1 These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah. He belonged to the family of priests who lived in the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.2 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah.3 The Lord also spoke to Jeremiah while Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah and during the eleven years that Zedekiah son of Josiah was king of Judah. In the fifth month of his last year, the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives. 4 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:
5 "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you.
Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "But Lord God, I don't know how to speak. I am only a boy." 7 But the Lord said to me, "Don't say, 'I am only a boy.' You must go everywhere I send you, and you must say everything I tell you to say.8 Don't be afraid of anyone, because I am with you to protect you," says the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth. He said to me, "See, I am putting my words in your mouth.10 Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms. You will pull up and tear down, destroy and overthrow, build up and plant." 11 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying: "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I answered, "I see a stick of almond wood." 12 The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly, because I am watching to make sure my words come true." 13 The Lord spoke his word to me again: "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a pot of boiling water, tipping over from the north." 14 The Lord said to me, "Disaster will come from the north and strike all the people who live in this country.15 In a short time I will call all of the people in the northern kingdoms," said the Lord.
"Those kings will come and set up their thrones
near the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem.
They will attack all the city walls around Jerusalem
and all the cities in Judah.
16 And I will announce my judgments against my people
because of their evil in turning away from me.
They offered sacrifices to other gods
and worshiped idols they had made with their own hands. 17 "Jeremiah, get ready. Stand up and tell them everything I command you to say. Don't be afraid of the people, or I will give you good reason to be afraid of them.18 Today I am going to make you a strong city, an iron pillar, a bronze wall. You will be able to stand against everyone in the land: Judah's kings, officers, priests, and the people of the land.19 They will fight against you, but they will not defeat you, because I am with you to protect you!" says the Lord.
Jeremiah 2 - New Century
1 The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:2 "Go and speak to the people of Jerusalem, saying: This is what the Lord says:
'I remember how faithful you were to me when you were a young nation.
You loved me like a young bride.
You followed me through the desert,
a land that had never been planted.
3 The people of Israel were holy to the Lord,
like the firstfruits from his harvest.
Those who tried to hurt Israel were judged guilty.
Disasters struck them,' " says the Lord.
4 Hear the word of the Lord, family of Jacob,
all you family groups of Israel. 5 This is what the Lord says:
"I was fair to your ancestors,
so why did they turn away from me?
Your ancestors worshiped useless idols
and became useless themselves.
6 Your ancestors didn't say,
'Where is the Lord who brought us out of Egypt?
He led us through the desert,
through a dry and rocky land,
through a dark and dangerous land.
He led us where no one travels or lives.'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
so you could eat its fruit and produce.
But you came and made my land unclean;
you made it a hateful place.
8 The priests didn't ask,
'Where is the Lord?'
The people who know the teachings didn't know me.
The leaders turned against me.
The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal
and worshiped useless idols.
9 "So now I will again tell what I have against you," says the Lord.
"And I will tell what I have against your grandchildren.
10 Go across the sea to the island of Cyprus and see.
Send someone to the land of Kedar to look closely.
See if there has ever been anything like this.
11 Has a nation ever exchanged its gods?
(Of course, its gods are not really gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
for idols worth nothing.
12 Skies, be shocked at the things that have happened
and shake with great fear!" says the Lord.
13 "My people have done two evils:
They have turned away from me,
the spring of living water.
And they have dug their own wells,
which are broken wells that cannot hold water.
14 Have the people of Israel become slaves?
Have they become like someone who was born a slave?
Why were they taken captive?
15 Enemies have roared like lions at Israel;
they have growled at Israel.
They have destroyed the land of Israel.
The cities of Israel lie in ruins,
and all the people have left.
16 The men from the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have disgraced you by shaving the top of your head.
17 Haven't you brought this on yourselves
by turning away from the Lord your God
when he was leading you in the right way?
18 It did not help to go to Egypt
and drink from the Shihor River.
It did not help to go to Assyria
and drink from the Euphrates River.
19 Your evil will bring punishment to you,
and the wrong you have done will teach you a lesson.
Think about it and understand
that it is a terrible evil to turn away from the Lord your God.
It is wrong not to fear me,"
says the Lord God All-Powerful.
20 "Long ago you refused to obey me as an ox breaks its yoke.
You broke the ropes I used to hold you
and said, 'I will not serve you!'
In fact, on every high hill
and under every green tree
you lay down as a prostitute.
21 But I planted you as a special vine,
as a very good seed.
How then did you turn
into a wild vine that grows bad fruit?
22 Although you wash yourself with cleanser
and use much soap,
I can still see the stain of your guilt," says the Lord God.
23 "How can you say to me, 'I am not guilty.
I have not worshiped the Baal idols'?
Look at the things you did in the valley.
Think about what you have done.
You are like a she-camel in mating season
that runs from place to place.
24 You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert
and sniffs the wind at mating time.
At that time who can hold her back?
Any male who chases her will easily catch her;
at mating time, it is easy to find her.
25 Don't run until your feet are bare
or until your throat is dry.
But you say, 'It's no use!
I love those other gods,
and I must chase them!'
26 "A thief is ashamed when someone catches him stealing.
In the same way, the family of Israel is ashamed—
they, their kings, their officers,
their priests, and their prophets.
27 They say to things of wood, 'You are my father,'
and to idols of stone, 'You gave birth to me.'
Those people won't look at me;
they have turned their backs to me.
But when they get into trouble, they say,
'Come and save us!'
28 Where are the idols you made for yourselves?
Let them come and save you
when you are in trouble!
People of Judah, you have as many idols
as you have towns!
29 "Why do you complain to me?
All of you have turned against me," says the Lord.
30 "I punished your people, but it did not help.
They didn't come back when they were punished.
With your swords you killed your prophets
like a hungry lion.
Jeremiah 3 - New Century
1 "If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should her first husband come back to her again?
If he went back to her, wouldn't the land become completely unclean?
But you have acted like a prostitute with many lovers,
and now you want to come back to me?" says the Lord.
2 "Look up to the bare hilltops, Judah.
Is there any place where you have not been a prostitute?
You have sat by the road waiting for lovers,
like an Arab in the desert.
You made the land unclean,
because you did evil and were like a prostitute.
3 So the rain has not come,
and there have not been any spring rains.
But your face still looks like the face of a prostitute.
You refuse even to be ashamed of what you did.
4 Now you are calling to me,
'My father, you have been my friend since I was young.
5 Will you always be angry at me?
Will your anger last forever?'
Judah, you said this,
but you did as much evil as you could!" 6 When King Josiah was ruling Judah, the Lord said to me, "Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She was like a prostitute with her idols on every hill and under every green tree.7 I said to myself, 'Israel will come back to me after she does this evil,' but she didn't come back. And Israel's wicked sister Judah saw what she did.8 Judah saw that I divorced unfaithful Israel because of her adultery, but that didn't make Israel's wicked sister Judah afraid. She also went out and acted like a prostitute!9 And she didn't care that she was acting like a prostitute. So she made her country unclean and was guilty of adultery, because she worshiped idols made of stone and wood.10 Israel's wicked sister didn't even come back to me with her whole heart, but only pretended," says the Lord. 11 The Lord said to me, "Unfaithful Israel had a better excuse than wicked Judah.12 Go and speak this message toward the north:
'Come back, unfaithful people of Israel,' says the Lord.
'I will stop being angry at you,
because I am full of mercy,' says the Lord.
'I will not be angry with you forever.
13 All you have to do is admit your sin—
that you turned against the Lord your God
and worshiped gods under every green tree
and didn't obey me,' " says the Lord. 14 "Come back to me, you unfaithful children," says the Lord, "because I am your master. I will take one person from every city and two from every family group, and I will bring you to Jerusalem.15 Then I will give you new rulers who will be faithful to me, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.16 In those days there will be many of you in the land," says the Lord. "At that time people will no longer say, 'I remember the Ark of the Agreement.' They won't think about it anymore or remember it or miss it or make another one.17 At that time people will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will come together in Jerusalem to show respect to the Lord. They will not follow their stubborn, evil hearts anymore.18 In those days the family of Judah will join the family of Israel. They will come together from a land in the north to the land I gave their ancestors. 19 "I, the Lord, said,
'How happy I would be to treat you as my own children
and give you a pleasant land,
a land more beautiful than that of any other nation.'
I thought you would call me 'My Father'
and not turn away from me.
20 But like a woman who is unfaithful to her husband,
family of Israel, you have been unfaithful to me," says the Lord.
21 You can hear crying on the bare hilltops.
It is the people of Israel crying and praying for mercy.
They have become very evil
and have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 "Come back to me, you unfaithful children,
and I will forgive you for being unfaithful."
"Yes, we will come to you,
because you are the Lord our God.
23 It was foolish to worship idols on the hills
and on the mountains.
Surely the salvation of Israel
comes from the Lord our God.
24 Since our youth, shameful gods have eaten up in sacrifice
everything our ancestors worked for—
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
25 Let us lie down in our shame,
and let our disgrace cover us like a blanket.
We have sinned against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors.
From our youth until now,
we have not obeyed the Lord our God."
Jeremiah 4 - New Century
1 "If you will return, Israel,
then return to me," says the Lord.
"If you will throw away your idols that I hate,
then don't wander away from me.
2 If you say when you make a promise,
'As surely as the Lord lives,'
and you can say it in a truthful, honest, and right way,
then the nations will be blessed by him,
and they will praise him for what he has done." 3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
"Plow your unplowed fields,
and don't plant seeds among thorns.
4 Give yourselves to the service of the Lord,
and decide to obey him,
people of Judah and people of Jerusalem.
If you don't, my anger will spread among you like a fire,
and no one will be able to put it out,
because of the evil you have done. 5 "Announce this message in Judah and say it in Jerusalem:
'Blow the trumpet throughout the country!'
Shout out loud and say,
'Come together!
Let's all escape to the strong, walled cities!'
6 Raise the signal flag toward Jerusalem!
Run for your lives, and don't wait,
because I am bringing disaster from the north
There will be terrible destruction."
7 A lion has come out of his den;
a destroyer of nations has begun to march.
He has left his home
to destroy your land.
Your towns will be destroyed
with no one left to live in them.
8 So put on rough cloth,
show how sad you are, and cry loudly.
The terrible anger of the Lord
has not turned away from us.
9 "When this happens," says the Lord,
"the king and officers will lose their courage.
The priests will be terribly afraid,
and the prophets will be shocked!" 10 Then I said, "Lord God, you have tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You said, 'You will have peace,' but now the sword is pointing at our throats!" 11 At that time this message will be given to Judah and Jerusalem: "A hot wind blows from the bare hilltops of the desert toward the Lord's people. It is not a gentle wind to separate grain from chaff.12 I feel a stronger wind than that. Now even I will announce judgments against the people of Judah."
13 Look! The enemy rises up like a cloud,
and his chariots come like a tornado.
His horses are faster than eagles.
How terrible it will be for us! We are ruined!
14 People of Jerusalem, clean the evil from your hearts so that you can be saved.
Don't continue making evil plans.
15 A voice from Dan makes an announcement
and brings bad news from the mountains of Ephraim.
16 "Report this to the nations.
Spread this news in Jerusalem:
'Invaders are coming from a faraway country,
shouting words of war against the cities of Judah.
17 The enemy has surrounded Jerusalem as men guard a field,
because Judah turned against me,' " says the Lord.
18 "The way you have lived and acted
has brought this trouble to you.
This is your punishment.
How terrible it is!
The pain stabs your heart!" 19 Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt!
I am bent over in pain.
Oh, the torture in my heart!
My heart is pounding inside me.
I cannot keep quiet,
because I have heard the sound of the trumpet.
I have heard the shouts of war.
20 Disaster follows disaster;
the whole country has been destroyed.
My tents are destroyed in only a moment.
My curtains are torn down quickly.
21 How long must I look at the war flag?
How long must I listen to the war trumpet?
22 The Lord says, "My people are foolish.
They do not know me.
They are stupid children;
they don't understand.
They are skillful at doing evil,
but they don't know how to do good." 23 I looked at the earth,
and it was empty and had no shape.
I looked at the sky,
and its light was gone.
24 I looked at the mountains,
and they were shaking.
All the hills were trembling.
25 I looked, and there were no people.
Every bird in the sky had flown away.
26 I looked, and the good, rich land had become a desert.
All its towns had been destroyed
by the Lord and his great anger. 27 This is what the Lord says:
"All the land will be ruined,
but I will not completely destroy it.
28 So the people in the land will cry loudly,
and the sky will grow dark,
because I have spoken and will not change my mind.
I have made a decision, and I will not change it."
29 At the sound of the horsemen and the archers,
all the people in the towns run away.
They hide in the thick bushes
and climb up into the rocks.
All of the cities of Judah are empty;
no one lives in them.
30 Judah, you destroyed nation, what are you doing?
Why do you put on your finest dress
and decorate yourself with gold jewelry?
Why do you put color around your eyes?
You make yourself beautiful, but it is all useless.
Your lovers hate you;
they want to kill you.
Jeremiah 5 - New Century
1 The Lord says, "Walk up and down the streets of Jerusalem.
Look around and discover these things.
Search the public squares of the city.
If you can find one person who does honest things,
who searches for the truth,
I will forgive this city.
2 Although the people say, 'As surely as the Lord lives!'
they don't really mean it."
3 Lord, don't you look for truth in people?
You struck the people of Judah,
but they didn't feel any pain.
You crushed them,
but they refused to learn what is right.
They became more stubborn than a rock;
they refused to turn back to God.
4 But I thought,
"These are only the poor, foolish people.
They have not learned the way of the Lord
and what their God wants them to do.
5 So I will go to the leaders of Judah
and talk to them.
Surely they understand the way of the Lord
and know what God wants them to do."
But even the leaders had all joined together to break away from the Lord;
they had broken their ties with him.
6 So a lion from the forest will attack them.
A wolf from the desert will kill them.
A leopard is waiting for them near their towns.
It will tear to pieces anyone who comes out of the city,
because the people of Judah have sinned greatly.
They have wandered away from the Lord many times.
7 The Lord said, "Tell me why I should forgive you.
Your children have left me
and have made promises to idols that are not gods at all.
I gave your children everything they needed,
but they still were like an unfaithful wife to me.
They spent much time in houses of prostitutes.
8 They are like well-fed horses filled with sexual desire;
each one wants another man's wife.
9 Shouldn't I punish the people of Judah for doing these things?" says the Lord.
"Shouldn't I give a nation such as this the punishment it deserves?
10 "Go along and cut down Judah's vineyards,
but do not completely destroy them.
Cut off all her people as if they were branches,
because they do not belong to the Lord.
11 The families of Israel and Judah
have been completely unfaithful to me," says the Lord.
12 Those people have lied about the Lord
and said, "He will not do anything to us!
Nothing bad will happen to us!
We will never see war or hunger!
13 The prophets are like an empty wind;
the word of God is not in them.
Let the bad things they say happen to them." 14 So this is what the Lord God All-Powerful says:
"The people said I would not punish them.
So, the words I give you will be like fire,
and these people will be like wood that it burns up.
15 Listen, family of Israel," says the Lord,
"I will soon bring a nation from far away to attack you.
It is an old nation that has lasted a long time.
The people there speak a language you do not know;
you cannot understand what they say.
16 Their arrows bring death.
All their people are strong warriors.
17 They will eat your crops and your food.
They will eat your sons and daughters.
They will eat your flocks and herds.
They will eat your grapes and figs.
They will destroy with their swords
the strong, walled cities you trust. 18 "Yet even then," says the Lord, "I will not destroy you completely.19 When the people of Judah ask, 'Why has the Lord our God done all these terrible things to us?' then give them this answer: 'You have left the Lord and served foreign idols in your own land. So now you will serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.'
20 "Announce this message to the family of Jacob,
and tell it to the nation of Judah:
21 Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense.
They have eyes, but they don't really see.
They have ears, but they don't really listen.
22 Surely you are afraid of me," says the Lord.
"You should shake with fear in my presence.
I am the one who made the beaches to be a border for the sea,
a border the water can never go past.
The waves may pound the beach, but they can't win over it.
They may roar, but they cannot go beyond it.
23 But the people of Judah are stubborn and have turned against me.
They have turned aside and gone away from me.
24 They do not say to themselves,
'We should fear the Lord our God,
who gives us autumn and spring rains in their seasons,
who makes sure we have the harvest at the right time.'
25 But your evil has kept away both rain and harvest.
Your sins have kept you from enjoying good things.
26 There are wicked men among my people.
Like those who make nets for catching birds,
they set their traps to catch people.
27 Like cages full of birds,
their houses are full of lies.
They have become rich and powerful.
28 They have grown big and fat.
There is no end to the evil things they do.
They won't plead the case of the orphan
or help the poor be judged fairly.
29 Shouldn't I punish the people of Judah for doing these things?" says the Lord.
"Shouldn't I give a nation such as this the punishment it deserves?
30 "A terrible and shocking thing
has happened in the land of Judah."
Jeremiah 6 - New Century
1 "Run for your lives, people of Benjamin!
Run away from Jerusalem!
Blow the war trumpet in the town of Tekoa!
Raise the warning flag over the town of Beth Hakkerem!
Disaster is coming from the north;
terrible destruction is coming to you.
2 Jerusalem, I will destroy you,
you who are fragile and gentle.
3 Shepherds with their flocks will come against Jerusalem.
They will set up their tents all around her,
each shepherd taking care of his own section."
4 They say, "Get ready to fight against Jerusalem!
Get up! We will attack at noon!
But it is already getting late;
the evening shadows are growing long.
