1. Then all of the army officers approached me. They included Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, the son of Hoshaiah. All of the people from the least important of them to the most important also came.
2. All of them said to me, "Please listen to our appeal. Pray to the Lord your God. Pray for all of us who are left here. Once there were many of us. But as you can see, only a few of us are left now.
3. So pray to the Lord your God. Pray that he'll tell us where we should go. Pray that he'll tell us what we should do."
4. "I've heard you," I replied. "I'll certainly pray to the Lord your God. I'll do what you have asked me to do. In fact, I'll tell you everything the Lord says. I won't keep anything back from you."
5. Then they said to me, "We'll do everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us to do. If we don't, may he be a true and faithful witness against us.
6. It doesn't matter whether what you say is in our favor or not. We're asking you to pray to the Lord our God. And we'll obey him. Things will go well with us. That's because we will obey the Lord our God."
7. Ten days later a message came to me from the Lord.
8. So I sent for Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all of the other army officers who were with him. I also gathered together all of the people from the least important of them to the most important.
9. I said to all of them, "The Lord is the God of Israel. You asked me to present your appeal to him.
10. He told me, 'Stay in this land. Then I will build you up. I will not tear you down. I will plant you. I will not pull you up by the roots. I am very sad that I had to bring all of this trouble on you.
11. " 'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylonia. You are afraid of him now. Do not be,' announces the Lord. 'I am with you. I will keep you safe. I will save you from his powerful hands.
12. I will show you my loving concern. Then he will have concern for you. And he will let you return to your land.'