Elmer A. Martens explores the message and insights of Jeremiah for today. In Jeremiah, God disciplines people and punishes them. Yet there is also forgiveness and thepromise of a new covenant. This ancient book is strangely relevant to our generation. The more we learn about the stressful times in which Jeremiah lived, about the passionate prophet himself, and about the arrangement of the book that bears his name, the more forceful the message becomes.

Series Foreword . . . 9
Author's Preface . . . 11
Becoming Acquainted . . . 15

God's Personal Message to Jeremiah, 1
Meet the Prophet-Priest from Anathoth,
  1:1-19 . . . 31

Sermons Warning of Disaster, 2-10
From Honeymoon to Divorce, 2:1-3:5 . . . 41
Appeals to Two "Ever-Turning" Sisters, 3:6-4:4 . . . 52
Calamity and Collapse for a Sinning Society, 4:5-6:30 . . . 59
Straight Talk About Worship, 7:1-8:3 . . . 72
A People's Sings, an Enemy Siege, and a Prophet's Sorrow, 8:4-10:25 . . . 79

Stories About Wrestling with Both People and God, 11-20
Preaching to the People and Protesting Before God, 11:1-12:17 . . . 93
A Ruined Girdle, Smashed Wine Jars, And an Awful Pride, 13:1-27 . . . 102
Drought, the Lord's Double "No" and a Prophet's Anguish, 14-15 . . . 107
Remain Single-Something Is Desperately Wrong! 16-17 . . . 117
About Pottery Making, Pottery Smashing, 18-20 . . . 128

Disputations with Kings and Prophets, 21-29
Kings Weighed in the Balances, 21:1-23:8 . . . 143
Taking on the Prophets, 23:9-40 . . . 153
Two Baskets of Figs and a Cup of Wine, 24-25 . . . 159
Deciding About Prophetic Voices, 26-29 . . . 167

The Book of Consolation, 30-33
Recovery of What Was Lost-and More!, 30-31 . . . 185
Reversing A People's Fortune, 32-33 . . . 200

Narratives About Wicked Leaders, a Suffering Prophet,
  and a Destroyed City, 34-35
Repeat Message: Disobedience Dooms, 34-36 . . . 211
A Leader Falters, A City Falls, 37-39 . . . 224
After the Catastrophe, 40-45 . . . 232

Oracles Against Other Nations, 46-51
Oracles Against Southern Nations:Egypt, Philistia, 46-47 . . . 247
Oracles Against the Trans-Jordan Countries, 48-49 . . . 252
An Oracle Against Babylon, 50-51 . . . 264

An Appendix: Historical Documentation, 52
The Fall of Jerusalem and Exile, 52:1-34 . . . 277

Outline of Jeremiah . . . 281
Glossary Notes on Terms and Themes . . . 290
Map of Palestine in Jeremiah's Time . . . 316
Map of the Ancient Near East in Jeremiah's Time . . . 317
Sources Quoted . . . 318
Selected Bibliography . . . 323
Helps in Teaching Jeremiah . . . 325
The Author . . . 327