The Lord has not changed His mind nor come up with some spur-of-the-moment punishment for Israel out of emotional wrath.  Rather, He is indicating that the time is near for the judgment pronounced 600 years earlier to play out.<p>Despite the fact that the Lord had warned the people centuries earlier, the news of the fulfilment of that judgment will not be received well with Jeremiah being persecuted for sharing the truth.<p>The Lord expects Jeremiah to be courageous and forceful in delivering the news of pending judgment.