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Flight JLA01
Jeremiah 21-52; Lamentations 1-5
Skip Heitzig

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Jeremiah 21 (NKJV™)
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,
2 "Please inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us."
3 Then Jeremiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to Zedekiah,
4 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them in the midst of this city.
5 "I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger and fury and great wrath.
6 "I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.
7 "And afterward," says the LORD, "I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence and the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword. He shall not spare them, or have pity or mercy."'
8 "Now you shall say to this people, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
9 "He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him.
10 "For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good," says the LORD. "It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire."'
11 "And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, 'Hear the word of the LORD,
12 'O house of David! Thus says the LORD: "Execute judgment in the morning; And deliver him who is plundered Out of the hand of the oppressor, Lest My fury go forth like fire And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.
13 "Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley, And rock of the plain," says the LORD, "Who say, 'Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter our dwellings?'
14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings," says the LORD; "I will kindle a fire in its forest, And it shall devour all things around it."'"
Jeremiah 22 (NKJV™)
1 Thus says the LORD: "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word,
2 "and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates!
3 'Thus says the LORD: "Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
4 "For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David.
5 "But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself," says the LORD, "that this house shall become a desolation."'"
6 For thus says the LORD to the house of the king of Judah: "You are Gilead to Me, The head of Lebanon; Yet I surely will make you a wilderness, Cities which are not inhabited.
7 I will prepare destroyers against you, Everyone with his weapons; They shall cut down your choice cedars And cast them into the fire.
8 "And many nations will pass by this city; and everyone will say to his neighbor, 'Why has the LORD done so to this great city?'
9 "Then they will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.'"
10 Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him; Weep bitterly for him who goes away, For he shall return no more, Nor see his native country.
11 For thus says the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place: "He shall not return here anymore,
12 "but he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.
13 "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor's service without wages And gives him nothing for his work,
14 Who says, 'I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, And cut out windows for it, Paneling it with cedar And painting it with vermilion.'
15 "Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?" says the LORD.
17 "Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence."
18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "They shall not lament for him, Saying, 'Alas, my brother!' or 'Alas, my sister!' They shall not lament for him, Saying, 'Alas, master!' or 'Alas, his glory!'
19 He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, Dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20 "Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry from Abarim, For all your lovers are destroyed.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said, 'I will not hear.' This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice.
22 The wind shall eat up all your rulers, And your lovers shall go into captivity; Surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated For all your wickedness.
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, Making your nest in the cedars, How gracious will you be when pangs come upon you, Like the pain of a woman in labor?
24 "As I live," says the LORD, "though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off;
25 "and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear--the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 "So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die.
27 "But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.
28 "Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol--A vessel in which is no pleasure? Why are they cast out, he and his descendants, And cast into a land which they do not know?
29 O earth, earth, earth, Hear the word of the LORD!
30 Thus says the LORD: 'Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, And ruling anymore in Judah.'"
Jeremiah 23 (NKJV™)
1 "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" says the LORD.
2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: "You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings," says the LORD.
3 "But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 "I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD.
5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 "Therefore, behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,'
8 "but, 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.' And they shall dwell in their own land."
9 My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, And like a man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD, And because of His holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers; For because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, And their might is not right.
11 "For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness," says the LORD.
12 "Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery ways; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment," says the LORD.
13 "And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err.
14 Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: 'Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.'"
16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD.
17 They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You shall have peace"'; And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, 'No evil shall come upon you.'"
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury--A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
21 "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings.
23 "Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.
25 "I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!'
26 "How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,
27 "who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.
28 "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD.
29 "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor.
31 "Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.'
32 "Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD.
33 "So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, 'What is the oracle of the LORD?' you shall then say to them, 'What oracle?' I will even forsake you," says the LORD.
34 "And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' I will even punish that man and his house.
35 "Thus every one of you shall say to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, 'What has the LORD answered?' and, 'What has the LORD spoken?'
36 "And the oracle of the LORD you shall mention no more. For every man's word will be his oracle, for you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.
37 "Thus you shall say to the prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' and, 'What has the LORD spoken?'
38 "But since you say, 'The oracle of the LORD!' therefore thus says the LORD: 'Because you say this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" and I have sent to you, saying, "Do not say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'"
39 'therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and will cast you out of My presence.
40 'And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.'"
Jeremiah 24 (NKJV™)
1 The LORD showed me, and there were two baskets of figs set before the temple of the LORD, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
2 One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
3 Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad."
4 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.
6 'For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.
7 'Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.
8 'And as the bad figs which cannot be eaten, they are so bad'--surely thus says the LORD--'so will I give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, his princes, the residue of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt.
9 'I will deliver them to trouble into all the kingdoms of the earth, for their harm, to be a reproach and a byword, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I shall drive them.
10 'And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they are consumed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.'"
Jeremiah 25 (NKJV™)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),
2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:
3 "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the LORD has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened.
4 "And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear.
5 "They said, 'Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.
6 'Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.'
7 "Yet you have not listened to Me," says the LORD, "that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
8 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Because you have not heard My words,
9 'behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the LORD, 'and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
10 'Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
11 'And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 'Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,' says the LORD; 'and I will make it a perpetual desolation.
13 'So I will bring on that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied concerning all the nations.
14 '(For many nations and great kings shall be served by them also; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)'"
15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
16 "And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them."
17 Then I took the cup from the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom the LORD had sent me:
18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;
19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people;
20 all the mixed multitude, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (namely, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod);
21 Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon;
22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea;
23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners;
24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert;
25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;
26 all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 "Therefore you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you."'
28 "And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall certainly drink!
29 "For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth," says the LORD of hosts.'
30 "Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: 'The LORD will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 A noise will come to the ends of the earth--For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,' says the LORD."
32 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth.
33 "And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.
34 "Wail, shepherds, and cry! Roll about in the ashes, You leaders of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled; You shall fall like a precious vessel.
35 And the shepherds will have no way to flee, Nor the leaders of the flock to escape.
36 A voice of the cry of the shepherds, And a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard. For the LORD has plundered their pasture,
37 And the peaceful dwellings are cut down Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 He has left His lair like the lion; For their land is desolate Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, And because of His fierce anger."
Jeremiah 26 (NKJV™)
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the LORD, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word.
3 'Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.'
4 "And you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD: "If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you,
5 "to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded),
6 "then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth."'"
7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
8 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You will surely die!
9 "Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant'?" And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of the LORD and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house.
11 And the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and all the people, saying, "This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears."
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and all the people, saying: "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city with all the words that you have heard.
13 "Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you.
14 "As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.
15 "But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."
16 So the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve to die. For he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."
17 Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying:
18 "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest."'
19 "Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and seek the LORD'S favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves."
20 Now there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath Jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt.
22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor, and other men who went with him to Egypt.
23 And they brought Urijah from Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Jeremiah 27 (NKJV™)
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD to me: 'Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck,
3 'and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4 'And command them to say to their masters, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel--thus you shall say to your masters:
5 'I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.
6 'And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.
7 'So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son's son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.
8 'And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,' says the LORD, 'with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 'Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, "You shall not serve the king of Babylon."
10 'For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish.
11 'But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,' says the LORD, 'and they shall till it and dwell in it.'"'"
12 I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!
13 "Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 "Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you;
15 "for I have not sent them," says the LORD, "yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you."
16 Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, "Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon"; for they prophesy a lie to you.
17 'Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?
18 'But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.'
19 "For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the Sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city,
20 "which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem--
21 "yes, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem:
22 'They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,' says the LORD. 'Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.'"
Jeremiah 28 (NKJV™)
1 And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
2 "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
3 'Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.
4 'And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,' says the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'"
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the LORD,
6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! The LORD do so; the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD'S house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place.
7 "Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people:
8 "The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms--of war and disaster and pestilence.
9 "As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent."
10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah's neck and broke it.
11 And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.'" And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
12 Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
13 "Go and tell Hananiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron."
14 'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also."'"
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.
16 "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.'"
17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
Jeremiah 29 (NKJV™)
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive--to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2 (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)
3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.
6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters--that you may be increased there, and not diminished.
7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.
10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
15 Because you have said, "The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon"--
16 therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, concerning all the people who dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren who have not gone out with you into captivity--
17 thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.
18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth--to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
19 because they have not heeded My words, says the LORD, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the LORD.
20 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes.
22 And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire";
23 because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the LORD.
24 You shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
25 Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
26 "The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should be officers in the house of the LORD over every man who is demented and considers himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison and in the stocks.
27 Now therefore, why have you not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth who makes himself a prophet to you?
28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, 'This captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.'"
29 Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying:
31 Send to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I have not sent him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie--
32 therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people, says the LORD, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD.
Jeremiah 30 (NKJV™)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 "Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.
3 'For behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,' says the LORD. 'And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.'"
4 Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
5 "For thus says the LORD: 'We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace.
6 Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.
8 'For it shall come to pass in that day,' Says the LORD of hosts, 'That I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them.
10 'Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,' says the LORD, 'Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, And no one shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.'
12 "For thus says the LORD: 'Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe.
13 There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines.
14 All your lovers have forgotten you; They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the chastisement of a cruel one, For the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased.
15 Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.
16 'Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; Those who plunder you shall become plunder, And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,' says the LORD, 'Because they called you an outcast saying: "This is Zion; No one seeks her."'
18 "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents, And have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children also shall be as before, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their nobles shall be from among them, And their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near, And he shall approach Me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?' says the LORD.
22 'You shall be My people, And I will be your God.'"
23 Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD Goes forth with fury, A continuing whirlwind; It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it, And until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will consider it.
Jeremiah 31 (NKJV™)
1 "At the same time," says the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people."
2 Thus says the LORD: "The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness--Israel, when I went to give him rest."
3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria; The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
6 For there shall be a day When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the LORD our God.'"
7 For thus says the LORD: "Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, 'O LORD, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!'
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.
9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.
10 "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'
11 For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the LORD--For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all.
13 "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD."
15 Thus says the LORD: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more."
16 Thus says the LORD: "Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border.
18 "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: 'You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the LORD my God.
19 Surely, after my turning, I repented; And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, Because I bore the reproach of my youth.'
20 Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD.
21 "Set up signposts, Make landmarks; Set your heart toward the highway, The way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, Turn back to these your cities.
22 How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth--A woman shall encompass a man."
23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: 'The LORD bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!'
24 "And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks.
25 "For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul."
26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.
27 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
28 "And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.
29 "In those days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'
30 "But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name):
36 "If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever."
37 Thus says the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.
38 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that the city shall be built for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
39 "The surveyor's line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath.
40 "And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever."
Jeremiah 32 (NKJV™)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
2 For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.
3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, "Why do you prophesy and say, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
4 "and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye;
5 "then he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall be until I visit him," says the LORD; "though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed"'?"
6 And Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
7 'Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, "Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it."'
8 "Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, 'Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 "So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money--seventeen shekels of silver.
10 "And I signed the deed and sealed it, took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales.
11 "So I took the purchase deed, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open;
12 "and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.
13 "Then I charged Baruch before them, saying,
14 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days."
15 'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."'
16 "Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying:
17 'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
18 'You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them--the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
19 'You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.
20 'You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and among other men; and You have made Yourself a name, as it is this day.
21 'You have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror;
22 'You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them--"a land flowing with milk and honey."
23 'And they came in and took possession of it, but they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.
24 'Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it!
25 'And You have said to me, O Lord GOD, "Buy the field for money, and take witnesses"!--yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'"
26 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
28 "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
29 'And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger;
30 'because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands," says the LORD.
31 'For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face
32 'because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger--they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
33 'And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.
34 'But they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it.
35 'And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.'
36 "Now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, 'It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence':
37 'Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.
38 'They shall be My people, and I will be their God;
39 'then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.
40 'And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
41 'Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.'
42 "For thus says the LORD: 'Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.
43 'And fields will be bought in this land of which you say, "It is desolate, without man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans."
44 'Men will buy fields for money, sign deeds and seal them, and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captives to return,' says the LORD."
Jeremiah 33 (NKJV™)
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name):
3 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
4 "For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah, which have been pulled down to fortify against the siege mounds and the sword:
5 'They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but only to fill their places with the dead bodies of men whom I will slay in My anger and My fury, all for whose wickedness I have hidden My face from this city.
6 'Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.
7 'And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return, and will rebuild those places as at the first.
8 'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.
9 'Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.'
10 "Thus says the LORD: 'Again there shall be heard in this place--of which you say, "It is desolate, without man and without beast"--in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast,
11 'the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever"--and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD.
12 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be a dwelling place of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
13 'In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks shall again pass under the hands of him who counts them,' says the LORD.
14 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:
15 'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
16 In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'
17 "For thus says the LORD: 'David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
18 'nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.'"
19 And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
20 "Thus says the LORD: 'If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season,
21 'then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers.
22 'As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.'"
23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,
24 "Have you not considered what these people have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the LORD has chosen, He has also cast them off'? Thus they have despised My people, as if they should no more be a nation before them.
25 "Thus says the LORD: 'If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth,
26 'then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.'"
Jeremiah 34 (NKJV™)
