated [L struck] all of the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans] that is ·attacking [fighting] you and there were only a few injured men left in their tents, they would ·come from their tents [L rise up] and burn ·down Jerusalem [L this city with fire]!”
11 So the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army left Jerusalem to fight the army of ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh]. 12 Now Jeremiah tried to travel from Jerusalem to the land of Benjamin to get his share of the property ·that belonged to his family [L among the people; 32:1–15]. 13 When Jeremiah got to the Benjamin Gate [38:7; Ezek. 48:32; Zech 14:10] of Jerusalem, the captain in charge of the guards arrested him. The captain’s name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah. Irijah said, “You are ·leaving us to join the Babylonians [deserting/defecting/L falling to the Chaldeans]!”
14 But Jeremiah said to Irijah, “·That’s not true [False; Lies]! I am not ·leaving to join the Babylonians [deserting/defecting/L falling to the Chaldeans].” Irijah refused to listen to Jeremiah, so he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officers of Jerusalem. 15 Those ·rulers [L officers] were very angry with Jeremiah and ·beat [L struck] him. Then they put him in ·jail [L house of confinement] in the house of Jonathan the ·royal secretary [scribe], which had been made into a prison [L house of confinement]. 16 So those people put Jeremiah into a cell in a ·dungeon [L house of the pit/cistern], and Jeremiah was there for ·a long time [L many days].
17 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the palace. Zedekiah asked him in ·private [secret], “Is there any message from the Lord?”
Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is. Zedekiah, you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” 18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What ·crime [sin] have I done against you or your officers or the people of Jerusalem? Why have you ·thrown [placed] me into ·prison [L the house of confinement]? 19 Where are your prophets that prophesied this message to you: ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’ [C Judah]? 20 But now, my master, king [C of Judah], please listen to me, and please ·do what I ask of [L let my pleas for help/supplications fall before] you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the ·royal secretary [scribe], or I will die there!”
21 So King Zedekiah gave orders for Jeremiah to be put under guard in the courtyard of the guard and to be given bread each day from the street of the bakers until there was no more bread in the city. So he stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard.
Jeremiah Is Thrown into a Well
38 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, ·Jehucal [L Jucal; 37:3] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah [21:1] heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people. He said: 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Everyone who stays in this city [C Jerusalem] will die ·from war [L by sword], or ·hunger [famine], or ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence]. But everyone who ·surrenders [L goes out] to the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans] will live; ·they will escape with their lives and [L their lives will be plunder and they will] live.’ 3 And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He will capture this city!’”
4 Then the officers said to the king, “This man [C Jeremiah] must be put to death! He is ·discouraging [demoralizing; L weakening the hands of] the soldiers who are still in the city, and all the people, by what he is saying to them. He ·does not want good to happen to us [L is not seeking our welfare/peace]; ·he wants to ruin us [L …only harm/trouble/evil].”
5 King Zedekiah said to them, “·Jeremiah is in your control [L He is in your hands]. ·I cannot do anything [L The king is powerless] to stop you.”
6 So they [C the officers] took Jeremiah and put him into the ·well [cistern; pit] of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guards. The officers used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the ·well [cistern; pit], which did not have any water in it, only mud. And Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7 But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite [C an Ethiopian] and a ·servant [or eunuch] in the ·palace [L house of the king], heard that the officers had put Jeremiah into the ·well [cistern; pit]. As King Zedekiah was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8 Ebed-Melech left the ·palace [L house of the king] and went to the king. Ebed-Melech said to him, 9 “My master and king, these rulers have acted in an evil way. They have treated Jeremiah the prophet badly. They have thrown him into a ·well [cistern; pit] and left him there to die! ·When there [or There] is no more bread in the city, he will starve to death.”
10 Then King Zedekiah commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from the palace and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the ·well [cistern; pit] before he dies.”
11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the storeroom in the palace. He took some ·old rags [tattered] and worn-out clothes from that room. Then he let those rags down with some ropes to Jeremiah in the ·well [cistern; well]. 12 Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these ·old rags [tattered] and worn-out clothes under your arms to be pads for the ropes.” So Jeremiah did as Ebed-Melech said. 13 The men pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the ·well [cistern; pit; Ps. 30:1–3]. And Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard [39:15–18].
Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah
14 Then King Zedekiah sent someone to get Jeremiah the prophet and bring him to the third entrance to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. The king said to Jeremiah, “I am going to ask you something. Do not hide anything from me, but tell me everything honestly [37:16–21].”
