Jeremiah in Chronological Order

by Krisan Marotta | Jul 25, 2024 | 02 Library, Chart, Charts OT, Download

Updated September 2026

If you’ve ever tried to read the book of Jeremiah straight through and felt lost, you're not alone. Jeremiah doesn’t tell his story in order. The book jumps between events, messages, and reigns of different kings, which can leave readers wondering: ‘When is this happening?’

Unlike many modern biographies or histories, Jeremiah isn’t arranged from start to finish. Instead, it’s grouped by themes, messages, and events, often out of sequence. That can make it tricky to follow what’s happening and when

Understanding when each event happens helps us see how Jeremiah’s message speaks to specific moments in Israel’s history, before, during, and after the exile. It also reminds us that God sent clear warnings and persistent grace, even as judgment approached.

Related Bible Study: Questions Jeremiah Answered

Download a free PDF of Jeremiah in Chronological Order

The download organizes this information (both charts and the 30-day reading plan) into a handout for study and quick reference.

The Story in Chronological Order

The Early Years

627–605 BC – Chapters 1–20: Undated, but likely oracles from Jeremiah’s early ministry.
609 or after – Chapter 26: The “Shiloh” sermon.
605 BC – Chapter 25: 70-year exile predicted.
605 BC - Chapter 45; Event: An early message to Baruch.
605–604 BC – Chapter 36: The scroll and its burning.
After 601 BC – Chapter 35: A lesson from the Rechabites.

Warnings Before the Fall

598 BC – Chapter 22: Oracles on kings from Josiah to Jeconiah.
597 or after – Chapter 24: Good figs and bad.
After 597 BC – Chapter 29: The letter to the captives.
594 BC – Chapters 27–28: The call to accept the yoke of Babylon.

Jerusalem Falls

588 BC – Chapter 34: Temporary lifting of the siege; exploiting of slaves.
588 BC – Chapter 21: The final siege of Jerusalem begins.
588 BC – Chapter 37: Jeremiah arrested and imprisoned.
588 BC – Chapter 52: Fall of Jerusalem (repeated historical summary).
588/587 BC – Chapters 32–33: Jeremiah buys property while in prison as a sign.
588/587 BC – Chapter 38: The miry pit.
587 BC – Chapter 39: The city falls.
587 BC – Chapter 40: Jeremiah joins Gedaliah at Mizpah.
587 or after – Chapter 41: Gedaliah assassinated.
587 or after – Chapters 42–43: The emigration to Egypt, taking Jeremiah.
585 ? BC – Chapter 44: The émigrés defend their apostasy.

Dates Unknown

Undated - Chapter 23; Event: False shepherds; righteous branch; false prophets.
Undated – Chapters 30–31: The “book of hope”.
Undated – Chapters 46–51: Oracles on the nations.

Dates by Chapter Number

Use this list when you are reading the book in chapter order.

Chapters 1-20; Years: 627-605 BC; undated, but probably oracles from Jeremiah's early ministry which likely comprised the scroll read to King Jehoiakim in 604 BC.
Chapter 21 -- Year: 588 BC; Event: The final siege of Jerusalem begins
Chapter 22 -- Year: 598 BC; Event: Oracles on kings form Josiah to Jeconiah
Chapter 23 -- No date; Event: False shepherds; righteous branch; false prophets
Chapter 24 -- Year: 597 BC or after; Event: Good figs and bad
Chapter 25 -- Year: 605 BC; Event: 70 year exile predicted
Chapter 26 -- Year: 609 or after BC; Event: The "Shiloh" sermon
Chapter 27-28 -- Year: 594 BC; Event: The call to accept the yoke of Babylon
Chapter 29 -- Year: After 597 BC; Event: The letter to the captives
Chapter 30-31 -- Year: no date BC; Event: The "book of hope"
Chapter 32-33 -- Year: 588/7 BC; Event: Jeremiah buys property while in prison as a sign
Chapter 34 -- Year: 588 BC; Event: Temporary lifting of the siege; exploiting of slaves
Chapter 35 -- Year: After 601 BC; Event: A lesson from the Rechabites
Chapter 36 -- Year: 605-604 BC; Event: The scroll and its burning
Chapter 37 -- Year: 588 BC; Event: Jeremiah arrested and imprisoned
Chapter 38 -- Year: 588/7 BC; Event: The miry pit
Chapter 39 -- Year: 587 BC; Event: The city falls
Chapter 40 -- Year: 587 BC; Event: Jeremiah joins Gedaliah at Mizpah
Chapter 41 -- Year: 587 or after BC; Event: Gedaliah assassinated
Chapter 42-43 -- Year: 587 or after BC; Event: The emigration to Egypt, taking Jeremiah
Chapter 44 -- Year 585? BC; Event: The émigrés defend their apostasy
Chapter 45 -- Year 605 BC; Event: An early message to Baruch
Chapter 46-51 -- Year: undated; Event: Oracles on the nation
Chapter 52 -- Year: 588 BC; Event: Fall of Jerusalem

