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;

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" />

Then the officials said to Baruch, &#8220;You and Jeremiah must go and hide. You must not let anyone know where you are.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

Moreover, I, the <sc>Lordsc>, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces<n id="1" /> will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away.<n id="2" />

But now please listen, your royal Majesty,<n id="1" /> and grant my plea for mercy.<n id="2" /> Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.&#8221;<n id="3" />

&#8220;Find Jeremiah<n id="1" /> and look out for him.<n id="2" /> Do not do anything to harm him,<n id="3" /> but do with him whatever he tells you.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has told you people who remain in Judah, &#8216;Do not go to Egypt.&#8217; Be very sure of this: I warn you<n id="1" /> here and now.<n id="2" />

I sent my servants the prophets to you people over and over<n id="1" /> again warning you not to do this disgusting thing I hate.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Take up your battle positions all around Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">all you soldiers who are armed with bows.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Shoot<n id="2" /> all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For she has sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Come from far away and attack Babylonia!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Open up the places where she stores her grain!p> <p class="poetry">Pile her up in ruins!<n id="2" /> Destroy her completely!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not leave anyone alive!<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not give her archers time to string their bowsp> <p class="poetry">or to put on their coats of armor.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Do not spare any of her young men.p> <p class="poetry">Completely destroy<n id="2" /> her whole army.p>

<p class="poetry">Get out of Babylonia quickly, you foreign people.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Flee to save your lives.p> <p class="poetry">Do not let yourselves be killed because of her sins.p> <p class="poetry">For it is time for the <sc>Lordsc> to wreak his revenge.p> <p class="poetry">He will pay Babylonia<n id="2" /> back for what she has done.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You who have escaped the sword,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">go, do not delay.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Remember the <sc>Lordsc> in a faraway land.p> <p class="poetry">Think about Jerusalem.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1505; (<i>Sameki>)p> <p class="poetry">People cry to them, &#8220;Turn away! You are unclean!p> <p class="poetry">Turn away! Turn away! Don&#8217;t touch us!&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">So they have fled and wander about;p> <p class="poetry">but the nations say,<n id="1" /> &#8220;They may not stay here any longer.&#8221;p>

I said to them, &#8220;Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,<n id="1" /> and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;

O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don&#8217;t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

He said to me, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, you who are valued.<n id="1" /> Peace be to you! Be strong! Be really strong!&#8221; When he spoke to me, I was strengthened. I said, &#8220;Sir, you may speak now,<n id="2" /> for you have given me strength.&#8221;

<t /><p class="poetry">O Israel, do not rejoice jubilantly<n id="1" /> like the nations,p> <p class="poetry">for you are unfaithful<n id="2" /> to your God.p> <p class="poetry">You love to receive a prostitute's wages<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">on all the floors where you thresh your grain.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not fear, wild animals!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For the pastures of the wilderness are again green with grass.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, the trees bear their fruit;p> <p class="poetry">the fig tree and the vine yield to their fullest.<n id="2" />p>