# verses

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<pb/>Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, “Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don’t speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear.”


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Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.


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“Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?


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What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?


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“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.


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<pb/>Isaiah Predicts Judah’s Deliverance Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you prayed about King Sennacherib of Assyria,


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the Lord has spoken this word against him: <t>“The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head in derision as you flee.</t>


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<pb/><t>By your messengers you have defied the Lord. You have said, ‘With my many chariots I have conquered the highest mountains— yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypress trees. I have reached its farthest heights and explored its deepest forests.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’</t>


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And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and grow up and flourish.


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<pb/><t>“And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem. They will not even shoot an arrow at it. They will not march outside its gates with their shields nor build banks of earth against its walls.</t>


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<pb/><t>The king will return to his own country by the same road on which he came. He will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>‘For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’”</t>


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That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.


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<pb/>Hezekiah’s Sickness and Recovery About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’”


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“Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life,


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I will cause the sun’s shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!’”</t> So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps.


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<t>I said, “In the prime of my life, must I now enter the place of the dead? Am I to be robbed of the rest of my years?”</t>


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<pb/><t>I said, “Never again will I see the Lord God while still in the land of the living. Never again will I see my friends or be with those who live in this world.</t>


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<pb/><t>My life has been blown away like a shepherd’s tent in a storm. It has been cut short, as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom. Suddenly, my life was over.</t>


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<pb/><t>I waited patiently all night, but I was torn apart as though by lions. Suddenly, my life was over.</t>


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<pb/><t>Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane, and then I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help. I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!”</t>


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<pb/><t>But what could I say? For he himself sent this sickness. Now I will walk humbly throughout my years because of this anguish I have felt.</t>


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<pb/><t>Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live!</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, this anguish was good for me, for you have rescued me from death and forgiven all my sins.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise. Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness.</t>


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<pb/><t>Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation tells of your faithfulness to the next.</t>


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<pb/><t>Think of it—the Lord is ready to heal me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.”</t>


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<pb/>Envoys from Babylon Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick and that he had recovered.


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Hezekiah was delighted with the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them everything in his royal treasuries! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.


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“What did they see in your palace?”</t> asked Isaiah. <t>“They saw everything,”</t> Hezekiah replied. <t>“I showed them everything I own—all my royal treasuries.”</t>


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‘The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord.


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‘Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.’”</t>


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<pb/><t>“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!</t>


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<pb/><t>Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”</t>


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<pb/><t>A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.</t>


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<pb/><t>The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.</t>


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<pb/><t>He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.</t>


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<t>The Lord Has No Equal Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?</t>


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<pb/><t>Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?</t>


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<pb/><t>Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?</t>


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<pb/><t>No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.</t>


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<pb/><t>All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.</t>


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<pb/><t>The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing— mere emptiness and froth.</t>


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<pb/><t>Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?</t>


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<pb/><t>Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down!</t>


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<pb/><t>Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God— the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant?</t>


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<pb/><t>God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them.</t>


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<pb/><t>They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff.</t>


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<pb/><t>Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?</t>


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<pb/><t>Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.</t>


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<pb/><t>But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.</t>


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<pb/><t>God’s Help for Israel “Listen in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind.</t>


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<pb/><t>Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he.”</t>


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<pb/><t>The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. “Good,” they say. “It’s coming along fine.” Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won’t fall over.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.</t>


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<pb/><t>Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.</t>


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<pb/><t>“See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.</t>


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<pb/><t>Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’</t>


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<pb/><t>You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will toss them into the air, and the wind will blow them all away; a whirlwind will scatter them. Then you will rejoice in the Lord. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>“When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will plant trees in the barren desert— cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine.</t>


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<pb/><t>I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means— that it is the Lord who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.</t>


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<t>“Present the case for your idols,” says the Lord. “Let them show what they can do,” says the King of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Let them try to tell us what happened long ago so that we may consider the evidence. Or let them tell us what the future holds, so we can know what’s going to happen.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, tell us what will occur in the days ahead. Then we will know you are gods. In fact, do anything—good or bad! Do something that will amaze and frighten us.</t>


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<pb/><t>But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Those who choose you pollute themselves.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north. From the east he will call on my name. I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word!</t>


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<pb/><t>I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord’s Chosen Servant “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.</t>


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<pb/><t>He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”</t>


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<pb/><t>God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says,</t>


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<pb/><t>“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.</t>


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<t>“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.</t>


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<pb/><t>Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”</t>


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<pb/><t>A Song of Praise to the Lord Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands.</t>


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<pb/><t>Join in the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops!</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies.</t>


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<pb/><t>He will say, “I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will level the mountains and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn the rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.</t>


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<pb/><t>But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame.</t>


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<pb/><t>Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the Lord?</t>


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<pb/><t>You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”</t>


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<pb/><t>But his own people have been robbed and plundered, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped. They are fair game for anyone and have no one to protect them, no one to take them back home.</t>


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<pb/><t>Who will hear these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?</t>


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<pb/><t>Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt? It was the Lord, against whom we sinned, for the people would not walk in his path, nor would they obey his law.</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, he poured out his fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were enveloped in flames, but they still refused to understand. They were consumed by fire, but they did not learn their lesson.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Savior of Israel But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.</t>


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<pb/><t>When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.</t>


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<pb/><t>Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth.</t>


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<pb/><t>Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’”</t>


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<pb/><t>Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth?</t>


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<pb/><t>“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be.</t>


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<pb/><t>First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”</t>


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<t>The Lord’s Promise of Victory This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon, forcing the Babylonians to flee in those ships they are so proud of.</t>


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<pb/><t>I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.</t>


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<pb/><t>The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.</t>


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<t>“But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel!</t>


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<pb/><t>You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.</t>


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<pb/><t>You have not brought me fragrant calamus or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.</t>


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<pb/><t>Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case to prove your innocence.</t>


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<pb/><t>From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me; all your leaders broke my laws.</t>


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<pb/><t>That is why I have disgraced your priests; I have decreed complete destruction for Jacob and shame for Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord who made you and helps you says: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.</t>


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<pb/><t>Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the Lord.’ Others will say, ‘I am a descendant of Jacob.’ Some will write the Lord’s name on their hands and will take the name of Israel as their own.”</t>


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<t>The Foolishness of Idols This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.</t>


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<pb/><t>Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.</t>


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<pb/><t>Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!”</t>


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<pb/><t>How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.</t>


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<pb/><t>All who worship idols will be disgraced along with all these craftsmen—mere humans— who claim they can make a god. They may all stand together, but they will stand in terror and shame.</t>


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<pb/><t>The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and weak. It makes him thirsty and faint.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty and puts it in a little shrine.</t>


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<pb/><t>He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the pine in the forest to be nourished by the rain.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it!</t>


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<pb/><t>He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.</t>


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<pb/><t>The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”</t>


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<pb/><t>The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”</t>


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<pb/><t>Restoration for Jerusalem “Pay attention, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel.</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer and Creator: “I am the Lord, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?</t>


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<pb/><t>I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune-tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again,’ and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt; I will restore all your ruins!’</t>


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<pb/><t>When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”</t>


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<t>Cyrus, the Lord’s Chosen One This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.</t>


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<pb/><t>And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.</t>


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<pb/><t>“And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.</t>


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<pb/><t>I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me,</t>


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<pb/><t>so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other.</t>


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<pb/><t>I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the Lord, created them.</t>


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<t>“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’</t>


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<pb/><t>How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, ‘Why was I born?’ or if it said to its mother, ‘Why did you make me this way?’”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says— the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: “Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?</t>


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<pb/><t>I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people— without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”</t>


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<t>Future Conversion of Gentiles This is what the Lord says: “You will rule the Egyptians, the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans. They will come to you with all their merchandise, and it will all be yours. They will follow you as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees in front of you and say, ‘God is with you, and he is the only God. There is no other.’”</t>


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<pb/><t>But the Lord will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation. Throughout everlasting ages, they will never again be humiliated and disgraced.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other.</t>


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<pb/><t>I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I, the Lord, speak only what is true and declare only what is right.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save!</t>


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<pb/><t>Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.”</t>


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<pb/><t>The people will declare, “The Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength.” And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed.</t>


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<pb/><t>In the Lord all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in him they will boast.</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylon’s False Gods Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight.</t>


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<pb/><t>Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.</t>


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<pb/><t>Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it!</t>


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<pb/><t>They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.</t>


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<pb/><t>Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.</t>


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<pb/><t>Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will call a swift bird of prey from the east— a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>Prediction of Babylon’s Fall “Come down, virgin daughter of Babylon, and sit in the dust. For your days of sitting on a throne have ended. O daughter of Babylonia, never again will you be the lovely princess, tender and delicate.</t>


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<pb/><t>Take heavy millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil, and strip off your robe. Expose yourself to public view.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will be naked and burdened with shame. I will take vengeance against you without pity.”</t>


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<pb/><t>“O beautiful Babylon, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I was angry with my chosen people and punished them by letting them fall into your hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You oppressed even the elderly.</t>


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<pb/><t>You said, ‘I will reign forever as queen of the world!’ You did not reflect on your actions or think about their consequences.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Listen to this, you pleasure-loving kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure. You say, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other. I will never be a widow or lose my children.’</t>


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<pb/><t>Well, both these things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic.</t>


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<pb/><t>“You felt secure in your wickedness. ‘No one sees me,’ you said. But your ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’ have led you astray, and you said, ‘I am the only one, and there is no other.’</t>


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<pb/><t>So disaster will overtake you, and you won’t be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won’t be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will strike you suddenly, one for which you are not prepared.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Now use your magical charms! Use the spells you have worked at all these years! Maybe they will do you some good. Maybe they can make someone afraid of you.</t>


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<pb/><t>All the advice you receive has made you tired. Where are all your astrologers, those stargazers who make predictions each month? Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds.</t>


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<pb/><t>But they are like straw burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from the flame. You will get no help from them at all; their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.</t>


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<pb/><t>And all your friends, those with whom you’ve done business since childhood, will go their own ways, turning a deaf ear to your cries.</t>


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<pb/><t>God’s Stubborn People “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t keep your promises,</t>


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<pb/><t>even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. Your heads are as hard as bronze.</t>


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<pb/><t>That is why I told you what would happen; I told you beforehand what I was going to do. Then you could never say, ‘My idols did it. My wooden image and metal god commanded it to happen!’</t>


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<pb/><t>You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are brand new, not things from the past. So you cannot say, ‘We knew that all the time!’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Yes, I will tell you of things that are entirely new, things you never heard of before. For I know so well what traitors you are. You have been rebels from birth.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name, I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will rescue you for my sake— yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols!</t>


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<pb/><t>Freedom from Babylon “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last.</t>


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<pb/><t>It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Have any of your idols ever told you this? Come, all of you, and listen: The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally. He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon and to destroy the Babylonian armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I have said it: I am calling Cyrus! I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.</t>


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<pb/><t>Come closer, and listen to this. From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.” And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit have sent me with this message.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.</t>


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<pb/><t>Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore— too many to count! There would have been no need for your destruction, or for cutting off your family name.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Leave Babylon and the Babylonians. Sing out this message! Shout it to the ends of the earth! The Lord has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert. He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord’s Servant Commissioned Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name.</t>


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<pb/><t>He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.</t>


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<pb/><t>I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.”</t>


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<pb/><t>And now the Lord speaks— the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength.</t>


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<pb/><t>He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: “Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Promises of Israel’s Restoration This is what the Lord says: “At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them. Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel and assign it to its own people again.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the Lord in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters.</t>


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<pb/><t>And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys.</t>


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<pb/><t>See, my people will return from far away, from lands to the north and west, and from as far south as Egypt.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!</t>


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<pb/><t>See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.</t>


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<pb/><t>Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.</t>


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<pb/><t>Look around you and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land will soon be crowded with your people. Your enemies who enslaved you will be far away.</t>


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<pb/><t>The generations born in exile will return and say, ‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’</t>


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<pb/><t>Then you will think to yourself, ‘Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here all alone. Where did all these people come from? Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?’”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms; they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.</t>


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<pb/><t>Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go?</t>


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<pb/><t>But the Lord says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.”</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says: “Was your mother sent away because I divorced her? Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors? No, you were sold because of your sins. And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.</t>


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<pb/><t>Why was no one there when I came? Why didn’t anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.</t>


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<t>The Lord’s Obedient Servant The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away.</t>


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<pb/><t>I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting.</t>


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<pb/><t>Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.</t>


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<pb/><t>He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against me now? Where are my accusers? Let them appear!</t>


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<pb/><t>See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!</t>


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<pb/><t>Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.</t>


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<pb/><t>But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.</t>


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<pb/><t>A Call to Trust the Lord “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance— all who seek the Lord! Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation. Abraham was only one man when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation.”</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins. Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>My mercy and justice are coming soon. My salvation is on the way. My strong arm will bring justice to the nations. All distant lands will look to me and wait in hope for my powerful arm.</t>


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<pb/><t>Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!</t>


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<pb/><t>“Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.</t>


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<pb/><t>Are you not the same today, the one who dried up the sea, making a path of escape through the depths so that your people could cross over?</t>


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<pb/><t>“I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone!</t>


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<pb/><t>Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!</t>


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<pb/><t>For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<t>And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my people!’”</t>


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<pb/><t>Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops.</t>


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<pb/><t>These two calamities have fallen on you: desolation and destruction, famine and war. And who is left to sympathize with you? Who is left to comfort you?</t>


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<pb/><t>For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The Lord has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them.</t>


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<pb/><t>But now listen to this, you afflicted ones who sit in a drunken stupor, though not from drinking wine.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Sovereign Lord, your God and Defender, says: “See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury.</t>


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<pb/><t>Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors, those who said, ‘We will trample you into the dust and walk on your backs.’”</t>


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<t>Deliverance for Jerusalem Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.</t>


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<pb/><t>Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.</t>


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<pb/><t>For this is what the Lord says: “When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you.”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria.</t>


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<pb/><t>What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.”</t>


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<pb/><t>How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!</t>


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<pb/><t>The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.</t>


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<pb/><t>Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.</t>


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<pb/><t>Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves, you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.</t>


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<pb/><t>But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.</t>


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<pb/><t>And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about.</t>


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<pb/><t>My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.</t>


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<pb/><t>He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!</t>


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<pb/><t>But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.</t>


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<pb/><t>All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.</t>


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<pb/><t>He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.</t>


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<pb/><t>Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.</t>


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<pb/><t>He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.</t>


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<pb/><t>But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.</t>


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<pb/><t>When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.</t>


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<pb/><t>Future Glory for Jerusalem “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood.</t>


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<pb/><t>For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the Lord has called you back from your grief— as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God.</t>


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<pb/><t>In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.</t>


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<pb/><t>“O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near.</t>


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<pb/><t>If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.</t>


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<pb/><t>But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/><t>Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!</t>


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<pb/><t>Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.</t>


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<pb/><t>See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.</t>


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<pb/><t>“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.</t>


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<pb/><t>For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.</t>


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<pb/><t>It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!</t>


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<pb/><t>Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Blessings for All Nations This is what the Lord says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you.</t>


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<pb/><t>Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’</t>


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<pb/><t>For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will give them—within the walls of my house— a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!</t>


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<pb/><t>“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”</t>


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<t>Sinful Leaders Condemned Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people!</t>


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<pb/><t>For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.</t>


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<pb/><t>Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk. Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!”</t>


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<t>Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.</t>


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<pb/><t>Idolatrous Worship Condemned “But you—come here, you witches’ children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!</t>


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<pb/><t>Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars!</t>


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<pb/><t>You worship your idols with great passion beneath the oaks and under every green tree. You sacrifice your children down in the valleys, among the jagged rocks in the cliffs.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with liquid offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Do you think all this makes me happy?</t>


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<pb/><t>You have committed adultery on every high mountain. There you have worshiped idols and have been unfaithful to me.</t>


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<pb/><t>You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies.</t>


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<pb/><t>You have gone to Molech with olive oil and many perfumes, sending your agents far and wide, even to the world of the dead.</t>


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<pb/><t>You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. Desire gave you renewed strength, and you did not grow weary.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you? Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words? Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me?</t>


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<pb/><t>Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help. Why, a puff of wind can knock them down! If you just breathe on them, they fall over! But whoever trusts in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.”</t>


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<pb/><t>God Forgives the Repentant God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.”</t>


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<pb/><t>The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made.</t>


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<pb/><t>I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn,</t>


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<pb/><t>bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt.</t>


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<pb/><t>True and False Worship “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins!</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.</t>


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<pb/><t>‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.</t>


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<pb/><t>What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.</t>


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<pb/><t>You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?</t>


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<pb/><t>“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.</t>


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<pb/><t>Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!</t>


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<pb/><t>Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.</t>


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<pb/><t>Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Warnings against Sin Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.</t>


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<pb/><t>It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption.</t>


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<pb/><t>No one cares about being fair and honest. The people’s lawsuits are based on lies. They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin.</t>


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<pb/><t>They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders’ webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; whoever cracks them will hatch a viper.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their webs can’t be made into clothing, and nothing they do is productive. All their activity is filled with sin, and violence is their trademark.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Misery and destruction always follow them.</t>


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<pb/><t>They don’t know where to find peace or what it means to be just and good. They have mapped out crooked roads, and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace.</t>


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<t>So there is no justice among us, and we know nothing about right living. We look for light but find only darkness. We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.</t>


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<pb/><t>We grope like the blind along a wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. Even at brightest noontime, we stumble as though it were dark. Among the living, we are like the dead.</t>


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<pb/><t>We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it never comes. We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.</t>


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<pb/><t>For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are.</t>


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<pb/><t>We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord. We have turned our backs on our God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies.</t>


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<pb/><t>Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The Lord looked and was displeased to find there was no justice.</t>


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<t>He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.</t>


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<pb/><t>He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.</t>


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<pb/><t>He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes. He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.</t>


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<pb/><t>In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,” says the Lord.</t>


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“And this is my covenant with them,”</t> says the Lord. <t>“My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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<pb/><t>Future Glory for Jerusalem “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.</t>


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<pb/><t>Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands.</t>


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<pb/><t>Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense and will come worshiping the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. I will accept their offerings, and I will make my Temple glorious.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are ships from the ends of the earth, from lands that trust in me, led by the great ships of Tarshish. They are bringing the people of Israel home from far away, carrying their silver and gold. They will honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has filled you with splendor.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Foreigners will come to rebuild your towns, and their kings will serve you. For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will now have mercy on you through my grace.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your gates will stay open day and night to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The glory of Lebanon will be yours— the forests of cypress, fir, and pine— to beautify my sanctuary. My Temple will be glorious!</t>


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<pb/><t>The descendants of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the Lord, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations.</t>


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<pb/><t>Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler.</t>


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<pb/><t>Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.</t>


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<pb/><t>“No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.</t>


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<pb/><t>All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory.</t>


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<pb/><t>The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Good News for the Oppressed The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.</t>


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<pb/><t>He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.</t>


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<pb/><t>To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.</t>


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<pb/><t>Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.</t>


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<pb/><t>Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.</t>


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<pb/><t>“For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”</t>


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<pb/><t>I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.</t>


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<pb/><t>Isaiah’s Prayer for Jerusalem Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.</t>


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<pb/><t>The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.</t>


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<pb/><t>Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem, just as a young man commits himself to his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: “I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and new wine.</t>


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<pb/><t>You raised the grain, and you will eat it, praising the Lord. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord has sent this message to every land: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”</t>


