Jeremiah

1Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. He made Zedekiah the king of Judah. Zedekiah was the son of Josiah. He became king instead of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim.

And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

NoteBabylon was a strong country far away from Judah. Its army had beaten Judah. So the king of Babylon got to choose who ruled Judah. Zedekiah was king, but he had to do what Babylon said.

2But Zedekiah did not obey what the LORD said. His helpers and the people did not obey either. The LORD had spoken these words through Jeremiah, a prophet who told people what God said.

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.

NoteWhen you see LORD in big letters, it is God's own special name. The Bible writers used it for God alone.

3Still, King Zedekiah sent two men to Jeremiah. They were Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah. They said, "Please pray to the LORD our God for us."

And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.

NoteA priest was a man whose job was helping people worship God. He worked at the temple, God's special house in Jerusalem.

4At that time Jeremiah could still come and go among the people. No one had put him in prison yet.

Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.

5The army of Egypt had marched out of its land. The army of Babylon was camped all around Jerusalem. When they heard that Egypt was coming, they left the city.

Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

NoteThe King James Version says "the Chaldeans." Chaldeans was another name for the people of Babylon. Egypt was a big country to the south. Its king was called Pharaoh.

6Then the LORD gave a message to Jeremiah the prophet.

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

7The LORD, the God of Israel, said: Tell this to the king of Judah, who sent men to ask me. The army of Egypt came out to help you. But it will go back home to Egypt.

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

NoteGod is speaking here. He tells Jeremiah the words to say to the king.

8Then the army of Babylon will come back here. They will fight against this city. They will take it and burn it down.

And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

NoteCities then had thick walls around them. An army would sit outside and wait. No food could get in, so the people grew very hungry. That is what "besieged" means.

9The LORD says: Do not fool yourselves. Do not say, "The army of Babylon is gone for good." They are not gone.

Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.

10Even if you beat their whole army, they would not stay down. Even if only hurt men were left lying in their tents, they would get up. They would still burn this city down.

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

NoteThe King James Version says "smitten," which means beaten in a fight.

11The army of Babylon had left Jerusalem because they were afraid of Egypt's army.

And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,

12So Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem. He was going to the land of Benjamin to get the piece of land that was his.

Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.

NoteFamilies in Israel each had their own piece of land. It was passed down from parents to children. Benjamin was the part of the country Jeremiah came from.

13He reached the city gate called the Gate of Benjamin. The captain of the guards was there. His name was Irijah, son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah. He grabbed Jeremiah and said, "You are running away to join the army of Babylon!"

And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.

NoteThe wall around a city had gates. Guards stood there and watched who went in and out. Irijah thought Jeremiah was leaving to help the enemy.

14Jeremiah said, "That is not true. I am not going to join them." But Irijah would not listen. He took Jeremiah to the king's leaders.

Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.

15The leaders were angry with Jeremiah. They beat him. Then they shut him up in the house of Jonathan the writer. That house had been made into a prison.

Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

NoteA writer, or scribe, was a man whose job was writing things down. Most people back then could not read or write.

16Jeremiah was put down in a small room under the ground. He stayed there many days.

When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

NoteThis was a dark room dug under the ground. It was used to lock people up.

17Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought out. In his house, the king asked him quietly, "Is there any word from the LORD?" Jeremiah said, "There is. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon."

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

Note"Handed over" means put into someone else's power. Jeremiah is saying the king of Babylon will catch Zedekiah.

18Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, "What wrong have I done to you? What wrong have I done to your helpers or to these people? Why have you put me in prison?

Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

19Where are your prophets now? They told you the king of Babylon would never come against you or this land.

Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

20Now please listen, my lord the king. Please say yes to what I ask. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the writer. If you do, I will die there."

Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

Note"My lord the king" was a polite way to talk to a king. It is like saying "sir" today.

21So King Zedekiah gave an order. Jeremiah was to be kept in the open yard by the guards. Each day he was to be given a loaf of bread from the bakers' street. This lasted until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah stayed in the guards' yard.

Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

NoteIn that city, all the bread shops sat on one street together. It was called the bakers' street. The bread ran out because the enemy army stopped food from coming in. The open yard was a much better place to stay than the dark room under the ground.

1Four men heard what Jeremiah kept telling everyone. They were Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal, and Pashur.

Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

NoteJeremiah was a prophet. A prophet told people what God said. These four men were officials, important helpers of the king.