5 So get up! We will attack at night.
We will destroy the strong towers of Jerusalem!" 6 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"Cut down the trees around Jerusalem,
and build an attack ramp to the top of its walls.
This city must be punished.
Inside it is nothing but slavery.
7 Jerusalem pours out her evil
as a well pours out its water.
The sounds of violence and destruction are heard within her.
I can see the sickness and hurts of Jerusalem.
8 Listen to this warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn my back on you
and make your land an empty desert
where no one can live." 9 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"Gather the few people of Israel who are left alive,
as you would gather the last grapes on a grapevine.
Check each vine again,
like someone who gathers grapes."
10 To whom can I speak? Whom can I warn?
Who will listen to me?
The people of Israel have closed ears,
so they cannot hear my warnings.
They don't like the word of the Lord;
they don't want to listen to it!
11 But I am full of the anger of the Lord,
and I am tired of holding it in.
"Pour out my anger on the children who play in the street
and on the young men gathered together.
A husband and his wife will both be caught in his anger,
as will the very old.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,
along with their fields and wives,
because I will raise my hand
and punish the people of Judah," says the Lord.
13 "Everyone, from the least important to the greatest,
is greedy for money.
Even the prophets and priests
all tell lies.
14 They tried to heal my people's serious injuries
as if they were small wounds.
They said, 'It's all right, it's all right.'
But really, it is not all right.
15 They should be ashamed of the terrible way they act,
but they are not ashamed at all.
They don't even know how to blush about their sins.
So they will fall, along with everyone else.
They will be thrown to the ground when I punish them," says the Lord. 16 This is what the Lord says:
"Stand where the roads cross and look.
Ask where the old way is,
where the good way is, and walk on it.
If you do, you will find rest for yourselves.
But they have said, 'We will not walk on the good way.'
17 I set watchmen over you
and told you, 'Listen for the sound of the war trumpet!'
But they said, 'We will not listen.'
18 So listen, all you nations,
and pay attention, you witnesses.
Watch what I will do to the people of Judah.
19 Hear this, people of the earth:
I am going to bring disaster to the people of Judah
because of the evil they plan.
They have not listened to my messages
and have rejected my teachings.
20 Why do you bring me offerings of incense from the land of Sheba?
Why do you bring me sweet-smelling cane from a faraway land?
Your burnt offerings will not be accepted;
your sacrifices do not please me." 21 So this is what the Lord says:
"I will put problems in front of Judah.
Fathers and sons will stumble over them together.
Neighbors and friends will die." 22 This is what the Lord says:
"Look, an army is coming
from the land of the north;
a great nation is coming
from the far sides of the earth.
23 The soldiers carry bows and spears.
They are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring ocean
when they ride their horses.
That army is coming lined up for battle,
ready to attack you, Jerusalem."
24 We have heard the news about that army
and are helpless from fear.
We are gripped by our pain,
like a woman having a baby.
25 Don't go out into the fields
or walk down the roads,
because the enemy has swords.
There is terror on every side.
26 My people, put on rough cloth
and roll in the ashes to show how sad you are.
Cry loudly for those who are dead,
as if your only son were dead,
because the destroyer
will soon come against us.
27 "Jeremiah, I have made you like a worker who tests metal,
and my people are like the ore.
You must observe their ways
and test them.
28 All my people have turned against me and are stubborn.
They go around telling lies about others.
They are like bronze and iron
that became covered with rust.
They all act dishonestly.
29 The fire is fanned to make it hotter,
but the lead does not melt.
The pure metal does not come out;
the evil is not removed from my people.
30 My people will be called rejected silver,
because the Lord has rejected them."
Jeremiah 7 - New Century
1 This is the word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah:2 "Stand at the gate of the Temple and preach this message there: " 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of the nation of Judah! All you who come through these gates to worship the Lord, listen to this message!3 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Change your lives and do what is right! Then I will let you live in this place.4 Don't trust the lies of people who say, "This is the Temple of the Lord. This is the Temple of the Lord. This is the Temple of the Lord!"5 You must change your lives and do what is right. Be fair to each other.6 You must not be hard on strangers, orphans, and widows. Don't kill innocent people in this place! Don't follow other gods, or they will ruin your lives.7 If you do these things, I will let you live in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever. 8 " 'But look, you are trusting lies, which is useless.9 Will you steal and murder and be guilty of adultery? Will you falsely accuse other people? Will you burn incense to the god Baal and follow other gods you have not known?10 If you do that, do you think you can come before me and stand in this place where I have chosen to be worshiped? Do you think you can say, "We are safe!" when you do all these hateful things?11 This place where I have chosen to be worshiped is nothing more to you than a hideout for robbers. I have been watching you, says the Lord. 12 " 'You people of Judah, go now to the town of Shiloh, where I first made a place to be worshiped. See what I did to it because of the evil things the people of Israel had done.13 You people of Judah have done all these evil things too, says the Lord. I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen to me. I called you, but you did not answer.14 So I will destroy the place where I have chosen to be worshiped in Jerusalem. You trust in that place, which I gave to you and your ancestors, but I will destroy it just as I destroyed Shiloh.15 I will push you away from me just as I pushed away your relatives, the people of Israel!' 16 "As for you, Jeremiah, don't pray for these people. Don't cry out for them or ask anything for them or beg me to help them, because I will not listen to you.17 Don't you see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?18 The children gather wood, and the fathers use the wood to make a fire. The women make the dough for cakes of bread, and they offer them to the Queen Goddess. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to make me angry.19 But I am not the one the people of Judah are really hurting, says the Lord. They are only hurting themselves and bringing shame upon themselves. 20 " 'So this is what the Lord God says: I will pour out my anger on this place, on people and animals, on the trees in the field and the crops in the ground. My anger will be like a hot fire that no one can put out. 21 " 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Offer burnt offerings along with your other sacrifices, and eat the meat yourselves!22 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I did not speak to them and give them commands only about burnt offerings and sacrifices.23 I also gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Do all that I command so that good things will happen to you.24 But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to me. They were stubborn and did whatever their evil hearts wanted. They went backward, not forward.25 Since the day your ancestors left Egypt, I have sent my servants, the prophets, again and again to you.26 But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to me. They were very stubborn and did more evil than their ancestors.' 27 "Jeremiah, you will tell all these things to the people of Judah, but they will not listen to you. You will call to them, but they will not answer you.28 So say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God. These people do nothing when I correct them. They do not tell the truth; it has disappeared from their lips. 29 " 'Cut off your hair and throw it away. Go up to the bare hilltop and cry out, because the Lord has rejected these people. He has turned his back on them, and in his anger will punish them.30 The people of Judah have done what I said was evil, says the Lord. They have set up their hateful idols in the place where I have chosen to be worshiped and have made it unclean.
Jeremiah 8 - New Century
1 " 'The Lord says: At that time they will remove from their tombs the bones of Judah's kings and officers, priests and prophets, and the people of Jerusalem.2 The bones will be spread on the ground under the sun, moon, and stars that the people loved and served and went after and searched for and worshiped. No one will gather up the bones and bury them. So they will be like dung thrown on the ground.3 I will force the people of Judah to leave their homes and their land. Those of this evil family who are not dead will wish they were, says the Lord All-Powerful.' 4 "Say to the people of Judah: 'This is what the Lord says:
When people fall down, don't they get up again?
And when someone goes the wrong way, doesn't he turn back?
5 Why, then, have the people of Jerusalem gone the wrong way
and not turned back?
They believe their own lies
and refuse to turn around and come back.
6 I have listened to them very carefully,
but they do not say what is right.
They do not feel sorry about their wicked ways,
saying, "What have I done?"
Each person goes his own way,
like a horse charging into a battle.
7 Even the birds in the sky
know the right times to do things.
The storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes
know when it is time to migrate.
But my people don't know
what the Lord wants them to do.
8 " 'You keep saying, "We are wise,
because we have the teachings of the Lord."
But actually, those who explain the Scriptures
have written lies with their pens.
9 These wise teachers refused to listen to the word of the Lord,
so they are not really wise at all.
They will be ashamed.
They will be shocked and trapped.
10 So I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
Everyone, from the least important to the greatest,
is greedy for money.
Even the prophets and priests
all tell lies.
11 They tried to heal my people's serious injuries
as if they were small wounds.
They said, "It's all right, it's all right."
But really, it is not all right.
12 They should be ashamed of the terrible way they act,
but they are not ashamed at all.
They don't even know how to blush about their sins.
So they will fall, along with everyone else.
They will be thrown to the ground when I punish them, says the Lord.
13 " 'I will take away their crops, says the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine
and no figs on the fig tree.
Even the leaves will dry up and die.
I will take away what I gave them.' "
14 "Why are we just sitting here?
Let's get together!
We have sinned against the Lord,
so he has given us poisoned water to drink.
Come, let's run to the strong, walled cities.
The Lord our God has decided that we must die,
so let's die there.
15 We hoped to have peace,
but nothing good has come.
We hoped for a time when he would heal us,
but only terror has come.
16 From the land of Dan,
the snorting of the enemy's horses is heard.
The ground shakes from the neighing of their large horses.
They have come and destroyed
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there."
17 "Look! I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you.
These snakes cannot be charmed,
and they will bite you," says the Lord. 18 God, you are my comfort when I am very sad
and when I am afraid.
19 Listen to the sound of my people.
They cry from a faraway land:
"Isn't the Lord still in Jerusalem?
Isn't Jerusalem's king still there?"
But God says, "Why did the people make me angry by worshiping idols,
useless foreign idols?"
20 And the people say, "Harvest time is over;
summer has ended,
and we have not been saved."
21 Because my people are crushed, I am crushed.
I cry loudly and am afraid for them.
22 Isn't there balm in the land of Gilead?
Isn't there a doctor there?
So why aren't the hurts of my people healed?
Jeremiah 9 - New Century
1 I wish my head were like a spring of water
and my eyes like a fountain of tears!
Then I could cry day and night
for my people who have been killed.
2 I wish I had a place in the desert—
a house where travelers spend the night—
so I could leave my people.
I could go away from them,
because they are all unfaithful to God;
they are all turning against him. 3 "They use their tongues like a bow,
shooting lies from their mouths like arrows.
Lies, not truth,
have grown strong in the land.
They go from one evil thing to another.
They do not know who I am," says the Lord.
4 "Watch out for your friends,
and don't trust your own relatives,
because every relative is a cheater,
and every friend tells lies about you.
5 Everyone lies to his friend,
and no one speaks the truth.
The people of Judah have taught their tongues to lie.
They have become tired from sinning.
6 Jeremiah, you live in the middle of lies.
With their lies the people refuse to know me," says the Lord. 7 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"I will test the people of Judah as a person tests metal in a fire.
I have no other choice,
because my people have sinned.
8 Their tongues are like sharp arrows.
Their mouths speak lies.
Everyone speaks nicely to his neighbor,
but he is secretly planning to attack him.
9 Shouldn't I punish the people for doing this?" says the Lord.
"Shouldn't I give a nation like this the punishment it deserves?"
10 I, Jeremiah, will cry loudly for the mountains
and sing a funeral song for the empty fields.
They are empty, and no one passes through.
The mooing of cattle cannot be heard.
The birds have flown away,
and the animals are gone.
11 "I, the Lord, will make the city of Jerusalem a heap of ruins,
a home for wild dogs.
I will destroy the cities of Judah
so no one can live there." 12 What person is wise enough to understand these things? Is there someone who has been taught by the Lord who can explain them? Why was the land ruined? Why has it been made like an empty desert where no one goes? 13 The Lord answered, "It is because Judah quit following my teachings that I gave them. They have not obeyed me or done what I told them to do.14 Instead, they were stubborn and followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them to do."15 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "I will soon make the people of Judah eat bitter food and drink poisoned water.16 I will scatter them through other nations that they and their ancestors never knew about. I will chase the people of Judah with the sword until they are all killed." 17 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"Now, think about these things!
Call for the women who cry at funerals to come.
Send for those women who are good at that job.
18 Let them come quickly
and cry loudly for us.
Then our eyes will fill with tears,
and streams of water will flow from our eyelids.
19 The sound of loud crying is heard from Jerusalem:
'We are truly ruined!
We are truly ashamed!
We must leave our land,
because our houses are in ruins.' "
20 Now, women of Judah, listen to the word of the Lord ;
open your ears to hear the words of his mouth.
Teach your daughters how to cry loudly.
Teach one another a funeral song.
21 Death has climbed in through our windows
and has entered our strong cities.
Death has taken away our children who play in the streets
and the young men who meet in the city squares. 22 Say, "This is what the Lord says:
'The dead bodies of people will lie
in the open field like dung.
They will lie like grain a farmer has cut,
but there will be no one to gather them.' " 23 This is what the Lord says:
"The wise must not brag about their wisdom.
The strong must not brag about their strength.
The rich must not brag about their money.
24 But if people want to brag, let them brag
that they understand and know me.
Let them brag that I am the Lord,
and that I am kind and fair,
and that I do things that are right on earth.
This kind of bragging pleases me," says the Lord. 25 The Lord says, "The time is coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh:26 the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and the desert people who cut their hair short. The men in all those countries are not circumcised. And the whole family of Israel does not give itself to serving me."
Jeremiah 10 - New Century
1 Family of Israel, listen to what the Lord says to you.2 This is what he says:
"Don't live like the people from other nations,
and don't be afraid of special signs in the sky,
even though the other nations are afraid of them.
3 The customs of other people are worth nothing.
Their idols are just wood cut from the forest,
shaped by a worker with his chisel.
4 They decorate their idols with silver and gold.
With hammers and nails they fasten them down
so they won't fall over.
5 Their idols are like scarecrows in melon fields;
they cannot talk.
Since they cannot walk,
they must be carried.
Do not be afraid of those idols,
because they can't hurt you,
and they can't help you either."
6 Lord, there is no one like you.
You are great,
and your name is great and powerful.
7 Everyone should respect you, King of the nations;
you deserve respect.
Of all the wise people among the nations
and in all the kingdoms,
none of them is as wise as you.
8 Those wise people are stupid and foolish.
Their teachings come from worthless wooden idols.
9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish
and gold from Uphaz,
so the idols are made by craftsmen and goldsmiths.
They put blue and purple clothes on the idols.
All these things are made by skilled workers.
10 But the Lord is the only true God.
He is the only living God, the King forever.
The earth shakes when he is angry,
and the nations cannot stand up to his anger. 11 "Tell them this message: 'These gods did not make heaven and earth; they will be destroyed and disappear from heaven and earth.' "
12 God made the earth by his power.
He used his wisdom to build the world
and his understanding to stretch out the skies.
13 When he thunders, the waters in the skies roar.
He makes clouds rise in the sky all over the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
14 People are so stupid and know so little.
Goldsmiths are made ashamed by their idols,
because those statues are only false gods.
They have no breath in them.
15 They are worth nothing; people make fun of them.
When they are judged, they will be destroyed.
16 But God, who is Jacob's Portion, is not like the idols.
He made everything,
and he chose Israel to be his special people.
The Lord All-Powerful is his name. 17 Get everything you own and prepare to leave,
you people who are trapped by your enemies.
18 This is what the Lord says:
"At this time I will throw out the people who live in this land.
I will bring trouble to them
so that they may be captured."
19 How terrible it will be for me because of my injury.
My wound cannot be healed.
Yet I told myself,
"This is my sickness; I must suffer through it."
20 My tent is ruined,
and all its ropes are broken.
My children have gone away and left me.
No one is left to put up my tent again
or to set up a shelter for me.
21 The shepherds are stupid
and don't ask the Lord for advice.
So they do not have success,
and all their flocks are scattered and lost.
22 Listen! The news is coming.
A loud noise comes from the north
to make the towns of Judah an empty desert
and a home for wild dogs! 23 Lord, I know that our lives don't really belong to us.
We can't control our own lives.
24 Lord, correct me, but be fair.
Don't punish me in your anger,
or you will destroy me.
25 Pour out your anger on other nations
that do not know you
and do not pray to you.
Those nations have destroyed the people of Jacob.
They have eaten them up completely
and destroyed their homeland.
Jeremiah 11 - New Century
1 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah:2 "Listen to the words of this agreement and tell them to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.3 Tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Cursed is the person who does not obey the words of this agreement4 that I made with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Egypt was like a furnace for melting iron!' I told them, 'Obey me and do everything I command you. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.5 Then I will keep the promise I made to your ancestors to give them a fertile land.' And you are living in that country today." I answered, "Amen, Lord."
6 The Lord said to me, "Announce this message in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the words of this agreement and obey them. 7 I warned your ancestors to obey me when I brought them out of Egypt. I have warned them again and again to this very day: "Obey me!"8 But your ancestors did not listen to me. They were stubborn and did what their own evil hearts wanted. So I made all the curses of this agreement come upon them. I commanded them to obey the agreement, but they did not.' " 9 Then the Lord said to me, "I know the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem have made secret plans.10 They have gone back to the same sins their ancestors did. Their ancestors refused to listen to my message and followed and worshiped other gods instead. The families of Israel and Judah have broken the agreement I made with their ancestors.11 So this is what the Lord says: 'I will soon bring a disaster on the people of Judah which they will not be able to escape. They will cry to me for help, but I will not listen to them.12 The people living in the towns of Judah and the city of Jerusalem will pray to their idols to whom they burn incense. But those idols will not be able to help when disaster comes.13 Look, people of Judah, you have as many idols as there are towns in Judah. You have built as many altars to burn incense to that shameful god Baal as there are streets in Jerusalem.' 14 "As for you, Jeremiah, don't pray for these people or cry out for them or ask anything for them. I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.
15 "What is my beloved Judah doing in my Temple
when she makes many evil plans?
