Why the dates of Jeremiah's prophecy are written
You will find the same thing in what is written about Jeremiah. The time of his prophecy is recorded: when he began, and how far he prophesied. Then the reader, if he does not attend to the reading and examine the intent of the passages set down, will say: this is history, and it is written when Jeremiah began to prophesy, and after how long a time he stopped. What is this history to me?
I read, and I learned that he began to prophesy 'in the days of Josiah son of Amos, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.' Then 'it came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah,' and he prophesied 'until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah.' And I learned that his prophecy stretched through three kings, 'until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.' What then are we taught through these things, if we attend to the reading?
Greek
Τὸ ὅμοιον εὑρήσετε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἱερεμίαν. ἀναγέγραπται ὁ χρόνος τῆς προφητείας αὐτοῦ, πότε ἤρξατο καὶ μέχρι πότε προεφήτευσεν. εἶτα ὁ ἐντυγχάνων, ἐὰν μὴ προσέχῃ τῇ ἀναγνώσει μηδὲ ἐζετάςῃ τὸ βούλημα τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀναγνωσμάτων, ἐρεῖ ὅτι ἱστορία ἐστὶν καὶ ἀναγέγραπται, πότε ἤρξατο προφητεύειν Ἱερεμίας καὶ μέχρι πόσου προφητεύσας χρόνου κατέληζε προφητεύων. τί οὖν πρὸς ἐμὲ αὕτη ἡ ἱστορία; ἀνέγνων, ἔμαθον ὅτι ἤρξατο προφητεύειν «ἐν ἡμέραις Ἰωσίου τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἀμὼς βασιλέως Ἰούδα ἕως] ἔτους τρισκαιδεκάτου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ«· εἶτα «ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἰωακεὶμ υἱοῦ Ἰωσίου βασιλέως Ιοδυδα« προφητεύων «ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ ἑνδεκάτου ἔτους Σεδεκίου υἱοῦ Ἰωσίου βασιλέως Ἰούδα. καὶ ἔμαθον ὅτι κατὰ τρεῖς βασιλεῖς ἡ προφητεία αὐτοῦ συνεξέτεινεν «ἕως τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ μηνί. τί οὖν διὰ τούτων διδασκόμεθα, ἐὰν προσέχωμεν τῇ ἀναγνώσει;