# verses

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 [A song by David for going up to worship.] See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!


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 It is like fine, scented oil on the head, running down the beard-down Aaron's beard- running over the collar of his robes.


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 It is like dew on [Mount] Hermon, dew which comes down on Zion's mountains. That is where the LORD promised the blessing of eternal life.


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 [A song for going up to worship.] Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, all who stand in the house of the LORD night after night.


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 The LORD does whatever he wants in heaven or on earth, on the seas or in all the depths of the oceans.


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 He is the one who makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth, who makes lightning for the thunderstorms, and who brings wind out of his storerooms.


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 He sent miraculous signs and amazing things into the heart of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his officials.


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 It was there that those who had captured us demanded that we sing. Those who guarded us wanted us to entertain them. [They said,] "Sing a song from Zion for us!"


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 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you, if I don't consider Jerusalem my highest joy.


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 O LORD, remember the people of Edom. Remember what they did the day Jerusalem [was captured]. They said, "Tear it down! Tear it down to its foundation."


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 You destructive people of Babylon, blessed is the one who pays you back with the same treatment you gave us.


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 [By David.] I will give thanks to you with all my heart. I will make music to praise you in front of the false gods.


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 I will bow toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth. You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.


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 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to you, O LORD, because they have heard the promises you spoke.


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 Even though the LORD is high above, he sees humble people [close up], and he recognizes arrogant people from a distance.


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 Even though I walk into the middle of trouble, you guard my life against the anger of my enemies. You stretch out your hand, and your right hand saves me.


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 The LORD will do everything for me. O LORD, your mercy endures forever. Do not let go of what your hands have made.


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 If I climb upward on the rays of the morning sun [or] land on the most distant shore of the sea where the sun sets,


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 even the darkness is not too dark for you. Night is as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same [to you].


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 I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.


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 My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, when I was being skillfully woven in an underground workshop.


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 Your eyes saw me when I was only a fetus. Every day [of my life] was recorded in your book before one of them had taken place.


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 If I try to count them, there would be more of them than there are grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you.


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 I wish that you would kill wicked people, O God, and that bloodthirsty people would leave me alone.


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 [For the choir leader; a psalm by David.] Rescue me from evil people, O LORD. Keep me safe from violent people.


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 They make their tongues as sharp as a snake's [fang]. Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes. [Selah]


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 Protect me from the hands of wicked people, O LORD. Keep me safe from violent people. They try to trip me.


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 Arrogant people have laid a trap for me. They have spread out a net with ropes. They have set traps for me along the road. [Selah]


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 O LORD, do not give wicked people what they want. Do not let their evil plans succeed, [or] they will become arrogant. [Selah]


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 Do not let slanderers prosper on earth. Let evil hunt down violent people with one blow after another.


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 I know that the LORD will defend the rights of those who are oppressed and the cause of those who are needy.


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 [A psalm by David.] O LORD, I cry out to you, "Come quickly." Open your ears to me when I cry out to you.


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 Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted as an evening sacrifice.


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 Do not let me be persuaded to do anything evil or to become involved with wickedness, with people who are troublemakers. Do not let me taste their delicacies.


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 A righteous person may strike me or correct me out of kindness. It is like lotion for my head. My head will not refuse it, because my prayer is directed against evil deeds.


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 When their judges are thrown off a cliff, they will listen to what I have to say. It will sound pleasant [to them].


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 [A [maskil] by David when he was in the cave; a prayer.] Loudly, I cry to the LORD. Loudly, I plead with the LORD for mercy.


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 When I begin to lose hope, you [already] know what I am experiencing. [My enemies] have hidden a trap for me on the path where I walk.


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 Look to my right and see that no one notices me. Escape is impossible for me. No one cares about me.


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 I call out to you, O LORD. I say, "You are my refuge, my own inheritance in this world of the living."


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 Pay attention to my cry for help because I am very weak. Rescue me from those who pursue me because they are too strong for me.


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 Release my soul from prison so that I may give thanks to your name. Righteous people will surround me because you are good to me.


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 [A psalm by David.] O LORD, listen to my prayer. Open your ears to hear my urgent requests. Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.


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 Do not take me to court for judgment, because there is no one alive who is righteous in your presence.


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 The enemy has pursued me. He has ground my life into the dirt. He has made me live in dark places like those who have died long ago.


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 I remember the days long ago. I reflect on all that you have done. I carefully consider what your hands have made.


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 Answer me quickly, O LORD. My spirit is worn out. Do not hide your face from me, or I will be like those who go into the pit.


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 Let me hear about your mercy in the morning, because I trust you. Let me know the way that I should go, because I long for you.


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 O LORD, keep me alive for the sake of your name. Because you are righteous, lead me out of trouble.


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 In keeping with your mercy, wipe out my enemies and destroy all who torment me, because I am your servant.


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 my merciful one, my fortress, my stronghold, and my savior, my shield, the one in whom I take refuge, and the one who brings people under my authority.


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 O LORD, what are humans that you should care about them? What are mere mortals that you should think about them?


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 Stretch out your hands from above. Snatch me, and rescue me from raging waters and from foreigners' hands.


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 You are the one who gives victory to kings. You are the one who snatches your servant David away from a deadly sword.


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 Snatch me, and rescue me from foreigners' hands. Their mouths speak lies. Their right hands take false pledges.


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 May our sons be like full-grown, young plants. May our daughters be like stately columns that adorn the corners of a palace.


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 May our barns be filled with all kinds of crops. May our sheep give birth to thousands of lambs, tens of thousands in our fields.


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 May our cattle have many calves. May no one break in, and may no one be dragged out. May there be no cries of distress in our streets.


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 [A song of praise by David.] I will highly praise you, my God, the king. I will bless your name forever and ever.


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 One generation will praise your deeds to the next. Each generation will talk about your mighty acts.


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 They will announce what they remember of your great goodness, and they will joyfully sing about your righteousness.


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 Everything that you have made will give thanks to you, O LORD, and your faithful ones will praise you.


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 Everyone will talk about the glory of your kingdom and will tell the descendants of Adam about your might


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 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all living creatures will praise his holy name forever and ever.


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 I want to praise the LORD throughout my life. I want to make music to praise my God as long as I live.


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 When they breathe their last breath, they return to the ground. On that day their plans come to an end.


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 He brings about justice for those who are oppressed. He gives food to those who are hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free.


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 The LORD gives sight to blind people. The LORD straightens [the backs]of those who are bent over. The LORD loves righteous people.


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 The LORD protects foreigners. The LORD gives relief to orphans and widows. But he keeps wicked people from reaching their goal.


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 He covers the sky with clouds. He provides rain for the ground. He makes grass grow on the mountains.


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 He has done nothing like this for any other nation. The other nations do not know the decisions he has handed down. Hallelujah!


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 Let them praise the name of the LORD because his name is high above all others. His glory is above heaven and earth.


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 He has given his people a strong leader, someone praiseworthy for his faithful ones, for the people of Israel, the people who are close to him. Hallelujah!


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 to carry out the judgment that is written against them. This is an honor that belongs to all his godly ones. Hallelujah!


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 because discipline and teachings are a graceful garland on your head and a [golden] chain around your neck.


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 If they say, "Come with us. Let's set an ambush to kill someone. Let's hide to ambush innocent people for fun.


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 "How long will you gullible people love being so gullible? How long will you mockers find joy in your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?


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 "Turn to me when I warn you. I will generously pour out my spirit for you. I will make my words known to you.


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 when panic strikes you like a violent storm, when calamity strikes you like a wind storm, when trouble and anguish come to you.


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 "They will call to me at that time, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me,


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 "Gullible people kill themselves because of their turning away. Fools destroy themselves because of their indifference.


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 who leaves [her husband,]the closest friend of her youth,[and forgets her marriage vows to her God.]


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 Do not let mercy and truth leave you. Fasten them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.


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 The profit [gained] from [wisdom]is greater than the profit [gained] from silver. Its yield is better than fine gold.


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 When you have the good thing with you, do not tell your neighbor, "Go away! Come back tomorrow. I'll give you something then."


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 Do not plan to do something wrong to your neighbor while he is sitting there with you and suspecting nothing.


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 they used to teach me and say to me, "Cling to my words wholeheartedly. Obey my commands so that you may live.


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 Acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding. Do not forget. Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken.


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 Wicked people cannot sleep unless they do wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they make someone stumble.


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 But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday.


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 Either you will surrender your reputation to others and [the rest of] your years to some cruel person,


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 a loving doe and a graceful deer. Always let her breasts satisfy you. Always be intoxicated with her love.


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 A wicked person will be trapped by his own wrongs, and he will be caught in the ropes of his own sin.


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 My son, if you guarantee a loan for your neighbor or pledge yourself for a stranger with a handshake,


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 Do the following things, my son, so that you may free yourself, because you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Humble yourself, and pester your neighbor.


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 When you walk around, they will lead you. When you lie down, they will watch over you. When you wake up, they will talk to you


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 because the command is a lamp, the teachings are a light, and the warnings from discipline are the path of life


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 So it is with a man who has sex with his neighbor's wife. None who touch her will escape punishment.


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 but when he is caught, he has to repay it seven times. He must give up all the possessions in his house.


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 Obey my commands so that you may live. Follow my teachings just as you protect the pupil of your eye.


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 He immediately follows her like a steer on its way to be slaughtered, like a ram hobbling into captivity


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 until an arrow pierces his heart, like a bird darting into a trap. He does not realize that it will cost him his life.


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 All of it is clear to a person who has understanding and right to those who have acquired knowledge.


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 when he set a limit for the sea so the waters would not overstep his command, when he traced the foundations of the earth,


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 I was beside him as a master craftsman. I made him happy day after day, I rejoiced in front of him all the time,


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 Blessed is the person who listens to me, watches at my door day after day, and waits by my doorposts.


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 Give [advice] to a wise person, and he will become even wiser. Teach a righteous person, and he will learn more.


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 But he does not know that the souls of the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell.


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 The proverbs of Solomon:+b A wise son makes his father happy, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.


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 The LORD will not allow a righteous person to starve, but he intentionally ignores the desires of a wicked person.


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 The one who is truly wise accepts commands, but the one who talks foolishly will be thrown down headfirst.


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 Whoever winks with his eye causes heartache. The one who talks foolishly will be thrown down headfirst.


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 The mouth of a righteous person is a fountain of life, but the mouths of wicked people conceal violence.


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 Wisdom is found on the lips of a person who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of one without sense.


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 Like the laughter of a fool when he carries out an evil plan, so is wisdom to a person who has understanding.


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 That which wicked people dread happens to them, but [the LORD] grants the desire of righteous people.


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 When the storm has passed, the wicked person has vanished, but the righteous person has an everlasting foundation.


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 Like vinegar to the teeth, like smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy person to those who send him [on a mission].


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 The hope of righteous people [leads to] joy, but the eager waiting of wicked people comes to nothing.


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 The way of the LORD is a fortress for an innocent person but a ruin to those who are troublemakers.


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 The righteousness of innocent people makes their road smooth, but wicked people fall by their own wickedness.


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 Decent people are saved by their righteousness, but treacherous people are trapped by their own greed.


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 With his talk a godless person can ruin his neighbor, but righteous people are rescued by knowledge.


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 With the blessing of decent people a city is raised up, but by the words of wicked people, it is torn down.


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 Whoever guarantees a stranger's loan will get into trouble, but whoever hates the closing of a deal remains secure.


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 Certainly, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the descendants of righteous people will escape.


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 One person spends freely and yet grows richer, while another holds back what he owes and yet grows poorer.


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 People will curse the one who hoards grain, but a blessing will be upon the head of the one who sells it.


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 Whoever brings trouble upon his family inherits [only] wind, and that stubborn fool becomes a slave to the wise in heart.


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 A person cannot stand firm on a foundation of wickedness, and the roots of righteous people cannot be moved.


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 A wife with strength of character is the crown of her husband, but the wife who disgraces him is like bone cancer.


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 Overthrow wicked people, and they are no more, but the families of righteous people continue to stand.


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 A righteous person cares [even] about the life of his animals, but the compassion of wicked people is [nothing but] cruelty.


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 Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat, but the one who chases unrealistic dreams has no sense.


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 A wicked person delights in setting a trap for [other] evil people, but the roots of righteous people produce [fruit].


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 One person enjoys good things as a result of his speaking ability. Another is paid according to what his hands have accomplished.


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 When a stubborn fool is irritated, he shows it immediately, but a sensible person hides the insult.


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 A person eats well as a result of his speaking ability, but the appetite of treacherous people [craves] violence.


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 A person's riches are the ransom for his life, but the poor person does not pay attention to threats.


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 Whoever despises [God's] words will pay the penalty, but the one who fears [God's] commands will be rewarded.


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 Poverty and shame come to a person who ignores discipline, but whoever pays attention to constructive criticism will be honored.


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 Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners is stored away for a righteous person.


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 When poor people are able to plow, there is much food, but a person is swept away where there is no justice.


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 Whoever refuses to spank his son hates him, but whoever loves his son disciplines him from early on.


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 A righteous person eats to satisfy his appetite, but the bellies of wicked people are always empty.


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 Because of a stubborn fool's words a whip is lifted against him, but wise people are protected by their speech.


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 Where there are no cattle, the feeding trough is empty, but the strength of an ox produces plentiful harvests.


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 A mocker searches for wisdom without finding it, but knowledge comes easily to a person who has understanding.


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 The houses of wicked people will be destroyed, but the tents of decent people will continue to expand.


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 A heart that turns [from God] becomes bored with its own ways, but a good person is satisfied with God's ways.


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 Don't those who stray plan what is evil, while those who are merciful and faithful plan what is good?


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 A wicked person is thrown down by his own wrongdoing, but even in his death a righteous person has a refuge.


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 A king is delighted with a servant who acts wisely, but he is furious with one who acts shamefully.


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 The tongues of wise people give good expression to knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out a flood of stupidity.


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 A stubborn fool despises his father's discipline, but whoever appreciates a warning shows good sense.


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 Great treasure is in the house of a righteous person, but trouble comes along with the income of a wicked person.


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 A sacrifice brought by wicked people is disgusting to the LORD, but the prayers of decent people please him.


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 Discipline is a terrible [burden] to anyone who leaves the [right] path. Anyone who hates a warning will die.


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 The mind of a person who has understanding searches for knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on stupidity.


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 The path of lazy people is like a thorny hedge, but the road of decent people is an [open] highway.


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 Stupidity is fun to the one without much sense, but a person who has understanding forges straight ahead.


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 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble to his family, but whoever hates bribes will live.


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 The heart of a righteous person carefully considers how to answer, but the mouths of wicked people pour out a flood of evil things.


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 Whoever ignores discipline despises himself, but the person who listens to warning gains understanding.


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 Everyone with a conceited heart is disgusting to the LORD. Certainly, [such a person]will not go unpunished.


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 How much better it is to gain wisdom than gold, and the gaining of understanding should be chosen over silver.


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 Whoever gives attention to the LORD's word prospers, and blessed is the person who trusts the LORD.


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 Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it, but stubborn fools punish themselves with their stupidity.


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 Whoever winks his eye is plotting something devious. Whoever bites his lips has finished his evil work.


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 A wise slave will become master over a son who acts shamefully, and he will share the inheritance with the brothers.


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 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but the one who purifies hearts [by fire]is the LORD.


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 Whoever makes fun of a poor person insults his maker. Whoever is happy [to see someone's] distress will not escape punishment.