Do you think animal sacrifices will stop your punishment?
When you do your evil, then you are happy."
16 The Lord called you "a leafy olive tree,
with beautiful fruit and shape."
But with the roar of a strong storm
he will set that tree on fire,
and its branches will be burned up. 17 The Lord All-Powerful, who planted you, has announced that disaster will come to you. This is because the families of Israel and Judah have done evil and have made him angry by burning incense to Baal. 18 The Lord showed me that people were making plans against me. Because he showed me what they were doing, I knew they were against me.19 Before this, I was like a gentle lamb waiting to be butchered. I did not know they had made plans against me, saying:
"Let us destroy the tree and its fruit.
Let's kill him so people will forget him."
20 But, Lord All-Powerful, you are a fair judge.
You know how to test peoples' hearts and minds.
I have told you what I have against them.
So let me see you give them the punishment they deserve. 21 So the Lord speaks about the people from Anathoth who plan to kill Jeremiah and say, "Don't prophesy in the name of the Lord, or we will kill you!"22 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "I will soon punish the men from Anathoth. Their young men will die in war. Their sons and daughters will die from hunger.23 No one from the city of Anathoth will be left alive, because I will cause a disaster to happen to them that year."
Jeremiah 12 - New Century
1 Lord, when I bring my case to you,
you are always right.
But I want to ask you about the justice you give.
Why are evil people successful?
Why do dishonest people have such easy lives?
2 You have put the evil people here
like plants with strong roots.
They grow and produce fruit.
With their mouths they speak well of you,
but their hearts are really far away from you.
3 But you know my heart, Lord.
You see me and test my thoughts about you.
Drag the evil people away like sheep to be butchered.
Set them aside for the day of killing.
4 How much longer will the land stay dried up
and the grass in every field be dead?
The animals and birds in the land have died,
because the people are evil.
Yes, they are even saying,
"God does not see what happens to us." 5 "If you get tired while racing against people,
how can you race against horses?
If you stumble in a country that is safe,
what will you do in the thick thornbushes along the Jordan River?
6 Even your own brothers and members of your own family
are making plans against you.
They are crying out against you.
Don't trust them,
even when they say nice things to you!
7 "I have left Israel;
I have left my people.
I have given the people I love
over to their enemies.
8 My people have become to me
like a lion in the forest.
They roar at me,
so I hate them.
9 My people have become to me
like a speckled bird attacked on all sides by hawks.
Go, gather the wild animals.
Bring them to get something to eat.
10 Many shepherds have ruined my vineyards
and trampled the plants in my field.
They have turned my beautiful field
into an empty desert.
11 They have turned my field into a desert
that is wilted and dead.
The whole country is an empty desert,
because no one who lives there cares.
12 Many soldiers have marched over those barren hills.
The Lord is using the armies to punish that land
from one end to the other.
No one is safe.
13 The people have planted wheat,
but they have harvested only thorns.
They have worked hard until they were very tired,
but they have nothing for all their work.
They are ashamed of their poor harvest,
because the Lord's terrible anger has caused this." 14 This is what the Lord said to me: "Here is what I will do to all my wicked neighbors who take the land I gave my people Israel. I will pull them up and throw them out of their land. And I will pull up the people of Judah from among them.15 But after I pull them up, I will feel sorry for them again. I will bring each person back to his own property and to his own land.16 I want them to learn their lessons well. In the past they taught my people to swear by Baal's name. But if they will now learn to swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the Lord lives ...' I will allow them to rebuild among my people.17 But if a nation will not listen to my message, I will pull it up completely and destroy it," says the Lord.
Jeremiah 13 - New Century
1 This is what the Lord said to me: "Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist. Don't let the belt get wet." 2 So I bought a linen belt, just as the Lord told me, and put it around my waist.3 Then the Lord spoke his word to me a second time:4 "Take the belt you bought and are wearing, and go to Perath. Hide the belt there in a crack in the rocks."5 So I went to Perath and hid the belt there, just as the Lord told me. 6 Many days later the Lord said to me, "Now go to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there."7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined; it was good for nothing. 8 Then the Lord spoke his word to me.9 This is what the Lord said: "In the same way I will ruin the pride of the people of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.10 These evil people refuse to listen to my warnings. They stubbornly do only what they want to do, and they follow other gods to serve and worship them. So they will become like this linen belt—good for nothing.11 As a belt is wrapped tightly around a person's waist, I wrapped the families of Israel and Judah around me," says the Lord. "I did that so they would be my people and bring fame, praise, and honor to me. But my people would not listen. 12 "Say to them: 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: All leather bags for holding wine should be filled with wine.' People will say to you: 'Of course, we know all wine bags should be filled with wine.'13 Then you will say to them, 'This is what the Lord says: I will make everyone in this land like a drunken person—the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests and the prophets, and all the people who live in Jerusalem.14 I will make them smash against one another, fathers and sons alike, says the Lord. I will not feel sorry or have pity on them or show mercy that would stop me from destroying them.' " 15 Listen and pay attention.
Don't be too proud,
because the Lord has spoken to you.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings darkness
and before you slip and fall
on the dark hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it into thick darkness;
he will change it into deep gloom.
17 If you don't listen to him,
I will cry secretly
because of your pride.
I will cry painfully,
and my eyes will overflow with tears,
because the Lord's people will be captured.
18 Tell this to the king and the queen mother:
"Come down from your thrones,
because your beautiful crowns
have fallen from your heads."
19 The cities of southern Judah are locked up,
and no one can open them.
All Judah will be taken as captives to a foreign land;
they will be carried away completely.
20 Jerusalem, look up and see
the people coming from the north.
Where is the flock God gave you to care for,
the flock you bragged about?
21 What will you say when they appoint as your heads
those you had thought were your friends?
Won't you have much pain and trouble,
like a woman giving birth to a baby?
22 You might ask yourself,
"Why has this happened to me?"
It happened because of your many sins.
Because of your sins, your skirt was torn off
and your body has been treated badly.
23 Can a person from Cush change the color of his skin?
Can a leopard change his spots?
In the same way, Jerusalem, you cannot change and do good,
because you are accustomed to doing evil.
24 "I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the desert wind.
25 This is what will happen to you;
this is your part in my plans," says the Lord.
"Because you forgot me
and trusted in false gods,
26 I will pull your skirts up over your face
so everyone will see your shame.
27 I have seen the terrible things you have done:
your acts of adultery and your snorting,
your prostitution,
your hateful acts
on the hills and in the fields.
How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem.
How long will you continue being unclean?"
Jeremiah 14 - New Century
1 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah about the time when there was no rain:
2 "The nation of Judah cries as if someone has died,
and her cities are very sad.
They are distressed over the land.
A cry goes up to God from Jerusalem.
3 The important men send their servants to get water.
They go to the wells,
but they find no water.
So they return with empty jars.
They are ashamed and embarrassed
and cover their heads in shame.
4 The ground is dry and cracked open,
because no rain falls on the land.
The farmers are upset and sad,
so they cover their heads in shame.
5 Even the mother deer in the field
leaves her newborn fawn to die,
because there is no grass.
6 Wild donkeys stand on the bare hills
and sniff the wind like wild dogs.
But their eyes go blind,
because there is no food."
7 We know that we suffer because of our sins.
Lord, do something to help us for the good of your name.
We have left you many times;
we have sinned against you.
8 God, the Hope of Israel,
you have saved Israel in times of trouble.
Why are you like a stranger in the land,
or like a traveler who only stays one night?
9 Why are you like someone who has been attacked by surprise,
like a warrior who is not able to save anyone?
But you are among us, Lord,
and we are called by your name
so don't leave us without help! 10 This is what the Lord says about the people of Judah:
"They really love to wander from me;
they don't stop themselves from leaving me.
So now the Lord will not accept them.
He will now remember the evil they do
and will punish them for their sins." 11 Then the Lord said, "Don't pray for good things to happen to the people of Judah. 12 Even if they fast, I will not listen to their prayers. Even if they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy the people of Judah with war, hunger, and terrible diseases." 13 But I said, "Oh, Lord God, the prophets keep telling the people, 'You will not suffer from an enemy's sword or from hunger. I, the Lord, will give you peace in this land.' " 14 Then the Lord said to me, "Those prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They have been prophesying false visions, idolatries, worthless magic, and their own wishful thinking.15 So this is what I say about the prophets who are prophesying in my name. I did not send them. They say, 'No enemy will attack this country with swords. There will never be hunger in this land.' So those prophets will die from hunger and from an enemy's sword.16 And the people to whom the prophets speak will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem. There they will die from hunger and from an enemy's sword. And no one will be there to bury them, or their wives, or their sons, or their daughters. I will punish them. 17 "Jeremiah, speak this message to the people of Judah:
'Let my eyes be filled with tears
night and day, without stopping.
My people have received a terrible blow;
they have been hurt badly.
18 If I go into the country,
I see people killed by swords.
If I go into the city,
I see much sickness, because the people have no food.
Both the priests and the prophets
have been taken to a foreign land.' "
19 Lord, have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?
Do you hate Jerusalem?
Why have you hurt us so badly
that we cannot be made well again?
We hoped for peace,
but nothing good has come.
We looked for a time of healing,
but only terror came.
20 Lord, we admit that we are wicked
and that our ancestors did evil things.
We have sinned against you.
21 For your sake, do not hate us.
Do not take away the honor from your glorious throne.
Remember your agreement with us,
and do not break it.
22 Do foreign idols have the power to bring rain?
Does the sky itself have the power to send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
You are our only hope,
because you are the one who made all these things.
Jeremiah 15 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to me: "I would not feel sorry for the people of Judah even if Moses and Samuel prayed for them. Send them away from me! Tell them to go! 2 When they ask you, 'Where will we go?' tell them: 'This is what the Lord says:
Those who are meant to die
will die.
Those who are meant to die in war
will die in war.
Those who are meant to die from hunger
will die from hunger.
Those who are meant to be taken captive
will be taken captive.' 3 "I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," says the Lord. "I will send war to kill, dogs to drag the bodies away, and the birds of the air and wild animals to eat and destroy the bodies.4 I will make the people of Judah hated by everyone on earth because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. (Manasseh son of Hezekiah was king of the nation of Judah.)
5 "Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem?
Who will be sad and cry for you?
Who will go out of his way to ask how you are?
6 Jerusalem, you have left me," says the Lord.
"You keep going farther and farther away,
so I have taken hold of you and destroyed you.
I was tired of holding back my anger.
7 I have separated the people of Judah with my pitchfork
and scattered them at the city gates of the land.
My people haven't changed their ways.
So I have destroyed them
and taken away their children.
8 There are more widows than grains of sand in the sea.
I brought a destroyer at noontime
against the mothers of the young men of Judah.
I suddenly brought pain and fear
on the people of Judah.
9 When the enemy attacked, a woman with seven sons felt faint because they would all die.
She became weak and unable to breathe.
Her bright day became dark from sadness.
She felt shame and disgrace.
And everyone else left alive in Judah
I will hand over to the enemies, too!" says the Lord. 10 Mother, I am sorry that you gave birth to me
since I must accuse and criticize the whole land.
I have not loaned or borrowed anything,
but everyone curses me.
11 The Lord said,
"I have saved you for a good reason.
I have made your enemies beg you
in times of disaster and trouble.
12 No one can smash a piece of iron or bronze
that comes from the north.
13 Your wealth and treasures
I will give to others free of charge,
because the people of Judah have sinned
throughout the country.
14 I will make you slaves to your enemies
in a land you have never known.
My anger is like a hot fire,
and it will burn against you."
15 Lord, you understand.
Remember me and take care of me.
Punish for me those who are hurting me.
Don't destroy me while you remain patient with them.
Think about the shame I suffer for you.
16 Your words came to me, and I listened carefully to them.
Your words made me very happy,
because I am called by your name,
Lord God All-Powerful.
17 I never sat with the crowd
as they laughed and had fun.
I sat by myself, because you were there,
and you filled me with anger at the evil around me.
18 I don't understand why my pain has no end.
I don't understand why my injury is not cured or healed.
Will you be like a brook that goes dry?
Will you be like a spring that stops flowing? 19 So this is what the Lord says:
"If you change your heart and return to me, I will take you back.
Then you may serve me.
And if you speak things that have worth,
not useless words,
then you may speak for me.
Let the people of Judah turn to you,
but you must not change and be like them.
20 I will make you as strong as a wall to this people,
as strong as a wall of bronze.
They will fight against you,
but they will not defeat you,
because I am with you.
I will rescue you and save you," says the Lord.
21 "I will save you from these wicked people
and rescue you from these cruel people."
Jeremiah 16 - New Century
1 Then the Lord spoke his word to me:2 "You must not get married or have sons or daughters in this place." 3 The Lord says this about the sons and daughters born in this land and their mothers and fathers:4 "They will die of terrible diseases, and no one will cry for them or bury them. Their bodies will lie on the ground like dung. They will die in war, or they will starve to death. Their bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals." 5 So this is what the Lord says: "Jeremiah, do not go into a house where there is a funeral meal. Do not go there to cry for the dead or to show your sorrow for them, because I have taken back my blessing, my love, and my pity from these people," says the Lord.6 "Important people and common people will die in the land of Judah. No one will bury them or cry for them or cut himself or shave his head to show sorrow for them.7 No one will bring food to comfort those who are crying for the dead. No one will offer a drink to comfort someone whose mother or father has died. 8 "Do not go into a house where the people are having a feast to sit down to eat and drink,9 because this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will soon stop the sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms in this place. This will happen during your lifetime. 10 "When you tell the people of Judah these things, they will ask you, 'Why has the Lord said these terrible things to us? What have we done wrong? What sin have we done against the Lord our God?' 11 "Then say to them: 'This is because your ancestors quit following me,' says the Lord. 'And they followed other gods and served and worshiped them. Your ancestors left me and quit obeying my teaching.12 But you have done even more evil than your ancestors. You are very stubborn and do only what you want to do; you have not obeyed me.13 So I will throw you out of this country and send you into a land that you and your ancestors never knew. There you can serve other gods day and night, because I will not help you or show you any favors.' 14 "People say, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel out of Egypt . . . ' But the time is coming," says the Lord, "when people will not say this anymore.15 They will say instead, 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites from the northern land and from all the countries where he had sent them . . . ' And I will bring them back to the land I gave to their ancestors. 16 "I will soon send for many fishermen to come to this land," says the Lord. "And they will catch the people of Judah. After that, I will send for many hunters to come to this land. And they will hunt the people of Judah on every mountain and hill and in the cracks of the rocks.17 I see everything they do. They cannot hide from me the things they do; their sin is not hidden from my eyes.18 I will pay back the people of Judah twice for every one of their sins, because they have made my land unclean. They have filled my country with their hateful idols."
19 Lord, you are my strength and my protection,
my safe place in times of trouble.
The nations will come to you from all over the world
and say, "Our ancestors had only false gods,
useless idols that didn't help them.
20 Can people make gods for themselves?
They will not really be gods!"
21 The Lord says, "So I will teach those who make idols.
This time I will teach them
about my power and my strength.
Then they will know
that my name is the Lord.
Jeremiah 17 - New Century
1 "The sin of the people of Judah is written with an iron tool.
Their sins were cut with a hard point into the stone that is their hearts.
Their sins were cut into the corners of their altars.
2 Even their children remember
their altars to idols and their Asherah idols
beside the green trees
and on the high hills.
3 My mountain in the open country
and your wealth and treasures
I will give away to other people.
I will give away the places of worship in your country,
because you sinned by worshiping there.
4 You will lose the land I gave you,
and it is your own fault.
I will let your enemies take you as their slaves
to a land you have never known.
This is because you have made my anger burn like a hot fire,
and it will burn forever." 5 This is what the Lord says:
"A curse is placed on those who trust other people,
who depend on humans for strength,
who have stopped trusting the Lord.
6 They are like a bush in a desert
that grows in a land where no one lives,
a hot and dry land with bad soil.
They don't know about the good things God can give.
7 "But the person who trusts in the Lord will be blessed.
The Lord will show him that he can be trusted.
8 He will be strong, like a tree planted near water
that sends its roots by a stream.
It is not afraid when the days are hot;
its leaves are always green.
It does not worry in a year when no rain comes;
it always produces fruit.
9 "More than anything else, a person's mind is evil
and cannot be healed.
Who can understand it?
10 But I, the Lord, look into a person's heart
and test the mind.
So I can decide what each one deserves;
I can give each one the right payment for what he does."
11 Like a bird hatching an egg it did not lay,
so are the people who get rich by cheating.
When their lives are half finished, they will lose their riches.
At the end of their lives, it will be clear they were fools.
12 From the beginning, our Temple has been honored
as a glorious throne for God.
13 Lord, hope of Israel,
those who leave you will be shamed.
People who quit following the Lord will be like a name written in the dust,
because they have left the Lord, the spring of living water. 14 Lord, heal me, and I will truly be healed.
Save me, and I will truly be saved.
You are the one I praise.
15 The people of Judah keep asking me,
"Where is the word from the Lord?
Let's see that message come true!"
16 Lord, I didn't run away from being the shepherd you wanted.
I didn't want the terrible day to come.
You know everything I have said;
you see all that is happening.
17 Don't be a terror to me.
I run to you for safety in times of trouble.
18 Make those who are hurting me be ashamed,
but don't bring shame to me.
Let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring the day of disaster on my enemies.