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem and all its cities, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
3 'And you shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, he shall speak with you face to face, and you shall go to Babylon.'"'
4 "Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you: 'You shall not die by the sword.
5 'You shall die in peace; as in the ceremonies of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they shall burn incense for you and lament for you, saying, "Alas, lord!" For I have pronounced the word, says the LORD.'"
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 when the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and Azekah; for only these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.
8 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them:
9 that every man should set free his male and female slave--a Hebrew man or woman--that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage.
10 Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go.
11 But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.
12 Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,
14 "At the end of seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you." But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear.
15 'Then you recently turned and did what was right in My sight--every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.
16 'Then you turned around and profaned My name, and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves, whom he had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.'
17 "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,' says the LORD--'to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 'And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it--
19 'the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf--
20 'I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth.
21 'And I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army which has gone back from you.
22 'Behold, I will command,' says the LORD, 'and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.'"
Jeremiah 35 (NKJV™)
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2 "Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink."
3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites,
4 and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door.
5 Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, "Drink wine."
6 But they said, "We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, 'You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever.
7 'You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.'
8 "Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,
9 "nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed.
10 "But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11 "But it came to pass, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, 'Come, let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of the army of the Syrians.' So we dwell at Jerusalem."
12 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
13 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?" says the LORD.
14 "The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father's commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me.
15 "I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, 'Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.' But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me.
16 "Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me."'
17 "Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.'"
18 And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you,
19 'therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever."'"
Jeremiah 36 (NKJV™)
1 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2 "Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day.
3 "It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin."
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the LORD which He had spoken to him.
5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, "I am confined, I cannot go into the house of the LORD.
6 "You go, therefore, and read from the scroll which you have written at my instruction, the words of the LORD, in the hearing of the people in the LORD'S house on the day of fasting. And you shall also read them in the hearing of all Judah who come from their cities.
7 "It may be that they will present their supplication before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way. For great is the anger and the fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people."
8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house.
9 Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem.
10 Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house, in the hearing of all the people.
11 When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the book,
12 he then went down to the king's house, into the scribe's chamber; and there all the princes were sitting--Elishama the scribe, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.
13 Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people.
14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, "Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read in the hearing of the people, and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.
15 And they said to him, "Sit down now, and read it in our hearing." So Baruch read it in their hearing.
16 Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, that they looked in fear from one to another, and said to Baruch, "We will surely tell the king of all these words."
17 And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us now, how did you write all these words--at his instruction?"
18 So Baruch answered them, "He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book."
19 Then the princes said to Baruch, "Go and hide, you and Jeremiah; and let no one know where you are."
20 And they went to the king, into the court; but they stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the hearing of the king.
21 So the king sent Jehudi to bring the scroll, and he took it from Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and in the hearing of all the princes who stood beside the king.
22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him.
23 And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
24 Yet they were not afraid, nor did they tear their garments, the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.
25 Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying:
28 "Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.
29 "And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have burned this scroll, saying, 'Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and cause man and beast to cease from here?'"
30 'Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: "He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.
31 "I will punish him, his family, and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring on them, on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the doom that I have pronounced against them; but they did not heed."'"
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words.
Jeremiah 37 (NKJV™)
1 Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Pray now to the LORD our God for us."
4 Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
5 Then Pharaoh's army came up from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6 Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.
8 "And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire."'
9 "Thus says the LORD: 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart.
10 'For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.'"
11 And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans left the siege of Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,
12 that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people.
13 And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there whose name was Irijah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are defecting to the Chaldeans!"
14 Then Jeremiah said, "False! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans." But he did not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
15 Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison.
16 When Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
17 then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!"
18 Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
19 "Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land'?
20 "Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."
21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah to the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Jeremiah 38 (NKJV™)
1 Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD: 'He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.'
3 "Thus says the LORD: 'This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.'"
4 Therefore the princes said to the king, "Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm."
5 Then Zedekiah the king said, "Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you."
6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.
7 Now Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs, who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon. When the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8 Ebed-Melech went out of the king's house and spoke to the king, saying:
9 "My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is. For there is no more bread in the city."
10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies."
11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there old clothes and old rags, and let them down by ropes into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
12 Then Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Please put these old clothes and rags under your armpits, under the ropes." And Jeremiah did so.
13 So they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
14 Then Zedekiah the king sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance of the house of the LORD. And the king said to Jeremiah, "I will ask you something. Hide nothing from me."
15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me."
16 So Zedekiah the king swore secretly to Jeremiah, saying, "As the LORD lives, who made our very souls, I will not put you to death, nor will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life."
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
18 'But if you do not surrender to the king of Babylon's princes, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans; they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.'"
19 And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have defected to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they abuse me."
20 But Jeremiah said, "They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the LORD which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
21 "But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22 'Now behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be surrendered to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say: "Your close friends have set upon you And prevailed against you; Your feet have sunk in the mire, And they have turned away again."
23 'So they shall surrender all your wives and children to the Chaldeans. You shall not escape from their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon. And you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.'"
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die.
25 "But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you and say to you, 'Declare to us now what you have said to the king, and also what the king said to you; do not hide it from us, and we will not put you to death,'
26 "then you shall say to them, 'I presented my request before the king, that he would not make me return to Jonathan's house to die there.'"
27 Then all the princes came to Jeremiah and asked him. And he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been heard.
28 Now Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And he was there when Jerusalem was taken.
Jeremiah 39 (NKJV™)
1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated.
3 Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4 So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain.
5 But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.
6 Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.
7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
8 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained.
10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
12 "Take him and look after him, and do him no harm; but do to him just as he says to you."
13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's chief officers;
14 then they sent someone to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15 Meanwhile the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
16 "Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you.
17 "But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.
18 "For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.'"
Jeremiah 40 (NKJV™)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.
2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him: "The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place.
3 "Now the LORD has brought it, and has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD, and not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.
4 "And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems wrong for you to come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there."
5 Now while Jeremiah had not yet gone back, Nebuzaradan said, "Go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever it seems convenient for you to go." So the captain of the guard gave him rations and a gift and let him go.
6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land.
7 And when all the captains of the armies who were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, children, and the poorest of the land who had not been carried away captive to Babylon,
8 then they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah--Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath before them and their men, saying, "Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
10 "As for me, I will indeed dwell at Mizpah and serve the Chaldeans who come to us. But you, gather wine and summer fruit and oil, put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken."
11 Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab, among the Ammonites, in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,
12 then all the Jews returned out of all places where they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit in abundance.
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah,
14 and said to him, "Do you certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to murder you?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, "Let me go, please, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he murder you, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?"
16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, "You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely concerning Ishmael."
Jeremiah 41 (NKJV™)
1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and of the officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. And there they ate bread together in Mizpah.
2 Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, arose and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
3 Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.
4 And it happened, on the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, when as yet no one knew it,
5 that certain men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.
6 Now Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went along; and it happened as he met them that he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!"
7 So it was, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them and cast them into the midst of a pit, he and the men who were with him.
8 But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael, "Do not kill us, for we have treasures of wheat, barley, oil, and honey in the field." So he desisted and did not kill them among their brethren.
9 Now the pit into which Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain, because of Gedaliah, was the same one Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive and departed to go over to the Ammonites.
11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
12 they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah; and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon.
13 So it was, when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, that they were glad.
14 Then all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.
15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.
16 Then Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah after he had murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam--the mighty men of war and the women and the children and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.
17 And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt,
18 because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor in the land.
Jeremiah 42 (NKJV™)
1 Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near
2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see),
3 "that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do."
4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the LORD answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you."
5 So they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you.
6 "Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."
7 And it happened after ten days that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.
8 Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
9 and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him:
10 'If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you.
11 'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,' says the LORD, 'for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand.
12 'And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.'
13 "But if you say, 'We will not dwell in this land,' disobeying the voice of the LORD your God,
14 "saying, 'No, but we will go to the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell'--
15 "Then hear now the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If you wholly set your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there,
16 'then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die.
17 'So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.'
18 "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'As My anger and My fury have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will My fury be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.'
19 "The LORD has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, 'Do not go to Egypt!' Know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
20 "For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the LORD our God, and according to all that the LORD your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.'
21 "And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.
22 "Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell."
Jeremiah 43 (NKJV™)
1 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words,
2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.'
3 "But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon."
4 So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.
5 But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven--
6 men, women, children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.
7 So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
9 "Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes;
10 "and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them.
11 "When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword.
12 "I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace.
13 "He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire."'"
Jeremiah 44 (NKJV™)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them,
3 'because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers.
4 'However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, "Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!"
5 'But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.
6 'So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.'
7 "Now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain,
8 'in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 'Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
10 'They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.'
11 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah.
12 'And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach!
13 'For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence,
14 'so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.'"
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
16 "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you!
17 "But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.
18 "But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine."
19 The women also said, "And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands' permission?"
20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people--the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer--saying:
21 "The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and did it not come into His mind?
22 "So the LORD could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day.
23 "Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day."
24 Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt!
25 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: 'You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, "We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!'
26 "Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: 'Behold, I have sworn by My great name,' says the LORD, 'that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "The Lord GOD lives."
27 'Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them.
28 'Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs.
29 'And this shall be a sign to you,' says the LORD, 'that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.'
30 "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.'"
Jeremiah 45 (NKJV™)
1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:
3 'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."'
4 "Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land.
5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."'"
Jeremiah 46 (NKJV™)
1 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations.
2 Against Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 "Order the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle!
4 Harness the horses, And mount up, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets, Polish the spears, Put on the armor!
5 Why have I seen them dismayed and turned back? Their mighty ones are beaten down; They have speedily fled, And did not look back, For fear was all around," says the LORD.
6 "Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; They will stumble and fall Toward the north, by the River Euphrates.
7 "Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers?
8 Egypt rises up like a flood, And its waters move like the rivers; And he says, 'I will go up and cover the earth, I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.'
9 Come up, O horses, and rage, O chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: The Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow.
10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord GOD of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.
11 "Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured.
12 The nations have heard of your shame, And your cry has filled the land; For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty; They both have fallen together."
13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and strike the land of Egypt.
14 "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; Proclaim in Noph and in Tahpanhes; Say, 'Stand fast and prepare yourselves, For the sword devours all around you.'
15 Why are your valiant men swept away? They did not stand Because the LORD drove them away.
16 He made many fall; Yes, one fell upon another. And they said, 'Arise! Let us go back to our own people And to the land of our nativity From the oppressing sword.'
17 They cried there, 'Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is but a noise. He has passed by the appointed time!'
18 "As I live," says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts, "Surely as Tabor is among the mountains And as Carmel by the sea, so he shall come.
19 O you daughter dwelling in Egypt, Prepare yourself to go into captivity! For Noph shall be waste and desolate, without inhabitant.
20 "Egypt is a very pretty heifer, But destruction comes, it comes from the north.
21 Also her mercenaries are in her midst like fat bulls, For they also are turned back, They have fled away together. They did not stand, For the day of their calamity had come upon them, The time of their punishment.
22 Her noise shall go like a serpent, For they shall march with an army And come against her with axes, Like those who chop wood.
23 "They shall cut down her forest," says the LORD, "Though it cannot be searched, Because they are innumerable, And more numerous than grasshoppers.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed; She shall be delivered into the hand Of the people of the north."
25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Behold, I will bring punishment on Amon of No, and Pharaoh and Egypt, with their gods and their kings--Pharaoh and those who trust in him.
26 "And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of his servants. Afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old," says the LORD.
27 "But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, And do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; No one shall make him afraid.
28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant," says the LORD, "For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished."
Jeremiah 47 (NKJV™)
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.
2 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.
3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage,
4 Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the LORD shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor.
5 Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself?
6 "O you sword of the LORD, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still!
7 How can it be quiet, Seeing the LORD has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it."
Jeremiah 48 (NKJV™)
1 Against Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed--
2 No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: 'Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.' You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you;
3 A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: 'Plundering and great destruction!'
4 "Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard;
5 For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.
6 "Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness.
7 For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.
8 And the plunderer shall come against every city; No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, And the plain shall be destroyed, As the LORD has spoken.
9 "Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them.
10 Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
11 "Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, And has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, And his scent has not changed.
12 "Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I shall send him wine-workers Who will tip him over And empty his vessels And break the bottles.
13 Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, As the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
14 "How can you say, 'We are mighty And strong men for the war'?
15 Moab is plundered and gone up from her cities; Her chosen young men have gone down to the slaughter," says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts.
16 "The calamity of Moab is near at hand, And his affliction comes quickly.
17 Bemoan him, all you who are around him; And all you who know his name, Say, 'How the strong staff is broken, The beautiful rod!'
18 "O daughter inhabiting Dibon, Come down from your glory, And sit in thirst; For the plunderer of Moab has come against you, He has destroyed your strongholds.
19 O inhabitant of Aroer, Stand by the way and watch; Ask him who flees And her who escapes; Say, 'What has happened?'
20 Moab is shamed, for he is broken down. Wail and cry! Tell it in Arnon, that Moab is plundered.
21 "And judgment has come on the plain country: On Holon and Jahzah and Mephaath,
22 On Dibon and Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
23 On Kirjathaim and Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,
24 On Kerioth and Bozrah, On all the cities of the land of Moab, Far or near.
25 The horn of Moab is cut off, And his arm is broken," says the LORD.
26 "Make him drunk, Because he exalted himself against the LORD. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also be in derision.
27 For was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him, You shake your head in scorn.
28 You who dwell in Moab, Leave the cities and dwell in the rock, And be like the dove which makes her nest In the sides of the cave's mouth.
29 "We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of the haughtiness of his heart."
30 "I know his wrath," says the LORD, "But it is not right; His lies have made nothing right.
31 Therefore I will wail for Moab, And I will cry out for all Moab; I will mourn for the men of Kir Heres.
32 O vine of Sibmah! I will weep for you with the weeping of Jazer. Your plants have gone over the sea, They reach to the sea of Jazer. The plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit and your vintage.
33 Joy and gladness are taken From the plentiful field And from the land of Moab; I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses; No one will tread with joyous shouting--Not joyous shouting!
34 "From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz They have uttered their voice, From Zoar to Horonaim, Like a three-year-old heifer; For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate.
35 "Moreover," says the LORD, "I will cause to cease in Moab The one who offers sacrifices in the high places And burns incense to his gods.
36 Therefore My heart shall wail like flutes for Moab, And like flutes My heart shall wail For the men of Kir Heres. Therefore the riches they have acquired have perished.
37 "For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; On all the hands shall be cuts, and on the loins sackcloth--
38 A general lamentation On all the housetops of Moab, And in its streets; For I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure," says the LORD.