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 Whoever forgives an offense seeks love, but whoever keeps bringing up the issue separates the closest of friends.


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 Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he doesn't have a mind to grasp anything?


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 A person without good sense closes a deal with a handshake. He guarantees a loan in the presence of his friend.


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 Wisdom is directly in front of an understanding person, but the eyes of a fool [are looking around]all over the world.


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 Even a stubborn fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent. He is considered intelligent if he keeps his lips sealed.


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 The words of a person's mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is an overflowing stream.


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 It is not good to be partial toward a wicked person, thereby depriving an innocent person of justice.


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 The mind of a person who has understanding acquires knowledge. The ears of wise people seek knowledge.


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 An offended brother is more [resistant]than a strong city, and disputes are like the locked gate of a castle tower.


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 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love to talk will have to eat their own words.


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 Better to be a poor person who lives innocently than to be one who talks dishonestly and is a fool.


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 Many try to win the kindness of a generous person, and everyone is a friend to a person who gives gifts.


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 The entire family of a poor person hates him. How much more do his friends keep their distance from him! When he chases them with words, they are gone.


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 Whoever obeys the law preserves his life, [but] whoever despises the LORD's ways will be put to death.


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 A person who has a hot temper will pay for it. If you rescue him, you will have to do it over and over.


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 Strike a mocker, and a gullible person may learn a lesson. Warn an understanding person, and he will gain more knowledge.


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 Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger's loan, and hold responsible the person who makes a loan on behalf of a foreigner.


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 Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel.


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 Whoever goes around as a gossip tells secrets. Do not associate with a person whose mouth is always open.


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 It is a trap for a person to say impulsively, "This is a holy offering!" and later to have second thoughts about those vows.


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 The king's heart is like streams of water. Both are under the LORD's control. He turns them in any direction he chooses.


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 The plans of a hard-working person lead to prosperity, but everyone who is [always] in a hurry ends up in poverty.


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 When a mocker is punished, a gullible person becomes wise, and when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge.


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 A righteous person wisely considers the house of a wicked person. He throws wicked people into disasters.


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 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor. Whoever loves wine and expensive food will not become rich.


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 Wicked people become a ransom for righteous people, and treacherous people will take the place of decent people.


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 Sensible people foresee trouble and hide [from it], but gullible people go ahead and suffer [the consequence].


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 A devious person has thorns and traps ahead of him. Whoever guards himself will stay far away from them.


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 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit. The one who is cursed by the LORD will fall into it.


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 in order to teach you the words of truth so that you can give an accurate report to those who send you?


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 Do not rob the poor because they are poor or trample on the rights of an oppressed person at the city gate,


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 Do not be [found] among those who make deals with a handshake, among those who guarantee other people's loans.


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 Do you see a person who is efficient in his work? He will serve kings. He will not serve unknown people.


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 Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky.


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 As he calculates the cost to himself, this is what he does: He tells you, "Eat and drink," but he doesn't really mean it.


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 Who has trouble? Who has misery? Who has quarrels? Who has a complaint? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?


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 Do not look at wine because it is red, because it sparkles in the cup, because it goes down smoothly.


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 You will be like someone lying down in the middle of the sea or like someone lying down on top of a ship's mast, saying,


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 "They strike me, but I feel no pain. They beat me, but I'm not aware of it. Whenever I wake up, I'm going to look for another drink."


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 Matters of wisdom are beyond the grasp of a stubborn fool. At the city gate he does not open his mouth.


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 When you say, "We didn't know this," won't the one who weighs hearts take note of it? Won't the one who guards your soul know it? Won't he pay back people for what they do?


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 The knowledge of wisdom is like that for your soul. If you find it, then there is a future, and your hope will never be cut off.


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 A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again. However, in a disaster wicked people fall.


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 Fear the LORD, my son. Fear the king as well. Do not associate with those who always insist upon change,


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 Whoever says to a guilty person, "You are innocent," will be cursed by people and condemned by nations.


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 But people will be pleased with those who convict a guilty person, and a great blessing will come to them.


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 Prepare your work outside, and get things ready for yourself in the field. Afterwards, build your house.


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 I saw that it was all overgrown with thistles. The ground was covered with weeds, and its stone fence was torn down.


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 because it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put down in front of a prince whom your eyes have seen.


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 Otherwise, when he hears about it, he will humiliate you, and his evil report about you will never disappear.


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 [Like] a gold ring and a fine gold ornament, [so] is constructive criticism to the ear of one who listens.


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 Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day, [so] is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him: He refreshes his masters.


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 Do not set foot in your neighbor's house too often. Otherwise, he will see too much of you and hate you.


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 [Like] a club and a sword and a sharp arrow, [so] is a person who gives false testimony against his neighbor.


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 [Like] a broken tooth and a lame foot, [so] is confidence in an unfaithful person in a [time of] crisis.


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 [Like] taking off a coat on a cold day or pouring vinegar on baking soda, so is singing songs to one who has an evil heart.


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 If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.


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 [Like] a muddied spring and a polluted well, [so] is a righteous person who gives in to a wicked person.


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 Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so a hastily spoken curse does not come to rest.


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 A lazy person says, "There's a ferocious lion out on the road! There's a lion loose in the streets!"


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 [Like] grabbing a dog by the ears, [so] is a bystander who gets involved in someone else's quarrel.


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 Praise should come from another person and not from your own mouth, from a stranger and not from your own lips.


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 A stone is heavy, and sand weighs a lot, but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both.


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 Do not abandon your friend or your father's friend. Do not go to a relative's home when you are in trouble. A neighbor living nearby is better than a relative far away.


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 Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger's loan, and hold responsible the person who makes a loan in behalf of a foreigner.


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 Whoever blesses his friend early in the morning with a loud voice- his blessing is considered a curse.


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 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but a person [is tested] by the praise given to him.


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 If you crush a stubborn fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, [even then] his stupidity will not leave him.


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 There will be enough goat milk to feed you, to feed your family, and to keep your servant girls alive.


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 When a country is in revolt, it has many rulers, but only with a person who has understanding and knowledge will it last a long time.


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 Those who abandon [God's] teachings praise wicked people, but those who follow [God's] teachings oppose wicked people.


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 Whoever follows [God's] teachings is a wise son. Whoever associates with gluttons disgraces his father.


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 Whoever becomes wealthy through [unfair] loans and interest collects them for the one who is kind to the poor.


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 Whoever leads decent people into evil will fall into his own pit, but innocent people will inherit good things.


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 A rich person is wise in his own eyes, but a poor person with understanding sees right through him.


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 When righteous people triumph, there is great glory, but when wicked people rise, people hide themselves.


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 Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.


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 Blessed is the one who is always fearful [of sin], but whoever is hard-hearted falls into disaster.


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 A leader without understanding taxes [his people] heavily, but those who hate unjust gain will live longer.


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 A person burdened with the guilt of murder will be a fugitive down to his grave. No one will help him.


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 Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat. Whoever chases unrealistic dreams will have plenty of nothing.


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 A trustworthy person has many blessings, but anyone in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.


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 Whoever criticizes people will be more highly regarded in the future than the one who flatters with his tongue.


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 When righteous people increase, the people [of God] rejoice, but when a wicked person rules, everybody groans.


text:
 By means of justice, a king builds up a country, but a person who confiscates religious contributions tears it down.


text:
 When a wise person goes to court with a stubborn fool, he may rant and rave, but there is no peace and quiet.


text:
 An unjust person is disgusting to righteous people. A decent person is disgusting to wicked people.


text:
 The words of Agur, son of Jakeh. Agur's prophetic revelation.+b This man's declaration: "I'm weary, O God. I'm weary and worn out, O God.


text:
 "Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in the palm of his hand? Who has wrapped water in a garment? Who has set up the earth from one end to the other? What is his name or the name of his son? Certainly, you must know!


text:
 Keep vanity and lies far away from me. Don't give me either poverty or riches. Feed me [only] the food I need,


text:
 or I may feel satisfied and deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' or I may become poor and steal and give the name of my God a bad reputation.


text:
 A certain kind of person, whose teeth are like swords and whose jaws are [like] knives, devours oppressed people from the earth and people from among humanity.


text:
 The bloodsucking leech has two daughters- "Give!" and "Give!" Three things are never satisfied. Four never say, "Enough!":


text:
 The eye that makes fun of a father and hates to obey a mother will be plucked out by ravens in the valley and eaten by young vultures.


text:
 an eagle making its way through the sky, a snake making its way over a rock, a ship making its way through high seas, a man making his way with a virgin.


text:
 This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: She eats, wipes her mouth, and says, "I haven't done anything wrong!"


text:
 If you are such a godless fool as to honor yourself, or if you scheme, you had better put your hand over your mouth.


text:
 As churning milk produces butter and punching a nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces a fight.


text:
 Otherwise, they drink and forget what they have decreed and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people.


text:
 She wakes up while it is still dark and gives food to her family and portions of food to her female slaves.


text:
 She does not fear for her family when it snows because her whole family has a double layer of clothing.


text:
 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty evaporates, [but] a woman who has the fear of the LORD should be praised.


text:
 Reward her for what she has done, and let her achievements praise her at the city gates. God's Word-Proverbs-12


text:
 The wind blows toward the south and shifts toward the north. Round and round it blows. It blows in a full circle.


text:
 All streams flow into the sea, but the sea is never full. The water goes back to the place where the streams began in order to [start] flowing again.


text:
 All of these sayings are worn-out phrases. They are more than anyone can express, comprehend, or understand.


text:
 Whatever has happened before will happen [again]. Whatever has been done before will be done [again]. There is nothing new under the sun.


text:
 Nothing from the past is remembered. Even in the future, nothing will be remembered by those who come after us.


text:
 With all my heart I used wisdom to study and explore everything done under heaven. Mortals are weighed down with a terrible burden that God has placed on them.


text:
 I have seen everything that is done under the sun. Look at it! It's all pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind.


text:
 I thought to myself, "I have grown wiser than anyone who [has ruled] Jerusalem before me. I've had a lot of experience with wisdom and knowledge."


text:
 I've used my mind to understand wisdom and knowledge as well as madness and stupidity. [Now] I know that this is [like] trying to catch the wind.


text:
 With a lot of wisdom [comes] a lot of heartache. The greater [your] knowledge, the greater [your] pain.


text:
 I thought to myself, "Now I want to experiment with pleasure and enjoy myself." But even this was pointless.


text:
 I explored ways to make myself feel better by drinking wine. I also explored ways to do [some] foolish things. During all that time, wisdom continued to control my mind. I was able to determine whether this was good for mortals to do during their brief lives under heaven.


text:
 I bought male and female slaves. In addition, slaves were born in my household. I owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me.


text:
 I also gathered silver and gold for myself. I gathered the treasures of kings and provinces. I provided myself with male and female singers and the pleasures men have with one concubine after another.


text:
 If something appealed to me, I did it. I allowed myself to have any pleasure I wanted, since I found pleasure in my work. This was my reward for all my hard work.


text:
 But when I turned to look at all that I had accomplished and all the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all pointless. [It was like] trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing [from any of my accomplishments] under the sun.


text:
 Then I turned [my attention] to experience wisdom, madness, and foolishness. For instance, what can the man who replaces the king do? Only what has already been done.


text:
 A wise person uses the eyes in his head, but a fool walks in the dark. But I have also come to realize that the same destiny waits for both of them.


text:
 I thought to myself, "[If] the destiny that waits for the fool waits for me as well, then what is the advantage in being wise?" So I thought that even this is pointless.


text:
 Neither the wise person nor the fool will be remembered for long, since both will be forgotten in the days to come. Both the wise person and the fool will die.


text:
 So I came to hate life because everything done under the sun seemed wrong to me. Everything was pointless. [It was like] trying to catch the wind.


text:
 I came to hate everything for which I had worked so hard under the sun, because I will have to leave it to the person who replaces me.


text:
 Who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? He will still have control over everything under the sun for which I worked so hard and used my wisdom. Even this is pointless.


text:
 Here is someone who had worked hard with wisdom, knowledge, and skill. Yet, he must turn over his estate to someone else, who didn't work for it. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy.


text:
 Their entire life is filled with pain, and their work is unbearable. Even at night their minds don't rest. Even this is pointless.


text:
 There is nothing better for people to do than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work. I saw that even this comes from the hand of God.


text:
 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to anyone who pleases him. But to the person who continues to sin, he gives the job of gathering and collecting [wealth]. The sinner must turn his wealth over to the person who pleases God. Even this is pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind.


text:
 It is beautiful how God has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people's minds. Yet, mortals still can't grasp what God is doing from the beginning to the end [of time].


text:
 I realize that there's nothing better for them to do than to be cheerful and enjoy what is good in their lives.


text:
 It is a gift from God to be able to eat and drink and experience the good that comes from every kind of hard work.


text:
 I realize that whatever God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away from it. God does this so that people will fear him.


text:
 Whatever has happened [in the past] is present now. Whatever is going to happen [in the future] has already happened [in the past]. God will call the past to account.


text:
 I saw something else under the sun: There is wickedness where justice should be found. There is wickedness where righteousness should be found.


text:
 I thought to myself, "God will judge righteous people as well as wicked people, because there is a specific time for every activity and every work that is done."


text:
 I thought to myself, "God is going to test humans in order to show them that they are [like] animals."


text:
 Humans and animals have the same destiny. One dies just like the other. All of them have the same breath [of life]. Humans have no advantage over animals. All [of life] is pointless.


text:
 All [life] goes to the same place. All [life] comes from the ground, and all of it goes back to the ground.


text:
 Who knows whether a human spirit goes upward or whether an animal spirit goes downward to the earth?


text:
 I saw that there's nothing better for people to do than to enjoy their work because that is their lot [in life]. Who will allow them to see what will happen after them?


text:
 Next, I turned to look at all the acts of oppression that make people suffer under the sun. Look at the tears of those who suffer! No one can comfort them. Their oppressors have [all] the power. No one can comfort those who suffer.


text:
 I congratulate the dead, who have already died, rather than the living, who still have to carry on.


text:
 But the person who hasn't been born yet is better off than both of them. He hasn't seen the evil that is done under the sun.


text:
 Then I saw that all hard work and skillful effort come from rivalry. Even this is pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind.


text:
 One handful of peace and quiet is better than two handfuls of hard work and of trying to catch the wind.


text:
 There are people who are all alone. They have no children or other family members. So there is no end to all the hard work they have to do. Their eyes are never satisfied with riches. But [they never ask themselves] why they are working so hard and depriving themselves of good things. Even this is pointless and a terrible tragedy.


text:
 If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is [all] alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.


text:
 Though one person may be overpowered by another, two people can resist one opponent. A triple-braided rope is not easily broken.


text:
 A young man who is poor and wise is better than an old, foolish king who won't take advice any longer.


text:
 A young man came out of prison to rule as king, even though he had been born in poverty in that same kingdom.


text:
 I saw all living people moving about under the sun. They sided with the second young man, the king's successor.


text:
 There was no end to all those people, everyone whom he led.?kings[."> But those who will come later will not be happy with the successor. Even this is pointless.]It's like[ trying to catch the wind.]


text:
 Watch your step when you go to the house of God. It is better to go there and listen than to bring the sacrifices fools bring. Fools are unaware that they are doing [something] evil.


text:
 Don't be in a hurry to talk. Don't be eager to speak in the presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words.