2Jeremiah said, "The LORD says this. Anyone who stays in this city will die. War, hunger, or sickness will kill them. But anyone who goes out and gives up to the army of Babylon will live. He will get to keep his own life, and he will live."

Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

NoteThe LORD in big letters is God's own special name. To "give up" here means to walk out to the enemy. Then the soldiers would let you live instead of killing you.

3"The LORD says this too. This city will surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. That army will take it."

Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.

NoteBabylon was a strong country far away. Its army had come to attack this city, Jerusalem.

4So the officials said to the king, "Please have this man killed. His words make our soldiers lose heart. They make all the people lose heart too. This man does not want good for these people. He wants harm."

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

NoteThe officials were important men who helped the king rule the country.

5King Zedekiah said, "He is yours. Do what you want. I cannot stop you."

Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

NoteZedekiah was the king in Jerusalem. He was afraid of his own officials. So he let them do what they wanted with Jeremiah.

6So they took Jeremiah and put him in the pit that belonged to Malchiah, the king's son. The pit was in the prison yard. They let Jeremiah down with ropes. There was no water in the pit, only thick mud. Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

NoteThe pit was a cistern. People dug deep holes like this to hold rainwater. This one had no water left, only deep mud. The prison yard was an open yard where guards watched people.

7Ebed-melech was from Cush, and he worked in the king's palace. He heard that Jeremiah had been put in the pit. Just then the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate.

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

NoteCush was a land far to the south, in Africa. Ebed-melech worked for the king in his palace. Kings often sat in a city gate to listen to people. That is where Zedekiah was.

8Ebed-melech left the palace and went to speak to the king. He said,

Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,

9"My lord the king, these men have done a very wrong thing. They put Jeremiah the prophet in the pit. He will starve to death down there. There is no more bread left in the city."

My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

NoteThe enemy army was camped all around the city. No food could get in. That is why the bread was running out. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

10So the king told Ebed-melech, "Take thirty men with you. Pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit before he dies."

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11Ebed-melech took the men and went into the palace, to a room under the storeroom. He got some old rags and worn-out clothes from there. He let them down to Jeremiah in the pit with ropes.

So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12Ebed-melech called to Jeremiah, "Put these old rags and worn clothes under your arms. They will pad the ropes." Jeremiah did what he said.

And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13Then they pulled Jeremiah up with the ropes and lifted him out of the pit. Jeremiah stayed in the prison yard after that.

So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

14Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet. He met him at the third door of the LORD's house. The king said, "I want to ask you something. Do not hide anything from me."

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

NoteThe LORD's house was the temple. It was the big building where people came to worship God.

15Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me."

Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

16So King Zedekiah made a secret promise to Jeremiah. He said, "As surely as the LORD lives, who gave us our lives, I will not kill you. And I will not hand you over to the men who want you dead."

So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

Note"As surely as the LORD lives" was a way to make a very strong promise. It meant, I really mean this.

17Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD says. He is the God of armies, the God of Israel. If you go out and give up to the officers of the king of Babylon, you will live. This city will not be burned. You and your family will stay alive.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

Note"God of armies" is a name for God. It means he is stronger than any army.

18But if you will not go out and give up to them, this city will be handed over to the army of Babylon. They will burn it down. And you will not get away from them."

But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

19King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who already went over to the other side. The Babylonians might hand me to them, and they will treat me badly."

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

NoteSome people from the city had already left. They walked out and joined the Babylonian side. Zedekiah was afraid of what they would do to him.

20Jeremiah said, "They will not hand you over. Please do what the LORD says. I am telling you his words. Then things will go well for you, and you will live.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

21But if you refuse to go out and give up, here is what the LORD has shown me.

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

22All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out. They will be brought to the officers of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you, 'Your trusted friends tricked you and beat you. Your feet sank in the mud, and your friends walked away.'

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

NoteThese women lived in the king's palace. The words they say are a teasing song. It says the king trusted the wrong friends.

23All your wives and children will be led out to the army of Babylon. You will not get away from them. The king of Babylon will catch you. And you will cause this city to be burned down."

So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

24Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Do not let anyone know about this talk, or you will die.

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

25The officials may hear that I spoke with you. They may come and say, 'Tell us what you said to the king. Tell us what he said to you. Do not hide it, or we will kill you.'