39 "They shall wail: 'How she is broken down! How Moab has turned her back with shame!' So Moab shall be a derision And a dismay to all those about her."
40 For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one shall fly like an eagle, And spread his wings over Moab.
41 Kerioth is taken, And the strongholds are surprised; The mighty men's hearts in Moab on that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
42 And Moab shall be destroyed as a people, Because he exalted himself against the LORD.
43 Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," says the LORD.
44 "He who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit, And he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For upon Moab, upon it I will bring The year of their punishment," says the LORD.
45 "Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult.
46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive.
47 "Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days," says the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
Jeremiah 49 (NKJV™)
1 Against the Ammonites. Thus says the LORD: "Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit Gad, And his people dwell in its cities?
2 Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance," says the LORD.
3 "Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is plundered! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth! Lament and run to and fro by the walls; For Milcom shall go into captivity With his priests and his princes together.
4 Why do you boast in the valleys, Your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?'
5 Behold, I will bring fear upon you," Says the Lord GOD of hosts, "From all those who are around you; You shall be driven out, everyone headlong, And no one will gather those who wander off.
6 But afterward I will bring back The captives of the people of Ammon," says the LORD.
7 Against Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?
8 Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, The time that I will punish him.
9 If grape-gatherers came to you, Would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves by night, Would they not destroy until they have enough?
10 But I have made Esau bare; I have uncovered his secret places, And he shall not be able to hide himself. His descendants are plundered, His brethren and his neighbors, And he is no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; And let your widows trust in Me."
12 For thus says the LORD: "Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it.
13 "For I have sworn by Myself," says the LORD, "that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual wastes."
14 I have heard a message from the LORD, And an ambassador has been sent to the nations: "Gather together, come against her, And rise up to battle!
15 "For indeed, I will make you small among nations, Despised among men.
16 Your fierceness has deceived you, The pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there," says the LORD.
17 "Edom also shall be an astonishment; Everyone who goes by it will be astonished And will hiss at all its plagues.
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors," says the LORD, "No one shall remain there, Nor shall a son of man dwell in it.
19 "Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd Who will withstand Me?"
20 Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Edom, And His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; Surely He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them.
21 The earth shakes at the noise of their fall; At the cry its noise is heard at the Red Sea.
22 Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle, And spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be Like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
23 Against Damascus. "Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor.
25 Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy?
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day," says the LORD of hosts.
27 "I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad."
28 Against Kedar and against the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall strike. Thus says the LORD: "Arise, go up to Kedar, And devastate the men of the East!
29 Their tents and their flocks they shall take away. They shall take for themselves their curtains, All their vessels and their camels; And they shall cry out to them, 'Fear is on every side!'
30 "Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor!" says the LORD. "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you, And has conceived a plan against you.
31 "Arise, go up to the wealthy nation that dwells securely," says the LORD, "Which has neither gates nor bars, Dwelling alone.
32 Their camels shall be for booty, And the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, And I will bring their calamity from all its sides," says the LORD.
33 "Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it."
34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, The foremost of their might.
36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,' says the LORD; 'And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.
38 I will set My throne in Elam, And will destroy from there the king and the princes,' says the LORD.
39 'But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,' says the LORD."
Jeremiah 50 (NKJV™)
1 The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
2 "Declare among the nations, Proclaim, and set up a standard; Proclaim--do not conceal it--Say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed. Merodach is broken in pieces; Her idols are humiliated, Her images are broken in pieces.'
3 For out of the north a nation comes up against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, Both man and beast.
4 "In those days and in that time," says the LORD, "The children of Israel shall come, They and the children of Judah together; With continual weeping they shall come, And seek the LORD their God.
5 They shall ask the way to Zion, With their faces toward it, saying, 'Come and let us join ourselves to the LORD In a perpetual covenant That will not be forgotten.'
6 "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place.
7 All who found them have devoured them; And their adversaries said, 'We have not offended, Because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, The LORD, the hope of their fathers.'
8 "Move from the midst of Babylon, Go out of the land of the Chaldeans; And be like the rams before the flocks.
9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain.
10 And Chaldea shall become plunder; All who plunder her shall be satisfied," says the LORD.
11 "Because you were glad, because you rejoiced, You destroyers of My heritage, Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain, And you bellow like bulls,
12 Your mother shall be deeply ashamed; She who bore you shall be ashamed. Behold, the least of the nations shall be a wilderness, A dry land and a desert.
13 Because of the wrath of the LORD She shall not be inhabited, But she shall be wholly desolate. Everyone who goes by Babylon shall be horrified And hiss at all her plagues.
14 "Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, spare no arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD.
15 Shout against her all around; She has given her hand, Her foundations have fallen, Her walls are thrown down; For it is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance on her. As she has done, so do to her.
16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him who handles the sickle at harvest time. For fear of the oppressing sword Everyone shall turn to his own people, And everyone shall flee to his own land.
17 "Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones."
18 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, As I have punished the king of Assyria.
19 But I will bring back Israel to his home, And he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan; His soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20 In those days and in that time," says the LORD, "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I preserve.
21 "Go up against the land of Merathaim, against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Waste and utterly destroy them," says the LORD, "And do according to all that I have commanded you.
22 A sound of battle is in the land, And of great destruction.
23 How the hammer of the whole earth has been cut apart and broken! How Babylon has become a desolation among the nations! I have laid a snare for you;
24 You have indeed been trapped, O Babylon, And you were not aware; You have been found and also caught, Because you have contended against the Lord.
25 The LORD has opened His armory, And has brought out the weapons of His indignation; For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans.
26 Come against her from the farthest border; Open her storehouses; Cast her up as heaps of ruins, And destroy her utterly; Let nothing of her be left.
27 Slay all her bulls, Let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their punishment.
28 The voice of those who flee and escape from the land of Babylon Declares in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, The vengeance of His temple.
29 "Call together the archers against Babylon. All you who bend the bow, encamp against it all around; Let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all she has done, do to her; For she has been proud against the LORD, Against the Holy One of Israel.
30 Therefore her young men shall fall in the streets, And all her men of war shall be cut off in that day," says the LORD.
31 "Behold, I am against you, O most haughty one!" says the Lord GOD of hosts; "For your day has come, The time that I will punish you.
32 The most proud shall stumble and fall, And no one will raise him up; I will kindle a fire in his cities, And it will devour all around him."
33 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "The children of Israel were oppressed, Along with the children of Judah; All who took them captive have held them fast; They have refused to let them go.
34 Their Redeemer is strong; The LORD of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case, That He may give rest to the land, And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
35 "A sword is against the Chaldeans," says the LORD, "Against the inhabitants of Babylon, And against her princes and her wise men.
36 A sword is against the soothsayers, and they will be fools. A sword is against her mighty men, and they will be dismayed.
37 A sword is against their horses, Against their chariots, And against all the mixed peoples who are in her midst; And they will become like women. A sword is against her treasures, and they will be robbed.
38 A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is the land of carved images, And they are insane with their idols.
39 "Therefore the wild desert beasts shall dwell there with the jackals, And the ostriches shall dwell in it. It shall be inhabited no more forever, Nor shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors," says the LORD, "So no one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it.
41 "Behold, a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
43 "The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.
44 "Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan Against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will make them suddenly run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd Who will withstand Me?"
45 Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Babylon, And His purposes that He has proposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; Surely He will make their dwelling place desolate with them.
46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon The earth trembles, And the cry is heard among the nations.
Jeremiah 51 (NKJV™)
1 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind.
2 And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around.
3 Against her let the archer bend his bow, And lift himself up against her in his armor. Do not spare her young men; Utterly destroy all her army.
4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets.
5 For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, By his God, the LORD of hosts, Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."
6 Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; He shall recompense her.
7 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged.
8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.
9 We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.
10 The LORD has revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.
11 Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple.
12 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the LORD has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
13 O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your covetousness.
14 The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: "Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you."
15 He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.
16 When He utters His voice--There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: "He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries."
17 Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them.
18 They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.
19 The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things; And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. The LORD of hosts is His name.
20 "You are My battle-ax and weapons of war: For with you I will break the nation in pieces; With you I will destroy kingdoms;
21 With you I will break in pieces the horse and its rider; With you I will break in pieces the chariot and its rider;
22 With you also I will break in pieces man and woman; With you I will break in pieces old and young; With you I will break in pieces the young man and the maiden;
23 With you also I will break in pieces the shepherd and his flock; With you I will break in pieces the farmer and his yoke of oxen; And with you I will break in pieces governors and rulers.
24 "And I will repay Babylon And all the inhabitants of Chaldea For all the evil they have done In Zion in your sight," says the LORD.
25 "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys all the earth," says the LORD. "And I will stretch out My hand against you, Roll you down from the rocks, And make you a burnt mountain.
26 They shall not take from you a stone for a corner Nor a stone for a foundation, But you shall be desolate forever," says the LORD.
27 Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts.
28 Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion.
29 And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They have remained in their strongholds; Their might has failed, They became like women; They have burned her dwelling places, The bars of her gate are broken.
31 One runner will run to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides;
32 The passages are blocked, The reeds they have burned with fire, And the men of war are terrified.
33 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor When it is time to thresh her; Yet a little while And the time of her harvest will come."
34 "Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon Has devoured me, he has crushed me; He has made me an empty vessel, He has swallowed me up like a monster; He has filled his stomach with my delicacies, He has spit me out.
35 Let the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon," The inhabitant of Zion will say; "And my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea!" Jerusalem will say.
36 Therefore thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry.
37 Babylon shall become a heap, A dwelling place for jackals, An astonishment and a hissing, Without an inhabitant.
38 They shall roar together like lions, They shall growl like lions' whelps.
39 In their excitement I will prepare their feasts; I will make them drunk, That they may rejoice, And sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake," says the LORD.
40 "I will bring them down Like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams with male goats.
41 "Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!
42 The sea has come up over Babylon; She is covered with the multitude of its waves.
43 Her cities are a desolation, A dry land and a wilderness, A land where no one dwells, Through which no son of man passes.
44 I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will bring out of his mouth what he has swallowed; And the nations shall not stream to him anymore. Yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall.
45 "My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the LORD.
46 And lest your heart faint, And you fear for the rumor that will be heard in the land (A rumor will come one year, And after that, in another year A rumor will come, And violence in the land, Ruler against ruler),
47 Therefore behold, the days are coming That I will bring judgment on the carved images of Babylon; Her whole land shall be ashamed, And all her slain shall fall in her midst.
48 Then the heavens and the earth and all that is in them Shall sing joyously over Babylon; For the plunderers shall come to her from the north," says the LORD.
49 As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, So at Babylon the slain of all the earth shall fall.
50 You who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the LORD afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.
51 We are ashamed because we have heard reproach. Shame has covered our faces, For strangers have come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.
52 "Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will bring judgment on her carved images, And throughout all her land the wounded shall groan.
53 Though Babylon were to mount up to heaven, And though she were to fortify the height of her strength, Yet from Me plunderers would come to her," says the LORD.
54 The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, And great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans,
55 Because the LORD is plundering Babylon And silencing her loud voice, Though her waves roar like great waters, And the noise of their voice is uttered,
56 Because the plunderer comes against her, against Babylon, And her mighty men are taken. Every one of their bows is broken; For the LORD is the God of recompense, He will surely repay.
57 "And I will make drunk Her princes and wise men, Her governors, her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a perpetual sleep And not awake," says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts.
58 Thus says the LORD of hosts: "The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, And her high gates shall be burned with fire; The people will labor in vain, And the nations, because of the fire; And they shall be weary."
59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And Seraiah was the quartermaster.
60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon.
61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "When you arrive in Babylon and see it, and read all these words,
62 "then you shall say, 'O LORD, You have spoken against this place to cut it off, so that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but it shall be desolate forever.'
63 "Now it shall be, when you have finished reading this book, that you shall tie a stone to it and throw it out into the Euphrates.
64 "Then you shall say, 'Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 52 (NKJV™)
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
Lamentations 1 (NKJV™)
1 How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night, Her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
4 The roads to Zion mourn Because no one comes to the set feasts. All her gates are desolate; Her priests sigh, Her virgins are afflicted, And she is in bitterness.
5 Her adversaries have become the master, Her enemies prosper; For the LORD has afflicted her Because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 And from the daughter of Zion All her splendor has departed. Her princes have become like deer That find no pasture, That flee without strength Before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and roaming, Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things That she had in the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, With no one to help her, The adversaries saw her And mocked at her downfall.
8 Jerusalem has sinned gravely, Therefore she has become vile. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Yes, she sighs and turns away.
9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts; She did not consider her destiny; Therefore her collapse was awesome; She had no comforter. "O LORD, behold my affliction, For the enemy is exalted!"
10 The adversary has spread his hand Over all her pleasant things; For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, Those whom You commanded Not to enter Your assembly.
11 All her people sigh, They seek bread; They have given their valuables for food to restore life. "See, O LORD, and consider, For I am scorned."
12 "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, Which has been brought on me, Which the LORD has inflicted In the day of His fierce anger.
13 "From above He has sent fire into my bones, And it overpowered them; He has spread a net for my feet And turned me back; He has made me desolate And faint all the day.
14 "The yoke of my transgressions was bound; They were woven together by His hands, And thrust upon my neck. He made my strength fail; The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.
15 "The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He has called an assembly against me To crush my young men; The Lord trampled as in a winepress The virgin daughter of Judah.
16 "For these things I weep; My eye, my eye overflows with water; Because the comforter, who should restore my life, Is far from me. My children are desolate Because the enemy prevailed."
17 Zion spreads out her hands, But no one comforts her; The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob That those around him become his adversaries; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
18 "The LORD is righteous, For I rebelled against His commandment. Hear now, all peoples, And behold my sorrow; My virgins and my young men Have gone into captivity.
19 "I called for my lovers, But they deceived me; My priests and my elders Breathed their last in the city, While they sought food To restore their life.
20 "See, O LORD, that I am in distress; My soul is troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, At home it is like death.
21 "They have heard that I sigh, But no one comforts me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; They are glad that You have done it. Bring on the day You have announced, That they may become like me.
22 "Let all their wickedness come before You, And do to them as You have done to me For all my transgressions; For my sighs are many, And my heart is faint."
Lamentations 2 (NKJV™)
1 How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He cast down from heaven to the earth The beauty of Israel, And did not remember His footstool In the day of His anger.
2 The Lord has swallowed up and has not pitied All the dwelling places of Jacob. He has thrown down in His wrath The strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He has brought them down to the ground; He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.
3 He has cut off in fierce anger Every horn of Israel; He has drawn back His right hand From before the enemy. He has blazed against Jacob like a flaming fire Devouring all around.
4 Standing like an enemy, He has bent His bow; With His right hand, like an adversary, He has slain all who were pleasing to His eye; On the tent of the daughter of Zion, He has poured out His fury like fire.
5 The Lord was like an enemy. He has swallowed up Israel, He has swallowed up all her palaces; He has destroyed her strongholds, And has increased mourning and lamentation In the daughter of Judah.
6 He has done violence to His tabernacle, As if it were a garden; He has destroyed His place of assembly; The LORD has caused The appointed feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion. In His burning indignation He has spurned the king and the priest.
7 The Lord has spurned His altar, He has abandoned His sanctuary; He has given up the walls of her palaces Into the hand of the enemy. They have made a noise in the house of the LORD As on the day of a set feast.
8 The LORD has purposed to destroy The wall of the daughter of Zion. He has stretched out a line; He has not withdrawn His hand from destroying; Therefore He has caused the rampart and wall to lament; They languished together.
9 Her gates have sunk into the ground; He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations; The Law is no more, And her prophets find no vision from the LORD.
10 The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
11 My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants Faint in the streets of the city.
12 They say to their mothers, "Where is grain and wine?" As they swoon like the wounded In the streets of the city, As their life is poured out In their mothers' bosom.
13 How shall I console you? To what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is spread wide as the sea; Who can heal you?
14 Your prophets have seen for you False and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.
15 All who pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that is called 'The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth'?"
16 All your enemies have opened their mouth against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, "We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day we have waited for; We have found it, we have seen it!"
17 The LORD has done what He purposed; He has fulfilled His word Which He commanded in days of old. He has thrown down and has not pitied, And He has caused an enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.
18 Their heart cried out to the Lord, "O wall of the daughter of Zion, Let tears run down like a river day and night; Give yourself no relief; Give your eyes no rest.
19 "Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him For the life of your young children, Who faint from hunger at the head of every street."
20 "See, O LORD, and consider! To whom have You done this? Should the women eat their offspring, The children they have cuddled? Should the priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord?
21 "Young and old lie On the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword; You have slain them in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered and not pitied.
22 "You have invited as to a feast day The terrors that surround me. In the day of the LORD'S anger There was no refugee or survivor. Those whom I have borne and brought up My enemies have destroyed."
Lamentations 3 (NKJV™)
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day.
4 He has aged my flesh and my skin, And broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
6 He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago.
7 He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
10 He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush.
11 He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow.
13 He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins.
14 I have become the ridicule of all my people--Their taunting song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes.
17 You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said, "My strength and my hope Have perished from the LORD."
19 Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers And sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust--There may yet be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under one's feet All the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High,
36 Or subvert a man in his cause--The Lord does not approve.
37 Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?
39 Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD;
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and not pitied.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, That prayer should not pass through.
45 You have made us an offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction.
48 My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption,
50 Till the LORD from heaven Looks down and sees.
51 My eyes bring suffering to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird.
53 They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me.
54 The waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!"
55 I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit.
56 You have heard my voice: "Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help."
57 You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, "Do not fear!"
58 O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.
59 O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me,
62 The lips of my enemies And their whispering against me all the day.
63 Look at their sitting down and their rising up; I am their taunting song.
64 Repay them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands.
65 Give them a veiled heart; Your curse be upon them!
66 In Your anger, Pursue and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD.
Lamentations 4 (NKJV™)
1 How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter!
3 Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.
5 Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps.
6 The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her!
7 Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance.
8 Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.
9 Those slain by the sword are better off Than those who die of hunger; For these pine away, Stricken for lack of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The LORD has fulfilled His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion, And it has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem--
13 Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just.
14 They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments.
15 They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here."
16 The face of the LORD scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders.
17 Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us.
18 They tracked our steps So that we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near; Our days were over, For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations."
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, You who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup shall also pass over to you And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.
22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover your sins!
Lamentations 5 (NKJV™)
1 Remember, O LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and behold our reproach!

