This is the message which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to ^aBaruch the son of Neriah, when he had ^bwritten down these words in a book ¹at Jeremiah’s dictation, in the ^cfourth 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, “Ah, woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am ^aweary with my groaning and have found no rest.”’ 4 Thus you are to say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, ^awhat I have built I am about to tear down, and what I have planted I am about to uproot, that is, the whole land.” 5 But 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 booty in all the places where you may go.’”