33While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message:H1697H3068H3414H8145H6113H2691H4307H559 2“This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord:H559H3068H6213H3068H3335H3559H3068H8034 3Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.H7121H6030H5046H1419H1219H3045 4For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king’s palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy.H559H3068H430H3478H1004H5892H1004H4428H3063H5422H5550H2719 5You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.H935H3898H3778H4390H6297H120H5221H639H2534H7451H5641H6440H5892 6“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace.H5927H724H4832H7495H1540H6283H7965H571 7I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns.H7622H3063H7622H3478H7725H1129H7223 8I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion.H2891H5771H2398H5545H5771H2398H6586 9Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.H8034H8342H8416H8597H1471H776H8085H2896H6213H6342H7264H2896H7965H6213 10“This is what the Lord says: You have said, ‘This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once moreH559H3068H8085H4725H559H2720H120H929H5892H3063H2351H3389H8074H120H3427H929 11the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever!’ For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.H6963H8342H6963H8057H6963H2860H6963H3618H6963H559H3034H3068H6635H3068H2896H2617H5769H935H8426H1004H3068H7725H7622H776H7223H559H3068 12“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land—though it is now desolate and has no people and animals—will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks.H559H3068H6635H4725H2720H120H929H5892H5116H7462H6629H7257 13Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!H5892H2022H5892H8219H5892H5045H776H1144H5439H3389H5892H3063H6629H5674H3027H4487H559H3068 14“The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.H3117H935H5002H3068H6965H2896H1697H1696H1004H3478H1004H3063 15“In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.H3117H6256H6780H6666H6779H1732H6213H4941H6666H776 16In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’H3117H3063H3467H3389H7931H983H7121H3072 17For this is what the Lord says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever.H559H3068H1732H3808H3772H376H3427H3678H1004H3478 18And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me.”H3548H3881H3772H376H6440H5927H5930H6999H4503H6213H2077H3117 19Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:H1697H3068H3414H559 20“This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other,H559H3068H6565H1285H3117H1285H3915H3119H3915H6256 21only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me.H1285H6565H1732H5650H1121H4427H3678H3881H3548H8334 22And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”H6635H8064H5608H2344H3220H4058H7235H2233H1732H5650H3881H8334 23The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,H1697H3068H3414H559 24“Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation.H7200H5971H1696H559H8147H4940H3068H977H3988H5006H5971H1471H6440 25But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.H559H3068H1285H3119H3915H7760H2708H8064H776 26I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”H1571H3988H2233H3290H1732H5650H3947H2233H4910H2233H85H3446H3290H7622H7725H7725H7355
34King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:H1697H3414H3068H5019H4428H894H2428H4467H776H3027H4475H5971H3898H3389H5892H559 2“Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.H559H3068H430H3478H1980H559H6667H4428H3063H559H559H3068H5414H5892H3027H4428H894H8313H784 3You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.H4422H3027H8610H8610H5414H3027H5869H7200H5869H4428H894H1696H6310H6310H935H894 4“‘But listen to this promise from the Lord, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says: You will not be killed in warH8085H1697H3068H6667H4428H3063H559H3068H4191H2719 5but will die peacefully. People will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, crying, “Alas, our master is dead!” This I have decreed, says the Lord.’”H4191H7965H4955H1H7223H4428H6440H8313H5594H1945H113H1696H1697H5002H3068 6So Jeremiah the prophet delivered the message to King Zedekiah of Judah.H3414H5030H1696H1697H6667H4428H3063H3389 7At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only fortified cities of Judah not yet captured.H4428H894H2428H3898H3389H5892H3063H3498H3923H5825H4013H5892H7604H5892H3063 8This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves.H1697H3414H3068H310H4428H6667H3772H1285H5971H3389H7121H1865 9He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves—both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage.H376H5650H376H8198H5680H5680H7971H2670H5647H3064H251 10The officials and all the people had obeyed the king’s