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One-sentence summary: When Jeremiah is shut up in prison, he prophesies the captivity of Jerusalem and Judah in Babylon and also their return and an eternal King.
When Babylon besieges Jerusalem, Jeremiah is shut up in the court of the prison in the house of Zedekiah, king of Judah. Zedekiah asks him why he is prophesying that they will be led away captive. Then, the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah and says that his uncle will come to him and offer for him to buy his field; his uncle comes to him in the court of the prison just as the Lord said, so Jeremiah buys the field from him before witnesses. He tells his uncle to take put the deeds in an earthen vessel to last many days, because the Lord says houses and fields and vineyards will be possessed again in the land. Jeremiah prays to the Lord, praising His deliverance and lovingkindness to His people and reminding Him of all He has done. Yet the city has been given to the Chaldeans, he says. The Lord says He is the God of all and nothing is too hard for Him, but He will give the city to the Chaldeans, to the king of Babylon who will burn the city. This is all because of Israel and Judah's unfaithfulness and evil. The Lord taught them, but they have not listened to receive instruction. They defiled the Lord's house and built high places to Baal, sacrificing their own sons and daughters to Moloch. The Lord says that He will gather His people from all countries where He has driven them and bring them back and cause them to dwell safely. They will be His people, and He will be their God. He will give them one heart and one way that they may fear Him forever for their and their children's good. He will make an everlasting covenant with them and put His fear in their hearts. He will rejoice over them to do them good and will plant them in the land with all His heart and soul. He says, "Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them."
The word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah again while he is in prison. The Lord says, "Call to me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know." He says He will heal His people and bring them health and healing and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. He will bring back the captives of Israel and Judah and rebuild them. He will cleanse them from their sin and forgive their iniquities. The nations will be blessed and will fear when they hear all the goodness and prosperity God provides for His people. The voice of joy and gladness, of the bride and bridegroom, will be heard, and God's people will praise him and say, "The Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever." There will again be shepherds in the land who will tend their flocks. The Lord will perform this good thing to Israel and Judah. There will be a Branch of righteousness that will grow up from David who will execute justice and righteousness in the earth, and Israel and Judah will be saved. The Branch will be called The Lord Our Righteousness, because there will be a king on David's throne forever; there will always always be priests. The Lord says to Jeremiah if he can break His covenant with the day and night, then His covenant could also be broken with David His servant and with the Levites His ministers. As the stars and sand cannot be numbered, so will the Lord multiply David's descendants and the Levite's. The nations have spoken badly of His people.
The word of the Lord comes again to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar, his army, all the kingdoms of the earth, and all the people fight against Jerusalem and its cities. He tells him to speak to Zedekiah and tell him that He is giving the city to Babylon who will burn it, and he himself will be delivered into his hand. The Lord says, however, that he will die in peace as in the ceremonies of his fathers, and they will burn incense and lament for him. It says that after Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people of Jerusalem to proclaim liberty- that is, to set free their slaves, their Jewish brothers- at first, the people obey. But afterward, they changed their minds and make them return. So the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah, and He says that He had made a covenant with them saying that at the end of seven years, they should let their slaves go. He rebukes them for going back on their word and His covenant. The Lord says that He proclaims liberty to them- to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, and He will deliver them to trouble, to the nations of the earth. Zedekiah and his princes will be given into the hand of their enemies.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
Jesus said that He would send the Holy Spirit to us to show us many things (John 16:7,12). He will show us "great and mighty things which we do not know!"