He did what displeased the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> just as Jehoiakim had done.p>

We have lived in tents. We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab and done exactly as he commanded us.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">So Baruch son of Neriah did exactly what the prophet Jeremiah had told him to do. He read what the <sc>Lordsc> had said from the scroll in the temple of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Attack<n id="2" /> the land of Merathaimp> <p class="poetry">and the people who live in Pekod!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Do just as I have commanded you!<n id="5" />p>

Those are the terms that I charged your ancestors<n id="1" /> to keep<n id="2" /> when I brought them out of Egypt, that place which was like an iron-smelting furnace.<n id="3" /> I said at that time,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Obey me and carry out the terms of the agreement<n id="5" /> exactly as I commanded you. If you do,<n id="6" /> you will be my people and I will be your God.<n id="7" />

&#8220;Please ask the <sc>Lordsc> to come and help us,<n id="1" /> because King Nebuchadnezzar<n id="2" /> of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the <sc>Lordsc> will perform one of his miracles as in times past and make him stop attacking us and leave.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Now there was another man<n id="1" /> who prophesied as the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s representative<n id="2" /> against this city and this land just as Jeremiah did. His name was Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">I told King Zedekiah of Judah the same thing. I said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Submit<n id="2" /> to the yoke of servitude to<n id="3" /> the king of Babylon. Be subject to him and his people. Then you will continue to live.

<p class="bodytext">Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.&#8217;

All the officials did indeed come and question Jeremiah.<n id="1" /> He told them exactly what the king had instructed him to say.<n id="2" /> They stopped questioning him any further because no one had actually heard their conversation.<n id="3" />

They answered Jeremiah, &#8220;May the <sc>Lordsc> be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not do just as<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> sends you to tell us to do.

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Call for archers<n id="1" /> to come against Babylon!p> <p class="poetry">Summon against her all who draw the bow!p> <p class="poetry">Set up camp all around the city!p> <p class="poetry">Do not allow anyone to escape!p> <p class="poetry">Pay her back for what she has done.p> <p class="poetry">Do to her what she has done to others.p> <p class="poetry">For she has proudly defied me,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the Holy One of Israel.<n id="3" />p>