Category: Jeremiah

Hope for Restoration

1 “In that day,” says theLord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.

2 This is what theLordsays:

“Those who survive the coming destruction

will find blessings even in the barren land,

for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”

3 Long ago theLordsaid to Israel:

“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.

With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.

You will again be happy

and dance merrily with your tambourines.

5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria

and eat from your own gardens there.

6 The day will come when watchmen will shout

from the hill country of Ephraim,

‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem

to worship theLordour God.’”

7 Now this is what theLordsays:

“Sing with joy for Israel.

Shout for the greatest of nations!

Shout out with praise and joy:

‘Save your people, OLord,

the remnant of Israel!’

8 For I will bring them from the north

and from the distant corners of the earth.

I will not forget the blind and lame,

the expectant mothers and women in labor.

A great company will return!

9 Tears of joy will stream down their faces,

and I will lead them home with great care.

They will walk beside quiet streams

and on smooth paths where they will not stumble.

For I am Israel’s father,

and Ephraim is my oldest child.

10 “Listen to this message from theLord,

you nations of the world;

proclaim it in distant coastlands:

TheLord, who scattered his people,

will gather them and watch over them

as a shepherd does his flock.

11 For theLordhas redeemed Israel

from those too strong for them.

12 They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.

They will be radiant because of theLord’s good gifts—

the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,

and the healthy flocks and herds.

Their life will be like a watered garden,

and all their sorrows will be gone.

13 The young women will dance for joy,

and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration.

I will turn their mourning into joy.

I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.

14 The priests will enjoy abundance,

and my people will feast on my good gifts.

I, theLord, have spoken!”

Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy

15 This is what theLordsays:

“A cry is heard in Ramah—

deep anguish and bitter weeping.

Rachel weeps for her children,

refusing to be comforted—

for her children are gone.”

16 But now this is what theLordsays:

“Do not weep any longer,

for I will reward you,” says theLord.

“Your children will come back to you

from the distant land of the enemy.

17 There is hope for your future,” says theLord.

“Your children will come again to their own land.

18 I have heard Israelsaying,

‘You disciplined me severely,

like a calf that needs training for the yoke.

Turn me again to you and restore me,

for you alone are theLordmy God.

19 I turned away from God,

but then I was sorry.

I kicked myself for my stupidity!

I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’

20 “Is not Israel still my son,

my darling child?” says theLord.

“I often have to punish him,

but I still love him.

That’s why I long for him

and surely will have mercy on him.

21 Set up road signs;

put up guideposts.

Mark well the path

by which you came.

Come back again, my virgin Israel;

return to your towns here.

22 How long will you wander,

my wayward daughter?

For theLordwill cause something new to happen—

Israel will embrace her God.”

23 This is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, ‘TheLordbless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’

24 Townspeople and farmers and shepherds alike will live together in peace and happiness.

25 For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.”

26 At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet.

27 “The day is coming,” says theLord, “when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah.

28 In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, theLord, have spoken!

29 “The people will no longer quote this proverb:

‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,

but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’

30 All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.

31 “The day is coming,” says theLord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.

32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says theLord.

33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says theLord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know theLord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says theLord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

35 It is theLordwho provides the sun to light the day

and the moon and stars to light the night,

and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.

His name is theLordof Heaven’s Armies,

and this is what he says:

36 “I am as likely to reject my people Israel

as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”

37 This is what theLordsays:

“Just as the heavens cannot be measured

and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,

so I will not consider casting them away

for the evil they have done.

I, theLord, have spoken!

38 “The day is coming,” says theLord, “when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

39 A measuring line will be stretched out over the hill of Gareb and across to Goah.

40 And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to theLord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/31-4a4e8bc72e0aae57d17b81b58bf1d713.mp3?version_id=116—

Jeremiah’s Land Purchase

1 The following message came to Jeremiah from theLordin the tenth year of the reign of Zedekiah,king of Judah. This was also the eighteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.

2 Jerusalem was then under siege from the Babylonian army, and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace.

3 King Zedekiah had put him there, asking why he kept giving this prophecy: “This is what theLordsays: ‘I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will take it.

4 King Zedekiah will be captured by the Babyloniansand taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face.

5 He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and I will deal with him there,’ says theLord. ‘If you fight against the Babylonians, you will never succeed.’”

