<p class="poetry">Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field.p> <p class="poetry">They cannot talk.p> <p class="poetry">They must be carriedp> <p class="poetry">because they cannot walk.p> <p class="poetry">Do not be afraid of themp> <p class="poetry">because they cannot hurt you.p> <p class="poetry">And they do not have any power to help you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">As a matter of fact,<n id="1" /> even your own brothersp> <p class="poetry">and the members of your own family have betrayed you too.p> <p class="poetry">Even they have plotted to do away with you.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So do not trust them even when they say kind things<n id="3" /> to you.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Tell these people this, Jeremiah:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;My eyes overflow with tearsp> <p class="poetry">day and night without ceasing.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For my people, my dear children,<n id="3" /> have suffered a crushing blow.p> <p class="poetry">They have suffered a serious wound.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then some people<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah!<n id="2" /> There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God&#8217;s word.<n id="3" /> Come on! Let&#8217;s bring charges against him and get rid of him!<n id="4" /> Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="1" /> says to the people of Jerusalem:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Do not listen to whatp> <p class="poetry">those prophets are saying to you.p> <p class="poetry">They are filling you with false hopes.p> <p class="poetry">They are reporting visions of their own imaginations,p> <p class="poetry">not something the <sc>Lordsc> has given them to say.<n id="3" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;Go stand in the courtyard of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.<n id="1" /> Speak out to all the people who are coming from the towns of Judah to worship in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple. Tell them everything I command you to tell them. Do not leave out a single word!

So do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim to predict the future by divination,<n id="1" /> by dreams, by consulting the dead,<n id="2" /> or by practicing magic. They keep telling you, &#8216;You do not need to be<n id="3" /> subject to the king of Babylon.&#8217;

Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and allow your daughters get married so that they too can have sons and daughters. Grow in number; do not dwindle away.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Some time later<n id="1" /> Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance<n id="2" /> of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, &#8220;I would like to ask you a question. Do not hide anything from me when you answer.&#8221;<n id="3" />

The officials may hear that I have talked with you. They may come to you and say, &#8216;Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you.<n id="1" /> Do not hide anything from us. If you do, we will kill you.&#8217;<n id="2" />

Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, took an oath so as to give them and their troops some assurance of safety.<n id="1" /> &#8220;Do not be afraid to submit to the Babylonians.<n id="2" /> Settle down in the land and submit to the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you.

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, &#8220;Do not do that<n id="1" /> because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

But there were ten men among them who said<n id="1" /> to Ishmael, &#8220;Do not kill us. For we will give you the stores of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey we have hidden in a field.<n id="2" /> So he spared their lives and did not kill<n id="3" /> them along with the rest.<n id="4" />

Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity.<n id="2" /> But I will allow you to escape with your life<n id="3" /> wherever you go.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, tell<n id="1" /> you not to be afraid,p> <p class="poetry">you descendants of Jacob, my servant,p> <p class="poetry">for I am with you.p> <p class="poetry">Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you,p> <p class="poetry">I will not completely destroy you.p> <p class="poetry">I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure.p> <p class="poetry">I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Announce<n id="1" /> the news among the nations! Proclaim it!p> <p class="poetry">Signal for people to pay attention!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Babylon will be captured.p> <p class="poetry">Bel<n id="3" /> will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">Marduk will be dismayed.p> <p class="poetry">Babylon&#8217;s idols will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">Her disgusting images<n id="4" /> will be dismayed.<n id="5" />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>

As for you, son of man, listen to what I am saying to you: Do not rebel like that rebellious house! Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.&#8221;p>

Old men, young men, young women, little children, and women &#8211; wipe them out! But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary!&#8221; So they began with the elders who were at the front of the temple.p>

Then he said to me, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind<n id="1" /> to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words.