But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

26If they do, tell them this. Say, 'I was begging the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.'"

Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.

NoteJonathan's house had been used as a prison. Jeremiah had been locked up there before. It was a hard place to stay.

27Then all the officials came and questioned Jeremiah. He told them just what the king had told him to say. So they stopped asking him questions. No one had heard the real talk.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

28So Jeremiah stayed in the prison yard until the day Jerusalem was taken. He was still there when the city fell.

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

NoteA city was "taken" when the enemy finally broke in. The army got past the walls and captured it.

11Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had given orders about Jeremiah. He told them to Nebuzaradan, the leader of his guards.

Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,

NoteJeremiah was a prophet. A prophet told people what God said. He had told Judah for years that this day would come.

12He said, "Take Jeremiah and take good care of him. Do not let anyone hurt him. Do whatever he asks you to do."

Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

13So Nebuzaradan, the leader of the guards, sent men to get Jeremiah. Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rabmag, sent men too. So did all the other leaders of Babylon's king.

So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;

NoteRabsaris and Rabmag are job titles here, like captain or chief. They are not the men's names.

14They brought Jeremiah out of the prison yard. They put him in the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Gedaliah was to take him home. So Jeremiah lived among his own people.

Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

NoteThe prison yard was an open space by the palace guards' rooms. Jeremiah was kept there, not shut in a dark cell. Gedaliah came from a family that had helped Jeremiah before.

15Earlier, while Jeremiah was still shut up in the prison yard, the LORD had spoken to him. This is what the LORD said.

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

NoteWhen you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own special name. "The word of the LORD came" means God gave Jeremiah a message to say.

16"Go and speak to Ebed-melech, the man from Ethiopia. Tell him this: The LORD who leads all the armies of heaven, the God of Israel, says this. I am about to do to this city just what I said. It will bring harm, not good. On that day you will watch it happen."

Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

NoteEbed-melech worked in the king's palace. Earlier he had pulled Jeremiah out of a deep, muddy pit. He came from Ethiopia, a land far to the south in Africa. The King James says "the LORD of hosts." Hosts is an old word for armies.

17"But on that day I will save you, says the LORD. You will not be handed over to the men you are afraid of."

But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

NoteTo be handed over means to be given to enemies as a prisoner.

18"I will surely save you. You will not be killed by a sword. You will get away alive. This is because you trusted me, says the LORD."

For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

NoteThe King James says "thy life shall be for a prey unto thee." Soldiers carried home prizes after a battle. Ebed-melech's only prize would be that he stayed alive.

1This is the message the LORD gave to Jeremiah. It came after Nebuzaradan set him free at the town of Ramah. Nebuzaradan was the leader of the king of Babylon's guards. He had found Jeremiah in chains with the other prisoners. All of them were being taken away to Babylon.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.

NoteJeremiah was a prophet, a man who told people what God said. When you see LORD in capital letters, it stands for God's own name. Babylon was a strong country far away. Its army had just beaten Jerusalem and knocked it down. Nebuzaradan was the leader of the Babylonian king's soldiers. Ramah was a town where the prisoners were kept before the long walk to Babylon.

2The leader of the guards took Jeremiah aside and spoke to him. He said, "The LORD your God said this trouble would come to this place."

And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

Note"This place" means the city of Jerusalem and the land around it.

3"Now the LORD has done just what he said he would do. Your people sinned against the LORD and did not obey him. That is why this has happened to you."

Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.

NoteTo sin means to do what God has said is wrong.

4"But look, today I am taking the chains off your wrists. If you want to come with me to Babylon, come. I will take good care of you. If you do not want to come, then do not come. The whole land is open to you. Go anywhere that seems good and right to you."

And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

5Jeremiah had not yet turned to go. Nebuzaradan said, "Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. The king of Babylon has put him in charge of the towns of Judah. Live with him among the people. Or go anywhere else you think is right." Then the leader of the guards gave Jeremiah food and a gift, and let him go.

Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

NoteThe king of Babylon made Gedaliah a governor. A governor takes care of a land for a king who lives somewhere else. Gedaliah was one of the Jews, but Babylon's king picked him.

6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at the town of Mizpah. He lived there with the people who were still left in the land.

Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

NoteMizpah was a small town a short way north of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was broken down, so Mizpah became the main town instead.

1Then the leaders of the soldiers came to Jeremiah. Johanan son of Kareah came. Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah came. All the people came too, from the least important to the greatest.