6 At that time theLordsent me a message. He said,

7 “Your cousin Hanamel son of Shallum will come and say to you, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else.’”

8 Then, just as theLordhad said he would, my cousin Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, “Please buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else, so buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that the message I had heard was from theLord.

9 So I bought the field at Anathoth, paying Hanamel seventeen piecesof silver for it.

10 I signed and sealed the deed of purchase before witnesses, weighed out the silver, and paid him.

11 Then I took the sealed deed and an unsealed copy of the deed, which contained the terms and conditions of the purchase,

12 and I handed them to Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did all this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all the men of Judah who were there in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

13 Then I said to Baruch as they all listened,

14 “This is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.’

15 For this is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’”

Jeremiah’s Prayer

16 Then after I had given the papers to Baruch, I prayed to theLord:

17 “O SovereignLord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

18 You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, theLordof Heaven’s Armies.

19 You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve.

20 You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt—things still remembered to this day! And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name famous to this day.

21 “You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with a strong hand and powerful arm, and with overwhelming terror.

22 You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before—a land flowing with milk and honey.

23 Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your word. They have not done anything you commanded. That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them.

24 “See how the siege ramps have been built against the city walls! Through war, famine, and disease, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will conquer it. Everything has happened just as you said.

25 And yet, O SovereignLord, you have told me to buy the field—paying good money for it before these witnesses—even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians.”

A Prediction of Jerusalem’s Fall

26 Then this message came to Jeremiah from theLord:

27 “I am theLord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?

28 Therefore, this is what theLordsays: I will hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will capture it.

29 The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses where the people provoked my anger by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out liquid offerings to other gods.

30 Israel and Judah have done nothing but wrong since their earliest days. They have infuriated me with all their evil deeds,” says theLord.

31 “From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it.

32 “The sins of Israel and Judah—the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets—have stirred up my anger.

33 My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return. Even though I diligently taught them, they would not receive instruction or obey.

34 They have set up their abominable idols right in my own Temple, defiling it.

35 They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly!

A Promise of Restoration

36 “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what theLord, the God of Israel, says:

37 I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety.

38 They will be my people, and I will be their God.

39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.

40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.

41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.

42 “This is what theLordsays: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them.

43 Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ‘It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’

44 Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold—deeds signed and sealed and witnessed—in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judahand in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, theLord, have spoken!”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/32-2fd731d78eb2581ade6600004ac14842.mp3?version_id=116—

Promises of Peace and Prosperity

1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, theLordgave him this second message:

2 “This is what theLordsays—theLordwho made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is theLord:

3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

4 For this is what theLord, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king’s palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy.

5 You expect to fight the Babylonians,but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.

6 “Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace.

7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns.

8 I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion.

9 Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.

10 “This is what theLordsays: You have said, ‘This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once more

11 the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to theLord. They will sing,

‘Give thanks to theLordof Heaven’s Armies,

for theLordis good.

His faithful love endures forever!’

For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says theLord.

12 “This is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies says: This land—though it is now desolate and has no people and animals—will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks.

13 Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah,the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, theLord, have spoken!

14 “The day will come, says theLord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

15 “In those days and at that time

I will raise up a righteous descendantfrom King David’s line.

He will do what is just and right throughout the land.

16 In that day Judah will be saved,

and Jerusalem will live in safety.

And this will be its name:

‘TheLordIs Our Righteousness.’

17 For this is what theLordsays: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever.

18 And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me.”

19 Then this message came to Jeremiah from theLord:

20 “This is what theLordsays: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other,

21 only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me.

22 And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”

23 TheLordgave another message to Jeremiah. He said,

24 “Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘TheLordchose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation.

25 But this is what theLordsays: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.

26 I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/33-eb1bd027c93faa1ed9ee5a25327f7711.mp3?version_id=116—

A Warning for Zedekiah

1 King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from theLord:

2 “Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘This is what theLord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.

3 You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.

4 “‘But listen to this promise from theLord, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what theLordsays: You will not be killed in war

5 but will die peacefully. People will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, crying, “Alas, our master is dead!” This I have decreed, says theLord.’”

6 So Jeremiah the prophet delivered the message to King Zedekiah of Judah.

7 At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only fortified cities of Judah not yet captured.

Freedom for Hebrew Slaves

8 This message came to Jeremiah from theLordafter King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves.

9 He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves—both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage.