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Bible from 30,000 Feet - 2018, The

The prophet Jeremiah allowed God to speak through him in unusual ways to open the eyes of the people of Israel. As we complete our flight over his book, we find the prophet reinvigorated by God's promises as he continued to prophesy Babylon's impending invasions and, ultimately, Judah's captivity. Then our flight continues over the poetic book of Lamentations, which Jeremiah wrote as he wept and grieved over Jerusalem's destruction, ending the book with a prayer for Israel's restoration from captivity.

Take your knowledge of the full scope of Scripture to soaring heights with The Bible from 30,000 Feet. In this series, Skip Heitzig pilots you through all sixty-six books of the Bible, revealing major themes, principles, people, and events from Genesis to Revelation. Fasten your seatbelt and open your Bible for this sweeping panorama of Scripture that will increase your faith in God's plan for the world-and for you.

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Jeremiah 21-52; Lamentations 1-5 - The Bible from 30,000 Feet - Skip Heitzig - Flight JLA01

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The Bible from 30,000 feet-- soaring through the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Second part of the book of Jeremiah is where we're going to look at tonight very briefly before going into our five chapters of the book of Lamentations. Yes, this is the Bible from 30,000 feet. Yes, we are moving rapidly.

Yes, this is an important book. It is the kind of a book, frankly, that a lot of people would just brush over, not give it a whole lot of attention. Especially if they're prophecy buffs. There's not a whole lot in here about prophecy.

It's a sad kind of a book. It's a sad section of Scripture. But we're going to find some nuggets in this section of the Bible.

Now I don't know how you were in school when it came to dates, memorizing dates. Did you hate that when the teacher in history said there are certain dates you need to memorize? And of course, we memorized them and forgot them the next 20 minutes after the test, right?

But there were some dates in Israel's history that I want to share with you that are important. And it's the third one that is the real, real important date. But there were three successive attacks on the city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. And that's the period of history we're dealing with.

The first date-- and since we're dealing with BC, the numbers get smaller even though the years move on chronologically. The first year is 605 BC. In that year, the Babylonians attacked the city of Jerusalem.

And they took some of the people captive, bringing them back home with them to Babylon as slaves. In that first deportation-- or a group of people that were deported to Babylon-- in that first group, a young man whom you know by the name of Daniel was taken. That's 605 BC. In that year, Daniel left Jerusalem and went and moved to Babylon where he ministered successfully for years. That's the first date.

The second date 597 BC, a few years after 605. In 597 BC, Babylonians again came against Jerusalem. And this time, they took some of the nobles and the leaders of the land, depriving the land of strong central leadership politically and spiritually.

The final year is 586 BC. And in 586 BC, that is when, ultimately, Jerusalem fell. Everyone was taken captive that the Babylonians wanted. The city was destroyed. And the city was burned with fire because the walls of Jerusalem had been breached.

Now in chapter 21 of Jeremiah, all the way to chapter 29, from 21 to 29, the prophet affirms the certainty of the conquest. What do I mean by that? Well, Jeremiah predicted Babylon is coming.

Most people didn't believe it. And they said, oh, we like what the other prophets are saying better than you, Jeremiah. They're saying Babylon isn't coming. They're saying we're not going to be taken captive. They're saying we're not going to be destroyed.

But Jeremiah is so utterly certain that what God told him is coming to pass, that Babylon will indeed destroy, ultimately, Jerusalem, that Jeremiah penned a letter to the captives or the would be, will be captives of the city of Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 29, it is that letter. And he tells them, look, you're going to be there a long time.

You're going to be there 70 years. Get used to it. Make a life out of it. Get married, have kids, get busy. Get involved in the city.

But I am going to eventually bring you back to your land. And he says for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. You know that verse.

But now you know the context of that verse. The people who would be utterly defeated and morally depleted, who would think the Lord has forgotten about us. He allowed this to happen. God is saying, not only did I allow it to happen, but I have powerful-- with my righteous right hand to bring you back into the land, the land of Israel, the land of Canaan as your inheritance.

So God reveals to them the reason for the captivity. Think of it as a spanking, a spanking they would never forget. So they would run back into their father's arms.

As a parent, I hated spanking my son. There were times I had to spank Nate. Just last week-- no, I'm just kidding.

[LAUGHTER]

Fortunately, it was a period of time that didn't last long. But every time I did it, I hated to do it. But I loved the result.

Now with grandkids, that's not my job. My job is to fill them with sugar and send them home happy. Let the parents deal with that.

But as a parent, you would want to win their heart. And so you would administer certain hurts to them in order to do that. So the Lord spanked the nation, knowing the nation would eventually be brought back into that land of inheritance.

Now knowing the repeated failure of His people, God eventually-- and you'll see it now in chapter 31 of Jeremiah-- knowing the repeated failure of His people, God promised a brand new covenant eventually. You see, if you remember back when God gave the Torah, the law, to Moses, and Moses gave it to the people? And the people had said to Moses, you, Moses, you go near to Mt. Sinai. You hear what God says. And whatever it is that God instructs you to tell us, tell us, and we will do it.

It was a good heart. It was a noble thing to say. It was the right thing to say. But God knew of their inability to keep His law completely.

And so He said, oh, that my people had such a heart within them. God yearned for that heart, to be able to follow through. He loved their commitment. But He knew they were eventually unable to keep it.

So in Jeremiah 31, the time has come for God to announce a brand new covenant, a change of covenant. Chapter 31, verse 31, behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a covenant. Not we will, not a bilateral covenant. It's something I am going to do for people.

It is unilateral. I'm going to do the heavy lifting. I'm going to be the one who sets the terms of the covenant. I'm going to get the job done. All people will have to do is believe, receive, trust.

So He said I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant, which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God. And they shall be my people.

Now fast forward to the New Testament, the Gospel of John. When in chapter 1, it is written for the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The old covenant tried to control people's conduct. The new covenant changes people's character.

Because with the new covenant comes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in giving us power to be able to pull off what God commands us to do. There's a little poem. I've used it for years. Do this and live, the law commands, but gives us neither feet nor hands. A better word the gospel brings. It bids us fly and then gives us wings.

What the law could not do, Jesus, in the covenant of grace, can do. Think of it this way. Under the law, we were limited to sheet music.