text:
 Daydreaming comes when there are too many worries. Careless speaking comes when there are too many words.


text:
 When you make a promise to God, don't be slow to keep it because God doesn't like fools. Keep your promise.


text:
 Don't let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don't say in the presence of a [temple] messenger, "My promise was a mistake!" Why should God become angry at your excuse and destroy what you've accomplished?


text:
 Don't be surprised if you see poor people being oppressed, denied justice, or denied their rights in any district. One authority is watching over another, and they both have authorities watching over them.


text:
 Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless.


text:
 As the number of goods increase, so do the number of people who consume them. What do owners gain [from all their goods] except [the opportunity] to look at them?


text:
 The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep.


text:
 There is a painful tragedy that I have seen under the sun: Riches lead to the downfall of those who hoard them.


text:
 These hoarded riches were then lost in bad business deals. The owners had children, but now they have nothing to give them.


text:
 They came from their mother's womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won't even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work.


text:
 This also is a painful tragedy: They leave exactly as they came. What advantage do they gain from working so hard for the wind?


text:
 At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us. That is our lot [in life].


text:
 It is a gift from God when God gives some people wealth and possessions, the power to enjoy them, [the ability] to accept their lot in life, and [the ability] to rejoice in their own hard work.


text:
 These people won't give much thought to their brief lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy in their hearts.


text:
 God gives one person riches, wealth, and honor so that he doesn't lack anything he wants. Yet, God doesn't give him the power to enjoy any of them. Instead, a stranger enjoys them. This is pointless and is a painful tragedy.


text:
 Suppose a rich person wasn't satisfied with good things [while he was alive] and didn't even get an honorable burial [after he died]. Suppose he had a hundred children and lived for many years. No matter how long he would have lived, it [still] would have been better for him to have been born dead.


text:
 A stillborn baby arrives in a pointless birth and goes out into the darkness. The darkness then hides its name.


text:
 Even if the rich person lives two thousand years without experiencing anything good-don't we all go to the same place?


text:
 Everything that people work so hard for goes into their mouths, but their appetite is never satisfied.


text:
 What advantage does a wise person have over a fool? What advantage does a poor person have in knowing how to face life?


text:
 It is better to look at what is in front of you than to go looking for what you want. Even this is pointless. [It's like] trying to catch the wind.


text:
 Whatever has happened [in the past] already has a name. Mortals are already known for what they are. Mortals cannot argue with the one who is stronger than they.


text:
 The more words there are, the more pointless they become. What advantage do mortals gain from this?


text:
 Who knows what may be good for mortals while they are alive, during the brief, pointless days they live? Mortals pass by like a shadow. Who will tell them about their future under the sun?


text:
 A good name is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you're born.


text:
 It is better to go to a funeral than to a banquet because that is where everyone will end up. Everyone who is alive should take this to heart!


text:
 The laughter of a fool is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. Even this is pointless.


text:
 Don't ask, "Why were things better in the old days than they are now?" It isn't wisdom that leads you to ask this!


text:
 Wisdom protects us just as money protects us, but the advantage of wisdom is that it gives life to those who have it.


text:
 When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one time as well as the other so that mortals cannot predict their future.


text:
 I have seen it all in my pointless life: Righteous people die in spite of being righteous. Wicked people go on living in spite of being wicked.


text:
 It's good to hold on to the one and not let go of the other, because the one who fears God will be able to avoid both extremes.


text:
 I turned my attention to study, to explore, and to seek out wisdom and the reason for things. I learned that wickedness is stupid and foolishness is madness.


text:
 I find that a woman whose thoughts are [like] traps and snares is more bitter than death itself. Even her hands are [like] chains. Whoever pleases God will escape her, but she will catch whoever continues to sin.


text:
 The spokesman said, "This is what I've found: I added one thing to another in order to find a reason for things.


text:
 I am still seeking a reason for things, but have not found any. I found one man out of a thousand who had it, but out of all these I didn't find one woman.


text:
 I have found only this: God made people decent, but they looked for many ways [to avoid being decent]."


text:
 Who is really wise? Who knows how to explain things? Wisdom makes one's face shine, and it changes one's grim look.


text:
 Don't be in a hurry to leave the king's service. Don't take part in something evil, because he can do whatever he pleases.


text:
 Whoever obeys his commands will avoid trouble. The mind of a wise person will know the right time and the right way [to act].


text:
 There is a right time and a right way [to act] in every situation. Yet, a terrible human tragedy hangs over people.


text:
 No one has the power to prevent the spirit of life from leaving. No one has control over the day of his own death. There is no way to avoid the war [against death]. Wickedness will not save wicked people [from dying].


text:
 I have seen all of this, and I have carefully considered all that is done under the sun whenever one person has authority to hurt others.


text:
 Then I saw wicked people given an [honorable] burial. They used to go in and out of the holy place. They were praised in the city for doing such things. Even this is pointless.


text:
 A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and yet live a long life. Still, I know with certainty that it will go well for those who fear God, because they fear him.


text:
 But it will not go well for the wicked. They will not live any longer. Their lives are like shadows, because they don't fear God.


text:
 There is something being done on earth that is pointless. Righteous people suffer for what the wicked do, and wicked people get what the righteous deserve. I say that even this is pointless.


text:
 So I recommend the enjoyment [of life]. People have nothing better to do under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. This joy will stay with them while they work hard during their brief lives which God has given them under the sun.


text:
 When I carefully considered how to study wisdom and how to look at the work that is done on earth (even going without sleep day and night),


text:
 then I saw everything that God has done. No one is able to grasp the work that is done under the sun. However hard a person may search for it, he will not find [its meaning]. Even though a wise person claims to know, he is not able to grasp it.


text:
 Now, I have carefully thought about all this, and I explain it in this way: Righteous people and wise people, along with their accomplishments, are in God's hands. No one knows whether there will be love or hatred.


text:
 Everything turns out the same way for everyone. All people will share the same destiny, whether they are righteous, wicked, or good, clean or unclean, whether they offer sacrifices or don't offer sacrifices. Good people are treated like sinners. People who take oaths are treated like those who are afraid to take oaths.


text:
 This is the tragedy of everything that happens under the sun: Everyone shares the same destiny. Moreover, the hearts of mortals are full of evil. Madness is in their hearts while they are still alive. After that, they join the dead.


text:
 The living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything. There is no more reward for the dead when the memory of them has faded.


text:
 Their love, their hate, and their passions have already vanished. They will never again take part in anything that happens under the sun.


text:
 Go, enjoy eating your food, and drink your wine cheerfully, because God has already accepted what you've done.


text:
 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, during all your brief, pointless life. God has given you your pointless life under the sun. This is your lot [in life] and what you get for the hard work that you do under the sun.


text:
 Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with [all] your might, because there is no work, planning, knowledge, or skill in the grave where you're going.


text:
 I saw something else under the sun. The race isn't [won] by fast runners, or the battle by heroes. Wise people don't necessarily have food. Intelligent people don't necessarily have riches, and skilled people don't necessarily receive special treatment. But time and unpredictable events overtake all of them.


text:
 No one knows when his time will come. Like fish that are caught in a cruel net or birds caught in a snare, humans are trapped by a disaster when it suddenly strikes them.


text:
 There was a small town with a few soldiers in it, and a powerful king came to attack it. He surrounded it and blockaded it.


text:
 A poor, wise person was found in that town. He saved the town using his wisdom. But no one remembered that poor person.


text:
 So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength," even though that poor person's wisdom was despised, and no one listened to what he said.


text:
 Dead flies will make a bottle of perfume stink, and then it is spoiled. A little foolishness outweighs wisdom [and] honor.


text:
 If a ruler becomes angry with you, don't resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses.


text:
 If an ax is blunt and the edge isn't sharpened, then one has to use more strength. But wisdom prepares the way for success.


text:
 He never stops talking. No one knows what the future will bring, or what will happen after [death]. Who can say!


text:
 How horrible it will be for any country where the king used to be a servant and where the high officials throw parties in the morning.


text:
 A country is blessed when the king is from a noble family and when the high officials eat at the right time in order to get strength and not to get drunk.


text:
 Don't curse the king even in your thoughts, and don't curse rich people even in your bedroom. A bird may carry your words, or some winged creature may repeat what you say.


text:
 Divide what you have into seven parts, or even into eight, because you don't know what disaster may happen on earth.


text:
 If the clouds are full of rain, they will let it pour down on the earth. If a tree falls north or south, the tree will remain where it fell.


text:
 Just as you don't know how the breath of life enters the limbs of a child within its mother's womb, you also don't understand how God, who made everything, works.


text:
 Plant your seed in the morning, and don't let your hands rest until evening. You don't know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will [turn out] equally well.


text:
 Even though people may live for many years, they should enjoy every one of them. But they should also remember there will be many dark days. Everything that is coming is pointless.


text:
 You young people should enjoy yourselves while you're young. You should let your hearts make you happy when you're young. Follow wherever your heart leads you and whatever your eyes see. But realize that God will make you give an account for all these things when he judges everyone.


text:
 Remember your Creator when you are young, before the days of trouble come and the years catch up with you. They will make you say, "I have found no pleasure in them."


text:
 Remember your Creator before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars turn dark, [and] the clouds come back with rain.


text:
 Remember your Creator when those who guard the house tremble, strong men are stooped over, the women at the mill stop grinding because there are so few of them, [and] those who look out of the windows see a dim light.


text:
 Remember your Creator when the doors to the street are closed, the sound of the mill is muffled, you are startled at the sound of a bird, [and] those who sing songs become quiet.


text:
 Remember your Creator when someone is afraid of heights and of dangers along the road, the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, [and] the caper bush has [no] fruit. Mortals go to their eternal rest, and mourners go out in the streets.


text:
 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is snapped, the golden bowl is broken, the pitcher is smashed near the spring, and the water wheel is broken at the cistern.


text:
 Then the dust [of mortals] goes back to the ground as it was before, and the breath of life goes back to God who gave it.


text:
 Besides being wise, the spokesman also taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about it, studied it, and arranged it in many proverbs.


text:
 Words from wise people are like spurs. Their collected sayings are like nails that have been driven in firmly. They come from one shepherd.


text:
 Be warned, my children, against anything more than these. People never stop writing books. Too much studying will wear out your body.


text:
 After having heard it all, this is the conclusion: Fear God, and keep his commands, because this applies to everyone.


text:
 God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad.


text:
 better than the fragrance of cologne. (Cologne should be named after you.) No wonder the young women love you!


text:
 Take me with you. Let's run away. The king has brought me into his private rooms. We will celebrate and rejoice with you. We will praise your expressions of love more than wine. How right it is that the young women love you!


text:
 Stop staring at me because I am so dark. The sun has tanned me. My brothers were angry with me. They made me the caretaker of the vineyards. I have not even taken care of my own vineyard.


text:
 Please tell me, you whom I love, where do you graze your flock? Where does your flock lie down at noon? [Tell me,] or I will be considered a prostitute [wandering] among the flocks of your companions.


text:
 If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the flocks, and graze your young goats near the shepherds' tents.


text:
 Look at you! You are beautiful, my true love! Look at you! You are so beautiful! Your eyes are like doves!


text:
 Look at you! You are handsome, my beloved, so pleasing to me! The leaf-scattered ground will be our couch.


text:
 Like an apple tree among the trees in the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. I want to sit in his shadow. His fruit tastes sweet to me.


text:
 Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me by the gazelles or by the does in the field that you will not awaken love or arouse love before its proper time.


text:
 I hear my beloved's voice. Look! Here he comes, sprinting over the mountains, racing over the hills.


text:
 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, peeking through the window, looking through the lattice.


text:
 Blossoms appear in the land. The time of the songbird has arrived. The cooing of the mourning dove is heard in our land.


text:
 The green figs ripen. The grapevines bloom and give off a fragrance. Get up, my true love, my beautiful one, and come with me.


text:
 My dove, in the hiding places of the rocky crevices, in the secret places of the cliffs, let me see your figure and hear your voice. Your voice is sweet, and your figure is lovely."


text:
 When the day brings a cooling breeze and the shadows flee, turn around, my beloved. Run like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains that separate us!


text:
 I will get up now and roam around the city, in the streets, and in the squares. I will look for the one I love. I looked for him but did not find him.


text:
 I had just left them when I found the one I love. I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, into the bedroom of the one who conceived me.


text:
 Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me by the gazelles or by the does in the field, that you will not awaken love or arouse love before its proper time.


text:
 Who is this young woman coming up from the wilderness like clouds of smoke? She is perfumed with myrrh and incense made from the merchants' scented powders.


text:
 All of them are skilled in using swords, experienced in combat. Each one has his sword at his side and guards against the terrors of the night.


text:
 He had its posts made out of silver, its top out of gold, its seat out of purple fabric. Its inside-with inlaid scenes of love- was made by the young women of Jerusalem.


text:
 Young women of Zion, come out and look at King Solomon! Look at his crown, the crown his mother placed on him on his wedding day, his day of joyful delight.


text:
 Look at you! You are beautiful, my true love. Look at you! You are so beautiful. Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats moving down Mount Gilead.


text:
 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep about to be sheared, sheep that come up from the washing. All of them bear twins, and not one has lost its young.


text:
 Your lips are like scarlet thread. Your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like slices of pomegranate.


text:
 Your neck is like David's beautifully-designed tower. A thousand round shields belonging to soldiers are hung on it.


text:
 When the day brings a cool breeze and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of incense.


text:
 You will come with me from Lebanon, from Lebanon as my bride. You will travel with me from the peak of Mount Amana, from the mountain peaks in Senir and Hermon, from the lairs of lions, from the mountains of leopards.


text:
 My bride, my sister, you have charmed me. You have charmed me with a single glance from your eyes, with a single strand of your necklace.


text:
 How beautiful are your expressions of love, my bride, my sister! How much better are your expressions of love than wine and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice.


text:
 Your lips drip honey, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The fragrance of your clothing is like the fragrance of Lebanon.


text:
 nard and saffron, calamus, cinnamon, and all kinds of incense, myrrh, aloes, and all the best spices.


text:
 Awake, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden! Let its spices flow from it. Let my beloved come to his garden, and let him eat his own precious fruit.


text:
 My bride, my sister, I will come to my garden. I will gather my myrrh with my spice. I will eat my honeycomb with my honey. I will drink my wine with my milk. Eat, my friends! Drink and become intoxicated with expressions of love!


text:
 I sleep, but my mind is awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking. Open to me, my true love, my sister, my dove, my perfect one. My head is wet with dew, my hair with the dewdrops of night.


text:
 I have taken off my clothes! Why should I put them on [again]? I have washed my feet! Why should I get them dirty [again]?


text:
 I got up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers were drenched with liquid myrrh, on the handles of the lock.


text:
 I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away. He was gone! I almost died when he left. I looked for him, but I did not find him. I called for him, but he did not answer me.


text:
 The watchmen making their rounds in the city found me. They struck me! They wounded me! Those watchmen on the walls took my robe from me!


text:
 Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me that if you find my beloved you will tell him I am hopelessly lovesick.


text:
 Most beautiful of women, what makes your beloved better than any other beloved? What makes your beloved better than any other beloved that you make us swear this way?


text:
 His cheeks are like a garden of spices, a garden that produces scented herbs. His lips are lilies that drip with myrrh.


text:
 His hands are disks of gold set with emerald. His chest is a block of ivory covered with sapphires.


text:
 His legs are columns of marble set on bases of pure gold. His form is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.