Destroy them, and destroy them again. 19 This is what the Lord said to me: "Go and stand at the People's Gate of Jerusalem, where the kings of Judah go in and out. And then go to all the other gates of Jerusalem.20 Say to them there: 'Hear the word of the Lord, kings of Judah, all you people of Judah, and all who live in Jerusalem, who come through these gates into the city.21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.22 Don't take a load out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work on that day. But keep the Sabbath as a holy day, as I commanded your ancestors.23 But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to me. They were very stubborn and did not listen. I punished them, but it didn't do any good.24 But you must be careful to obey me, says the Lord. You must not bring a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath, but you must keep the Sabbath as a holy day and not do any work on that day. 25 " 'If you obey this command, kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of Jerusalem with their officers. They will come riding in chariots and on horses, along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem. And the city of Jerusalem will have people living in it forever.26 People will come to Jerusalem from the villages around it, from the towns of Judah, from the land of Benjamin, from the western hills, from the mountains, and from southern Judah. They will all bring to the Temple of the Lord burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, incense, and offerings to show thanks to God.27 But you must obey me and keep the Sabbath day as a holy day. You must not carry any loads into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. If you don't obey me, I will start a fire at the gates of Jerusalem, and it will burn until it burns even the strong towers. And it will not be put out.' "
Jeremiah 18 - New Century
1 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah:2 "Go down to the potter's house, and I will give you my message there."3 So I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at the potter's wheel.4 He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be. 5 Then the Lord spoke his word to me:6 "Family of Israel, can't I do the same thing with you?" says the Lord. "You are in my hands like the clay in the potter's hands.7 There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots or that I will pull down to destroy it.8 But if the people of that nation stop doing the evil they have done, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to bring disaster to them.9 There may come another time when I will speak about a nation that I will build up and plant.10 But if I see it doing evil by not obeying me, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to do good for them. 11 "So, say this to the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem: 'This is what the Lord says: I am preparing disaster for you and making plans against you. So stop doing evil. Change your ways and do what is right.'12 But the people of Judah will answer, 'It won't do any good to try! We will continue to do what we want. Each of us will do what his stubborn, evil heart wants!' " 13 So this is what the Lord says:
"Ask the people in other nations this question:
'Have you ever heard anything like this?'
The people of Israel have done a horrible thing.
14 The snow on the mountains of Lebanon
never melts from the rocks.
Its cool, flowing streams
do not dry up.
15 But my people have forgotten me.
They burn incense to worthless idols
and have stumbled in what they do
and in the old ways of their ancestors.
They walk along back roads
and on poor highways.
16 So Judah's country will become an empty desert.
People will not stop making fun of it.
They will shake their heads as they pass by;
they will be shocked at how the country was destroyed.
17 Like a strong east wind,
I will scatter them before their enemies.
At that awful time they will not see me coming to help them;
they will see me leaving." 18 Then the people said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah. Surely the teaching of the law by the priest will not be lost. We will still have the advice from the wise teachers and the words of the prophets. So let's ruin him by telling lies about him. We won't pay attention to anything he says."
19 Lord, listen to me.
Listen to what my accusers are saying!
20 Good should not be paid back with evil,
but they have dug a pit in order to kill me.
Remember that I stood before you
and asked you to do good things for these people
and to turn your anger away from them.
21 So now, let their children starve,
and let their enemies kill them with swords.
Let their wives lose their children and husbands.
Let the men from Judah be put to death
and the young men be killed with swords in battle.
22 Let them cry out in their houses
when you bring an enemy against them suddenly.
Let all this happen, because my enemies have dug
a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for my feet.
23 Lord, you know
about all their plans to kill me.
Don't forgive their crimes
or erase their sins from your mind.
Make them fall from their places;
punish them while you are angry.
Jeremiah 19 - New Century
1 This is what the Lord said to me: "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. 2 Take some of the elders of the people and the priests, and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. There speak the words I tell you. 3 Say, 'Kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem, listen to this message from the Lord. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will soon bring a disaster on this place that will amaze and frighten everyone who hears about it.4 The people of Judah have quit following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people.5 They have built places on hilltops to worship Baal, where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even entered my mind.6 Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom or Topheth, but the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will call it the Valley of Killing. 7 " 'At this place I will ruin the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The enemy will chase them, and I will have them killed with swords. I will make their dead bodies food for the birds and wild animals.8 I will completely destroy this city. People will make fun of it and shake their heads when they pass by. They will be shocked when they see how the city was destroyed.9 An enemy army will surround the city and will not let anyone go out to get food. I will make the people so hungry that they will eat the bodies of their own sons and daughters, and then they will begin to eat each other.' 10 "While the people with you are watching, break that jar.11 Then say this: 'The Lord All-Powerful says: I will break this nation and this city just as someone breaks a clay jar that cannot be put back together again. The dead people will be buried here in Topheth, because there is no other place for them.12 This is what I will do to these people and to this place, says the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth.13 The houses in Jerusalem and the king's palaces will become as unclean as this place, Topheth, because the people worshiped gods on the roofs of their houses. They worshiped the stars and burned incense to honor them and gave drink offerings to gods.' " 14 When Jeremiah left Topheth where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he went to the Lord's Temple, stood in the courtyard, and said to all the people:15 "This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I will soon bring disaster to Jerusalem and the villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because the people are very stubborn and do not listen at all to what I say.' "
Jeremiah 20 - New Century
1 Pashhur son of Immer was a priest and the highest officer in the Temple of the Lord. When he heard Jeremiah prophesying in the Temple courtyard,2 he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten. And he locked Jeremiah's hands and feet between large blocks of wood at the Upper Gate of Benjamin of the Lord's Temple.3 The next day when Pashhur took Jeremiah out of the blocks of wood, Jeremiah said to him, "The Lord's name for you is not Pashhur. Now his name for you is Terror on Every Side.4 This is what the Lord says: 'I will soon make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. You will watch enemies killing your friends with swords. And I will give all the people of Judah to the king of Babylon, who will take them away as captives to Babylon and then will kill them with swords.5 I will give all the wealth of this city to its enemies—its goods, its valuables, and the treasures of the kings of Judah. The enemies will carry all those valuables off to Babylon.6 And Pashhur, you and everyone in your house will be taken captive. You will be forced to go to Babylon, where you will die and be buried, you and your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.' " 7 Lord, you tricked me, and I was fooled.
You are stronger than I am, so you won.
I have become a joke;
everyone makes fun of me all day long.
8 Every time I speak, I shout.
I am always shouting about violence and destruction.
I tell the people about the message I received from the Lord,
but this only brings me insults.
The people make fun of me all day long.
9 Sometimes I say to myself,
"I will forget about the Lord.
I will not speak anymore in his name."
But then his message becomes like a burning fire inside me,
deep within my bones.
I get tired of trying to hold it inside of me,
and finally, I cannot hold it in.
10 I hear many people whispering about me:
"Terror on every side!
Tell on him! Let's tell the rulers about him."
My friends are all just waiting for me to make some mistake.
They are saying,
"Maybe we can trick him
so we can defeat him
and pay him back."
11 But the Lord is with me like a strong warrior,
so those who are chasing me will trip and fall;
they will not defeat me.
They will be ashamed because they have failed,
and their shame will never be forgotten.
12 Lord All-Powerful, you test good people;
you look deeply into the heart and mind of a person.
I have told you my arguments against these people,
so let me see you give them the punishment they deserve.
13 Sing to the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
He saves the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked. 14 Let there be a curse on the day I was born;
let there be no blessing on the day when my mother gave birth to me.
15 Let there be a curse on the man
who brought my father the news:
"You have a son!"
This made my father very glad.
16 Let that man be like the towns
the Lord destroyed without pity.
Let him hear loud crying in the morning
and battle cries at noon,
17 because he did not kill me before I was born.
Then my mother would have been my grave;
she would have stayed pregnant forever.
18 Why did I have to come out of my mother's body?
All I have known is trouble and sorrow,
and my life will end in shame.
Jeremiah 21 - New Century
1 This is the word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. It came when Zedekiah king of Judah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah.2 They said, "Ask the Lord for us what will happen, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the Lord will do miracles for us as he did in the past so Nebuchadnezzar will stop attacking us and leave." 3 But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell King Zedekiah this:4 'Here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have weapons of war in your hands to defend yourselves against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians, who are all around the city wall. But I will make those weapons useless. Soon I will bring them into the center of this city.5 In my anger, my very great anger, I myself will fight against you with my great power and strength.6 I will kill everything living in Jerusalem—both people and animals. They will die from terrible diseases.7 Then, says the Lord, I'll hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in Jerusalem who do not die from the terrible diseases or battle or hunger, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will let those win who want to kill the people of Judah, so the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be killed in war. Nebuchadnezzar will not show any mercy or pity or feel sorry for them!' 8 "Also tell this to the people of Jerusalem: 'This is what the Lord says: I will let you choose to live or die.9 Anyone who stays in Jerusalem will die in war or from hunger or from a terrible disease. But anyone who goes out of Jerusalem and surrenders to the Babylonians who are attacking you will live. Anyone who leaves the city will save his life as if it were a prize won in war.10 I have decided to make trouble for this city and not to help it, says the Lord. I will give it to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.' 11 "Say to Judah's royal family: 'Hear the word of the Lord.12 Family of David, this is what the Lord says:
You must judge people fairly every morning.
Save the person who has been robbed
from the power of his attacker.
If you don't, I will become very angry.
My anger will be like a fire that no one can put out,
because you have done evil things.
13 " 'Jerusalem, I am against you,
you who live on top of the mountain
over this valley, says the Lord.
You say, "No one can attack us
or come into our strong city."
14 But I will give you the punishment you deserve, says the Lord.
I will start a fire in your forests
that will burn up everything around you!' "
Jeremiah 22 - New Century
1 This is what the Lord says: "Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and prophesy this message there:2 'Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah, who rules from David's throne. You and your officers, and your people who come through these gates, listen!3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is fair and right. Save the one who has been robbed from the power of his attacker. Don't mistreat or hurt the foreigners, orphans, or widows. Don't kill innocent people here.4 If you carefully obey these commands, kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this palace with their officers and people, riding in chariots and on horses.5 But if you don't obey these commands, says the Lord, I swear by my own name that this king's palace will become a ruin.' " 6 This is what the Lord says about the palace where the king of Judah lives:
"You are tall like the forests of Gilead,
like the mountaintops of Lebanon.
But I will truly make you into a desert,
into towns where no one lives.
7 I will send men to destroy the palace,
each with his weapons.
They will cut up your strong, beautiful cedar beams
and throw them into the fire. 8 "People from many nations will pass by this city and ask each other, 'Why has the Lord done such a terrible thing to Jerusalem, this great city?'9 And the answer will be: 'Because the people of Judah quit following the agreement with the Lord their God. They worshiped and served other gods.' " 10 Don't cry for the dead king or be sad about him.
But cry painfully for the king who is being taken away,
because he will never return
or see his homeland again. 11 This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz son of Josiah who became king of Judah after his father died and who has left this place: "He will never return.12 He will die where he has been taken captive, and he will not see this land again." 13 "How terrible it will be for one who builds his palace by doing evil,
who cheats people so he can build its upper rooms.
He makes his own people work for nothing
and does not pay them.
14 He says, 'I will build a great palace for myself
with large upper rooms.'
So he builds it with large windows
and uses cedar wood for the walls,
which he paints red.
15 "Does having a lot of cedar in your house
make you a great king?
Your father was satisfied to have food and drink.
He did what was right and fair,
so everything went well for him.
16 He helped those who were poor and needy,
so everything went well for him.
That is what it means to know God,"
says the Lord.
17 "But you only look for and think about
what you can get dishonestly.
You are even willing to kill innocent people to get it.
You feel free to hurt people and to steal from them."
18 So this is what the Lord says to Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
"The people of Judah will not cry when Jehoiakim dies,
saying: 'Oh, my brother,' or 'Oh, my sister.'
They will not cry for him, saying:
'Oh, master,' or 'Oh, my king.'
19 They will bury him like a donkey,
dragging his body away
and throwing it outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20 "Judah, go up to Lebanon and cry out.
Let your voice be heard in Bashan.
Cry out from Abarim,
because all your friends are destroyed!
21 Judah, when you were successful, I warned you,
but you said, 'I won't listen.'
You have acted like this since you were young;
you have not obeyed me.
22 Like a storm, my punishment will blow all your shepherds away
and send your friends into captivity.
Then you will really be ashamed and disgraced
because of all the wicked things you did.
23 King, you live in your palace,
cozy in your rooms of cedar.
But when your punishment comes, how you will groan
like a woman giving birth to a baby! 24 "As surely as I live," says the Lord, "Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, even if you were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.25 I will hand you over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Babylonians—those people you fear because they want to kill you.26 I will throw you and your mother into another country. Neither of you was born there, but both of you will die there.27 They will want to come back, but they will never be able to return."
28 Jehoiachin is like a broken pot someone threw away;
he is like something no one wants.
Why will Jehoiachin and his children be thrown out
and sent into a foreign land?
29 Land, land, land of Judah,
hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
"Write this down in the record about Jehoiachin:
He is a man without children,
a man who will not be successful in his lifetime.
And none of his descendants will be successful;
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule in Judah."
Jeremiah 23 - New Century
1 "How terrible it will be for the leaders of Judah, who are scattering and destroying my people," says the Lord. 2 They are responsible for the people, so the Lord, the God of Israel, says to them: "You have scattered my people and forced them away and not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the evil things you have done," says the Lord.3 "I sent my people to other countries, but I will gather those who are left alive and bring them back to their own country. Then they will have many children and grow in number.4 I will place new leaders over my people, who will take care of them. And my people will not be afraid or terrified again, and none of them will be lost," says the Lord. 5 "The days are coming," says the Lord,
"when I will raise up a good branch in David's family.
He will be a king who will rule in a wise way;
he will do what is fair and right in the land.
6 In his time Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.
This will be his name:
The Lord Does What Is Right.
7 "So the days are coming," says the Lord, "when people will not say again: 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought Israel out of Egypt . . . '8 But people will say something new: 'As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where he had sent them away . . . ' Then the people of Israel will live in their own land." 9 A message to the prophets:
My heart is broken.
All my bones shake.
I'm like someone who is drunk,
like someone who has been overcome with wine.
This is because of the Lord
and his holy words.
10 The land of Judah is full of people who are guilty of adultery.
Because of this, the Lord cursed the land.
It has become a very sad place,
and the pastures have dried up.
The people are evil
and use their power in the wrong way.
11 "Both the prophets and the priests live as if there were no God.
I have found them doing evil things even in my own Temple," says the Lord.
12 "So they will be in danger.
They will be forced into darkness
where they will be defeated.
I will bring disaster on them
in the year I punish them," says the Lord.
13 "I saw the prophets of Samaria
do something wrong.
Those prophets prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel away.
14 And I have seen the prophets of Jerusalem
do terrible things.
They are guilty of adultery
and live by lies.
They encourage evil people to keep on doing evil,
so the people don't stop sinning.
All of those people are like the city of Sodom.
The people of Jerusalem are like the city of Gomorrah to me!" 15 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful says about the prophets:
"I will make those prophets eat bitter food
and drink poisoned water,
because the prophets of Jerusalem spread wickedness
through the whole country." 16 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"Don't pay attention to what those prophets are saying to you.
They are trying to fool you.
They talk about visions their own minds made up,
not about visions from me.
17 They say to those who hate me:
'The Lord says: You will have peace.'
They say to all those who are stubborn and do as they please:
'Nothing bad will happen to you.'
18 But none of these prophets has stood in the meeting of angels
to see or hear the message of the Lord.
None of them has paid close attention to his message.
19 Look, the punishment from the Lord
will come like a storm.
His anger will be like a hurricane.
It will come swirling down on the heads of those wicked people.
20 The Lord's anger will not stop
until he finishes what he plans to do.
When that day is over,
you will understand this clearly.
21 I did not send those prophets,
but they ran to tell their message.
I did not speak to them,
but they prophesied anyway.
22 But if they had stood in the meeting of angels,
they would have told my message to my people.
They would have turned the people from their evil ways
and from doing evil.
23 "I am a God who is near," says the Lord.
"I am also a God who is far away.
24 No one can hide
where I cannot see him," says the Lord.
"I fill all of heaven and earth," says the Lord. 25 "I have heard the prophets who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I have had a dream! I have had a dream!'26 How long will this continue in the minds of these lying prophets? They prophesy from their own wishful thinking.27 They are trying to make the people of Judah forget me by telling each other these dreams. In the same way, their ancestors forgot me and worshiped Baal.28 Is straw the same thing as wheat?" says the Lord. "If a prophet wants to tell about his dreams, let him! But let the person who hears my message speak it truthfully!29 Isn't my message like a fire?" says the Lord. "Isn't it like a hammer that smashes a rock? 30 "So I am against the false prophets," says the Lord. "They keep stealing words from each other and say they are from me.
