Introduction

The prophet Yirmiyah/Jeremiah, started his vocation as a prophet around 627 B.C. and continued for just under fifty years until around 580 B.C. During that long period serving as a prophet,he warned the people concerning the coming destruction of the nation of Yehudah/Judah due to their wickedness including the worshipping of false gods. Then in due course, Yirmiyah saw the fulfilment of what he’d prophesied when Yerushalem was captured by King Nevukadnetsar from Bavel. Yirmiyah witnessed the demolition of the city and Yahweh’s temple, and the forced exile of many people to Bavel. Then he prophesied the return of some people from captivity, and the rebuilding of the nation.

Yirmiyah’s account is divided into five main sections: 1. Yirmiyah’s calling; 2. Yahweh’s messages to the nation of Yehudah and its teachers during the reigns of Yoshiyah/Josiah, Yehoyakim/Jehoiakim, Yehoyakin/Jehoiakin, and Tsidkiyah/Zedekiah; 3. all the persecution of people according what Yirmiyah’s secretary Baruk wrote, including the various prophecies, and the important events in Yirmiyah’s life; 4. what was said by Yahweh concerning the various foreign nations; and 5. the other messages concerning Yerushalem’s destruction, and the capture of the people who would be exiled to Bavel.

Yirmiyah was a merciful person and full of love towards his people, and so he disliked having to present Yahweh’s judgements to them. Parts of this account documents his personal sufferings due to his calling by Yahweh to become a prophet. Yahweh’s messages were like fire in his heart that he couldn’t hide.

This document also writes about a new agreement coming at a future time, and that that agreement would be kept by Yahweh’s people even with no teacher driving them because it would be written onto their hearts. (31:31-34)

This is still an early look into the unpolished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.