Chapter 45: G‑d’s Message to Baruch

(5 Pesukim)

1. Context of the Prophecy (45:1)

• This word came to Baruch son of Neriyah when he was writing down the words of Yirmiyahu on a scroll during the fourth year of King Yehoyakim, son of Yoshiyahu.
• Baruch served as Yirmiyahu’s scribe, faithfully recording the prophecies given by G‑d.

2. Baruch’s Complaint (45:2–3)

• Baruch expressed his anguish, saying, “Woe is me! G‑d has added grief to my pain. I am weary with sighing and find no rest.”
• His lament reflects the heavy burden of witnessing judgment and destruction upon his people, as well as the personal cost of his role in delivering these messages.

3. G‑d’s Response and Warning (45:4–5)

• G‑d answers Baruch through Yirmiyahu: “Behold, what I have built I will tear down, and what I have planted I will uproot—this applies to the entire land.” In other words, the coming judgment is inevitable and sweeping.
• G‑d then admonishes Baruch: “Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them.”
• Baruch is reminded that this is not a time for personal ambition or security, for calamity is coming upon all flesh. Yet G‑d offers a promise of mercy: “I will give you your life as a prize wherever you go.” Baruch’s survival is assured, even amid national catastrophe.