Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me," declares the Lord GOD.

Although they say, "As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely."

"The woman who gave birth to seven will grow faint, her life will expire. Her sun will set while it's still day. She will be disgraced and humiliated. I'll kill the rest of them with swords in the presence of their enemies," declares the LORD.

"Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? Indeed, as often as I've spoken about him, I surely still remember him. Therefore I deeply yearn for him. I'll surely have great compassion on him," declares the LORD.

This message from the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guard:

Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people since he had not yet been put in prison.

When he still did not respond, Nebuzaradan said, "Return to Ahikam's son Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and remain with him among the people or go wherever it seems right for you to go." Then the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a gift and sent him off.