If you’re studying the book of Jeremiah, this timeline can help you follow the prophet’s journey more clearly. As you read, watch how Jeremiah’s messages shift based on what’s happening in Judah and how God’s faithfulness and justice remain constant through it all

Note: This list was compiled from several sources, but I'm most grateful to Jeremiah by Derek Kidner.

Other resources to help you study Jeremiah

A 30-day Chronological Reading Plan for Jeremiah

The following 30-day reading plan rearranges Jeremiah into an approximate historical sequence. It begins with Jeremiah’s early ministry under King Josiah, follows his confrontations with Judah’s final kings, continues through Jerusalem’s destruction and its aftermath, and concludes with messages whose dates are uncertain.

This is not the only possible chronological arrangement. Many of Jeremiah’s poetic messages are undated, and even the dated chapters sometimes contain material collected from more than one period. Where a precise date is impossible, this plan keeps related passages together and places them where they best fit the larger story.

Day	Read	Historical setting
1	Jeremiah 1–2	Jeremiah’s call and Judah’s unfaithfulness
2	Jeremiah 3–4	A call to return before judgment comes
3	Jeremiah 5–6	Jerusalem warned of approaching disaster
4	Jeremiah 11–12	Judah breaks the covenant; Jeremiah faces opposition
5	Jeremiah 13–16	Signs and warnings of unavoidable judgment
6	Jeremiah 7–10	The temple sermon and Judah’s false confidence
7	Jeremiah 26	Jeremiah is put on trial for preaching the temple sermon
8	Jeremiah 17–20	Sin, Sabbath, the potter, and Jeremiah’s suffering
9	Jeremiah 25	Babylon’s coming domination and the seventy years
10	Jeremiah 36	Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah’s scroll
11	Jeremiah 45	God’s message to Baruch
12	Jeremiah 35	The Rechabites expose Judah’s disobedience
13	Jeremiah 46	Egypt defeated at Carchemish and warned of further judgment
14	Jeremiah 22–24	Judah’s kings, the righteous Branch, and the two baskets of figs
15	Jeremiah 29	Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon
16	Jeremiah 27–28	Jeremiah confronts false promises of a quick deliverance
17	Jeremiah 21	Zedekiah asks Jeremiah about Babylon’s final siege
18	Jeremiah 34	Broken promises during the siege of Jerusalem
19	Jeremiah 37	Jeremiah is arrested and imprisoned
20	Jeremiah 32–33	Jeremiah buys a field and promises restoration
21	Jeremiah 38	Jeremiah is thrown into the cistern
22	Jeremiah 39	Jerusalem falls to Babylon
23	Jeremiah 40	Jeremiah joins Gedaliah at Mizpah
24	Jeremiah 41	Gedaliah is assassinated
25	Jeremiah 42–43	The survivors reject God’s word and flee to Egypt
26	Jeremiah 44	Jeremiah confronts the Jewish refugees in Egypt
27	Jeremiah 30–31	The Book of Consolation: restoration and the new covenant
28	Jeremiah 47–49	Oracles against the surrounding nations
29	Jeremiah 50–51	Judgment against Babylon
30	Jeremiah 52	A historical summary of Jerusalem’s fall and the exile

What to Watch For as You Read

As you work through Jeremiah chronologically, watch for these recurring themes:

God warned Judah repeatedly. Jerusalem’s fall did not come without explanation or opportunity to repent.
Religious activity could not substitute for faithfulness. The people trusted the temple while rejecting the God who gave it to them.
False prophets offered reassurance without repentance. They promised peace because that was what the people and rulers wanted to hear.
Jeremiah suffered for speaking the truth. He was mocked, threatened, beaten, imprisoned, and accused of treason.
God remained sovereign over the nations. Babylon was God’s instrument of judgment, but Babylon would also answer for its evil.
Judgment was not God’s final word. God promised restoration, a righteous king, a renewed people, and a new covenant.

A note about uncertain dates

Some chapters cannot be assigned a precise date. The purpose of this reading plan is to help you follow Jeremiah’s ministry against the unfolding history of Judah’s final years.