1-2. I was still being held prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guards when the Lord told me:I am the Lord, and I created the whole world.
3. Ask me, and I will tell you things that you don't know and can't find out.
4-5. Many of the houses in Jerusalem and some of the buildings at the royal palace have been torn down to be used in repairing the walls to keep out the Babylonian attackers. Now there are empty spaces where the buildings once stood. But I am furious, and these spaces will be filled with the bodies of the people I kill. The people of Jerusalem will cry out to me for help, but they are evil, and I will ignore their prayers.
6. Then some day, I will heal this place and my people as well, and let them enjoy unending peace.
7. I will give this land to Israel and Judah once again, and I will make them as strong as they were before.
8. They sinned and rebelled against me, but I will forgive them and take away their guilt.
9. When that happens, all nations on earth will see the good things I have done for Jerusalem, and how I have given it complete peace. The nations will celebrate and praise and honour me, but they will also tremble with fear.
10. Jeremiah, you say that this land is a desert without people or animals, and for now, you are right. The towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are deserted, and people and animals are nowhere to be seen. But some day you will hear
11. happy voices and the sounds of parties and wedding celebrations. And when people come to my temple to offer sacrifices to thank me, you will hear them say:“We praise you, Lord All-Powerful!You are good to us,and your love never fails.”The land will once again be productive.
12-13. Now it is empty, without people or animals. But when that time comes, shepherds will take care of their flocks in pastures near every town in the hill country, in the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert, in the land of the Benjamin tribe, and around Jerusalem and the towns of Judah.I, the Lord, have spoken.