Jeremiah

1King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came and took people away from Jerusalem. He took King Jeconiah of Judah, the son of Jehoiakim. He also took Judah's leaders. He took the workers who made things and the workers who shaped metal. He carried them all off to Babylon. After that, the LORD showed me something. Two baskets of figs sat in front of the LORD's temple, the house where people worshiped God.

The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

NoteA fig is a small, sweet fruit that grows on a tree. Babylon was a strong country far away, and its king sent soldiers to take people from their homes. Judah was the land where God's people lived, and Jerusalem was its biggest city. Being carried off to live in a faraway country is called exile. The King James says "carpenters and smiths." Carpenters build things out of wood, and smiths make things out of metal. Kings liked to take skilled workers like these. When you see LORD written in big letters, it stands for God's own special name.

2One basket held very good figs. They looked like the first figs to ripen. The other basket held very bad figs. They were too rotten to eat.

One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

NoteIn 1611 "naughty" meant bad or spoiled. It did not mean a child being silly. These figs were rotten. The first figs of summer were the sweetest, so people watched for them and loved them best.

3Then the LORD said to me, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I said, "Figs. The good figs are very good. The bad figs are very bad. No one could eat them."

Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

NoteJeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. God often showed a prophet a picture with a meaning inside it. Here the King James word "evil" just means bad or rotten fruit.

4Then the LORD spoke to me again. He said:

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5"This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. The people of Judah who were carried away are like these good figs. I am the one who sent them from here to the land of Babylon. I count them as good, and it will turn out well for them.

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

NoteThe King James says "the land of the Chaldeans." The Chaldeans were the people who ruled Babylon, so this means the land of Babylon. To "acknowledge" someone here means to treat them as your own and be kind to them.

6I will keep my eyes on them and be kind to them. I will bring them back to this land again. I will build them up. I will not tear them down. I will plant them. I will not pull them up.

For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

Note"I will set mine eyes upon them" means to watch over someone to help them. Building and planting are word pictures. God talks about the people as if they were a house being built and a garden being planted.

7I will give them a heart that truly knows me. They will know that I am the LORD. They will be my people. I will be their God. They will come back to me with their whole heart.

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

NoteIn the Bible, your heart means what you think, want, and love deep inside you.

8But some people are like the bad figs, too rotten to eat. This is what the LORD says about them. That is how I will treat King Zedekiah of Judah. I will treat his leaders the same way. I will also treat the people still left in Jerusalem the same way. And I will treat the people now living in Egypt the same way.

And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

NoteZedekiah was a king of Judah who ruled after Jeconiah was taken away. The King James word "residue" means the people who were left behind. Egypt was a country to the south, and some people from Judah ran there hoping to be safe.

9I will send them away into every kingdom on earth, and it will go badly for them. Everywhere I send them, people will look down on them. People will talk about them, make fun of them, and use their name in curses.

And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

NoteThe King James piles up four words: "a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse." They all mean being shamed in front of everyone. A "proverb" here is a saying people repeat again and again. Using someone's name in a curse meant saying, "may you end up like them."

10I will send war, hunger, and sickness among them. It will go on until none of them are left in the land. That is the land I gave to them and to their parents long ago."

And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

NoteThe sword stands for war. A famine is a time when there is not enough food to eat. A pestilence is a sickness that spreads fast and makes many people die. "Their fathers" means their parents and grandparents from long ago.

1This message came to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. That same year was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

NoteJudah was the small country where God's people lived. Babylon was a huge, strong country far to the east. Nebuchadnezzar was its king, and his army was very powerful.

2Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah. He also spoke to everyone living in Jerusalem. He said:

The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

NoteJerusalem was the most important city in Judah. God's temple, his special house, was there. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

3"Josiah, the son of Amon, was king of Judah. From his thirteenth year until today, the LORD has spoken to me. That is twenty-three years. I told you his words again and again. But you have not listened.

From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

NoteLong ago people counted years by their king. "His thirteenth year" means thirteen years after Josiah became king. When the Bible writes LORD in big letters, it means God's own special name.

4The LORD also sent you all his servants the prophets, again and again. But you did not listen. You would not even turn your ear to hear.

And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

5They said, 'Each of you, turn away from your evil ways. Stop the bad things you are doing. Then you can keep living in the land. The LORD gave this land to you and to your fathers forever.