If you were a musician and you know about the little dots and dashes on the lines of a sheet of music and you learn to memorize whole notes and half notes and the syncopation and the meter, you learn all that. And you read that in order to get through an instrumentation. That's the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, God says you're going to be able to play by ear. I'm going to put the ability for you to hear the song in your heart and it'll just supernaturally, naturally, flow out of you. I'm going to put the law in your mind. I'm going to write it in their hearts. I will be their God. They shall be my people.

Oh, again, comparing the old and the new, it's important because by the time we get to Romans chapter three in our weekend studies, Paul will make this point. He will say by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law can't cleanse you from sin. It just makes you very aware that you are indeed a sinner.

So through the law is the knowledge of sin. But compare that to the covenant of grace. Through grace is the forgiveness of sin.

One gives you the knowledge of it but can't cleanse you of it. One can forgive you of it. That's the new covenant.

Now I'm going to sum up several chapters here so we can get through this. The next several chapters are very personal. You should know that of all the prophets in the Old Testament, the writings of Jeremiah are the most personal. And he gives you details about his personal life more than any other prophet.

So in chapter 38, he is thrown in prison. Verse 6 kind of sums that up. And they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.

Now this prison, think of it as a cistern. That's probably what it was. You know what a cistern is.

It's dug out of solid rock. Rainwater was stored in it. And because they didn't have the kind of systems we have for cleaning water, you have to think of mud mixed with water, and somebody being lowered by ropes into that muddy, watery cistern.

So who's doing this? The leaders are doing this. The ones who will be taken captive in 597 BC. The leaders, the political leaders, the leaders, the spiritual leaders, the ones who think that Jeremiah is a wacko, conservative preacher, right wing crazy guy who needs to be eradicated or arrested.

So let's give him the mud treatment-- not like a spa mud treatment. They threw him in a cistern. It would be hard to breathe. He didn't have food. So the idea let's starve them to death.

Or being in a wet dank muddy environment could cause hypothermia. If you're there long enough, you'll just die of hypothermia. Well, story goes on. He doesn't die. After the commercial break, he gets released.

And he goes and stays in the court of the prison, the court of the house or the building where that cistern was. And he has a face-to-face conversation with King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the Babylonian captivity. In that conversation, King Zedekiah asked him a slew of questions. What's going happen? What does this mean?

In that conversation, the prophet begs the king to turn to God. It's not too late, man. Right now, at the 11th hour, you could turn your heart back to God. Of course, Zedekiah does not do that and the captivity goes on.

Chapter 39 is Jeremiah's eyewitness account of the fall of Jerusalem and the capture of King Zedekiah, where they poked his eyes out after killing his sons and took him captive. Chapter 40, 41, and 42-- this is now-- the Babylonians have entered the city. Jeremiah is under Babylonian care. He gets freed. He gets to live among the captives or the Jews still in Jerusalem until chapter 42, 43, and 44, where he is taken down to Egypt, again, personal details of the prophet.

Chapters 46 through 51 is a series of warnings not to Judah anymore, but to nations that touch Judah, that have had dealings with Judah. Surrounding nations like Moab on the East, like Judah down South, like Philistia in their midst, and up to the North, Northwest, and Damascus, and eventually Babylon-- all those nations are mentioned. Now we get to chapter 52, get to the end of the book.

Chapter 52, call it an historical supplement. That is, it's a recap of the fall of Jerusalem. We're going to go into more detail as we look in the book of Lamentations. But this is a recap of the fall of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah predicted the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah predicted the fall of Jerusalem. Habakkuk, called a minor prophet, predicted the fall of Jerusalem. And now it happens, and the story is told. Question-- what city in the Bible is mentioned more than any other city?

Jerusalem?

Jerusalem-- want to guess how many times? 810 times Jerusalem is mentioned. The second most often mentioned city in the Bible is--

Babylon.

--Babylon. Mentioned not nearly as many times, but mentioned 287 times. People have even said you could look at the Bible as "A Tale of Two Cities."

And there's a lot to that. We've looked at it before. We won't go into detail tonight. Jeremiah mentions Babylon 164 times, meaning Jeremiah mentions-- not Jerusalem, Babylon-- 164 times, more than the rest of the Scripture combined.

Now let's look at chapter 52 verse 4. It came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the 10th month, on the 10th day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and all the army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it. And they built a siege wall against it, all around.

A siege wall was a wall around a wall to keep people from going out of that protected wall and let other people coming in, like, supplies come in. So it was to starve them. It was to isolate them.

In verse 5, so the city was besieged until the 11th year of king Zedekiah. So we have a 2 and 1/2 year siege that takes place. Verse 13, he burned the house of the Lord. What is the house of the Lord-- the temple, and the king's house, the palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. That is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.

Now this took place in what year, class?

[CHATTER]

586 BC. Would you believe it if I told you I could march you over to the digs just outside the city of Jerusalem today and point to some of the very houses from ancient Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah, at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, from 586 BC? And you, with your own eyes, could look at the walls and see the marks where the fire left burns, still in the stones, visible to the human eye today.

So when we go to Jerusalem and we do the digs in the City of David and look at it, it's just one of those places where you just stand and look in amazement. I'm looking at the very marks made by the Babylonian fires from 586 BC, fulfilling the word of the Lord through Isaiah, through Habakkuk, through Jeremiah-- totally amazing. Well, now we get to the book of Lamentations.

In the book of Jeremiah, think of it this way. It's a book of warnings. We get to the book of Lamentations, it's a book of mournings, M-O-U-R-N-I-N-G.

In Jeremiah, the prophet warned the people of the impending conflict and Babylonian takeover. In the book of Lamentations, he mourned over the city that had been taken over. The judgment had come.

It's interesting. Because usually when you come to a book in the Old Testament of the prophets, the title of the book is the prophet's name. This is one book where the name is not given.

But the activity of the writer is given, a lamentation. The Septuagint version is an even stronger word. Wailings is the name of the book. Turn to the book of Wailings, a loud cry, a funeral cry.

Now Jeremiah, in this book, in this short book, five short chapters, is witnessing the death of a nation. And in this book, like you heard so beautifully by Alyssa moments ago, it is a poetic wail, a poetic lamentation. In fact, there are five songs altogether, five funeral dirges.

And the five are the five chapters. Somebody has even noticed there are five voices in the book of Lamentations. Can I give them to you? In chapter 1, it's the voice of the city personified, as if the city is crying out.

In chapter 1, the Lord is speaking. It's His voice, as if He is answering the city's cry in an antiphonal sort of way. In chapter 3, the longest of the chapters of the book, 66 verses in that chapter, it is the voice of the prophet speaking.

In chapter 4, it is the voice of possessions talking. That is, the things people accumulated-- the gold, the silver, the stuff. The stuff is talking. And then finally, chapter 5, it's the voice of the captives as they feel the chains around their ankles and around their wrists and they are taken to captivity.

So you really do have to read this book with as much emotion as you can. And if you're a musician, and you're going to put music to it, make sure you use the minor key for this book. There's not a lot of joy in it. There are some high points, but not a lot.

Now you might be asking the question, why is a book like this even in the Bible? What's the whole point of reading such a sad, sad-- who wants to sit down and read a funeral poem, a funeral dirge? Well, it's beneficial. Because it will help you focus on ultimate realities.

Yes. You are going to die. Yes, unless the Lord comes back, every one you know and love, typically older than you, will eventually die. So this book kind of tethers us. It grounds us. It brings us to these inevitable realities.

Remember what Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes? Was it Chapter 7, I think he said? He said it's better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. Because that is the end of all men and the living will take it to heart.

So as you go through this book, it's good to take these words to heart. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist over a century ago. And he said "A grave preaches a sermon to the soul." Now I do a lot of funerals. And I take those sermons, not my sermons at the funeral, but the sermon of the funeral and death, to heart.

And the older we get, the more we think of that ultimate reality. Billy Graham, who is now in heaven, when he was asked, what is the most surprising thing about life, his classic answer was its brevity. This is the ultimate reality.

OK, something else-- this book, the book of Lamentations, is part of a section of the Bible called the Megillot. I'm pronouncing it, Americanizing it on purpose. Megilloth, or Megillot is the Hebrew pronunciation. And some of you will remember the term. It means the five scrolls, because we mentioned it when we went through the book of Ruth, the book of Esther, those are books that are in that little five-scrolled Megillot. Ruth, Esther, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations-- these short, poetic books are books read in the synagogue of the Jews from antiquity to this present day on some of the notable feast days throughout the year.

The book of Lamentations is read on the 9th of Av. I'm going to tell you about that in a moment, the ninth day of Av, the Jewish Hebrew month of Av. Because that is that the date that they commemorate the fall of the temple in Jerusalem. And it is still read to this day in synagogues.

OK. The temple fell on the ninth day of Av, A-V. In a Jewish calendar, you write the day first and then the month. In our calendar, the Gregorian calendar, we write the month first, then the day.

So what is today? What is the date today, is it the 8th? 10th-- I'm a preacher. OK. So it is 7-10. Correct?

If we were doing a Hebrew calendar, we would say 10-7. Wait a minute. Is that right? Yeah. 10-7, OK-- want to make sure. Again, I'm a preacher. These things can elude me sometimes.

So they put the day first, then the month. So why am I telling you this? Because the 9th of Av is such a horrible day because it's the memory of everything they held sacred being destroyed. So they commemorate that horrible day.

They call it 911-- the ninth day of the 11th month, the 9th of Av. Their 911 is the destruction of the temple. You want to hear something even more interesting, eerily interesting? That's just an eerie coincidence, I know.

But what's eerie about it is the temple of Solomon fell on the 9th of Av, 9/11. Guess what day the temple that was rebuilt was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, the exact same day, the 9th of Av. So they celebrate on the same day, two consecutive temples being destroyed, burned with fire.

It was mid-July that the city fell. It was mid-August that the city was burned. Jeremiah was there to see it.

Lamentations chapter 1, 22 verses. I'll explain that, maybe, if we have time, in a while. The first half of the chapter is different from the second half of the chapter. The first half of the chapter, it's as if you're on the outside looking in.

And beginning in verse 12, the second half of the chapter, it's like you're on the inside looking out. So Lamentations one, verse one, how lonely sits the city that was full of people. How like a widow is she, who is great among the nations. The princes, or the princess among the provinces, has become a slave.

Now Jerusalem normally is a very crowded city. There's a song that I repeat in my mind when I walk around the ramparts, the walls of Jerusalem. Because the buildings are just on top of each other. It's so smashed together.

And the psalmist said Jerusalem is a city compacted together, where the tribes go up. And it always feels crowded and compact. And it's, like, man, there's a lot of people in this little place. That's Jerusalem on a normal day.

The prophet is noticing how deserted the city is, as people have fled, run away, or have been taken captive. A few years ago, I got a little taste of this. I don't want to scare you off on a trip to Israel, because I just enticed you with seeing the stones from 586 BC.

But let me just say, years ago, when it was, I think, less safe than it is today, a riot broke out while I was in the old city of Jerusalem. It was fabulous to watch. Because you hear the commotion. You see crowds running.

And then you see the Jeeps and tanks roll up. And the soldiers get out. And there is this huge gate called the Damascus Gate that they closed the gate of the city while I'm in the city. And the city gets closed.

So you're kind of in the midst of the commotion. But then the streets are cleared. And after a while, that same section is a ghost town.

It's like people-- the windows get buttoned up. The doors are closed. Everybody's gone. And you hear crickets. So Jeremiah sees this city like that, desolate, after or during this destruction.

Verse 2 she weeps bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks among all her lovers. She has none to comfort. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her. They have become her enemies.

The lovers mentioned here are all of those nations that they sought to form alliances with to gain strength against Babylon-- nations like Egypt, or nations like Edom to the East, Tyre and Sidon, those Phoenician cities up North. Those are called lovers, and they failed her in her time of need.

Verse 14, go down to that verse. The roads to Zion mourn, so descriptive. Because no one comes to the set feasts, feast of Passover, feast of Pentecost, feast of Tabernacles. These were the set feasts.

All her gates are desolate. Her priests sigh. Her virgins are afflicted. And she is in bitterness.

Now not only was the city alive, teeming with people, but on the set feasts, all of the roads leading into Jerusalem were packed full of pilgrims, usually, singing, playing games, antiphonally reciting psalms, the psalms of assent, the Hallel psalms. But the city is mourning. The roads are empty.

And you just have to think of it this way. When somebody is mourning, they sometimes let themselves go. In Judaism, one mourns for 30 days. And when you mourn the death of a loved one, like a parent, according to tradition, you just let your hair go.

You let your hair grow for 30 days. You don't cut it. Your facial hair grow-- you just sort of look, like-- you look interesting. You're disheveled.

So these roads teeming with people, the roads to Zion, have just grown up. The weeds and grasses have grown up alongside of them, and nobody's visiting them anymore because of the desolation. Down to verse 10, the adversary has spread his hand over all her pleasant places. For she has seen the goyim, the Gentiles, the nations enter her sanctuary, those whom you commanded not to enter your assembly.

How disheartening for the Jew to look up and see the temple that they believed was sacred and supernaturally protected by God. God wouldn't let anything happen to His temple. Remember what Jeremiah did in Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, the temple sermons that he gave we mentioned last week? He stood in the temple precincts as people were going to worship.

