God's Promise to Baruch

¹In the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, Baruch wrote down what I had dictated to him. Then I told him

²that the Lord, the God of Israel, had said, “Baruch,

³you are saying, ‘I give up! The Lord has added sorrow to my troubles. I am worn out from groaning, and I can't find any rest!’

⁴“But I, the Lord, am tearing down what I have built and pulling up what I have planted. I will do this to the entire earth.

⁵Are you looking for special treatment for yourself Don't do it. I am bringing disaster on all people, but you will at least escape with your life, wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Egypt's Defeat at Carchemish

¹The Lord spoke to me about the nations,

²beginning with Egypt. This is what he said about the army of King Neco of Egypt, which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia defeated at Carchemish near the Euphrates River in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah:

³“The Egyptian officers shout, ‘Get your shields ready and march into battle!

⁴Harness your horses and mount them! Fall in line and put on your helmets! Sharpen your spears! Put on your armor!’

⁵“But what do I see?” asks the Lord. “They are turning back in terror. Their soldiers are beaten back; overcome with fear, they run as fast as they can and do not look back.

⁶Those who run fast cannot get away; the soldiers cannot escape. In the north, by the Euphrates, they stumble and fall.

⁷Who is this that rises like the Nile, like a river flooding its banks?

⁸It is Egypt, rising like the Nile, like a river flooding its banks. Egypt said, ‘I will rise and cover the world; I will destroy cities and the people who live there.

⁹Command the horses to go and the chariots to roll! Send out the soldiers: men from Ethiopia and Libya, carrying shields, and skilled archers from Lydia.’”

¹⁰This is the day of the Sovereign Lord Almighty: today he will take revenge; today he will punish his enemies. His sword will eat them until it is full, and drink their blood until it is satisfied. Today the Almighty sacrifices his victims in the north, by the Euphrates.

¹¹People of Egypt, go to Gilead and look for medicine! All your medicine has proved useless; nothing can heal you.

¹²Nations have heard of your shame; everyone has heard you cry. One soldier trips over another, and both of them fall to the ground.

The Coming of Nebuchadnezzar

¹³When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia came to attack Egypt, the Lord spoke to me. He said,

¹⁴“Proclaim it in the towns of Egypt, in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes: ‘Get ready to defend yourselves; all you have will be destroyed in war!

¹⁵Why has your mighty god Apis fallen? The Lord has struck him down!’

¹⁶Your soldiers have stumbled and fallen; each one says to the other, ‘Hurry! Let's go home to our people and escape the enemy's sword!’

¹⁷“Give the king of Egypt a new name— ‘Noisy Braggart Who Missed His Chance.’

¹⁸I, the Lord Almighty, am king. I am the living God. As Mount Tabor towers above the mountains and Mount Carmel stands high above the sea, so will be the strength of the one who attacks you.

¹⁹Get ready to be taken prisoner, you people of Egypt! Memphis will be made a desert, a ruin where no one lives.

²⁰Egypt is like a splendid cow, attacked by a stinging fly from the north.

²¹Even her hired soldiers are helpless as calves. They did not stand and fight; all of them turned and ran. The day of their doom had arrived, the time of their destruction.

²²Egypt runs away, hissing like a snake, as the enemy's army approaches. They attack her with axes, like people cutting down trees

²³and destroying a thick forest. Their soldiers are too many to count; they outnumber the locusts.

²⁴The people of Egypt are put to shame; they are conquered by the people of the north. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

²⁵The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says, “I am going to punish Amon, the god of Thebes, together with Egypt and its gods and kings. I am going to take the king of Egypt and all who put their trust in him,

²⁶and hand them over to those who want to kill them, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army. But later on, people will live in Egypt again, as they did in times past. I, the Lord, have spoken.

The Lord Will Save His People

²⁷“My people, do not be afraid, people of Israel, do not be terrified. I will rescue you from that faraway land, from the land where you are prisoners. You will come back home and live in peace; you will be secure, and no one will make you afraid.

²⁸I will come to you and save you. I will destroy all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not destroy you. I will not let you go unpunished; but when I punish you, I will be fair. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

The Sorrows of Jerusalem

¹How lonely lies Jerusalem, once so full of people! Once honored by the world, she is now like a widow; The noblest of cities has fallen into slavery.

²All night long she cries; tears run down her cheeks. Of all her former friends, not one is left to comfort her. Her allies have betrayed her and are all against her now.

³Judah's people are helpless slaves, forced away from home. They live in other lands, with no place to call their own— Surrounded by enemies, with no way to escape.

⁴No one comes to the Temple now to worship on the holy days. The young women who sang there suffer, and the priests can only groan. The city gates stand empty, and Zion is in agony.

⁵Her enemies succeeded; they hold her in their power. The Lord has made her suffer for all her many sins; Her children have been captured and taken away.

⁶The splendor of Jerusalem is a thing of the past. Her leaders are like deer that are weak from hunger, Whose strength is almost gone as they flee from the hunters.

⁷A lonely ruin now, Jerusalem recalls her ancient splendor. When she fell to the enemy, there was no one to help her; Her conquerors laughed at her downfall.

⁸Her honor is gone; she is naked and held in contempt. She groans and hides her face in shame. Jerusalem made herself filthy with terrible sin.

⁹Her uncleanness was easily seen, but she showed no concern for her fate. Her downfall was terrible; no one can comfort her. Her enemies have won, and she cries to the Lord for mercy.

¹⁰The enemies robbed her of all her treasures. She saw them enter the Temple itself, Where the Lord had forbidden Gentiles to go.

¹¹Her people groan as they look for something to eat; They exchange their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. “Look at me, Lord,” the city cries; “see me in my misery.”

¹²“Look at me!” she cries to everyone who passes by. “No one has ever had pain like mine, Pain that the Lord brought on me in the time of his anger.

¹³“He sent fire from above, a fire that burned inside me. He set a trap for me and brought me to the ground. Then he abandoned me and left me in constant pain.

¹⁴“He took note of all my sins and tied them all together; He hung them around my neck, and I grew weak beneath the weight. The Lord gave me to my foes, and I was helpless against them.

¹⁵“The Lord laughed at all my strongest soldiers; He sent an army to destroy my young men. He crushed my people like grapes in a wine press.

¹⁶“That is why my eyes are overflowing with tears. No one can comfort me; no one can give me courage. The enemy has conquered me; my people have nothing left.

¹⁷“I stretch out my hands, but no one will help me. The Lord has called enemies against me from every side; They treat me like some filthy thing.

¹⁸“But the Lord is just, for I have disobeyed him. Listen to me, people everywhere; look at me in my pain. My young men and women have been taken away captive.

¹⁹“I called to my allies, but they refused to help me. The priests and the leaders died in the city streets, Looking for food to keep themselves alive.

²⁰“Look, O Lord, at my agony, at the anguish of my soul! My heart is broken in sorrow for my sins. There is murder in the streets; even indoors there is death.

²¹“Listen to my groans; there is no one to comfort me. My enemies are glad that you brought disaster on me. Bring the day you promised; make my enemies suffer as I do.

²²“Condemn them for all their wickedness; Punish them as you punished me for my sins. I groan in misery, and I am sick at heart.”

²¹There is nothing but sadness and sorrow for parents whose children do foolish things.

²²Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.

²³Corrupt judges accept secret bribes, and then justice is not done.

²⁴An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.