15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, ·you will surely [L won’t you…?] kill me. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16 But King Zedekiah ·made a secret promise [L swore in secret] to Jeremiah, “As surely as the Lord lives who has given us breath and life, I will not kill you. And I promise not to hand you over to these men [C the officers] who ·want to kill you [L seek your life].”
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘If you ·surrender [L go out] to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be saved. This city [C Jerusalem] will not be burned ·down [L with fire], and you and your ·family [L house] will live. 18 But if you refuse to ·surrender [L go out] to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans], and they will burn it ·down [L with fire]. And you yourself will not escape from ·them [L their hand].’”
19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I’m afraid of some ·Jews [L Judeans] who have already ·gone over to the side of [L deserted/defected/L fallen to] the ·Babylonian army [L Chaldeans]. If they [C the Babylonians] hand me over to them, they will ·treat me badly [abuse me].”
20 But Jeremiah answered, “·The Babylonians will not hand you over to the Jews [L You will not be given up]. ·Obey [L Listen to the voice of] the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then things will go well for you, and your life will be saved. 21 But if you refuse to ·surrender [L go out] to the Babylonians, the Lord has shown me what will happen. 22 All the women left in the ·palace [L house] of the king of Judah will be brought out and taken to the important officers of the king of Babylon. Your women will ·make fun of you with this song [L say]:
‘Your good friends ·misled [deceived; seduced; enticed] you
and ·were stronger than [overpowered] you.
While your feet ·were stuck [sank down] in the mud,
they ·left [turned their back on] you.’
23 “All your wives and children will be brought out and given to the Babylonian army. You yourself will not even escape from them. You will be ·taken prisoner [captured] by the king of Babylon, and this city [C Jerusalem] will be burned ·down [L with fire].”
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not tell anyone that I have been talking to you, or you will die. 25 If the officers find out I talked to you, they will come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to King Zedekiah and what he said to you. Don’t ·keep any secrets from us [conceal anything from us]. If you don’t tell us everything, we will kill you.’ 26 If they ask you, tell them, ‘I was ·begging [L making my pleas for help/supplications/falling before] the king not to ·send [return] me back to Jonathan’s house to die.’”
27 All the officers did come to question Jeremiah. So he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. Then the officers said no more to Jeremiah, because no one had heard what Jeremiah and the king had discussed.
28 So Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
The Fall of Jerusalem
39 This is how Jerusalem was captured: Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and ·surrounded the city to attack it [L besieged it]. This was during the tenth month of the ninth year Zedekiah was king of Judah [C January 588 bc; 52:4]. 2 This lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month in Zedekiah’s eleventh year [C July 18, 586 bc]. Then the city wall was ·broken through [breached]. 3 And all these officers of the king of Babylon came [C into Jerusalem] and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer ·of the district of Samgar [or Samgar-nebo]; Nebo-Sarsekim, a chief ·officer [or eunuch]; Nergal-Sharezer, ·an important leader [or the Rabmag]; and all the other important officers.
4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all his soldiers saw them, they ·ran away [fled]. They ·left [went out of] Jerusalem at night and went out ·from [L by way of] the king’s garden. They went through the gate that was between the two walls and then headed toward the ·Jordan Valley [L Arabah]. 5 But the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army ·chased [pursued] them and ·caught up with [overtook] Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was at the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath [C north of Israel, in Syria]. There Nebuchadnezzar passed ·his sentence [judgment] on Zedekiah. 6 At Riblah the king of Babylon ·killed [slaughtered] Zedekiah’s sons and all the ·important officers [nobles] of Judah ·as Zedekiah watched [L before his eyes]. 7 Then he ·put out [blinded] Zedekiah’s eyes. He put bronze chains on Zedekiah and took him to Babylon.
8 The ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] ·set fire to [L burned with fire] the ·palace [L house of the king] and to the houses of the people, and they ·broke [tore] down the walls around Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan, commander of the king’s special guards, took the people left in Jerusalem, those captives who had ·surrendered [deserted; defected; L fell] to him earlier, and the rest of the people of Jerusalem, and he ·took them all away [exiled them all] to Babylon. 10 But Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard, left some of the poorest people of Judah behind. They owned nothing, but that day he gave them vineyards and fields.
11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had ·given these orders [commanded] about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard: 12 “Find Jeremiah and take care of him. Do not ·hurt [do evil to] him, but do for him whatever he asks you.” 13 So Nebuchadnezzar sent these men for Jeremiah: Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards; Nebushazban, a chief ·officer [or eunuch]; Nergal-Sharezer, ·an important leader [or the Rabmag]; and all the other officers of the king of Babylon. 14 They had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. Then they turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan [C the new governor of the Babylonian province of Judah; 40:5], who had orders to take Jeremiah back home. So they took him home, and he stayed among the people left in Judah.
