This is the message which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to ^aBaruch the son of Neriah, when he had ^bwritten these words in a book ¹at Jeremiah’s dictation, in the ^cfourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying: 2 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says to you, Baruch: 3 ‘You said, “Oh, woe to me! For the LORD has added grief to my pain; I am ^aweary with my groaning and have found no rest.”’ 4 This is what you are to say to him: ‘This is what the LORD says: “Behold, ^awhat I have built I am going to tear down, and what I have planted I am going to uproot, that is, all the people of the land.” 5 But as for you, are you ^aseeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to ^bbring disaster on all flesh,’ declares the LORD, ‘but I will ^cgive your life to you as plunder in all the places where you may go.’”