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<pb/><t>They will be called “The Holy People” and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.” And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place” and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Judgment against the Lord’s Enemies Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength? “It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation! It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!”</t>


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<pb/><t>“I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes.</t>


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<pb/><t>I was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm, and my wrath sustained me.</t>


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<pb/><t>I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground, spilling their blood upon the earth.”</t>


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<t>Praise for Deliverance I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love.</t>


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<pb/><t>He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.” And he became their Savior.</t>


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<pb/><t>In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.</t>


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<pb/><t>But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he became their enemy and fought against them.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people?</t>


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<pb/><t>Where is the one whose power was displayed when Moses lifted up his hand— the one who divided the sea before them, making himself famous forever?</t>


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<pb/><t>Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling.</t>


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<pb/><t>As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. You led your people, Lord, and gained a magnificent reputation.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Prayer for Mercy and Pardon Lord, look down from heaven; look from your holy, glorious home, and see us. Where is the passion and the might you used to show on our behalf? Where are your mercy and compassion now?</t>


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<pb/><t>Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, Lord, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past.</t>


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<pb/><t>Lord, why have you allowed us to turn from your path? Why have you given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear you? Return and help us, for we are your servants, the tribes that are your special possession.</t>


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<pb/><t>How briefly your holy people possessed your holy place, and now our enemies have destroyed it.</t>


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<pb/><t>Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you, as though we had never been known as your people.</t>


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<t>Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence!</t>


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<pb/><t>As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!</t>


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<pb/><t>When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked!</t>


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<pb/><t>For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!</t>


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<pb/><t>You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways. But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly. We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved?</t>


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<pb/><t>We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.</t>


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<pb/><t>And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.</t>


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<pb/><t>Don’t be so angry with us, Lord. Please don’t remember our sins forever. Look at us, we pray, and see that we are all your people.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your holy cities are destroyed. Zion is a wilderness; yes, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin.</t>


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<pb/><t>The holy and beautiful Temple where our ancestors praised you has been burned down, and all the things of beauty are destroyed.</t>


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<pb/><t>After all this, Lord, must you still refuse to help us? Will you continue to be silent and punish us?</t>


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<pb/><t>Judgment and Final Salvation The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.</t>


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<pb/><t>All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.</t>


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<pb/><t>All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars.</t>


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<pb/><t>At night they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs and make stews with other forbidden foods.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Look, my decree is written out in front of me: I will not stand silent; I will repay them in full! Yes, I will repay them—</t>


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<pb/><t>both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors,” says the Lord. “For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will pay them back in full!</t>


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<pb/><t>“But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there.</t>


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<pb/><t>The plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks for my people who have searched for me, and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord and have forgotten his Temple, and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny,</t>


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<pb/><t>now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword. All of you will bow down before the executioner. For when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes— and chose to do what you know I despise.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “My servants will eat, but you will starve. My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. My servants will rejoice, but you will be sad and ashamed.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your name will be a curse word among my people, for the Sovereign Lord will destroy you and will call his true servants by another name.</t>


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<pb/><t>All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.</t>


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<pb/><t>Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.</t>


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<pb/><t>“No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young!</t>


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<pb/><t>In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.</t>


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<pb/><t>Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!</t>


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<pb/><t>The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place?</t>


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<pb/><t>My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.</t>


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<pb/><t>But those who choose their own ways— delighting in their detestable sins— will not have their offerings accepted. When such people sacrifice a bull, it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice. When they sacrifice a lamb, it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog! When they bring an offering of grain, they might as well offer the blood of a pig. When they burn frankincense, it’s as if they had blessed an idol.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will send them great trouble— all the things they feared. For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Hear this message from the Lord, all you who tremble at his words: “Your own people hate you and throw you out for being loyal to my name. ‘Let the Lord be honored!’ they scoff. ‘Be joyful in him!’ But they will be put to shame.</t>


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<pb/><t>What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against his enemies.</t>


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<pb/><t>Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born.</t>


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<pb/><t>Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord. “No! I would never keep this nation from being born,” says your God.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Rejoice with Jerusalem! Be glad with her, all you who love her and all you who mourn for her.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the nations will flow to her. Her children will be nursed at her breasts, carried in her arms, and held on her lap.</t>


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<pb/><t>When you see these things, your heart will rejoice. You will flourish like the grass! Everyone will see the Lord’s hand of blessing on his servants— and his anger against his enemies.</t>


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<pb/><t>See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind. He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord will punish the world by fire and by his sword. He will judge the earth, and many will be killed by him.</t>


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“Those who ‘consecrate’ and ‘purify’ themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center—feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats—will come to a terrible end,”</t> says the Lord.


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“I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory.


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I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations.


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They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”</t> says the Lord.


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“As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear,”</t> says the Lord.


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And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out. All who pass by will view them with utter horror.”</t>


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<pb/>These are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests from the town of Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.


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The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.


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The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives.


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<t>“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”</t>


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The Lord replied, <t>“Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.


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And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, <t>“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!


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Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”</t>


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Then the Lord said to me, <t>“Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?”</t> And I replied, <t>“I see a branch from an almond tree.”</t>


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And the Lord said, <t>“That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?” And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”


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Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord, have spoken! <t>“They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah.


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I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil— for deserting me and burning incense to other gods. Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!


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<pb/>“Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.


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For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land— the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah.


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They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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“Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says: <t>“I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.


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In those days Israel was holy to the Lord, the first of his children. All who harmed his people were declared guilty, and disaster fell on them. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.</t>


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<pb/><t>They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness— a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels?’</t>


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<pb/><t>“And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you.</t>


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<pb/><t>The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idols.</t>


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<t>Therefore, I will bring my case against you,” says the Lord. “I will even bring charges against your children’s children in the years to come.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Go west and look in the land of Cyprus; go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone ever heard of anything as strange as this?</t>


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<pb/><t>Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!</t>


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<pb/><t>The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!</t>


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<t>The Results of Israel’s Sin “Why has Israel become a slave? Why has he been carried away as plunder?</t>


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<pb/><t>Strong lions have roared against him, and the land has been destroyed. The towns are now in ruins, and no one lives in them anymore.</t>


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<pb/><t>Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes, have destroyed Israel’s glory and power.</t>


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<pb/><t>And you have brought this upon yourselves by rebelling against the Lord your God, even though he was leading you on the way!</t>


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<pb/><t>“What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and your covenants with Assyria? What good to you are the streams of the Nile or the waters of the Euphrates River?</t>


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<pb/><t>Your wickedness will bring its own punishment. Your turning from me will shame you. You will see what an evil, bitter thing it is to abandon the Lord your God and not to fear him. I, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!</t>


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<t>“Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?</t>


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<pb/><t>No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/><t>Israel, an Unfaithful Wife “You say, ‘That’s not true! I haven’t worshiped the images of Baal!’ But how can you say that? Go and look in any valley in the land! Face the awful sins you have done. You are like a restless female camel desperately searching for a mate.</t>


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<pb/><t>You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. Who can restrain her lust? Those who desire her don’t need to search, for she goes running to them!</t>


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<pb/><t>When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, ‘Save your breath. I’m in love with these foreign gods, and I can’t stop loving them now!’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this.</t>


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<pb/><t>To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, ‘You are my father.’ To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say, ‘You are my mother.’ They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘Come and save us!’</t>


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<pb/><t>But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah.</t>


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<pb/><t>Why do you accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I have punished your children, but they did not respond to my discipline. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey.</t>


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<pb/><t>“O my people, listen to the words of the Lord! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!’</t>


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<pb/><t>Does a young woman forget her jewelry, or a bride her wedding dress? Yet for years on end my people have forgotten me.</t>


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<pb/><t>“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!</t>


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<pb/><t>Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses!</t>


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<pb/><t>And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned.</t>


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<pb/><t>First here, then there— you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before.</t>


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<pb/><t>In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all.</t>


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<t>“If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Look at the shrines on every hilltop. Is there any place you have not been defiled by your adultery with other gods? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer. You sit alone like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and your wickedness.</t>


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<pb/><t>That’s why even the spring rains have failed. For you are a brazen prostitute and completely shameless.</t>


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<pb/><t>Surely you won’t be angry forever! Surely you can forget about it!’ So you talk, but you keep on doing all the evil you can.”</t>


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Judah Follows Israel’s Example During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, <t>“Have you seen what fickle Israel has done? Like a wife who commits adultery, Israel has worshiped other gods on every hill and under every green tree.


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I thought, ‘After she has done all this, she will return to me.’ But she did not return, and her faithless sister Judah saw this.


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She saw that I divorced faithless Israel because of her adultery. But that treacherous sister Judah had no fear, and now she, too, has left me and given herself to prostitution.


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Israel treated it all so lightly—she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been polluted.


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But despite all this, her faithless sister Judah has never sincerely returned to me. She has only pretended to be sorry. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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Hope for Wayward Israel Then the Lord said to me, <t>“Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah!


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Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says: <t>“O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever.</t>


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<t>Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/>“Return home, you wayward children,” says the Lord, “for I am your master. I will bring you back to the land of Israel— one from this town and two from that family— from wherever you are scattered.


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And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.


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“And when your land is once more filled with people,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“you will no longer wish for ‘the good old days’ when you possessed the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark.


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In that day Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Throne of the Lord.’ All nations will come there to honor the Lord. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil desires.


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In those days the people of Judah and Israel will return together from exile in the north. They will return to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance forever.


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<t>“I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land— the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me.</t>


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<pb/><t>But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the Lord their God.</t>


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<pb/><t>“My wayward children,” says the Lord, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.” “Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply, “for you are the Lord our God.</t>


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<pb/><t>Our worship of idols on the hills and our religious orgies on the mountains are a delusion. Only in the Lord our God will Israel ever find salvation.</t>


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<pb/><t>From childhood we have watched as everything our ancestors worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters— was squandered on a delusion.</t>


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<pb/><t>Let us now lie down in shame and cover ourselves with dishonor, for we and our ancestors have sinned against the Lord our God. From our childhood to this day we have never obeyed him.”</t>


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<t>“O Israel,” says the Lord, “if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Coming Judgment against Judah This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.</t>


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<pb/><t>O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.</t>


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<t>“Shout to Judah, and broadcast to Jerusalem! Tell them to sound the alarm throughout the land: ‘Run for your lives! Flee to the fortified cities!’</t>


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<pb/><t>Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem: ‘Flee now! Do not delay!’ For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you from the north.”</t>


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<pb/><t>A lion stalks from its den, a destroyer of nations. It has left its lair and is headed your way. It’s going to devastate your land! Your towns will lie in ruins, with no one living in them anymore.</t>


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<pb/><t>So put on clothes of mourning and weep with broken hearts, for the fierce anger of the Lord is still upon us.</t>


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<pb/><t>“In that day,” says the Lord, “the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled.”</t>


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Then I said, <t>“O Sovereign Lord, the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!”</t>


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The time is coming when the Lord will say to the people of Jerusalem, <t>“My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain.</t>


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<pb/><t>Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds! His chariots are like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!</t>


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<pb/><t>O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?</t>


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<pb/><t>“Warn the surrounding nations and announce this to Jerusalem: The enemy is coming from a distant land, raising a battle cry against the towns of Judah.</t>


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<pb/><t>They surround Jerusalem like watchmen around a field, for my people have rebelled against me,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Jeremiah Weeps for His People My heart, my heart—I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries.</t>


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<pb/><t>Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed.</t>


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<t>“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Jeremiah’s Vision of Coming Disaster I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless. I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.</t>


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<pb/><t>I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness. The towns lay in ruins, crushed by the Lord’s fierce anger.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “The whole land will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.</t>


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<pb/><t>The earth will mourn and the heavens will be draped in black because of my decree against my people. I have made up my mind and will not change it.”</t>


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<pb/><t>At the noise of charioteers and archers, the people flee in terror. They hide in the bushes and run for the mountains. All the towns have been abandoned— not a person remains!</t>


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<pb/><t>What are you doing, you who have been plundered? Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing and put on gold jewelry? Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara? Your primping will do you no good! The allies who were your lovers despise you and seek to kill you.</t>


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<pb/><t>I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, “Help! I’m being murdered!”</t>


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<pb/><t>The Sins of Judah “Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city.</t>


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<pb/><t>But even when they are under oath, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Lord, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the Lord. They don’t understand God’s laws.</t>


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<pb/><t>So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains.</t>


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<pb/><t>So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many.</t>


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<t>“How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels.</t>


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<pb/><t>Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord. “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?</t>


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<pb/><t>“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the Lord.</t>


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<t>“They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine.</t>


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<pb/><t>God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’”</t>


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<t>Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says: “Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,” says the Lord. “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will devour the food of your harvest; they will devour your sons and daughters. They will devour your flocks and herds; they will devour your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified towns, which you think are so safe.</t>


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“And when your people ask, ‘Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’


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<pb/><t>Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.</t>


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<pb/><t>Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.</t>


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<pb/><t>But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me.</t>


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<pb/><t>They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’</t>


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<pb/><t>Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people.</t>


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<pb/><t>Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.</t>


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<pb/><t>the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?</t>


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<pb/><t>Jerusalem’s Last Warning “Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem! A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction.</t>


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<pb/><t>Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city. Each chooses a place for his troops to devour.</t>


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<pb/><t>They shout, ‘Prepare for battle! Attack at noon!’ ‘No, it’s too late; the day is fading, and the evening shadows are falling.’</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through.</t>


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<pb/><t>She spouts evil like a fountain. Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction. I always see her sickness and sores.</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn from you in disgust. Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins, a land where no one lives.”</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Even the few who remain in Israel will be picked over again, as when a harvester checks each vine a second time to pick the grapes that were missed.”</t>


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<t>Judah’s Constant Rebellion To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the Lord. They don’t want to listen at all.</t>


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<pb/><t>So now I am filled with the Lord’s fury. Yes, I am tired of holding it in! “I will pour out my fury on children playing in the streets and on gatherings of young men, on husbands and wives and on those who are old and gray.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their homes will be turned over to their enemies, as will their fields and their wives. For I will raise my powerful fist against the people of this land,” says the Lord.</t>


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<t>“From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds.</t>


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<pb/><t>They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.</t>


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<pb/><t>Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>Judah Rejects the Lord’s Way This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’</t>


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<t>I posted watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’ But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention!’</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen, all the earth! I will bring disaster on my people. It is the fruit of their own schemes, because they refuse to listen to me. They have rejected my word.</t>


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<pb/><t>There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba. Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands! I will not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I will put obstacles in my people’s path. Fathers and sons will both fall over them. Neighbors and friends will die together.”</t>


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<pb/><t>An Invasion from the North This is what the Lord says: “Look! A great army coming from the north! A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like a roaring sea as they ride forward on horses. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem.”</t>


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<pb/><t>We have heard reports about the enemy, and we wring our hands in fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped us, like those of a woman in labor.</t>


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<pb/><t>Don’t go out to the fields! Don’t travel on the roads! The enemy’s sword is everywhere and terrorizes us at every turn!</t>


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<pb/><t>Oh, my people, dress yourselves in burlap and sit among the ashes. Mourn and weep bitterly, as for the loss of an only son. For suddenly the destroying armies will be upon you!</t>


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<t>“Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals, that you may determine the quality of my people.</t>


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<t>They are the worst kind of rebel, full of slander. They are as hard as bronze and iron, and they lead others into corruption.</t>


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<pb/><t>The bellows fiercely fan the flames to burn out the corruption. But it does not purify them, for the wickedness remains.</t>


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“Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here!


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This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: <t>“‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land.


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But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, <t>“The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”</t>


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But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice;


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only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols.


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<pb/>“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie!


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Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours,


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and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, <t>“We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again?


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Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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“‘Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites.


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While you were doing these wicked things, says the Lord, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer.


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So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors.


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And I will send you out of my sight into exile, just as I did your relatives, the people of Israel.’


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<pb/>Judah’s Persistent Idolatry “Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, and don’t beg me to help them, for I will not listen to you.


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No wonder I am so angry! Watch how the children gather wood and the fathers build sacrificial fires. See how the women knead dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. And they pour out liquid offerings to their other idol gods!


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Am I the one they are hurting?”</t> asks the Lord. <t>“Most of all, they hurt themselves, to their own shame.”</t>


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So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: <t>“I will pour out my terrible fury on this place. Its people, animals, trees, and crops will be consumed by the unquenchable fire of my anger.”</t>


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<pb/>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves!


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When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them.


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This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’


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“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.


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From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out.


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But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.


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<pb/>“Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.


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Say to them, ‘This is the nation whose people will not obey the Lord their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips.


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Shave your head in mourning, and weep alone on the mountains. For the Lord has rejected and forsaken this generation that has provoked his fury.’


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<pb/>The Valley of Slaughter “The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes,” says the Lord. “They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it.


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They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!


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So beware, for the time is coming,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them.


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The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away.


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I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.


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“In that day,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem.


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They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars—the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure.


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And the people of this evil nation who survive will wish to die rather than live where I will send them. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!


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<t>Deception by False Prophets “Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again? When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?</t>


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<pb/><t>Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back? They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around.</t>


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<pb/><t>I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!</t>


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<pb/><t>Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord’s laws.</t>


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<pb/><t>“‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,” when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?</t>


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<pb/><t>These wise teachers will fall into the trap of their own foolishness, for they have rejected the word of the Lord. Are they so wise after all?</t>


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<pb/><t>I will give their wives to others and their farms to strangers. From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that. They are all frauds.</t>


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<pb/><t>Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will surely consume them. There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes. Their fruit trees will all die. Whatever I gave them will soon be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken!’</t>


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<t>“Then the people will say, ‘Why should we wait here to die? Come, let’s go to the fortified towns and die there. For the Lord our God has decreed our destruction and has given us a cup of poison to drink because we sinned against the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“The snorting of the enemies’ warhorses can be heard all the way from the land of Dan in the north! The neighing of their stallions makes the whole land tremble. They are coming to devour the land and everything in it— cities and people alike.</t>


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<t>I will send these enemy troops among you like poisonous snakes you cannot charm. They will bite you, and you will die. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. “Has the Lord abandoned Jerusalem?” the people ask. “Is her King no longer there?” “Oh, why have they provoked my anger with their carved idols and their worthless foreign gods?” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The harvest is finished, and the summer is gone,” the people cry, “yet we are not saved!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?</t>


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<t>If only my head were a pool of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night for all my people who have been slaughtered.</t>


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<pb/><t>Oh, that I could go away and forget my people and live in a travelers’ shack in the desert. For they are all adulterers— a pack of treacherous liars.</t>


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<t>Judgment for Disobedience “My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot out lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth. They only go from bad to worse. They do not know me,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Beware of your neighbor! Don’t even trust your brother! For brother takes advantage of brother, and friend slanders friend.</t>


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<pb/><t>They all fool and defraud each other; no one tells the truth. With practiced tongues they tell lies; they wear themselves out with all their sinning.</t>


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<t>Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “See, I will melt them down in a crucible and test them like metal. What else can I do with my people?</t>


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<pb/><t>For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows. They speak friendly words to their neighbors while scheming in their heart to kill them.</t>


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<pb/><t>Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord. “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”</t>


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<t>I will weep for the mountains and wail for the wilderness pastures. For they are desolate and empty of life; the lowing of cattle is heard no more; the birds and wild animals have all fled.</t>


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<t>“I will make Jerusalem into a heap of ruins,” says the Lord. “It will be a place haunted by jackals. The towns of Judah will be ghost towns, with no one living in them.”</t>


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<t>Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it to others? Why has the land been so ruined that no one dares to travel through it?</t>


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The Lord replies, <t>“This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said.