And he said, trust not in lying vanity, saying the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. They were trusting in a ritual, in a place, rather than a relationship with a person. They lost the fear of the Lord. And soon they would lose the temple of the Lord.

It is a warning to those, if there are any, who look to a place. We mentioned holy places last week versus holy people. Remember the conversation that our Lord had with a woman at the well of Samaria? And she said, look, it's all about the place.

She said our fathers worshipped in this mountain, pointing to Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. Our fathers worship in this mountain. And you Jews say Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.

And Jesus said, woman, the hour is coming and now is when neither here nor in Jerusalem will one worship the Father. For God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. But they made it all about the place, all about the art rather than the heart, all about the place rather than the person, all about the ritual more so than the relationship. And the problem was their disobedience. The disobedience brought destruction.

When it comes to buildings, I've always thought that buildings are important. But they are secondary. What's important about this place or about Calvary isn't the structure. It's you.

It's like a lunch sack or a lunch pail. Remember when you go to school-- anybody have lunch pails? Did you ever have lunch pails? Did you ever have-- did you not do lunch pails? How many did lunch sacks?

OK. Either way, whether you had a pail or a sack, the rest of you starved, I suppose. And I feel really bad for you now. But whether you had a lunch pail or a lunch sack, what was important-- well, maybe to you the lunch pail was important.

Because it is cool. Look it. It's got whoever you had on. I had the Beatles on mine.

But what was really important wasn't the sack or the pail, but what's inside, the lunch, the nourishment. What's important isn't the building. What's important is the people in the building and the nourishment, the spiritual food, the spiritual growth, the changed lives that occur. So buildings serve a purpose, but a secondary purpose-- you being the primary purpose.

Now we have, I'd better speed up, from the inside looking out, verse 12. Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which has been brought on me, which the Lord has inflicted in the day of his fierce anger. Verse 16-- for these things I weep, writes the prophet.

My eye, my eye overflows with water. Because the Comforter who should restore my life is far from me. My children are desolate because the enemy prevailed.

Zion spreads out her hands. But no one comforts her. The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob that those around him become his adversaries. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them. Now here is where we see Jesus, I believe, in the book of Lamentations.

One of the rumors circulating around the country when Jesus was on the Earth is that maybe he was Jeremiah. In Matthew 16 and parallel passages, Jesus said, who do men say that I, the Son of man, am? Answer-- some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Why would they say He is Jeremiah? Well, maybe it's his strong denunciations. But I think it was His compassion. Jeremiah's called the weeping prophet.

Jesus will stand on the precipice of the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem. And the Bible said he'll weep. He'll weep out loud, like a convulsive weep, a sob and say, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often I would have gathered you, like a hen gathers her chickens?

But you were not willing. So compassionate, torn up because He saw the destruction of the temple. Their 911 coming in 70 AD.

Now in chapter 2, we have the second dirge. It is the details of God's judgment. It depicts the anger of God, and thus, the dismantling of the city. And you will notice that God is the one taking responsibility. He's like a one man wrecking crew.

In the book of Hebrews, there's a verse that not a lot of us love to memorize or underline, I believe. Hebrews 10 says it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. The living God is against the city of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Chapter 2, verse 1, how the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger. He cast down from heaven to the Earth the beauty of Israel. That's a reference to the temple. He did not remember his footstool in the day of his anger.

In First Chronicles 28, and if memory serves, Psalm 132, David refers to the temple as God's footstool, the footstool of our God. Chapter 2, verse 5, the Lord was like an enemy. Mark that. He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces.

He has destroyed her strongholds and has increased mourning and lamentation-- there's that word-- in the daughter of Judah. Now I mentioned that Jeremiah writes, speaks of, makes mention of the city of Babylon 164 times. Guess how many times he mentions it in the book of Lamentations?

Zero-- you go zero? Yeah, zero-- he doesn't mention Babylon. Oh, they're the ones doing the destruction.

But what I want you to notice is here he turns to the Lord and says, actually, the Lord did this. Actually, the God in heaven, the sovereign Lord, used the Babylonians. So he is going all the way back to the source, identifying God as the agent.

Just like the Book of Daniel, chapter 1, verse 1 and 2, it says Nebuchadnezzar came against Judah. The Lord delivered Judah. And king Joachim into Nebuchadnezzar's hands.

Two things were happening. Humans were active. On the other hand, God was active. And so the Lord, verse 5, was like an enemy that swallowed up Israel, swallowed up all of her palaces.

What does that mean to you and I when it comes to human suffering and pain? Let me give you a tidbit. God is willing to give us hurts if it will turn our hearts. The hurts He allows to come are in order to turn our hearts back to Him.

He gives the hurts because He wants our hearts. He has a goal in mind. God doesn't have a mean streak. God isn't getting back at you.

God has a love streak. Whom the Lord loves, he chastens, the Bible says. And He disciplines every son that He receives.

Any parent knows this. A child left to himself or a child left to herself, we have a name for that. It's called a brat. You've seen brats.

Brats are produced by parents who do not believe in disciplining children. Oh, just negotiate with the child. Distract the child. Talk him out of that and talk him into something else. And what will happen is you will have a child who's used to getting his or her own way forever.

And so David writes in Psalm 119, before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now I keep Your word. You get the picture, right?

In other words, the spanking really helped. Your hurt got my heart. And now I gave it back to you.

CS Lewis put it this way. Pain plants the flag of truth in the fortress of a rebel soul-- always loved that quote. Verse 7 of chapter 2, the Lord has spurned His altar.

He has abandoned His sanctuary. He has given up the walls of our palaces into the hand of the enemy. They have made a noise in the house of the Lord as on a day of a set feast.

An interesting development, and I'm going to make this quick. And believe me, it's hard for me to go quickly. You know how I like to sit and probe deeply. But that's for a different kind of a study. OK.

It says the Lord abandoned His sanctuary. Notice that? When the temple was destroyed, the Jews were taken captive. They faced a problem.

No temple, no temple, how did they do sacrifices? They cannot practice ceremonial law and be obedient to God in a foreign land. So a brand new institution developed in Babylon, in captivity, that continues with us to this day. It's called the synagogue and rabbis.

You don't read of rabbis until the New Testament. You don't read of synagogues till the New Testament. You know why? They didn't exist in the Old Testament.

They existed. They were born in captivity. Now you had elders sitting around saying since we can't practice ceremonial law, we can at least discuss ritualistic law. And we can apply the law of Moses to different life situations.

So they developed the tradition called the oral law, questions like, what would Moses do in this situation? And they would argue and sermonize. And they would write down what was orally passed down into what is called the Talmud.

And you have two Talmuds, the Babylonian Talmud, I have a copy of it upstairs. It is also-- not over and against or compared to the Jerusalem Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud, I think, is nine times longer than the Jerusalem Talmud. But it's all these adjudications and opinions, legal rabbinical opinions, that came from the oral law.

By the time of Jesus, the oral law, in some cases, superseded the written law, the law, God's law. That's what Jesus meant when He said-- now it's going to make sense-- you have heard that it was said by those of old, da, da, da da. But I say unto you-- a lot of it, they took the law, but they added stuff to it, and it became the oral law.

But Jesus-- now let me tell it to you straight. OK, verse 13-- how shall I console you? To what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion, for your ruin is spread wide as the sea.

Who can heal you? In other words, what other nation has suffered like this nation, God's nation? I'll get back to that in a second.

Verse 15, all who passed by clapped their hands. Can you picture people walking by? [CLAPS] They're applauding the destruction. They hated Jerusalem.

Neighbors like Moab and Edom that collaborated with the Babylonians, and the Babylonians gave them land as a reward, the lands of Judah. They rejoiced. They clapped their hands, they were so happy about it.

They hiss and shake their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city that is called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole Earth? Do you remember Psalm 148? Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.

In the mountain of our God, in the mountain of His Holiness, beautiful in elevation. The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion and the sides of the North, the city of the great King-- the beauty of the Earth. The rabbis used to say this.

God gave 10 measures of beauty to the world, 10 measures of beauty to the world. Nine were given to Jerusalem. And one to the rest of the world. Now if you're from Colorado or Oregon and you go see Jerusalem, you'll dispute that. But that was their saying.

But they also said this. The rabbi said God gave 10 measures of suffering to the world. Nine were taken by Jerusalem. And one distributed to the rest of the Earth.

And when you understand their history, they were onto something. Chapter three has 66 verses. It is three times longer than chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 that have 22 verses.

Why 22 verses do these chapters have? Because the Hebrew alphabet has how many letters-- 22. So those are acrostic chapters. That is, it begins with the first letter aleph and then bet and then [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], then [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH], all the way, [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH].

So A to Z, it's an acrostic with the exception of chapter 5. Follow me? Now we get to the middle chapter and it's three times longer. Because the first three letters begin with the first letter of the alphabet, the second three verses with the second, the next three verses with the third letter, et cetera.

So it's tripled. Though the verses are tripled, they're 1/3 shorter than the rest of the book. So three times longer, but the verses are truncated. It's a certain kind of style known as the kinah meter, this clipped or quick meter. If you're into literature, you'll like that.

Also, if you know literature, you'll appreciate this. The flow of the whole book of Lamentations is a chiastic model. If you have a literature background, you'll understand what chiastic is.

It's like this, A, B, C, and then beginning with C back to B, back to A. That's how the rhythm of the book flows. Enough said.

Chapter 3, verse 1, I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. In other words, Jeremiah said I'm the guy that watched God spank the nation. He has led me and made me walk in darkness and not light.

Verse 7, He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out. He has made my chains heavy. Even-- verse 8-- when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer.

Why would Jeremiah say this? Because on one hand, God told Jeremiah to pray. Call on Me, Jeremiah 33:3, call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you know not.

But there came a point at which God three times said, Jeremiah, don't pray for this people anymore. I'm done listening. I won't answer.

Verse 9, He has blocked my ways with hewn stone. He had made my paths crooked. I feel isolated.

Verse 19, remember my affliction and roaming. The wormwood and the gall, the strong smelling plant that yields that very bitter, bitter dark oil. Verse 20, my soul remembers and sinks within me.

Now in the midst of all this pain and destruction, there is a gem right in the middle, right in the heart of this book. Suddenly, Jeremiah recalls something he knows of the character of God. Do that.

When you face uncertain times, call to mind that which is certain. When you don't know what to do call to mind what you do know about God. Verse 21, this I recalled in my mind. Therefore, I have hope.

Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed. Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

This is the only bright spot in the whole book. Five elegies are given, five dirges, five sad, sad songs. This is like a diamond in a bunch of coal. You're raking through the coal. And now you see this beautiful diamond.

Notice the word mercies. Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed. 250 times in the Old Testament that word appears. It's usually translated in New King James, loving kindness.

The Hebrew word is [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] is literally a covenant love. God is merciful because He has made a covenant with His people. And because of the covenant, He will show mercy. He will show love.

So God made a covenant with us. And therefore, because of the covenant, He acts in mercy. It's an interesting word.

And it's interesting to me because a couple of years ago I sat in the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, who is talking of Jesus. And He was looking for the right word. He goes Jesus was filled with-- what's the word? He goes [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH].

And he was saying it to his aide. And I recognized the word. I said loving kindness. He goes, yeah. That's it-- loving kindness.

Jesus was filled with love-- and brought to our people loving kindness. And I thought, well, you're on the right track. Keep that thread going. Keep searching through that thread.

But I love it. He says, verse 23, great is your faithfulness. There's a great hymn that we're going to close the evening out with. This hymn, written by Thomas Chisholm. Thomas Chisholm was born in a little shack back in Franklin, Tennessee.

And he wrote a great hymn that you know, great is thy-- great is thy-- is it working now? Great is thy faithfulness, oh, God, my Father. There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changes not, thy compassions, they fail not. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me-- a great, great song, penned based upon the words of this great portion of Jeremiah's writing of Lamentations.

Go down to verse 31. The Lord will not cast off forever. Verse 32, though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.

All of this is a statement of faith based upon not what He saw, but based upon what He knew in spite of what He saw. Here's what I saw-- destruction, bad stuff happening, death, desolation.

But this is what I know to be true, regardless of what I see. And so this is his statement of faith. God is faithful.

For a couple of years, about three years, I lived in a little Southern California town called San Juan Capistrano. What's famous about that town is its mission, Mission San Juan Capistrano. And what's famous about the mission, among other things, is that there's a species of bird called the cliff swallow that makes a 600 mile journey every year from Argentina to California to that mission.

It leaves on March 19th from Argentina to go to California. And October 23rd, leaves California, go back to Argentina. And you could just be there on the day. Set your watch. Hang out there.

Sure enough, on that day, they're faithful to show up. Or let me put it better. God is faithful to put into that birdbrain the ability to make it 600 miles without a GPS unit to a mission in San Juan Capistrano, southern California. And it's an amazing truth of nature. But all I can say, if God cares about the timing of birds that much, don't you think God will be in perfect timing in the situations that arise in your life, child of God, better than a cliff swallow?

[APPLAUSE]

Yes. He will. The fourth dirge, chapter four, Jeremiah surveys the scenes, describes the heartache. Verse 1, how the gold is become dim, how changed the fine gold, the stones of the heavy sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street.

