A reading from the book of Jeremiah.

Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johannan the son of Correa, and Jezania the

son of Hoshiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest came near and said

to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your

God for us for all this remnant,

because we are left with but a few as your eyes see us, that the Lord your God may show us

the way we should go and the thing that we should do. Jeremiah, the prophet said to them,

I have heard you, Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord

answers you, I will tell you.

I will keep nothing back from you.

Then they said to Jeremiah, May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do

not act according to all the word with which the Lord

your God sends you to us. Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord

our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of

the Lord our God. At the end of ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.

Then he summoned Johan and the Son of Correa, and all the commanders of the forces who were

with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, and said to them,

Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before

him. If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down. I will

plant you and not pluck you up, for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. Do not fear the King of Babylon, of whom you are afraid.

Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand.

I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land.

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