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Instead, they have stubbornly followed their own desires and worshiped the images of Baal, as their ancestors taught them.


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So now, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink.


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I will scatter them around the world, in places they and their ancestors never heard of, and even there I will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.”</t>


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<pb/>Weeping in Jerusalem This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Consider all this, and call for the mourners. Send for the women who mourn at funerals.</t>


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<pb/>Hear the people of Jerusalem crying in despair, ‘We are ruined! We are completely humiliated! We must leave our land, because our homes have been torn down.’”</t>


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Listen, you women, to the words of the Lord; open your ears to what he has to say. Teach your daughters to wail; teach one another how to lament.</t>


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<pb/>For death has crept in through our windows and has entered our mansions. It has killed off the flower of our youth: Children no longer play in the streets, and young men no longer gather in the squares.</t>


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<pb/>This is what the Lord says: “Bodies will be scattered across the fields like clumps of manure, like bundles of grain after the harvest. No one will be left to bury them.”</t>


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This is what the Lord says: <t>“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.</t>


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<pb/>But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/>“A time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit—


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the Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, the people who live in the desert in remote places, and yes, even the people of Judah. And like all these pagan nations, the people of Israel also have uncircumcised hearts.”</t>


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This is what the Lord says: <t>“Do not act like the other nations, who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them.</t>


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<pb/><t>They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.</t>


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<pb/><t>People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!</t>


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<pb/><t>They bring beaten sheets of silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz, and they give these materials to skillful craftsmen who make their idols. Then they dress these gods in royal blue and purple robes made by expert tailors.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.</t>


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<pb/><t>Say this to those who worship other gods: “Your so-called gods, who did not make the heavens and earth, will vanish from the earth and from under the heavens.”</t>


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<pb/><t>But the Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.</t>


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<pb/><t>When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.</t>


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<pb/><t>The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power.</t>


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<pb/><t>Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including Israel, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!</t>


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<pb/><t>For this is what the Lord says: “Suddenly, I will fling out all you who live in this land. I will pour great troubles upon you, and at last you will feel my anger.”</t>


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<pb/><t>My wound is severe, and my grief is great. My sickness is incurable, but I must bear it.</t>


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<pb/><t>My home is gone, and no one is left to help me rebuild it. My children have been taken away, and I will never see them again.</t>


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<pb/><t>The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the Lord. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered.</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen! Hear the terrifying roar of great armies as they roll down from the north. The towns of Judah will be destroyed and become a haunt for jackals.</t>


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<pb/><t>Jeremiah’s Prayer I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.</t>


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<pb/><t>Pour out your wrath on the nations that refuse to acknowledge you— on the peoples that do not call upon your name. For they have devoured your people Israel; they have devoured and consumed them, making the land a desolate wilderness.</t>


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Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of my covenant!


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For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, <t>“If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.”</t>


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I said this so I could keep my promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey—the land you live in today.’”</t> Then I replied, <t>“Amen, Lord! May it be so.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the Lord said, “Broadcast this message in the streets of Jerusalem. Go from town to town throughout the land and say, ‘Remember the ancient covenant, and do everything it requires.


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For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, <t>“Obey me!”</t> I have repeated this warning over and over to this day,


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but your ancestors did not listen or even pay attention. Instead, they stubbornly followed their own evil desires. And because they refused to obey, I brought upon them all the curses described in this covenant.’”</t>


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<pb/>Again the Lord spoke to me and said, “I have discovered a conspiracy against me among the people of Judah and Jerusalem.


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They have returned to the sins of their ancestors. They have refused to listen to me and are worshiping other gods. Israel and Judah have both broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.


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Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am going to bring calamity upon them, and they will not escape. Though they beg for mercy, I will not listen to their cries.


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Then the people of Judah and Jerusalem will pray to their idols and burn incense before them. But the idols will not save them when disaster strikes!


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Look now, people of Judah; you have as many gods as you have towns. You have as many altars of shame—altars for burning incense to your god Baal—as there are streets in Jerusalem.


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“Pray no more for these people, Jeremiah. Do not weep or pray for them, for I will not listen to them when they cry out to me in distress.


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<pb/><t>“What right do my beloved people have to come to my Temple, when they have done so many immoral things? Can their vows and sacrifices prevent their destruction? They actually rejoice in doing evil!</t>


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<pb/><t>I, the Lord, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit. But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed. For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil, arousing my anger by burning incense to Baal.”</t>


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<t>A Plot against Jeremiah Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me.</t>


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<pb/><t>I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.”</t>


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<pb/><t>O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.</t>


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This is what the Lord says about the men of Anathoth who wanted me dead. They had said, <t>“We will kill you if you do not stop prophesying in the Lord’s name.”</t>


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So this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says about them: <t>“I will punish them! Their young men will die in battle, and their boys and girls will starve to death.


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Not one of these plotters from Anathoth will survive, for I will bring disaster upon them when their time of punishment comes.”</t>


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<t>Jeremiah Questions the Lord’s Justice Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?</t>


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<pb/><t>You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts.</t>


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<pb/><t>But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!</t>


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<pb/><t>How long must this land mourn? Even the grass in the fields has withered. The wild animals and birds have disappeared because of the evil in the land. For the people have said, “The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us!”</t>


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<t>The Lord’s Reply to Jeremiah “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?</t>


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<pb/><t>Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies.</t>


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<pb/><t>My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated them with contempt.</t>


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<pb/><t>My chosen people act like speckled vultures, but they themselves are surrounded by vultures. Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!</t>


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<pb/><t>“Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard, trampling down the vines and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.</t>


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<pb/><t>They have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares.</t>


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<pb/><t>On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the Lord devours people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape!</t>


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<pb/><t>My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”</t>


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A Message for Israel’s Neighbors Now this is what the Lord says: <t>“I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them.


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But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession.


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And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people.


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But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah’s Linen Loincloth This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.”


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“Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.”</t>


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A long time afterward the Lord said to me, <t>“Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.”</t>


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So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.


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These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing!


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As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.


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<pb/>“So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: May all your jars be filled with wine.’ And they will reply, ‘Of course! Jars are made to be filled with wine!’


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“Then tell them, ‘No, this is what the Lord means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness—from the king sitting on David’s throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem.


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I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the Lord. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.’”</t>


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<pb/><t>A Warning against Pride Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.</t>


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<pb/><t>Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when you look for light, you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.</t>


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<pb/><t>And if you still refuse to listen, I will weep alone because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.</t>


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<t>Say to the king and his mother, “Come down from your thrones and sit in the dust, for your glorious crowns will soon be snatched from your heads.”</t>


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<pb/><t>The towns of the Negev will close their gates, and no one will be able to open them. The people of Judah will be taken away as captives. All will be carried into exile.</t>


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<t>Open up your eyes and see the armies marching down from the north! Where is your flock— your beautiful flock— that he gave you to care for?</t>


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<pb/><t>What will you say when the Lord takes the allies you have cultivated and appoints them as your rulers? Pangs of anguish will grip you, like those of a woman in labor!</t>


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<pb/><t>You may ask yourself, “Why is all this happening to me?” It is because of your many sins! That is why you have been stripped and raped by invading armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin? Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is your allotment, the portion I have assigned to you,” says the Lord, “for you have forgotten me, putting your trust in false gods.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have seen your adultery and lust, and your disgusting idol worship out in the fields and on the hills. What sorrow awaits you, Jerusalem! How long before you are pure?”</t>


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<pb/><t>Judah’s Terrible Drought This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord, explaining why he was holding back the rain:</t>


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<t>“Judah wilts; commerce at the city gates grinds to a halt. All the people sit on the ground in mourning, and a great cry rises from Jerusalem.</t>


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<pb/><t>The nobles send servants to get water, but all the wells are dry. The servants return with empty pitchers, confused and desperate, covering their heads in grief.</t>


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<pb/><t>The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain. The farmers are deeply troubled; they, too, cover their heads.</t>


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<pb/><t>The wild donkeys stand on the bare hills panting like thirsty jackals. They strain their eyes looking for grass, but there is none to be found.”</t>


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<t>The people say, “Our wickedness has caught up with us, Lord, but help us for the sake of your own reputation. We have turned away from you and sinned against you again and again.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Hope of Israel, our Savior in times of trouble, why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler passing through the land, stopping only for the night?</t>


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<pb/><t>Are you also confused? Is our champion helpless to save us? You are right here among us, Lord. We are known as your people. Please don’t abandon us now!”</t>


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So this is what the Lord says to his people: <t>“You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves. Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people. Now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins.”</t>


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The Lord Forbids Jeremiah to Intercede Then the Lord said to me, <t>“Do not pray for these people anymore.


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When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”</t>


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<pb/>Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, their prophets are telling them, ‘All is well—no war or famine will come. The Lord will surely send you peace.’”


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<pb/>Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.


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Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!


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As for the people to whom they prophesy—their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters—all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them.


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<t>Now, Jeremiah, say this to them: “Night and day my eyes overflow with tears. I cannot stop weeping, for my virgin daughter—my precious people— has been struck down and lies mortally wounded.</t>


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<pb/><t>If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy. If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation. The prophets and priests continue with their work, but they don’t know what they’re doing.”</t>


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<t>A Prayer for Healing Lord, have you completely rejected Judah? Do you really hate Jerusalem? Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing? We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.</t>


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<pb/><t>Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us.</t>


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<pb/><t>Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.</t>


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Judah’s Inevitable Doom Then the Lord said to me, <t>“Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn’t help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight!


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And if they say to you, ‘But where can we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: <t>“‘Those who are destined for death, to death; those who are destined for war, to war; those who are destined for famine, to famine; those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’</t>


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“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,”</t> says the Lord. <t>“I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left.


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Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.


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<pb/><t>“Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will weep for you? Who will even bother to ask how you are?</t>


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<pb/><t>You have abandoned me and turned your back on me,” says the Lord. “Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you. I am tired of always giving you another chance.</t>


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<t>I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities and take away the children you hold dear. I will destroy my own people, because they refuse to change their evil ways.</t>


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<pb/><t>There will be more widows than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noontime I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will cause anguish and terror to come upon them suddenly.</t>


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<pb/><t>The mother of seven grows faint and gasps for breath; her sun has gone down while it is still day. She sits childless now, disgraced and humiliated. And I will hand over those who are left to be killed by the enemy. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<t>Jeremiah’s Complaint Then I said, “What sorrow is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go. I am neither a lender who threatens to foreclose nor a borrower who refuses to pay— yet they all curse me.”</t>


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<t>The Lord replied, “I will take care of you, Jeremiah. Your enemies will ask you to plead on their behalf in times of trouble and distress.</t>


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<pb/><t>At no cost to them, I will hand over your wealth and treasures as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever.”</t>


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<t>Then I said, “Lord, you know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors! Please give me time; don’t let me die young. It’s for your sake that I am suffering.</t>


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<pb/><t>When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I was filled with indignation at their sins.</t>


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<pb/><t>Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”</t>


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<t>This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!</t>


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<pb/><t>They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”</t>


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For this is what the Lord says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers:


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They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.”</t>


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<pb/>Judah’s Coming Punishment This is what the Lord says: “Do not go to funerals to mourn and show sympathy for these people, for I have removed my protection and peace from them. I have taken away my unfailing love and my mercy.


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Both the great and the lowly will die in this land. No one will bury them or mourn for them. Their friends will not cut themselves in sorrow or shave their heads in sadness.


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No one will offer a meal to comfort those who mourn for the dead—not even at the death of a mother or father. No one will send a cup of wine to console them.


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For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: In your own lifetime, before your very eyes, I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in this land. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard.


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“When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the Lord our God?’


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“Then you will give them the Lord’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word.


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And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me.


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So I will throw you out of this land and send you into a foreign land where you and your ancestors have never been. There you can worship idols day and night—and I will grant you no favors!’


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<pb/>Hope despite the Disaster “But the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’


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Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.


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<pb/>“But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them,” says the Lord. “I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves.


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I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Jeremiah’s Prayer of Confidence Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols.</t>


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<t>The Lord says, “Now I will show them my power; now I will show them my might. At last they will know and understand that I am the Lord.</t>


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<t>Judah’s Sin and Punishment “The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron chisel— engraved with a diamond point on their stony hearts and on the corners of their altars.</t>


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<pb/><t>Even their children go to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, beneath every green tree and on every high hill.</t>


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<pb/><t>So I will hand over my holy mountain— along with all your wealth and treasures and your pagan shrines— as plunder to your enemies, for sin runs rampant in your land.</t>


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<pb/><t>The wonderful possession I have reserved for you will slip from your hands. I will tell your enemies to take you as captives to a foreign land. For my anger blazes like a fire that will burn forever.”</t>


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<t>Wisdom from the Lord This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?</t>


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<pb/><t>But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Jeremiah’s Trust in the Lord Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from you will be disgraced. They will be buried in the dust of the earth, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!</t>


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<pb/><t>People scoff at me and say, “What is this ‘message from the Lord’ you talk about? Why don’t your predictions come true?”</t>


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<pb/><t>Lord, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for your people. I have not urged you to send disaster. You have heard everything I’ve said.</t>


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<pb/><t>Bring shame and dismay on all who persecute me, but don’t let me experience shame and dismay. Bring a day of terror on them. Yes, bring double destruction upon them!</t>


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Observing the Sabbath This is what the Lord said to me: <t>“Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates.


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Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem.


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This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day.


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“‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy,


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then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever.


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And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple.


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“‘But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.’”</t>


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But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.


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“O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.


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“Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”</t>


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But the people replied, <t>“Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”</t>


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<pb/><t>So this is what the Lord says: “Has anyone ever heard of such a thing, even among the pagan nations? My virgin daughter Israel has done something terrible!</t>


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<pb/><t>Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon? Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?</t>


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<pb/><t>But my people are not so reliable, for they have deserted me; they burn incense to worthless idols. They have stumbled off the ancient highways and walk in muddy paths.</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, their land will become desolate, a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will shake their heads in amazement.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will scatter my people before their enemies as the east wind scatters dust. And in all their trouble I will turn my back on them and refuse to notice their distress.”</t>


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A Plot against Jeremiah Then the people said, <t>“Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Should they repay evil for good? They have dug a pit to kill me, though I pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger.</t>


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<pb/><t>So let their children starve! Let them die by the sword! Let their wives become childless widows. Let their old men die in a plague, and let their young men be killed in battle!</t>


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<pb/><t>Let screaming be heard from their homes as warriors come suddenly upon them. For they have dug a pit for me and have hidden traps along my path.</t>


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<pb/><t>Lord, you know all about their murderous plots against me. Don’t forgive their crimes and blot out their sins. Let them die before you. Deal with them in your anger.</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah’s Shattered Jar This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you.


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Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message.


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Say to them, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring!


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“‘For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods—idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children.


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They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!


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So beware, for the time is coming, says the Lord, when this garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.


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“‘For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals.


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I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there.


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I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’


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Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them.


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This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the Lord. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth.


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Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth—all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’”</t>


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<pb/>Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, the garbage dump where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the Lord. He said to the people there,


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.’”</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah and Pashhur Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest in charge of the Temple of the Lord, heard what Jeremiah was prophesying.


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So he arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped and put in stocks at the Benjamin Gate of the Lord’s Temple.


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The next day, when Pashhur finally released him, Jeremiah said, <t>“Pashhur, the Lord has changed your name. From now on you are to be called ‘The Man Who Lives in Terror.’


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For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will send terror upon you and all your friends, and you will watch as they are slaughtered by the swords of the enemy. I will hand the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take them captive to Babylon or run them through with the sword.


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And I will let your enemies plunder Jerusalem. All the famed treasures of the city—the precious jewels and gold and silver of your kings—will be carried off to Babylon.


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As for you, Pashhur, you and all your household will go as captives to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you prophesied that everything would be all right.’”</t>


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<t>Jeremiah’s Complaint O Lord, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me.</t>


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<pb/><t>When I speak, the words burst out. “Violence and destruction!” I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke.</t>


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<pb/><t>But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!</t>


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<pb/><t>I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.” They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.” Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”</t>


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<pb/><t>But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.</t>


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<pb/><t>O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.</t>


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<pb/><t>Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors.</t>


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<pb/><t>Let him be destroyed like the cities of old that the Lord overthrew without mercy. Terrify him all day long with battle shouts,</t>


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<pb/><t>because he did not kill me at birth. Oh, that I had died in my mother’s womb, that her body had been my grave!</t>


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<pb/>No Deliverance from Babylon The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,


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“Please speak to the Lord for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.”</t>


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‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside your walls attacking you. In fact, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city.


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I myself will fight against you with a strong hand and a powerful arm, for I am very angry. You have made me furious!


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And after all that, says the Lord, I will hand over King Zedekiah, his staff, and everyone else in the city who survives the disease, war, and famine. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their other enemies. He will slaughter them and show them no mercy, pity, or compassion.’


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Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life!


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For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the Lord. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.’


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Judgment on Judah’s Kings <t>“Say to the royal family of Judah, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord!</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says to the dynasty of David: “‘Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Otherwise, my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will personally fight against the people in Jerusalem, that mighty fortress— the people who boast, “No one can touch us here. No one can break in here.”</t>


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<pb/><t>And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the Lord. I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you.’”</t>


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A Message for Judah’s Kings This is what the Lord said to me: <t>“Go over and speak directly to the king of Judah. Say to him,


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‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you king of Judah, sitting on David’s throne. Let your attendants and your people listen, too.


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This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!


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If you obey me, there will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. The king will ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of attendants and subjects.


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But if you refuse to pay attention to this warning, I swear by my own name, says the Lord, that this palace will become a pile of rubble.’”</t>


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<t>A Message about the Palace Now this is what the Lord says concerning Judah’s royal palace: “I love you as much as fruitful Gilead and the green forests of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, with no one living within your walls.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will call for wreckers, who will bring out their tools to dismantle you. They will tear out all your fine cedar beams and throw them on the fire.</t>


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“People from many nations will pass by the ruins of this city and say to one another, ‘Why did the Lord destroy such a great city?’


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And the answer will be, ‘Because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God by worshiping other gods.’”</t>


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<t>A Message about Jehoahaz Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss. Instead, weep for the captive king being led away! For he will never return to see his native land again.</t>


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For this is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz, who succeeded his father, King Josiah, and was taken away as a captive: <t>“He will never return.


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<t>A Message about Jehoiakim And the Lord says, “What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. He builds injustice into its walls, for he makes his neighbors work for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.</t>


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<pb/><t>He says, ‘I will build a magnificent palace with huge rooms and many windows. I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar and paint it a lovely red.’</t>


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<pb/><t>But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king! Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink. But he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him.</t>


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<pb/><t>He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn’t that what it means to know me?” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty! You murder the innocent, oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah: “The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another, ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ His subjects will not mourn for him, crying, ‘Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!’</t>


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<pb/><t>He will be buried like a dead donkey— dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates!</t>


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<t>Weep for your allies in Lebanon. Shout for them in Bashan. Search for them in the regions east of the river. See, they are all destroyed. Not one is left to help you.</t>


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<pb/><t>I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’ You have been that way since childhood— you simply will not obey me!</t>


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<pb/><t>And now the wind will blow away your allies. All your friends will be taken away as captives. Surely then you will see your wickedness and be ashamed.</t>


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<pb/><t>It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish— anguish like that of a woman in labor.</t>


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A Message for Jehoiachin <t>“As surely as I live,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“I will abandon you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. Even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off.


