7. Ten days later Jeremiah received the Lord’s word.
8. So he called Johanan, Kareah’s son, and all the army officers with him and the rest of the people, from the least to the greatest,
9. and he said to them: You have sent me to present your plea to the Lord, and this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
10. If you live in this land, I will build you up and not pull you down. I will plant you and not dig you up because I grieve over the disaster I have brought upon you.
11. You don’t have to be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore, declares the Lord, for I will be with you to save you and rescue you from his hand.
12. I will be merciful to you, and he will be merciful and return you to your land.
13. But if you say, "We won’t live in this land," you will disobey the Lord your God.
14. And if you insist, "No, we’re going to live in Egypt, where there’s no war, battle alarms, or hunger, and there we will stay,"