Message to Baruch

1The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to [a]Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3‘You said, “Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and sighing and I find no rest.”’ 4Say this to him, ‘The LORD speaks in this way, “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and that which I have planted I will uproot, that is, the whole land.” 5And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring disaster on all flesh,’ says the LORD, ‘but I will give your life to you [as your only reward and] as a prize of war wherever you go.’”

[a] 1 Baruch served as Jeremiah’s faithful friend and scribe, and he carefully recorded the prophecies given to Jeremiah by God. He was from a prominent family and his grandfather Maaseiah had been governor of Jerusalem in the days of King Josiah (2 Chr 34:8).