Jeremiah 24 - New Century
1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon captured Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim and king of Judah, his officers, and all the craftsmen and metalworkers of Judah. He took them away from Jerusalem and brought them to Babylon. It was then that the Lord showed me two baskets of figs arranged in front of the Temple of the Lord.2 One of the baskets had very good figs in it, like figs that ripen early in the season. But the other basket had figs too rotten to eat. 3 The Lord said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I answered, "I see figs. The good figs are very good, but the rotten figs are too rotten to eat." 4 Then the Lord spoke his word to me:5 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I sent the people of Judah out of their country to live in the country of Babylon. I think of those people as good, like these good figs.6 I will look after them and bring them back to the land of Judah. I will not tear them down, but I will build them up. I will not pull them up, but I will plant them so they can grow.7 I will make them want to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, because they will return to me with their whole hearts. 8 " 'But the bad figs are too rotten to eat.' So this is what the Lord says: 'Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and all the people from Jerusalem who are left alive, even those who live in Egypt, will be like those rotten figs.9 I will make those people hated as an evil people by all the kingdoms of the earth. People will make fun of them and tell jokes about them and point fingers at them and curse them everywhere I scatter them.10 I will send war, hunger, and disease against them. I will attack them until they have all been killed. Then they will no longer be in the land I gave to them and their ancestors.' "
Jeremiah 25 - New Century
1 This is the message that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah and the first year Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.2 This is the message Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and Jerusalem: 3 The Lord has spoken his word to me again and again for these past twenty-three years. I have been a prophet since the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah. I have spoken messages from the Lord to you from that time until today, but you have not listened. 4 The Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you over and over again, but you have not listened or paid any attention to them.5 Those prophets have said, "Stop your evil ways. Stop doing what is wrong so you can stay in the land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors to live in forever.6 Don't follow other gods to serve them or to worship them. Don't make me, the Lord, angry by worshiping idols that are the work of your own hands, or I will punish you." 7 "But you people of Judah did not listen to me," says the Lord. "You made me angry by worshiping idols that were the work of your own hands, so I punished you." 8 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "Since you have not listened to my messages,9 I will send for all the peoples of the north," says the Lord, "along with my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I will bring them all against Judah, those who live there, and all the nations around you, too. I will completely destroy all those countries and leave them in ruins forever. People will be shocked when they see how badly I have destroyed those countries.10 I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and happiness, the sounds of brides and bridegrooms, and the sound of people grinding meal. And I will take away the light of the lamp.11 That whole area will be an empty desert, and these nations will be slaves of the king of Babylon for seventy years. 12 "But when the seventy years have passed, I will punish the king of Babylon and his entire nation for their evil," says the Lord. "I will make that land a desert forever.13 I will make happen all the terrible things I said about Babylonia—everything Jeremiah prophesied about all those foreign nations, the warnings written in this book.14 Even the Babylonians will have to serve many nations and many great kings. I will give them the punishment they deserve for all their own hands have done." 15 The Lord, the God of Israel, said this to me: "My anger is like the wine in a cup. Take it from my hand and make all the nations, to whom I am sending you, drink all of my anger from this cup.16 They will drink my anger and stumble about and act like madmen because of the war I am going to send among them." 17 So I took the cup from the Lord's hand and went to those nations and made them drink from it.18 I served this wine to the people of Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, and the kings and officers of Judah, so they would become a ruin. Then people would be shocked and would insult them and speak evil of them. And so it has been to this day.19 I also made these people drink of the Lord's anger: the king of Egypt, his servants, his officers, all his people,20 and all the foreigners there; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines (the kings of the cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod);21 the people of Edom, Moab, and Ammon;22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; all the kings of the coastal countries to the west;23 the people of Dedan and Tema and Buz; all who cut their hair short;24 all the kings of Arabia; and the kings of the people who live in the desert;25 all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media;26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one after the other. I made all the kingdoms on earth drink from the cup of the Lord's anger, but the king of Babylon will drink from this cup after all the others. 27 "Then say to them, 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Drink this cup of my anger. Get drunk from it and vomit. Fall down and don't get up because of the war I am sending among you!' 28 "If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, say to them, 'The Lord All-Powerful says this: You must drink from this cup.29 Look! I am already bringing disaster on Jerusalem, the city that is called by my name. Do you think you will not be punished? You will be punished! I am sending war on all the people of the earth, says the Lord All-Powerful.' 30 "You, Jeremiah, will prophesy against them with all these words. Say to them:
'The Lord will roar from heaven
and will shout from his Holy Temple.
He will roar loudly against his land.
He will shout like people who walk on grapes to make wine;
he will shout against all who live on the earth.
Jeremiah 26 - New Century
1 This message came from the Lord soon after Jehoiakim son of Josiah became king of Judah.2 This is what the Lord said: "Jeremiah, stand in the courtyard of the Temple of the Lord. Give this message to all the people of the towns of Judah who are coming to worship at the Temple of the Lord. Tell them everything I tell you to say; don't leave out a word.3 Maybe they will listen and stop their evil ways. If they will, I will change my mind about bringing on them the disaster that I am planning because of the evil they have done.4 Say to them: 'This is what the Lord says: You must obey me and follow my teachings that I gave you.5 You must listen to what my servants the prophets say to you. I have sent them to you again and again, but you did not listen.6 If you don't obey me, I will destroy my Temple in Jerusalem as I destroyed my Holy Tent at Shiloh. When I do, people all over the world will curse Jerusalem.' " 7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the Temple of the Lord.8 When Jeremiah finished speaking everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, prophets, and all the people grabbed Jeremiah. They said, "You must die!9 How dare you prophesy in the name of the Lord that this Temple will be destroyed like the one at Shiloh! How dare you say that Jerusalem will become a desert without anyone to live in it!" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord. 10 Now when the officers of Judah heard about what was happening, they came out of the king's palace and went up to the Temple of the Lord and took their places at the entrance of the New Gate.11 Then the priests and prophets said to the officers and all the other people, "Jeremiah should be killed. He prophesied against Jerusalem, and you heard him yourselves." 12 Then Jeremiah spoke these words to all the officers of Judah and all the other people: "The Lord sent me to say everything you have heard about this Temple and this city.13 Now change your lives and start doing good and obey the Lord your God. Then he will change his mind and not bring on you the disaster he has told you about.14 As for me, I am in your power. Do to me what you think is good and right.15 But be sure of one thing. If you kill me, you will be guilty of killing an innocent person. You will make this city and everyone who lives in it guilty, too! The Lord truly sent me to you to give you this message." 16 Then the officers and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "Jeremiah must not be killed. What he told us comes from the Lord our God." 17 Then some of the elders of Judah stood up and said to all the people, 18 "Micah, from the city of Moresheth, was a prophet during the time Hezekiah was king of Judah. Micah said to all the people of Judah, 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
Jerusalem will be plowed like a field.
It will become a pile of rocks,
and the hill where the Temple stands will be covered with bushes.' 19 "Hezekiah king of Judah and the people of Judah did not kill Micah. You know that Hezekiah feared the Lord and tried to please the Lord. So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on Judah the disaster he had promised. If we hurt Jeremiah, we will bring a terrible disaster on ourselves!" 20 (Now there was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord. His name was Uriah son of Shemaiah from the city of Kiriath Jearim. He preached the same things against Jerusalem and the land of Judah that Jeremiah did.21 When King Jehoiakim, all his army officers, and all the leaders of Judah heard Uriah preach, King Jehoiakim wanted to kill Uriah. But Uriah heard about it and was afraid. So he escaped to Egypt.22 Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor and some other men to Egypt,23 and they brought Uriah back from Egypt. Then they took him to King Jehoiakim, who had Uriah killed with a sword. His body was thrown into the burial place where poor people are buried.) 24 Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah. So Ahikam did not hand Jeremiah over to be killed by the people.
Jeremiah 27 - New Century
1 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah soon after Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah.2 This is what the Lord said to me: "Make a yoke out of straps and poles, and put it on the back of your neck.3 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon by their messengers who have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah king of Judah.4 Tell them to give this message to their masters: 'The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Tell your masters:5 I made the earth, its people, and all its animals with my great power and strength. I can give the earth to anyone I want.6 Now I have given all these lands to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, my servant. I will make even the wild animals obey him.7 All nations will serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son and grandson. Then the time will come for Babylon to be defeated, and many nations and great kings will make Babylon their servant. 8 " ' "But if some nations or kingdoms refuse to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and refuse to be under his control, I will punish them with war, hunger, and terrible diseases, says the Lord. I will use Nebuchadnezzar to destroy them.9 So don't listen to your false prophets, those who use magic to tell the future, those who explain dreams, the mediums, or magicians. They all tell you, 'You will not be slaves to the king of Babylon.'10 They are telling you lies that will cause you to be taken far from your homeland. I will force you to leave your homes, and you will die in another land.11 But the nations who put themselves under the control of the king of Babylon and serve him I will let stay in their own country, says the Lord. The people from those nations will live in their own land and farm it." ' " 12 I gave the same message to Zedekiah king of Judah. I said, "Put yourself under the control of the king of Babylon and serve him, and you will live.13 Why should you and your people die from war, hunger, or disease, as the Lord said would happen to those who do not serve the king of Babylon?14 But the false prophets are saying, 'You will never be slaves to the king of Babylon.' Don't listen to them because they are prophesying lies to you!15 'I did not send them,' says the Lord. 'They are prophesying lies and saying the message is from me. So I will send you away, Judah. And you and those prophets who prophesy to you will die.' " 16 Then I, Jeremiah, said to the priests and all the people, "This is what the Lord says: Those false prophets are saying, 'The Babylonians will soon return what they took from the Temple of the Lord.' Don't listen to them! They are prophesying lies to you.17 Don't listen to those prophets. But serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. There is no reason for you to cause Jerusalem to become a ruin.18 If they are prophets and have the message from the Lord, let them pray to the Lord All-Powerful. Let them ask that the items which are still in the Temple of the Lord and in the king's palace and in Jerusalem not be taken away to Babylon. 19 "This is what the Lord All-Powerful says about those items left in Jerusalem: the pillars, the large bronze bowl, which is called the Sea, the stands that can be moved, and other things.20 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take these away when he took as captives Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other important people from Judah and Jerusalem to Babylon.21 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says about the items left in the Temple of the Lord and in the king's palace and in Jerusalem:22 'All of them will also be taken to Babylon. And they will stay there until the day I go to get them,' says the Lord. 'Then I will bring them back and return them to this place.' "
Jeremiah 28 - New Century
1 It was in that same year, in the fifth month of Zedekiah's fourth year as king of Judah, soon after he began to rule. The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, from the town of Gibeon, spoke to me in the Temple of the Lord in front of the priests and all the people. He said:2 "The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I have broken the yoke the king of Babylon has put on Judah.3 Before two years are over, I will bring back everything that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took to Babylon from the Lord's Temple.4 I will also bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other captives from Judah who went to Babylon,' says the Lord. 'So I will break the yoke the king of Babylon put on Judah.' " 5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people who were standing in the Temple of the Lord.6 He said, "Amen! Let the Lord really do that! May the Lord make the message you prophesy come true. May he bring back here everything from the Lord's Temple and all the people who were taken as captives to Babylon. 7 "But listen to what I am going to say to you and all the people.8 There were prophets long before we became prophets, Hananiah. They prophesied that war, hunger, and terrible diseases would come to many countries and great kingdoms.9 But if a prophet prophesies that we will have peace and that message comes true, he can be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord." 10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off Jeremiah's neck and broke it.11 Hananiah said in front of all the people, "This is what the Lord says: 'In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. He put that yoke on all the nations of the world, but I will break it before two years are over.' " After Hananiah had said that, Jeremiah left the Temple. 12 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off of the prophet Jeremiah's neck.13 The Lord said, "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but I will make a yoke of iron in its place!14 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will be slaves to him. I will even give Nebuchadnezzar control over the wild animals.' " 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, and you have made the people of Judah trust in lies.16 So this is what the Lord says: 'Soon I will remove you from the earth. You will die this year, because you taught the people to turn against the Lord.' " 17 Hananiah died in the seventh month of that same year.
Jeremiah 29 - New Century
1 This is the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the elders who were among the captives, the priests, and the prophets. He sent it to all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had taken as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This letter was sent after all these people were taken away: Jehoiachin the king and the queen mother; the officers and leaders of Judah and Jerusalem; and the craftsmen and metalworkers from Jerusalem.)3 Zedekiah king of Judah sent Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. So Jeremiah gave them this letter to carry to Babylon:
4 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says to all those people I sent away from Jerusalem as captives to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle in the land. Plant gardens and eat the food they grow.6 Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters be married so they also may have sons and daughters. Have many children in Babylon; don't become fewer in number.7 Also do good things for the city where I sent you as captives. Pray to the Lord for the city where you are living, because if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also."8 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Don't let the prophets among you and the people who do magic fool you. Don't listen to their dreams.9 They are prophesying lies to you, saying that their message is from me. But I did not send them," says the Lord.
10 This is what the Lord says: "Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to you, and I will keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem. 11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!14 I will let you find me," says the Lord. "And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have sent you as captives," says the Lord. "And I will bring you back to this place."
15 You might say, "The Lord has given us prophets here in Babylon."
16 But the Lord says this about the king who is sitting on David's throne now and all the other people still in Jerusalem, your relatives who did not go as captives to Babylon with you. 17 The Lord All-Powerful says: "I will soon send war, hunger, and terrible diseases against those still in Jerusalem. I will make them like bad figs that are too rotten to eat.18 I will chase them with war, hunger, and terrible diseases. I will make them hated by all the kingdoms of the earth. People will curse them and be shocked and will use them as a shameful example wherever I make them go.19 This is because they have not listened to my message," says the Lord. "I sent my message to them again and again through my servants, the prophets, but they did not listen," says the Lord.
20 You captives, whom I forced to leave Jerusalem and go to Babylon, listen to the message from the Lord. 21 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says this about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah: "These two men have been prophesying lies to you, saying that their message is from me. But soon I will hand over those two prophets to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them in front of you.22 Because of them, all the captives from Judah in Babylon will use this curse: 'May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned in the fire.'23 They have done evil things among the people of Israel. They are guilty of adultery with their neighbors' wives. They have also spoken lies and said those lies were a message from me. I did not tell them to do that. I know what they have done; I am a witness to it," says the Lord. 24 Also give a message to Shemaiah from the Nehelamite family.25 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Shemaiah, you sent letters in your name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests.26 You said to Zephaniah, 'The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. You are to be in charge of the Temple of the Lord. You should arrest any madman who acts like a prophet. Lock his hands and feet between wooden blocks, and put iron rings around his neck.27 Now Jeremiah from Anathoth is acting like a prophet. So why haven't you arrested him?28 Jeremiah has sent this message to us in Babylon: You will be there for a long time, so build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they grow.' " 29 Zephaniah the priest read the letter to Jeremiah the prophet.30 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 30 - New Century
1 These are the words that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.2 The Lord, the God of Israel, said: "Jeremiah, write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.3 The days will come when I will bring Israel and Judah back from captivity," says the Lord. "I will return them to the land I gave their ancestors, and they will own it!" says the Lord. 4 The Lord spoke this message about the people of Israel and Judah:5 This is what the Lord said:
"We hear people crying from fear.
They are afraid; there is no peace.
6 Ask this question, and consider it:
A man cannot have a baby.
So why do I see every strong man
holding his stomach in pain like a woman having a baby?
Why is everyone's face turning white like a dead man's face?
7 This will be a terrible day!
There will never be another time like this.
This is a time of great trouble for the people of Jacob,
but they will be saved from it."
8 The Lord All-Powerful says, "At that time
I will break the yoke from their necks
and tear off the ropes that hold them.
Foreign people will never again make my people slaves.
9 They will serve the Lord their God
and David their king,
whom I will send to them.
10 "So people of Jacob, my servants, don't be afraid.
Israel, don't be frightened," says the Lord.
"I will soon save you from that faraway place where you are captives.
I will save your family from that land.
The people of Jacob will be safe and have peace again;
there will be no enemy to frighten them.
11 I am with you and will save you,"
says the Lord.
"I will completely destroy all those nations
where I scattered you,
but I will not completely destroy you.
I will punish you fairly,
but I will still punish you." 12 This is what the Lord said:
"You people have a wound that cannot be cured;
your injury will not heal.
13 There is no one to argue your case
and no cure for your sores.
So you will not be healed.
14 All those nations who were your friends have forgotten you.
They don't care about you.
I have hurt you as an enemy would.
I punished you very hard,
because your guilt was so great
and your sins were so many.
15 Why are you crying out about your injury?
There is no cure for your pain.
I did these things to you because of your great guilt,
because of your many sins.
16 But all those nations that destroyed you will now be destroyed.
All your enemies will become captives in other lands.
Those who stole from you will have their own things stolen.
Those who took things from you in war will have their own things taken.
17 I will bring back your health
and heal your injuries," says the Lord,
"because other people forced you away.
They said about you, 'No one cares about Jerusalem!' " 18 This is what the Lord said:
"I will soon make the tents of Jacob's people as they used to be,
and I will have pity on Israel's houses.
The city will be rebuilt on its hill of ruins,
and the king's palace will stand in its proper place.
19 People in those places will sing songs of praise.
There will be the sound of laughter.
I will give them many children
so their number will not be small.
I will bring honor to them
so no one will look down on them.
20 Their descendants will be as they were in the old days.
I will set them up as a strong people before me,
and I will punish the nations who have hurt them.
21 One of their own people will lead them;
their ruler will come from among them.
He will come near to me when I invite him.
Who would dare to come to me uninvited?" says the Lord.
22 "So you will be my people,
and I will be your God."
23 Look! It is a storm from the Lord!
He is angry and has gone out to punish the people.
Punishment will come like a storm
crashing down on the evil people.
24 The Lord will stay angry
until he finishes punishing the people.
He will stay angry
until he finishes the punishment he planned.
When that day comes,
you will understand this.
Jeremiah 31 - New Century
1 The Lord says, "At that time I will be God of all Israel's family groups, and they will be my people." 2 This is what the Lord says:
"The people who were not killed by the enemy's sword
found help in the desert.
I came to give rest to Israel." 3 And from far away the Lord appeared to his people and said,
"I love you people
with a love that will last forever.
That is why I have continued
showing you kindness.
4 People of Israel, I will build you up again,
and you will be rebuilt.
You will pick up your tambourines again
and dance with those who are joyful.