15 While Jeremiah was guarded in the courtyard, the Lord spoke his word to him: 16 “Jeremiah, go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite [C Ethiopian; 38:7–13] this message: ‘This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: Very soon I will make my words about this city [C Jerusalem] come true ·through [for] ·disaster [evil; trouble], not ·through [for] ·good times [good]. You will see everything come true with your own eyes. 17 But I will ·save [rescue; deliver ] you on that day, Ebed-Melech, says the Lord. You will not be handed over to the people you fear. 18 I will surely ·save [rescue] you [C Ebed-Melech]. You will not ·die from [L fall by] a sword, but ·you will escape and live [L your life will be plunder]. This will happen because you have ·trusted [confidence] in me, says the Lord.’”
Jeremiah Is Set Free
40 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards, had ·set Jeremiah free at the city of [released/L sent him from] Ramah. He had found Jeremiah in Ramah bound in ·chains [fetters] with all the ·captives [exiles] from Jerusalem and Judah who were being ·taken away [exiled] to Babylon. 2 When commander ·Nebuzaradan [L of the guards] ·found [L took] Jeremiah, Nebuzaradan said to him, “The Lord your God announced this ·disaster [evil; trouble] would come to this place. 3 And now the Lord has done everything he ·said [promised] he would do. This ·disaster [evil; trouble] happened because you [C the people of Judah] sinned against the Lord and did not ·obey him [L listen to his voice]. 4 But today I am ·freeing [releasing] you from the ·chains [fetters] on your ·wrists [L hands]. If ·you want to [L it is good in your eyes], come with me to Babylon, and I will ·take good care of you [L set my eyes on you]. But if ·you don’t want to come [L it is wrong/evil/bad in your eyes to come with me to Babylon], then ·don’t [fine]. Look, the whole country is open to you. Go wherever ·you wish [L it is good and right in your eyes].” 5 Before Jeremiah turned to leave, Nebuzaradan said, “Or go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. The king of Babylon has ·chosen [appointed] him to be governor over the towns of Judah. Go and ·live [stay] with Gedaliah among the people, or go anywhere ·you want [L it is right in your eyes].”
Then Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some ·food [provisions] and a ·present [gift] and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah [C perhaps Tell en-Nasbeh eight miles north of Jerusalem; Judg. 20:1–3; 1 Sam. 7:5–14; 10:17–24] and stayed with him there. He lived among the people who ·were left behind in Judah [L remained in the land].
The Short Rule of Gedaliah
7 Some officers and their men from the army of Judah were still out in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylon had ·put [appointed] Gedaliah son of Ahikam ·in charge of the people [L governor of those] who ·were left [remained] in the land: the men, women, and children who were the poorest. They were the ones who were not ·taken to Babylon as captives [exiled to Babylon]. 8 So these soldiers came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men.
9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ·made a promise [swore] to them, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans]. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then everything will go well for you. 10 I myself will live in Mizpah and will ·speak for you [represent you; L stand] before the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] who come to us here. Harvest the wine, the summer fruit, and the oil, and put what you harvest in your storage jars. Live in the towns you control.”
11 The ·Jews [L Judeans] in Moab, ·Ammon [L the sons of Ammon], Edom, and other countries also heard that the king of Babylon had left a ·few Jews alive in the land [L remnant in Judea]. And they heard the king of Babylon had ·chosen [appointed] Gedaliah as governor over them. (Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.) 12 When the people of Judah heard this news, they came back to Judah from all the countries where they had been scattered. They came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and gathered a large harvest of wine and summer fruit.
13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers of Judah still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14 They said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the ·Ammonite people [L sons of Ammon] wants you dead? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to ·kill you [L strike your life].” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam ·did [or would] not believe them.
15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in ·private [secret] at Mizpah. He said, “Let me go and ·kill [L strike] Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know anything about it. ·We should not let Ishmael [L Why should he…?] ·kill you [L strike your life]. Then all ·the Jews [L Judah] gathered around you would be scattered to different countries again, and the ·few people of Judah who are left alive [L the remnant of Judah] would ·be lost [perish].”
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not ·kill Ishmael [L do this thing]! The things you are saying about Ishmael are ·not true [false; lies].”
41 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ten of his men came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam [C the Babylonian appointed governor] at Mizpah [40:6]. (Nethaniah was the son of Elishama.) Now Ishmael was a member of the ·king’s [royal] family and had been one of the officers of the king of Judah. While they were eating ·a meal with Gedaliah [L bread together] at Mizpah, 2 Ishmael and his ten men got up and killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with a sword. (Gedaliah was the man the king of Babylon had ·chosen [appointed] as governor over Judah.) 3 Ishmael also killed all the ·Jews [L Judeans] and the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] soldiers who were there with Gedaliah at Mizpah.
