Study Desk

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!"^(a) This is the Lord 's declaration.

"Therefore, this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd My people: You have scattered My flock, banished them, and have not attended to them.^(b) I will attend to you because of your evil acts"—this is the Lord 's declaration.

"I will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.^(c)

I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them.^(d) They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing." This is the Lord 's declaration.

"The days are coming"^(e)—this is the Lord 's declaration— "when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David.^(f) He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.^(g)

In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.^(h) This is what He will be named: Yahweh Our Righteousness.⁽ⁱ⁾

"The days are coming"—the Lord 's declaration—"when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,'^(j)

but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other countries where I^[a] had banished them.' They will dwell once more in their own land."^(k)

Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me,^(l) and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the Lord , because of His holy words.

For the land is full of adulterers;^(m) the land mourns because of the curse, and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up. Their way of life^[b] has become evil, and their power is not rightly used

because both prophet and priest are ungodly,⁽ⁿ⁾ even in My house I have found their evil. This is the Lord 's declaration.

Therefore, their way will be to them like slippery paths in the gloom.^(o) They will be driven away and fall down there, for I will bring disaster on them, the year of their punishment. This is the Lord 's declaration.

Among the prophets of Samaria I saw something disgusting: They prophesied by^[c] Baal and led My people Israel astray.^(p)

Among the prophets of Jerusalem also I saw a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil. They are all like Sodom^(q) to Me; Jerusalem's residents are like Gomorrah.

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says concerning the prophets: I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink,^(r) for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness^[d] has spread throughout the land.

This is what the Lord of Hosts says: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord 's mouth.

They keep on saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said: You will have peace.'^(s) They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.'"

For who has stood in the council^(t) of the Lord to see and hear His word? Who has paid attention to His word and obeyed?

Look, a storm from the Lord !^(u) Wrath has gone out, a whirling storm. It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.

The Lord 's anger will not turn back until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart. In time to come you will understand it clearly.^(v)

I did not send these prophets,^(w) yet they ran with a message. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

If they had really stood in My council, they would have enabled My people to hear My words and would have turned them back from their evil ways and their evil deeds.

"Am I a God who is only near"^(x)—this is the Lord 's declaration—"and not a God who is far away?

Can a man hide himself in secret places where I cannot see him?"^(y)—the Lord 's declaration. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?"^(z)—the Lord 's declaration.

"I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in My name have said, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!'

How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds?

Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause My people to forget My name as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship.^(aa)

The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has My word should speak My word truthfully, for what is straw compared to grain?"—this is the Lord 's declaration.

"Is not My word like fire"—this is the Lord 's declaration—"and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?

Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets"^(ab)—the Lord 's declaration—"who steal My words from each other.

I am against the prophets"—the Lord 's declaration—"who use their own tongues to make a declaration.

I am against those who prophesy false dreams"^(ac)—the Lord 's declaration—"telling them and leading My people astray with their falsehoods and their boasting. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all^(ad) to these people"—this is the Lord 's declaration.

"Now when these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord ?' you will respond to them: What is the burden? I will throw you away"—this is the Lord 's declaration.

"As for the prophet, priest, or people who say, ‘The burden of the Lord ,' I will punish that man and his household.

This is what each man is to say to his friend and to his brother, ‘What has the Lord answered?' or ‘What has the Lord spoken?'

But no longer refer to^[e] the burden of the Lord , for each man's word becomes his burden and you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of Hosts, our God.

You must say to the prophet: What has the Lord answered you? and What has the Lord spoken?

But if you say, ‘The burden of the Lord ,' then this is what the Lord says: Because you have said, ‘The burden of the Lord ,' and I specifically told you not to say, ‘The burden of the Lord ,'

I will surely forget you^[f] and throw away from My presence both you and the city that I gave you and your fathers.

I will bring on you everlasting shame and humiliation^(ae) that will never be forgotten."

After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah^[a] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths^(a) from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs^(b) placed before the temple of the Lord .

One basket contained very good figs, like early figs,^(c) but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible.

The Lord said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I said, "Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible."

The word of the Lord came to me:

"This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.

I will keep My eyes on them for their good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them.^(d)

I will give them a heart to know Me,^(e) that I am Yahweh. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart.^(f)

"But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible,^(g) this is what the Lord says: in this way I will deal with king Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.^(h)

I will make them an object of horror⁽ⁱ⁾ and disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace, an object of scorn, ridicule,^(j) and cursing, wherever I have banished them.

I will send the sword, famine, and plague^(k) against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors."

This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(a) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon).

The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows:

"From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,^(b) king of Judah, until this very day—23 years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,^[a](c) but you have not obeyed.

The Lord sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again,^[b] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.^[c](d)

He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your^[d] evil way of life and from your evil deeds.^(e) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.

Do not follow other gods to serve them and to worship them,^(f) and do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands.^(g) Then I will do you no harm.

"‘But you would not obey Me'—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘in order that you might provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands and bring disaster on yourselves.'

"Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words,

I am going to send for all the families of the north'^(h)—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘and send for My servant⁽ⁱ⁾ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them a desolation,^(j) a derision, and ruins forever.

I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,^(k) the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.

This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.^(l)

When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation'—this is the Lord 's declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.^(m)

I will bring on that land all My words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.

For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds⁽ⁿ⁾ and the work of their hands.'"

This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, said to me: "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to, drink from it.^(o)

They will drink, stagger,^[e] and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them."

So I took the cup from the Lord 's hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the Lord sent me to.

These included: Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of scorn and cursing—as it is today;

Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,

and all the mixed peoples; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines—Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;

all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands across the sea;

Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who shave their temples;^[f](p)

all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;

all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media;

all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another; that is, all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Finally, the king of Sheshach^[g] will drink after them.

"Then you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Drink,^(q) get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.

If^[h] they refuse to take the cup from you and drink, you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: You must drink!

For I am already bringing disaster on the city that bears My name,^(r) so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth"—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.^(s)

"As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them: The Lord roars from heaven; He raises His voice from His holy dwelling.^(t) He roars loudly over His grazing land; He calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth because the Lord brings a case against^(u) the nations. He enters into judgment with all flesh. As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword— this is the Lord 's declaration.

"This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Pay attention! Disaster spreads from nation to nation. A great storm is stirred up from the ends of the earth."^(v)

Those slain by the Lord ^(w) on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned,^(x) gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the surface of the ground.

Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. Roll in the dust,^[i](y) you leaders of the flock. Because the days of your slaughter have come, you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.

Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, and escape, for the leaders of the flock.

Hear the sound of the shepherds' cry, the wail of the leaders of the flock, for the Lord is destroying their pasture.

Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless because of the Lord 's burning anger.^(z)

He has left His den like a lion, for their land has become a desolation because of the sword^[j] of the oppressor,^(aa) because of His burning anger.