They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

Note"Your fathers" means grandparents and great-grandparents from long ago.

6Do not follow other gods. Do not serve them or bow down to them. Do not make me angry with the things your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.'

And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

NoteOther gods were statues made of wood, stone, or metal. People bowed down to them and asked them for help.

7"But you did not listen to me," says the LORD. "You made me angry with the things your hands made. You only brought harm on yourselves."

Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

8So the LORD of Heaven's Armies says this. "You have not obeyed my words.

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,

Note"The LORD of Heaven's Armies" is a name for God. It means he is the leader of countless mighty helpers. He is the God who leads great armies.

9So I will call for all the families from the north, says the LORD. I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and the people who live here. I will bring them against all the nations around here too. I will destroy them completely. People will stare in shock and whisper about them. The land will lie empty forever.

Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

NoteThe families from the north are armies from countries up north. Armies coming to attack Judah traveled that way. To "stare in shock and whisper" means people would be amazed at the ruins.

10I will take away every happy sound among them. No more laughing. No more glad voices. No more voices of a bride and groom at a wedding. No more sound of grinding grain. No more light from a lamp.

Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

NoteGrinding grain was the sound of two heavy stones. Women rubbed them together to make flour for bread. Every home did this each morning. Lamps were little clay bowls of oil with a burning string. Losing these sounds and lights means nobody lives there anymore.

11This whole land will become empty and ruined. People will stare at it in shock. These nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

NoteSeventy years is longer than most people lived back then. Babies born then would be old before it ended.

12But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon. I will punish his nation too, the land of the Chaldeans, for the wrong they did, says the LORD. I will leave their land empty forever.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

NoteChaldeans is another name for the people of Babylon.

13I will bring on that land everything I said against it. That means everything written in this book. These are the words Jeremiah spoke against all the nations.

And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

Note"This book" means the scroll where Jeremiah's messages were written down. A scroll was a long roll of paper you unrolled to read.

14Many nations and great kings will make the people of Babylon their slaves. I will pay them back for what they did. I will pay them back for the work of their own hands."

For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

1This message came from the LORD to Jeremiah. It came early in the time when Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah.

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

NoteJudah was a small country where God's people lived. A king ruled it. Jehoiakim became king after his father Josiah died.

2The LORD said: Go stand in the yard of my house, the temple. People come there from all the towns of Judah to worship. Tell them every word I command you to say. Do not leave out even one word.

Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

NoteThe temple was God's great house in Jerusalem. It had wide open yards outside where crowds could stand. To worship means to pray and sing to God.

3Maybe they will listen. Maybe each one will stop doing wrong. Then I will change my mind about the trouble I planned to send them. I planned it because of the evil things they do.

If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

NoteThe old words say God would "repent" of "the evil." Here evil means the trouble God said he would send. It does not mean God does bad things.

4You are to tell them this. The LORD says: You must listen to me. You must live by my law, the rules I gave you.

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

NoteGod's law was the set of rules he gave his people long ago. It told them how to live and how to treat each other.

5You must listen to my servants the prophets. Prophets are people who tell others what God says. I sent them to you again and again, but you would not listen.

To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

NoteA prophet was God's messenger. He listened to God and then said those words out loud to people.

6If you will not listen, I will make this house like Shiloh. And I will make this city a name that people all over the world use when they curse.

Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

NoteShiloh was a town far to the north. God's tent house once stood there. Enemies wrecked it long before Jeremiah was born. So Shiloh meant a holy place that ended up ruined.

7The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the LORD's house.

So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

NotePriests were the men who worked at the temple every day. They helped people bring gifts to God.

8Jeremiah finished saying everything the LORD had told him to say. Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people grabbed him. They shouted, "You must die!"

Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

9"Why did you speak in the LORD's name and say such things? You said this house will be like Shiloh. You said this city will be empty, with no one living in it." All the people crowded around Jeremiah in the LORD's house.

Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

NoteTo speak in the LORD's name means saying that God gave you the message. It was not just your own idea.

10The leaders of Judah heard what was happening. They came up from the king's palace to the LORD's house. They sat down at the doorway of the New Gate.

When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house.

NoteThese leaders were important men who helped the king run the country. The New Gate was a doorway into the temple yard. Leaders often sat at gates to hear people's arguments and decide who was right. So this was like a courtroom.

11Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the leaders and to all the people. "This man should be put to death. He spoke against this city. You heard him with your own ears."

Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the leaders and all the people. "The LORD sent me. He told me to say every word you heard against this house and this city."

Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

13"So change your ways. Change the things you do. Obey the voice of the LORD your God. Then he may change his mind about the trouble he said he would send you."

Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

14"As for me, I am in your hands. Do to me whatever you think is good and right."

As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

Note"I am in your hands" means you can do whatever you want with me. Jeremiah did not try to run away.

15"But be sure of one thing. If you kill me, you are killing a man who has done nothing wrong. That guilt will fall on you, on this city, and on everyone who lives in it. The LORD really did send me to say all these words to you."

But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

NoteInnocent blood means killing someone who has done nothing wrong. People then believed such a killing left a stain on the whole town.

16Then the leaders and all the people spoke to the priests and the prophets. "This man should not be put to death. He spoke to us in the name of the LORD our God."

Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

17Then some of the older leaders of the land stood up. They spoke to the whole crowd of people.

Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

NoteElders were older men that people trusted. They gave advice and helped settle arguments.

18"Micah from Moresheth spoke for God when Hezekiah was king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah what the LORD of Hosts said. The LORD of Hosts is God, who leads armies. Micah said, 'Zion will be plowed up like a farm field. Jerusalem will become piles of broken stones. The temple hill will grow wild like a forest.'"

Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.

NoteMicah was a prophet who lived about a hundred years before Jeremiah. Moresheth was his small hometown. Hezekiah was a king of Judah back then. Zion is another name for Jerusalem and for the hill the temple stood on. To plow is to cut up dirt for planting. So Micah said the city would be flattened like an empty farm field.

19"Did King Hezekiah and the people of Judah kill Micah? No. Hezekiah honored the LORD and begged him to be kind. And the LORD changed his mind about the trouble he had promised. But we are about to bring great harm on ourselves."

Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

20There was another man who spoke for the LORD. He was Urijah son of Shemaiah, from the town of Kirjathjearim. He said the same things Jeremiah said against this city and this land.

And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

NoteKirjathjearim was a town in the hills near Jerusalem. Urijah said the same hard things Jeremiah said.

21King Jehoiakim, his strongest soldiers, and his leaders heard what Urijah said. The king wanted to put him to death. When Urijah heard this, he was afraid. He ran away to Egypt.

And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;

NoteMighty men were the king's best and strongest soldiers. Egypt was a big country far away to the south. People ran there to get away from the king of Judah.

22So King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt. He sent Elnathan son of Achbor, and some other men went with him.

And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

23They brought Urijah out of Egypt to King Jehoiakim. The king had him killed with a sword. Then his body was thrown into the graveyard used for ordinary people.

And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

NoteThe graveyard for ordinary people was a plain field, not a family tomb. Rich people were buried in caves with their families. Throwing a body there was meant as an insult.

24But Ahikam son of Shaphan stood by Jeremiah and helped him. So Jeremiah was not handed over to the people to be killed.

Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

NoteThe old words say "the hand of Ahikam was with Jeremiah." That means Ahikam protected him. Ahikam was an important man who worked for the king, so people listened to him.

1Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah. When his rule began, a message came to Jeremiah from the LORD.

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said. Jeremiah was one. Judah was a small country with its own king. The word LORD in big letters is God's own name.

2The LORD said to me, "Make a yoke out of straps and wooden bars. Put it on your own neck."

Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

NoteA yoke is a wooden bar laid across the necks of two oxen. It makes them pull a plow or a cart together. Wearing a yoke was a picture of belonging to someone else.

3Messengers have come to Jerusalem to see Zedekiah, king of Judah. Send word through them to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon.

And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

NoteEdom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon were small countries near Judah. Each one had its own king. Zedekiah was the king ruling in Jerusalem at that time. Messengers carried words between kings, because there were no letters or phones.

4Tell the messengers to say this to their own kings. "This is what the LORD of Hosts says. He is the God of Israel, and he commands great armies."

And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

5"I made the earth by my great power and my strong arm. I made the people and the animals that live on it. I give the land to anyone I choose."

I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

Note"My strong arm" is a picture. It means God is strong enough to do whatever he plans.

6"Now I have handed all these lands to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He works for me. I have given him the wild animals too."

And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

NoteBabylon was a huge, powerful country far to the east. Nebuchadnezzar was its king, and his army beat everyone nearby. God calls him "my servant" here. That means God was using him to do what God had planned.

