Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah
1 Zedekiah the son of Josiah, kwhom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. 2 lBut neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 King Zedekiah sent mJehucal the son of Shelemiah, and nZephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.” 4 Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5 The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, oPharaoh’s army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. 8 And pthe Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and qburn it with fire. 9 Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away. 10 For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’”
Jeremiah Imprisoned
11 Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. 13 When he was at the rBenjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” 14 And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and simprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison.
16 When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him tsecretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, u“You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? 20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my vhumble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the wcourt of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers’ street, xuntil all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
Our Heavenly Dwelling
1 For we know that if the stent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a thouse not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we ugroan, longing vto put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on1 we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a wguarantee.2
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for xwe walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and ywe would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For zwe must all appear before the ajudgment seat of Christ, so that beach one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, knowing the cfear of the Lord, we persuade others. But dwhat we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 eWe are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause fto boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward gappearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For hif we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died ifor all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for jall, that those who live might kno longer live for themselves but lfor him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one maccording to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a nnew creation.3 oThe old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ preconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling4 the world to himself, not qcounting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are rambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake she made him to be sin twho knew no sin, uso that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
