Baruch

9So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanameel. I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver and paid him.

And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

NotePeople did not use coins yet. They paid by weighing out lumps of silver. Seventeen shekels was about as heavy as a big apple.

10I signed the paper and sealed it. I asked people to watch as witnesses. Then I weighed the silver on scales.

And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

NoteTo "seal" a paper, you pressed a mark into soft clay on it. Then no one could open it secretly. Witnesses were people who watched, so they could say later that it really happened.

11I took the two papers that showed I had bought the field. One was sealed shut, with the terms inside. The other one was open to read.

So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:

NoteThey made two copies of the same paper. One was sealed shut so no one could change the words. The other stayed open so anyone could read it.

12I gave the papers to Baruch son of Neriah, son of Maaseiah. My cousin Hanameel watched. So did the witnesses who had signed. So did all the Jews sitting in the guards' courtyard.

And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

NoteBaruch was Jeremiah's helper. He wrote things down for Jeremiah and kept them safe.

13While they all watched, I told Baruch what to do. I said:

And I charged Baruch before them, saying,

14"This is what the LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says. Take these papers, the sealed one and the open one. Put them in a clay jar. Then they will last a long time."

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.

NoteA clay jar kept papers dry and safe. Papers stored this way could last for many, many years.

15"For this is what the LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says. People will buy houses and fields and vineyards in this land again."

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.

NoteA vineyard is a field where grapes are grown.

16After I gave the papers to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD. I said:

Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying,

1It was the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. God gave a message to Jeremiah.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

NoteJudah was a small land where God's people lived. People counted years by how long a king had ruled.

2God said, "Get a scroll and write on it. Write all the words I have told you about Israel, Judah, and every nation. Write everything from the days of King Josiah until today."

Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.

NoteA scroll was a long strip of paper, rolled up. You unrolled it a little at a time to read it. Israel and Judah were two lands. God's people had once lived together in just one.

3"Maybe the people of Judah will hear about the trouble I plan to send. Maybe each one will stop doing wrong. Then I will forgive the wrong things they have done."

It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

4So Jeremiah called a man named Baruch, the son of Neriah. Jeremiah said the words out loud. Baruch wrote them all on a scroll.

Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.

5Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am not allowed to go to the LORD's house."

And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD:

NoteThe LORD's house was the temple in Jerusalem. It was the special building where people came to pray.

6"So you go instead. Go on a day when the people do not eat and they pray. Read the LORD's words from the scroll so all the people hear. Read them to everyone from Judah who comes in from their towns."

Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’s house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.

NoteGoing without food on purpose is called fasting. People fasted to show God they were sad or sorry.

7"Maybe they will pray to the LORD and ask him for help. Maybe each one will stop doing wrong. The LORD is very angry with these people."

It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.

8Baruch did just what Jeremiah told him. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said. Baruch read the LORD's words in the LORD's house.

And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’s house.

9It was the ninth month of Jehoiakim's fifth year as king. The people were told to go without food and pray to the LORD. This was for everyone in Jerusalem and everyone who came from Judah's towns.

And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

NoteThe ninth month came near the end of their year. It was the cold, rainy time.

10Baruch read Jeremiah's words from the scroll in the LORD's house. He stood in the room of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. The room was in the upper courtyard, by the New Gate. All the people heard him read.

Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house, in the ears of all the people.

NoteA scribe was someone whose job was writing things down. Most people then could not read or write at all.

11Micaiah was the son of Gemariah and the grandson of Shaphan. He heard all the LORD's words read from the scroll.

When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,

12So he went down to the king's palace, to the scribe's room. All the king's helpers were sitting there. They were Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and the rest of them.

Then he went down into the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.

NoteThe king's helpers were important men who worked for the king. They gave him advice and carried out his orders.

13Micaiah told them all the words he had heard. He told them what Baruch had read to the people.

Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.

14So the king's helpers sent a man named Jehudi to Baruch. Jehudi was the son of Nethaniah, the grandson of Shelemiah, the great-grandson of Cushi. They said, "Bring the scroll you read to the people, and come here." So Baruch took the scroll and came.

Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them.

NotePeople were named by their father and grandfather. That way everyone knew which Jehudi was meant.

15They said, "Please sit down and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them.

And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.

16When they heard all the words, they looked at each other, afraid. They said to Baruch, "We must tell the king all of this."

Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.

17They asked Baruch, "Tell us. How did you write all these words? Did Jeremiah say them to you?"

And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

18Baruch said, "Yes. He said all these words out loud to me. I wrote them down with ink on the scroll."

Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

NoteInk was a black liquid, a little like paint. Scribes wrote with a sharpened reed, the way we use a pen.

19Then the king's helpers said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah. Do not let anyone know where you are."

Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.

20They put the scroll away in the room of Elishama the scribe. Then they went to the king in the courtyard. They told him everything.

And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king.

21The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama's room. He read it to the king and to all the helpers standing beside him.

So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.