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I will hand you over to those who seek to kill you, those you so desperately fear—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the mighty Babylonian army.


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I will expel you and your mother from this land, and you will die in a foreign country, not in your native land.


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<t>“Why is this man Jehoiachin like a discarded, broken jar? Why are he and his children to be exiled to a foreign land?</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says: ‘Let the record show that this man Jehoiachin was childless. He is a failure, for none of his children will succeed him on the throne of David to rule over Judah.’</t>


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<pb/>The Righteous Descendant “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.


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Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: <t>“Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.


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But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number.


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Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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<t>“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.</t>


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<pb/><t>And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.</t>


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“In that day,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’


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Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”</t>


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<t>Judgment on False Prophets My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the land is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning— its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil and abuse what power they have.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Therefore, the paths they take will become slippery. They will be chased through the dark, and there they will fall. For I will bring disaster upon them at the time fixed for their punishment. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/><t>“I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people of Israel into sin.</t>


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<pb/><t>But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets that wickedness has filled this land.”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord!</t>


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<pb/><t>They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?</t>


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<pb/><t>Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.</t>


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<pb/><t>The anger of the Lord will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this very clearly.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying.</t>


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<pb/><t>If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.</t>


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<pb/><t>Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time.</t>


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<pb/><t>Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.</t>


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<t>“I have heard these prophets say, ‘Listen to the dream I had from God last night.’ And then they proceed to tell lies in my name.</t>


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How long will this go on? If they are prophets, they are prophets of deceit, inventing everything they say.


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By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me, just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal.


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“Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain!


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Does not my word burn like fire?”</t> says the Lord. <t>“Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?


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“Therefore,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“I am against these prophets who steal messages from each other and claim they are from me.


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I am against these false prophets. Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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<pb/>False Prophecies and False Prophets “Suppose one of the people or one of the prophets or priests asks you, ‘What prophecy has the Lord burdened you with now?’ You must reply, ‘You are the burden! The Lord says he will abandon you!’


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“If any prophet, priest, or anyone else says, ‘I have a prophecy from the Lord,’ I will punish that person along with his entire family.


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But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the Lord.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.


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“This is what you should say to the prophets: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What is the Lord saying?’


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But suppose they respond, ‘This is a prophecy from the Lord!’ Then you should say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Because you have used this phrase, <t>“prophecy from the Lord,”</t> even though I warned you not to use it,


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I will forget you completely. I will expel you from my presence, along with this city that I gave to you and your ancestors.


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And I will make you an object of ridicule, and your name will be infamous throughout the ages.’”</t>


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<pb/>Good and Bad Figs After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the officials of Judah and all the craftsmen and artisans, the Lord gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.


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One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with bad figs that were too rotten to eat.


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Then the Lord said to me, <t>“What do you see, Jeremiah?”</t> I replied, <t>“Figs, some very good and some very bad, too rotten to eat.”</t>


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“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians.


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I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them.


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I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.


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<pb/>“But the bad figs,” the Lord said, “represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.


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I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them.


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And I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors.”</t>


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<pb/>Seventy Years of Captivity This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign.


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“For the past twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until now—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.


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“Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention.


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Each time the message was this: ‘Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever.


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Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.’


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“But you would not listen to me,”</t> says the Lord. <t>“You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer.


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I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever.


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I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out.


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This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.


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<pb/>“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord. “I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.


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I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book—all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations.


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Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”</t>


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The Cup of the Lord’s Anger This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: <t>“Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it.


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<pb/>So I took the cup of anger from the Lord and made all the nations drink from it—every nation to which the Lord sent me.


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I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing.


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along with all the foreigners living in that land. I also gave it to all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod.


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And I gave it to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other—all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon himself drank from the cup of the Lord’s anger.


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<pb/>Then the Lord said to me, “Now tell them, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink from this cup of my anger. Get drunk and vomit; fall to rise no more, for I am sending terrible wars against you.’


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And if they refuse to accept the cup, tell them, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You have no choice but to drink from it.


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I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city that bears my name. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!’


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<pb/><t>“Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, <t>“‘The Lord will roar against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout like those who tread grapes; he will shout against everyone on earth.</t>


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<pb/><t>His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with the sword. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!”</t>


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<pb/><t>In that day those the Lord has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered on the ground like manure.</t>


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<pb/><t>Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like a fragile vase.</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds. The leaders of the flock are wailing in despair, for the Lord is ruining their pastures.</t>


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<pb/><t>He has left his den like a strong lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the Lord’s fierce anger.</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah’s Escape from Death This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah.


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“This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word.


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Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.


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“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey my word I have given you,


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and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets—for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them—


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then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”</t>


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<pb/>The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord’s Temple.


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But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. <t>“Kill him!”</t> they shouted.


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“What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord’s name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants?”</t> And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple.


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<pb/>When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court.


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The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. <t>“This man should die!”</t> they said. <t>“You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city,” he said. “The Lord gave me every word that I have spoken.


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But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.


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But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the Lord sent me to speak every word you have heard.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, “This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.”


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They said, <t>“Remember when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands.’</t>


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But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord. They begged him for mercy. Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm.”</t>


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<pb/>At this time Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the Lord. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did.


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When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plan and escaped in fear to Egypt.


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Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt along with several other men to capture Uriah.


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They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave.


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<pb/>Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.


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<pb/>Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah.


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Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.


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Give them this message for their masters: ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:


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With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.


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Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.


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All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.


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So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.


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“‘Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, <t>“The king of Babylon will not conquer you.”</t>


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They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.


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But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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<pb/>Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. “If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people.


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Why do you insist on dying—you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the Lord will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon’s king?


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Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, ‘The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.


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This is what the Lord says: ‘I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die—you and all these prophets, too.’”</t>


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<pb/>Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold articles taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie!


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Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed?


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If they really are prophets and speak the Lord’s messages, let them pray to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Let them pray that the articles remaining in the Lord’s Temple and in the king’s palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem will not be carried away to Babylon!’


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“For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken about the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles.


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King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.


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Yes, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple, in the palace of Judah’s king, and in Jerusalem:


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‘They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.’”</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah Condemns Hananiah One day in late summer of that same year—the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah—Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said,


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks.


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Within two years I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon.


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And I will bring back Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple.


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He said, <t>“Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the Lord does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all the captives.


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The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, disaster, and disease.


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So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”</t>


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And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, <t>“This is what the Lord says: ‘Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’”</t> With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.


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“Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron.


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The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”</t>


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Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, <t>“Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.


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Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”</t>


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<pb/>A Letter to the Exiles Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.


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This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the other officials of Judah, and all the craftsmen and artisans had been deported from Jerusalem.


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He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah’s ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah’s letter said:


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<pb/>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:


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Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!


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And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”</t>


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<pb/>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams,


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<pb/>This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.


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For I know the plans I have for you,”</t> says the Lord. <t>“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.


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I will be found by you,”</t> says the Lord. <t>“I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”</t>


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But this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem—your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon.


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This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: <t>“I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.


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Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery.


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For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through the prophets I sent. And you who are in exile have not listened either,”</t> says the Lord.


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<pb/>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets—Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah—who are telling you lies in my name: “I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes.


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Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that the Judean exiles will curse someone by saying, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!’


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For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have lied in my name, saying things I did not command. I am a witness to this. I, the Lord, have spoken.”</t>


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah,


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“The Lord has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the Lord. You are responsible to put into stocks and neck irons any crazy man who claims to be a prophet.


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So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you?


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Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said, ‘Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.’”</t>


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<pb/>But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah’s letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him.


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“Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies,


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I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah.


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For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it again. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/><t>Now let me ask you a question: Do men give birth to babies? Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced, hands pressed against their sides like a woman in labor?</t>


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<pb/><t>In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved!</t>


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<pb/><t>For in that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will break the yoke from their necks and snap their chains. Foreigners will no longer be their masters.</t>


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<pb/><t>For my people will serve the Lord their God and their king descended from David— the king I will raise up for them.</t>


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<pb/><t>“So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel,” says the Lord. “For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I am with you and will save you,” says the Lord. “I will completely destroy the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.”</t>


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<pb/><t>All your lovers—your allies—have left you and do not care about you anymore. I have wounded you cruelly, as though I were your enemy. For your sins are many, and your guilt is great.</t>


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<pb/><t>Why do you protest your punishment— this wound that has no cure? I have had to punish you because your sins are many and your guilt is great.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But all who devour you will be devoured, and all your enemies will be sent into exile. All who plunder you will be plundered, and all who attack you will be attacked.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. “For you are called an outcast— ‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says: “When I bring Israel home again from captivity and restore their fortunes, Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins, and the palace reconstructed as before.</t>


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<pb/><t>There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their children will prosper as they did long ago. I will establish them as a nation before me, and I will punish anyone who hurts them.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord, “for who would dare to come unless invited?</t>


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<pb/><t>Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm, a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.</t>


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<pb/><t>The fierce anger of the Lord will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this.</t>


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<t>Hope for Restoration “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says: “Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines.</t>


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<pb/><t>Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there.</t>


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<pb/><t>The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’”</t>


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<t>Now this is what the Lord says: “Sing with joy for Israel. Shout for the greatest of nations! Shout out with praise and joy: ‘Save your people, O Lord, the remnant of Israel!’</t>


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<pb/><t>For I will bring them from the north and from the distant corners of the earth. I will not forget the blind and lame, the expectant mothers and women in labor. A great company will return!</t>


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<pb/><t>Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my oldest child.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Listen to this message from the Lord, you nations of the world; proclaim it in distant coastlands: The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts— the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds. Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone.</t>


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<pb/><t>The young women will dance for joy, and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.</t>


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<pb/><t>The priests will enjoy abundance, and my people will feast on my good gifts. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<t>Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy This is what the Lord says: “A cry is heard in Ramah— deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted— for her children are gone.”</t>


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<pb/><t>But now this is what the Lord says: “Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the Lord. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy.</t>


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<pb/><t>There is hope for your future,” says the Lord. “Your children will come again to their own land.</t>


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<pb/><t>I have heard Israel saying, ‘You disciplined me severely, like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again to you and restore me, for you alone are the Lord my God.</t>


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<pb/><t>I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him.</t>


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<pb/><t>Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again, my virgin Israel; return to your towns here.</t>


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<pb/><t>How long will you wander, my wayward daughter? For the Lord will cause something new to happen— Israel will embrace her God.”</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people of Judah and its towns will again say, ‘The Lord bless you, O righteous home, O holy mountain!’</t>


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“The day is coming,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah.


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In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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“The people will no longer quote this proverb: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.’


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All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.


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<pb/>“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.


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This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,”</t> says the Lord.


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“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,”</t> says the Lord. <t>“I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.


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<pb/>And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”


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<t>It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and this is what he says:</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away for the evil they have done. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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“The day is coming,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“when all Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.


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And the entire area—including the graveyard and ash dump in the valley, and all the fields out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the Horse Gate—will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be captured or destroyed.”</t>


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<pb/>Jeremiah’s Land Purchase The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. This was also the eighteenth year of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.


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<pb/>Jerusalem was then under siege from the Babylonian army, and Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace.


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King Zedekiah had put him there, asking why he kept giving this prophecy: <t>“This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will take it.


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King Zedekiah will be captured by the Babylonians and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face.


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He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and I will deal with him there,’ says the Lord. ‘If you fight against the Babylonians, you will never succeed.’”</t>


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“Your cousin Hanamel son of Shallum will come and say to you, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else.’”</t>


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Then, just as the Lord had said he would, my cousin Hanamel came and visited me in the prison. He said, <t>“Please buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else, so buy it for yourself.”</t> Then I knew that the message I had heard was from the Lord.


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Then I took the sealed deed and an unsealed copy of the deed, which contained the terms and conditions of the purchase,


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and I handed them to Baruch son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did all this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed, and all the men of Judah who were there in the courtyard of the guardhouse.


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.’


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For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’”</t>


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“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!


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You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.


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You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve.


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You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt—things still remembered to this day! And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name famous to this day.


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“You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with a strong hand and powerful arm, and with overwhelming terror.


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You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before—a land flowing with milk and honey.


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Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your word. They have not done anything you commanded. That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them.


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“See how the siege ramps have been built against the city walls! Through war, famine, and disease, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will conquer it. Everything has happened just as you said.


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And yet, O Sovereign Lord, you have told me to buy the field—paying good money for it before these witnesses—even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians.”</t>


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Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will capture it.


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The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses where the people provoked my anger by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out liquid offerings to other gods.


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Israel and Judah have done nothing but wrong since their earliest days. They have infuriated me with all their evil deeds,”</t> says the Lord.


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“From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it.


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“The sins of Israel and Judah—the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets—have stirred up my anger.


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My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return. Even though I diligently taught them, they would not receive instruction or obey.


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They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly!


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<pb/>A Promise of Restoration “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:


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I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety.


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And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.


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And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.


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I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.


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<pb/>“This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them.


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Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ‘It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’


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Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold—deeds signed and sealed and witnessed—in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judah and in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/>Promises of Peace and Prosperity While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message:


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“This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord:


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For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king’s palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy.


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You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.


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“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace.


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Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.


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<pb/>“This is what the Lord says: You have said, ‘This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once more


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the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever!’ For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.


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<pb/>“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land—though it is now desolate and has no people and animals—will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks.


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Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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“The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.


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“In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.


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In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’


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For this is what the Lord says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever.


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And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me.”</t>


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“This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other,


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only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me.


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And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”</t>


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“Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation.


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But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.


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I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”</t>


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<pb/>A Warning for Zedekiah King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:


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“Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.


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You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.


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“‘But listen to this promise from the Lord, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says: You will not be killed in war


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but will die peacefully. People will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, crying, <t>“Alas, our master is dead!”</t> This I have decreed, says the Lord.’”</t>


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At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only fortified cities of Judah not yet captured.


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Freedom for Hebrew Slaves This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves.


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He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves—both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage.


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but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again.


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“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt.


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I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me.


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Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name.


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But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again.


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“Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth.


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Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows.


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Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath.


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I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.


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“I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although they have left Jerusalem for a while,


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I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there.”</t>


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<pb/>The Faithful Recabites This is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:


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“Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the Lord’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.”</t>


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So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families.


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I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.


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but they refused. <t>“No,”</t> they said, <t>“we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.


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And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’


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So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters.


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But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.”</t>


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.


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The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me.


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Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, <t>“Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.”</t> But you would not listen to me or obey me.


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The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’


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“Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’”</t>


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<pb/>Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’


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Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’”</t>


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<pb/>Baruch Reads the Lord’s Messages During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:


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“Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time.


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Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”</t>


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<pb/>So Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that the Lord had given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll.


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So you go to the Temple on the next day of fasting, and read the messages from the Lord that I have had you write on this scroll. Read them so the people who are there from all over Judah will hear them.


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Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late. For the Lord has threatened them with his terrible anger.”</t>


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<pb/>Baruch did as Jeremiah told him and read these messages from the Lord to the people at the Temple.


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He did this on a day of sacred fasting held in late autumn, during the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah. People from all over Judah had come to Jerusalem to attend the services at the Temple on that day.


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Baruch read Jeremiah’s words on the scroll to all the people. He stood in front of the Temple room of Gemariah, son of Shaphan the secretary. This room was just off the upper courtyard of the Temple, near the New Gate entrance.


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he went down to the secretary’s room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.


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the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them.


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When they heard all the messages, they looked at one another in alarm. <t>“We must tell the king what we have heard,”</t> they said to Baruch.


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So Baruch explained, <t>“Jeremiah dictated them, and I wrote them down in ink, word for word, on this scroll.”</t>


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“You and Jeremiah should both hide,”</t> the officials told Baruch. <t>“Don’t tell anyone where you are!”</t>


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<pb/>Then the officials left the scroll for safekeeping in the room of Elishama the secretary and went to tell the king what had happened.


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King Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king as all his officials stood by.


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It was late autumn, and the king was in a winterized part of the palace, sitting in front of a fire to keep warm.


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Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up.


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Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen.


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Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the Lord had hidden them.


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Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll After the king had burned the scroll on which Baruch had written Jeremiah’s words, the Lord gave Jeremiah another message. He said,


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“Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned.


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Then say to the king, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned the scroll because it said the king of Babylon would destroy this land and empty it of people and animals.


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Now this is what the Lord says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no heirs to sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to lie unburied—exposed to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.


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I will punish him and his family and his attendants for their sins. I will pour out on them and on all the people of Jerusalem and Judah all the disasters I promised, for they would not listen to my warnings.’”</t>


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So Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary, Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time he added much more!


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<pb/>Zedekiah Calls for Jeremiah Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.


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But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the Lord said through Jeremiah.


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Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, <t>“Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”</t>


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At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonian army heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem.


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“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him, ‘Pharaoh’s army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you.


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“This is what the Lord says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t!


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Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”</t>


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Jeremiah Is Imprisoned When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s approaching army,


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Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the territory of Benjamin, to claim his share of the property among his relatives there.


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But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, <t>“You are defecting to the Babylonians!”</t> The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah.


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“That’s not true!”</t> Jeremiah protested. <t>“I had no intention of doing any such thing.”</t> But Irijah wouldn’t listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials.


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They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan’s house had been converted into a prison.


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Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, <t>“Do you have any messages from the Lord?”</t> <t>“Yes, I do!”</t> said Jeremiah. <t>“You will be defeated by the king of Babylon.”</t>


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Then Jeremiah asked the king, <t>“What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your attendants, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this?


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Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don’t send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there.”</t>


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So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.


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<pb/>Jeremiah in a Cistern Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying,


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“This is what the Lord says: ‘Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live!’


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The Lord also says: ‘The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”</t>


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So these officials went to the king and said, <t>“Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!”</t>


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So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.


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But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate,


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“My lord the king,”</t> he said, <t>“these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.”</t>


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So the king told Ebed-melech, <t>“Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.”</t>


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So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope.


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Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, <t>“Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.”</t> Then when Jeremiah was ready,


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they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained.


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Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the third entrance of the Lord’s Temple. <t>“I want to ask you something,”</t> the king said. <t>“And don’t try to hide the truth.”</t>


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Jeremiah said, <t>“If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.”</t>


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So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, <t>“As surely as the Lord our Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down.


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But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground.’”</t>


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“But I am afraid to surrender,”</t> the king said, <t>“for the Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me!”</t>


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Jeremiah replied, <t>“You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey the Lord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.


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All the women left in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the Babylonian army. Then the women will taunt you, saying, ‘What fine friends you have! They have betrayed and misled you. When your feet sank in the mud, they left you to your fate!’


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All your wives and children will be led out to the Babylonians, and you will not escape. You will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”</t>


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My officials may hear that I spoke to you, and they may say, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you don’t tell us, we will kill you.’


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If this happens, just tell them you begged me not to send you back to Jonathan’s dungeon, for fear you would die there.”</t>


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Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the king’s officials came to Jeremiah and asked him why the king had called for him. But Jeremiah followed the king’s instructions, and they left without finding out the truth. No one had overheard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king.


