Things will go better for the nation that submits to the yoke of servitude to<n id="1" /> the king of Babylon and is subject to him. I will leave that nation<n id="2" /> in its native land. Its people can continue to farm it and live in it. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

The answer will come back, &#8220;It is because they broke their covenant with the <sc>Lordsc> their God and worshiped and served other gods.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">But they will be subject<n id="1" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> their Godp> <p class="poetry">and to the Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them.<n id="2" />p>

&#8220;So then, Jeremiah,<n id="1" /> when your people<n id="2" /> ask, &#8216;Why has the <sc>Lordsc> our God done all this to us?&#8217; tell them, &#8216;It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So<n id="3" /> you must serve foreigners<n id="4" /> in a land that does not belong to you.&#8217;p>

All nations must serve him and his son and grandson<n id="1" /> until the time comes for his own nation to fall.<n id="2" /> Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon.<n id="3" />

For the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8220;I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations<n id="2" /> so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />

Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety.<n id="1" /> &#8220;Do not be afraid to submit to the Babylonians.<n id="2" /> Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you.

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Sure to be judged<n id="1" /> is the king who builds his palace using injusticep> <p class="poetry">and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing.p> <p class="poetry">He does not pay them for their labor.p>

Do not pay allegiance to<n id="1" /> other gods and worship and serve them. Do not make me angry by the things that you do.<n id="2" /> Then I will not cause you any harm.&#8217;

This whole area<n id="1" /> will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation<n id="1" /> too. I will repay them for all they have done!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

There is no reason why you and your people should die in war<n id="1" /> or from starvation or disease!<n id="2" /> That&#8217;s what the <sc>Lordsc> says will happen to any nation<n id="3" /> that will not be subject to the king of Babylon.

Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve<n id="1" /> the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you.

Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you<n id="1" /> will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">When the time for them to be rescued comes,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will rescue you from foreign subjugation.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I will deliver you from captivity.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them.p>

Everyone was supposed to free their male and female Hebrew slaves. No one was supposed to keep a fellow Judean enslaved.<n id="1" />

This happened because of the wickedness the people living there did.<n id="1" /> They made me angry<n id="2" /> by worshiping and offering sacrifice to<n id="3" /> other gods whom neither they nor you nor your ancestors<n id="4" /> previously knew.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed,<n id="1" /> long ago you threw off my authorityp> <p class="poetry">and refused to be subject to me.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">You said, &#8216;I will not serve you.&#8217;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Instead, you gave yourself to other gods on every high hillp> <p class="poetry">and under every green tree,p> <p class="poetry">like a prostitute sprawls out before her lovers.<n id="4" />p>

They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon and the stars.<n id="1" /> These are things they<n id="2" /> adored and served, things to which they paid allegiance,<n id="3" /> from which they sought guidance, and worshiped. The bones of these people<n id="4" /> will never be regathered and reburied. They will be like manure used to fertilize the ground.<n id="5" />

They have gone back to the evil ways<n id="1" /> of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to<n id="2" /> other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah<n id="3" /> have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.