text:
 His mouth is sweet in every way. Everything about him is desirable! This is my beloved, and this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem.


text:
 Where did your beloved go, most beautiful of women? Where did your beloved turn? We will look for him with you.


text:
 My beloved went to his garden, to the beds of spices, to graze his flock in the gardens and gather lilies.


text:
 You are beautiful, my true love, like Tirzah, lovely like Jerusalem, awe-inspiring like those great cities.


text:
 Turn your eyes away from me. They enchant me! Your hair is like a flock of goats moving down from Gilead.


text:
 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep, sheep that come up from the washing. All of them bear twins, and not one has lost its young.


text:
 but she is unique, my dove, my perfect one. Her mother thinks she is unique. She is pure to the one who gave birth to her. Her sisters saw her and blessed her. Queens and concubines saw her and praised her.


text:
 Who is this young woman? She looks like the dawn. She is beautiful like the moon, pure like the sun, awe-inspiring like those heavenly bodies.


text:
 I went to the walnut grove to look at the blossoms in the valley, to see if the grapevine had budded and if the pomegranates were in bloom.


text:
 Come back! Come back, young woman from Shulam! Come back! Come back so that we may look at you! Why do you look at me, the young woman from Shulam, as you look at the dance of Mahanaim?


text:
 How beautiful are your feet in their sandals, noble daughter! The curves of your thighs are like ornaments, like the work of an artist's hands.


text:
 Your navel is a round bowl. May it always be filled with spiced wine. Your waist is a bundle of wheat enclosed in lilies.


text:
 Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like pools in Heshbon, pools by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like a Lebanese tower facing Damascus.


text:
 You hold your head as high as Mount Carmel. Your dangling curls are royal beauty. Your flowing locks could hold a king captive.


text:
 I thought, "I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit." May your breasts be like clusters on the vine. May the fragrance of your breath be like apples.


text:
 May your mouth taste like the best wine...... that goes down smoothly to my beloved and glides over the lips of those about to sleep.


text:
 Let's go to the vineyards early. Let's see if the vines have budded, if the grape blossoms have opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.


text:
 The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our door are all kinds of precious fruits. I have saved new and old things for you alone, my beloved.


text:
 If only you were my brother, one who nursed at my mother's breasts. If I saw you on the street, I would kiss you, and no one would look down on me.


text:
 I would lead you. I would bring you into my mother's house. (She is the one who was my teacher.) I would give you some spiced wine to drink, some juice squeezed from my pomegranates.


text:
 Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me that you will not awaken love or arouse love before its proper time!


text:
 Who is this young woman coming from the wilderness with her arm around her beloved? Under the apple tree I woke you up. There your mother went into labor with you. There she went into labor and gave birth to you!


text:
 Wear me as a signet ring on your heart, as a ring on your hand. Love is as overpowering as death. Devotion is as unyielding as the grave. Love's flames are flames of fire, flames that come from the LORD.


text:
 Raging water cannot extinguish love, and rivers will never wash it away. If a man exchanged all his family's wealth for love, people would utterly despise him.


text:
 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What will we do for our sister on the day she becomes engaged?


text:
 If she is a wall, we will build a silver barrier around her. If she is a door, we will barricade her with cedar boards.


text:
 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He entrusted that vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring 25 pounds of silver in exchange for its fruit.


text:
 My own vineyard is in front of me. That 25 pounds is yours, Solomon, and 5 pounds go to those who take care of its fruit.


text:
 This is the vision which Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw about Judah and Jerusalem at the time of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.


text:
 Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth! The LORD has spoken, "I raised [my] children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me.


text:
 Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know where their masters feed them. But Israel doesn't know [its owner]. My people don't understand [who feeds them].


text:
 "How horrible it will be for a nation that sins. [Its] people are loaded down with guilt. They are descendants of evildoers and destructive children. They have abandoned the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him.


text:
 "Why do you still want to be beaten? Why do you continue to rebel? Your whole head is infected. Your whole heart is failing.


text:
 From the bottom of your feet to the top of your head there is no healthy spot left on your [body]- only bruises, sores, and fresh wounds. They haven't been cleansed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.


text:
 "Your country is devastated. Your cities are burned down. Your fields are destroyed right before your eyes by foreigners. Your fields are devastated and taken over by foreigners.


text:
 My people Zion are left like a hut in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city under attack."


text:
 Listen to the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Pay attention to the teachings from our God, you people of Gomorrah!


text:
 The LORD asks, "What do your many animal sacrifices mean to me? I've had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and enough fat from your fattened calves. I'm not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.


text:
 Don't bring any more worthless grain offerings. Your incense is disgusting to me, so are your New Moon Festivals, your days of worship, and the assemblies you call. I can't stand your evil assemblies.


text:
 I hate your New Moon Festivals and your appointed festivals. They've become a burden to me, and I'm tired of putting up with them.


text:
 So when you stretch out your hands [in prayer], I will turn my eyes away from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are covered with blood.


text:
 "Come on now, let's discuss this!" says the LORD. "Though your sins are bright red, they will become as white as snow. Though they are dark red, they will become as white as wool.


text:
 How the faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice, and righteousness lived in her. But now murderers live there!


text:
 Your rulers are rebels, friends with thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They never defend orphans. They don't notice the widows' pleas.


text:
 That's why the Lord, the LORD of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, "How horrible it will be when I take revenge on my opponents! I will avenge myself against my enemies.


text:
 I will turn my power against you. I will remove your impurities with bleach. I will get rid of all your impurities.


text:
 I will give you judges like you had long ago, advisers like you had in the beginning. After that you will be called the Righteous City, the Faithful Town."


text:
 Zion will be pardoned by [the LORD's] justice, and those who return will be pardoned by [the LORD's] righteousness.


text:
 Rebels and sinners will be crushed at the same time, and those who abandon the LORD will come to an end.


text:
 You will be ashamed of the oaks that you wanted to worship and embarrassed by the garden that you have chosen for your gods.


text:
 Strong people will become tinder for a fire, and their work will be the spark. Both of them will burn together, and there will be no one to put out the fire.


text:
 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. All the nations will stream to it.


text:
 Then many people will come and say, "Let's go to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them." The teachings will go out from Zion. The word of the LORD will go out from Jerusalem.


text:
 Then he will judge disputes between nations and settle arguments between many people. They will hammer their swords into plowblades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again.


text:
 LORD, you have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob, because they are filled with Eastern influences. They are fortunetellers like the Philistines, and they make deals with foreigners.


text:
 Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures. Their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots.


text:
 Their land is filled with idols, and they worship what their hands have shaped and what their fingers have molded.


text:
 Go in among the rocks and hide underground because of the LORD's terrifying presence and the honor of his majesty.


text:
 The eyes of arrogant people will be humbled. High and mighty people will be brought down. On that day the LORD alone will be honored.


text:
 The LORD of Armies will have his day against all who are arrogant and conceited and all who are proud of themselves (they will be humbled),


text:
 Then arrogant people will be brought down, and high and mighty people will be humbled. On that day the LORD alone will be honored.


text:
 People will go into caves in the rocks and into holes in the ground because of the LORD's terrifying presence and the honor of his majesty when he rises to terrify the earth.


text:
 On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship.


text:
 They will go into caves in the rocks and into cracks in the cliffs because of the LORD's terrifying presence and the honor of his majesty when he rises to terrify the earth.


text:
 See now, the Lord, the LORD of Armies, is going to take from Jerusalem and Judah every kind of support and their entire supply of food and water.


text:
 People will oppress each other, and everyone will oppress his neighbor. The young will make fun of the old, and common people will make fun of their superiors.


text:
 A person will grab one of his relatives from his father's family and say, "You have a coat. You'll be our leader. This pile of ruins will be under your control."


text:
 When that day comes the relative will cry out, "I'm not a doctor! I don't have any food or a coat in my home. Don't make me a leader of our family."


text:
 Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because what they say and what they do is against the LORD. They are defiant in his honored presence.


text:
 The look on their faces will be held against them. They boast about their sins, which are like [those of the people of] Sodom. They don't even bother to hide them. How horrible it will be for these people, because they have brought disaster on themselves.


text:
 How horrible it will be for the wicked! Disaster will strike them. What they have done will be done to them.


text:
 "Children will oppress my people. Women will rule them. My people, your guides mislead you, and you don't know which way to go."


text:
 The LORD presents his case to the respected leaders and the officials of his people: "You have burned down the vineyard! Your houses are filled with goods stolen from the poor."


text:
 The Almighty LORD of Armies asks, "How can you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor [into the ground]?"


text:
 The LORD adds, "The women of Zion are arrogant. They walk with their noses in the air, making seductive glances, taking short little steps, jingling the ankle bracelets on their feet."


text:
 The Lord will cause sores [to appear] on the heads of the women of Zion, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.


text:
 On that day the Lord will take away their fine things: jingling anklets, headbands, crescent-shaped necklaces,


text:
 Instead of the smell of perfume, there will be the smell of decay. They will wear ropes instead of belts. They will have bald heads instead of beautiful hair. They will wear sackcloth instead of expensive clothes. Their beauty will be scarred.


text:
 When that day comes, seven women will grab one man and say, "We'll eat our own food and provide our own clothes. Just let us marry you for your name. Take away our disgrace."


text:
 When that day comes, the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and wonderful. The fruit of the land will be the pride and joy of Israel's survivors.


text:
 Then whoever is left in Zion and whoever remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.


text:
 The Lord will wash away the filth of Zion's people. He will clean bloodstains from Jerusalem with a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.


text:
 The LORD will create a cloud of smoke during the day and a glowing flame of fire during the night over the whole area of Mount Zion and over the assembly. His glory will cover everything.


text:
 It will be a shelter from the heat during the day as well as a refuge and hiding place from storms and rain.


text:
 Let me sing a lovesong to my beloved about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.


text:
 He dug it up, removed its stones, planted it with the choicest vines, built a watchtower in it, and made a winepress in it. Then he waited for it to produce good grapes, but it produced only sour, wild grapes.


text:
 What more could have been done for my vineyard than what I have already done for it? When I waited for it to produce good grapes, why did it produce only sour, wild grapes?


text:
 Now then, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will tear away its hedge so that it can be devoured and tear down its wall so that it can be trampled.


text:
 I will make it a wasteland. It will never be pruned or hoed. Thorns and weeds will grow in it, and I will command the clouds not to rain on it.


text:
 The vineyard of the LORD of Armies is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the garden of his delight. He hoped for justice but saw only slaughter, for righteousness but heard only cries of distress.


text:
 How horrible it will be for you who acquire house after house and buy field after field until there's nothing left and you have to live by yourself in the land.


text:
 With my own ears I heard the LORD of Armies say, "Many houses will become empty. Large, beautiful houses will be without people to live in them.


text:
 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only six gallons of wine, and two quarts of seed will produce only four quarts of grain."


text:
 How horrible it will be for those who get up early to look for a drink, who sit up late until they are drunk from wine.


text:
 At their feasts there are lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes, and wine. Yet, they don't pay attention to what the LORD is doing or see what his hands have done.


text:
 "My people will go into exile because they don't understand what I'm doing. Honored men will starve, and common people will be parched with thirst."


text:
 That is why the grave's appetite increases. It opens its mouth very wide so that honored people and common people will go down into it. Those who are noisy and joyous will go down into it.


text:
 People will be brought down. Everyone will be humbled. And the eyes of arrogant people will be humbled.


text:
 The LORD of Armies will be honored when he judges. The holy God will show himself to be holy when he does what is right.


text:
 Then lambs will graze as if they were in their own pasture, and foreigners will eat among the ruins of the rich.


text:
 How horrible it will be for those who string people along with lies and empty promises, whose lives are sinful.


text:
 They say, "Let God hurry and quickly do his work so that we may see what he has in mind. Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel happen quickly so that we may understand what he is doing."


text:
 How horrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn what is bitter into something sweet and what is sweet into something bitter.


text:
 How horrible it will be for those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are champions at mixing drinks,


text:
 As flames burn up straw and dry grass shrivels in flames, so their roots will rot, and their blossoms will blow away like dust. They have rejected the teachings of the LORD of Armies and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.


text:
 That's why the anger of the LORD burns hot against his people, and he is ready to use his power to strike them down. The hills tremble, and dead bodies lie like garbage in the streets. Even after all this, his anger has not disappeared, and he is still ready to use his power.


text:
 The LORD raises up a flag for the nations far away. With a whistle he signals those at the ends of the earth. Look, they are coming very quickly!


text:
 None of them grow tired or stumble. None of them slumber or sleep. The belts on their waists aren't loose or their sandal straps broken.


text:
 Their arrows are sharpened; all their bows are ready to shoot. Their horses' hoofs are as hard as flint. Their chariot wheels are as quick as the wind.


text:
 They roar like a lioness. They growl like a young lion. They growl as they snatch their prey and carry it off to where no one can rescue it.


text:
 On that day they will roar over their prey as the sea roars. If they look at the land, they will see only darkness and distress. Even the light will be darkened by thick clouds.


text:
 In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a high and lofty throne. The bottom of his robe filled the temple.


text:
 Angels were standing above him. Each had six wings: With two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.


text:
 They called to each other and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory."


text:
 So I said, "Oh, no! I'm doomed. Every word that passes through my lips is sinful. I live among people with sinful lips. I have seen the king, the LORD of Armies!"


text:
 Then one of the angels flew to me. In his hand was a burning coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.


text:
 He touched my mouth with it and said, "This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away, and your sin has been forgiven."


text:
 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom will I send? Who will go for us?" I said, "Here I am. Send me!"


text:
 And he said, "Go and tell these people, 'No matter how closely you listen, you'll never understand. No matter how closely you look, you'll never see.'


text:
 Make these people close-minded. Plug their ears. Shut their eyes. Otherwise, they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and return and be healed."


text:
 I asked, "How long, O Lord?" And he replied, "Until the cities lie in ruins with no one living in them, the houses have no people, and the land is completely desolate.


text:
 The LORD will send his people far away, and a large area in the middle of the land will be abandoned.


text:
 Even if one out of ten people is left in it, the land will be burned again. When a sacred oak or an oak is cut down, a stump is left. The holy seed will be the land's stump."


text:
 When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Aram's King Rezin and Israel's King Pekah, son of Remaliah, went to Jerusalem to attack it, but they couldn't defeat it.


text:
 When word reached David's family that the Arameans had made an alliance with Ephraim, the hearts of the king and his people were shaken as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.


text:
 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out with your son Shear Jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the ditch of the Upper Pool on the road to the Laundryman's Field.


text:
 Say to him, 'Be careful, stay calm, and don't be afraid. Don't lose heart because of the fierce anger of Rezin from Aram and Remaliah's son. These two are smoldering logs.'


text:
 'Let's march against Judah, tear it apart, divide it among ourselves, and set up Tabeel's son as its king.'


text:
 The capital of Aram is Damascus, and the leader of Damascus is Rezin. Ephraim will be shattered within 65 years so that it will no longer be a nation.


text:
 The capital of Ephraim is Samaria, and the leader of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you don't remain faithful, you won't remain standing.


text:
 "Listen now, descendants of David," Isaiah said. "Isn't it enough that you try the patience of mortals? Must you also try the patience of my God?


text:
 So the Lord himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel [God Is With Us].


text:
 Indeed, before the boy knows how to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings who terrify you will be deserted.


text:
 "The LORD will bring on you, your people, and your ancestor's family a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah. [He will bring] the king of Assyria.