Verse 11, the Lord is afflicted-- or the Lord has fulfilled His fury. He has poured out His fierce anger. He has kindled a fire in Zion. He has devoured His foundations.

The kings of the Earth, all of its inhabitants-- I'm going down to verse 12. Sorry. I'm skipping around. Verse 12, all of the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

The Jews had a saying. The land of Israel is at the center of the world. The land of Israel is at the center of the world. Jerusalem is at the center of the land of Israel. The temple is at the center of Jerusalem.

That's their way of saying the very epicenter of the Earth is the temple. Jeremiah, who loved the temple, watches as it is destroyed, dismantled by the Babylonian army. What are the reasons? Verse 13, because of the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, who shed in her midst the blood of the just.

If you remember the book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah had a ministry buddy by the name of Uriah-- not Uriah Heep, the band-- Uriah, the prophet, the contemporary of Jeremiah who was murdered by the leadership in Jerusalem. Verse 14, they wandered blind in the streets. They had defiled themselves with blood so that no one would touch their garments.

So the leadership was corrupt. Verse 21, rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom. You dwell in the land of Uz. You know who was from the land of Uz? Job-- so that land east of the Dead Sea, the land of modern day Jordan, is the land of Uz, or Edom.

The cup also shall pass over to you. You shall become drunk and make yourself naked. The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion. He will no longer send you into captivity.

He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom. He will uncover your sins. I said, Edom took a role in promoting the fall of the destruction, clapping their hands, collaborating with the Babylonians, prophets.

It says, you'll get your upcomings. God's watching this. And so takes us to chapter 5. We have just under three minutes to finish the book.

The fifth dirge breaks the pattern. What is the pattern? The acrostic, remember the acrostic, A to Z?

The letters in this chapter do not all begin with the subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Why? Couldn't tell you-- maybe it's to kind of illustrate the confusion brought on by the destruction.

It is the prayer of Jeremiah for the people. Chapter 5, verse 1, remember, O Lord, what has come upon us. Look and behold our reproach.

Verse 2, our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, our houses to foreigners. Verse 12, princes were hung up by their hands and elders were not respected. A possible-- I'm just saying possible reference to crucifixion-- the typical means Babylonians used to kill victims of a raid like this was impaling.

It could be this is a reference to crucifixion. One thing we know is that the ones who will succeed the Babylonians and the Medo-Persians are the ones who really invented, as a way of destruction, sometimes mass destruction, but capital punishment. They developed crucifixion. Then the Romans picked it up later on.

Verse 16, we're getting there, verse 16. The crown has fallen from our head. These are the captives speaking. Woe to us, for we have sinned. There's the admission.

There's the confession. Verse 19, You, O Lord, remain forever, Your throne from generation to generation. Why do You forget us forever and forsake us for so long a time? Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored. Renew our days as of old, unless you have utterly rejected us and are very angry with us.

So the book ends with the possibility of hope, the captives looking for, in spite of suffering for sin, that Judah would not be abandoned. Jeremiah certainly knew, through all of his tears, that the city and the country would be restored. God would be faithful and merciful.

Question as we end, what do you do when you get a phone call? Good. Yeah. But some would say ignore it. Somebody said depends who's there.

But you answered what I wanted you to. You answer it. And if need be, you act on it. If it's an emergency, you act on it.

Every August in Finland, there is a contest called the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship. Yeah, I know. It's, like, really? You got nothing better to do than that?

They have people throw phones. Years ago, a guy from Finland won, like, 86 meters. The record standing now is the German who threw a mobile phone 136 meters.

Wow.

Pretty amazing, right? I feel like that sometimes. I want to throw that stinking phone sometimes, right? But for 40 years, Jeremiah announced God is calling. For 40 years, they chucked it and chucked it, threw it, didn't listen.

The wages of sin is--

Death.

--death. There's always a consequence to sin. If God is trying to get through to your heart, pick up the phone. Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will open the door, I will come in and have fellowship with him, sup with him.

If God is speaking to your hardened heart, pick up the phone. He's faithful. That's bow our heads and our hearts.

Father, in submission, we come to you realizing you are sovereign and you can bring anything you want upon a nation at any time. There are no guarantees, except for us who are in a covenant with you. We are guaranteed your mercy, your compassion, your love. You will act on us in a covenant with you, even though things around us may look like they're falling apart, great is your faithfulness.

I pray for anyone who might be here right now who isn't in a relationship with you, that they would ask you to forgive them of their sin, cleanse them of their iniquity, and make them sons or daughters of the living God. If that's something you have never done but you want to do now, you are convinced that you need to turn to Him, would you just, as our eyes are closed, raise your hand up so I can notice it. Just raise it up. You're saying, I need to give my life to Him or come back to Him. Just raise your hand up and I'll lead you in a prayer.

I see your hand. Would you just, right where you are, just say, Lord, I turn from my past. I turn to Jesus as my Savior. I want to follow Him as my Lord.

I know I'm a sinner. Forgive me. I repent of my past. I turn to Jesus in the present.

I believe that you came, Lord Jesus, from heaven to Earth to die on a cross, to be buried and raised again from the dead. And by believing in that, I can live forever. It's in His name I pray. Amen.

We hope you enjoyed this message from Skip Heitzig of Calvary Church. For more resources, visit CalvaryNM.Church. Thank you for joining us for this teaching from The Bible From 30,000 Feet.

