1. A message about all of the people of Judah came to me from the Lord. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. It was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah.
2. I, the Lord's prophet, spoke to all of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. I said,
3. "For 23 years the Lord's messages have been coming to me. They began to come in the 13th year that Josiah was king of Judah. He was the son of Amon. The Lord's messages still come to me today. I've spoken to you people again and again. But you haven't listened to me.
4. "The Lord has sent all of his servants the prophets to you. They've come to you again and again. But you haven't listened. You haven't paid any attention to them.