42 Then all the army commanders, as well as Kareah’s son Yohanan, Hoshayah’s son Yezanyah, and all the people from the less prominent to the most important officials approached the prophet Yirmeyah2 and asked him, “Please listen to our request. Please ask your god Yahweh our on behalf of all of us who are left here, because there’s not very many of us left as you can see.3 Ask your god Yahweh to tell us what we should do and where we should go.”

4 “Sure, I’ve heard your concerns,” the prophet Yirmeyah responded. “Listen, Ill pray to your god Yahweh as you’ve all requested. Whatever Yahweh answers, I’ll tell you. I’ll keep nothing back from you all.”

5 ⇔“We promise to do everything that your god Yahweh tells us to do,” they told Yirmeyah. “If we don’t, then Yahweh can be a true and faithful witness against us.6 Whether it’s good or bad, we’ll obey the instructions from our god Yahweh who we’re asking you to speak to, so that it may be well with us when we obey his response.”