text:
 On that day the LORD will whistle for the flies that are at the distant branches of the Nile River in Egypt and for the bees that are in Assyria.


text:
 All of them will come and settle in the deep valleys, in the cracks in the cliffs, on all the thornbushes, and at all the water holes.


text:
 "On that day the Lord will hire the king of Assyria from beyond the Euphrates River to be a razor to shave the hair on your head, the hair on your legs, and even your beard.


text:
 That person will eat cheese, because they will produce so much milk. Everyone who is left in the land will eat cheese and honey.


text:
 On that day, in every place where there were 1,000 vines (worth 1,000 pieces of silver), there will be briars and thorns.


text:
 People will come there with bows and arrows [to hunt] because the whole land will be filled with briars and thorns.


text:
 And you will no longer be able to go to all the hills which used to be cultivated because they will be filled with briars and thorns. It will be a place for turning oxen loose and letting sheep run."


text:
 The LORD said to me, "Take a large writing tablet, and write on it with a pen: 'Maher Shalal Hash Baz' [The Looting Will Come Quickly; the Prey Will Be Easy].


text:
 I will have these dependable witnesses testify: the priest Uriah and Zechariah (son of Jeberechiah)."


text:
 I slept with the prophet. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. The LORD told me, "Name him Maher Shalal Hash Baz.


text:
 Before the boy knows how to say 'Daddy' or 'Mommy,' the wealth of Damascus and the loot from Samaria will be carried away to the king of Assyria."


text:
 "These people have rejected the gently flowing water of Shiloah and find joy in Rezin and Remaliah's son."


text:
 That is why the Lord is going to bring against them the raging and powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates River- the king of Assyria with all his power. It will overflow all its channels and go over all its banks.


text:
 It will sweep through Judah. It will overflow and pass through; it will be neck-high. Its outspread wings will extend over your whole country, O Immanuel.


text:
 Be broken, you people. Be terrified. Listen, all you distant parts of the earth. Prepare for battle, but be terrified. Prepare for battle, but be terrified.


text:
 Make plans for battle, but they will never succeed. Give orders, but they won't be carried out, because God is with us!


text:
 This is what the LORD said with his powerful hand on me. He warned me not to follow the ways of these people:


text:
 "Don't say that everything these people call a conspiracy is a conspiracy. Don't fear what they fear. Don't let it terrify you."


text:
 Remember that the LORD of Armies is holy. He is the one you should fear and the one you should be terrified of.


text:
 He will be a place of safety for you. But he will be a rock that makes people trip and a stumbling block for both kingdoms of Israel. He will be a trap and a snare for those who live in Jerusalem.


text:
 I am here with the children that the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Armies, who lives on Mount Zion.


text:
 People will say to you, "Ask for help from the mediums and the fortunetellers, who whisper and mutter." Shouldn't people ask their God for help instead? Why should they ask the dead to help the living?


text:
 They should go to the teachings and to the written instructions. If people don't speak these words, it is because it doesn't dawn on them.


text:
 They will pass through the land when they are hard-pressed and hungry. When they are hungry, they will be furious. Then they will look up, cursing their king and God.


text:
 They will look at the earth and see only distress and gloom. They will go in anguish and be forced into darkness.


text:
 But there will be no more gloom for the land that is in distress. God humbled the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali in earlier times. But in the future he will bring glory to the road by the sea, to the land across the Jordan River, to Galilee, where foreigners live.


text:
 The people who walk in darkness will see a bright light. The light will shine on those who live in the land of death's shadow.


text:
 You will expand the nation and increase its happiness. It will be happy in your presence like those who celebrate the harvest or rejoice when dividing loot.


text:
 You will break the yoke that burdens them, the bar that is across their shoulders, and the stick used by their oppressor, as [you did in the battle against] Midian.


text:
 Every warrior's boot marching to the sound of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel in the fire.


text:
 A child will be born for us. A son will be given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


text:
 His government and peace will have unlimited growth. He will establish David's throne and kingdom. He will uphold it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The LORD of Armies is determined to do this!


text:
 All the people of Ephraim and the people who live in Samaria will know it. With arrogant and conceited hearts they will say,


text:
 "Bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with hand-cut stones. Fig trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars."


text:
 the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west. They will devour Israel with open mouths. Even after all this, his anger will not disappear, and he is still ready to use his power.


text:
 But the people have not returned to the one who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD of Armies.


text:
 So in one day the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branches and cattails.


text:
 That is why the Lord isn't happy with their young men, nor will he show compassion for their orphans and widows. Every one of them is a godless evildoer, and every mouth speaks foolishness. Even after all this, his anger will not disappear, and he is still ready to use his power.


text:
 Surely wickedness burns like fire. It burns up briars and thorns. It sets the underbrush in the forest on fire, and it whirls upward in clouds of smoke.


text:
 The land is scorched by the fury of the LORD of Armies, and the people are like fuel for the fire. No one shows concern for others:


text:
 On the right, one gobbles up food and is still hungry. On the left, another eats and is never full. Each person eats the flesh from his own arm.


text:
 Manasseh is against Ephraim. Ephraim is against Manasseh. Together they attack Judah. Even after all this, his anger will not disappear, and he is still ready to use his power.


text:
 They deprive the poor of justice. They take away the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and rob orphans.


text:
 What will you do on the day you are called to account [for these things], when the disaster comes from far away? Where will you run for help? Where will you leave your wealth?


text:
 Nothing's left but to crouch among prisoners and to fall with those who are killed. Even after all this, his anger will not disappear, and he is still ready to use his power.


text:
 "How horrible it will be for Assyria! It is the rod of my anger. My fury is the staff in the Assyrians' hands.


text:
 I send them against a godless nation. In my fury I order them against the people to take their belongings, loot them, and trample on them like mud in the streets.


text:
 But that's not what they intend to do. Their minds don't work that way. Their purpose is to destroy and put an end to many nations.


text:
 My power has reached kingdoms which have idols. They had more carved statues than Jerusalem or Samaria.


text:
 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will punish the king of Assyria for all his boasting and all his arrogance.


text:
 The king will say, "I did this with my own two powerful hands. I did this with my wisdom, because I am so clever. I've eliminated the boundaries of nations. I've looted treasuries. I've brought down people like a mighty man.


text:
 I've found the riches of nations as one finds a nest. I've gathered the whole world as one gathers abandoned eggs. Not one of them flapped a wing, opened its mouth, or peeped."


text:
 Can an ax attack the person who cuts with it? Can a saw make itself greater than the person who saws with it? A rod cannot move the person who lifts it. A wooden stick cannot pick up a person.


text:
 That is why the Almighty LORD of Armies will send a degenerative disease against brave men. A flame will be turned into a raging fire under his power.


text:
 Israel's light will become a flame. Its Holy One will become a fire. He will burn up and devour the weeds and thornbushes in one day.


text:
 The majestic forest and the orchard will destroy both body and soul. They will be like a sick person wasting away.


text:
 At that time the remaining few Israelites, the survivors of Jacob's descendants will no longer depend on the one who struck them. They will only depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.


text:
 Although your people Israel may be as [numerous as] the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will return. Destruction will be complete and fair.


text:
 The Almighty LORD of Armies will carry out this destruction throughout the world as he has determined.


text:
 The Almighty LORD of Armies says: My people who live in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrians when they strike with a rod or when they raise their staff against you as the Egyptians did.


text:
 Then the LORD of Armies will raise his whip against them. As he struck down Midian at the Rock of Oreb and raised his staff over the water, so he will lift it as he did in Egypt.


text:
 At that time their burden will be removed from your shoulders. Their yoke will be removed from your neck. The yoke will be torn away because you have grown fat.


text:
 They go through the mountain pass and lodge at Geba for the night. The people in Ramah tremble; the people in Saul's Gibeah flee.


text:
 This day they stopped at Nob. They shake their fist at the mountain of my people Zion, at the mountain of Jerusalem.


text:
 Now look! The Almighty LORD of Armies will trim the branches with terrifying power. The highest trees will be cut down. The tallest ones will be brought down.


text:
 He will cut down the underbrush of the forest with an ax. Lebanon will fall in front of the Mighty One.


text:
 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.


text:
 He will gladly bear the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear.


text:
 He will judge the poor justly. He will make fair decisions for the humble people on earth. He will strike the earth with a rod from his mouth. He will kill the wicked with the breath from his lips.


text:
 Wolves will live with lambs. Leopards will lie down with goats. Calves, young lions, and year-old lambs will be together, and little children will lead them.


text:
 Cows and bears will eat together. Their young will lie down together. Lions will eat straw like oxen.


text:
 They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain. The world will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD like water covering the sea.


text:
 At that time the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people [to gather around]. The nations will come to him. His resting place will be glorious.


text:
 At that time the Lord will use his power again to recover what remains of his people in Assyria, Upper and Lower Egypt, Sudan, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and the islands of the sea.


text:
 He will raise a banner for the nations [to gather around]. He will gather the outcasts of Israel and bring together the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth.


text:
 Ephraim's jealousy will vanish, and Judah's opponents will come to an end. Ephraim won't be jealous of Judah, and Judah won't oppose Ephraim.


text:
 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia in the west. Together they will loot the people of the east. They will conquer Edom and Moab. The people of Ammon will be subject to them.


text:
 The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River with his scorching wind and divide it into seven streams so that people can walk over it in their sandals.


text:
 There will be a highway for the remaining few of his people left in Assyria like there was for Israel when it came out of Egypt.


text:
 At that time you will say, "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you had been angry with me, you turned your anger away from me, and you comforted me.


text:
 Look! God is my Savior. I am confident and unafraid, because the LORD is my strength and my song. He is my Savior."


text:
 At that time you will say, "Praise the LORD. Call on his name. Make his deeds known among the nations. Make them remember that his name is highly honored.


text:
 Make music to praise the LORD. He has done wonderful things. Let this be known throughout the earth.


text:
 Shout loudly, and sing with joy, people of Zion! The Holy One of Israel is great. He is among you."


text:
 Raise a banner on the bare mountaintop. Call loudly to them. Signal them with your hand to enter the nobles' gates.


text:
 I've commanded my holy ones. I've called my mighty men to carry out my anger. They find joy in my triumphs.


text:
 Listen to the noise on the mountains. It is like the sound of a large army. It is the sound of kingdoms and nations gathering together. The LORD of Armies is assembling his army for battle.


text:
 His army is coming from a distant land, from the ends of heaven. The LORD is coming with the weapons of his fury to destroy the whole world.


text:
 They'll be terrified. Pain and anguish will seize them. They'll writhe like a woman giving birth to a child. They'll look at one another in astonishment. Their faces will be burning red.


text:
 The day of the LORD is going to come. It will be a cruel day with fury and fierce anger. He will make the earth desolate. He will destroy its sinners.


text:
 The stars in the sky and their constellations won't show their light anymore. The sun will be dark when it rises. The moon won't shine.


text:
 I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their wrongdoing. I will put an end to arrogant people and humble the pride of tyrants.


text:
 I will make heaven tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place when the LORD of Armies is angry. At that time he will be very angry.


text:
 They'll be like hunted gazelle and like sheep with no one to gather them. Everyone will return to his own people and flee to his own land.


text:
 Their little children will be smashed to death right before their eyes. Their houses will be looted and their wives raped.


text:
 I'm going to stir up the Medes against them. They don't care for silver and aren't happy with gold.


text:
 But their bows will smash the youth. They'll have no compassion for babies, nor will they look with pity on children.


text:
 Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the proud beauty of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them.


text:
 It will never be inhabited again, and no one will live in it for generations. Arabs won't pitch their tents there. Shepherds won't let their flocks rest there.


text:
 Desert animals will lie down there. Their homes will be full of owls. Ostriches will live there, and wild goats will skip about.


text:
 Hyenas will howl in Babylon's strongholds, and jackals will howl in its luxurious palaces. Its time has almost come. Its days will not be extended.


text:
 The LORD will have compassion for Jacob and again choose Israel. He will resettle them in their own country. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.


text:
 People will take them and bring them to their own place. The nation of Israel will possess nations as male and female slaves in the LORD's land. They will take their captors captive and rule their oppressors.


text:
 When that day comes, the LORD will give you relief from your pain and suffering, from the hard slavery you were forced to do.


text:
 Then you will mock the king of Babylon with this saying, "How the tyrant has come to an end! How his attacks have come to an end!"


text:
 They struck the people with fury, with blows that didn't stop. They ruled nations in anger, persecuting them without restraint.


text:
 Even the cypresses rejoice over you. The cedars of Lebanon say, "Since you have fallen, no lumberjack has come to attack us."


text:
 Sheol below wakes up to meet you when you come. It wakes up the ghosts of the dead, all who were leaders on earth. It raises all who were kings of the nations from their thrones.


text:
 Your pride has been brought down to Sheol along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out [like a bed] under you, and worms cover you.


text:
 How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations!


text:
 You thought, "I'll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God's stars. I'll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble.


text:
 Those who see you stare at you; they look at you closely and say, "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook the kingdoms,


text:
 But you are thrown out of your tomb like a rejected branch. You are covered with those who were killed in battle. You go down to the stones of the pit like a trampled corpse.


text:
 You won't be joined by the kings in the tomb, because you have destroyed your land and killed your people. The descendants of the wicked will never be mentioned again.


text:
 Prepare a place to slaughter their sons because of their ancestors' guilt. They won't be able to rise, possess the earth, and rebuild cities all over it.


text:
 "I'll rise up against them," declares the LORD of Armies. "I'll cut off the name of the survivors from Babylon, its offspring and descendants," declares the LORD.


text:
 "It will become the possession of herons. It will become pools of water. I'll sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of Armies.


text:
 The LORD of Armies has taken an oath: "It will happen exactly as I've intended. It will turn out exactly as I've planned.


text:
 I'll crush Assyria on my land. I'll trample it underfoot on my mountains. Then its yoke will be removed from my people, and its burden will be removed from their shoulders."


text:
 This is the plan determined for the whole earth. This is how he will use his power against all the nations.


text:
 The LORD of Armies has planned it. Who can stop it? He is ready to use his power. Who can turn it back?


text:
 All you Philistines, don't rejoice that the rod of the one who struck you is broken, because a viper will come from that snake's root, and his descendant will be a flying, fiery serpent.


text:
 The poorest of the poor will eat, and the needy will lie down in safety. But I will put your root to death with famine and kill off your survivors.


text:
 Cry loudly in the gate! Cry out in the city! Be frightened, all you Philistines! Smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.


text:
 How should we answer the messengers from the nations? [Tell them that] the LORD has laid Zion's foundation, and his humble people will find refuge in it.


text:
 This is the divine revelation about Moab. In a single night Ar in Moab is laid waste and destroyed! In a single night Kir in Moab is laid waste and destroyed!


text:
 The people of Dibon go to the temple, to the worship sites, to cry. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved bald, and every beard is cut off.


text:
 In their streets they wear sackcloth. On their roofs and in their city squares everyone wails and cries.


text:
 Heshbon and Elealeh also cry out. Their voices are heard as far away as Jahaz. Moab's armed men cry out. Their courage is gone.


text:
 My heart cries out for Moab. Its people flee as far as Zoar at Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the mountain road to Luhith. They cry loudly over the destruction on the way to Horonaim.


text:
 The Nimrim Brook has run dry! The grass dries up, the vegetation withers, and nothing green is left.