7"All nations will serve him, then his son, then his grandson. Then the time for his own land will come. Many nations and great kings will make him serve them."

And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

NoteBabylon looked like it would last forever. God says it will not. One day other kings will rule over Babylon instead.

8"Some nation may refuse to serve Nebuchadnezzar. It may refuse to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation, says the LORD. War, hunger, and deadly sickness will come. They will last until Nebuchadnezzar has wiped that nation out."

And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

NoteWhen an army surrounded a city, no food could get in. People grew hungry, and sickness spread fast. That is why war, hunger, and sickness are named together.

9"So do not listen to your prophets or your fortune tellers. Do not listen to people who read dreams or do magic. They tell you, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon.'"

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

NoteFortune tellers said they could tell you what would happen next. Some watched the stars, and some read dreams. People paid them to hear good news. These men were guessing, not hearing from God.

10"They are telling you lies. Their lies will pull you far from your land. I will send you away, and you will die."

For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

11"But some nation may put its neck under Babylon's yoke and serve him. I will let that nation stay in its own land, says the LORD. Its people will farm it and live there."

But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

12I told King Zedekiah of Judah the very same thing. Put your necks under the yoke of Babylon's king. Serve him and his people, and you will live.

I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13Why should you and your people die by war, hunger, and sickness? The LORD said this would happen to any nation that will not serve Babylon's king.

Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14Do not listen to the prophets who tell you, "You will not serve the king of Babylon." They are telling you lies.

Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

15"I did not send them," says the LORD. "They tell lies and say the words came from me. So I will send you away, and you will die. The prophets who speak to you will die too."

For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

16I also spoke to the priests and to all the people. This is what the LORD says. Your prophets say the bowls, cups, and tools from the LORD's house will come back from Babylon very soon. Do not listen. They are telling you lies.

Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

NotePriests were the men who worked at God's house and led worship there. The LORD's house was the temple in Jerusalem, a large stone building. The gold and silver bowls, cups, and tools were used in worship there.

17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city be turned into a pile of ruins?

Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

18Maybe they really are prophets with a message from the LORD. Then let them beg the LORD of Hosts for help. Some things are still left in the LORD's house, in the king's palace, and in Jerusalem. Let them pray that these are not carried off to Babylon.

But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

19The LORD of Hosts speaks about the pillars. He speaks about the basin called the sea, and about the bases. He speaks about the other things left in this city.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

NoteThe temple had two tall bronze pillars standing at its front door. It also had a giant bronze bowl of water, so big it was called "the sea." Priests washed there before their work. The pillars and the basin were made of bronze, and the bases were the stands the basin sat on.

20King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take those things away before. That was when he took Jeconiah away from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeconiah was the son of Jehoiakim and king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar took the important men of Judah and Jerusalem too.

Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

NoteYears before this, Babylon's army had already come once. They took King Jeconiah and many leaders away to Babylon. Taking a country's leaders away kept the country from fighting back.

21This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says. He speaks about the things still left in his house, in the palace of Judah's king, and in Jerusalem.

Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

22"They will be carried to Babylon. They will stay there until the day I come for them," says the LORD. "Then I will bring them back to this place."

They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

NoteThe King James says God will "visit" these things. In old English that meant to come and do something about them, not just to stop by.

1This happened in the same year, early in the time Zedekiah was king of Judah. It was the fourth year of his rule, in the fifth month. A man named Hananiah son of Azur spoke to me. He was a prophet from the town of Gibeon. He spoke in the LORD's house, with the priests and all the people listening. He said:

And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

NoteJudah was the land where God's people lived. A prophet was a person who told others what God said. The LORD's house was the temple, the big building where people worshiped God. Priests were the men who worked in the temple and helped people pray.

2The LORD of the armies of heaven, the God of Israel, says this. I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Note"The LORD of hosts" is a name for God. It means he has armies of angels and great power. A yoke is a heavy wooden bar. Farmers laid it on the necks of oxen to make them pull. Here the yoke means being ruled by Babylon. Babylon was a strong country far away. Its army had beaten Judah in war.

3In two more years I will bring back everything from the LORD's house. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, took those dishes and tools away to Babylon. I will bring them all back here.

Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

NoteNebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. His soldiers had taken the gold bowls and cups from God's house. They carried them all the way back to Babylon.

