So now, Jeremiah said, “The Lord told me,

Once again there will be sounds of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms. Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the Lord and will say, “Give thanks to the Lord who rules over all. For the Lord is good and his unfailing love lasts forever.” For I, the Lord, affirm that I will restore the land to what it was in days of old.’

The Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for them. He told him to tell them,

At Tahpanhes the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.

“The Lord God of Israel has a message for you, Baruch.

Why will your soldiers be defeated? They will not stand because I, the Lord, will thrust them down.

Moab’s might will be crushed. Its power will be broken. I, the Lord, affirm it!

I will put an end in Moab to those who make offerings at her places of worship. I will put an end to those who sacrifice to other gods. I, the Lord, affirm it!

Moab will be destroyed and no longer be a nation, because she has vaunted herself against the Lord.

Terror, pits, and traps are in store for the people who live in Moab. I, the Lord, affirm it!

Babylonia will be plundered. Those who plunder it will take all they want,” says the Lord.

He did what displeased the Lord just as Jehoiakim had done.

The Lord said, “Go stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. Speak out to all the people who are coming from the towns of Judah to worship in the Lord’s temple. Tell them everything I command you to tell them. Do not leave out a single word!

King Hezekiah and all the people of Judah did not put him to death, did they? Did not Hezekiah show reverence for the Lord and seek the Lord’s favor? Did not the Lord forgo destroying them as he threatened he would? But we are on the verge of bringing great disaster on ourselves.”

The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do all this! May the Lord make your prophecy come true! May he bring back to this place from Babylon all the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple and the people who were carried into exile.

You are making a fatal mistake. For you sent me to the Lord your God and asked me, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us. Tell us what the Lord our God says and we will do it.’

Because he has done this,” the Lord says, “I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. There will not be any of them left to experience the good things that I will do for my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the Lord.”’”

But listen to what the Lord has to say, all you people of Judah who are living in the land of Egypt. The Lord says, ‘I hereby swear by my own great name that none of the people of Judah who are living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name in their oaths! Never again will any of them use it in an oath saying, “As surely as the Lord God lives….”

I answered, “Oh, Lord God, I really do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am too young.”

Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you, for I will be with you to protect you,” says the Lord.