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And Jeremiah remained a prisoner in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.


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<pb/>The Fall of Jerusalem In January of the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with his entire army to besiege Jerusalem.


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Two and a half years later, on July 18 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, a section of the city wall was broken down.


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All the officers of the Babylonian army came in and sat in triumph at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer of Samgar, and Nebo-sarsekim, a chief officer, and Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon.


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When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the soldiers saw that the Babylonians had broken into the city, they fled. They waited for nightfall and then slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.


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But the Babylonian troops chased them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.


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The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons at Riblah. The king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.


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Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the royal palace and the houses of the people, and they tore down the walls of the city.


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Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles to Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, those who had defected to him, and everyone else who remained.


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But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in the land of Judah, and he assigned them to care for the vineyards and fields.


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<pb/>Jeremiah Remains in Judah King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah.


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“See that he isn’t hurt,”</t> he said. <t>“Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.”</t>


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So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser; and the other officers of Babylon’s king


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sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people.


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“Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction,


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Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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<pb/>The Lord gave a message to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the other captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon.


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The captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, <t>“The Lord your God has brought this disaster on this land,


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just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the Lord and disobeyed him. That is why it happened.


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But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don’t want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you—go wherever you like.


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If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. He has been appointed governor of Judah by the king of Babylon. Stay there with the people he rules. But it’s up to you; go wherever you like.”</t> Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, gave Jeremiah some food and money and let him go.


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So Jeremiah returned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and he lived in Judah with the few who were still left in the land.


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Gedaliah Governs in Judah The leaders of the Judean guerrilla bands in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah—the men, women, and children who hadn’t been exiled to Babylon.


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So they went to see Gedaliah at Mizpah. These included: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, and all their men.


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Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonians meant them no harm. <t>“Don’t be afraid to serve them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you,”</t> he promised.


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“As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to meet with us. Settle in the towns you have taken, and live off the land. Harvest the grapes and summer fruits and olives, and store them away.”</t>


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When the Judeans in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the other nearby countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few people in Judah and that Gedaliah was the governor,


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they began to return to Judah from the places to which they had fled. They stopped at Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah and then went into the Judean countryside to gather a great harvest of grapes and other crops.


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A Plot against Gedaliah Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.


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They said to him, <t>“Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?”</t> But Gedaliah refused to believe them.


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Later Johanan had a private conference with Gedaliah and volunteered to kill Ishmael secretly. <t>“Why should we let him come and murder you?”</t> Johanan asked. <t>“What will happen then to the Judeans who have returned? Why should the few of us who are still left be scattered and lost?”</t>


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But Gedaliah said to Johanan, <t>“I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael.”</t>


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The Murder of Gedaliah But in midautumn of that year, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and had been one of the king’s high officials, went to Mizpah with ten men to meet Gedaliah. While they were eating together,


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Ishmael and his ten men suddenly jumped up, drew their swords, and killed Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor.


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eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria to worship at the Temple of the Lord. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, and had brought along grain offerings and frankincense.


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Ishmael left Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he reached them, he said, <t>“Oh, come and see what has happened to Gedaliah!”</t>


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But as soon as they were all inside the town, Ishmael and his men killed all but ten of them and threw their bodies into a cistern.


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The other ten had talked Ishmael into letting them go by promising to bring him their stores of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey that they had hidden away.


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The cistern where Ishmael dumped the bodies of the men he murdered was the large one dug by King Asa when he fortified Mizpah to protect himself against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with corpses.


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Then Ishmael made captives of the king’s daughters and the other people who had been left under Gedaliah’s care in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard. Taking them with him, he started back toward the land of Ammon.


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they took all their men and set out to stop him. They caught up with him at the large pool near Gibeon.


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The people Ishmael had captured shouted for joy when they saw Johanan and the other guerrilla leaders.


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<pb/>Then Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders took all the people they had rescued in Gibeon—the soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom Ishmael had captured after he killed Gedaliah.


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They took them all to the village of Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem, where they prepared to leave for Egypt.


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They were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they heard that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonian king.


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<pb/>Warning to Stay in Judah Then all the guerrilla leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached


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Jeremiah the prophet. They said, <t>“Please pray to the Lord your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before.


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“All right,”</t> Jeremiah replied. <t>“I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.”</t>


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Then they said to Jeremiah, <t>“May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do!


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Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.”</t>


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So he called for Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders, and for all the people, from the least to the greatest.


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He said to them, <t>“You sent me to the Lord, the God of Israel, with your request, and this is his reply:


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‘Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry about all the punishment I have had to bring upon you.


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Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore,’ says the Lord. ‘For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power.


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then hear the Lord’s message to the remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and live there,


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That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape the disaster I will bring upon you there.’


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as my anger and fury have been poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.’


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<pb/>“Listen, you remnant of Judah. The Lord has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today.


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For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!’


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And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the Lord your God any better now than you have in the past.


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So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going.”</t>


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Jeremiah Taken to Egypt When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the Lord their God to all the people,


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Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, <t>“You lie! The Lord our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!


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Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, because he wants us to stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile.”</t>


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So Johanan and the other guerrilla leaders and all the people refused to obey the Lord’s command to stay in Judah.


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Johanan and the other leaders took with them all the people who had returned from the nearby countries to which they had fled.


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In the crowd were men, women, and children, the king’s daughters, and all those whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah. The prophet Jeremiah and Baruch were also included.


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The people refused to obey the voice of the Lord and went to Egypt, going as far as the city of Tahpanhes.


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“While the people of Judah are watching, take some large rocks and bury them under the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace here in Tahpanhes.


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Then say to the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt. I will set his throne over these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them.


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And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt. He will bring death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and war to those destined for war.


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He will set fire to the temples of Egypt’s gods; he will burn the temples and carry the idols away as plunder. He will pick clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks fleas from his cloak. And he himself will leave unharmed.


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He will break down the sacred pillars standing in the temple of the sun in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of Egypt’s gods.’”</t>


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<pb/>Judgment for Idolatry This is the message Jeremiah received concerning the Judeans living in northern Egypt in the cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis, and in southern Egypt as well:


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“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You saw the calamity I brought on Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. They now lie deserted and in ruins.


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They provoked my anger with all their wickedness. They burned incense and worshiped other gods—gods that neither they nor you nor any of your ancestors had ever even known.


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“Again and again I sent my servants, the prophets, to plead with them, ‘Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much.’


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But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept on burning incense to these gods.


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And so my fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Judah and into the streets of Jerusalem, and they are still a desolate ruin today.


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<pb/>“And now the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, asks you: Why are you destroying yourselves? For not one of you will survive—not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Judah, not even the babies in your arms.


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Why provoke my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the earth.


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Have you forgotten the sins of your ancestors, the sins of the kings and queens of Judah, and the sins you and your wives committed in Judah and Jerusalem?


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To this very hour you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my word and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you.


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<pb/>“Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to destroy every one of you!


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I will take this remnant of Judah—those who were determined to come here and live in Egypt—and I will consume them. They will fall here in Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die, from the least to the greatest. They will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery.


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Of that remnant who fled to Egypt, hoping someday to return to Judah, there will be no survivors. Even though they long to return home, only a handful will do so.”</t>


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<pb/>Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols—a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern Egypt—answered Jeremiah,


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We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!


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But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine.”</t>


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“Besides,”</t> the women added, <t>“do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!”</t>


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“Do you think the Lord did not know that you and your ancestors, your kings and officials, and all the people were burning incense to idols in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?


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It was because the Lord could no longer bear all the disgusting things you were doing that he made your land an object of cursing—a desolate ruin without inhabitants—as it is today.


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All these terrible things happened to you because you have burned incense to idols and sinned against the Lord. You have refused to obey him and have not followed his instructions, his decrees, and his laws.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Jeremiah said to them all, including the women, “Listen to this message from the Lord, all you citizens of Judah who live in Egypt.


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This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You and your wives have said, <t>“We will keep our promises to burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven,”</t> and you have proved by your actions that you meant it. So go ahead and carry out your promises and vows to her!’


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“But listen to this message from the Lord, all you Judeans now living in Egypt: ‘I have sworn by my great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that my name will no longer be spoken by any of the Judeans in the land of Egypt. None of you may invoke my name or use this oath: <t>“As surely as the Sovereign Lord lives.”</t>


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For I will watch over you to bring you disaster and not good. Everyone from Judah who is now living in Egypt will suffer war and famine until all of you are dead.


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Only a small number will escape death and return to Judah from Egypt. Then all those who came to Egypt will find out whose words are true—mine or theirs!


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“‘And this is the proof I give you,’ says the Lord, ‘that all I have threatened will happen to you and that I will punish you here.’


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This is what the Lord says: ‘I will turn Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies who want to kill him, just as I turned King Zedekiah of Judah over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’”</t>


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<pb/>A Message for Baruch The prophet Jeremiah gave a message to Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, after Baruch had written down everything Jeremiah had dictated to him. He said,


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You have said, ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.’


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<pb/>“Baruch, this is what the Lord says: ‘I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted.


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Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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<pb/>Messages for the Nations The following messages were given to Jeremiah the prophet from the Lord concerning foreign nations.


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Messages about Egypt This message concerning Egypt was given in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the king of Judah, on the occasion of the battle of Carchemish when Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, and his army were defeated beside the Euphrates River by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.


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<pb/><t>Harness the horses, and mount the stallions. Take your positions. Put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and prepare your armor.</t>


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<pb/><t>But what do I see? The Egyptian army flees in terror. The bravest of its fighting men run without a backward glance. They are terrorized at every turn,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall.</t>


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<pb/><t>It is the Egyptian army, overflowing all the land, boasting that it will cover the earth like a flood, destroying cities and their people.</t>


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<pb/><t>Charge, you horses and chariots; attack, you mighty warriors of Egypt! Come, all you allies from Ethiopia, Libya, and Lydia who are skilled with the shield and bow!</t>


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<pb/><t>For this is the day of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, a day of vengeance on his enemies. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, yes, until it is drunk with your blood! The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will receive a sacrifice today in the north country beside the Euphrates River.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing.</t>


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<pb/><t>The nations have heard of your shame. The earth is filled with your cries of despair. Your mightiest warriors will run into each other and fall down together.”</t>


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Then the Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah this message about King Nebuchadnezzar’s plans to attack Egypt.


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<t>“Shout it out in Egypt! Publish it in the cities of Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes! Mobilize for battle, for the sword will devour everyone around you.</t>


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<pb/><t>They stumble and fall over each other and say among themselves, ‘Come, let’s go back to our people, to the land of our birth. Let’s get away from the sword of the enemy!’</t>


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<pb/><t>There they will say, ‘Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is a loudmouth who missed his opportunity!’</t>


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<pb/><t>“As surely as I live,” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “one is coming against Egypt who is as tall as Mount Tabor, or as Mount Carmel by the sea!</t>


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<pb/><t>Pack up! Get ready to leave for exile, you citizens of Egypt! The city of Memphis will be destroyed, without a single inhabitant.</t>


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<pb/><t>Egypt’s mercenaries have become like fattened calves. They, too, will turn and run, for it is a day of great disaster for Egypt, a time of great punishment.</t>


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<pb/><t>Egypt flees, silent as a serpent gliding away. The invading army marches in; they come against her with axes like woodsmen.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will cut down her people like trees,” says the Lord, “for they are more numerous than locusts.</t>


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The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: <t>“I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes, and all the other gods of Egypt. I will punish its rulers and Pharaoh, too, and all who trust in him.


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I will hand them over to those who want them killed—to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army. But afterward the land will recover from the ravages of war. I, the Lord, have spoken!


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<t>“But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them.</t>


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<pb/><t>Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you,” says the Lord. “I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.”</t>


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<pb/>A Message about Philistia This is the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines of Gaza, before it was captured by the Egyptian army.


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “A flood is coming from the north to overflow the land. It will destroy the land and everything in it— cities and people alike. People will scream in terror, and everyone in the land will wail.</t>


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<pb/><t>Hear the clatter of stallions’ hooves and the rumble of wheels as the chariots rush by. Terrified fathers run madly, without a backward glance at their helpless children.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed, along with their allies from Tyre and Sidon. Yes, the Lord is destroying the remnant of the Philistines, those colonists from the island of Crete.</t>


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<pb/><t>Gaza will be humiliated, its head shaved bald; Ashkelon will lie silent. You remnant from the Mediterranean coast, how long will you cut yourselves in mourning?</t>


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<pb/><t>“Now, O sword of the Lord, when will you be at rest again? Go back into your sheath; rest and be still.</t>


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<pb/><t>“But how can it be still when the Lord has sent it on a mission? For the city of Ashkelon and the people living along the sea must be destroyed.”</t>


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<pb/><t>A Message about Moab This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo; it will soon lie in ruins. The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured; the fortress will be humiliated and broken down.</t>


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<pb/><t>No one will ever brag about Moab again, for in Heshbon there is a plot to destroy her. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘we will cut her off from being a nation.’ The town of Madmen, too, will be silenced; the sword will follow you there.</t>


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<pb/><t>Her refugees weep bitterly, climbing the slope to Luhith. They cry out in terror, descending the slope to Horonaim.</t>


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<pb/><t>Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive. Your god Chemosh, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands!</t>


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<pb/><t>“All the towns will be destroyed, and no one will escape— either on the plateaus or in the valleys, for the Lord has spoken.</t>


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<pb/><t>Oh, that Moab had wings so she could fly away, for her towns will be left empty, with no one living in them.</t>


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<pb/><t>Cursed are those who refuse to do the Lord’s work, who hold back their swords from shedding blood!</t>


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<pb/><t>“From his earliest history, Moab has lived in peace, never going into exile. He is like wine that has been allowed to settle. He has not been poured from flask to flask, and he is now fragrant and smooth.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the time is coming soon,” says the Lord, “when I will send men to pour him from his jar. They will pour him out, then shatter the jar!</t>


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<pb/><t>At last Moab will be ashamed of his idol Chemosh, as the people of Israel were ashamed of their gold calf at Bethel.</t>


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<pb/><t>But now Moab and his towns will be destroyed. His most promising youth are doomed to slaughter,” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>You friends of Moab, weep for him and cry! See how the strong scepter is broken, how the beautiful staff is shattered!</t>


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<pb/><t>“Come down from your glory and sit in the dust, you people of Dibon, for those who destroy Moab will shatter Dibon, too. They will tear down all your towers.</t>


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<pb/><t>You people of Aroer, stand beside the road and watch. Shout to those who flee from Moab, ‘What has happened there?’</t>


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<pb/><t>“And the reply comes back, ‘Moab lies in ruins, disgraced; weep and wail! Tell it by the banks of the Arnon River: Moab has been destroyed!’</t>


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<t>“Let him stagger and fall like a drunkard, for he has rebelled against the Lord. Moab will wallow in his own vomit, ridiculed by all.</t>


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<pb/><t>Did you not ridicule the people of Israel? Were they caught in the company of thieves that you should despise them as you do?</t>


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<pb/><t>“You people of Moab, flee from your towns and live in the caves. Hide like doves that nest in the clefts of the rocks.</t>


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<pb/><t>We have all heard of the pride of Moab, for his pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart.</t>


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<pb/><t>I know about his insolence,” says the Lord, “but his boasts are empty— as empty as his deeds.</t>


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<pb/><t>So now I wail for Moab; yes, I will mourn for Moab. My heart is broken for the men of Kir-hareseth.</t>


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<pb/><t>“You people of Sibmah, rich in vineyards, I will weep for you even more than I did for Jazer. Your spreading vines once reached as far as the Dead Sea, but the destroyer has stripped you bare! He has harvested your grapes and summer fruits.</t>


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<pb/><t>Joy and gladness are gone from fruitful Moab. The presses yield no wine. No one treads the grapes with shouts of joy. There is shouting, yes, but not of joy.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Instead, their awful cries of terror can be heard from Heshbon clear across to Elealeh and Jahaz; from Zoar all the way to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up now.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I will put an end to Moab,” says the Lord, “for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods.</t>


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<pb/><t>My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared.</t>


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<pb/><t>The people shave their heads and beards in mourning. They slash their hands and put on clothes made of burlap.</t>


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<pb/><t>There is crying and sorrow in every Moabite home and on every street. For I have smashed Moab like an old, unwanted jar.</t>


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<pb/><t>How it is shattered! Hear the wailing! See the shame of Moab! It has become an object of ridicule, an example of ruin to all its neighbors.”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord says: “Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Moab.</t>


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<pb/><t>Its cities will fall, and its strongholds will be seized. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Those who flee in terror will fall into a trap, and those who escape the trap will step into a snare. I will see to it that you do not get away, for the time of your judgment has come,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The people flee as far as Heshbon but are unable to go on. For a fire comes from Heshbon, King Sihon’s ancient home, to devour the entire land with all its rebellious people.</t>


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<pb/><t>“What sorrow awaits you, O people of Moab! The people of the god Chemosh are destroyed! Your sons and your daughters have been taken away as captives.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken!” This is the end of Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Moab.</t>


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<pb/><t>A Message about Ammon This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says: “Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns?</t>


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<pb/><t>In the days to come,” says the Lord, “I will sound the battle cry against your city of Rabbah. It will become a desolate heap of ruins, and the neighboring towns will be burned. Then Israel will take back the land you took from her,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Cry out, O Heshbon, for the town of Ai is destroyed. Weep, O people of Rabbah! Put on your clothes of mourning. Weep and wail, hiding in the hedges, for your god Molech, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands.</t>


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<pb/><t>You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you.</t>


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<pb/><t>But look! I will bring terror upon you,” says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Your neighbors will chase you from your land, and no one will help your exiles as they flee.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken.”</t>


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<t>Messages about Edom This message was given concerning Edom. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Is there no wisdom in Teman? Is no one left to give wise counsel?</t>


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<pb/><t>Turn and flee! Hide in deep caves, you people of Dedan! For when I bring disaster on Edom, I will punish you, too!</t>


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<pb/><t>Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. If thieves came at night, they would not take everything.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I will strip bare the land of Edom, and there will be no place left to hide. Its children, its brothers, and its neighbors will all be destroyed, and Edom itself will be no more.</t>


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<pb/><t>But I will protect the orphans who remain among you. Your widows, too, can depend on me for help.”</t>


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And this is what the Lord says: <t>“If the innocent must suffer, how much more must you! You will not go unpunished! You must drink this cup of judgment!


