The people of the earth will quake when they hear Babylon has been captured. Her cries of anguish will be heard by the other nations.”

Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation of Israel.

The people cry out, “We have heard reports about them! We have become helpless with fear! Anguish grips us, agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby!

But your ancestors did not listen to me nor pay attention to me. They became obstinate and were more wicked than even their own forefathers.’”

You people of Israel, listen to what the Lord has to say to you.

“Hear the terms of the covenant I made with Israel and pass them on to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.

But I will completely uproot and destroy any of those nations that will not pay heed,’” says the Lord.

But if they had stood in my inner circle, they would have proclaimed my message to my people. They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways and stop doing the evil things they are doing.

The Lord says, “I have heard what those prophets who are prophesying lies in my name are saying. They are saying, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’

So, now the Lord says, ‘You have not listened to me. But you have made me angry by the things that you have done. Thus you have brought harm on yourselves.’

“Therefore, the Lord who rules over all says, ‘You have not listened to what I said.

But listen to what I say to you and to all these people.

‘So pay attention to what I, the Lord, have said, all you exiles whom I have sent to Babylon from Jerusalem.’

Yes, here is what he says: “You hear cries of panic and of terror; there is no peace in sight.

We have lived in tents. We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab and done exactly as he commanded us.

Micaiah, who was the son of Gemariah and the grandson of Shaphan, heard Baruch read from the scroll everything the Lord had said.

“You must not disobey the Lord your God by saying, ‘We will not stay in this land.’

This day I have told you what he said. But you do not want to obey the Lord by doing what he sent me to tell you.

They went on to Egypt because they refused to obey the Lord, and came to Tahpanhes.

But the people of Jerusalem and Judah would not listen or pay any attention. They would not stop the wickedness they were doing nor quit sacrificing to other gods.