<p class="bodytext">&#8220;You say, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> has raised up prophets of good news<n id="1" /> for us here in Babylon.&#8217;

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Jeremiah.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Moreover,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> says to the people of Zion,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Your injuries are incurable;p> <p class="poetry">your wounds are severe.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed, there is hope for your posterity.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Your children will return to their own territory.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So now, Jeremiah said, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> told me,<n id="1" />

Once again there will be sounds<n id="1" /> of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms.<n id="2" /> Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> and will say, &#8220;Give thanks to the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all. For the <sc>Lordsc> is good and his unfailing love lasts forever.&#8221;<n id="3" /> For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="4" /> that I will restore the land to what it was<n id="5" /> in days of old.&#8217;<n id="6" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for them. He told him to tell them,<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">At Tahpanhes the <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Jeremiah.<n id="1" />

&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel has a message for you, Baruch.

<p class="poetry">Why will your soldiers<n id="1" /> be defeated?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They will not stand because I, the <sc>Lordsc>, will thrust<n id="3" /> them down.p>

Moab&#8217;s might will be crushed. Its power will be broken.<n id="1" /> I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will put an end in Moabp> <p class="poetry">to those who make offerings at her places of worship.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will put an end to those who sacrifice to other gods.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Moab will be destroyed and no longer be a nation,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">because she has vaunted herself against the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Terror, pits, and traps<n id="1" /> are in storep> <p class="poetry">for the people who live in Moab.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Babylonia<n id="1" /> will be plundered.p> <p class="poetry">Those who plunder it will take all they want,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

He did what displeased the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> just as Jehoiakim had done.p>

&#8220;Stand in the gate of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and proclaim<n id="1" /> this message: &#8216;Listen, all you people of Judah who have passed through these gates to worship the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" /> Hear what the <sc>Lordsc> has to say.

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!

<p class="bodytext">King Hezekiah and all the people of Judah did not put him to death, did they? Did not Hezekiah show reverence for the <sc>Lordsc> and seek the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s favor?<n id="1" /> Did not<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> forgo destroying them<n id="3" /> as he threatened he would? But we are on the verge of bringing great disaster on ourselves.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

I also told them,<n id="1" /> &#8220;If they are really prophets and the <sc>Lordsc> is speaking to them,<n id="2" /> let them pray earnestly to the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="3" /> Let them plead with him not to let the valuable articles that are still left in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple, in the royal palace, and in Jerusalem be taken away<n id="4" /> to Babylon.