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For I have sworn by my own name,”</t> says the Lord, <t>“that Bozrah will become an object of horror and a heap of ruins; it will be mocked and cursed. All its towns and villages will be desolate forever.”</t>


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<t>I have heard a message from the Lord that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, “Form a coalition against Edom, and prepare for battle!”</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord says to Edom, “I will cut you down to size among the nations. You will be despised by all.</t>


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<pb/><t>You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Edom will be an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will gasp at the destruction they see there.</t>


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<pb/><t>It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns,” says the Lord. “No one will live there; no one will inhabit it.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Edom from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?”</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to the Lord’s plans against Edom and the people of Teman. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed.</t>


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<pb/><t>The earth will shake with the noise of Edom’s fall, and its cry of despair will be heard all the way to the Red Sea.</t>


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<pb/><t>Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Bozrah. Even the mightiest warriors will be in anguish like a woman in labor.</t>


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<t>A Message about Damascus This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the Lord says: “The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear, for they have heard the news of their destruction. Their hearts are troubled like a wild sea in a raging storm.</t>


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<pb/><t>Damascus has become feeble, and all her people turn to flee. Fear, anguish, and pain have gripped her as they grip a woman in labor.</t>


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<pb/><t>Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>“And I will set fire to the walls of Damascus that will burn up the palaces of Ben-hadad.”</t>


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A Message about Kedar and Hazor This message was given concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which were attacked by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This is what the Lord says: <t>“Advance against Kedar! Destroy the warriors from the East!</t>


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<pb/><t>Their flocks and tents will be captured, and their household goods and camels will be taken away. Everywhere shouts of panic will be heard: ‘We are terrorized at every turn!’</t>


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<pb/><t>Run for your lives,” says the Lord. “Hide yourselves in deep caves, you people of Hazor, for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has plotted against you and is preparing to destroy you.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Go up and attack that complacent nation,” says the Lord. “Its people live alone in the desert without walls or gates.</t>


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<pb/><t>Their camels and other livestock will all be yours. I will scatter to the winds these people who live in remote places. I will bring calamity upon them from every direction,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Hazor will be inhabited by jackals, and it will be desolate forever. No one will live there; no one will inhabit it.”</t>


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A Message about Elam This message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah.


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This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: <t>“I will destroy the archers of Elam— the best of their forces.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world.</t>


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<pb/><t>I myself will go with Elam’s enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam,” says the Lord. “Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will set my throne in Elam,” says the Lord, “and I will destroy its king and officials.</t>


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<pb/>A Message about Babylon The Lord gave Jeremiah the prophet this message concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians.


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This is what the Lord says: <t>“Tell the whole world, and keep nothing back. Raise a signal flag to tell everyone that Babylon will fall! Her images and idols will be shattered. Her gods Bel and Marduk will be utterly disgraced.</t>


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<pb/><t>For a nation will attack her from the north and bring such destruction that no one will live there again. Everything will be gone; both people and animals will flee.</t>


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<pb/><t>Hope for Israel and Judah “In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God.</t>


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<pb/><t>They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.</t>


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<pb/><t>“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.</t>


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<pb/><t>All who found them devoured them. Their enemies said, ‘We did nothing wrong in attacking them, for they sinned against the Lord, their true place of rest, and the hope of their ancestors.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“But now, flee from Babylon! Leave the land of the Babylonians. Like male goats at the head of the flock, lead my people home again.</t>


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<pb/><t>For I am raising up an army of great nations from the north. They will join forces to attack Babylon, and she will be captured. The enemies’ arrows will go straight to the mark; they will not miss!</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylonia will be looted until the attackers are glutted with loot. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylon’s Sure Fall “You rejoice and are glad, you who plundered my chosen people. You frisk about like a calf in a meadow and neigh like a stallion.</t>


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<pb/><t>But your homeland will be overwhelmed with shame and disgrace. You will become the least of nations— a wilderness, a dry and desolate land.</t>


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<pb/><t>Because of the Lord’s anger, Babylon will become a deserted wasteland. All who pass by will be horrified and will gasp at the destruction they see there.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Yes, prepare to attack Babylon, all you surrounding nations. Let your archers shoot at her; spare no arrows. For she has sinned against the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>Shout war cries against her from every side. Look! She surrenders! Her walls have fallen. It is the Lord’s vengeance, so take vengeance on her. Do to her as she has done to others!</t>


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<pb/><t>Take from Babylon all those who plant crops; send all the harvesters away. Because of the sword of the enemy, everyone will run away and rush back to their own lands.</t>


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<pb/><t>Hope for God’s People “The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Now I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.</t>


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<pb/><t>And I will bring Israel home again to its own land, to feed in the fields of Carmel and Bashan, and to be satisfied once more in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.</t>


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<pb/><t>In those days,” says the Lord, “no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord’s Judgment on Babylon “Go up, my warriors, against the land of Merathaim and against the people of Pekod. Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them, as I have commanded you,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations!</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen, Babylon, for I have set a trap for you. You are caught, for you have fought against the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord has opened his armory and brought out weapons to vent his fury. The terror that falls upon the Babylonians will be the work of the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, come against her from distant lands. Break open her granaries. Crush her walls and houses into heaps of rubble. Destroy her completely, and leave nothing!</t>


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<pb/><t>Destroy even her young bulls— it will be terrible for them, too! Slaughter them all! For Babylon’s day of reckoning has come.</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to the people who have escaped from Babylon, as they tell in Jerusalem how the Lord our God has taken vengeance against those who destroyed his Temple.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Send out a call for archers to come to Babylon. Surround the city so none can escape. Do to her as she has done to others, for she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“See, I am your enemy, you arrogant people,” says the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Your day of reckoning has arrived— the day when I will punish you.</t>


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<pb/><t>O land of arrogance, you will stumble and fall, and no one will raise you up. For I will light a fire in the cities of Babylon that will burn up everything around them.”</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged. Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest!</t>


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<pb/><t>“The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord. “It will strike the people of Babylon— her officials and wise men, too.</t>


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<pb/><t>The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.</t>


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<pb/><t>The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered.</t>


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<pb/><t>A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Soon Babylon will be inhabited by desert animals and hyenas. It will be a home for owls. Never again will people live there; it will lie desolate forever.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will destroy it as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns,” says the Lord. “No one will live there; no one will inhabit it.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Look! A great army is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are rising against you from far-off lands.</t>


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<pb/><t>They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. As they ride forward on horses, they sound like a roaring sea. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, Babylon.</t>


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<pb/><t>The king of Babylon has heard reports about the enemy, and he is weak with fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped him, like those of a woman in labor.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I will come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan, leaping on the sheep in the pasture. I will chase Babylon from its land, and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?”</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to the Lord’s plans against Babylon and the land of the Babylonians. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep, and their homes will be destroyed.</t>


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<pb/><t>The earth will shake with the shout, “Babylon has been taken!” and its cry of despair will be heard around the world.</t>


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<t>This is what the Lord says: “I will stir up a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Babylonia.</t>


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<pb/><t>Foreigners will come and winnow her, blowing her away as chaff. They will come from every side to rise against her in her day of trouble.</t>


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<pb/><t>Don’t let the archers put on their armor or draw their bows. Don’t spare even her best soldiers! Let her army be completely destroyed.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has not abandoned Israel and Judah. He is still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves! Don’t get trapped in her punishment! It is the Lord’s time for vengeance; he will repay her in full.</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylon has been a gold cup in the Lord’s hands, a cup that made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank Babylon’s wine, and it drove them all mad.</t>


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<pb/><t>But suddenly Babylon, too, has fallen. Weep for her. Give her medicine. Perhaps she can yet be healed.</t>


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<pb/><t>We would have helped her if we could, but nothing can save her now. Let her go; abandon her. Return now to your own land. For her punishment reaches to the heavens; it is so great it cannot be measured.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord has vindicated us. Come, let us announce in Jerusalem everything the Lord our God has done.</t>


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<pb/><t>Sharpen the arrows! Lift up the shields! For the Lord has inspired the kings of the Medes to march against Babylon and destroy her. This is his vengeance against those who desecrated his Temple.</t>


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<pb/><t>Raise the battle flag against Babylon! Reinforce the guard and station the watchmen. Prepare an ambush, for the Lord will fulfill all his plans against Babylon.</t>


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<pb/><t>You are a city by a great river, a great center of commerce, but your end has come. The thread of your life is cut.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has taken this vow and has sworn to it by his own name: “Your cities will be filled with enemies, like fields swarming with locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.”</t>


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<pb/><t>A Hymn of Praise to the Lord The Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylon’s Great Punishment “You are my battle-ax and sword,” says the Lord. “With you I will shatter nations and destroy many kingdoms.</t>


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<pb/><t>With you I will shatter armies— destroying the horse and rider, the chariot and charioteer.</t>


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<pb/><t>With you I will shatter men and women, old people and children, young men and young women.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I will repay Babylon and the people of Babylonia for all the wrong they have done to my people in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Look, O mighty mountain, destroyer of the earth! I am your enemy,” says the Lord. “I will raise my fist against you, to knock you down from the heights. When I am finished, you will be nothing but a heap of burnt rubble.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will be desolate forever. Even your stones will never again be used for building. You will be completely wiped out,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>Raise a signal flag to the nations. Sound the battle cry! Mobilize them all against Babylon. Prepare them to fight against her! Bring out the armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander, and bring a multitude of horses like swarming locusts!</t>


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<pb/><t>Bring against her the armies of the nations— led by the kings of the Medes and all their captains and officers.</t>


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<pb/><t>The earth trembles and writhes in pain, for everything the Lord has planned against Babylon stands unchanged. Babylon will be left desolate without a single inhabitant.</t>


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<pb/><t>Her mightiest warriors no longer fight. They stay in their barracks, their courage gone. They have become like women. The invaders have burned the houses and broken down the city gates.</t>


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<pb/><t>The news is passed from one runner to the next as the messengers hurry to tell the king that his city has been captured.</t>


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<pb/><t>All the escape routes are blocked. The marshes have been set aflame, and the army is in a panic.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Babylon is like wheat on a threshing floor, about to be trampled. In just a little while her harvest will begin.”</t>


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<pb/><t>“King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has eaten and crushed us and drained us of strength. He has swallowed us like a great monster and filled his belly with our riches. He has thrown us out of our own country.</t>


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<pb/><t>Make Babylon suffer as she made us suffer,” say the people of Zion. “Make the people of Babylonia pay for spilling our blood,” says Jerusalem.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord’s Vengeance on Babylon This is what the Lord says to Jerusalem: “I will be your lawyer to plead your case, and I will avenge you. I will dry up her river, as well as her springs,</t>


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<pb/><t>and Babylon will become a heap of ruins, haunted by jackals. She will be an object of horror and contempt, a place where no one lives.</t>


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<pb/><t>And while they lie inflamed with all their wine, I will prepare a different kind of feast for them. I will make them drink until they fall asleep, and they will never wake up again,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats to be sacrificed.</t>


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<pb/><t>“How Babylon is fallen— great Babylon, praised throughout the earth! Now she has become an object of horror among the nations.</t>


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<pb/><t>Her cities now lie in ruins; she is a dry wasteland where no one lives or even passes by.</t>


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<pb/><t>And I will punish Bel, the god of Babylon, and make him vomit up all he has eaten. The nations will no longer come and worship him. The wall of Babylon has fallen!</t>


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<pb/><t>A Message for the Exiles “Come out, my people, flee from Babylon. Save yourselves! Run from the Lord’s fierce anger.</t>


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<pb/><t>But do not panic; don’t be afraid when you hear the first rumor of approaching forces. For rumors will keep coming year by year. Violence will erupt in the land as the leaders fight against each other.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the time is surely coming when I will punish this great city and all her idols. Her whole land will be disgraced, and her dead will lie in the streets.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the heavens and earth will rejoice, for out of the north will come destroying armies against Babylon,” says the Lord.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Just as Babylon killed the people of Israel and others throughout the world, so must her people be killed.</t>


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<pb/><t>Get out, all you who have escaped the sword! Do not stand and watch—flee while you can! Remember the Lord, though you are in a far-off land, and think about your home in Jerusalem.”</t>


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<pb/><t>“We are ashamed,” the people say. “We are insulted and disgraced because the Lord’s Temple has been defiled by foreigners.”</t>


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<pb/><t>“Yes,” says the Lord, “but the time is coming when I will destroy Babylon’s idols. The groans of her wounded people will be heard throughout the land.</t>


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<pb/><t>Though Babylon reaches as high as the heavens and makes her fortifications incredibly strong, I will still send enemies to plunder her. I, the Lord, have spoken!</t>


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<pb/><t>Babylon’s Complete Destruction “Listen! Hear the cry of Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the Lord is destroying Babylon. He will silence her loud voice. Waves of enemies pound against her; the noise of battle rings through the city.</t>


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<pb/><t>Destroying armies come against Babylon. Her mighty men are captured, and their weapons break in their hands. For the Lord is a God who gives just punishment; he always repays in full.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will make her officials and wise men drunk, along with her captains, officers, and warriors. They will fall asleep and never wake up again!” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.</t>


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<pb/><t>This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “The thick walls of Babylon will be leveled to the ground, and her massive gates will be burned. The builders from many lands have worked in vain, for their work will be destroyed by fire!”</t>


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Jeremiah’s Message Sent to Babylon The prophet Jeremiah gave this message to Seraiah son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah, a staff officer, when Seraiah went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah. This was during the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign.


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Jeremiah had recorded on a scroll all the terrible disasters that would soon come upon Babylon—all the words written here.


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Then say, ‘Lord, you have said that you will destroy Babylon so that neither people nor animals will remain here. She will lie empty and abandoned forever.’


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Then say, ‘In this same way Babylon and her people will sink, never again to rise, because of the disasters I will bring upon her.’”</t> This is the end of Jeremiah’s messages.


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<pb/>The Fall of Jerusalem Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.


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<pb/>These things happened because of the Lord’s anger against the people of Jerusalem and Judah, until he finally banished them from his presence and sent them into exile. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.


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Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.


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But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.


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They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.


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The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.


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Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains, and the king of Babylon led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death.


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<pb/>The Temple Destroyed On August 17 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.


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Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.


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But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind to care for the vineyards and fields.


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They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, basins, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple.


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The captain of the guard also took the small bowls, incense burners, basins, pots, lampstands, ladles, bowls used for liquid offerings, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver.


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The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea with the twelve bronze oxen beneath it, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the Lord’s Temple in the days of King Solomon.


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Each of the pillars was 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference. They were hollow, with walls 3 inches thick.


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The bronze capital on top of each pillar was 7 1⁄2 feet high and was decorated with a network of bronze pomegranates all the way around.


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There were 96 pomegranates on the sides, and a total of 100 pomegranates on the network around the top.


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And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; seven of the king’s personal advisers; the army commander’s chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens.


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In Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year he sent Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who took 745 more—a total of 4,600 captives in all.


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Hope for Israel’s Royal Line In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on March 31 of that year.


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So the Babylonian king gave him a regular food allowance as long as he lived. This continued until the day of his death.


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<pb/><t>Sorrow in Jerusalem Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave.</t>


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<t>She sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one left to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies.</t>


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<t>Judah has been led away into captivity, oppressed with cruel slavery. She lives among foreign nations and has no place of rest. Her enemies have chased her down, and she has nowhere to turn.</t>


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<t>The roads to Jerusalem are in mourning, for crowds no longer come to celebrate the festivals. The city gates are silent, her priests groan, her young women are crying— how bitter is her fate!</t>


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<t>Her oppressors have become her masters, and her enemies prosper, for the Lord has punished Jerusalem for her many sins. Her children have been captured and taken away to distant lands.</t>


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<t>All the majesty of beautiful Jerusalem has been stripped away. Her princes are like starving deer searching for pasture. They are too weak to run from the pursuing enemy.</t>


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<t>In the midst of her sadness and wandering, Jerusalem remembers her ancient splendor. But now she has fallen to her enemy, and there is no one to help her. Her enemy struck her down and laughed as she fell.</t>


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<t>Jerusalem has sinned greatly, so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag. All who once honored her now despise her, for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated. All she can do is groan and hide her face.</t>


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<t>She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out. “Lord, see my misery,” she cries. “The enemy has triumphed.”</t>


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<t>The enemy has plundered her completely, taking every precious thing she owns. She has seen foreigners violate her sacred Temple, the place the Lord had forbidden them to enter.</t>


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<t>Her people groan as they search for bread. They have sold their treasures for food to stay alive. “O Lord, look,” she mourns, “and see how I am despised.</t>


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<t>“Does it mean nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see if there is any suffering like mine, which the Lord brought on me when he erupted in fierce anger.</t>


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<t>“He has sent fire from heaven that burns in my bones. He has placed a trap in my path and turned me back. He has left me devastated, racked with sickness all day long.</t>


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<t>“He wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity. The Lord sapped my strength and turned me over to my enemies; I am helpless in their hands.</t>


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<t>“The Lord has treated my mighty men with contempt. At his command a great army has come to crush my young warriors. The Lord has trampled his beloved city like grapes are trampled in a winepress.</t>


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<t>“For all these things I weep; tears flow down my cheeks. No one is here to comfort me; any who might encourage me are far away. My children have no future, for the enemy has conquered us.”</t>


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<t>Jerusalem reaches out for help, but no one comforts her. Regarding his people Israel, the Lord has said, “Let their neighbors be their enemies! Let them be thrown away like a filthy rag!”</t>


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<t>“The Lord is right,” Jerusalem says, “for I rebelled against him. Listen, people everywhere; look upon my anguish and despair, for my sons and daughters have been taken captive to distant lands.</t>


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<t>“I begged my allies for help, but they betrayed me. My priests and leaders starved to death in the city, even as they searched for food to save their lives.</t>


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<t>“Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs, for I have rebelled against you. In the streets the sword kills, and at home there is only death.</t>


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<t>“Others heard my groans, but no one turned to comfort me. When my enemies heard about my troubles, they were happy to see what you had done. Oh, bring the day you promised, when they will suffer as I have suffered.</t>


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<t>“Look at all their evil deeds, Lord. Punish them, as you have punished me for all my sins. My groans are many, and I am sick at heart.”</t>


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<pb/><t>God’s Anger at Sin The Lord in his anger has cast a dark shadow over beautiful Jerusalem. The fairest of Israel’s cities lies in the dust, thrown down from the heights of heaven. In his day of great anger, the Lord has shown no mercy even to his Temple.</t>


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<t>Without mercy the Lord has destroyed every home in Israel. In his anger he has broken down the fortress walls of beautiful Jerusalem. He has brought them to the ground, dishonoring the kingdom and its rulers.</t>


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<t>All the strength of Israel vanishes beneath his fierce anger. The Lord has withdrawn his protection as the enemy attacks. He consumes the whole land of Israel like a raging fire.</t>


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<t>He bends his bow against his people, as though he were their enemy. His strength is used against them to kill their finest youth. His fury is poured out like fire on beautiful Jerusalem.</t>


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<t>Yes, the Lord has vanquished Israel like an enemy. He has destroyed her palaces and demolished her fortresses. He has brought unending sorrow and tears upon beautiful Jerusalem.</t>


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<t>He has broken down his Temple as though it were merely a garden shelter. The Lord has blotted out all memory of the holy festivals and Sabbath days. Kings and priests fall together before his fierce anger.</t>


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<t>The Lord has rejected his own altar; he despises his own sanctuary. He has given Jerusalem’s palaces to her enemies. They shout in the Lord’s Temple as though it were a day of celebration.</t>


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<t>The Lord was determined to destroy the walls of beautiful Jerusalem. He made careful plans for their destruction, then did what he had planned. Therefore, the ramparts and walls have fallen down before him.</t>


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<t>Jerusalem’s gates have sunk into the ground. He has smashed their locks and bars. Her kings and princes have been exiled to distant lands; her law has ceased to exist. Her prophets receive no more visions from the Lord.</t>


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<t>The leaders of beautiful Jerusalem sit on the ground in silence. They are clothed in burlap and throw dust on their heads. The young women of Jerusalem hang their heads in shame.</t>


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<t>I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony as I see the desperate plight of my people. Little children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets.</t>


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<t>They cry out to their mothers, “We need food and drink!” Their lives ebb away in the streets like the life of a warrior wounded in battle. They gasp for life as they collapse in their mothers’ arms.</t>


