Jeremiah — Chapter 45

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1The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

2Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;

3Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

4Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

5And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

1The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these word in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

2Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch:

3Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for Jehovah hath added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.

4Thus shalt thou say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up; and this in the whole land.

5And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not; for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith Jehovah; but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

1The prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch son of Neriah while he was writing down in a scroll the words that Jeremiah spoke to him. (This happened in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah.)

2Jeremiah said, “The Lord God of Israel has a message for you, Baruch.

3‘You have said, “I feel so hopeless! For the Lord has added sorrow to my suffering. I am worn out from groaning. I can’t find any rest.”’”

4The Lord told Jeremiah, “Tell Baruch, ‘The Lord says, “I am about to tear down what I have built and to uproot what I have planted. I will do this throughout the whole earth.

5Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the Lord, affirm that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity. But I will allow you to escape with your life wherever you go.”’”

1The message that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

2“Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch:

3‘You said, “Woe is me now! For Yahweh has added sorrow to my pain! I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.”’

4“You shall tell him, Yahweh says: ‘Behold, that which I have built, I will break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up; and this in the whole land.

5Do you seek great things for yourself? Don’t seek them; for, behold, I will bring evil on all flesh,’ says Yahweh; ‘but I will let you escape with your life wherever you go.’”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

The shortest chapter in Jeremiah — a personal word to Baruch the scribe. Baruch is overwhelmed: "Woe is me! The LORD hath added grief to my sorrow." God's response: I'm tearing down what I built and plucking up what I planted — and YOU seek great things for yourself? "Seek them not." But your life will be preserved wherever you go.

Authorship & Background

Author: Jeremiah son of Hilkiah (see Chapter 1 notes for full details).
Classification: Personal Oracle to Baruch Key Themes: The faithful scribe's personal crisis, "seek not great things for thyself," God preserving life amid catastrophe, expectations adjusted to the era
Historical Context: Dated to "the fourth year of Jehoiakim" (605 BC) — when Baruch first wrote down Jeremiah's prophecies (ch.36). This short chapter reveals Baruch's personal crisis: writing down 23 years of doom-prophecy has left him EXHAUSTED and despairing. He expected MORE from life — perhaps prestige, comfort, or literary fame. God's word: the world is being TORN DOWN. In an era of demolition, don't expect construction projects for yourself. Seek survival, not success. Your life as "prey" (plunder) — you'll escape with your breath.
Structure:
  • Baruch's Lament: "Woe Is Me!" (vv.1-3)
  • God's Answer: I'm Tearing Down Everything (vv.4-5a)
  • The Command: Don't Seek Great Things (v.5b)
  • The Promise: Your Life Preserved (v.5c)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
  • Charles Spurgeon: "'Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.' Not NEVER seek great things — but not FOR YOURSELF, not in THIS season. When God is tearing down nations, your personal ambitions are out of place. Align your expectations with God's current work."

Videos

The Bible Project — Jeremiah Overview (Video)

Reflection

  • 1. "Seek them not" (v.5). Not every season is for building your career, expanding your influence, or pursuing personal greatness. Some seasons are for SURVIVAL. Read the era correctly.
  • 2. Burnout in ministry (v.3). Even Baruch — faithful, obedient, important — burned out. It's not sin to be exhausted by God's work. But God's answer isn't "try harder" — it's "adjust expectations."
  • 3. Life is the prize (v.5). In certain seasons, keeping your breath IS the victory. Stop measuring success by prosperity and start measuring it by FAITHFULNESS + SURVIVAL.
  • 4. God is demolishing HIS OWN work (v.4). If God Himself is in grief over what He must tear down, why would you expect to be exempt from loss? Align your expectations with God's current operation.
  • 5. Baruch endured — and we have the book because he did. His legacy isn't "great things" for himself — it's the PRESERVATION of Jeremiah's words for all time. Sometimes your greatest contribution is faithfully recording someone else's message.