New King James Version (NKJV)

Hananiah’s Falsehood and Doom

1 Andit happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in thefourth yearandin the fifth month,thatHananiah the son ofAzur the prophet, whowasfrom Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of theLordin the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

2 “Thus speaks theLordof hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have brokenthe yoke of the king of Babylon.

3 Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of theLord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylontook away from this place and carried to Babylon.

4 And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says theLord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of theLord,

6 and the prophet Jeremiah said,“Amen! TheLorddo so; theLordperform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of theLord’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place.

7 Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people:

8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence.

9 As forthe prophet who prophesies ofpeace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be knownasone whom theLordhas truly sent.”

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took theyoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it.

11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says theLord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonfrom the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’ ” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

12 Now the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

13 “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says theLord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.”

14 For thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel:“I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him.I have given him the beasts of the field also.” ’ ”

15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, theLordhas not sent you, butyou make this people trust in alie.

16 Therefore thus says theLord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shalldie, because you have taughtrebellion against theLord.’ ”

17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Captives

1 Now thesearethe words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who werecarried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 (This happened afterJeconiah the king, thequeen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)

3 Theletterwassentby the hand of Elasah the son ofShaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,

4 Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and dwellinthem;plant gardens and eat their fruit.

6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished.

7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive,and pray to theLordfor it; for in its peace you will have peace.

8 For thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midstdeceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

9 For they prophesyfalsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says theLord.

10 For thus says theLord: Afterseventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you toreturn to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says theLord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you willcall upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I willlisten to you.

13 Andyou will seek Me and findMe,when you search for Mewith all your heart.

14 I will be found by you, says theLord, and I will bring you back from your captivity;I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says theLord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

15 Because you have said, “TheLordhas raised up prophets for us in Babylon”—

16 therefore thus says theLordconcerning the king who sits on the throne of David, concerning all the people who dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren who have not gone out with you into captivity—

17 thus says theLordof hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them likerotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.

18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and Iwill deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth—to bea curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,

19 because they have not heeded My words, says theLord, whichI sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sendingthem;neither would you heed, says theLord.

20 Therefore hear the word of theLord, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy alie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes.

22 And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah whoarein Babylon, saying, “TheLordmake you like Zedekiah and Ahab,whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire”;

23 becausethey have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed Iknow, andama witness, says theLord.

24 You shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

25 Thus speaks theLordof hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people whoareat Jerusalem,to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

26 “TheLordhas made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should beofficersinthe house of theLordover every manwhoisdemented and considers himself a prophet, that you shouldput him in prison and in the stocks.

27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who makes himself a prophet to you?

28 For he has sent to usinBabylon, saying, ‘Thiscaptivityislong; build houses and dwellinthem,and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’ ”

29 Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Then the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, saying:

31 Send to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says theLordconcerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you,and I have not sent him, and he has caused you to trust in alie—

32 therefore thus says theLord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people, says theLord,because he has taught rebellion against theLord.

Restoration of Israel and Judah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from theLord, saying,

2 “Thus speaks theLordGod of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.

3 For behold, the days are coming,’ says theLord, ‘thatI will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says theLord.‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”

4 Now thesearethe words that theLordspoke concerning Israel and Judah.

5 “For thus says theLord:

‘We have heard a voice of trembling,

Of fear, and not of peace.

6 Ask now, and see,

Whether a man is ever in labor with child?

So why do I see every manwithhis hands on his loins

# Like a woman in labor,

And all faces turned pale?

7 Alas! For that dayisgreat,

# So that noneislike it;

And itisthe time of Jacob’s trouble,

But he shall be saved out of it.

8 ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’

Says theLordof hosts,

‘ThatI will break his yoke from your neck,

And will burst your bonds;

Foreigners shall no more enslave them.

9 But they shall serve theLordtheir God,

# AndDavid their king,

# Whom I willraise up for them.

10 ‘Thereforedo not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says theLord,

‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel;

For behold, I will save you from afar,

# And your seedfrom the land of their captivity.

Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,

And no one shall makehimafraid.

11 For Iamwithyou,’ says theLord, ‘to save you;

# Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,

# Yet I will not make a complete end of you.

# But I will correct youin justice,

And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’

12 “For thus says theLord:

# ‘Your afflictionisincurable,

Your woundissevere.