command,H8269H5971H935H1285H8085H376H5650H376H8198H7971H2670H5647H8085H7971 11but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again.H310H7725H5650H8198H7971H2670H7725H3533H3533H5650H8198 12So the Lord gave them this message through Jeremiah:H1697H3068H3414H3068H559 13“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt.H559H3068H430H3478H3772H1285H1H3117H3318H776H4714H1004H5650H559 14I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me.H7093H7651H8141H7971H376H251H5680H4376H5647H8337H8141H7971H2670H1H8085H5186H241 15Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name.H3117H7725H6213H3477H5869H7121H1865H376H7453H3772H1285H6440H1004H7121H8034 16But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again.H7725H2490H8034H376H5650H376H8198H7971H2670H5315H7725H3533H5650H8198 17“Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth.H559H3068H8085H7121H1865H376H251H376H7453H7121H1865H5002H3068H2719H1698H7458H5414H2189H2113H4467H776 18Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows.H5414H582H5674H1285H6965H1697H1285H3772H6440H3772H5695H8147H5674H1335 19Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath.H8269H3063H8269H3389H5631H3548H5971H776H5674H1335H5695 20I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.H5414H3027H341H3027H1245H5315H5038H3978H5775H8064H929H776 21“I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although Babylon’s king has left Jerusalem for a while,H6667H4428H3063H8269H5414H3027H341H3027H1245H5315H3027H4428H894H2428H5927 22I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there.”H6680H5002H3068H7725H5892H3898H3920H8313H784H5414H5892H3063H8077H3427
35This is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:H1697H3414H3068H3117H3079H1121H2977H4428H3063H5592“Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the Lord’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.”H1980H1004H7397H1696H935H1004H3068H259H3957H3196H82483So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families.H3947H2970H1121H3414H1121H2262H251H1121H1004H73974I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.H935H1004H3068H3957H1121H2605H1121H3012H376H430H681H3957H8269H4605H3957H4641H1121H7967H8104H55925I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,H5414H6440H1121H1004H7397H1375H4392H3196H3563H559H8354H31966but they refused. “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.H559H8354H3196H3122H1121H7394H1H6680H559H8354H3196H1121H5704H57697And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’H1129H1004H2232H2233H5193H3754H3117H3427H168H2421H7227H3117H6440H127H14818So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters.H8085H6963H3082H1121H7394H1H6680H8354H3196H3117H802H1121H13239We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops.H1129H1004H3427H3754H7704H223310We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor.H3427H168H8085H6213H3122H1H668011But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.”H5019H4428H894H5927H776H559H935H935H3389H6440H2428H3778H6440H2428H758H3427H338912Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:H1697H3068H3414H55913“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.H559H3068H6635H430H3478H1980H559H376H3063H3427H3389H3947H4148H8085H1697H5002H306814The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me.H1697H3082H1121H7394H6680H1121H8354H3196H6965H3117H8354H8085H1H4687H1696H7925H1696H808515Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me.H7971H5650H5030H7925H7971H559H7725H376H7451H1870H3190H4611H3212H310H312H430H5647H3427H127H5414H1H5186H241H808516The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’H1121H3082H1121H7394H6965H4687H1H6680H5971H808517“Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’”H559H3068H430H6635H430H3478H935H3063H3427H3389H7451H1696H1696H8085H7121H603018Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’H3414H559H1004H7397H559H3068H6635H430H3478H8085H4687H3082H1H8104H4687H6213H668019Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’”H559H3068H6635H430H3478H3122H1121H7394H3772H376H5975H6440H3117
36During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:H7243H8141H3079H1121H2977H4428H3063H1697H3414H3068H559 2“Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time.H3947H4039H5612H3789H1697H1696H3478H3063H1471H3117H1696H3117H2977H3117 3Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”H1004H3063H8085H7451H2803H6213H7725H376H7451H1870H5545H5771H2403 4So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that the Lord had given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll.H3414H7121H1263H1121H5374H1263H3789H6310H3414H1697H3068H1696H4039H5612 5Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, “I am a prisoner here and unable to go to the Temple.H3414H6680H1263H559H6113H3201H935H1004H3068 6So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the