4I will also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah. And I will bring back all the people of Judah who were taken away to Babylon. This is what the LORD says. For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

NoteJeconiah was king of Judah before Zedekiah was. Babylon's army took him away, and many other people too. They had to live far from home and could not come back.

5Then Jeremiah the prophet answered Hananiah the prophet. The priests and all the people standing in the LORD's house were listening.

Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

6Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do just what you said. May he bring back the things from his house. May he bring all the captured people home from Babylon."

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

NoteAmen means may it be so.

7"But please listen now to what I am about to say. You must hear it, and all the people must hear it too."

Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;

8"Long ago there were prophets before you and before me. They warned many lands and great kingdoms. They said war and trouble and deadly sickness were coming."

The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

9"Now think about a prophet who says peace is coming. We find out the LORD really sent him only when his words come true."

The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

NoteAnyone could say happy news and claim God sent him. Jeremiah says you have to wait and see. If the words come true, God really sent him.

10Then Hananiah the prophet took the wooden yoke off Jeremiah's neck. He broke it in pieces.

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.

NoteJeremiah had been wearing a real wooden yoke on his neck. He wore it so people could see what he meant. It showed that Judah would have to serve Babylon.

11Hananiah spoke in front of all the people. He said, "The LORD says this. In just this way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. I will take it off the necks of all the nations in two more years." Then Jeremiah walked away.

And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

NoteNations means the other countries around Judah.

12Hananiah had broken the yoke off Jeremiah's neck. After that, the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet. He said:

Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

13"Go and tell Hananiah, 'The LORD says this. You broke a yoke made of wood. But now you have made a yoke of iron in its place.'"

Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

NoteA wooden yoke can be snapped in two. An iron yoke cannot be broken at all.

14"The LORD of the armies of heaven, the God of Israel, says this. I have put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations. They must serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I have even given him the wild animals."

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

Note"The beasts of the field" means the wild animals. Even they would belong to the king of Babylon.

15Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD did not send you. You have made these people trust in a lie."

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

16"So the LORD says this. I am going to take you away from the earth. You will die this year, because you spoke rebellion against the LORD."

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

NoteRebellion means turning away from someone and going against them.

17And Hananiah the prophet died that same year, in the seventh month.

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

NoteTheir months were counted from spring. The seventh month came only two months after the fifth month. So this happened very soon after Hananiah spoke.

1This is the letter Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem. Jeremiah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He wrote to the older leaders who were still alive far from home. He also wrote to the priests, the prophets, and all the other people. King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

NoteBabylon was a strong country far to the east. Its army had taken many people away from Jerusalem. Those people had to live in Babylon and could not go home. Priests were men who led people in worshiping God. The older leaders were the men who made decisions for everyone.

2This was after King Jeconiah was taken away from Jerusalem. The king's mother was taken too. So were the palace helpers and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. The workers who built with wood and metal were taken as well.

(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)

NoteJeconiah was king in Jerusalem for only three months. Babylon's army took him away and put another man on the throne. A king's mother had an important place in the palace. The wood and metal workers made tools and weapons. Babylon wanted those skilled workers for itself.

3Jeremiah gave the letter to two men to carry. They were Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah. King Zedekiah of Judah was sending them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. The letter said this:

By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

NoteJudah was the small country around Jerusalem. Zedekiah was its king now, chosen by the king of Babylon. There was no mail in those days. A letter went with people who were already traveling that way.

4This is what the LORD says, the God of Israel who leads heaven's armies. He speaks to all the people he sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

NoteLORD in big letters stands for God's own name. It is the special name he gave his people. Leading heaven's armies means God is stronger than any army.

5Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat the food they grow.

Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

NoteBuilding a house takes time and means you plan to stay. These people hoped to go home in a year or two. God was telling them to settle in for much longer.

6Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons. Let your daughters marry, so they can have children too. Grow into a bigger group there. Do not get smaller.

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

NoteIn those days parents helped choose who their children married.

7Work for the good of the city where I sent you. Pray to the LORD for that city. If things go well there, things will go well for you too.

And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

NoteThis was the very city that had taken them from home. Praying for such a place was a surprising thing to ask.

8The LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says this. Do not let your prophets or fortune tellers fool you. Do not listen to the dreams you ask them to have.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

NoteFortune tellers said they could tell what would happen next. They used dreams, magic, and signs to make their guesses.

9They tell you lies and say the words came from me. I did not send them, says the LORD.

