I will punish those people who have violated their covenant with me. I will make them like the calf they cut in two and passed between its pieces.<n id="1" /> I will do so because they did not keep the terms of the covenant they made in my presence.<n id="2" />

So the <sc>Lordsc> says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, &#8220;None of his line will occupy the throne of David.<n id="1" /> His dead body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost by night.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc>, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel,<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;You must surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon. If you do, your life will be spared<n id="2" /> and this city will not be burned down. Indeed, you and your whole family will be spared.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians.<n id="1" /> You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the<n id="2" /> king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

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" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now some of the officers of the Judean army and their troops had been hiding in the countryside. They heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam to govern<n id="1" /> the country. They also heard that he had been put in charge over the men, women, and children from the poorer classes of the land who had not been carried off into exile in Babylon.<n id="2" />

Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah there at Mizpah, &#8220;Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it. Otherwise he will kill you<n id="1" /> and all the Judeans who have rallied around you will be scattered. Then what remains of Judah will disappear.&#8221;

The prophet Jeremiah answered them, &#8220;Agreed!<n id="1" /> I will indeed pray to the <sc>Lordsc> your God as you have asked. I will tell you everything the <sc>Lordsc> replies in response to you.<n id="2" /> I will not keep anything back from you.&#8221;

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.

None of the Judean remnant who have come to live in the land of Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah. Though they long to return and live there, none of them shall return except a few fugitives.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

You have sacrificed to other gods! You have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not obeyed the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not followed his laws, his statutes, and his decrees! That is why this disaster that is evident to this day has happened to you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even her mercenaries<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">will prove to be like pampered,<n id="2" /> well-fed calves.p> <p class="poetry">For they too will turn and run away.p> <p class="poetry">They will not stand their groundp> <p class="poetry">when<n id="3" /> the time for them to be destroyed comes,p> <p class="poetry">the time for them to be punished.p>

<p class="bodytext">For the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8220;If even those who did not deserve to drink from the cup of my wrath must drink from it, do you think you will go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must certainly drink from the cup of my wrath.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">I will cause enemies to blow through Elam from every directionp> <p class="poetry">like the winds blowing in from the four quarters of heaven.p> <p class="poetry">I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.p> <p class="poetry">There will not be any nation where the refugees of Elam will not go.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylonp> <p class="poetry">a host of mighty nations<n id="1" /> from the land of the north.p> <p class="poetry">They will set up their battle lines against her.p> <p class="poetry">They will come from the north and capture her.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">who does not return from the battle empty-handed.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will destroy Babylonia just like I didp> <p class="poetry">Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns.p> <p class="poetry">No one will live there.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No human being will settle in it,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called &#8220;The Sea,&#8221; the twelve bronze bulls under &#8220;The Sea,&#8221; and the movable stands<n id="1" />) was too heavy to be weighed.

Because he has done this,&#8221;<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8220;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 <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

So I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say: &#8220;You have not really obeyed me and granted freedom to your neighbor and fellow countryman.<n id="1" /> Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom<n id="2" /> to die in war, or by starvation or disease. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="3" /> I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to you.<n id="4" />

Before Jeremiah could turn to leave, the captain of the guard added, &#8220;Go back<n id="1" /> to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed to govern<n id="2" /> the towns of Judah. Go back and live with him<n id="3" /> among the people. Or go wherever else you choose.&#8221; Then the captain of the guard gave Jeremiah some food and a present and let him go.