Lord that I have had you write on this scroll. Read them so the people who are there from all over Judah will hear them.H935H7121H4039H3789H6310H1697H3068H241H5971H3068H1004H6685H3117H7121H241H3063H935H5892 7Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late. For the Lord has threatened them with his terrible anger.”H5307H8467H6440H3068H7725H376H7451H1870H1419H639H2534H3068H1696H5971 8Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the Lord to the people at the Temple.H1263H1121H5374H6213H3414H5030H6680H7121H5612H1697H3068H3068H1004 9He did this on a day of sacred fasting held in late autumn, during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah had come to Jerusalem to attend the services at the Temple on that day.H2549H8141H3079H1121H2977H4428H3063H8671H2320H7121H6685H6440H3068H5971H3389H5971H935H5892H3063H3389 10Baruch read Jeremiah’s words on the scroll to all the people. He stood in front of the Temple room of Gemariah, son of Shaphan the secretary. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance.H7121H1263H5612H1697H3414H1004H3068H3957H1587H1121H8227H5608H5945H2691H6607H2319H8179H3068H1004H241H5971 11When Micaiah son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan heard the messages from the Lord,H4321H1121H1587H1121H8227H8085H5612H1697H3068 12he went down to the secretary’s room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.H3381H4428H1004H5608H3957H8269H3427H476H5608H1806H1121H8098H494H1121H5907H1587H1121H8227H6667H1121H2608H8269 13When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people,H4321H5046H1697H8085H1263H7121H5612H241H5971 14the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them.H8269H7971H3065H1121H5418H1121H8018H1121H3570H1263H559H3947H3027H4039H7121H241H5971H3212H1263H1121H5374H3947H4039H3027H935 15“Sit down and read the scroll to us,” the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested.H559H3427H7121H241H1263H7121H241 16When they heard all the messages, they looked at one another in alarm. “We must tell the king what we have heard,” they said to Baruch.H8085H1697H6342H413H376H7453H559H1263H5046H5046H4428H1697 17“But first, tell us how you got these messages. Did they come directly from Jeremiah?”H7592H1263H559H5046H3789H1697H6310 18So Baruch explained, “Jeremiah dictated them, and I wrote them down in ink, word for word, on this scroll.”H1263H559H7121H1697H6310H3789H1773H5612 19“You and Jeremiah should both hide,” the officials told Baruch. “Don’t tell anyone where you are!”H559H8269H1263H3212H5641H3414H376H3045H375 20Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king what had happened.H935H4428H2691H6485H4039H3957H476H5608H5046H1697H241H4428 21The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by.H4428H7971H3065H3947H4039H3947H476H5608H3957H3065H7121H241H4428H241H8269H5975H5921H4428 22It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm.H4428H3427H1004H2779H8671H2320H254H1197H6440 23Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up.H3065H7121H7969H702H1817H7167H8593H5608H7993H784H254H4039H8552H784H254 24Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard.H6342H7167H899H4428H5650H8085H1697 25Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen.H494H1806H1587H6293H4428H8313H4039H8085 26Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the Lord had hidden them.H4428H6680H3396H1121H4429H8304H1121H5837H8018H1121H5655H3947H1263H5608H3414H5030H3068H5641 27After the king had burned the scroll on which Baruch had written Jeremiah’s words, the Lord gave Jeremiah another message. He said,H1697H3068H3414H310H4428H8313H4039H1697H1263H3789H6310H3414H559 28“Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned.H3947H7725H312H4039H3789H7223H1697H7223H4039H3079H4428H3063H8313 29Then say to the king, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and empty it of people and animals.H559H3079H4428H3063H559H3068H8313H4039H559H3789H559H4428H894H935H935H7843H776H7673H120H929 30Now this is what the Lord says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied—exposed to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.H559H3068H3079H4428H3063H3427H3678H1732H5038H7993H3117H2721H3915H7140 31I will punish him and his family and his attendants for their sins. I will pour out on them and on all the people of Jerusalem and Judah all the disasters I promised, for they would not listen to my warnings.’”H6485H2233H5650H5771H935H3427H3389H376H3063H7451H1696H8085 32So Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary, Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time he added much more!H3947H3414H312H4039H5414H1263H5608H1121H5374H3789H6310H3414H1697H5612H3079H4428H3063H8313H784H3254H7227H1992H1697
Dublin, OH
, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.H935