text:
 Cries for help echo throughout the land of Moab. Their wailing echoes as far as Eglaim. Their wailing echoes as far as Beer Elim.


text:
 The water in Dimon is red with blood, yet I will bring even more on Dimon. A lion will attack the fugitives from Moab and the survivors from Adamah.


text:
 Send lambs to the ruler of the land. Send lambs from Sela through the desert to my people at Mount Zion.


text:
 Moab's daughters are like fluttering birds, like scattered nestlings, at the shallow crossings of the Arnon River.


text:
 Give us advice. Make a decision. At high noon make your shadow as dark as night. Hide the fugitives. Don't betray the refugees.


text:
 Let the fugitives from Moab stay with you a while. Be their refuge from the destroyer. Ruthless people will come to an end. The destruction will end. The one who tramples others will be gone.


text:
 Then the LORD will set up a trusted king. He will rule faithfully. He is from the tent of David. He judges and searches for justice. He is quick to do what is right.


text:
 We've heard of the arrogance of Moab's people. They are very arrogant. We've heard of their boasting, arrogance, and conceit, but their boasts aren't true.


text:
 That is why Moab will wail. Everyone will wail for Moab. Mourn and grieve over the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth.


text:
 The fields of Heshbon and the vineyards of Sibmah wither. Rulers of the nations have cut off their grapes. The grapevines [once] reached as far as Jazer and strayed out into the desert. Their shoots had spread out over the sea.


text:
 I will cry for the grapevines of Sibmah as Jazer cries for them. I will drench you with my tears, Heshbon and Elealeh. The shouts of joy for your ripened fruits and your harvest will be silenced.


text:
 Joy and delight have vanished from the orchards. No songs are sung. No shouts are raised. No one stomps on grapes in the winepresses, because I have put an end to the shouts of joy.


text:
 When the people of Moab appear at the worship site, they will only wear themselves out. They will come into the holy place to pray, but they won't be able to.


text:
 But now the LORD says, "Moab's honor will be despised within three years. I will count them like workers count the years left of their contracts. In spite of their great number, the survivors will be very few and powerless."


text:
 This is the divine revelation about Damascus. "Damascus will no longer be a city. It will become a pile of rubble.


text:
 The cities of Aroer will be deserted. These cities will be used for sheep, which will lie down in them. There will be no one to disturb those sheep.


text:
 Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim, and the kingdom will disappear from Damascus. The remaining few from Aram will share Israel's honor," declares the LORD of Armies.


text:
 "When that day comes, the honor of Jacob's people will fade away, and they will become skin and bones.


text:
 That time will be like harvesting bundles of grain by the armful. It will be like gathering grain in the Rephaim Valley.


text:
 Only a few people will survive. They will be like an olive tree that has been beaten. Only two or three olives are left at the top of the highest branch, four or five olives on the rest of the branches," declares the LORD God of Israel.


text:
 When that day comes, they will look to their maker, and their eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel.


text:
 They won't look to the altars made by their hands or to the Asherah poles or incense altars which their fingers molded.


text:
 When that day comes, the fortified cities which other people abandoned because of the Israelites will be like abandoned woods and undergrowth. So it will become a wasteland.


text:
 You have forgotten the God of your salvation. You haven't remembered the rock, your stronghold. Instead, you have planted the best plants and have set out the imported grapevines.


text:
 On the day you plant, you will make it grow. On the morning you set out the seedling, you will make it sprout. But the harvest will become a [rotting] pile on a day of grief and incurable pain.


text:
 How horrible it will be for many people! They will roar like the roaring sea. The noise that the people make will be like the noise from rushing water.


text:
 The people will make noise like raging water. But the LORD will yell at them, and they will run far away. They will be chased away like husks on the mountains being blown by the wind, like whirling dust being blown by a storm.


text:
 In the evening there will be sudden terror. Before morning they will be gone. This will be the fate of those who looted us, the destiny of those who robbed us.


text:
 It sends messengers by sea in boats made of reeds [skimming] over the surface of the water. Go, swift messengers, to a tall and smooth-skinned people, a people [who are] feared far and near, a strong and aggressive nation, whose land is divided by rivers.


text:
 Look when someone raises a flag on the mountains. Listen when someone blows a ram's horn, all you inhabitants of the world who live on the earth.


text:
 This is what the LORD says to me: I will keep quiet and watch from my dwelling place. My presence will be like scorching heat in the sunshine, like heavy dew in the heat of the harvest.


text:
 Before the harvest, when blossoms are gone and grapes are ripening from blossoms, he will cut off the shoots with pruning shears and chop off the spreading branches.


text:
 They will be left for the birds of prey on the mountains and the wild animals. The birds of prey will feed on them in the summer, and all the wild animals on earth will feed on them in the winter.


text:
 At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of Armies from a tall and smooth-skinned people, a people [who are] feared far and near, a strong and aggressive nation, whose land is divided by rivers. They will be brought to Mount Zion, the place where the name of the LORD of Armies is.


text:
 This is the divine revelation about Egypt. The LORD is riding on a fast-moving cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt's idols will tremble in his presence. Egypt's courage will fail.


text:
 "I will turn one Egyptian against another. They will fight- brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.


text:
 The Egyptians will lose courage. I will unravel their plans. They will turn to idols, ghosts, mediums, and fortunetellers.


text:
 I will hand over the Egyptians to a harsh master. A strong king will rule them," declares the Almighty LORD of Armies.


text:
 The canals will stink. Egypt's streams will be emptied and dried up. The reeds and cattails will wither.


text:
 The rushes by the Nile, by the edge of the Nile, and all the fields planted beside the Nile will dry up, be blown away, and disappear.


text:
 Fishermen will cry. All who cast their lines into the Nile will mourn. Those who spread their nets on the water will sigh.


text:
 The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools. The wisest of Pharaoh's counselors gives stupid advice. How can you tell Pharaoh, "I'm a descendant of wise men, a descendant of ancient kings"?


text:
 Where are your wise men now? Let them tell you. Let them explain what the LORD of Armies is planning against Egypt.


text:
 The leaders of Zoan are acting foolishly. The leaders of Memphis are led astray. The leaders who are the cornerstones of its tribes mislead the Egyptians.


text:
 The LORD mixes up their minds. So they lead the Egyptians astray like a drunk who staggers in his vomit.


text:
 At that time Egyptians will act like women. They will tremble and be terrified because the LORD of Armies will shake his fist at them.


text:
 The land of Judah will terrify the Egyptians. Whenever they are reminded of Judah, they will be terrified of it because of what the LORD of Armies is planning against it.


text:
 When that day comes, five cities in Egypt will have people that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of Armies. One of the cities will be called Heliopolis.


text:
 When that day comes, an altar for the LORD will be in the middle of Egypt, and a stone marker for the LORD will be near its border.


text:
 These objects will be a sign and a witness that the LORD of Armies is in Egypt. When the people cry to the LORD because of those who oppress them, he will send a savior and defender to rescue them.


text:
 So the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. The Egyptians will know the LORD when that day comes. They will worship with sacrifices and food offerings. They will make vows to the LORD and carry them out.


text:
 The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague. When he strikes them, he will also heal them. Then they will come back to the LORD. And he will respond to their prayers and heal them.


text:
 When that day comes, a highway will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will come to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.


text:
 When that day comes, Israel will be one-third [of God's people], along with Egypt and Assyria. They will be a blessing on the earth.


text:
 The LORD of Armies will bless them, saying, "My people Egypt, the work of my hands Assyria, and my possession Israel are blessed."


text:
 In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander-in-chief to fight against Ashdod, he captured it.


text:
 At that time the LORD told Isaiah, son of Amoz, "Take off the sackcloth that you are wearing, and take off your sandals!" Isaiah did this and walked around barefoot and naked.


text:
 Then the LORD said, "My servant Isaiah has gone barefoot and naked for three years as a sign and as an omen to Egypt and Sudan.


text:
 The king of Assyria will lead away both the young and the old-captives from Egypt and exiles from Sudan. They will be barefoot and naked. Their buttocks will be exposed in order to disgrace Egypt.


text:
 Then the people will be shattered and ashamed because Sudan was their hope and Egypt was their beauty.


text:
 When that day comes, those who live on this coastland will say, 'Look at what has happened to our hope. We ran [to Egypt] for help to be rescued from the king of Assyria. How can we escape?'"


text:
 This is the divine revelation about the desert by the sea. Like a storm sweeping through the Negev, an invader will come from the desert, from a terrifying land.


text:
 I was shown a harsh vision. The traitor betrays. The destroyer destroys. Go to war, Elam! Surround them, Media! I will put an end to all the groaning.


text:
 That is why my body is full of trembling. Pain grips me like the pain of childbirth. I'm disturbed by what I hear. I'm terrified by what I see.


text:
 Set the table. Spread the rugs [by the table]. Eat. Drink. Get up, you leaders! Prepare your shields for battle!


text:
 He will see chariots, pairs of horsemen, riders on donkeys, and riders on camels. Let him watch carefully, very carefully.


text:
 The watchman called, "Sir, I stand on the watchtower every day. Every night, I stand guard at my post.


text:
 Look! Here come chariots and horsemen in pairs." Then he said, "Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All the idols they worship lie shattered on the ground."


text:
 You, my people, have been threshed and winnowed. I make known to you what I heard from the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel.


text:
 This is the divine revelation about Dumah. Someone is calling to me from Seir, "Watchman, how much of the night is left? Watchman, how much of the night is left?"


text:
 The watchman answers, "Morning is coming, and night will come again. If you need to ask, come back and ask."


text:
 This is the divine revelation about Arabia. You caravan of travelers from the people of Dedan will spend the night in the forest of Arabia.


text:
 They flee from swords, from swords ready to kill, from bows ready to shoot, and from the thick of battle.


text:
 This is what the Lord says to me: All of Kedar's honor will be gone in another year. I will count it like workers count the years left on their contracts.


text:
 The remaining number of archers, Kedar's mighty archers, will be few. The LORD God of Israel has spoken.


text:
 This is the divine revelation about the valley of Vision. What's the matter with you? Why do all of you go up on the roofs?


text:
 You are a city filled with shouting, a town filled with noise and excitement. Your people weren't killed with swords. Your dead didn't die in battle.


text:
 All your leaders fled together and were captured without their bows and arrows. All those who were found were taken prisoner before any of them could get far away.


text:
 That is why I say, "Turn away from me so that I can cry bitterly. Don't try to comfort me because of the destruction brought on my people."


text:
 The Almighty LORD of Armies has chosen a special day. It will be a day of confusion and trampling in the valley of Vision, [a day of] tearing down walls and crying for help in the mountains.


text:
 Then your fertile valleys will be filled with chariots, and horsemen will stand ready in front of the gate.


text:
 On that day the LORD will remove the defenses of Judah. You will look for weapons in the House of the Forest.


text:
 You will count the houses in Jerusalem. You will tear down those houses in order to fortify the walls.


text:
 You will build a reservoir between the two walls to hold the water of the Old Pool. You didn't look to Jerusalem's maker. You didn't see the one who formed it long ago.


text:
 On that day the Almighty LORD of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.


text:
 Instead, you will rejoice, celebrate, slaughter cattle, and butcher sheep. You will eat meat, drink wine, and say, "Let's eat and drink because tomorrow we're going to die."


text:
 The LORD of Armies revealed this to me: "Certainly, this wrong will not be forgiven even when you die," says the Almighty LORD of Armies.


text:
 This is what the Almighty LORD of Armies says: Go to Shebna, the man in charge of the palace, and say [to him],


text:
 "What are you doing here? What right do you have to dig a tomb for yourself? What right do you have to cut it out in a prominent place? What right do you have to carve out a resting place for yourself in the rock?


text:
 He will wrap you up tightly like a turban. He will throw you far away into another land. There you will die. There your splendid chariots will remain. There you will become a disgrace to your master's household.


text:
 I will dress him in your linen robe and fasten it with your belt. I will give him your authority, and he will be like a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the nation of Judah.


text:
 I will place the key of the house of David around his neck. What he opens no one will shut. What he shuts no one will open.


text:
 I will fasten him firmly in place like a peg, and he will be a source of honor for his father's household.


text:
 They will hang on him the whole weight of his father's household, descendants and offspring and all the little utensils, from bowls to jars of every kind."


text:
 The LORD of Armies declares, "On that day the peg which I firmly fastened in place will be removed. It will be cut off and will fall, and everything hanging on it will be destroyed." The LORD has spoken.


text:
 This is the divine revelation about Tyre. Cry loudly, you ships of Tarshish! Your port at Tyre is destroyed. Word has come to the ships from Cyprus.


text:
 Be silent, you inhabitants of the coastland, you merchants from Sidon. Your messengers have crossed the sea.


text:
 The grain of Shihor is on the Mediterranean. The harvest of the Nile River is brought to Tyre. Tyre became the marketplace for the nations.


text:
 Be ashamed, Sidon, because the stronghold by the sea has spoken, "I've never been in labor or given birth. I've raised no sons. I've brought up no daughters."


text:
 Is this your bustling city founded in the distant past? Is this the city that sent its people to settle in distant lands?


text:
 Who planned such a thing against Tyre, the city that produced kings? Its merchants are princes. Its traders are among the honored people of the world.


text:
 The LORD of Armies planned this in order to dishonor all arrogant people and to humiliate all the honored people of the world.


text:
 The LORD has stretched his hand over the sea to shake kingdoms. He has commanded that Canaan's fortifications be destroyed.


text:
 He says, "You will no longer be joyful, my dear abused people Sidon." Get up, and travel to Cyprus. Even there you will find no rest.


text:
 Look at the land of the Babylonians. These people will be gone. Assyria gave this land to the desert animals. Assyria set up battle towers, stripped palaces bare, and turned these places into ruins.


text:
 When that day comes, Tyre will be forgotten for 70 years, the lifetime of one king. At the end of the 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute in this song:


text:
 "Take your lyre. Go around in the city, you forgotten prostitute. Make sweet music. Sing many songs so that you'll be remembered."


text:
 At the end of 70 years the LORD will come to help Tyre. Then she will go back to earning money as a prostitute. She will become a prostitute for all the world's kingdoms.


text:
 Her profits and her earnings will be turned over to the LORD for his holy purpose. It won't be stored or hoarded. Her merchandise will belong to those who live in the presence of the LORD so that they will have plenty of food and expensive clothing.


text:
 The LORD is going to turn the earth into a desolate wasteland. He will mar the face of the earth and scatter the people living on it.


text:
 The same will happen to people and priests, male slaves and masters, female slaves and masters, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, debtors and creditors.


text:
 The earth dries up and withers. The world wastes away and withers. The great leaders of the earth waste away.


text:
 The earth is polluted by those who live on it because they've disobeyed the LORD's teachings, violated his laws, and rejected the everlasting promise.


text:
 That is why a curse devours the earth, and its people are punished for their guilt. That is why those who live on the earth are burned up, and only a few people are left.


text:
 That is the way it will be on earth among the nations. They will be like an olive tree which has been shaken or like what's left after the grape harvest.


text:
 They raise their voices. They shout for joy. From the sea they sing joyfully about the LORD's majesty.


text:
 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise that honor the Righteous One. But I kept saying, "I'm wasting away! I'm wasting away! How horrible it is for me! Traitors continue to betray, and their treachery grows worse and worse."


text:
 Whoever flees from news of a disaster will fall into a pit. Whoever climbs out of that pit will be caught in a trap. The floodgates in the sky will be opened, and the foundations of the earth will shake.


text:
 The earth will be completely broken. The earth will shake back and forth violently. The earth will stagger.


text:
 The earth will stumble like a drunk and sway like a shack in the wind. Its disobedience weighs heavy on it. It will fall and not get up again.


text:
 They'll be gathered like prisoners in a jail and locked in prison. After a long time they'll be punished.


text:
 The moon will be embarrassed. The sun will be ashamed, because the LORD of Armies will rule on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. He will be glorious in the presence of his respected leaders.


text:
 O LORD, you are my God. I will highly honor you; I will praise your name. You have done miraculous things. You have been completely reliable in carrying out your plans from long ago.


text:
 You have turned cities into ruins, fortified cities into piles of rubble, and foreigners' palaces into cities that will never be rebuilt.