10 The officials and all the people had obeyed the king’s command,

11 but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again.

12 So theLordgave them this message through Jeremiah:

13 “This is what theLord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt.

14 I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me.

15 Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name.

16 But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again.

17 “Therefore, this is what theLordsays: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth.

18 Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows.

19 Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath.

20 I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.

21 “I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although they have left Jerusalem for a while,

22 I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/34-01101215800be75099eb72cdeb534940.mp3?version_id=116—

The Faithful Recabites

1 This is the message theLordgave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:

2 “Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to theLord’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.”

3 So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families.

4 I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.

5 I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,

6 but they refused. “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadabson of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.

7 And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’

8 So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters.

9 We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops.

10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor.

11 But when King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrianarmies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.”

12 Then theLordgave this message to Jeremiah:

13 “This is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.

14 The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me.

15 Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me.

16 The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’

17 “Therefore, this is what theLordGod of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’”

18 Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’

19 Therefore, this is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/35-155cf3589b9fbb4130cb9a8032f44d90.mp3?version_id=116—

Baruch Reads the Lord’s Messages

1 During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah,theLordgave this message to Jeremiah:

2 “Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time.

3 Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”

4 So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that theLordhad given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll.

5 Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, “I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple.

6 So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from theLordthat I have had you write on this scroll. Read them so the people who are there from all over Judah will hear them.

7 Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask theLord’s forgiveness before it is too late. For theLordhas threatened them with his terrible anger.”

8 Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from theLordto the people at the Temple.

9 He did this on a day of sacred fasting held in late autumn,during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah had come to Jerusalem to attend the services at the Temple on that day.

10 Baruch read Jeremiah’s words on the scroll to all the people. He stood in front of the Temple room of Gemariah, son of Shaphan the secretary. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance.

11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan heard the messages from theLord,

12 he went down to the secretary’s room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.

13 When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people,

14 the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them.

15 “Sit down and read the scroll to us,” the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested.

16 When they heard all the messages, they looked at one another in alarm. “We must tell the king what we have heard,” they said to Baruch.

17 “But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?”

18 So Baruch explained, “Jeremiah dictated them, and I wrote them down in ink, word for word, on this scroll.”

19 “You and Jeremiah should both hide,” the officials told Baruch. “Don’t tell anyone where you are!”

20 Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king what had happened.

King Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll

21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by.

22 It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm.

23 Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up.

24 Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard.

25 Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen.

26 Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But theLordhad hidden them.

Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll

27 After the king had burned the scroll on which Baruch had written Jeremiah’s words, theLordgave Jeremiah another message. He said,

28 “Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned.

29 Then say to the king, ‘This is what theLordsays: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and empty it of people and animals.

30 Now this is what theLordsays about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied—exposed to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.

31 I will punish him and his family and his attendants for their sins. I will pour out on them and on all the people of Jerusalem and Judah all the disasters I promised, for they would not listen to my warnings.’”

32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary, Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time he added much more!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/36-dc04ed9aa029ed0a83ad2365dea89452.mp3?version_id=116—

Zedekiah Calls for Jeremiah

1 Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachinson of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon.

2 But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what theLordsaid through Jeremiah.

3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to theLordour God for us.”

4 Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased.

5 At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophraof Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonianarmy heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem.

6 Then theLordgave this message to Jeremiah:

7 “This is what theLord, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him, ‘Pharaoh’s army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you.

8 Then the Babylonianswill come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground.’

9 “This is what theLordsays: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t!

10 Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

Jeremiah Is Imprisoned

11 When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s approaching army,

12 Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the territory of Benjamin, to claim his share of the property among his relatives there.

13 But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, “You are defecting to the Babylonians!” The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah.

14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah protested. “I had no intention of doing any such thing.” But Irijah wouldn’t listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials.

15 They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan’s house had been converted into a prison.

16 Jeremiah was put into a dungeon cell, where he remained for many days.

17 Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, “Do you have any messages from theLord?”

“Yes, I do!” said Jeremiah. “You will be defeated by the king of Babylon.”

18 Then Jeremiah asked the king, “What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your attendants, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this?

19 Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?

20 Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don’t send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there.”

21 So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/37-67c1bbe0684a43de654d82bf30b1f86e.mp3?version_id=116—

Jeremiah in a Cistern

1 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucalson of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying,

2 “This is what theLordsays: ‘Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonianswill live. Their reward will be life. They will live!’

