17 But you, ^ddress yourself for work;¹ arise, and ^esay to them everything that I command you. ^fDo not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day ^ga fortified city, ^han iron pillar, and ⁱbronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 ⁱThey will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for ^jI am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

The Lord Delivers Jeremiah

11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, 12 ^d“Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.” 13 So ^eNebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, ^eand all the chief officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and took Jeremiah from ^fthe court of the guard. They entrusted him to ^gGedaliah the son of ^hAhikam, son of ⁱShaphan, that he should take him home. So ^jhe lived among the people.

15 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah ^kwhile he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to ^lEbed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ^mBehold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and ⁿnot for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men ^oof whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your ^plife as a prize of war, ^qbecause you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Jeremiah Remains in Judah

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord ^rafter Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from ^sRamah, when he took him ^tbound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, ^u“The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. ^vBecause you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from ^tthe chains on your hands. ^wIf it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, ^wbut if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. ^xSee, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain,¹ then return to ^yGedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, ^zwhom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to ^yGedaliah the son of Ahikam, at ^aMizpah, and lived with him ^bamong the people ^cwho were left in the land.