4 The day after Gedaliah was murdered, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men came to Mizpah bringing ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] and incense to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Those men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria [C important centers in northern Israel] had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and ·cut [gashed] themselves [C mourning rituals]. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, crying as he walked. When he ·met [encountered] them, he said, “Come with me to meet Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7 So they went into Mizpah. Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his men ·killed [slaughtered] seventy of them and threw the bodies into a deep ·well [cistern; pit]. 8 But the ten men who were ·left alive [L still found] said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have stores of wheat and barley and oil and honey that we have hidden in a field.” So ·Ishmael let them live [L he stopped] and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the ·well [cistern; pit] where he had thrown all the bodies had been made by King Asa [C ruled 913–873 bc] as a part of his defenses against Baasha king of Israel [C ruled 900–877 bc; 1 Kin. 15:9–24; 15:33—16:7]. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah put dead bodies in it until it was full.
10 Ishmael captured all the other people in Mizpah: the king’s daughters and all the other people who ·were left [remained] there. They were the ones whom Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had ·chosen Gedaliah son of Ahikam to take care of [appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over]. So Ishmael son of Nethaniah captured those people, and he started to cross over to the country of the ·Ammonites [L sons of Ammon].
11 Johanan son of Kareah [40:13–14] and all his army officers with him heard about all the ·evil things [crimes] Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done. 12 So they took their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ·caught [L found] him near the ·big pool of water [L many waters] at Gibeon [C southwest of Mizpah; 2 Sam. 2:8–17]. 13 When ·the captives Ishmael had taken [L all the people who were with Ishmael] saw Johanan and the army officers, they were glad. 14 So all the people Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and ran to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and ran away to the ·Ammonites [L sons of Ammon].
16 So Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers ·saved [L took] the captives that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken from Mizpah after he ·murdered [L struck] Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Among those left alive were soldiers, women, children, and ·palace officers [or eunuchs]. And Johanan brought them back from the town of Gibeon.
The Escape to Egypt
42 While there, Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah [or Azariah; 43:2] son of Hoshaiah ·went to [approached] Jeremiah the prophet. All the army officers and all the people, from the least important to the greatest, went along, too. 2 They said to him, “Jeremiah, ·please listen to what we ask [L let our pleas for help/supplications fall before you]. Pray to the Lord your God for all ·the people left alive from the family of Judah [L this remnant]. At one time there were many of us, but ·you can see that [L as your eyes can see] there are few of us now. 3 So pray that the Lord your God will tell us ·where we should go [L the path on which we should go] and what we should do.”
4 Then Jeremiah the prophet answered, “I ·understand what you want me to do [L hear]. I will pray to the Lord your God ·as you have asked [L according to your works]. I will tell you ·everything he says [all his answers] and not ·hide [L keep back] anything from you.”
5 Then the people said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and ·loyal [faithful] witness against us if we don’t do everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6 ·It does not matter if we like the message or not [L Whether good or bad…]. We will ·obey [listen to] the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you. We will ·obey [listen to] what he says so good things will happen to us.”
7 Ten days later the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. 8 Then Jeremiah called for Johanan son of Kareah, the army officers with him, and all the other people, from the least important to the greatest. 9 Jeremiah said to them, “You sent me to ·ask the Lord for what you wanted [L make your supplications/fall before him]. This is what the God of Israel says: 10 ‘If you will stay in this land [C Judah], I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not ·pull [tear] you up [1:10], because I am ·sad [sorry] about the ·disaster [evil; trouble] I ·brought on [L did to] you. 11 Now you fear the king of Babylon, but don’t be afraid of him. Don’t be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘because I am with you. I will save you and ·rescue [protect] you from his ·power [L hand]. 12 I will be ·kind [compassionate; merciful] to you, and he will also treat you with ·mercy [kindness; compassion] and ·let you stay [restore you] in your land.’
13 “But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land [C Judah],’ you will ·disobey [not listen to the voice of] the Lord your God. 14 Or you might say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt. There we will not see war, or hear the trumpets of ·war [battle], or ·be hungry [famine].’ 15 If you say that, listen to the message of the Lord, ·you who are left alive from [remnant of] Judah. This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘If you ·make up your mind [are determined] to go and live in Egypt, these things will happen: 16 ·You are afraid of war, but it will find you [L The sword you fear will overtake you there,] in the land of Egypt. And ·you are worried about hunger, but it will follow you into [L the famine you dread will cling after you there in] Egypt, and you will die there. 17 Everyone who ·goes to live in [L sets their face to go to] Egypt will die ·in war [L by sword] or from ·hunger [famine] or ·terrible disease [plague; pestilence]. ·No one who goes to Egypt will live; no one will escape [L There will be no remnant or survivor from] the ·terrible things [harm; L evil] I will bring to them.’