13 Thereisno one to plead your cause,

That you may be bound up;

# You have no healing medicines.

14 All your lovers have forgotten you;

They do not seek you;

# For I have wounded you with the woundof an enemy,

# With the chastisementof a cruel one,

For the multitude of your iniquities,

# Becauseyour sins have increased.

15 Whydo you cry about your affliction?

Your sorrowisincurable.

Because of the multitude of your iniquities,

Becauseyour sins have increased,

I have done these things to you.

16 ‘Therefore all those who devour youshall be devoured;

# And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go intocaptivity;

# Those who plunder you shall becomeplunder,

# And all who prey upon you I will make aprey.

17 For I will restore health to you

And heal you of your wounds,’ says theLord,

‘Because they called you an outcastsaying:

“ThisisZion;

No one seeks her.” ’

18 “Thus says theLord:

‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents,

# Andhave mercy on his dwelling places;

The city shall be built upon its own mound,

And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.

19 Thenout of them shall proceed thanksgiving

And the voice of those who make merry;

# I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish;

I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

20 Their children also shall beas before,

And their congregation shall be established before Me;

And I will punish all who oppress them.

21 Their nobles shall be from among them,

# And their governor shall come from their midst;

# Then I willcause him to draw near,

And he shall approach Me;

For whoisthis who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says theLord.

22 ‘You shall beMy people,

And I will be your God.’ ”

23 Behold, thewhirlwind of theLord

Goes forth with fury,

A continuing whirlwind;

It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.

24 The fierce anger of theLordwill not return until He has done it,

And until He has performed the intents of His heart.

# In the latter days you will consider it.

The Remnant of Israel Saved

1 “Atthe same time,” says theLord,“I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”

2 Thus says theLord:

“The people who survived the sword

Found grace in the wilderness—

# Israel, whenI went to give him rest.”

3 TheLordhas appeared of old to me,saying:

# “Yes,I have loved you withan everlasting love;

# Therefore with lovingkindness I havedrawn you.

4 AgainI will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,

O virgin of Israel!

# You shall again be adorned with yourtambourines,

And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.

5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;

The planters shall plant and eatthemas ordinary food.

6 For there shall be a day

Whenthe watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,

# ‘Arise, and let us go uptoZion,

To theLordour God.’ ”

7 For thus says theLord:

# “Sing with gladness for Jacob,

And shout among the chief of the nations;

Proclaim, give praise, and say,

‘OLord, save Your people,

The remnant of Israel!’

8 Behold, I will bring themfrom the north country,

# Andgather them from the ends of the earth,

Amongthem the blind and the lame,

The woman with child

And the one who labors with child, together;

A great throng shall return there.

9 They shall come with weeping,

And with supplications I will lead them.

# I will cause them to walkby the rivers of waters,

In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;

For I am a Father to Israel,

# And EphraimisMyfirstborn.

10 “Hear the word of theLord, O nations,

And declareitin the isles afar off, and say,

# ‘He who scattered Israelwill gather him,

And keep him as a shepherddoeshis flock.’

11 FortheLordhas redeemed Jacob,

# And ransomed himfrom the hand of one stronger than he.

12 Therefore they shall come and sing inthe height of Zion,

# Streaming tothe goodness of theLord—

For wheat and new wine and oil,

For the young of the flock and the herd;

# Their souls shall be like awell-watered garden,

# And they shall sorrow no more at all.

13 “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,

And the young men and the old, together;

For I will turn their mourning to joy,

Will comfort them,

And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.

14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,

And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says theLord.”

Mercy on Ephraim

15 Thus says theLord:

# “A voice was heard inRamah,

# Lamentationandbitterweeping,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted for her children,

# Becausetheyareno more.”

16 Thus says theLord:

# “Refrain your voice fromweeping,

And your eyes from tears;

For your work shall be rewarded, says theLord,

And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

17 There ishope in your future, says theLord,

Thatyourchildren shall come back to their own border.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:

# ‘You havechastised me, and I was chastised,

Like an untrained bull;

# Restore me, and I will return,

For YouaretheLordmy God.

19 Surely,after my turning, I repented;

And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;

# I wasashamed, yes, even humiliated,

Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’

20 IsEphraim My dear son?

Ishea pleasant child?