Additional Messages in this Series

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8/8/2018
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Flight GEN01
Genesis 1-11
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
We're going back to the beginning in this first flight. Written by Moses and inspired by God Himself, Genesis means origin. From the formation of all created things and the fall of man to the flood and the fallout of man's rebellion, Genesis 1-11 chronicles the beginning of everything. It all starts here.
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8/15/2018
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Flight GEN02
Genesis 12-50
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This flight takes us through the biographical part of Genesis and God's response to man's rebellion. Four men are prominent in the formation of the nation of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Through this lineage, God would fulfill His promise of salvation for humanity.
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8/22/2018
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Flight EXO01
Exodus 1-18
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The central event in this flight through Exodus is the redemption of God's people, the Israelites, from their bondage in Egypt. We fly over Egypt and the wilderness where Israel wandered for forty years. The plight of the Israelites, their disobedience, and God's deliverance all foreshadow Jesus Christ.
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9/5/2018
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Flight EXO02
Exodus 19-40
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The Sinai Peninsula is the backdrop for this flight to Exodus, where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments along with detailed instructions for how He was to be worshiped. Miraculous signs of God's absolute power abound, along with the revelation from God that would define Israel's national identity.
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9/12/2018
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Flight LEV01
Leviticus 1-27
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Leviticus describes the worship life of the nation of Israel. We discover how the Israelites were instructed to make atonement for their sin through sacrifice. The overarching theme of this book can be summed up in one word: holiness. After centuries of captivity in Egypt, the Israelites needed a reminder of who God is, His absolute holiness, and how they were to live set apart for Him.
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10/10/2018
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Flight NUM01
Numbers 1-36
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Numbers contains two censuses of the Hebrew people. The first is of the generation that left Egypt, including how they were organized, their journey in the wilderness, and their refusal to enter the Promised Land. Due to their disobedience, the first generation of Israelites failed to enter the land God had promised; however, God remained faithful by leading a new generation into the Promised Land.
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10/17/2018
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Flight DEU01
Deuteronomy 1-34
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After forty years of wandering, the Israelites were finally ready to enter the Promised Land. The book of Deuteronomy can be organized around three messages Moses gave while the Israelites waited to enter the land. With the key word of this book being covenant, Deuteronomy speaks of the special relationship God established with His people.
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10/24/2018
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Flight JOS01
Joshua 1-24
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In this flight over the book of Joshua, we get to know its namesake, who shared in all the events since Exodus and held the place of military commander under Moses' leadership. We'll also get a tour of the Promised Land and follow Israel's conquest of Canaan, after which Joshua divided the land among the twelve tribes.
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11/7/2018
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Flight JUD01
Judges 1-21
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The Israelites experienced a period of victorious conquests in Canaan after Joshua's death. But as their obedience to God's laws and their faith in God's promises diminished, Israel became entrenched in the sin cycle. God divinely appointed Judges to provide leadership and deliverance during this chaotic time. Sadly, God's people repeatedly did what was right in their own eyes.
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11/28/2018
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Flight RUT01
Ruth 1-4
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In this flight, we'll see the godly love and courage of two very different women from very different backgrounds. And we'll meet Boaz, who became Ruth's kinsman-redeemer, a type of Christ. Although the book of Ruth is short, it is prophetically important in terms of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Ruth's story of romantic grace places love at the center of each of its four chapters.
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12/5/2018
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Flight 1SAM1
1 Samuel 1-31
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In this flight, we find the nation of Israel in desperate need of direction and leadership. We will meet the man whose good looks, physical stature, and success in war made him an obvious choice from a human perspective, but Israel's first king had a tragic flaw: pride. From the ashes of King Saul's calamitous reign, God raised up an unlikely man who would become Israel's next king, a man after His own heart.
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1/16/2019
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Flight 2SAM1
2 Samuel 1-24
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David went from shepherding livestock to serving as God's sovereign king in Israel. His faith and obedience assured him military and political victory as one by one he defeated Israel's enemies. In this flight, we both celebrate David's successes and identify with his failures as we get to know this man whom God called, "a man after My own heart."
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1/23/2019
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Flight 1KIN1
1 Kings 1-22
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After years of being a powerful unified nation under King David, Israel, because of their disobedience, became a divided nation under many different kings. This book reveals a story of good kings and bad kings, true prophets and false prophets, and faithfulness and disobedience to God.
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2/6/2019
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Flight 2KIN1
2 Kings 1-25
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Despite the many kings who took control of Israel, the nation still lacked true leadership. Second Kings continues the history of a divided Israel, and we see what happens when a nation passes from affluence and influence to poverty and paralysis.
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2/13/2019
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Flight 1CHR1
1 Chronicles 1-29
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The book of 1 Chronicles recounts the lineage of King David as well as God's promise that He would establish His reign on earth through this man after His own heart. As we see how God fulfilled His promises to David, we discover how that presents a witness of His faithfulness to us today.
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3/6/2019
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Flight 2CHR1
2 Chronicles 1-36
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After King Solomon's reign and death, the nation of Israel went on a spiritual roller coaster ride that ended with the division of the kingdom and the people's exile. From the temple's building to its decline and destruction, we see a parallel to 1 and 2 Kings from a spiritual viewpoint.
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3/27/2019
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Flight EZR01
Ezra 1-10
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The book of Ezra begins with King Cyrus' decree for the children of Israel to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Ezra tells of two different returns: the first led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple, and the second by Ezra to bring reformation to the people. In this flight, we see God's faithfulness in keeping His promise to return His people to their homeland.
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4/3/2019
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Flight NEH01
Nehemiah 1-13
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At the end of Ezra, the temple in Jerusalem had been rebuilt and dedicated, but the city walls were still in ruins. After gaining permission from the king of Persia, Nehemiah led a group to repair and rebuild the walls. Though he was met with hostility and conflict, we see how Nehemiah gathered his spiritual strength from God during trialing times.
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4/10/2019
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Flight EST01
Esther 1-10
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Esther reads almost like a fairy tale: A Jewish maiden becomes queen of Persia. The villain launches an attack to destroy the Jews. In the end, his plot is thwarted by the hero and the brave maiden, who risks her life to save her people. Though the name of God isn't mentioned once in this short book, we clearly see God's providence and faithfulness in dealing with His people.
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4/24/2019
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Flight JOB01
Job 1-42
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The book of Job opens in the throne room of heaven with a conversation between God and Satan regarding the faithfulness of a man named Job. God allowed Satan to test Job, and Satan caused Job to lose his health, wealth, and even his beloved family. But in the midst of Job's tragic circumstances, God revealed His sovereignty and faithfulness, and Job's steadfast faith prevailed.
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5/1/2019
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Flight PSA01
Psalms 1-150
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The book of Psalms is a collection of songs, prayers, and poetry that express the deepest of human emotions. These artistic masterpieces were compiled over a period of roughly 1,000 years from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra and the return from the Babylonian exile. As we fly over the Psalms, we'll see beautiful writings of gladness and grief, pleading and prayers, and reverence and worship—all with one overarching theme: a complete dependence on the love and power of God.
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5/8/2019
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Flight PRO01
Proverbs 1-31
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Known for the wisdom it contains, the book of Proverbs reveals how to deal with everyday situations. But more than just good advice, it is God's words of wisdom, which we need in order to live righteously. These proverbs are universal principles that apply to all people for all times, because they speak of the character of God and the nature of man—both of which remain constant.
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5/15/2019
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Flight ECC01
Ecclesiastes 1- 12
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The book of Ecclesiastes records King Solomon's intense search to find meaning and fulfillment in life. In this flight, we discover some significant truths—namely, that all worldly things are empty and that life's pursuits only lead to frustration. After tasting all that this world has to offer, Solomon ultimately concluded that life without God is meaningless.
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5/22/2019
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Flight SON01
Song of Solomon 1-8
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The Song of Solomon portrays a moving love story between King Solomon and a shepherdess. The story reveals the intimacy, love, and passion that a bridegroom and his bride share in a marriage relationship. Even more than the fulfillment found in the love between a husband and wife, we'll discover that the spiritual life finds its greatest joy in the love God has for His people and Christ has for His church.
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5/29/2019
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Flight ISA01
Isaiah 1-27
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The prophet Isaiah's ministry lasted around fifty years and spanned the reigns of four kings in Judah. His prophecies are quoted in the New Testament more often than any other prophet's. In this first flight over Isaiah, we focus on his prophecies of condemnation that pulled no punches and pointed out Israel's need for God.
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6/26/2019
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Flight ISA02
Isaiah 28-66
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Of all the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah is thought by many to be the greatest, in part because of his clear prophecies about the Messiah. In this second flight over his book, we see his continued work and how God used his prophecies of both condemnation and comfort to generate change in the individuals he encountered.
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7/3/2019
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Flight JER01
Jeremiah 1-20
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The book of Jeremiah is a series of oracles written in the southern kingdom of Judah over a period of fifty-plus years. It speaks of judgment, the promise of restoration, and the protective hand of God over those He loves. In this flight, we catch a glimpse of the man behind the prophecies as he allowed God to speak through him in unusual ways to open the eyes of the people of Israel.
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7/17/2019
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Flight EZE01
Ezekiel 1-48
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Written by Ezekiel the priest, this book takes place during the second Babylonian captivity and documents the fulfillment of several prophecies from previous Old Testament books. In this flight, we see God continue to offer promises of restoration through Ezekiel, bringing the nation hope despite their tribulations.
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7/24/2019
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Flight DAN01
Daniel 1-8
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Chronologically, the book of Daniel links the time of the kings in 2 Chronicles to the restoration of Jerusalem in the book of Ezra. It begins with the first Babylonian captivity and ends with Daniel's vision of seventy weeks. In it, we witness both prophetic history and the four prophetic visions of Daniel, as well as powerful stories that reveal a faithful man of God who was unwilling to compromise his beliefs.
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7/31/2019
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Flight DAN02
Daniel 9-12
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Midway through the book of Daniel, the focus shifts from the historic to the prophetic. Daniel's four prophetic visions reveal the stunning accuracy of biblical prophecy, as well as Daniel's uncompromising faith in God's fulfillment. From the rise and fall of human kingdoms to the Messiah and the day of judgment, Daniel's visions drove him to his knees in fervent prayer for the people of Israel.
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8/7/2019
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Flight HOS01
Hosea 1-14
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Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Jeroboam II, and he had a clear message to deliver: Israel had rejected God, so they would be sent into exile and become wanderers in other nations. On this flight, we see a clear parallel between Hosea's adulterous wife—whom God had instructed Hosea to marry—and Israel's unfaithfulness. But even as Hosea endured a rocky marriage, he continued to share God's plan that He would bring His people back to Himself.
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8/14/2019
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Flight JAO01
Joel 1-3; Amos 1-9; Obadiah
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Through three ordinary men—Joel, Amos, and Obadiah—God delivered extraordinary messages to His people, warning them against greed, injustice, false worship, and self-righteousness. On this flight, we witness God's patience and love for Israel, and we see how He stands ready to forgive and restore all who turn away from their sin.
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8/21/2019
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Flight JON01
Jonah 1-4
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Rather than focusing on prophecy, the book of Jonah narrates a prophet's story. Jonah was blatantly disobedient to God's call, but despite his defiance, God redirected his path through a unique situation. The resulting revival in Nineveh shows us that God's grace reaches beyond the boundaries of Israel to embrace all nations.
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8/28/2019
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Flight MNH01
Micah 1-7; Nahum 1-3; Habakkuk 1-3
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God used three prophets—Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk—to criticize, comfort, and inspire: Micah encouraged social justice and the authentic worship of God. Nahum prophesied against the Assyrians for returning to their evil practices. And though Habakkuk didn't address Israel directly, his message assured them that evil does not endure forever. Through these prophets, God's people confessed their sins and grew confident in His salvation.
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9/4/2019
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Flight ZHA01
Zephaniah 1-3; Haggai 1-2
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The prophet Zephaniah addressed the social injustice and moral decay of Judah and her neighbors, proclaiming the coming day of the Lord and His wrath upon the nations—both an immediate judgment and a future end-times judgment. God sent Haggai the prophet to preach to the restored community of Jews in Jerusalem after their return from exile in Babylonia. Haggai encouraged the nation to set aside their selfishness and finish rebuilding the temple, an act of obedience that would align their desire with God's desire.
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9/18/2019
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Flight ZMA01
Zechariah 1-14; Malachi 1-4
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As we fly over the last books of the Old Testament, we first look at the expanded message of rebuilding the temple when Zechariah encouraged Israel to anticipate their ultimate deliverance and the Messiah's future reign. One hundred years after the temple was rebuilt, the book of Malachi revealed that God's chosen people had once again slid back into their sinful practices. Malachi declared God's promise of a coming messenger, John the Baptist, and a coming Messiah.
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10/2/2019
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Flight INT01
Intertestamental Period
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In between the Old and New Testaments lies 400 years of history. During this intertestamental period, God chose not to speak to His people through prophets as He orchestrated people, politics, and events in preparation of the coming Messiah. Scholars have come to call these four centuries the silent years. Remarkably, the silence would be broken by a newborn baby's cry in Bethlehem.
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10/9/2019
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Flight MML01
Matthew 1-28; Mark 1-16; Luke 1-24
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These three Synoptic Gospels give us our first glimpses of Jesus' life and death here on earth. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, and the Son of Man, respectively. On this flight, we'll see the service, sermons, sacrifices, and sovereignty of Jesus as we witness the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies.
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10/16/2019
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Flight JOH01
John 1-21
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The spiritual depth of John sets it apart from the other Gospels, with one-third of its content dedicated to the last week of Jesus' life. Rather than focusing on what Jesus did, John focused on who Jesus is, presenting Him as God incarnate and highlighting His deity. On this flight, we'll see seven miraculous signs of Jesus, as well as seven statements that He used to identify Himself as God.
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10/23/2019
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Flight ACT01
Acts 1-28
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The book of Acts presents the history of a dynamic, growing community of believers that started in Jerusalem and went on to spread the gospel throughout the known world. In this book, the gospel writer Luke also recorded how the early church received the Holy Spirit, who enabled them to witness, love, and serve with boldness and courage, even when faced with persecution.
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10/30/2019
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Flight ROM01
Romans 1-16
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The book of Romans is the apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, and it focuses on God's plan of salvation for all humankind. Romans is the most systematic of Paul's letters, reading more like an elaborate theological essay rather than a letter. On this flight, we look at Paul's strong emphasis on Christian doctrine as well as his concern for Israel.
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11/13/2019
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Flight 1COR1
1 Corinthians 1-16
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In 1 Corinthians, Paul confronted the problems that had infiltrated the influential church at Corinth and defended his position as an apostle of Christ. He later rejoiced over their repentance and acceptance of his God-given authority. On this flight, we discover the power of a new life in Jesus as we see how Paul shared the heart of the gospel with his fellow believers.
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11/20/2019
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Flight 2COR1
2 Corinthians 1-13
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After Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, false teachers began spreading opposition to him in the Corinthian church. Paul sent Titus as his representative to deal with them, and most of the church repented. Paul wrote this epistle to express his joy at the turnaround and to appeal to them to accept his authority, which was confirmed by the many hardships he suffered for the gospel. On this flight, we find beautiful truths to carry with us through our own times of suffering.
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12/4/2019
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Flight GAL01
Galatians 1-6
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Galatians is a firm statement of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. When Paul wrote this letter, the false doctrine of legalism and faith by works had infiltrated the church throughout Galatia. As a result, believers had traded their freedom in Christ for bondage to the old Jewish law that had been fulfilled by Jesus. On this flight, we discover the differences between law and grace as well as the practical application and results of the proper doctrine of grace.
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1/8/2020
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Flight EPH01
Ephesians 1-6
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Who are we in Christ? In Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, he answered that very question as he addressed a group of believers who were ignorant of their spiritual wealth in Jesus. He explained how the Christian is the bride of Christ, a temple in the Lord, and a soldier for the gospel. On this flight, we see how Paul also emphasized unity among believers, describing the church as a body that works together for a common goal.
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1/15/2020
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Flight PHI01
Philippians 1-4
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Referred to as the epistle of joy, Philippians contains the message that joy is possible in all of life's circumstances, including suffering. Paul wrote this very personal letter while in prison, and despite his trials, he rejoiced over the caring and generous church in Philippi and encouraged them in unity, humility, and prayer.
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1/22/2020
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Flight COL01
Colossians 1-4
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On this flight, we see how the young church in Colossae became the target of a heretical attack that included angel worship, the depreciation of Christ, and reliance on human wisdom. In Paul's letter to this church, he refuted the heresy by exalting Christ as the very image of God, the preexistent sustainer of all things, the head of the church, and the first to be resurrected.
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2/12/2020
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Flight THE01
1 Thessalonians 1-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3
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The apostle Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians in response to a report that some errors and misunderstandings about his teaching had crept into the church at Thessalonica. But Paul also used the opportunity to encourage the believers there, exhorting them in the Word, warning them against pagan immorality, and urging them to remain steadfast in God's truth in the face of persecution.
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6/10/2020
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Flight TIM01
1 Timothy 1-6; 2 Timothy 1-4
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These loving letters to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, reveal Paul's true love for his brother in Christ. Timothy was facing a heavy burden of responsibility, so Paul not only instructed him about the conduct of the church and its ministers but also encouraged him to stand strong for the faith against false teachings, to endure hardship, and to preach the Word.
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6/17/2020
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Flight TPH01
Titus 1-3; Philemon
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Paul's brief letter to Titus focuses on Titus' role and responsibility in the organization and supervision of the churches in Crete. Throughout the letter, Paul also stressed the importance of sound doctrine and church order. In Philemon, on the other hand, the apostle took a more personal approach and spoke on the application of the great principles of Christian brotherhood to social life.
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6/24/2020
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Flight HEB01
Hebrews 1-13
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Although this well-written book's author is unknown, it reveals a man with a great desire to encourage Jewish believers to live in the grace of Jesus, especially since many of them were slipping back into the rites and rituals of Judaism to escape persecution. The letter centers on the person and work of Christ, inspiring believers through all the ages to pursue Jesus in every area of life.
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7/1/2020
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Flight JAM01
James 1-5
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While it's vital for Christians to understand that salvation comes by faith, the book of James emphasizes an active faith, characterized by good deeds that flow from salvation. In this unmistakably Jewish epistle, the author encourages believers to live out and grow in their faith by embracing trials, carefully controlling their speech, and letting God's love flow through them to others.
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7/15/2020
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Flight PET01
1 Peter 1-5; 2 Peter 1-3
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The apostle Peter wrote these letters to encourage persecuted Christians and to defend the authenticity of God's Word against false teaching that had infiltrated the church. He called on believers to grow in their faith so they might detect and combat the spreading apostasy. On this flight, we see how these letters uniquely encourage us as we live in conflict with our culture, giving us incentive for holy living as we look forward to Jesus' second coming.
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7/22/2020
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Flight 1JOH1
1 John 1-5
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In this letter, John lived up to his nickname—the apostle of love—as he urged the church to continue living a life of faith in Christ. He defended the nature of Jesus against heretical teachings and warned his readers about those who taught such things. John not only addressed the preeminence of God's love for us but also emphasized our duty to love others in return. This flight shows you how God can transform your life when you follow Him wholeheartedly.
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7/29/2020
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Flight JJU01
2 John, 3 John; Jude
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These three epistles were written to encourage the church to keep a strong biblical foundation. The authors exhorted believers to walk in love but to be discerning in their expression of love, to have and enjoy fellowship with other Christians, and to stay strong in the faith. On this flight, you'll discover why it's so vital to balance love and truth to reach a lost world with the gospel of Jesus.
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8/5/2020
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Flight REV01
Revelation 1-11
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Considered to be one of the most powerful books in Scripture, Revelation is a direct vision from God to the apostle John. It's both a warning to the world of a coming tribulation and a source of hope for believers as we anticipate Jesus' return. The book is filled with prophecies of future judgment, but in it, we find a glimpse of heaven and the glories awaiting Jesus' bride, the church.
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8/12/2020
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Flight REV02
Revelation 12-22
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In the second half of Revelation, we read some of the most thrilling text in the entire Bible, getting a preview of a future judgment, Jesus' thousand-year reign on earth, the eventual fate of unbelievers, and the church's eternal destination in the new heaven and earth. As we conclude our journey at 30,000 feet over the Scriptures, we discover how the history of the world culminates as we look to Jesus in all His splendid glory.
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8/19/2020
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Visit to the Cockpit Q&A with Pastor Skip
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Our midweek series The Bible from 30,000 Feet came to a close with a final Visit to the Cockpit Q & A session. In the last message of our series, Pastor Skip answers questions from the congregation on topics throughout the Bible, from creation to the end times.
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There are 58 additional messages in this series.
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