18 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘I ·showed [poured out] my anger against the people of Jerusalem. In the same way I will ·show [pour out] my anger against you when you go to Egypt. Other nations will speak evil of you. People will be ·shocked [horrified] by what will happen to you. You will become a curse word, and people will ·insult [ridicule] you. And you will never see this place [C Judah] again.’
19 “·You who are left alive in [Remnant of] Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Don’t go to Egypt.’ Be sure you ·understand [know] this; I warn you today 20 that you ·are making a mistake that will cause your deaths [made a fatal mistake; L have erred with your life]. You sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us. Tell us everything the Lord our God says, and we will do it.’ 21 So today I have ·told [proclaimed to] you, but you have not ·obeyed [listened to the voice of] the Lord your God in all that he sent me to tell you. 22 So now be sure you ·understand [know] this: You want to go to live in Egypt, but you will die there by ·war [L sword], ·hunger [famine], or ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence].”
43 So Jeremiah finished telling the people the message from the Lord their God; he told them everything the Lord their God had sent him to tell them.
2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah [42:1], Johanan son of Kareah, and some other men were ·too proud [arrogant]. They said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to ·live [sojourn; wander] there.’ 3 Baruch son of Neriah [C Jeremiah’s assistant; chs. 35; 45] is causing you to be against us. He wants you to hand us over to the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] so they can kill us or ·capture us and take [exile] us to Babylon.”
4 So Johanan, the army officers, and all the people ·disobeyed the Lord’s command [did not listen to the voice of the Lord] to stay in Judah. 5 But Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers ·led away [L took] ·those who were left alive from [the remnant of] Judah. They were the people who had ·run away from the Babylonians [been driven] to other countries but then had ·come back to live in [returned to] Judah. 6 They ·led away [L took] the men, women, and children, and the king’s daughters. Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had ·put Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of those people [L left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan; C who had been appointed governor]. Johanan also took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 These people did not listen to the voice of the Lord. So they all went to Egypt to the city of Tahpanhes [C in the eastern region of the Nile Delta].
8 In Tahpanhes the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 9 “Take some large stones. Bury them in the clay in the brick pavement in front of the ·king of Egypt’s palace [L house of Pharaoh] in Tahpanhes. Do this ·while the Jews are watching you [L before the eyes of the Judeans]. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: I will soon send for my servant, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones I have buried, and he will spread his ·covering for shade [canopy] above them. 11 He will come here and ·attack [L strike] Egypt. He will bring death to those who are supposed to die. He will make ·prisoners [exiles] of those who are to be ·taken captive [exiled], and he will bring ·war to [L to the sword] those who are to be killed with a sword. 12 Nebuchadnezzar will ·set [kindle a] fire to the ·temples [L houses] of the gods of Egypt and burn them. And he will take ·the idols [L them] away as captives. As a shepherd ·wraps himself in [or picks lice from] his clothes, so Nebuchadnezzar ·will wrap Egypt around him [or picks the land of Egypt clean]. Then he will safely leave Egypt. 13 He will ·destroy [break] the stone pillars in the ·temple [L house] of the sun god in Egypt, and he will burn ·down [L with fire] the ·temples [L houses] of the gods of Egypt.’”
Disaster in Egypt
44 Jeremiah received a message from the Lord for all the ·Jews [L Judeans] living in Egypt—in the cities of Migdol [C a city in the Nile Delta], Tahpanhes [43:7], Memphis [C a capital city in central Egypt], and in ·southern Egypt [L the land of Pathros]. This was the message: 2 “The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: You saw all the ·terrible things [disasters; evil; troubles] I brought on Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, which are ruins today with no one living in them. 3 It is because the people who lived there did evil. They made me angry by burning incense and ·worshiping [serving] other gods that neither they nor you nor your ·ancestors [fathers] ever knew. 4 I sent all my servants, the prophets, to you again and again. By them I said to you, ‘Don’t do this ·terrible [abominable] thing that I hate.’ 5 But they did not listen or ·pay attention [L incline their ear]. They did not ·stop doing [turn back from] evil things and burning incense to other gods. 6 So I showed my great anger against them. I poured out my anger in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem so they are only ruins and ·piles of stones [a desolation] today.
