“Jeremiah wrote

In a scroll

All the disasters

That would come

Upon Babylon.

All these words

Were written

Concerning Babylon.

Jeremiah said

To Seraiah.

‘When you come

To Babylon,

See that you read

All these words.

Say!

‘Yahweh!

You yourself threatened

To destroy this place.

Neither human beings

Or animals

Shall live in it.

It shall be desolate forever.’”

Jeremiah or his secretary Baruch wrote on a scroll about all the disasters that would come to Babylon. Then Jeremiah told Seraiah to read all these words in Babylon. Then he was to say that Yahweh has threatened to destroy Babylon so that no humans or animals would live in it. It would become desolate forever. Thus Seraiah was to bring this bad news to Babylon, even though they still had not invaded Judah or Jerusalem at this time.