7 Ten days later the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah.
8 Then Jeremiah called for Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him. Jeremiah also called all the other people, from the least important to the greatest.
9 Then Jeremiah said to them, “You sent me to ask the Lord for what you wanted. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
10 ‘If you will stay in Judah, I will make you strong. I will not destroy you. I will plant you, and I will not pull you up. This is because I am sad about the disaster I brought on you.
11 Now you are afraid of the king of Babylon. But don’t be afraid of him. Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon,’ says the Lord. ‘I am with you. I will save you. I will rescue you from his power.
12 I will be kind to you. And the king of Babylon will also treat you with mercy. He will bring you back to your land.’
13 “But you might say, ‘We will not stay in Judah.’ If you say that, you will disobey the Lord your God.