For though I spoke against him,

I earnestly remember him still;

# Therefore My heart yearns for him;

# I will surely have mercy on him, says theLord.

21 “Set up signposts,

Make landmarks;

# Set your heart toward the highway,

The way inwhichyou went.

Turn back, O virgin of Israel,

Turn back to these your cities.

22 How long will yougad about,

# O youbacksliding daughter?

For theLordhas created a new thing in the earth—

A woman shall encompass a man.”

Future Prosperity of Judah

23 Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity:‘TheLordbless you, O home of justice,andmountain of holiness!’

24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, andin all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks.

25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”

26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep wassweet to me.

27 “Behold, the days are coming, says theLord, thatI will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.

28 And it shall come to pass,thatas I havewatched over themto pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over themto build and to plant, says theLord.

29 In those days they shall say no more:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

A New Covenant

31 “Behold, thedays are coming, says theLord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—

32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the daythatI took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says theLord.

33 But thisisthe covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says theLord:I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts;and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know theLord,’ forthey all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says theLord. ForI will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

35 Thus says theLord,

# Who gives the sun for a light by day,

The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,

# Who disturbsthe sea,

And its waves roar

# (TheLordof hostsisHis name):

36 “Ifthose ordinances depart

From before Me, says theLord,

Thenthe seed of Israel shall also cease

From being a nation before Me forever.”

37 Thus says theLord:

# “If heaven above can be measured,

And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,

# I will alsocast off all the seed of Israel

For all that they have done, says theLord.

38 “Behold, the days are coming, says theLord, that the city shall be built for theLordfrom the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.

39 The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath.

40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron,to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east,shallbeholy to theLord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”

Jeremiah Buys a Field

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from theLordin the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

2 For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut upin the court of the prison, whichwasinthe king of Judah’s house.

3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do youprophesy and say, ‘Thus says theLord:“Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

4 and Zedekiah king of Judahshall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face, and see himeye to eye;

5 then he shalllead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall beuntil I visit him,” says theLord;“though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed” ’?”

6 And Jeremiah said, “The word of theLordcame to me, saying,

7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field whichisin Anathoth, for theright of redemptionisyours to buyit.” ’

8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of theLord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field thatisin Anathoth, whichisin the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritanceisyours, and the redemption yours; buyitfor yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of theLord.

9 So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle whowasin Anathoth, andweighedouttohim the money—seventeen shekels of silver.

10 And I signed the deed and sealedit,took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales.

11 So I took the purchase deed,boththat which was sealedaccordingto the law and custom, and that which was open;

12 and I gave the purchase deed toBaruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’sson,and in the presence of thewitnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.

13 “Then I chargedBaruch before them, saying,

14 ‘Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: “Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days.”

15 For thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: “Houses and fields and vineyards shall bepossessed again in this land.” ’

Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

16 “Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to theLord, saying:

17 ‘Ah, LordGod! Behold,You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.There is nothing too hard for You.

18 Youshowlovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great,the Mighty God, whose nameistheLordof hosts.

19 Youaregreat in counsel and mighty in work, for Youreyesareopen to all the ways of the sons of men,to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

20 You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and amongothermen; and You have made Yourselfa name, as it is this day.

21 Youhave brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror;

22 You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them—“a land flowing with milk and honey.”

23 And they came in and took possession of it, butthey have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.

24 ‘Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because ofthe sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You seeit!

25 And You have said to me, O LordGod, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses”!—yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ ”

God’s Assurance of the People’s Return

26 Then the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, saying,

27 “Behold, IamtheLord, theGod of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

28 Therefore thus says theLord: ‘Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

29 And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come andset fire to this city and burn it, with the houseson whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger;

30 because the children of Israel and the children of Judahhave done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says theLord.

31 ‘For this city has been to MeaprovocationofMy anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day;so I will remove it from before My face

32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests,their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

33 And they have turned to Me theback, and not the face; though I taught them,rising up early and teachingthem,yet they have not listened to receive instruction.

34 But theyset their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it.

35 And they built the high places of Baal whicharein the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, tocause their sons and their daughters to pass throughthefiretoMolech,which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.’

36 “Now therefore, thus says theLord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence’:

37 Behold, I willgather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause themto dwell safely.

38 They shall beMy people, and I will be their God;

39 then I willgive them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.