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<t>What can I say about you? Who has ever seen such sorrow? O daughter of Jerusalem, to what can I compare your anguish? O virgin daughter of Zion, how can I comfort you? For your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?</t>


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<t>Your prophets have said so many foolish things, false to the core. They did not save you from exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false pictures, filling you with false hope.</t>


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<t>All who pass by jeer at you. They scoff and insult beautiful Jerusalem, saying, “Is this the city called ‘Most Beautiful in All the World’ and ‘Joy of All the Earth’?”</t>


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<t>All your enemies mock you. They scoff and snarl and say, “We have destroyed her at last! We have long waited for this day, and it is finally here!”</t>


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<t>But it is the Lord who did just as he planned. He has fulfilled the promises of disaster he made long ago. He has destroyed Jerusalem without mercy. He has caused her enemies to gloat over her and has given them power over her.</t>


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<t>Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of beautiful Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourselves no rest; give your eyes no relief.</t>


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<t>Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger.</t>


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<t>“O Lord, think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets be killed within the Lord’s Temple?</t>


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<t>“See them lying in the streets— young and old, boys and girls, killed by the swords of the enemy. You have killed them in your anger, slaughtering them without mercy.</t>


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<t>“You have invited terrors from all around, as though you were calling them to a day of feasting. In the day of the Lord’s anger, no one has escaped or survived. The enemy has killed all the children whom I carried and raised.”</t>


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<pb/><t>Hope in the Lord’s Faithfulness I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger.</t>


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<pb/><t>He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated.</t>


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<pb/><t>Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies.</t>


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<pb/><t>Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.</t>


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<t>Lord, you have heard the vile names they call me. You know all about the plans they have made.</t>


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<pb/><t>God’s Anger Satisfied How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets!</t>


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<t>See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter.</t>


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<t>Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, like ostriches in the desert.</t>


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<t>The parched tongues of their little ones stick to the roofs of their mouths in thirst. The children cry for bread, but no one has any to give them.</t>


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<t>The people who once ate the richest foods now beg in the streets for anything they can get. Those who once wore the finest clothes now search the garbage dumps for food.</t>


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<t>The guilt of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment and no hand offered help.</t>


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<t>Our princes once glowed with health— brighter than snow, whiter than milk. Their faces were as ruddy as rubies, their appearance like fine jewels.</t>


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<t>But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as wood.</t>


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<t>Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger. Starving, they waste away for lack of food from the fields.</t>


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<t>Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.</t>


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<t>But now the anger of the Lord is satisfied. His fierce anger has been poured out. He started a fire in Jerusalem that burned the city to its foundations.</t>


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<t>Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem.</t>


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<t>Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.</t>


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<t>“Get away!” the people shouted at them. “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!” So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.</t>


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<t>The Lord himself has scattered them, and he no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders.</t>


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<t>We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us.</t>


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<t>We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed!</t>


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<t>Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there.</t>


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<t>Our king—the Lord’s anointed, the very life of our nation— was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth!</t>


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<t>Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz, O people of Edom? But you, too, must drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger. You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness.</t>


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<t>O beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; you will soon return from exile. But Edom, your punishment is just beginning; soon your many sins will be exposed.</t>


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<pb/><t>Prayer for Restoration Lord, remember what has happened to us. See how we have been disgraced!</t>


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<pb/><t>Our ancestors sinned, but they have died— and we are suffering the punishment they deserved!</t>


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<pb/><t>Young men are led away to work at millstones, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.</t>


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<pb/><t>But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.</t>


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<pb/>A Vision of Living Beings On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.


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(The Lord gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him.)


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<pb/>As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber.


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Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze.


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Under each of their four wings I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings.


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The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.


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<pb/>Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.


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Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.


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They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.


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The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.


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<pb/>As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each.


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The wheels sparkled as if made of beryl. All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.


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<pb/>When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. When they flew upward, the wheels went up, too.


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The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went.


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When the beings moved, the wheels moved. When the beings stopped, the wheels stopped. When the beings flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.


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Beneath this surface the wings of each living being stretched out to touch the others’ wings, and each had two wings covering its body.


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As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.


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Above this surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man.


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From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor.


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All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me.


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<pb/>Ezekiel’s Call and Commission “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.”


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<pb/>“Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day.


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They are a stubborn and hard-hearted people. But I am sending you to say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’


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And whether they listen or refuse to listen—for remember, they are rebels—at least they will know they have had a prophet among them.


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“Son of man, do not fear them or their words. Don’t be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels.


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You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen, for they are completely rebellious!


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Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you.”</t>


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which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom.


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The voice said to me, <t>“Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>“Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.


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But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn.


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I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”</t>


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<pb/>Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.


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Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.”</t>


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Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the Lord be praised in his place!)


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It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.


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The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong.


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Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River. I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days.


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“Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately.


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If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.


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If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.


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<pb/>“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.


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But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”</t>


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Then the Lord took hold of me and said, <t>“Get up and go out into the valley, and I will speak to you there.”</t>


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So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down on the ground.


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<pb/>Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said, “Go to your house and shut yourself in.


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And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels.


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But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels.


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<pb/>A Sign of the Coming Siege “And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it.


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Show the city under siege. Build a wall around it so no one can escape. Set up the enemy camp, and surround the city with siege ramps and battering rams.


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Then take an iron griddle and place it between you and the city. Turn toward the city and demonstrate how harsh the siege will be against Jerusalem. This will be a warning to the people of Israel.


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<pb/>“Now lie on your left side and place the sins of Israel on yourself. You are to bear their sins for the number of days you lie there on your side.


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<pb/>After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days—one day for each year of Judah’s sin.


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“Meanwhile, keep staring at the siege of Jerusalem. Lie there with your arm bared and prophesy her destruction.


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I will tie you up with ropes so you won’t be able to turn from side to side until the days of your siege have been completed.


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<pb/>“Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and emmer wheat, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use them to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side.


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Prepare and eat this food as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread.”</t>


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Then the Lord said, <t>“This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!”</t>


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<pb/>Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, must I be defiled by using human dung? For I have never been defiled before. From the time I was a child until now I have never eaten any animal that died of sickness or was killed by other animals. I have never eaten any meat forbidden by the law.”


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<pb/>Then he told me, “Son of man, I will make food very scarce in Jerusalem. It will be weighed out with great care and eaten fearfully. The water will be rationed out drop by drop, and the people will drink it with dismay.


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Lacking food and water, people will look at one another in terror, and they will waste away under their punishment.


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A Sign of the Coming Judgment <t>“Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts.


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Place a third of it at the center of your map of Jerusalem. After acting out the siege, burn it there. Scatter another third across your map and chop it with a sword. Scatter the last third to the wind, for I will scatter my people with the sword.


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Then take some of these hairs out and throw them into the fire, burning them up. A fire will then spread from this remnant and destroy all of Israel.


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<pb/>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is an illustration of what will happen to Jerusalem. I placed her at the center of the nations,


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but she has rebelled against my regulations and decrees and has been even more wicked than the surrounding nations. She has refused to obey the regulations and decrees I gave her to follow.


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<pb/>“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You people have behaved worse than your neighbors and have refused to obey my decrees and regulations. You have not even lived up to the standards of the nations around you.


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<pb/>Therefore, I myself, the Sovereign Lord, am now your enemy. I will punish you publicly while all the nations watch.


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Because of your detestable idols, I will punish you like I have never punished anyone before or ever will again.


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Parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I will punish you and scatter to the winds the few who survive.


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<pb/>“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will cut you off completely. I will show you no pity at all because you have defiled my Temple with your vile images and detestable sins.


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A third of your people will die in the city from disease and famine. A third of them will be slaughtered by the enemy outside the city walls. And I will scatter a third to the winds, chasing them with my sword.


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Then at last my anger will be spent, and I will be satisfied. And when my fury against them has subsided, all Israel will know that I, the Lord, have spoken to them in my jealous anger.


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<pb/>“So I will turn you into a ruin, a mockery in the eyes of the surrounding nations and to all who pass by.


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You will become an object of mockery and taunting and horror. You will be a warning to all the nations around you. They will see what happens when the Lord punishes a nation in anger and rebukes it, says the Lord.


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“I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you. The famine will become more and more severe until every crumb of food is gone.


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And along with the famine, wild animals will attack you and rob you of your children. Disease and war will stalk your land, and I will bring the sword of the enemy against you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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Proclaim this message from the Sovereign Lord against the mountains of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring war upon you, and I will smash your pagan shrines.


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All your altars will be demolished, and your places of worship will be destroyed. I will kill your people in front of your idols.


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Wherever you live there will be desolation, and I will destroy your pagan shrines. Your altars will be demolished, your idols will be smashed, your places of worship will be torn down, and all the religious objects you have made will be destroyed.


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<pb/>“But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world.


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Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins.


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They will know that I alone am the Lord and that I was serious when I said I would bring this calamity on them.


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<pb/>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Clap your hands in horror, and stamp your feet. Cry out because of all the detestable sins the people of Israel have committed. Now they are going to die from war and famine and disease.


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Disease will strike down those who are far away in exile. War will destroy those who are nearby. And anyone who survives will be killed by famine. So at last I will spend my fury on them.


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They will know that I am the Lord when their dead lie scattered among their idols and altars on every hill and mountain and under every green tree and every great shade tree—the places where they offered sacrifices to their idols.


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I will crush them and make their cities desolate from the wilderness in the south to Riblah in the north. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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“Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel: <t>“The end is here! Wherever you look— east, west, north, or south— your land is finished.


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No hope remains, for I will unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your detestable sins.


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I will turn my eyes away and show no pity. I will repay you for all your detestable sins. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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O people of Israel, the day of your destruction is dawning. The time has come; the day of trouble is near. Shouts of anguish will be heard on the mountains, not shouts of joy.


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Soon I will pour out my fury on you and unleash my anger against you. I will call you to account for all your detestable sins.


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I will turn my eyes away and show no pity. I will repay you for all your detestable sins. Then you will know that it is I, the Lord, who is striking the blow.


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<pb/>“The day of judgment is here; your destruction awaits! The people’s wickedness and pride have blossomed to full flower.


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Their violence has grown into a rod that will beat them for their wickedness. None of these proud and wicked people will survive. All their wealth and prestige will be swept away.


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Yes, the time has come; the day is here! Buyers should not rejoice over bargains, nor sellers grieve over losses, for all of them will fall under my terrible anger.


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Even if the merchants survive, they will never return to their business. For what God has said applies to everyone— it will not be changed! Not one person whose life is twisted by sin will ever recover.


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<pb/>The Desolation of Israel “The trumpet calls Israel’s army to mobilize, but no one listens, for my fury is against them all.


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There is war outside the city and disease and famine within. Those outside the city walls will be killed by enemy swords. Those inside the city will die of famine and disease.


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They will dress themselves in burlap; horror and shame will cover them. They will shave their heads in sorrow and remorse.


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“They will throw their money in the streets, tossing it out like worthless trash. Their silver and gold won’t save them on that day of the Lord’s anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their greed can only trip them up.


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They were proud of their beautiful jewelry and used it to make detestable idols and vile images. Therefore, I will make all their wealth disgusting to them.


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<pb/>“Prepare chains for my people, for the land is bloodied by terrible crimes. Jerusalem is filled with violence.


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I will bring the most ruthless of nations to occupy their homes. I will break down their proud fortresses and defile their sanctuaries.


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Calamity will follow calamity; rumor will follow rumor. They will look in vain for a vision from the prophets. They will receive no teaching from the priests and no counsel from the leaders.


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The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>Idolatry in the Temple Then on September 17, during the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the Sovereign Lord took hold of me.


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I saw a figure that appeared to be a man. From what appeared to be his waist down, he looked like a burning flame. From the waist up he looked like gleaming amber.


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He reached out what seemed to be a hand and took me by the hair. Then the Spirit lifted me up into the sky and transported me to Jerusalem in a vision from God. I was taken to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the Temple, where there is a large idol that has made the Lord very jealous.


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<pb/>Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and there to the north, beside the entrance to the gate near the altar, stood the idol that had made the Lord so jealous.


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<pb/>“Son of man,” he said, “do you see what they are doing? Do you see the detestable sins the people of Israel are committing to drive me from my Temple? But come, and you will see even more detestable sins than these!”


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He said to me, <t>“Now, son of man, dig into the wall.”</t> So I dug into the wall and found a hidden doorway.


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So I went in and saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel.


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Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan in the center. Each of them held an incense burner, from which a cloud of incense rose above their heads.


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<pb/>Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the leaders of Israel are doing with their idols in dark rooms? They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us; he has deserted our land!’”


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<pb/>He brought me to the north gate of the Lord’s Temple, and some women were sitting there, weeping for the god Tammuz.


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“Have you seen this?”</t> he asked. <t>“But I will show you even more detestable sins than these!”</t>


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<pb/>Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun!


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<pb/>“Have you seen this, son of man?” he asked. “Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and provoking my anger?


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Therefore, I will respond in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen.”</t>


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<pb/>The Slaughter of Idolaters Then the Lord thundered, “Bring on the men appointed to punish the city! Tell them to bring their weapons with them!”


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Six men soon appeared from the upper gate that faces north, each carrying a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man dressed in linen, who carried a writer’s case at his side. They all went into the Temple courtyard and stood beside the bronze altar.


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<pb/>Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case.


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He said to him, <t>“Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”</t>


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<pb/>Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity!


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Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.”</t> So they began by killing the seventy leaders.


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<pb/>“Defile the Temple!” the Lord commanded. “Fill its courtyards with corpses. Go!” So they went and began killing throughout the city.


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While they were out killing, I was all alone. I fell face down on the ground and cried out, <t>“O Sovereign Lord! Will your fury against Jerusalem wipe out everyone left in Israel?”</t>


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<pb/>Then he said to me, “The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, ‘The Lord doesn’t see it! The Lord has abandoned the land!’


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So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the man in linen clothing, who carried the writer’s case, reported back and said, “I have done as you commanded.”


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<pb/>The Lord’s Glory Leaves the Temple In my vision I saw what appeared to be a throne of blue lapis lazuli above the crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim.


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Then the Lord spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, <t>“Go between the whirling wheels beneath the cherubim, and take a handful of burning coals and scatter them over the city.”</t> He did this as I watched.


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<pb/>The cherubim were standing at the south end of the Temple when the man went in, and the cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard.


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Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the entrance of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord.


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The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty and could be heard even in the outer courtyard.


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<pb/>The Lord said to the man in linen clothing, “Go between the cherubim and take some burning coals from between the wheels.” So the man went in and stood beside one of the wheels.


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Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some live coals from the fire burning among them. He put the coals into the hands of the man in linen clothing, and the man took them and went out.


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<pb/>I looked, and each of the four cherubim had a wheel beside him, and the wheels sparkled like beryl.


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All four wheels looked alike and were made the same; each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.


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The cherubim could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved. They went straight in the direction they faced, never turning aside.


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Both the cherubim and the wheels were covered with eyes. The cherubim had eyes all over their bodies, including their hands, their backs, and their wings.


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Each of the four cherubim had four faces: the first was the face of an ox, the second was a human face, the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.


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<pb/>Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River.


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When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved with them. When they lifted their wings to fly, the wheels stayed beside them.


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When the cherubim stopped, the wheels stopped. When they flew upward, the wheels rose up, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.


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<pb/>Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim.


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And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.


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<pb/>These were the same living beings I had seen beneath the God of Israel when I was by the Kebar River. I knew they were cherubim,


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And their faces were just like the faces of the beings I had seen at the Kebar, and they traveled straight ahead, just as the others had.


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<pb/>Judgment on Israel’s Leaders Then the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the east gateway of the Lord’s Temple, where I saw twenty-five prominent men of the city. Among them were Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders among the people.


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The Spirit said to me, <t>“Son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and giving wicked counsel in this city.


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They say to the people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot.’


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<pb/>Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and he told me to say, “This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: I know what you are saying, for I know every thought that comes into your minds.


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<pb/>“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: This city is an iron pot all right, but the pieces of meat are the victims of your injustice. As for you, I will soon drag you from this pot.


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I will drive you out of Jerusalem and hand you over to foreigners, who will carry out my judgments against you.


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You will be slaughtered all the way to the borders of Israel. I will execute judgment on you, and you will know that I am the Lord.


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No, this city will not be an iron pot for you, and you will not be like meat safe inside it. I will judge you even to the borders of Israel,


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and you will know that I am the Lord. For you have refused to obey my decrees and regulations; instead, you have copied the standards of the nations around you.”</t>


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<pb/>While I was still prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah suddenly died. Then I fell face down on the ground and cried out, “O Sovereign Lord, are you going to kill everyone in Israel?”


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“Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking about you and your relatives and all the people of Israel who are in exile. They are saying, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord, so now he has given their land to us!’


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<pb/>“Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile.


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<pb/>I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.’


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<pb/>“When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols.


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And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart,


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so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.


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But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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<pb/>The Lord’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem Then the cherubim lifted their wings and rose into the air with their wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them.


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Afterward the Spirit of God carried me back again to Babylonia, to the people in exile there. And so ended the vision of my visit to Jerusalem.


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“Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people.


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<pb/>“So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels.


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Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands.


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As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder.


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Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.’


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Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.


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<pb/>“Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.


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Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.


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But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says concerning those living in Israel and Jerusalem: They will eat their food with trembling and sip their water in despair, for their land will be stripped bare because of their violence.


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The cities will be destroyed and the farmland made desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”</t>


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“Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’


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Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’


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For I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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“Son of man, the people of Israel are saying, ‘He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.’


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Therefore, tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No more delay! I will now do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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“Son of man, prophesy against the false prophets of Israel who are inventing their own prophecies. Say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord.


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This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits the false prophets who are following their own imaginations and have seen nothing at all!’


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They have done nothing to repair the breaks in the walls around the nation. They have not helped it to stand firm in battle on the day of the Lord.


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Instead, they have told lies and made false predictions. They say, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ even though the Lord never sent them. And yet they expect him to fulfill their prophecies!


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Can your visions be anything but false if you claim, ‘This message is from the Lord,’ when I have not even spoken to you?


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<pb/>“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign Lord.


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I will raise my fist against all the prophets who see false visions and make lying predictions, and they will be banished from the community of Israel. I will blot their names from Israel’s record books, and they will never again set foot in their own land. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.


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<pb/>“This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash!


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Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down.


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<pb/>“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury.


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I will break down your wall right to its foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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At last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: ‘The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone.


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They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’


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<pb/>Judgment against False Women Prophets “Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations.


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This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves?


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You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.


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<pb/>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage.


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I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.


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Because of all this, you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>The Idolatry of Israel’s Leaders Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me,


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“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?


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Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves.


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I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.’


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<pb/>“Therefore, tell the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable sins.


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I, the Lord, will answer all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice.


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I will turn against such people and make a terrible example of them, eliminating them from among my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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<pb/>“‘And if a prophet is deceived into giving a message, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet. I will lift my fist against such prophets and cut them off from the community of Israel.


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In this way, the people of Israel will learn not to stray from me, polluting themselves with sin. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”</t>


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“Son of man, suppose the people of a country were to sin against me, and I lifted my fist to crush them, cutting off their food supply and sending a famine to destroy both people and animals.


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Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign Lord.