7 “Now the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great ·harm [damage; evil] to yourselves? You are cutting off the men and women, children and ·babies [suckling infants] from the ·family [L midst] of Judah, leaving yourselves without ·anyone from the family of Judah [L a remnant]. 8 Why do you want to make me angry by ·making idols [L the work of your hands]? Why do you ·burn incense [make offerings] to the gods of Egypt, where you have come to ·live [sojourn; wander]? You will ·destroy [L cut off] yourselves. Other nations will ·speak evil of [curse] you and ·make fun of [reproach] you. 9 Have you forgotten about the evil things your ·ancestors [fathers] did? And have you forgotten the evil the kings and ·queens [L their wives] of Judah did? Have you forgotten about the evil you and your wives did? These things were done in the country of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. 10 Even to this day the people of Judah ·are still too proud [have shown no remorse]. They have not ·learned to respect [feared] me or ·to follow [L walked in] my ·teachings [laws; instructions]. They have not obeyed the ·laws [statutes; requirements; ordinances] I gave you and your ·ancestors [fathers].
11 “So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: I am ·determined [L setting my face against you] to bring ·disasters [evil; trouble] on you. I will ·destroy [L cut off] ·the whole family of [L all] Judah. 12 The ·few who were left alive [remnant] from Judah ·were determined [L set their face] to go to Egypt and ·settle [sojourn; wander] there, but they will all die in Egypt. They will be killed ·in war [L by the sword] or ·die from hunger [L by famine]. From the least important to the greatest, they will be killed ·in war [L by sword] or ·die from hunger [L by famine]. Other nations will ·speak evil about [L curse] them. People will be shocked by what has happened to them. They will become a curse word, and people will ·insult [reproach] them. 13 I will punish those people who have gone to live in Egypt, just as I punished Jerusalem, using swords, ·hunger [famine], and ·terrible diseases [plague; pestilence]. 14 Of the ·people of Judah who were left alive [remnant of Judah] and have gone to ·live [wander; sojourn] in Egypt, none will escape ·my punishment [L or survive]. They want to return to Judah and live there, but none of them will live to return to Judah, except a few people who will escape.”
15 A large group of the people [C of Judah] who lived in ·southern Egypt [L Pathros] were ·meeting [assembling] together. Among them were many women who were ·burning incense [or making offerings] to other gods, and their husbands knew it. All these people said to Jeremiah, 16 “We will not listen to the ·message from [L the word in the name of] the Lord that you spoke to us. 17 We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen Goddess [C a female astral deity, probably Ashtart or Asherah], and we will certainly do everything ·we promised [L that came out of our mouths]. We will ·burn incense [or make offerings] and pour out drink offerings to worship her, just as we, our ·ancestors [fathers], kings, and officers did in the past. All of us did these things in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were ·successful [fine], and ·nothing bad happened to us [L we saw/experienced no evil]. 18 But since we stopped ·making sacrifices [or offering incense] to the Queen Goddess and stopped pouring out drink offerings to her, we have ·had great problems [L lacked everything]. Our people have also been killed ·in war [L by sword] and by ·hunger [famine].”
19 The women said, “Our husbands knew what we were doing. We had their permission to ·burn incense [or make offerings] to the Queen Goddess and to pour out drink offerings to her. Our husbands knew we were making cakes ·that looked like her [with her image] and were pouring out drink offerings to her.”
20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—men and women—who answered him. 21 He said to them, “·The Lord remembered [L Did not the Lord remember…?] that you and your ·ancestors [fathers], kings and officers, and the people of the land ·burned incense [or made offerings] in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. He remembered and ·thought [set/L lifted up his mind/heart] about it. 22 Then he could not be patient with you any longer. He hated the ·terrible things [abominations] you did. So he made your country an ·empty desert [desolation and a ruin], where no one lives. Other people curse that country. And so it is today. 23 All this happened because you ·burned incense to other gods [or made offerings]. You sinned against the Lord. You did not ·obey him [L listen to the voice of the Lord] or follow his ·teachings [laws; instructions; L Torah] or the ·laws [statutes; requirements; ordinances] he gave you. You did not ·keep your part of the agreement with him [L walk in his testimonies]. So this ·disaster [evil; trouble] has happened to you. ·It is there for you to see [L …according to this day].”