40 AndI will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; butI will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.

41 Yes,I will rejoice over them to do them good, andI will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’

42 “For thus says theLord:‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.

43 And fields will be bought in this landof which you say, “Itisdesolate, without man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”

44 Men will buy fields for money, sign deeds and sealthem,and take witnesses, inthe land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; forI will cause their captives to return,’ says theLord.”

Excellence of the Restored Nation

1 Moreover the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah a second time, while he was stillshut up in the court of the prison, saying,

2 “Thus says theLordwho made it, theLordwho formed it to establish it(theLordisHis name):

3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

4 “For thus says theLord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah, which have been pulled downtofortifyagainstthe siege mounds and the sword:

5 ‘They come to fight with the Chaldeans, butonlytofill their places with the dead bodies of men whom I will slay in My anger and My fury, all for whose wickedness I have hidden My face from this city.

6 Behold,I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

7 AndI will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those placesas at the first.

8 I willcleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.

9 Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shallfear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.’

10 “Thus says theLord: ‘Again there shall be heard in this place—of which you say, “Itisdesolate, without man and without beast”—in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast,

11 thevoice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say:

# “Praise theLordof hosts,

For theLordisgood,

For His mercyenduresforever”—

# andof thosewhowillbringthe sacrifice of praise into the house of theLord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says theLord.

12 “Thus says theLordof hosts:‘In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be a dwelling place of shepherds causingtheirflocks to lie down.

13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks shall againpass under the hands of him who countsthem,’ says theLord.

14 ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says theLord, ‘thatI will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:

15 ‘In those days and at that time

I will cause to grow up to David

# ABranch of righteousness;

He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

16 In those days Judah will be saved,

And Jerusalem will dwell safely.

And thisisthenameby which she will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

17 “For thus says theLord: ‘David shall neverlack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;

18 nor shall thepriests, the Levites, lack a man tooffer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’ ”

The Permanence of God’s Covenant

19 And the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, saying,

20 “Thus says theLord: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season,

21 thenMy covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers.

22 Asthe host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will Imultiply the descendants of David My servant and theLevites who minister to Me.’ ”

23 Moreover the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, saying,

24 “Have you not considered what these people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families which theLordhas chosen, He has also cast them off’? Thus they havedespised My people, as if they should no more be a nation before them.

25 “Thus says theLord: ‘IfMy covenantisnot with day and night,andifI have notappointed the ordinances of heaven and earth,

26 then I willcast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant,sothat I will not takeanyof his descendantstoberulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.’ ”

Zedekiah Warned by God

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from theLord,when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army,all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem and all its cities, saying,

2 “Thus says theLord, the God of Israel: ‘Go andspeak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, “Thus says theLord: ‘Behold,I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

3 Andyou shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, he shall speak with youface to face, and you shall go to Babylon.’ ” ’

4 Yet hear the word of theLord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says theLordconcerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword.

5 You shall die in peace; as inthe ceremonies of your fathers, the former kings who were before you,so they shall burnincensefor you andlament for you,saying,“Alas, lord!” For I have pronounced the word, says theLord.’ ”

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

7 when the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and Azekah; foronlythese fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.

Treacherous Treatment of Slaves

8 Thisisthe word that came to Jeremiah from theLord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people whowereat Jerusalem to proclaimliberty to them:

9 that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage.

10 Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and letthemgo.

11 But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.

12 Therefore the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah from theLord, saying,

13 “Thus says theLord, the God of Israel: ‘I made acovenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,

14 “At the end ofseven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you.” But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear.

15 Then you recently turned and did what was right in My sight—every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and youmade a covenant before Mein the house which is called by My name.

16 Then you turned around andprofaned My name, and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves, whom you had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.’

17 “Therefore thus says theLord: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor.Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,’ says theLord—‘to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you totrouble among all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, whenthey cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it—

19 the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—

20 I willgive them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Theirdead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth.

21 And I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s armywhich has gone back from you.

22 Behold, I will command,’ says theLord, ‘and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against itand take it and burn it with fire; andI will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’ ”

The Obedient Rechabites

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from theLordin the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

2 “Go to the house of theRechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of theLord, into one ofthe chambers, and give them wine to drink.”

3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites,

4 and I brought them into the house of theLord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, whichwasby the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum,the keeper of the door.