5 You will plant vineyards again
on the hills around Samaria.
The farmers will plant them
and enjoy their fruit.
6 There will be a time when watchmen in the mountains of Ephraim shout this message:
'Come, let's go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God!' " 7 This is what the Lord says:
"Be happy and sing for the people of Jacob.
Shout for Israel, the greatest of the nations.
Sing your praises and shout this:
'Lord, save your people,
those who are left alive from the nation of Israel!'
8 Look, I will soon bring Israel from the country in the north,
and I will gather them from the faraway places on earth.
Some of the people are blind and crippled.
Some of the women are pregnant, and some are ready to give birth.
A great many people will come back.
9 They will be crying as they come,
but they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead those people by streams of water
on an even road where they will not stumble.
I am Israel's father,
and Israel is my firstborn son.
10 "Nations, listen to the message from the Lord.
Tell this message in the faraway lands by the sea:
'The one who scattered the people of Israel will bring them back,
and he will watch over his people like a shepherd.'
11 The Lord will pay for the people of Jacob
and will buy them back from people stronger than they were.
12 The people of Israel will come to the high points of Jerusalem
and shout for joy.
Their faces will shine with happiness about all the good things from the Lord:
the grain, new wine, oil, young sheep, and young cows.
They will be like a garden that has plenty of water,
and they will not be troubled anymore.
13 Then young women of Israel will be happy and dance,
the young men and old men also.
I will change their sadness into happiness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sadness.
14 The priests will have more than enough sacrifices,
and my people will be filled with the good things I give them!" says the Lord. 15 This is what the Lord says:
"A voice was heard in Ramah
of painful crying and deep sadness:
Rachel crying for her children.
She refused to be comforted,
because her children are dead!" 16 But this is what the Lord says:
"Stop crying;
don't let your eyes fill with tears.
You will be rewarded for your work!" says the Lord.
"The people will return from their enemy's land.
17 So there is hope for you in the future," says the Lord.
"Your children will return to their own land.
18 "I have heard Israel moaning:
'Lord, you punished me, and I have learned my lesson.
I was like a calf that had never been trained.
Take me back so that I may come back.
You truly are the Lord my God.
19 Lord, after I wandered away from you,
I changed my heart and life.
After I understood,
I beat my breast with sorrow.
I was ashamed and disgraced,
because I suffered for the foolish things I did when I was young.'
20 "You know that Israel is my dear son,
The child I love.
Yes, I often speak against Israel,
but I still remember him.
I love him very much,
and I want to comfort him," says the Lord.
21 "People of Israel, fix the road signs.
Put up signs to show you the way home.
Watch the road.
Pay attention to the road on which you travel.
People of Israel, come home,
come back to your towns.
22 You are an unfaithful daughter.
How long will you wander before you come home?
The Lord has made something new happen in the land:
A woman will go seeking a man." 23 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "I will again do good things for the people of Judah. At that time the people in the land of Judah and its towns will again use these words: 'May the Lord bless you, home of what is good, holy mountain.'24 People in all the towns of Judah will live together in peace. Farmers and those who move around with their flocks will live together in peace.25 I will give rest and strength to those who are weak and tired." 26 After hearing that, I, Jeremiah, woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very pleasant. 27 The Lord says, "The time is coming when I will help the families of Israel and Judah and their children and animals to grow.28 In the past I watched over Israel and Judah, to pull them up and tear them down, to destroy them and bring them disaster. But now I will watch over them to build them up and make them strong," says the Lord. 29 "At that time people will no longer say:
'The parents have eaten sour grapes,
and that caused the children to grind their teeth from the sour taste.'
30 Instead, each person will die for his own sin; the person who eats sour grapes will grind his own teeth.
Jeremiah 32 - New Century
1 This is the word the Lord spoke to Jeremiah in the tenth year Zedekiah was king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was surrounding Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was under arrest in the courtyard of the guard, which was at the palace of the king of Judah. 3 Zedekiah king of Judah had put Jeremiah in prison there. Zedekiah had asked, "Why have you prophesied the things you have?" (Jeremiah had said, "This is what the Lord says: 'I will soon hand the city of Jerusalem over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.4 Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the Babylonian army, but he will surely be handed over to the king of Babylon. And he will speak to the king of Babylon face to face and see him with his own eyes.5 The king will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I have punished him,' says the Lord. 'If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.' ") 6 While Jeremiah was in prison, he said, "The Lord spoke this word to me:7 Your cousin Hanamel, son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you soon. Hanamel will say to you, 'Jeremiah, you are my nearest relative, so buy my field near the town of Anathoth. It is your right and your duty to buy that field.' 8 "Then it happened just as the Lord had said. My cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said to me, 'Buy for yourself my field near Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. It is your right and duty to buy it and own it.' So I knew this was a message from the Lord. 9 "I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, weighing out seven ounces of silver for him.10 I signed the record and sealed it and had some people witness it. I also weighed out the silver on the scales.11 Then I took both copies of the record of ownership—the one that was sealed that had the demands and limits of ownership, and the one that was not sealed.12 And I gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. My cousin Hanamel, the other witnesses who signed the record of ownership, and many Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard saw me give the record of ownership to Baruch. 13 "With all the people watching, I told Baruch,14 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Take both copies of the record of ownership—the sealed copy and the copy that was not sealed—and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.15 This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: In the future my people will once again buy houses and fields for grain and vineyards in the land of Israel.' 16 "After I gave the record of ownership to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord,17 Oh, Lord God, you made the skies and the earth with your very great power. There is nothing too hard for you to do.18 You show love and kindness to thousands of people, but you also bring punishment to children for their parents' sins. Great and powerful God, your name is the Lord All-Powerful.19 You plan and do great things. You see everything that people do, and you reward people for the way they live and for what they do.20 You did miracles and wonderful things in the land of Egypt. You have continued doing them in Israel and among the other nations even until today. So you have become well known.21 You brought your people, the Israelites, out of Egypt using signs and miracles and your great power and strength. You brought great terror on everyone.22 You gave them this land that you promised to their ancestors long ago, a fertile land.23 They came into this land and took it for their own, but they did not obey you or follow your teachings. They did not do everything you commanded. So you made all these terrible things happen to them. 24 "Look! The enemy has surrounded the city and has built roads to the top of the walls to capture it. Because of war, hunger, and terrible diseases, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians who are attacking it. You said this would happen, and now you see it is happening.25 But now, Lord God, you tell me, 'Buy the field with silver and call in witnesses.' You tell me this while the Babylonian army is ready to capture the city." 26 Then the Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah:27 "I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me.28 So this is what the Lord says: I will soon hand over the city of Jerusalem to the Babylonian army and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it.29 The Babylonian army is already attacking the city of Jerusalem. They will soon enter it and start a fire to burn down the city and its houses. The people of Jerusalem offered sacrifices to Baal on the roofs of those same houses and poured out drink offerings to other idols to make me angry.30 From their youth, the people of Israel and Judah have done only the things I said were wrong. They have made me angry by worshiping idols made with their own hands," says the Lord.
Jeremiah 33 - New Century
1 While Jeremiah was still locked up in the courtyard of the guards, the Lord spoke his word to him a second time:2 "These are the words of the Lord, who made the earth, shaped it, and gave it order, whose name is the Lord:3 'Judah, pray to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you important secrets you have never heard before.'4 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in Jerusalem and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used in defense of the attack by the Babylonian army:5 'Some people will come to fight against the Babylonians. They will fill these houses with the bodies of people I killed in my hot anger. I have turned away from this city because of all the evil its people have done. 6 " 'But then I will bring health and healing to the people there. I will heal them and let them enjoy great peace and safety.7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and make them strong countries as in the past.8 They sinned against me, but I will wash away that sin. They did evil and turned away from me, but I will forgive them.9 Then "Jerusalem" will be to me a name that brings joy! And people from all nations of the earth will praise it when they hear about the good things I am doing there. They will be surprised and shocked at all the good things and the peace I will bring to Jerusalem.' 10 "You are saying, 'Our country is an empty desert, without people or animals.' But this is what the Lord says: It is now quiet in the streets of Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, without people or animals, but it will be noisy there soon! 11 There will be sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms. There will be the sounds of people bringing to the Temple of the Lord their offerings of thanks to the Lord. They will say,
'Praise the Lord All-Powerful,
because the Lord is good!
His love continues forever!'
They will say this because I will again do good things for Judah, as I did in the beginning," says the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "This place is empty now, without people or animals. But there will be shepherds in all the towns of Judah and pastures where they let their flocks rest.13 Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep walk in front of them. They will count them in the mountains and in the western hills, in southern Judah and the land of Benjamin, and around Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah!" says the Lord. 14 The Lord says, "The time is coming when I will do the good thing I promised to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 In those days and at that time,
I will make a good branch sprout from David's family.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
16 At that time Judah will be saved,
and the people of Jerusalem will live in safety.
The branch will be named:
The Lord Does What Is Right." 17 This is what the Lord says: "Someone from David's family will always sit on the throne of the family of Israel.18 And there will always be priests from the family of Levi. They will always stand before me to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me." 19 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying:20 "This is what the Lord says: I have an agreement with day and night that they will always come at the right times. If you could change that agreement,21 only then could you change my agreement with David and Levi. Only then would my servant David not have a descendant ruling as king on David's throne. And only then would the family of Levi not be priests serving me in the Temple.22 But I will give many descendants to my servant David and to the family group of Levi who serve me in the Temple. They will be as many as the stars in the sky that no one can count. They will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore that no one can measure." 23 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying:24 "Jeremiah, have you heard what the people are saying? They say: 'The Lord turned away from the two families of Israel and Judah that he chose.' Now they don't think of my people as a nation anymore!" 25 This is what the Lord says: "If I had not made my agreement with day and night, and if I had not made the laws for the sky and earth,26 only then would I turn away from Jacob's descendants. And only then would I not let the descendants of David my servant rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will be kind to them and cause good things to happen to them again."
Jeremiah 34 - New Century
1 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.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 the city of Jerusalem over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down!3 You will not escape from the king of Babylon; you will surely be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, 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 to honor your ancestors, the kings who ruled before you, so people will make a funeral fire to honor you. They will cry for you and sadly say, "Ah, master!" I myself make this promise to you, says the Lord.' " 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—Lachish and Azekah. These were the only strong, walled cities left in the land of Judah. 8 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. This was after King Zedekiah had made an agreement with all the people in Jerusalem to free all the Hebrew slaves.9 Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to keep a fellow Jew as a slave.10 All the officers and all the people accepted 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, the people who had slaves changed their minds. 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 out of Egypt where they were slaves and made an agreement with them.14 I said to your ancestors: '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 did not listen or pay attention to me.15 A short time ago you changed your hearts and did what I say is right. Each of you gave freedom to his fellow Hebrews who were slaves. And you even made an agreement before me in the place where I have chosen to be worshiped.16 But now you have changed your minds. You have shown you do not honor 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 me. You have not given freedom to your fellow Hebrews, neither relatives nor friends. But now I will give freedom, says the Lord, to war, to terrible diseases, and to hunger. I will make you hated by all the kingdoms of the earth.18 I will hand over the men who broke my agreement, who have not kept the promises they made before me. They cut a calf into two pieces before me and walked between the pieces.19 These people made the agreement before me by walking between the pieces of the calf: the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the officers of the court, 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. Their bodies will become food for the birds of the air 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, and to the army of the king of Babylon, even though they have left Jerusalem.22 I will give the order, says the Lord, to bring the Babylonian army back to Jerusalem. It will fight against Jerusalem, capture it, set it on fire, and burn it down. I will destroy the towns in Judah so that they become ruins where no one lives!"
Jeremiah 35 - New Century
1 When Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying:2 "Go to the family of Recab. Invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the Temple of the Lord, and offer them wine to drink." 3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah. And I gathered all of Jaazaniah's brothers and sons and the whole family of the Recabites together.4 Then I brought them into the Temple of the Lord. We went into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, who was a man of God. The room was next to the one where the officers stay and above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper in the Temple.5 Then I put some bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family. And I said to them, "Drink some wine." 6 But the Recabite men answered, "We never drink wine. Our ancestor Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'You and your descendants must never drink wine.7 Also you must never build houses, plant seeds, or plant vineyards, or do any of those things. You must live only in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are wanderers.'8 So we Recabites have obeyed everything Jonadab our ancestor 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.10 We have lived in tents and have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked Judah, we said to each other, 'Come, we must enter Jerusalem so we can escape the Babylonian army and the Aramean army.' So we have stayed in Jerusalem." 12 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah:13 "This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Jeremiah, go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem: 'You should 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 command; they do not drink wine. But I, the Lord, have given you messages again and again, but you did not obey me.15 I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, "Each of you must stop doing evil. You must change and be good. Do not follow other gods to serve them. If you obey me, you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors." But you have not listened 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.' 17 "So the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I will soon bring every disaster 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 Recabites, "This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the commands of your ancestor Jonadab and have followed all of his teachings; you have done everything he commanded.'19 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of Recab to serve me.' "
Jeremiah 36 - New Century
1 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah during the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah: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.3 Maybe the family of Judah will hear what disasters I am planning to bring on them and will stop doing wicked things. Then I would forgive them for the sins and the evil things they have done." 4 So Jeremiah called for Baruch son of Neriah. Jeremiah spoke the messages the Lord had given him, and Baruch wrote those messages on the scroll.5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, "I cannot go to the Temple of the Lord. I must stay here.6 So I want you to go to the Temple of the Lord on a day when the people are fasting. Read from the scroll to 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.7 Perhaps they will ask the Lord to help them. Perhaps each one will stop doing wicked things, because the Lord has announced that he is very angry with them."8 So Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do. In the Lord's Temple 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, 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 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 of the Lord in the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan, a royal secretary. That room 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 room in the king's palace where all of the officers were sitting: Elishama the royal secretary; Delaiah son of Shemaiah; Elnathan son of Acbor; 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 the scroll that you read to the people and come with me." So Baruch son of Neriah took 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." So Baruch read the scroll to them.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? Did you write down what Jeremiah said to you?" 18 "Yes," Baruch answered. "Jeremiah spoke them all to me, 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 where you are." 20 The officers put the scroll in the room of Elishama the royal secretary. Then they went to the king in the courtyard and told him all about the scroll.21 So King Jehoiakim sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought the scroll from the room of Elishama the royal secretary and read it to the king and to all the officers who stood around the king.22 It was the ninth month of the year, so King Jehoiakim was sitting in the winter apartment. There was a fire burning in a small firepot in front of him.23 After Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut those columns off of the scroll with a penknife and threw them into the firepot. Finally, the whole scroll was burned in the fire.24 King Jehoiakim and his servants heard everything that was said, but they were not frightened! They did not tear their clothes to show their sorrow.25 Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah even tried to talk 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 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. 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 cold frost of the night.
Jeremiah 37 - New Century
1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had appointed Zedekiah son of Josiah to be king of Judah. Zedekiah took the place of Jehoiachin 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 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. So he was free to go anywhere he wanted.5 The army of the king of Egypt had marched from Egypt toward Judah. Now the Babylonian army had surrounded 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 my help. Tell this to King Zedekiah: 'The army of the king of Egypt came here to help you, but they will go back to Egypt.8 After that, the Babylonian army will return and attack Jerusalem and capture it and burn it down.' 9 "This is what the Lord says: People of Jerusalem, do not fool yourselves. Don't say, 'The Babylonian army will surely leave us alone.' They will not!10 Even if you defeated all of the Babylonian army that is attacking you and there were only a few injured men left in their tents, they would come from their tents and burn down Jerusalem!" 11 So the Babylonian army left Jerusalem to fight the army of the king of Egypt.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.13 When Jeremiah got to the Benjamin Gate 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!" 14 But Jeremiah said to Irijah, "That's not true! I am not leaving to join the Babylonians." Irijah refused to listen to Jeremiah, so he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officers of Jerusalem.15 Those rulers were very angry with Jeremiah and beat him. Then they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the royal secretary, which had been made into a prison.16 So those people put Jeremiah into a cell in a dungeon, and Jeremiah was there for a long time. 17 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the palace. Zedekiah asked him in private, "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 have I done against you or your officers or the people of Jerusalem? Why have you thrown me into prison? 19 Where are your prophets that prophesied this message to you: 'The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land of Judah'? 20 But now, my master, king of Judah, please listen to me, and please do what I ask of you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the royal secretary, 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 38 - New Century
1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people. He said:2 "This is what the Lord says: 'Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, or hunger, or terrible diseases. But everyone who surrenders to the Babylonian army will live; they will escape with their lives and live.'3 And this is what the Lord says: 'This city of Jerusalem 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, "Jeremiah must be put to death! He is discouraging 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; he wants to ruin us." 5 King Zedekiah said to them, "Jeremiah is in your control. I cannot do anything to stop you." 6 So the officers took Jeremiah and put him into the well of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guards. The officers used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the well, which did not have any water in it, only mud. And Jeremiah sank down into the mud. 7 But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite and a servant in the palace, heard that the officers had put Jeremiah into the well. As King Zedekiah was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,8 Ebed-Melech left the palace 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 and left him there to die! When 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 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 and worn-out clothes from that room. Then he let those rags down with some ropes to Jeremiah in the well.12 Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags 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. And Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard. 14 Then King Zedekiah sent someone to get Jeremiah the prophet and bring him to the third entrance to the Temple 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." 15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I give you an answer, you will surely kill me. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me." 16 But King Zedekiah made a secret promise 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 the officers who want to kill you." 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be saved. Jerusalem will not be burned down, and you and your family will live.18 But if you refuse to surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, Jerusalem will be handed over to the Babylonian army, and they will burn it down. And you yourself will not escape from them.' " 19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I'm afraid of some Jews who have already gone over to the side of the Babylonian army. If the Babylonians hand me over to them, they will treat me badly." 20 But Jeremiah answered, "The Babylonians will not hand you over to the Jews. Obey 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 to the Babylonians, the Lord has shown me what will happen.22 All the women left in the palace 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:
'Your good friends misled you
and were stronger than you.
