In this place I will thwart<n id="1" /> the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. I will deliver them over to the power of their enemies who are seeking to kill them. They will die by the sword<n id="2" /> at the hands of their enemies.<n id="3" /> I will make their dead bodies food for the birds and wild beasts to eat.

<p class="poetry">This man, Jeconiah, will be like a broken pot someone threw away.p> <p class="poetry">He will be like a clay vessel<n id="1" /> that no one wants.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Why will he and his children be forced into exile?p> <p class="poetry">Why will they be thrown out into a country they know nothing about?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">So then I, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">have something to say concerning the prophets of Jerusalem:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will make these prophets eat the bitter food of sufferingp> <p class="poetry">and drink the poison water of judgment.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For the prophets of Jerusalem are the reason<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">that ungodliness<n id="5" /> has spread throughout the land.&#8217;&#8221;p>

&#8220;I, the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, say: &#8216;The exiles whom I sent away from here to the land of Babylon<n id="1" /> are like those good figs. I consider them to be good.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation<n id="1" /> for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon<n id="2" /> an everlasting ruin.<n id="3" /> I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="4" />

I will bring on that land everything that I said I would. I will bring on it everything that is written in this book. I will bring on it everything that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.<n id="1" />

all the kings of the north, whether near or far from one another; and all the other kingdoms which are on the face of the earth. After all of them have drunk the wine of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s wrath,<n id="1" /> the king of Babylon<n id="2" /> must drink it.p>

For take note, I am already beginning to bring disaster on the city that I call my own.<n id="1" /> So how can you possibly avoid being punished?<n id="2" /> You will not go unpunished! For I am proclaiming war against all who live on the earth. I, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="3" /> affirm it!&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Then, Jeremiah,<n id="1" /> make the following prophecy<n id="2" /> against them:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Like a lion about to attack,<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> will roar from the heights of heaven;p> <p class="poetry">from his holy dwelling on high he will roar loudly.p> <p class="poetry">He will roar mightily against his land.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">He will shout in triumph like those stomping juice from the grapes<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">against all those who live on the earth.p>

<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" />

I have at this time placed all these nations of yours under the power<n id="1" /> of my servant,<n id="2" /> King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made all the wild animals subject to him.<n id="3" />

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" />

I will chase after them with war,<n id="1" /> starvation, and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to them. I will make them examples of those who are cursed, objects of horror, hissing scorn, and ridicule among all the nations where I exile them.

For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> that the time will come when I will reverse the plight<n id="2" /> of my people, Israel and Judah,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8216;I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors<n id="3" /> and they will take possession of it once again.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">So I, the <sc>Lordsc>, tell you not to be afraid,p> <p class="poetry">you descendants of Jacob, my servants.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not be terrified, people of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">For I will rescue you and your descendantsp> <p class="poetry">from a faraway land where you are captives.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.p> <p class="poetry">They will be secure and no one will terrify them.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns.p> <p class="poetry">When I do, they will again say<n id="2" /> of Jerusalem,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;May the <sc>Lordsc> bless you, you holy mountain,p> <p class="poetry">the place where righteousness dwells.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

It will not be like the old<n id="1" /> covenant that I made with their ancestors<n id="2" /> when I delivered them<n id="3" /> from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,&#8221;<n id="4" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="5" />

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8220;I will not reject all the descendants of Israelp> <p class="poetry">because of all that they have done.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">That could only happen if the heavens above could be measuredp> <p class="poetry">or the foundations of the earth below could all be explored,&#8221;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" />p>

&#8216;Oh, Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="1" /> you did indeed<n id="2" /> make heaven and earth by your mighty power and great strength.<n id="3" /> Nothing is too hard for you!

Fields will again be bought with silver, and deeds of purchase signed, sealed, and witnessed. This will happen in the territory of Benjamin, the villages surrounding Jerusalem, the towns in Judah, the southern hill country, the western foothills, and southern Judah.<n id="1" /> For I will restore them to their land.<n id="2" /> I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>