5 Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine.”

6 But they said, “We will drink no wine, forJonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drinkno wine, you nor your sons, forever.

7 You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor haveanyofthese;but all your days you shall dwell in tents,that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’

8 Thus we haveobeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,

9 nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed.

10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 But it came to pass, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, ‘Come, let usgo to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of the army of the Syrians.’ So we dwell at Jerusalem.”

12 Then came the word of theLordto Jeremiah, saying,

13 “Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you notreceive instruction to obey My words?” says theLord.

14 “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father’s commandment.But although I have spoken to you,rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me.

15 I have also sent to you all Myservants the prophets, rising up early and sendingthem,saying,‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you willdwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me.

16 Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of theirfather, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me.” ’

17 “Therefore thus says theLordGod of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them;because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’ ”

18 And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you,

19 therefore thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man tostand before Me forever.” ’ ”

The Scroll Read in the Temple

1 Now it came to pass in thefourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,thatthis word came to Jeremiah from theLord, saying:

2 “Take ascroll of a book andwrite on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and againstall the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days ofJosiah even to this day.

3 Itmay be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone mayturn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

4 Then Jeremiahcalled Baruch the son of Neriah; andBaruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of theLordwhich He had spoken to him.

5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “Iamconfined, I cannot go into the house of theLord.

6 You go, therefore, and read from the scroll which you have written at my instruction, the words of theLord, in the hearing of the people in theLord’s house onthe day of fasting. And you shall also read them in the hearing of all Judah who come from their cities.

7 It may be that they will present their supplication before theLord, and everyone will turn from his evil way. For greatisthe anger and the fury that theLordhas pronounced against this people.”

8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of theLordin theLord’s house.

9 Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month,thatthey proclaimed a fast before theLordto all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.

10 Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of theLord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at theentry of the New Gate of theLord’s house, in the hearing of all the people.

The Scroll Read in the Palace

11 When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of theLordfrom the book,

12 he then went down to the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber; and there all the princes were sitting—Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah,Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.

13 Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people.

14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.

15 And they said to him, “Sit down now, and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch readitin their hearing.

16 Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, that they looked in fear from one to another, and said to Baruch, “We will surely tell the king of all these words.”

17 And they asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words—at his instruction?”

18 So Baruch answered them, “He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrotethemwith ink in the book.”

19 Then the princes said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah; and let no one know where you are.”

The King Destroys Jeremiah’s Scroll

20 And they went to the king, into the court; but they stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the hearing of the king.

21 So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king.

22 Now the king was sitting inthe winter house in the ninth month, withafireburning on the hearth before him.

23 And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns,thatthekingcut it with the scribe’s knife and castitinto the fire thatwason the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire thatwason the hearth.

24 Yet they werenot afraid, nor did theytear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.

25 Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.

26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but theLordhid them.

Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll

27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of theLordcame to Jeremiah, saying:

28 “Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.

29 And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘Thus says theLord: “You have burned this scroll, saying,‘Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man and beast tocease from here?’ ”

30 Therefore thus says theLordconcerning Jehoiakim king of Judah:“He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall becast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.

31 I will punish him, his family, and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring on them, on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the doom that I have pronounced against them; but they did not heed.” ’ ”

32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words.

Zedekiah’s Vain Hope

1 Now KingZedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of theLordwhich He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.

3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, andZephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,“Pray now to theLordour God for us.”

4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had notyetput him in prison.

5 ThenPharaoh’s army came up from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

6 Then the word of theLordcame to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

7 “Thus says theLord, the God of Israel, ‘Thus you shall say to the king of Judah,who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.

8 And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.” ’

9 Thus says theLord: ‘Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us,” for they will not depart.

10 For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remainedonlywounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.’ ”

Jeremiah Imprisoned

11 And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans leftthesiegeof Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

12 that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people.

13 And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guardwasthere whose namewasIrijah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”

14 Then Jeremiah said, “False! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he did not listen to him.

So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.

15 Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck himand put him in prison in thehouse of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison.

16 When Jeremiah enteredthe dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,

17 then Zedekiah the king sent and took himout.The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, “Is thereanyword from theLord?”

# And Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall bedelivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!”

18 Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

19 Where nowareyour prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land’?

20 Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”

21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiahto the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers’ street,until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.