“Thus says the Lord.
‘Bend your shoulders!
Serve
The king of Babylon!
You will then
Remain in the land
That I gave
To your ancestors.
But if you will not obey
The voice of the Lord,
If you will not serve
The king of Babylon,
I will cease
The voice of mirth,
The voice of gladness,
The voice of the bridegroom,
The voice of the bride,
From the towns of Judah,
As well as from the region
Around Jerusalem.
The whole land
Will be a desolation
Without inhabitants.’”
The Lord via the prophets had told the Judeans to bend their shoulders and serve the king of Babylon. If they did that, they would remain in the land that the Lord had given to their ancestors. However, if they did not obey the voice of God, and not serve the king of Babylon, then God would cease to have any sounds of mirth or gladness from the brides or the bridegrooms from the towns of Judah as well as the region around Jerusalem. The whole land would become a desolation without inhabitants. They had a clear choice, obey the Lord and the king of Babylon, or suffer the consequences. They were already in exile, because they had not obeyed the king of Babylon. As usual, Jeremiah and Baruch were pro-Babylonian.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 