1. The davar that came to Yirmeyah concerning kol HaAm Yehudah in the fourth year of Y'hoyakim Ben Yoshiyah Melech Yehudah, that was the first year of Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel;
2. The which Yirmeyah HaNavi spoke unto kol HaAm Yehudah, and to all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, saying,
3. From the thirteenth year of Yoshiyah Ben Amon Melech Yehudah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the Devar Hashem hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not paid heed.
4. And Hashem hath sent unto you all His avadim the nevi'im, rising early and sending them; but ye have not paid heed, nor inclined your ozen to hear.
5. They said, Shuvu, make teshuvah now every ish from his derech ra'ah, and from the rah of your doings, and dwell in ha'aretz that Hashem hath given unto you and to avoteichem l'min olam v'ad olam;
6. And go not after elohim acherim to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke Me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no harm.
7. Yet ye have not paid heed unto Me, saith Hashem; that ye might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.
8. Therefore thus saith Hashem Tzva'os; Because ye have not paid heed to My Devarim,
9. Hinei, I will send and take all the mishpekhot of the tzafon (north), saith Hashem, and Avdi Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these Goyim all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
10. Moreover I will cause to perish from them the kol sasson (voice of gladness), and the kol simchah (voice of joy), the voice of the Choson, and the voice of the Kallah, the sound of the millstones, and the ohr of the ner.
11. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these Goyim shall serve Melech Bavel shiv'im shanah (seventy years). [T.N. Note: length of Exile predicted here.]
12. And it shall come to pass, when shiv'im shanah are accomplished, that I will punish Melech Bavel, and that nation, saith Hashem, for their avon, and the Eretz Kasdim (Land of Chaldeans), and will make it perpetual desolations.