While your feet were stuck in the mud,
they left 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 by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem will be burned down." 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. If you don't tell us everything, we will kill you.'26 If they ask you, tell them, 'I was begging the king not to send 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.
Jeremiah 39 - New Century
1 This is how Jerusalem was captured: Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and surrounded the city to attack it. This was during the tenth month of the ninth year Zedekiah was king of Judah.2 This lasted until the ninth day of the fourth month in Zedekiah's eleventh year. Then the city wall was broken through.3 And all these officers of the king of Babylon came into Jerusalem and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of the district of Samgar; Nebo-Sarsekim, a chief officer; Nergal-Sharezer, an important leader; and all the other important officers. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all his soldiers saw them, they ran away. They left Jerusalem at night and went out from the king's garden. They went through the gate that was between the two walls and then headed toward the Jordan Valley.5 But the Babylonian army chased them and caught up with 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. There Nebuchadnezzar passed his sentence on Zedekiah.6 At Riblah the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons and all the important officers of Judah as Zedekiah watched.7 Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes. He put bronze chains on Zedekiah and took him to Babylon. 8 The Babylonians set fire to the palace and to the houses of the people, and they broke 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 to him earlier, and the rest of the people of Jerusalem, and he took them all away 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 about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard:12 "Find Jeremiah and take care of him. Do not hurt 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; Nergal-Sharezer, an important leader; 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, 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 this message: 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Very soon I will make my words about Jerusalem come true through disaster, not through good times. You will see everything come true with your own eyes.17 But I will save 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 you, Ebed-Melech. You will not die from a sword, but you will escape and live. This will happen because you have trusted in me, says the Lord.' "
Jeremiah 40 - New Century
1 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards, had set Jeremiah free at the city of Ramah. He had found Jeremiah in Ramah bound in chains with all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken away to Babylon.2 When commander Nebuzaradan found Jeremiah, Nebuzaradan said to him, "The Lord your God announced this disaster would come to this place.3 And now the Lord has done everything he said he would do. This disaster happened because the people of Judah sinned against the Lord and did not obey him.4 But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. If you want to, come with me to Babylon, and I will take good care of you. But if you don't want to come, then don't. Look, the whole country is open to you. Go wherever you wish."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 him to be governor over the towns of Judah. Go and live with Gedaliah among the people, or go anywhere you want." Then Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some food and a present and let him go.6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him there. He lived among the people who were left behind in Judah. 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 Gedaliah son of Ahikam in charge of the people who were left in the land: the men, women, and children who were the poorest. They were the ones who were not taken to Babylon as captives.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 to them, saying, "Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians. 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 before the Babylonians 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 in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries also heard that the king of Babylon had left a few Jews alive in the land. And they heard the king of Babylon had chosen 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 wants you dead? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you." But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah. He said, "Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know anything about it. We should not let Ishmael kill you. Then all the Jews gathered around you would be scattered to different countries again, and the few people of Judah who are left alive would be lost." 16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, "Do not kill Ishmael! The things you are saying about Ishmael are not true."
Jeremiah 41 - New Century
1 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ten of his men came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. (Nethaniah was the son of Elishama.) Now Ishmael was a member of the king's family and had been one of the officers of the king of Judah. While they were eating a meal with Gedaliah 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 as governor over Judah.)3 Ishmael also killed all the Jews and the Babylonian 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 offerings and incense to the Temple of the Lord. Those men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves.6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, crying as he walked. When he met 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 seventy of them and threw the bodies into a deep well.8 But the ten men who were left alive said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley and oil and honey that we have hidden in a field." So Ishmael let them live and did not kill them with the others.9 Now the well where he had thrown all the bodies had been made by King Asa as a part of his defenses against Baasha king of Israel. 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 there. They were the ones whom Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had chosen Gedaliah son of Ahikam to take care of. So Ishmael son of Nethaniah captured those people, and he started to cross over to the country of the Ammonites. 11 Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers with him heard about all the evil things Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.12 So they took their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah and caught him near the big pool of water at Gibeon.13 When the captives Ishmael had taken 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. 16 So Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers saved the captives that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken from Mizpah after he murdered Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Among those left alive were soldiers, women, children, and palace officers. And Johanan brought them back from the town of Gibeon. 17-18 Johanan and the other army officers were afraid of the Babylonians. Since the king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah son of Ahikam to be governor of Judah but Ishmael son of Nethaniah had murdered him, Johanan was afraid that the Babylonians would be angry. So they decided to run away to Egypt. On the way they stayed at Geruth Kimham, near the town of Bethlehem.
Jeremiah 42 - New Century
1 While there, Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah went to 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. Pray to the Lord your God for all the people left alive from the family of Judah. At one time there were many of us, but you can see that there are few of us now.3 So pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do." 4 Then Jeremiah the prophet answered, "I understand what you want me to do. I will pray to the Lord your God as you have asked. I will tell you everything he says and not hide anything from you." 5 Then the people said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true and loyal 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. We will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you. We will obey 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. This is what the God of Israel says:10 'If you will stay in Judah, I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not pull you up, because I am sad about the disaster I brought on 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 you from his power.12 I will be kind to you, and he will also treat you with mercy and let you stay in your land.' 13 "But if you say, 'We will not stay in Judah,' you will disobey 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, or be hungry.'15 If you say that, listen to the message of the Lord, you who are left alive from Judah. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'If you make up your mind to go and live in Egypt, these things will happen:16 You are afraid of war, but it will find you in the land of Egypt. And you are worried about hunger, but it will follow you into Egypt, and you will die there.17 Everyone who goes to live in Egypt will die in war or from hunger or terrible disease. No one who goes to Egypt will live; no one will escape the terrible things I will bring to them.' 18 "This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I showed my anger against the people of Jerusalem. In the same way I will show my anger against you when you go to Egypt. Other nations will speak evil of you. People will be shocked by what will happen to you. You will become a curse word, and people will insult you. And you will never see Judah again.' 19 "You who are left alive in Judah, the Lord has told you, 'Don't go to Egypt.' Be sure you understand this; I warn you today20 that you are making a mistake that will cause your deaths. 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 you, but you have not obeyed the Lord your God in all that he sent me to tell you.22 So now be sure you understand this: You want to go to live in Egypt, but you will die there by war, hunger, or terrible diseases."
Jeremiah 43 - New Century
1 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, Johanan son of Kareah, and some other men were too proud. 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 there.'3 Baruch son of Neriah is causing you to be against us. He wants you to hand us over to the Babylonians so they can kill us or capture us and take us to Babylon." 4 So Johanan, the army officers, and all the people disobeyed the Lord's command to stay in Judah.5 But Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers led away those who were left alive from Judah. They were the people who had run away from the Babylonians to other countries but then had come back to live in Judah.6 They led away 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. Johanan also took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.7 These people did not listen to the Lord. So they all went to Egypt to the city of Tahpanhes. 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 in Tahpanhes. Do this while the Jews are watching you.10 Then say to them, 'This is what the Lord All-Powerful, 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 above them.11 He will come here and attack Egypt. He will bring death to those who are supposed to die. He will make prisoners of those who are to be taken captive, and he will bring war to those who are to be killed with a sword.12 Nebuchadnezzar will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt and burn them. And he will take the idols away as captives. As a shepherd wraps himself in his clothes, so Nebuchadnezzar will wrap Egypt around him. Then he will safely leave Egypt.13 He will destroy the stone pillars in the temple of the sun god in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.' "
Jeremiah 44 - New Century
1 Jeremiah received a message from the Lord for all the Jews living in Egypt—in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in southern Egypt. This was the message:2 "The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: You saw all the terrible things 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 other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors 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 thing that I hate.'5 But they did not listen or pay attention. They did not stop doing 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 today. 7 "Now the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such great harm to yourselves? You are cutting off the men and women, children and babies from the family of Judah, leaving yourselves without anyone from the family of Judah.8 Why do you want to make me angry by making idols? Why do you burn incense to the gods of Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves. Other nations will speak evil of you and make fun of you.9 Have you forgotten about the evil things your ancestors did? And have you forgotten the evil the kings and queens 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. They have not learned to respect me or to follow my teachings. They have not obeyed the laws I gave you and your ancestors. 11 "So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disasters on you. I will destroy the whole family of Judah.12 The few who were left alive from Judah were determined to go to Egypt and settle there, but they will all die in Egypt. They will be killed in war or die from hunger. From the least important to the greatest, they will be killed in war or die from hunger. Other nations will speak evil about them. People will be shocked by what has happened to them. They will become a curse word, and people will insult them.13 I will punish those people who have gone to live in Egypt, just as I punished Jerusalem, using swords, hunger, and terrible diseases.14 Of the people of Judah who were left alive and have gone to live in Egypt, none will escape my punishment. 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 of Judah who lived in southern Egypt were meeting together. Among them were many women of Judah who were burning incense to other gods, and their husbands knew it. All these people said to Jeremiah,16 "We will not listen to the message from the Lord that you spoke to us.17 We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen Goddess, and we will certainly do everything we promised. We will burn incense and pour out drink offerings to worship her, just as we, our ancestors, 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, and nothing bad happened to us.18 But since we stopped making sacrifices to the Queen Goddess and stopped pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had great problems. Our people have also been killed in war and by hunger." 19 The women said, "Our husbands knew what we were doing. We had their permission to burn incense to the Queen Goddess and to pour out drink offerings to her. Our husbands knew we were making cakes that looked like her 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 that you and your ancestors, kings and officers, and the people of the land burned incense in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. He remembered and thought about it.22 Then he could not be patient with you any longer. He hated the terrible things you did. So he made your country an empty desert, 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. You sinned against the Lord. You did not obey him or follow his teachings or the laws he gave you. You did not keep your part of the agreement with him. So this disaster has happened to you. It is there for you to see." 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, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives did what you said you would do. You said, 'We will certainly keep the promises we made. We promised to make sacrifices to the Queen Goddess and to pour out drink offerings to her.' So, go ahead. Do the things you promised, and keep your promises.26 But hear the word of the Lord. Listen, all you Jews 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 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. The Jews who live in Egypt will die from swords or hunger until they are all destroyed.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 in Egypt, those who are left alive will know if my word or their word came true.29 I will give you a sign that I will punish you here in Egypt,' says the Lord. 'When you see it happen, you will know that my promises to hurt you will really happen.'30 This is what the Lord says: 'Hophra king of Egypt has enemies who want to kill him. Soon I will hand him over to his enemies just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who wanted to kill him.' "
Jeremiah 45 - New Century
1 It was the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah. Jeremiah the prophet told these things to Baruch son of Neriah, 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 me! The Lord has given me sorrow along with my pain. I am tired because of my suffering and cannot rest.' " 4 The Lord said, "Say this to Baruch: 'This is what the Lord says: I will soon tear down what I have built, and I will pull up what I have planted everywhere in Judah.5 Baruch, you are looking for great things for yourself. Don't look for them, because I will bring disaster on all the people, says the Lord. You will have to go many places, but I will let you escape alive wherever you go.' "
Jeremiah 46 - New Century
1 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations: 2 This message is to Egypt. It is about the army of Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at 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. This is the Lord's message to Egypt:
3 "Prepare your shields, large and small,
and march out for battle!
4 Harness the horses
and get on them!
Go to your places for battle
and put on your helmets!
Polish your spears.
Put on your armor!
5 What do I see?
That army is terrified,
and the soldiers are running away.
Their warriors are defeated.
They run away quickly
without looking back.
There is terror on every side!" says the Lord.
6 "The fast runners cannot run away;
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?
8 Egypt rises up like the Nile River,
like strong, fast rivers.
Egypt says, 'I will rise up and cover the earth.
I will destroy cities and the people in them!'
9 Horsemen, charge into battle!
Chariot drivers, drive hard!
March on, brave soldiers—
soldiers from the countries of Cush and Put who carry shields,
soldiers from Lydia who use bows.
10 "But that day belongs to the Lord God All-Powerful.
At that time he will give those people the punishment they deserve.
The sword will kill until it is finished,
until it satisfies its thirst for their blood.
The Lord God All-Powerful will offer a sacrifice
in the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.
11 "Go up to Gilead and get some balm,
people of Egypt!
You have prepared many medicines,
but they will not work;
you will not be healed.
12 The nations have heard of your shame,
and your cries fill all the earth.
One warrior has run into 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 Egypt:
14 "Announce this message in Egypt, and preach it in Migdol.
Preach it also in the cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes:
'Get ready for war,
because the battle is all around you.'
15 Egypt, why were your warriors killed?
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!'
17 In their homelands those soldiers called out,
'The king of Egypt is only a lot of noise.
He missed his chance for glory!' "
18 The King's name is the Lord All-Powerful.
He says, "As surely as I live,
a powerful leader will come.
He will be like Mount Tabor among the mountains,
like Mount Carmel by the sea.
19 People of Egypt, pack your things
to be taken away as captives,
because Memphis will be destroyed.
It will be a ruin, and no one will live there.
20 "Egypt is like a beautiful young cow,
but a horsefly is coming
from the north to attack her.
21 The hired soldiers in Egypt's army
are like fat calves,
because even they all turn and run away together;
they do not stand strong against the attack.
Their time of destruction is coming;
they will soon be punished.
22 Egypt is like a hissing snake that is trying to escape.
The enemy comes closer and closer.
They come against Egypt with axes
like men who cut down trees.
23 They will chop down Egypt's army
as if it were a great forest," says the Lord.
"There are more enemy soldiers than locusts;
there are too many to count.
24 The people of Egypt will be ashamed.
They will be handed over to the enemy from the north." 25 The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: "Very soon I will punish Amon, the god of the city of Thebes. And I will punish Egypt, her kings, her gods, and the people who depend on the king.26 I will hand those people over to their enemies, who want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But in the future, Egypt will live in peace as it once did," says the Lord. 27 "People of Jacob, my servants, don't be afraid;
don't be frightened, Israel.
I will surely save you from those faraway places
and your children 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 nations
where I scattered you.
But I will not completely destroy you.
I will punish you fairly,
but I will not let you escape your punishment."
Jeremiah 47 - New Century
1 Before the king of Egypt attacked the city of Gaza, the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah the prophet. This message is to the Philistine people. 2 This is what the Lord says:
"See, the enemy is gathering in the north like rising waters.
They will become like an overflowing stream
and will cover the whole country like a flood,
even the towns and the people living in them.
Everyone living in that country
will cry for help;
the people will cry painfully.
3 They will hear the sound of the running horses
and the noisy chariots
and the rumbling chariot wheels.
Parents will not help their children to safety,
because they will be too weak to help.
4 The time has come
to destroy all the Philistines.
It is time to destroy all who are left alive
who could help the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
The Lord will soon destroy the Philistines,
those left alive from the island of Crete.
5 The people from the city of Gaza will be sad and shave their heads.
The people from the city of Ashkelon will be made silent.
Those left alive from the valley,
how long will you cut yourselves?
6 "You cry, 'Sword of the Lord,
how long will you keep fighting?
Return to your holder.
Stop and be still.'
7 But how can his sword rest
when the Lord has given it a command?
He has ordered it
to attack Ashkelon and the seacoast."
Jeremiah 48 - New Century
1 This message is to the country of Moab. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says:
"How terrible it will be for the city of Nebo,
because it will be ruined.
The town of Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;
the strong city will be disgraced and shattered.
2 Moab will not be praised again.
Men in the town of Heshbon plan Moab's defeat.
They say, 'Come, let us put an end to that nation!'
Town of Madmen, you will also be silenced.
The sword will chase you.
3 Listen to the cries from the town of Horonaim,
cries of much confusion and destruction.
4 Moab will be broken up.
Her little children will cry for help.
5 Moab's people go up the path to the town of Luhith,
crying loudly as they go.
On the road down to Horonaim,
cries of pain and suffering can be heard.
6 Run! Run for your lives!
Go like a bush being blown through the desert.
7 You trust in the things you do and in your wealth,
so you also will be captured.
The god Chemosh will go into captivity
and his priests and officers with him.
8 The destroyer will come against every town;
not one town will escape.
The valley will be ruined,
and the high plain will be destroyed,
as the Lord has said.
9 Give wings to Moab,
because she will surely leave her land.
Moab's towns will become empty,
with no one to live in them.
10 A curse will be on anyone who doesn't do what the Lord says,
and a curse will be on anyone who holds back his sword from killing.
11 "The people of Moab have never known trouble.
They are like wine left to settle;
they have never been poured from one jar to another.
They have not been taken into captivity.
So they taste as they did before,
and their smell has not changed.
12 A time is coming," says the Lord,
"When I will send people to pour you from your jars.
They will empty Moab's jars
and smash her jugs.
13 The people of Israel trusted that god in the town of Bethel,
and they were ashamed when there was no help.
In the same way Moab will be ashamed of their god Chemosh.
14 "You cannot say, 'We are warriors!
We are brave men in battle!'
15 The destroyer of Moab and her towns has arrived.
Her best young men will be killed!" says the King,
whose name is the Lord All-Powerful.
16 "The end of Moab is near,
and she will soon be destroyed.
17 All you who live around Moab,
all you who know her, cry for her.
Say, 'The ruler's power is broken;
Moab's power and glory are gone.'