24 Then Jeremiah said to all those men and women, “People of Judah who are now in Egypt, hear the word of the Lord: 25 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: You and your wives did what you said you would do. You said, ‘We will certainly keep the ·promises [vows] we made. We ·promised [vowed] to ·make sacrifices [or offer incense] to the Queen Goddess and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ So, go ahead. Do the things you ·promised [vowed], and keep your ·promises [vows]. 26 But hear the word of the Lord. Listen, all you ·Jews [L Judeans] living in Egypt. The Lord says, ‘I have sworn by my great name: The people of Judah now living in Egypt will never again ·use [pronounce] my name to make promises. They will never again say in Egypt, “As surely as the Lord God lives…” 27 I am watching over them, not ·to take care of them, but to hurt them [L for good but for evil/harm]. The ·Jews [L Judeans] who live in Egypt will die from swords or ·hunger [famine] until they are all ·destroyed [annihilated]. 28 A few will escape being killed by the sword and will come back to Judah from Egypt. Then, of the people of Judah who came to ·live [sojourn; wander] in Egypt, ·those who are left alive [the remnant] will know ·if my word or their word came true [L whose word will stand, theirs or mine]. 29 I will give you a sign that I will punish you here in this place [C Egypt],’ says the Lord. ‘When you see it happen, you will know that my ·promises to hurt you will really happen [L words for you will be carried out for harm/evil].’ 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘Hophra king of Egypt [C also known as Apries, ruled 587–570 bc] has enemies who ·want to kill him [L seek his life]. Soon I will hand him over to his enemies just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnez-zar king of Babylon, who ·wanted to kill him [L sought his life; 39:5–7].’”
A Message to Baruch
45 It was the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C 605 bc]. Jeremiah the prophet told these things to Baruch son of Neriah [32:12–13; 36; 43:1–3], and Baruch wrote them on a scroll: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You have said, ‘·How terrible it is for [Woe is] me! The Lord has given me sorrow along with my pain. I am tired because of my ·suffering [groaning] and cannot rest.’”
4 The Lord said, “Say this to Baruch: ‘This is what the Lord says: I will soon ·tear [break] down what I have built, and I will ·pull [pluck] up what I have planted everywhere in all this land [C Judah]. 5 Baruch, you are ·looking [seeking] for great things for yourself. Don’t ·look for [seek] them, because I will bring ·disaster [evil; trouble] on all ·the people [L flesh], says the Lord. You will have to go many places, but I will ·let you escape alive [L give you your life as plunder] wherever you go.’”
Messages to the Nations
46 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations [C chapters 46–51 are oracles against the foreign nations; see also Is. 13–23; Ezek. 25–32; Amos 1–2; Nah.; Obad.]:
2 This message is to Egypt. It is about the army of Neco king of Egypt [C ruled 610–595 bc], which ·was defeated at [L struck] the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C 605 bc]. This is the Lord’s message to Egypt:
3 “Prepare your shields, large and small,
and ·march out [advance] for battle!
4 Harness the horses
and ·get on them [L mount the steeds]!
·Go to your places for battle [Take your station]
and put on your helmets!
·Polish [Burnish] your spears.
Put on your ·armor [coats of mail]!
5 What do I see?
That army is terrified,
and the soldiers ·are running away [have turned back].
Their warriors are defeated.
They ·run away [flee] quickly
without looking back.
There is terror on every side [6:5; 20:3, 10; 49:29]!” says the Lord.
6 “The fast runners cannot ·run away [flee];
the strong soldiers cannot escape.
They stumble and fall
in the north, by the Euphrates River.
7 Who is this, rising up like the Nile River,
like ·strong, fast rivers [rivers whose waters surge]?
8 Egypt rises up like the Nile River,
like ·strong, fast rivers [rivers whose waters surge].
Egypt says, ‘I will rise up and cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people in them!’
9 ·Horsemen [or Horses], ·charge into battle [advance]!
·Chariot drivers [or Chariots], drive hard!
·March on [L Go out], brave soldiers—
soldiers from the countries of Cush [C Ethiopia] and Put [C Libya] who carry shields,
soldiers from Lydia [C from eastern Asia Minor] who ·use [L grasp and draw] bows.
10 “But that day belongs to the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
At that time he will give ·those people [his foes] the punishment they deserve.
The sword will ·kill [L devour] until it is ·finished [satisfied; sated],
until it ·satisfies its thirst for [L gets satiated/drunk with] their blood.
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will offer a sacrifice
in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River [C Babylon].
11 “Go up to Gilead and get some balm [8:22],
·people [L virgin daughter] of Egypt!
You have prepared many medicines,
·but they will not work [in vain];
you will not be healed.
12 The nations have heard of your ·shame [humiliation],
and your cries fill all the earth.
One warrior has ·run into [L stumbled over] another;
both of them have fallen down together!”
13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon’s coming to ·attack [L strike] Egypt:
14 “·Announce this message [Declare] in Egypt, and ·preach it [L make it heard] in Migdol.
·Preach it [L Make it heard] also in the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes [44:1]:
‘·Get ready for war [Take your stations and be ready],
because the ·battle is [L sword devours] all around you.’