22It was the ninth month, the cold part of the year. The king was sitting in his winter room. A fire was burning in a pot in front of him.

Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.

NoteRich houses had a warmer room to use in winter. The fire burned in a metal pot, not in a fireplace.

23Jehudi would read three or four columns of the scroll. Then the king cut them off with a small knife. He threw the pieces into the fire. He did this until the whole scroll was burned up.

And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

NoteWriting on a scroll was set out in tall strips called columns. The small knife was one scribes used to sharpen their pens.

24The king and his servants heard all these words. But they were not afraid. They did not tear their clothes.

Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

NoteTearing your own clothes showed that you were very upset. It was how people showed sorrow, or that they were sorry.

25Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll. But he would not listen to them.

Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.

26Instead the king gave an order to three men. They were Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel. He told them to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.

But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.

27Baruch had written the scroll while Jeremiah spoke the words. After the king burned it, the LORD spoke to Jeremiah again.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,

28"Get another scroll. Write on it all the same words that were on the first one. Jehoiakim king of Judah burned that first scroll."

Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.

29"Say this to Jehoiakim king of Judah. The LORD says: You burned that scroll. You asked, 'Why did you write that the king of Babylon will surely come? Why did you write that he will destroy this land and empty it of people and animals?'"

And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?

NoteBabylon was a strong country far to the east. Its army was huge, and it took over other lands.

30"So this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah. He will have no one to sit on David's throne. His dead body will be thrown outside. It will lie in the hot sun by day and the frost by night."

Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

NoteDavid was a great king long before this. The kings of Judah all came from his family. So this means Jehoiakim's family will stop being kings. And leaving a body outside, with no burial, was a shame.

31"I will punish him, his children, and his servants for the wrong they have done. I warned them all, but they would not listen. I will bring all that trouble on them. I will bring it on the people of Jerusalem and Judah too."

And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.

32So Jeremiah got another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, son of Neriah. Jeremiah spoke, and Baruch wrote down every word of the burned scroll. Many more words like them were added too.

Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

1Jeremiah finished telling the people everything the LORD their God had said. God had sent him to tell them all these words.

And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

NoteJeremiah was a prophet. A prophet is someone who told people what God said.

2Then Azariah son of Hoshaiah spoke up. Johanan son of Kareah spoke too, with all the proud men. They said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go live in Egypt.'"

Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:

NoteThe King James calls them "the proud men." It means men who thought they were always right.

3"Baruch son of Neriah is turning you against us. He wants the Chaldeans to catch us. Then they will kill us or take us far away to Babylon."

But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

NoteThe Chaldeans were the people of Babylon. Babylon was a strong country far away. Its army had already taken over Judah. Baruch was Jeremiah's helper. He wrote down the words Jeremiah spoke.

4So Johanan son of Kareah did not obey the LORD. The army leaders and all the people did not obey either. God had told them to stay in the land of Judah.

So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.

5Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and the army leaders took everyone who was left in Judah. These people had come back home from all the lands where they had been scattered.

But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;

Note"Scattered" means pushed away from home. War had sent these people to other lands. Now they had come back to Judah.

6They took the men, the women, and the children. They took the king's daughters too. They took everyone Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. They also took Jeremiah the prophet, a man who told people what God said, and Baruch son of Neriah.

Even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

NoteNebuzaradan led the soldiers who guarded the king of Babylon. Gedaliah was the man Babylon put in charge of Judah. He had been killed a short time before this.

7So they went into the land of Egypt, because they did not obey the LORD. They went all the way to a town called Tahpanhes.

So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

NoteTahpanhes was a town in Egypt, near the edge of the country.

1Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. Baruch, the son of Neriah, wrote Jeremiah's words on a scroll while Jeremiah said them out loud. This happened in the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Then Jeremiah spoke this message to Baruch.

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

NoteA scroll was a long strip of paper rolled up. People wrote on scrolls before books had pages. Baruch was Jeremiah's helper. Jeremiah said the words out loud, and Baruch wrote them down. Judah was the land where these people lived. Kings ruled it, one after another. People counted years by how long a king had ruled.

2This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch.

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch:

NoteThe LORD, in big letters, stands for God's own special name. Israel was the name of God's people long ago.

3You said, "This is so hard for me! The LORD has piled more sadness on top of my hurting. I am worn out from crying. I cannot find any rest."

Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

NoteBaruch is telling God how he feels. Writing down Jeremiah's message was hard and scary work.

4Jeremiah, tell Baruch this. The LORD says, "I built this land up, and now I will tear it down. I planted it, and now I will pull it up. I will do this to the whole land."

Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

NoteGod talks about the land like a garden and a house. He is saying he made this land grow, and now he will take it apart.

5"And are you hoping for big things for yourself? Do not look for them. I am going to bring trouble on every living person, says the LORD. But wherever you go, I will let you keep your life."

And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

Note"Great things" means being important, or rich, or famous. In a war, a soldier who grabbed something got to keep it. God is telling Baruch he will get to keep one thing: his own life.