<p class="poetry">&#8220;A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So too I will chase the Edomites off their land.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For there is no one like me, and there is no one who can call me to account.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">There is no<n id="6" /> ruler<n id="7" /> who can stand up against me.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke about Kedar<n id="1" /> and the kingdoms of Hazor<n id="2" /> that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Army of Babylon,<n id="3" /> go and attack Kedar.p> <p class="poetry">Lay waste those who live in the eastern desert.<n id="4" />p>

<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">Shout the battle cry from all around the city.p> <p class="poetry">She will throw up her hands in surrender.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Her towers<n id="2" /> will fall.p> <p class="poetry">Her walls will be torn down.p> <p class="poetry">Because I, the <sc>Lordsc>, am wreaking revenge,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">take out your vengeance on her!p> <p class="poetry">Do to her as she has done!p>

<p class="poetry">So I, the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all, say:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will punish the king of Babylon and his landp> <p class="poetry">just as I punished the king of Assyria.p>

<p class="poetry">When that time comes,p> <p class="poetry">no guilt will be found in Israel.p> <p class="poetry">No sin will be found in Judah.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For I will forgive those of them I have allowed to survive.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<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>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordanp> <p class="poetry">scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it.p> <p class="poetry">So too I will chase the Babylonians off of their land.p> <p class="poetry">Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose.p> <p class="poetry">For there is no one like me.p> <p class="poetry">There is no one who can call me to account.p> <p class="poetry">There is no ruler that can stand up against me.p>

<p class="poetry">Give the signal to attack Babylon&#8217;s wall!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Bring more guards!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Post them all around the city!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Put men in ambush!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will do what he has planned.p> <p class="poetry">He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">This is the order Jeremiah the prophet gave to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went to King Zedekiah of Judah in Babylon during the fourth year of his reign.<n id="1" /> (Seraiah was a quartermaster.)<n id="2" />

Jeremiah recorded<n id="1" /> on one scroll all the judgments<n id="2" /> that would come upon Babylon &#8211; all these prophecies<n id="3" /> written about Babylon.

They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king&#8217;s garden.<n id="1" /> (The Babylonians had the city surrounded.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.<n id="2" />

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took into exile some of the poor,<n id="1" /> the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the rest of the craftsmen.

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>

Jonadab son of Rechab ordered his descendants not to drink wine. His orders have been carried out.<n id="1" /> To this day his descendants have drunk no wine because they have obeyed what their ancestor commanded them. But I<n id="2" /> have spoken to you over and over again,<n id="3" /> but you have not obeyed me!

I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, &#8220;Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right.<n id="1" /> Do not pay allegiance to other gods<n id="2" /> and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.&#8221; But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.

So I, the <sc>Lord,sc> the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, say:<n id="1" /> &#8220;I will soon bring on Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem all the disaster that I threatened to bring on them. I will do this because I spoke to them but they did not listen. I called out to them but they did not answer.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;p>

All the officials sent Jehudi, who was the son of Nethaniah and the grandson of Cushi, to Baruch. They ordered him to tell Baruch, &#8220;Come here and bring with you<n id="1" /> the scroll you read in the hearing of the people.&#8221;<n id="2" /> So Baruch son of Neriah went to them, carrying the scroll in his hand.<n id="3" />

But now, Jeremiah, today I will set you free<n id="1" /> from the chains on your wrists. If you would like to come to Babylon with me, come along and I will take care of you.<n id="2" /> But if you prefer not to come to Babylon with me, you are not required to do so.<n id="3" /> You are free to go anywhere in the land you want to go.<n id="4" /> Go wherever you choose.&#8221;<n id="5" />

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.