18 "You people living in the town of Dibon, come down from your place of honor
and sit on the dry ground,
because the destroyer of Moab has come against you.
And he has destroyed your strong, walled cities.
19 You people living in the town of Aroer,
stand next to the road and watch.
See the man running away and the woman escaping.
Ask them, 'What happened?'
20 Moab is filled with shame, because she is ruined.
Cry, Moab, cry out!
Announce at the Arnon River
that Moab is destroyed.
21 People on the high plain have been punished.
Judgment has come to these towns:
Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath;
22 Dibon, Nebo, and Beth Diblathaim;
23 Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul, and Beth Meon;
24 Kerioth and Bozrah.
Judgment has come to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
25 Moab's strength has been cut off,
and its arm broken!" says the Lord.
26 "The people of Moab thought they were greater than the Lord,
so punish them until they act as if they are drunk.
Moab will fall and roll around in its own vomit,
and people will even make fun of it.
27 Moab, you made fun of Israel.
Israel was caught in the middle of a gang of thieves.
When you spoke about Israel,
you shook your head and acted as if you were better than it.
28 People in Moab, leave your towns empty
and go live among the rocks.
Be like a dove that makes its nest
at the entrance of a cave.
29 "We have heard that the people of Moab are proud,
very proud.
They are proud, very proud,
and in their hearts they think they are important."
30 The Lord says,
"I know Moab's great pride, but it is useless.
Moab's bragging accomplishes nothing.
Jeremiah 49 - New Century
1 This message is to the Ammonite people. This is what the Lord says:
"Do you think that Israel has no children?
Do you think there is no one to take the land when the parents die?
If that were true, why did Molech take Gad's land
and why did Molech's people settle in Gad's towns?"
2 The Lord says,
"The time will come when I will make Rabbah,
the capital city of the Ammonites, hear the battle cry.
It will become a hill covered with ruins,
and the towns around it will be burned.
Those people forced Israel out of that land,
but now Israel will force them out!" says the Lord.
3 "People in the town of Heshbon, cry sadly because the town of Ai is destroyed!
Those who live in Rabbah, cry out!
Put on your rough cloth to show your sadness, and cry loudly.
Run here and there for safety inside the walls,
because Molech will be taken captive
and his priests and officers with him.
4 You brag about your valleys
and about the fruit in your valleys.
You are like an unfaithful child
who believes his treasures will save him.
You think, 'Who would attack me?'
5 I will soon bring terror on you
from everyone around you,"
says the Lord God All-Powerful.
"You will all be forced to run away,
and no one will be able to gather you.
6 "But the time will come
when I will make good things happen to the Ammonites again,"
says the Lord. 7 This message is to Edom. This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:
"Is there no more wisdom in the town of Teman?
Can the wise men of Edom no longer give good advice?
Have they lost their wisdom?
8 You people living in the town of Dedan,
run away and hide in deep caves,
because I will bring disaster on the people of Esau.
It is time for me to punish them.
9 If workers came and picked the grapes from your vines,
they would leave a few grapes behind.
If robbers came at night,
they would steal only enough for themselves.
10 But I will strip Edom bare.
I will find all their hiding places,
so they will not be able to hide from me.
The children, relatives, and neighbors will die,
and Edom will be no more.
11 Leave the orphans, and I will take care of them.
Your widows also can trust in me." 12 This is what the Lord says: "Some people did not deserve to be punished, but they had to drink from the cup of suffering anyway. People of Edom, you deserve to be punished, so you will not escape punishment. You must certainly drink from the cup of suffering."13 The Lord says, "I swear by my own name that the city of Bozrah will become a pile of ruins! People will be shocked by what happened there. They will insult that city and speak evil of it. And all the towns around it will become ruins forever."
14 I have heard a message from the Lord.
A messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
"Gather your armies to attack it!
Get ready for battle!"
15 "Soon I will make you the smallest of nations,
and you will be greatly hated by everyone.
16 Edom, you frightened other nations,
but your pride has fooled you.
You live in the hollow places of the cliff
and control the high places of the hills.
Even if you build your home as high as an eagle's nest,
I will bring you down from there," says the Lord.
17 "Edom will be destroyed.
People who pass by will be shocked to see the destroyed cities,
and they will be amazed at all her injuries.
18 Edom will be destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
and the towns around them," says the Lord.
"No one will live there!
No one will stay in Edom.
19 "Like a lion coming up from the thick bushes near the Jordan River
to attack a strong pen for sheep,
I will suddenly chase Edom from its land.
Who is the one I have chosen to do this?
There is no one like me,
no one who can take me to court.
None of their leaders can stand up against me."
20 So listen to what the Lord has planned to do against Edom.
Listen to what he has decided to do to the people in the town of Teman.
He will surely drag away the young ones of Edom.
Their hometowns will surely be shocked at what happens to them.
21 At the sound of Edom's fall, the earth will shake.
Their cry will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.
22 The Lord is like an eagle swooping down
and spreading its wings over the city of Bozrah.
At that time Edom's soldiers will become very frightened,
like a woman having a baby. 23 This message is to the city of Damascus:
"The towns of Hamath and Arpad are put to shame,
because they have heard bad news.
They are discouraged.
They are troubled like the tossing sea.
24 The city of Damascus has become weak.
The people want to run away;
they are ready to panic.
The people feel pain and suffering,
like a woman giving birth to a baby.
25 Damascus was a city of my joy.
Why have the people not left that famous city yet?
26 Surely the young men will die in the city squares,
and all her soldiers will be killed at that time," says the Lord All-Powerful.
27 "I will set fire to the walls of Damascus,
and it will completely burn the strong cities of King Ben-Hadad." 28 This message is to the tribe of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. This is what the Lord says:
"Go and attack the people of Kedar,
and destroy the people of the East.
29 Their tents and flocks will be taken away.
Their belongings will be carried off—
their tents, all their goods, and their camels.
Men will shout to them,
'Terror on every side!'
30 "Run away quickly!
People in Hazor, find a good place to hide!" says the Lord.
"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has made plans against you
and wants to defeat you.
Jeremiah 50 - New Century
1 This is the message the Lord spoke to Babylon and the Babylonian people through Jeremiah the prophet.
2 "Announce this to the nations.
Lift up a banner and tell them.
Speak the whole message and say:
'Babylon will be captured.
The god Bel will be put to shame,
and the god Marduk will be afraid.
Babylon's gods will be put to shame,
and her idols will be afraid!'
3 A nation from the north will attack Babylon
and make it like an empty desert.
No one will live there;
both people and animals will run away."
4 The Lord says, "At that time
the people of Israel and Judah will come together.
They will cry and look for the Lord their God.
5 Those people will ask how to go to Jerusalem
and will start in that direction.
They will come and join themselves to the Lord.
They will make an agreement with him that will last forever,
an agreement that will never be forgotten.
6 "My people have been like lost sheep.
Their leaders have led them in the wrong way
and made them wander around in the mountains and hills.
They forgot where their resting place was.
7 Whoever saw my people hurt them.
And those enemies said, 'We did nothing wrong.
Those people sinned against the Lord, their true resting place,
the God their fathers trusted.'
8 "Run away from Babylon,
and leave the land of the Babylonians.
Be like the goats that lead the flock.
9 I will soon bring against Babylon
many great nations from the north.
They will take their places for war against it,
and it will be captured by people from the north.
Their arrows are like trained soldiers
who do not return from war with empty hands.
10 The enemy will take all the wealth from the Babylonians.
Those enemy soldiers will get all they want," says the Lord.
11 "Babylon, you are excited and happy,
because you took my land.
You dance around like a young cow in the grain.
Your laughter is like the neighing of male horses.
12 Your mother will be very ashamed;
the woman who gave birth to you will be disgraced.
Soon Babylonia will be the least important of all the nations.
She will be an empty, dry desert.
13 Because of the Lord's anger,
no one will live there.
She will be completely empty.
Everyone who passes by Babylon will be shocked.
They will shake their heads when they see all her injuries.
14 "Take your positions for war against Babylon,
all you soldiers with bows.
Shoot your arrows at Babylon! Do not save any of them,
because Babylon has sinned against the Lord.
15 Soldiers around Babylon, shout the war cry!
Babylon has surrendered, her towers have fallen,
and her walls have been torn down.
The Lord is giving her people the punishment they deserve.
You nations should give her what she deserves;
do to her what she has done to others.
16 Don't let the people from Babylon plant their crops
or gather the harvest.
The soldiers treated their captives cruelly.
Now, let everyone go back home.
Let everyone run to his own country.
17 "The people of Israel are like a flock of sheep that are scattered
from being chased by lions.
The first lion to eat them up
was the king of Assyria.
The last lion to crush their bones
was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon." 18 So this is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says:
"I will punish the king of Babylon and his country
as I punished the king of Assyria.
19 But I will bring the people of Israel back to their own pasture.
They will eat on Mount Carmel and in Bashan.
They will eat and be full
on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead."
20 The Lord says,
"At that time people will try to find Israel's guilt,
but there will be no guilt.
People will try to find Judah's sins,
but no sins will be found,
because I will leave a few people alive from Israel and Judah,
and I will forgive their sins.
21 "Attack the land of Merathaim.
Attack the people who live in Pekod.
Chase them, kill them, and completely destroy them.
Do everything I commanded you!" says the Lord.
22 "The noise of battle can be heard all over the country;
it is the noise of much destruction.
23 Babylon was the hammer of the whole earth,
but how broken and shattered that hammer is now.
It is truly the most ruined
of all the nations.
24 Babylon, I set a trap for you,
and you were caught before you knew it.
You fought against the Lord,
so you were found and taken prisoner.
25 The Lord has opened up his storeroom
and brought out the weapons of his anger,
because the Lord God All-Powerful has work to do
in the land of the Babylonians.
26 Come against Babylon from far away.
Break open her storehouses of grain.
Pile up her dead bodies like heaps of grain.
Completely destroy Babylon
and do not leave anyone alive.
27 Kill all the young men in Babylon;
let them be killed like animals.
How terrible it will be for them, because the time has come for their defeat;
it is time for them to be punished.
28 Listen to the people running to escape the country of Babylon!
They are telling Jerusalem
how the Lord our God is punishing Babylon as it deserves
for destroying his Temple.
29 "Call for the archers
to come against Babylon.
Tell them to surround the city,
and let no one escape.
Pay her back for what she has done;
do to her what she has done to other nations.
Babylon acted with pride against the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
30 So her young men will be killed in her streets.
All her soldiers will die on that day," says the Lord.
Jeremiah 51 - New Century
1 This is what the Lord says:
"I will soon cause a destroying wind to blow
against Babylon and the Babylonian people.
2 I will send foreign people to destroy Babylon
like a wind that blows chaff away.
They will destroy the land.
Armies will surround the city
when the day of disaster comes upon her.
3 Don't let the Babylonian soldiers prepare their bows to shoot.
Don't even let them put on their armor.
Don't feel sorry for the young men of Babylon,
but completely destroy her army.
4 They will be killed in the land of the Babylonians
and will die in her streets.
5 The Lord God All-Powerful
did not leave Israel and Judah,
even though they were completely guilty
in the presence of the Holy One of Israel.
6 "Run away from Babylon
and save your lives!
Don't stay and be killed because of Babylon's sins.
It is time for the Lord to punish Babylon;
he will give Babylon the punishment she deserves.
7 Babylon was like a gold cup in the Lord's hand
that made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank Babylon's wine,
so they went crazy.
8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been broken.
Cry for her!
Get balm for her pain,
and maybe she can be healed.
9 "Foreigners in Babylon say, 'We tried to heal Babylon,
but she cannot be healed.
So let us leave her and each go to his own country.
Babylon's punishment is as high as the sky;
it reaches to the clouds.'
10 "The people of Judah say, 'The Lord has shown us to be right.
Come, let us tell in Jerusalem
what the Lord our God has done.'
11 "Sharpen the arrows!
Pick up your shields!
The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
because he wants to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will punish them as they deserve
for destroying his Temple.
12 Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon!
Bring more guards.
Put the watchmen in their places,
and get ready for a secret attack!
The Lord will certainly do what he has planned
and what he said he would do against the people of Babylon.
13 People of Babylon, you live near much water
and are rich with many treasures,
but your end as a nation has come.
It is time to stop you from robbing other nations.
14 The Lord All-Powerful has promised in his own name:
'Babylon, I will surely fill you with so many enemy soldiers they will be like a swarm of locusts.
They will stand over you and shout their victory.'
15 "The Lord made the earth by his power.
He used his wisdom to build the world
and his understanding to stretch out the skies.
16 When he thunders, the waters in the skies roar.
He makes clouds rise in the sky all over the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
17 "People are so stupid and know so little.
Goldsmiths are made ashamed by their idols,
because those statues are only false gods.
They have no breath in them.
18 They are worth nothing; people make fun of them.
When they are judged, they will be destroyed.
19 But God, who is Jacob's Portion, is not like the idols.
He made everything,
and he chose Israel to be his special people.
The Lord All-Powerful is his name.
20 "You are my war club,
my battle weapon.
I use you to smash nations.
I use you to destroy kingdoms.
21 I use you to smash horses and riders.
I use you to smash chariots and drivers.
22 I use you to smash men and women.
I use you to smash old people and young people.
I use you to smash young men and young women.
23 I use you to smash shepherds and flocks.
I use you to smash farmers and oxen.
I use you to smash governors and officers. 24 "But I will pay back Babylon and all the Babylonians for all the evil things they did to Jerusalem in your sight," says the Lord. 25 The Lord says,
"Babylon, you are a destroying mountain,
and I am against you.
You have destroyed the whole land.
I will put my hand out against you.
I will roll you off the cliffs,
and I will make you a burned-out mountain.
26 People will not find any rocks in Babylon big enough for cornerstones.
People will not take any rocks from Babylon to use for the foundation of a building,
because your city will be just a pile of ruins forever," says the Lord.
27 "Lift up a banner in the land!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon.
Call these kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to fight against her.
Choose a commander to lead the army against Babylon.
Send so many horses that they are like a swarm of locusts.
28 Get the nations ready for battle against Babylon—
the kings of the Medes,
their governors and all their officers,
and all the countries they rule.
29 The land shakes and moves in pain,
because the Lord will do what he has planned to Babylon.
He will make Babylon an empty desert,
where no one will live.
30 Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting.
They stay in their protected cities.
Their strength is gone,
and they have become like frightened women.
Babylon's houses are burning.
The bars of her gates are broken.
Jeremiah 52 - New Century
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he was king in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, and she was from Libnah.2 Zedekiah did what the Lord said was wrong, just as Jehoiakim had done.3 All this happened in Jerusalem and Judah because the Lord was angry with them. Finally, he threw them out of his presence. Zedekiah turned against the king of Babylon.4 Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They made a camp around the city and built devices all around the city walls to attack it. This happened on Zedekiah's ninth year, tenth month, and tenth day as king.5 And the city was under attack until Zedekiah's eleventh year as king. 6 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the hunger was terrible in the city; there was no food for the people to eat.7 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army of Judah ran away at night. They left the city through the gate between the two walls by the king's garden. Even though the Babylonians were surrounding the city, Zedekiah and his men headed toward the Jordan Valley. 8 But the Babylonian army chased King Zedekiah and caught him in the plains of Jericho. All of his army was scattered from him.9 So the Babylonians captured Zedekiah and took him to the king of Babylon at the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath. There he passed sentence on Zedekiah.10 At Riblah the king of Babylon killed Zedekiah's sons as he watched. The king also killed all the officers of Judah.11 Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and put bronze chains on him, and took him to Babylon. And the king kept Zedekiah in prison there until the day he died. 12 Nebuzaradan, commander of the king's special guards and servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem on the tenth day of the fifth month. This was in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king of Babylon.13 Nebuzaradan set fire to the Temple of the Lord, the palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every important building was burned.14 The whole Babylonian army, led by the commander of the king's special guards, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.15 Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king's special guards, took captive some of the poorest people, those who were left in Jerusalem, those who had surrendered to the king of Babylon, and the skilled craftsmen who were left in Jerusalem.16 But Nebuzaradan left behind some of the poorest people of the land to take care of the vineyards and fields. 17 The Babylonians broke into pieces the bronze pillars, the bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl, called the Sea, which were in the Temple of the Lord. Then they carried all the bronze pieces to Babylon.18 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, bowls, dishes, and all the bronze objects used to serve in the Temple.19 The commander of the king's special guards took away bowls, pans for carrying hot coals, large bowls, pots, lampstands, pans, and bowls used for drink offerings. He took everything that was made of pure gold or silver. 20 There was so much bronze that it could not be weighed: two pillars, the large bronze bowl called the Sea with the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the Temple of the Lord. 21 Each of the pillars was about twenty-seven feet high, eighteen feet around, and hollow inside. The wall of each pillar was three inches thick.22 The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was about seven and one-half feet high. It was decorated with a net design and bronze pomegranates all around it. The other pillar also had pomegranates and was like the first pillar.23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides of the pillars. There was a total of a hundred pomegranates above the net design. 24 The commander of the king's special guards took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, and the three doorkeepers.25 He also took from the city the officer in charge of the soldiers, seven people who advised the king, the royal secretary who selected people for the army, and sixty other men from Judah who were in the city when it fell.26 Nebuzaradan, the commander, took these people and brought them to the king of Babylon at the town of Riblah.27 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them killed. So the people of Judah were led away from their country as captives.28 This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar took away as captives: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;29 in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;30 in Nebuchadnezzar's twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, commander of the king's special guards, took 745 Jews as captives. In all 4,600 people were taken captive.
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