1. Then all the army commanders along with Kareah’s son Johanan and Hoshaiah’s son Jezaniah and all the people, from the least important to the most important, came to the prophet Jeremiah.
2. They said to him, “Please listen to our request, and pray to the Lord your God for all of us who are left here. As you can see, there are only a few of us left.
3. Let the Lord your God tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
4. The prophet Jeremiah answered them, “I have listened to your request. I will pray to the Lord your God as you have requested, and I will tell you everything the Lord says. I won’t keep anything from you.”
5. They said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we don’t do exactly what the Lord your God tells us to do.
6. We will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, whether it’s good or bad. Yes, we will obey the Lord our God so that everything will go well for us.”
7. After ten days the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah.
8. So Jeremiah called Kareah’s son Johanan, all the army commanders who were with him, and all the people from the least important to the most important.
9. Jeremiah said to them, “You sent me to plead your case humbly to the Lord. This is what the Lord God of Israel says:
10. Suppose you stay in this land. Then I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not uproot you. I will change my plans about the disaster I’ve brought on you.
11. Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Don’t be afraid of him, declares the Lord. I’m with you. I will save you and rescue you from his power.
12. I will have compassion on you. I will make him have compassion on you and return you to your land.
13. “But suppose you say, ‘We won’t stay in this land,’ and you disobey the Lord your God.