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 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rain, and shade from the heat. (A tyrant's breath is like a rainstorm against a wall,


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 like heat in a dry land.) You calm the uproar of foreigners. The song of tyrants is silenced like heat that is [reduced] by the shadow of a cloud.


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 On this mountain the LORD of Armies will prepare for all people a feast with the best foods, a banquet with aged wines, with the best foods and the finest wines.


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 On this mountain he will remove the veil of grief covering all people and the mask covering all nations.


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 He will swallow up death forever. The Almighty LORD will wipe away tears from every face, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from the whole earth. The LORD has spoken.


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 On that day [his people] will say, "This is our God; we have waited for him, and now he will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him. Let us rejoice and be glad because he will save us."


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 The LORD's power will be on this mountain. Moab will be trampled beneath him like straw that is trampled in a pile of manure.


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 The Moabites will stretch out their hands in the manure like swimmers who stretch out their hands to swim. [The LORD] will humble those arrogant people despite the movements of their hands.


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 He will bring down Moab's high fortified walls, level them, and throw them into the dust on the ground.


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 On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city. Its walls and fortifications provide safety.


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 He has brought down those who live high in the towering city. He levels it. He levels it to the ground and throws it into the dust.


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 Certainly, we wait with hope for you, O LORD, [as we follow] the path of your guiding principles. We want to remember you and your name.


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 With my soul I long for you at night. Yes, with my spirit I eagerly look for you. When your guiding principles are on earth, those who live in the world learn to do what is right.


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 Although the wicked are shown pity, they do not learn to do what is right. They do what is wrong in the upright land and do not see the majesty of the LORD.


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 O LORD, your power is visible, but they do not see it. They will see how devoted your people are, and they will be put to shame. Your burning anger will destroy your enemies.


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 The wicked are dead. They are no longer alive. The spirits of the dead won't rise. You have punished them, destroyed them, and wiped out all memory of them.


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 You have expanded the nation, O LORD. You have expanded the nation. You are honored. You have extended all the land's boundaries.


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 O LORD, the people have come to you in trouble. They were humbled by oppression, by your discipline upon them.


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 O LORD, when we are with you, we are like pregnant women ready to give birth. They writhe and cry out in their labor pains.


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 We were pregnant; we writhed with labor pains only to give birth to the wind. We weren't able to bring salvation to the land, and no new people were born on earth.


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 Your dead will live. Their corpses will rise. Those who lie dead in the dust will wake up and shout for joy, because your dew is a refreshing dew, and the earth will revive the spirits of the dead.


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 My people, go to your rooms, and shut the doors behind you. Hide for a little while until his fury has ended.


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 The LORD is going to come out from his dwelling place to punish those who live on earth for their sins. The earth will uncover the blood shed on it and will no longer cover up its dead bodies.


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 On that day the LORD will use his fierce and powerful sword to punish Leviathan, that slippery snake, Leviathan, that twisting snake. He will kill that monster which lives in the sea.


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 I, the LORD, watch over it. I water it continually. I watch over it day and night so that no one will harm it.


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 I am no longer angry. If only thorns and briars would confront me! I would fight them in battle and set all of them on fire.


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 Or else let them come to me for protection. Let them make peace with me. Yes, let them make peace with me.


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 In times to come Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom, bud, and fill the whole world with fruit.


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 In this way the wrongdoings of the descendants of Jacob are covered up. This is the way they will turn from their sins- when they turn all the altar stones into powdered chalk and no poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah or incense altars are left standing.


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 The fortified city is isolated. The homestead is left deserted, abandoned like the desert. Calves will graze there. They will lie down. They will feed on the branches.


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 When the branches are dried up, they will be broken off. Women will come and build a fire with them. These people don't understand [these things]. That is why their maker won't have compassion on them, and their Creator won't have pity on them.


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 On that day the LORD will begin his threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates River to the brook of Egypt. People of Israel, you will be gathered one by one.


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 On that day a ram's horn will be blown loudly. Those who are dying in Assyria and those who are banished to Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.


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 How horrible it will be for the arrogant drunks of Ephraim. Their glorious beauty is [like] a withered flower. They are at the entrance to a fertile valley where they lie drunk from wine.


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 The Lord has one who is strong and powerful. He is like a hailstorm, a destructive wind. He is like a thunderstorm, an overwhelming flood. He will throw them to the ground forcefully.


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 Their glorious beauty is [like] a withered flower. They are at the entrance to a fertile valley. They will be like figs that ripened early. As soon as someone sees them, they will be taken and eaten.


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 When that day comes, the LORD of Armies will be like a glorious crown for his few remaining people.


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 He will give a spirit of justice to those who judge. He will give strength to those who defend the city gates in battle.


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 Priests and prophets stagger from wine and wobble from too much liquor. They stagger from too much liquor and become confused from too much wine. They wobble because of their liquor. They stagger when they see visions. They swerve as they judge.


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 To whom will they make the message understood? To whom will they explain this message? To children just weaned from milk? To those just taken from their [mother's] breasts?


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 He will say to them, "This is a place for comfort. This is a place of rest for those who are tired. This is a place for them to rest." But they weren't willing to listen.


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 The LORD speaks utter nonsense to them. That is why they will fall backwards. That is why they will be hurt, trapped, and captured.


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 You say, "We made a treaty with death and an agreement with the grave. When the overwhelming disaster passes by, it won't matter to us, because we have taken refuge in our lies, and falsehood is our hiding place."


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 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I am going to lay a rock in Zion, a rock that has been tested, a precious cornerstone, a solid foundation. Whoever believes [in him] will not worry.


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 I will make justice a measuring line and righteousness a plumb line. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and floodwaters will wash away your hiding place.


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 Your treaty with death will be wiped away. Your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming disaster passes by, you will be trampled by it.


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 Each time it passes by it will take you. It will pass by morning after morning, during the day and during the night. Understanding this message brings only terror.


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 The LORD will rise as he did on Mount Perazim. He will wake up as he did in Gibeon Valley. He will do his work, his unexpected work, and perform his deeds, his mysterious deeds.


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 Now stop laughing, or your chains will be tightened, because I have heard that the Almighty LORD of Armies has finally determined to destroy the whole land.


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 Does a farmer go on plowing every day so he can plant? Does he continue to break up the soil and make furrows in the ground?


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 When he has smoothed its surface, doesn't he scatter black cumin seed and plant cumin? Doesn't he plant wild wheat in rows? Doesn't he put barley in its own area and winter wheat at its borders?


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 Black cumin isn't threshed with a sledge, and wagon wheels aren't rolled over cumin. Black cumin is beaten with a rod and cumin with a stick.


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 Grain is ground into flour, but the grinding eventually stops. It will be threshed. The wheels of his cart will roll over it, but his horses won't crush it.


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 How horrible it will be for you Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped. Let year after year go by. Let your annual festivals go on.


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 I will torment Ariel, and the city will be filled with people grieving and mourning. The city will become like Ariel.


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 I will set up war camps all around you. I will blockade you with towers. I will put up mounds of dirt around you.


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 When you have fallen, you will speak as you lie on the ground. Your words will be muffled by the dust. Your voice will come out of the ground like that of a ghost. Your words will be whispered from the dust.


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 Your many enemies will be like fine dust. Your many foes will be like husks blown by the wind. All of this will happen suddenly, unexpectedly.


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 The LORD of Armies will punish you with thunder, earthquakes, and loud noises, with windstorms, rainstorms, and fire storms.


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 The armies from all the nations will go to war against Ariel. They will go to war against it, blockade it, and torment it. All of this will be like a dream, like a vision in the night.


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 They will be like hungry people who dream that they're eating and wake up to find they're hungry. They will be like thirsty people who dream that they're drinking and wake up to find they're lightheaded and parched with thirst. This is what will happen to the armies from all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.


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 If you confuse yourselves, you will be confused. If you blind yourselves, you will be blinded. You are drunk, but not from wine. You stagger, but not from liquor.


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 The LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He will shut your eyes. (Your eyes are the prophets.) He will cover your heads. (Your heads are the seers.)


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 To you all these visions will be like words in a book that is closed and sealed. You give this book to someone who can read, saying, "Please read this." He answers, "I can't read it. It's sealed."


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 Then you give the book to someone who can't read, saying, "Please read this." He answers, "I can't read."


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 The Lord says, "These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is [based on] rules made by humans.


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 That is why I am going to do something completely amazing for these people once again. The wisdom of their wise people will disappear. The intelligence of their intelligent people will be hidden."


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 How horrible it will be for those who try to hide their plans from the LORD. Their deeds are done in the dark, and they say, "No one can see us" and "No one can recognize us."


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 You turn things upside down! Is the potter no better than his clay? Can something that has been made say about its maker, "He didn't make me"? Can a piece of pottery say about the potter, "He doesn't understand"?


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 In a very short time Lebanon will be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field will be considered a forest.


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 When that day comes, the deaf will hear the words written in the book. The blind will see out of their gloom and darkness.


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 Humble people again will find joy in the LORD. The poorest of people will find joy in the Holy One of Israel.


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 Tyrants will be gone. Mockers will be finished. All who look for ways to do wrong will come to an end:


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 those who make people sin with words, those who lay traps for judges, those who, without any reason, deny justice to people who are in the right.


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 This is what the LORD, who saved Abraham, says about the descendants of Jacob: Jacob will no longer be ashamed. Jacob's face will no longer turn pale.


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 When they see all their children, the children I made with my hands, they will acknowledge my name as holy. They will treat the Holy One of Jacob as holy. They will stand in terror of the God of Israel.


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 Then those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding, and those who complain will accept instruction.


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 The LORD declares, "How horrible it will be for those rebellious children. They carry out plans, but not mine. They make alliances against my will. They pile sin on top of sin.


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 They go to Egypt without asking me. They look for shelter under Pharaoh's protection and look for refuge in Egypt's shadow.


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 But Pharaoh's protection will be their shame, and the refuge in Egypt's shadow will be their disgrace.


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 the people of Judah will be put to shame because that nation can't help them. That nation can't give aid or help to them. It can only offer shame and disgrace."


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 This is the divine revelation about the animals in the Negev. "My people travel through lands where they experience distress and hardship. Lions and lionesses live there. Vipers and poisonous snakes live there. They carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels to a nation that can't help them.


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 Now, write this on a tablet for them, and inscribe it in a book so that it will be there in the future as a permanent witness.


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 These people are rebellious and deceitful children, children who refuse to listen to the LORD's teachings.


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 They say to the seers, 'Don't see [the future].' They say to those who have visions, 'Don't have visions that tell us what is right. Tell us what we want to hear. See illusions.


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 This is what the Holy One of Israel says: You have rejected this warning, trusted oppression and deceit, and leaned on them.


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 That is why your sin will be like a high wall with a bulging crack, ready to fall. All of a sudden it will fall.


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 It will break like pottery. It will be smashed, and nothing will be left of it. No piece will be big enough to carry live coals from a fireplace or to dip water from a reservoir.


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 This is what the Almighty LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting me. But you don't want that.


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 You've said, "No, we'll flee on horses." So you flee. You've added, "We'll ride on fast horses." So those who chase you will also be fast.


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 One thousand people will flee when one person threatens them, and you will flee when five threaten you. Then you will be left alone like a flagpole on top of a mountain, like a signpost on a hill.


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 The LORD is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. The LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.


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 You will live in Zion, in Jerusalem. You won't cry anymore. The LORD will certainly have pity on you when you cry for help. As soon as he hears you, he will answer you.


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 The Lord may give you troubles and hardships. But your teacher will no longer be hidden from you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.


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 You will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left."


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 Then you will dishonor your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered statues. You will throw them away like clothing ruined by stains. You will say to them, "Get out!"


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 The Lord will give you rain for the seed that you plant in the ground, and the food that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. When that day comes, your cattle will graze in large pastures.


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 The oxen and the donkeys which work the soil will eat a mixture of food that has been winnowed with forks and shovels.


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 There will be brooks and streams on every lofty mountain and every high hill. When the day of the great slaughter comes, towers will fall.


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 Then the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun. The light of the sun will be seven times as strong, like the light of seven days. When that day comes, the LORD will bandage his people's injuries and heal the wounds he inflicted.


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 The name of the LORD is going to come from far away. His anger is burning. His burden is heavy. His lips are filled with fury. His tongue is like a devouring flame.


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 His breath is like an overflowing stream. It rises neck high, sifting the nations with a sieve of destruction, placing a bit in the mouths of the people to lead them astray.


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 You will sing a song like the song you sing on a festival night. Your hearts will be happy like someone going out with a flute on the way to the LORD's mountain, to the rock of Israel.


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 The LORD will make his majestic voice heard. He will come down with all his might, with furious anger, with fire storms, windstorms, rainstorms, and hailstones.


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 At the sound of the LORD, the people of Assyria will be shattered. He will strike them with his rod.


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 To the sound of tambourines and lyres, the LORD will pound on them. He will fight them in battle, swinging his fists.


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 Topheth was prepared long ago. It was made ready for the king. It was made deep and wide and piled high with plenty of burning logs. The LORD's breath will be like a flood of burning sulfur, setting it on fire.


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 How horrible it will be for those who go to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who depend on many chariots, who depend on very strong war horses. They don't look to the Holy One of Israel. They don't seek the LORD.


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 He is wise and can bring about disaster. He doesn't take back his words. He rises against wicked people and against those who help troublemakers.


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 The Egyptians are humans, not gods. Their horses are flesh and blood, not spirit. When the LORD uses his powerful hand, the one who gives help will stumble, and the one who receives help will fall. Both will die together.


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 This is what the LORD said to me: A lion, even a young lion, growls over its prey when a crowd of shepherds is called to fight it. It isn't frightened by their voices or disturbed by the noise they make. So the LORD of Armies will come to fight for Mount Zion and its hill.


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 The LORD of Armies will defend Jerusalem like a hovering bird. He will defend it and rescue it. He will pass over it and protect it.


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 When that day comes, all of you will reject the silver and gold idols that your sinful hands have made.


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 Then Assyrians will be killed with swords not made by human hands. Swords not made by human hands will destroy them. They will flee from battle, and their young men will be made to do forced labor.


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 In terror they will run to their stronghold, and their officers will be frightened at [the sight of] the battle flag. The LORD declares this. His fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem.


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 Then each ruler will be like a shelter from the wind and a hiding place from the rain. They will be like streams on parched ground and the shade of a large rock in a weary land.


text:
 Then the vision of those who can see won't be blurred, and the ears of those who can hear will pay attention.


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 Then those who are reckless will begin to understand, and those who stutter will speak quickly and clearly.