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

NoteThis happened after an army from Babylon knocked down Jerusalem. Only a small group of people was left in the land. The soldiers' leaders were the men in charge of the fighting men.

2They said to Jeremiah, a prophet who told people what God said, "Please listen to what we ask. Please pray to the LORD your God for us. Pray for all of us who are left. Only a few of us are left out of many. You can see that yourself."

And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

NoteA prophet was a person who listened to God and told others his words. When you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own name.

3"Ask the LORD your God to show us which way to go. Ask him to show us what to do."

That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

NoteThey were not asking about a road. They wanted to know what God wanted them to do next.

4Jeremiah the prophet said, "I have heard you. I will pray to the LORD your God, just as you asked. Whatever the LORD answers, I will tell you. I will not hold back one word."

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

5Then they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and honest witness. May he judge us if we do not do all he tells you to say."

Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

NoteA witness is someone who sees what happens and can tell about it. They were saying, "God is watching us make this promise."

6"Whether the answer is nice or hard, we will obey the LORD our God. He is the one we are sending you to. Then things will go well with us, because we obeyed him."

Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

7Ten days later, a message from the LORD came to Jeremiah.

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

NoteJeremiah waited ten whole days for God's answer. He could not hurry God. He waited until the message came.

8So Jeremiah called Johanan son of Kareah. He called all the soldiers' leaders who were with him. He called all the people too, from the least important to the greatest.

Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

9He said to them, "You sent me to bring your request to God. Here is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says."

And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

10"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you here and not pull you up. I am sorry about the trouble I brought on you."

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

NoteThe old words say "the evil that I have done unto you." Here evil means trouble or harm, not being bad. Building and planting are word pictures for keeping the people safe and letting them grow.

11"Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon. You are afraid of him now. Do not be afraid of him, says the LORD. I am with you. I will save you and keep you out of his hands."

Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

NoteBabylon was a strong country far away. Its army had beaten their land and taken many people away. That is why they were afraid of its king.

12"I will be kind to you. Then he will be kind to you too. He will let you go back to your own land."

And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

NoteBeing kind here means not punishing them. The king had power to hurt them, but he would let them stay instead.

13"But you might say, 'We will not stay in this land.' Then you would not be obeying the LORD your God."

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,

14"You might say, 'No. We will go to Egypt instead. There we will not see war. We will not hear the war horn. We will not be hungry. We will live there.'"

Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:

NoteEgypt was a big country to the south, past the desert. People went there when there was no food at home. The war horn was a ram's horn blown very loud. It warned everyone that enemies were coming.

15"If you say that, then listen to the LORD's word, you few people of Judah who are left. The LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says this. 'Suppose you make up your minds to go and live in Egypt.'"

And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

NoteJudah was their country, and Jerusalem was its main city. The old words say "the LORD of hosts." Hosts means armies. It is a way of saying God is very strong.

16"'Then the sword you are afraid of will catch you there in Egypt. The hunger you fear will follow right behind you. And you will die there.'"

Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

NoteThe sword means war and fighting. A sword was the long, sharp knife soldiers carried.

17"'That will happen to everyone who chooses to go live in Egypt. They will die by the sword, by hunger, and by sickness. Not one of them will get away from the trouble I bring.'"

So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

NoteSickness here means a plague. A plague is an illness that spreads fast and makes many people die.

18"The LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says this. 'My anger poured out on the people of Jerusalem. My anger will pour out on you too if you go to Egypt. People will use your name when they curse. They will be shocked at you and make fun of you. You will never see this place again.'"

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

NoteAnger poured out is a word picture, like water tipped from a jar. A curse was words wishing bad things on someone. If people used your name in a curse, your name had come to mean something terrible.

19Jeremiah said, "The LORD has spoken to you who are left of Judah. He said, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be very sure of this. I have warned you today."

The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

20"You were not honest with yourselves when you sent me to the LORD your God. You said, 'Pray to the LORD for us. Tell us everything he says, and we will do it.'"

For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

NoteThey said they would obey God. But inside they had already made up their minds to go to Egypt.

21"Today I have told you what he says. But you have not obeyed the LORD your God. You have not done what he sent me to tell you."

And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.

22"So be very sure of this. You will die by the sword, by hunger, and by sickness. It will happen in the place where you want to go and live."

Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

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.