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<pb/>“Or suppose I were to send wild animals to invade the country, kill the people, and make the land too desolate and dangerous to pass through.


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As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be made desolate.


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<pb/>“Or suppose I were to bring war against the land, and I sent enemy armies to destroy both people and animals.


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As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if those three men were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.


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<pb/>“Or suppose I were to pour out my fury by sending an epidemic into the land, and the disease killed people and animals alike.


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As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they wouldn’t be able to save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved by their righteousness.


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<pb/>“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals.


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Yet there will be survivors, and they will come here to join you as exiles in Babylon. You will see with your own eyes how wicked they are, and then you will feel better about what I have done to Jerusalem.


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When you meet them and see their behavior, you will understand that these things are not being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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“Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree?


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<pb/>“And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned.


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And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord.


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And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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Give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: You are nothing but a Canaanite! Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.


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On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth.


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No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in a field and left to die.


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<pb/>“But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’


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And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked.


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<pb/>And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.


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I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather.


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And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and costly fabric and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were!


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Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign Lord.


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<pb/>“But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking.


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You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?


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You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me!


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You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them.


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Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord.


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<pb/>“Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough?


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In all your years of adultery and detestable sin, you have not once remembered the days long ago when you lay naked in a field, kicking about in your own blood.


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On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution.


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That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct.


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You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied.


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You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia, the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.


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<pb/>“What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute.


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You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment.


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Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you.


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<pb/>Judgment on Jerusalem’s Prostitution “Therefore, you prostitute, listen to this message from the Lord!


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This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have poured out your lust and exposed yourself in prostitution to all your lovers, and because you have worshiped detestable idols, and because you have slaughtered your children as sacrifices to your gods,


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this is what I am going to do. I will gather together all your allies—the lovers with whom you have sinned, both those you loved and those you hated—and I will strip you naked in front of them so they can stare at you.


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Then I will give you to these many nations who are your lovers, and they will destroy you. They will knock down your pagan shrines and the altars to your idols. They will strip you and take your beautiful jewels, leaving you stark naked.


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They will burn your homes and punish you in front of many women. I will stop your prostitution and end your payments to your many lovers.


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“Then at last my fury against you will be spent, and my jealous anger will subside. I will be calm and will not be angry with you anymore.


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<pb/>But first, because you have not remembered your youth but have angered me by doing all these evil things, I will fully repay you for all of your sins, says the Sovereign Lord. For you have added lewd acts to all your detestable sins.


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For your mother loathed her husband and her children, and so do you. And you are exactly like your sisters, for they despised their husbands and their children. Truly your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.


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“Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south.


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As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters.


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<pb/>Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.


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“Even Samaria did not commit half your sins. You have done far more detestable things than your sisters ever did. They seem righteous compared to you.


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Then you will be truly ashamed of everything you have done, for your sins make them feel good in comparison.


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Yes, your sisters, Sodom and Samaria, and all their people will be restored, and at that time you also will be restored.


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But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned—by Edom and all her neighbors and by Philistia.


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<pb/>“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give you what you deserve, for you have taken your solemn vows lightly by breaking your covenant.


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Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.


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Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant.


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You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: <t>“A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers, covered with many-colored plumage, came to Lebanon. He seized the top of a cedar tree</t>


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<pb/><t>and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders.</t>


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<pb/><t>He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a broad river, where it could grow like a willow tree.</t>


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<pb/><t>It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down into the ground. It produced strong branches and put out shoots.</t>


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<pb/><t>But then another great eagle came with broad wings and full plumage. So the vine now sent its roots and branches toward him for water,</t>


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<pb/><t>even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit.</t>


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<t>“So now the Sovereign Lord asks: Will this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it up, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army.</t>


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<pb/><t>But when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well.”</t>


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“Say to these rebels of Israel: Don’t you understand the meaning of this riddle of the eagles? The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes, and brought them to Babylon.


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He made a treaty with a member of the royal family and forced him to take an oath of loyalty. He also exiled Israel’s most influential leaders,


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so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel survive.


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“Nevertheless, this man of Israel’s royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?


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<pb/>No! For as surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, the king of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he disregarded and broke.


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Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives.


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For the king of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.


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<pb/>“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and disregarding the solemn oath he made in my name.


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I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and put him on trial for this treason against me.


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And all his best warriors will be killed in battle, and those who survive will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken.


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<pb/><t>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain.</t>


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<pb/><t>It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches.</t>


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<pb/><t>And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”</t>


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“Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste’?


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For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.


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He does not feast in the mountains before Israel’s idols or worship them. He does not commit adultery or have intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period.


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He is a merciful creditor, not keeping the items given as security by poor debtors. He does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy.


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He grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others,


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and faithfully obeys my decrees and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign Lord.


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<pb/>“But suppose that man has a son who grows up to be a robber or murderer and refuses to do what is right.


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And that son does all the evil things his father would never do—he worships idols on the mountains, commits adultery,


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oppresses the poor and helpless, steals from debtors by refusing to let them redeem their security, worships idols, commits detestable sins,


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and lends money at excessive interest. Should such a sinful person live? No! He must die and must take full blame.


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<pb/>“But suppose that sinful son, in turn, has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides against that kind of life.


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He does not exploit the poor, but instead is fair to debtors and does not rob them. He gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy.


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He helps the poor, does not lend money at interest, and obeys all my regulations and decrees. Such a person will not die because of his father’s sins; he will surely live.


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But the father will die for his many sins—for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what was clearly wrong among his people.


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<pb/>“‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live.


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The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.


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<pb/>But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die.


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All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.


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“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.


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<pb/>However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.


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<pb/>“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you?


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When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds.


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And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives.


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They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die.


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And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I.


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<pb/>“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you!


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Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel?


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<t>“What is your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among the young lions and reared her cubs.</t>


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<pb/><t>She raised one of her cubs to become a strong young lion. He learned to hunt and devour prey, and he became a man-eater.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt.</t>


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<pb/><t>“When the lioness saw that her hopes for him were gone, she took another of her cubs and taught him to be a strong young lion.</t>


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<pb/><t>He prowled among the other lions and stood out among them in his strength. He learned to hunt and devour prey, and he, too, became a man-eater.</t>


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<pb/><t>He demolished fortresses and destroyed their towns and cities. Their farms were desolated, and their crops were destroyed. The land and its people trembled in fear when they heard him roar.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the armies of the nations attacked him, surrounding him from every direction. They threw a net over him and captured him in their pit.</t>


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<pb/><t>With hooks, they dragged him into a cage and brought him before the king of Babylon. They held him in captivity, so his voice could never again be heard on the mountains of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Your mother was like a vine planted by the water’s edge. It had lush, green foliage because of the abundant water.</t>


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<pb/><t>Its branches became strong— strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter. It grew very tall, towering above all others. It stood out because of its height and its many lush branches.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the vine was uprooted in fury and thrown down to the ground. The desert wind dried up its fruit and tore off its strong branches, so that it withered and was destroyed by fire.</t>


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<pb/><t>A fire has burst out from its branches and devoured its fruit. Its remaining limbs are not strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter. “This is a funeral song, and it will be used in a funeral.”</t>


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<pb/>The Rebellion of Israel On August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply.


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“Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing!’


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<pb/>“Son of man, bring charges against them and condemn them. Make them realize how detestable the sins of their ancestors really were.


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Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel—when I revealed myself to the descendants of Jacob in Egypt—I took a solemn oath that I, the Lord, would be their God.


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I took a solemn oath that day that I would bring them out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them—a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.


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Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’


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<pb/>“But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of the vile images they were obsessed with, or forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt.


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But I didn’t do it, for I acted to protect the honor of my name. I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.


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And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy.


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<pb/>“But the people of Israel rebelled against me, and they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life. They also violated my Sabbath days. So I threatened to pour out my fury on them, and I made plans to utterly consume them in the wilderness.


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But again I held back in order to protect the honor of my name before the nations who had seen my power in bringing Israel out of Egypt.


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But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would not bring them into the land I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful place on earth.


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For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.


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“Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling themselves with their idols.


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<pb/>“But their children, too, rebelled against me. They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life. And they also violated my Sabbath days. So again I threatened to pour out my fury on them in the wilderness.


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Nevertheless, I withdrew my judgment against them to protect the honor of my name before the nations that had seen my power in bringing them out of Egypt.


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But I took a solemn oath against them in the wilderness. I swore I would scatter them among all the nations


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because they did not obey my regulations. They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.


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I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.


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<pb/>Judgment and Restoration “Therefore, son of man, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Your ancestors continued to blaspheme and betray me,


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for when I brought them into the land I had promised them, they offered sacrifices on every high hill and under every green tree they saw! They roused my fury as they offered up sacrifices to their gods. They brought their perfumes and incense and poured out their liquid offerings to them.


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I said to them, ‘What is this high place where you are going?’ (This kind of pagan shrine has been called Bamah—‘high place’—ever since.)


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<pb/>“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: Do you plan to pollute yourselves just as your ancestors did? Do you intend to keep prostituting yourselves by worshiping vile images?


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For when you offer gifts to them and give your little children to be burned as sacrifices, you continue to pollute yourselves with idols to this day. Should I allow you to ask for a message from me, O people of Israel? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will tell you nothing.


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<pb/>“You say, ‘We want to be like the nations all around us, who serve idols of wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen.


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As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will rule over you with an iron fist in great anger and with awesome power.


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And in anger I will reach out with my strong hand and powerful arm, and I will bring you back from the lands where you are scattered.


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I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign Lord.


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I will purge you of all those who rebel and revolt against me. I will bring them out of the countries where they are in exile, but they will never enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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<pb/>“As for you, O people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go right ahead and worship your idols, but sooner or later you will obey me and will stop bringing shame on my holy name by worshiping idols.


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For on my holy mountain, the great mountain of Israel, says the Sovereign Lord, the people of Israel will someday worship me, and I will accept them. There I will require that you bring me all your offerings and choice gifts and sacrifices.


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When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch.


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Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord.


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You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done.


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You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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“Son of man, turn and face the south and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev.


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Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north.


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And everyone in the world will see that I, the Lord, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”</t>


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Tell her, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—the righteous and the wicked alike.


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Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north.


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Everyone in the world will know that I am the Lord. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.’


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<pb/>“Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart.


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When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”</t>


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<t>“Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord: <t>“A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished.</t>


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<pb/><t>It is sharpened for terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Now will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power!</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished; it is being prepared for the executioner.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Son of man, cry out and wail; pound your thighs in anguish, for that sword will slaughter my people and their leaders— everyone will die!</t>


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<t>“Son of man, prophesy to them and clap your hands. Then take the sword and brandish it twice, even three times, to symbolize the great massacre, the great massacre facing them on every side.</t>


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<pb/><t>Let their hearts melt with terror, for the sword glitters at every gate. It flashes like lightning and is polished for slaughter!</t>


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<pb/><t>O sword, slash to the right, then slash to the left, wherever you will, wherever you want.</t>


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“Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon where the road forks into two—


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The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices.


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The omen in his right hand says, ‘Jerusalem!’ With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls.


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The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them.


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<pb/>“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt. You don’t even try to hide it! In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see. So now the time of your punishment has come!


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<pb/><t>This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Take off your jeweled crown, for the old order changes. Now the lowly will be exalted, and the mighty will be brought down.</t>


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<pb/><t>Destruction! Destruction! I will surely destroy the kingdom. And it will not be restored until the one appears who has the right to judge it. Then I will hand it over to him.</t>


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A Message for the Ammonites <t>“And now, son of man, prophesy concerning the Ammonites and their mockery. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: <t>“A sword, a sword is drawn for your slaughter. It is polished to destroy, flashing like lightning!</t>


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<pb/><t>Your prophets have given false visions, and your fortune-tellers have told lies. The sword will fall on the necks of the wicked for whom the day of final reckoning has come.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Now return the sword to its sheath, for in your own country, the land of your birth, I will pass judgment upon you.</t>


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<pb/><t>I will pour out my fury on you and blow on you with the fire of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men who are skilled in destruction.</t>


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<pb/><t>You will be fuel for the fire, and your blood will be spilled in your own land. You will be utterly wiped out, your memory lost to history, for I, the Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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“Son of man, are you ready to judge Jerusalem? Are you ready to judge this city of murderers? Publicly denounce her detestable sins,


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and give her this message from the Sovereign Lord: O city of murderers, doomed and damned—city of idols, filthy and foul—


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you are guilty because of the blood you have shed. You are defiled because of the idols you have made. Your day of destruction has come! You have reached the end of your years. I will make you an object of mockery throughout the world.


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Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you.


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People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things.


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Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors’ wives, who defile their daughters-in-law, or who rape their own sisters.


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There are hired murderers, loan racketeers, and extortioners everywhere. They never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign Lord.


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How strong and courageous will you be in my day of reckoning? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said.


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And when I have been dishonored among the nations because of you, you will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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“Son of man, the people of Israel are the worthless slag that remains after silver is smelted. They are the dross that is left over—a useless mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead.


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So tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you are all worthless slag, I will bring you to my crucible in Jerusalem.


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Just as silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin are melted down in a furnace, I will melt you down in the heat of my fury.


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and you will melt like silver in fierce heat. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have poured out my fury on you.’”</t>


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“Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain.


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Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.


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Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them.


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Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money!


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And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them.


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<pb/>“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.


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So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”</t>


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The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.


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<pb/>“Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers.


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They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses.


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And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself.


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For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.


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They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.


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<pb/>“Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution.


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She fawned over all the Assyrian officers—those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses—all of them attractive young men.


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“Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall—pictures of Babylonian military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms.


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Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia.


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When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her.


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So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.


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“In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts.


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Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt.


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And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.


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<pb/>The Lord’s Judgment of Oholibah “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction—those very nations from which you turned away in disgust.


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For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them—handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses.


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They will all come against you from the north with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please.


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I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned.


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In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.


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<pb/>“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected.


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They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world.


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You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols.


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Because you have followed in your sister’s footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.


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<pb/>“Yes, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You will drink from your sister’s cup of terror, a cup that is large and deep. It is filled to the brim with scorn and derision.


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<pb/>Drunkenness and anguish will fill you, for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation, the same cup your sister Samaria drank.


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<pb/>You will drain that cup of terror to the very bottom. Then you will smash it to pieces and beat your breast in anguish. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!


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<pb/>“And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”


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<pb/>The Lord’s Judgment on Both Sisters The Lord said to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins.


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They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me.


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On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.


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<pb/>“You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them.


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You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you.


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From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads.


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But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are—adulterers and murderers.


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<pb/>“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered.


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For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes.


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In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to all women not to follow your wicked example.


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You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution—your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>The Sign of the Cooking Pot On January 15, during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord:


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“Son of man, write down today’s date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem.


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Then give these rebels an illustration with this message from the Sovereign Lord: <t>“Put a pot on the fire, and pour in some water.</t>


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<pb/><t>Fill it with choice pieces of meat— the rump and the shoulder and all the most tender cuts.</t>


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<pb/><t>Use only the best sheep from the flock, and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and cook the bones along with the meat.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a cooking pot whose corruption can’t be cleaned out. Take the meat out in random order, for no piece is better than another.</t>


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<pb/><t>For the blood of her murders is splashed on the rocks. It isn’t even spilled on the ground, where the dust could cover it!</t>


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<pb/><t>So I will splash her blood on a rock for all to see, an expression of my anger and vengeance against her.</t>


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<pb/><t>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits Jerusalem, the city of murderers! I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.</t>


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<pb/><t>Yes, heap on the wood! Let the fire roar to make the pot boil. Cook the meat with many spices, and afterward burn the bones.</t>


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<pb/><t>Now set the empty pot on the coals. Heat it red hot! Burn away the filth and corruption.</t>


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<pb/><t>Your impurity is your lewdness and the corruption of your idolatry. I tried to cleanse you, but you refused. So now you will remain in your filth until my fury against you has been satisfied.</t>


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“I, the Lord, have spoken! The time has come, and I won’t hold back. I will not change my mind, and I will have no pity on you. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign Lord.”</t>


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“Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears.


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Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.”</t>


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<pb/>So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do.


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and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will defile my Temple, the source of your security and pride, the place your heart delights in. Your sons and daughters whom you left behind in Judah will be slaughtered by the sword.


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Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought by friends.


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Your heads will remain covered, and your sandals will not be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will groan among yourselves for all the evil you have done.


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Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold—their joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons and daughters.


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And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened.


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And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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Give the Ammonites this message from the Sovereign Lord: Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord! Because you cheered when my Temple was defiled, mocked Israel in her desolation, and laughed at Judah as she went away into exile,


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I will allow nomads from the eastern deserts to overrun your country. They will set up their camps among you and pitch their tents on your land. They will harvest all your fruit and drink the milk from your livestock.


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And I will turn the city of Rabbah into a pasture for camels, and all the land of the Ammonites into a resting place for sheep and goats. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you clapped and danced and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people,


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I will raise my fist of judgment against you. I will give you as plunder to many nations. I will cut you off from being a nation and destroy you completely. Then you will know that I am the Lord.


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A Message for Moab <t>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the people of Moab have said that Judah is just like all the other nations,


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I will open up their eastern flank and wipe out their glorious frontier towns—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.


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And I will hand Moab over to nomads from the eastern deserts, just as I handed over Ammon. Yes, the Ammonites will no longer be counted among the nations.


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In the same way, I will bring my judgment down on the Moabites. Then they will know that I am the Lord.


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A Message for Edom <t>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah.


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Therefore, says the Sovereign Lord, I will raise my fist of judgment against Edom. I will wipe out its people and animals with the sword. I will make a wasteland of everything from Teman to Dedan.


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I will accomplish this by the hand of my people of Israel. They will carry out my vengeance with anger, and Edom will know that this vengeance is from me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!


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A Message for Philistia <t>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long-standing contempt.


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Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will raise my fist of judgment against the land of the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea.


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I will execute terrible vengeance against them to punish them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, they will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>A Message for Tyre On February 3, during the twelfth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord:


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“Son of man, Tyre has rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Ha! She who was the gateway to the rich trade routes to the east has been broken, and I am the heir! Because she has been made desolate, I will become wealthy!’


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“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am your enemy, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the waves of the sea crashing against your shoreline.


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They will destroy the walls of Tyre and tear down its towers. I will scrape away its soil and make it a bare rock!


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It will be just a rock in the sea, a place for fishermen to spread their nets, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord. Tyre will become the prey of many nations,


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<pb/>“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: From the north I will bring King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon against Tyre. He is king of kings and brings his horses, chariots, charioteers, and great army.


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First he will destroy your mainland villages. Then he will attack you by building a siege wall, constructing a ramp, and raising a roof of shields against you.


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The hooves of his horses will choke the city with dust, and the noise of the charioteers and chariot wheels will shake your walls as they storm through your broken gates.


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His horsemen will trample through every street in the city. They will butcher your people, and your strong pillars will topple.


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“They will plunder all your riches and merchandise and break down your walls. They will destroy your lovely homes and dump your stones and timbers and even your dust into the sea.


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I will make your island a bare rock, a place for fishermen to spread their nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the Lord, have spoken. Yes, the Sovereign Lord has spoken!


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<pb/>The Effect of Tyre’s Destruction “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Tyre: The whole coastline will tremble at the sound of your fall, as the screams of the wounded echo in the continuing slaughter.