3 TheLordalso says: ‘The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

4 So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!”

5 King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like. I can’t stop you.”

6 So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

7 But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate,

8 so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him.

9 “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.”

10 So the king told Ebed-melech, “Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope.

12 Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.” Then when Jeremiah was ready,

13 they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained.

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah

14 One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the third entrance of theLord’s Temple. “I want to ask you something,” the king said. “And don’t try to hide the truth.”

15 Jeremiah said, “If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.”

16 So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, “As surely as theLordour Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead.”

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what theLordGod of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down.

18 But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground.’”

19 “But I am afraid to surrender,” the king said, “for the Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me!”

20 Jeremiah replied, “You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey theLord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.

21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what theLordhas revealed to me:

22 All the women left in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. Then the women will taunt you, saying,

‘What fine friends you have!

They have betrayed and misled you.

When your feet sank in the mud,

they left you to your fate!’

23 All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you will not escape. You will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Don’t tell anyone you told me this, or you will die!

25 My officials may hear that I spoke to you, and they may say, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you don’t tell us, we will kill you.’

26 If this happens, just tell them you begged me not to send you back to Jonathan’s dungeon, for fear you would die there.”

27 Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the king’s officials came to Jeremiah and asked him why the king had called for him. But Jeremiah followed the king’s instructions, and they left without finding out the truth. No one had overheard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king.

28 And Jeremiah remained a prisoner in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/38-b8c0266c82109df855ce61ab293a96af.mp3?version_id=116—

The Fall of Jerusalem

1 In Januaryof the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzarof Babylon came with his entire army to besiege Jerusalem.

2 Two and a half years later, on July 18in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, a section of the city wall was broken down.

3 All the officers of the Babylonian army came in and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, and Nebo-sarsekim,a chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon.

4 When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the soldiers saw that the Babylonians had broken into the city, they fled. They waited for nightfall and then slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.

5 But the Babyloniantroops chased them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.

6 The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons at Riblah. The king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

7 Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains to lead him away to Babylon.

8 Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the royal palace and the houses of the people, and they tore down the walls of the city.

9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had defected to him, and everyone else who remained.

10 But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in the land of Judah, and he assigned them to care for the vineyards and fields.

Jeremiah Remains in Judah

11 King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah.

12 “See that he isn’t hurt,” he said. “Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.”

13 So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser; and the other officers of Babylon’s king

14 sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people.

15 TheLordhad given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison:

16 “Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,‘This is what theLordof Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction,

17 but I will rescue you from those you fear so much.

18 Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, theLord, have spoken!’”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/39-66d84c4987ac6592d1e243ceb2ca6b05.mp3?version_id=116—

1 TheLordgave a message to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the other captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon.

2 The captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, “TheLordyour God has brought this disaster on this land,

3 just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against theLordand disobeyed him. That is why it happened.

4 But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don’t want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you—go wherever you like.

5 If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. He has been appointed governor of Judah by the king of Babylon. Stay there with the people he rules. But it’s up to you; go wherever you like.”

Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, gave Jeremiah some food and money and let him go.

6 So Jeremiah returned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and he lived in Judah with the few who were still left in the land.

Gedaliah Governs in Judah

7 The leaders of the Judean military groups in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah—the men, women, and children who hadn’t been exiled to Babylon.

8 So they went to see Gedaliah at Mizpah. These included: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, and all their men.

9 Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babyloniansmeant them no harm. “Don’t be afraid to serve them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you,” he promised.

10 “As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to meet with us. Settle in the towns you have taken, and live off the land. Harvest the grapes and summer fruits and olives, and store them away.”

11 When the Judeans in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the other nearby countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few people in Judah and that Gedaliah was the governor,

12 they began to return to Judah from the places to which they had fled. They stopped at Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah and then went into the Judean countryside to gather a great harvest of grapes and other crops.

A Plot against Gedaliah

13 Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other military leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.

14 They said to him, “Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah refused to believe them.

15 Later Johanan had a private conference with Gedaliah and volunteered to kill Ishmael secretly. “Why should we let him come and murder you?” Johanan asked. “What will happen then to the Judeans who have returned? Why should the few of us who are still left be scattered and lost?”

16 But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/JER/40-316dc8b7fd6a70324db2518a5ff6a44d.mp3?version_id=116—