Jeremiah 45 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
605 BC, the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, roughly twenty years before the events of the preceding chapters
Location
Jerusalem, while the city was still standing and Babylon was just becoming the dominant power in the region
Audience
Judeans and exiles, and anyone doing costly work in a collapsing situation with no reward in sight
Situation
This short chapter steps back in time to the year Baruch wrote Jeremiah's words on a scroll. Baruch complains that he has worn himself out and found no rest, and the answer is blunt: God is tearing down what he built across the whole land, so Baruch should stop expecting great things for himself, though his life will be spared wherever he goes.
Key Background
605 BC was the year Babylon crushed Egypt at Carchemish and the balance of power in the region shifted decisively, which is the background to the warning that nothing built is safe. Baruch was a professional scribe from a prominent family, and a seal impression bearing his name and title has been recovered, so he had career prospects that association with an unpopular prophet cost him. Placing this personal note at the end of the narrative section works like a signature by the man who compiled the book, a common way for ancient scribes to close a collection.