3 Baruch son of Neriah is causing you to be against us. He wants you to hand us over to the Babylonians so they can kill us or capture us and take us to Babylon.”
4 So Johanan, the army officers, and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in Judah.
5 But Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers led away those who were left alive from Judah. They were the people who had run away from the Babylonians to other countries but then had come back to live in Judah.
6 They led away the men, women, and children, and the king’s daughters. Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of those people. Johanan also took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.
7 These people did not listen to the Lord. So they all went to Egypt to the city of Tahpanhes.
8 In Tahpanhes the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah:
9 “Take some large stones. Bury them in the clay in the brick pavement in front of the king of Egypt’s palace in Tahpanhes. Do this while the Jews are watching you.