For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

10The LORD says this. Babylon's seventy years will come to an end. Then I will come and help you. I will keep my good promise and bring you back to this place.

For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

NoteSeventy years is longer than most people lived back then. Most of these grown-ups would never see Jerusalem again. Their grandchildren would be the ones to go home.

11I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for harm. They will give you a future and a hope.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

12Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13You will look for me and find me. This happens when you look with your whole heart.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

14You will find me, says the LORD. I will bring you back from the land where you are held. I will gather you from every nation and place where I sent you. I will bring you home to the place I took you from.

And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

24The LORD also told Jeremiah to send a message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite.

Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

NoteNehelamite is a name that may mean Shemaiah came from a place called Nehelam.

25The LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says this. You sent letters in your own name to the people in Jerusalem. You sent them to Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You wrote:

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

NoteSending letters in your own name means he spoke for himself. But he wanted people to think God had sent his message.

26"The LORD made you a priest in place of Jehoiada. You are in charge at the LORD's house. Any wild man who acts like a prophet is your job. You must lock him up in chains and stocks."

The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.

NoteThe LORD's house was the temple, a large building made for worship. Priests worked there and took care of everything inside. Stocks were heavy wooden blocks that held a person's feet. Chains could be locked around the neck or hands. Both kept a person from moving or getting away.

27"So why have you not scolded Jeremiah from Anathoth? He is acting like a prophet among you."

Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?

NoteAnathoth was a small town near Jerusalem. Jeremiah grew up there, and his family were priests.

28"He even sent a letter to us here in Babylon. He said we will be away a long time. He told us to build houses and live in them. He told us to plant gardens and eat their food."

For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

29Zephaniah the priest read this letter out loud to Jeremiah the prophet.

And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

NoteMost people then could not read. Letters were read out loud so everyone could hear them.

30Then the LORD gave Jeremiah a message. He said:

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

31Send word to all the people far from home. The LORD says this about Shemaiah from Nehelam. Shemaiah spoke to you as a prophet, but I did not send him. He made you trust a lie.

Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

32So the LORD says this. I will punish Shemaiah and his children after him. He will have no family left among these people. He will not see the good I will do for my people, says the LORD. He told people to turn against the LORD.

Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

NoteHis children after him means his family for years to come. Families counted on children to carry on their name. Having no family left was a very sad thing then.

1The LORD gave a message to Jeremiah. It came in the tenth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah. That was the eighteenth year that Nebuchadrezzar was king of Babylon.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

NoteLong ago people counted years by how long a king had ruled. Judah was the small country around Jerusalem. Babylon was a big, strong country far away to the east. Nebuchadrezzar is another way to spell Nebuchadnezzar.

2At that time Babylon's army had Jerusalem surrounded. He was locked up in the guards' courtyard at the palace of Judah's king.

For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house.

NoteAn army "surrounded" a city so no one could go in or out. They waited until the people inside ran out of food. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. Jeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said.

3King Zedekiah of Judah was the one who had locked him up. The king said, "Why do you keep saying this? You say the LORD says, 'I am about to hand this city to the king of Babylon. He will capture it.'"

For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

NoteJeremiah kept telling people a message from God that the king did not want to hear.

4"You also say, 'King Zedekiah of Judah will not get away from the Chaldeans. He will be handed over to the king of Babylon. He will talk with him face to face and look him in the eye.'"

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

NoteThe Chaldeans were the people of Babylon. Their army was the one outside the city.

5"'The king will take Zedekiah to Babylon. He will stay there until I deal with him, says the LORD. If you fight the Chaldeans, you will not win.'"

And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.

6Jeremiah said, "The LORD spoke to me. He said:

And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

7'Look. Your cousin Hanameel is coming to see you. He is the son of your uncle Shallum. He will say, "Buy my field in Anathoth. You are the family member with the right to buy it."'"

Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

NoteFields were meant to stay in one family forever. If a man had to sell his field, his closest relative got the first chance to buy it. Anathoth was a small town near Jerusalem where Jeremiah grew up.

8My cousin Hanameel came to me in the guards' courtyard, just as the LORD had said. He asked me, "Please buy my field at Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin. You have the family right to own it, and the right to buy it back. Buy it for yourself." Then I knew this really was a message from the LORD.

So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

NoteBenjamin was one of the big family groups of Israel. The land of Benjamin was the part of the country where that family lived.

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.