15 Egypt, why ·were your warriors killed [was it swept away; or has Apis fled; C the sacred bull of Egypt]?
They could not stand because the Lord pushed them down.
16 They stumbled again and again
and fell over each other.
They said, ‘Get up. Let’s go back
to our own people and our homeland.
·We must get away from our enemy’s sword [L …because of the destroyer’s/oppressor’s sword]!’
17 ·In their homelands those soldiers [L There they] called out,
‘The king of Egypt is only a lot of noise.
He missed his chance [C for glory]!’”
18 The King’s name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
He says, “As surely as I live,
one [C a powerful leader] will come.
He will be like Mount Tabor among the mountains,
like Mount Carmel by the sea [C distinctive and majestic mountains].
19 ·People [L Daughter] of Egypt, pack your things
to be taken away as ·captives [exiles],
because Memphis will be ·destroyed [a desolation].
It will be a ruin, and no one will live there.
20 “Egypt is like a beautiful ·young cow [heifer],
but a ·horsefly [gadfly] is coming
from the north [C Babylon] to attack her [C though small, gadflies are annoying].
21 ·The hired soldiers in Egypt’s army [L Its mercenaries]
are like fat calves,
because even they all turn and ·run away [flee] together;
they do not stand [C strong against the attack].
Their ·time of destruction [L day of their devastation/calamity] is coming;
·they will soon be punished [L the time of their punishment].
22 Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to escape.
The ·enemy [L army] comes closer and closer.
They come against it [C Egypt] with axes
like men who cut down trees.
23 They will ·chop [cut] down her forest [C Egypt’s army]
·as if it were a great forest [or for they cannot be numbered; C could refer either to the Babylonians or the Egyptians],” says the Lord.
“There are more [C enemy soldiers] than locusts;
there are too many to count.
24 The people of Egypt will be ·ashamed [humiliated].
They will be handed over to the enemy from the north [C Babylon].”
25 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: “Very soon I will punish Amon, the god of the city of Thebes [C a sun god]. And I will punish Egypt, her ·kings [L Pharaohs], her gods, and the people who ·depend on [have confidence in] the king. 26 I will hand those people over to ·their enemies, who want to kill them [L those who seek their life]. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his ·officers [L servants]. But in the future, Egypt will live as it once did of old [C in peace],” says the Lord.
A Message to Israel
27 “People of Jacob, my servants, don’t be afraid;
don’t be frightened, Israel.
I will surely ·save [rescue] you from those faraway places
and your ·children [L seed] from the lands where they are captives.
The people of Jacob will have peace and safety again,
and no one will make them afraid.
28 People of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid,
because I am with you,” says the Lord.
“I will ·completely destroy the many different [L make an end of all the] nations
where I ·scattered [drove] you.
But I will not ·completely destroy [L make an end of] you.
I will ·punish [chastise; discipline] you ·fairly [with justice],
but I will not let you escape your punishment.”
A Message to the Philistines
47 Before the king of Egypt ·attacked [L struck] the city of Gaza, the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the Philistine people [C to the west of Israel; Gen. 10:14; 21:32, 34].
2 This is what the Lord says:
“See, waters are rising from the north [C representing the overwhelming force of the Babylonians].
They will become like an overflowing ·stream [torrent]
and will cover the whole country ·like a flood [L and its fullness],
even the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone living in that country
will cry for help;
the people will ·cry painfully [wail].
3 They will hear the sound of the ·running horses [L hoofs of the chargers]
and the noisy chariots
and the rumbling chariot wheels.
·Parents [Fathers] will not ·help their children to safety [turn back for their children],
because ·they will be too weak to help [L their hands will be weak].
4 The ·time [L day] has come
to destroy all the Philistines.
It is time to ·destroy [L cut off] all who ·are left alive [survive]
who could help the cities of Tyre and Sidon [C the two most important Phoenician cities; the Philistines, Egypt’s allies, could no longer help them].
The Lord will soon destroy the Philistines,
·those left alive from the island of Crete [L the remnant of the coastline of Caphtor].
5 ·The people from the city of Gaza will be sad and shave their heads [L Baldness will come to Gaza].
The people from the city of Ashkelon will be made silent.
·Those left alive [Remnant] from the valley,
how long will you ·cut [gash] yourselves [C a mourning ritual]?
6 “·You cry [L Ah], ‘Sword of the Lord,
how long ·will you keep fighting [L before you rest]?
Return to your ·holder [sheath].
Stop and be still.’
7 But how can his sword rest
when the Lord has given it a command?
He has ·ordered [assigned] it
to attack Ashkelon and the seacoast.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.