He burned down the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house.

The officials were very angry ¹  at Jeremiah. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners. ² 

Now listen to what the Lord has to say, you descendants ¹  of Jacob, all you family groups from the nation ²  of Israel.

For the nations of Israel and Judah ¹  have been very unfaithful to me,” says the Lord.

The Lord told me to say ¹  to the royal court ²  of Judah, “Listen to what the Lord says,

At that time ¹  the nation of Judah and the nation of Israel will be reunited. ²  Together they will come back from a land in the north to the land that I gave to your ancestors as a permanent possession. ” ³ 

However, some of the officials ¹  of Judah heard about what was happening ²  and they rushed up to the Lord’s temple from the royal palace. They set up court ³  at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s temple. ⁴ 

Indeed, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹  has already spoken ²  about the valuable articles that are left in the Lord’s temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

“Indeed, a time is coming,” ¹  says the Lord, ²  “when I will cause people and animals to sprout up in the lands of Israel and Judah. ³ 

“Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, ¹  “when I will make a new covenant ²  with the people of Israel and Judah. ³ 

“I, the Lord, affirm: ¹  ‘The time will certainly come when I will fulfill my gracious promise concerning the nations of Israel and Judah. ² 

“Go to the Rechabite community. ¹  Invite them to come into one of the side rooms ²  of the Lord’s temple and offer them some wine to drink.”

The Babylonians ¹  burned down the royal palace, the temple of the Lord, and the people’s homes, ²  and they tore down the wall of Jerusalem. ³ 

He had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and had him bound in chains. ¹  Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died.

“Proclaim ¹  this message among the descendants of Jacob. ²  Make it known throughout Judah.

“‘Do not go to a house where people are feasting and sit down to eat and drink with them either.

“Go down at once ¹  to the potter’s house. I will speak to you further there.” ² 

‘Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.

They set up their disgusting idols in the temple which I have claimed for my own ¹  and defiled it.

The houses in Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled by dead bodies ¹  just like this place, Topheth. For they offered sacrifice to the stars ²  and poured out drink offerings to other gods on the roofs of those houses.’”