a 56:4 Or "covenant."

a 58:6 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.

a 59:21 Or "covenant."

a 61:8 Or "covenant."

a 64:1 Isaiah 64:1-12 in English Bibles is Isaiah 63:19b-64:11 in the Hebrew Bible.

b 64:6 "Unclean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is not presentable to God.

a 66:18 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.

Introduction to JEREMIAH.

Jeremiah never wanted to be God's spokesman. "I don't know how to speak," he protested when God called him. "I'm only a boy!" But God insisted: "Don't say that you are only a boy. You will go wherever I send you. You will say whatever I command you to say" (1:6-7). Reluctantly, Jeremiah began delivering God's alarming messages to people who refused to believe they were sinning and so could not hear God's invitations to repentance and forgiveness. Instead of accepting the message and turning from their wicked ways, they attacked the messenger. Repeatedly they arrested Jeremiah, imprisoned him, and threatened to kill him. One king even tore up a scroll containing Jeremiah's prophecies and then threw it into the fire. No wonder the prophet often poured out his soul in grief. He loved his people and longed to pull them back from disaster-but they refused to listen.

Jeremiah's book is a collection of many kinds of writing, including sermons, poems, and memoir. Because the material is not presented in chronological order, it can be a bit confusing. In order to understand what's going on, it helps to review the situation in Judah during Jeremiah's lifetime (see 2 Kings 22-25 and 2 Chronicles 34-36). When God first called Jeremiah, King Josiah was removing pagan worship sites in Judah. Five years later, the book of Moses' Teachings was discovered-most likely by Jeremiah's father-and Josiah began reforming worship in the temple. But Josiah died young, and evil kings followed him. Once again idol worship was rampant. By the time of Jeremiah's last prophecy, Babylonian warriors had burned Jerusalem to the ground and taken many of its inhabitants captive, and Jeremiah himself was an exile in Egypt.

The God we see through Jeremiah's eyes is the creator and ruler of the world. He longs to forgive sinners and to save them from disaster. Over and over he promises to bless them if only they will stop worshiping idols and start showing justice toward one another. But the people ignore him, and finally judgment is inescapable. The northern kingdom of Israel has already fallen to Assyria; now enemy nations will destroy the southern kingdom of Judah and then attack one another. Yet God's compassion is inexhaustible. Over a hundred times in Jeremiah God begs his people to repent. "I love you with an everlasting love," he says (31:3). "'The days are coming,' declares Yahweh, 'when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah. . .I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their Elohim, and they will be my people'" (31:31-33).

Key Names of God in Jeremiah Yahweh LORD Adonay Lord, Master Yahweh Tsebaoth the LORD Almighty, the LORD of Armies, the LORD of Hosts El, Elohim God Ab Father Melek King Elohim Chay Living God Miqweh Yisrael the Hope of Israel Yahweh Tsidqenu the LORD Our Righteousness Tsemach Branch Qedosh Yisrael Holy One of Israel Go'el Redeemer JEREMIAH.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30.

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40.

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50.

51 52.

The Prophet Jeremiah 1 1 These are the words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah. He was one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 Yahweh spoke his word to Jeremiah when King Josiah, son of Amon, was in his thirteenth year as king of Judah. 3 Yahweh also spoke when Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah and during the 11 years that Zedekiah, another son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Yahweh continued to speak to Jeremiah until the people of Jerusalem were taken away into captivity in the fifth month of the year.

The LORD Gives Jeremiah a Message for His People 4 Yahweh spoke his word to me, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose.

I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations."

6 I, Jeremiah, said, "Adonay Yahweh , I do not know how to speak. I am only a boy!"

7 But Yahweh said to me, "Don't say that you are only a boy. You will go wherever I send you. You will say whatever I command you to say. 8 Don't be afraid of people. I am with you, and I will rescue you," declares Yahweh.

9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Yahweh said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth.

10 Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms.

You will uproot and tear down.

You will destroy and overthrow.

You will build and plant."

11 Again Yahweh spoke his word to me and asked, "Jeremiah, what do you see?"

I answered, "I see a branch of an almond tree."

12 Then Yahweh said to me, "Right. I am watching to make sure that my words come true."a 13 Again Yahweh spoke his word to me and asked, "What do you see?"

I answered, "I see a boiling pot, and its top is tilted away from the north."

14 Then Yahweh said to me, "Disaster will be poured out from the north on all those who live in the land.

15 I am going to call every family and kingdom from the north,"

declares Yahweh.

"They will come, and they will set up their thrones at the entrance of Jerusalem's gates.

They will attack all the walls around the city and all the cities of Judah.

16 I will pass sentence on my people because of all their wickedness.

They abandoned me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped what their hands have made.

17 Brace yourself, Jeremiah!

Stand up, and say to them whatever I tell you to say.

Don't be terrified in their presence, or I will make you even more terrified in their presence.

18 Today I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall.

You will be able to stand up to the whole land.

You will be able to stand up to Judah's kings, its officials, its priests, and all the common people.

19 They will fight you, but they will not defeat you.

I am with you, and I will rescue you," declares Yahweh .

The People Continue to Reject the LORD'S Love for Them 2 1 Yahweh spoke his word to me, 2 "Go and announce to Jerusalem, 'This is what Yahweh says: I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride.

I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn't be farmed.

3 Israel was set apart for Yahweh.

It was the best part of the harvest.

All who devoured it became guilty, and disaster struck them,'" declares Yahweh.

4 Listen to the word of Yahweh, descendants of Jacob, all the families in the nation of Israel.

5 This is what Yahweh says: What did your ancestors find wrong with me that they went so far away from me?

They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.

6 They didn't ask, "Where is Yahweh, who brought us from Egypt?

He led us through the desert, through a wasteland and its pits, a land of drought and the shadow of death.

No one lives there or travels there."

7 I brought them into a fertile land to eat its fruit and its produce.

They came and made my land unclean.a They made my property disgusting.

8 The priests didn't ask, "Where is Yahweh?"

Those who deal with my teachings didn't know me.

The rulers rebelled against me.

The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal and followed statues that couldn't help them.

9 "That is why I am bringing charges against you," declares Yahweh, "and I am bringing charges against your grandchildren.

10 Go over to the coasts of Cyprus, and see.

Send someone to Kedar, and observe closely.

See if there has ever been anything like this.

11 Has any nation ever exchanged gods?

(Their gods aren't really gods.) Yet, my people have exchanged their Glory for something that doesn't help them.

12 Be horrified over this, heaven.

Be terribly afraid," declares Yahweh.

13 "My people have done two things wrong.

They have abandoned me, the fountain of lifegiving water.

They have also dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that can't hold water.

14 "Are the people of Israel slaves?

Were they born into slavery?

Why, then, have they become someone's property?

15 Young lions have roared very loudly at them.

Young lions have turned the land into a wasteland.

The cities have been burned down, and everyone has left.

16 People from Noph and Tahpanhes have cracked your skulls, Israel.

17 You have brought this on yourself by abandoning Yahweh your Elohim when he led you on his way.

18 You won't gain anything by going to Egypt to drink water from the Nile River.

You won't gain anything by going to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates River.

19 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your unfaithful ways will punish you.

You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for you if you abandon Yahweh your Elohim and do not fear me,"

declares Adonay Yahweh Tsebaoth .

20 "Long ago you broke off your yoke,b tore off your chains, and said that you wouldn't be a slave.

You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree.

21 I planted you like a choice grapevine from the very best seed.

Now you have turned against me and have become a wild vine.

22 Even if you wash with detergent and use a lot of soap, I would still see the stains from your wickedness,"

declares Adonay Yahweh .