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 Godless fools speak foolishness, and their minds plan evil in order to do ungodly things. They speak falsely about the LORD. They let people go hungry and withhold water from thirsty people.


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 The tricks of scoundrels are evil. They devise wicked plans in order to ruin poor people with lies, even when needy people plead for justice.


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 In a little less than a year you overconfident women will tremble, because the grape harvest will fail and no fruit will be brought in [from the fields].


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 Shudder, you pampered women. Tremble, you overconfident women. Take off your clothes, walk around naked, and wear sackcloth around your waists.


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 Mourn for my people's land where thorns and briars will grow. Mourn for all the happy homes in a joyful city.


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 Palaces will be deserted. Noisy cities will be abandoned. Fortresses and watchtowers will become permanent caves. They will be a delight for wild donkeys and pastures for flocks


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 until the Spirit is poured on us from on high. Then the wilderness will be turned into a fertile field, and the fertile field will be considered a forest.


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 How horrible it will be for you, you destroyer, although you haven't been destroyed. How horrible it will be for you, you traitor, although you haven't been betrayed. When you've finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you've finished being a traitor, you will be betrayed.


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 O LORD, have pity on us. We wait with hope for you. Be our strength in the morning. Yes, be our savior in times of trouble.


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 You nations, your loot is gathered as grasshoppers harvest a crop. Like swarming locusts, people rush for your loot.


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 He will be the foundation of your future. The riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is [your] treasure.


text:
 Highways are deserted. Travelers stop traveling. Agreements are broken. Witnesses are rejected. People are no longer respected.


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 The country grieves and wastes away. Lebanon is ashamed and is decaying. Sharon has become like a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel are shaken.


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 You will be pregnant with hay. You will give birth to straw. Your breath will be a fire which will burn you up.


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 The sinners in Zion are terrified. Trembling seizes the ungodly. Can any of us live through a fire that destroys? Can any of us live through a fire that burns forever?


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 The person who does what is right and speaks the truth will live. He rejects getting rich by extortion and refuses to take bribes. He refuses to listen to those who are plotting murders. He doesn't look for evil things to do.


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 This person will live on high. His stronghold will be a fortress made of rock. He will have plenty of food and a dependable supply of water.


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 Your mind will be thinking of the terrors [in the past]. Where are the scribes? Where are the tax collectors? Where are those who counted the towers?


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 You will no longer see those savage people, those people with an unrecognizable language, with a foreign language that you can't understand.


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 Look at Zion, the city of our festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a peaceful place. It is a tent that can't be moved. Its tent pegs will never be pulled out, and none of its ropes will be broken.


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 The LORD will be our mighty defender in a place surrounded by wide rivers and streams. Ships with oars won't travel on them. Stately ships won't sail on them.


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 Your ropes hang loose, your mast isn't secure, and your sail isn't spread out. A large amount of loot will be distributed. Lame people will carry off your loot.


text:
 Come close, you nations, and listen. Pay attention, you people. The earth, everyone in it, the world, and everything on it will listen.


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 The LORD is angry with all the nations. He is furious with all their armies. He has claimed them for destruction. He has handed them over to be slaughtered.


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 Their dead bodies will be thrown out. A stench will rise from their corpses. Mountains will be red with their blood.


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 All the stars in the sky will rot. The heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. The stars will fall like leaves from a grapevine, like green figs from a fig tree.


text:
 When my sword is covered [with blood] in the heavens, it will fall on Edom and on the people I've claimed for destruction.


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 The LORD's sword is covered with blood. It is covered with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of rams' kidneys. The LORD will receive a sacrifice in Bozrah, a huge slaughter in the land of Edom.


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 Wild oxen will be killed with them, young bulls along with rams. Their land will be drenched with blood. Their dust will be covered with fat.


text:
 Edom's streams will be turned to tar. Its soil will be turned to burning sulfur. Its land will become blazing tar.


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 They will not be extinguished day or night, and smoke will always go up from them. Edom will lie in ruins for generations. No one will ever travel through it.


text:
 Pelicans and herons will take possession of the land. Owls and crows will live there. He will stretch the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of destruction over it.


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 Its palaces are covered with thorns. Its fortresses have nettles and thistles. It will become a home for jackals and a place for ostriches.


text:
 Hyenas will meet with jackals. Male goats will call to their mates. Screech owls will rest there and find a resting place for themselves.


text:
 Owls will make their nests there, lay eggs, and hatch them. They will gather their young in the shadow of [their wings]. Vultures also will gather there, each one with its mate.


text:
 Search the LORD's book, and read it. Not one of these animals will be missing. Not one will lack a mate, because the LORD has commanded it, and his Spirit will gather them together.


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 He is the one who throws dice for them, and his hand divides up [the land] for them with a measuring line. They will possess it permanently and live there for generations.


text:
 Like a lily the land will blossom. It will rejoice and sing with joy. It will have the glory of Lebanon, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.


text:
 Tell those who are terrified, "Be brave; don't be afraid. Your God will come with vengeance, with divine revenge. He will come and rescue you."


text:
 Then those who are lame will leap like deer, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Water will gush out into the desert, and streams will gush out into the wilderness.


text:
 Then the hot sand will become a pool, and dry ground will have springs. Grass will become cattails and rushes in the home of jackals.


text:
 A highway will be there, a roadway. It will be called the Holy Road. Sinners won't travel on it. It will be for those who walk on it. Godless fools won't wander [onto it].


text:
 Lions won't be there. Wild animals won't go on it. They won't be found there. But the people reclaimed [by the LORD] will walk [on it].


text:
 The people ransomed by the LORD will return. They will come to Zion singing with joy. Everlasting happiness will be on their heads [as a crown]. They will be glad and joyful. They will have no sorrow or grief.


text:
 Then the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He stood at the channel for the Upper Pool on the road to Laundryman's Field.


text:
 Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace and was the son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and Joah, who was the royal historian and the son of Asaph, went out to the field commander.


text:
 Look! When you trust Egypt, you're trusting a broken stick for a staff. If you lean on it, it stabs your hand and goes through it. This is what Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) is like for everyone who trusts him.


text:
 Suppose you tell me, "We're trusting the LORD our God." He's the god whose places of worship and altars Hezekiah got rid of. Hezekiah told Judah and Jerusalem, "Worship at this altar."'


text:
 "Have I come to destroy this country without the LORD on my side? The LORD said to me, 'Attack this country, and destroy it.'"


text:
 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the field commander, "Speak to us in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don't speak to us in the Judean language as long as there are people on the wall listening."


text:
 But the field commander asked, "Did my master send me to tell these things only to you and your master? Didn't he send me to the men sitting on the wall who will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine with you?"


text:
 Don't listen to Hezekiah, because this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me! Come out, and give yourselves up to me! Everyone will eat from his own grapevine and fig tree and drink from his own cistern.


text:
 Then I will come and take you away to a country like your own. It's a country with grain and new wine, a country with bread and vineyards.


text:
 Don't let Hezekiah mislead you by saying to you, 'The LORD will rescue us.' Did any of the gods of the nations rescue their countries from the king of Assyria?


text:
 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Did they rescue Samaria from my control?


text:
 Did the gods of these countries rescue them from my control? Could the LORD then rescue Jerusalem from my control?"


text:
 Then Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace and was son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and Joah, who was the royal historian and the son of Asaph, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief. They told him the message from the field commander.


text:
 The LORD your God may have heard the words of the field commander. His master, the king of Assyria, sent him to defy the living God. The LORD your God may punish him because of the message that the LORD your God heard. Pray for the few people who are left."


text:
 Now, Sennacherib heard that King Tirhakah of Sudan was coming to fight him. When he heard this, he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,


text:
 Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers, read it, and went to the LORD's temple. He spread it out in front of the LORD


text:
 "LORD of Armies, God of Israel, you are enthroned over the angels. You alone are God of the kingdoms of the world. You made heaven and earth.


text:
 Turn your ear toward me, LORD, and listen. Open your eyes, LORD, and see. Listen to the entire message that Sennacherib sent to defy the living God.


text:
 Now, LORD our God, rescue us from Assyria's control so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are the LORD."


text:
 Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent a message to Hezekiah, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: You prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria.


text:
 Through your servants you defy the Lord and say, "With my many chariots I'll ride up the high mountains, up the slopes of Lebanon. I'll cut down its tallest cedars and its finest cypresses. I'll come to its most distant heights and its most fertile forests.


text:
 I'll dig wells and drink water. I'll dry up all the streams of Egypt with the trampling of my feet."


text:
 Those who live in these cities are weak, discouraged, and ashamed. They will be like plants in the field, like fresh, green grass on the roofs, dried up by the east wind.


text:
 " 'And this will be a sign for you, Hezekiah: You will eat what grows by itself this year, and the next year you will eat what comes up by itself. But in the third year you will plant and harvest, plant vineyards, and eat what is produced.


text:
 Those few people will go out from Jerusalem, and those who escape will go out from Mount Zion. The LORD of Armies is determined to do this.'


text:
 The LORD's angel went out and killed 185,000 [soldiers] in the Assyrian camp. When the Judeans got up early in the morning, they saw all the corpses.


text:
 While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, assassinated him and escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.


text:
 "Go and say to Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I've heard your prayer. I've seen your tears. I'm going to give you 15 more years to live.


text:
 The sun made a shadow that went down the stairway of Ahaz's upper palace. I'm going to make the shadow go back ten steps." So the sun on the stairway went back up the ten steps it had gone down.


text:
 I thought that in the prime of my life I would go down to the gates of Sheol and be robbed of the rest of my life.


text:
 I thought that I wouldn't see the LORD in this world. Even with all the people in the world, I thought I would never see another person.


text:
 My life was over. You rolled it up like a shepherd's tent. You rolled up my life like a weaver. You cut me off from the loom. You ended my life in one day.


text:
 I chirped like swallows and cranes. I cooed like doves. My eyes were tired from looking up to heaven. I've suffered miserably, O Lord! Please help me!


text:
 What can I say now that he has spoken to me? He has done this. I will be careful the rest of my life because of my bitter experience.


text:
 Lord, people live in spite of such things, and I have the will to live in spite of them. You give me health and keep me alive.


text:
 Now my bitter experience turns into peace. You have saved me and kept me from the rotting pit. You have thrown all my sins behind you.


text:
 Sheol doesn't thank you! Death doesn't praise you! Those who go down to the pit cannot expect you to be faithful.


text:
 Those who are living praise you as I do today. Fathers make your faithfulness known to their children.


text:
 The LORD is going to rescue me, so let us play stringed instruments. We live our lives in the LORD's temple.


text:
 At that time Baladan's son, King Merodach Baladan of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick and had recovered.


text:
 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The LORD's word that you have spoken is good." He added, "Just let there be peace and security as long as I live."


text:
 "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and announce to it that its time of hard labor is over and its wrongs have been paid for. It has received from the LORD double for all its sins."


text:
 A voice cries out in the desert: "Clear a way for the LORD. Make a straight highway in the wilderness for our God.


text:
 Every valley will be raised. Every mountain and hill will be lowered. Steep places will be made level. Rough places will be made smooth.


text:
 A voice called, "Call out!" I asked, "What should I call out?" "Call out: All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like a flower in the field.


text:
 Grass dries up, and flowers wither when the LORD's breath blows on them. Yes, people are like grass.


text:
 Go up a high mountain, Zion. Tell the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Jerusalem. Tell the good news! Raise your voice without fear. Tell the cities of Judah: "Here is your God!"


text:
 The Almighty LORD is coming with power to rule with authority. His reward is with him, and the people he has won arrive ahead of him.


text:
 Like a shepherd he takes care of his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them in his arms. He gently helps the sheep and their lambs.


text:
 Who has measured the water of the sea with the palm of his hand or measured the sky with the length of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a bushel basket or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills on a balance?


text:
 Whom did he consult? Who gave him understanding? Who taught him the right way? Who taught him knowledge? Who informed him about the way to understanding?


text:
 The nations are like a drop in a bucket and are considered to be like dust on a scale. The weight of the islands is like fine dust.


text:
 All the trees in Lebanon are not enough to burn an offering. Its wild animals are not enough for a single burnt offering.


text:
 All the nations amount to nothing in his presence. He considers them less than nothing and worthless.


text:
 The poorest people choose wood that will not rot and search out skillful craftsmen to set up idols that will not fall over.


text:
 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? Haven't you been told from the beginning? Don't you understand the foundations of the earth?


text:
 God is enthroned above the earth, and those who live on it are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the sky like a canopy and spreads it out like a tent to live in.


text:
 They have hardly been planted. They have hardly been sown. They have hardly taken root in the ground. Then he blows on them and they wither, and a windstorm sweeps them away like straw.


text:
 Look at the sky and see. Who created these things? Who brings out the stars one by one? He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one of them is missing.


text:
 Jacob, why do you complain? Israel, why do you say, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my rights are ignored by my God"?


text:
 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The eternal God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn't grow tired or become weary. His understanding is beyond reach.


text:
 Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the LORD will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won't become weary. They will walk and won't grow tired.


text:
 "Be silent and listen to me, you coastlands. Let the people gain new strength. Let them come near and speak. Let us come together for judgment.


text:
 "Who has raised up from the east someone to whom the LORD gives victory with every step he takes? Nations are handed over to him. He defeats kings. With his sword he turns them into dust. With his bow he turns them into straw blown by the wind.


text:
 Who has accomplished this? Who has determined the course of history from the beginning? I, the LORD, was there first, and I will be there to the end. I am the one!"


text:
 The coastlands have seen him and are afraid. The ends of the earth tremble. They have come near and gathered together.


text:
 Craftsmen encourage goldsmiths. Metalsmiths encourage blacksmiths who work at their anvils. They say that their soldering is good. And they fasten things with nails so they won't move.


text:
 "But you are my servant Israel, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendant of Abraham, my dear friend.


text:
 I have taken you from the ends of the earth and called you from its most distant places. I said to you, 'You are my servant. I've chosen you; I haven't rejected you.'


text:
 Don't be afraid, because I am with you. Don't be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand.


text:
 "Everyone who is angry with you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who oppose you will be reduced to nothing and disappear.


text:
 You will search for your enemies, but you will not find them. Those who are at war with you will be reduced to nothing and no longer exist.


text:
 Don't be afraid, Jacob, you worm. You people of Israel, I will help you," declares the LORD, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel.


text:
 "I am going to make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp, double-edged teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them to dust. You will turn the hills into straw.


text:
 You will winnow them. The wind will carry them away. The windstorm will scatter them. But you will find joy in the LORD and praise the Holy One of Israel.


text:
 "The poor and needy are looking for water, but there is none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.


text:
 I will make rivers flow on bare hilltops. I will make springs flow through valleys. I will turn deserts into lakes. I will turn dry land into springs.


text:
 I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and wild olive trees in the desert. I will place cedar, fir, and cypress trees together in the wilderness.


text:
 People will see and know. Together they will consider and understand that the LORD's power has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.


text:
 "Bring [your idols] so they can tell us what's going to happen. Explain past events that your idols told you about so that we may consider them and know what their outcome will be. Tell us about future events.


text:
 Tell us what's going to happen so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something, good or evil, to intimidate us and make us afraid.


text:
 "I have raised up someone from the north, and he has come. He will call on my name from the east. He will attack rulers as if they were mud, as if he were treading on clay like a potter.


text:
 Who revealed this from the beginning so that we could know it? Who revealed this from the past so that we could say that he was right? No one revealed it. No one announced it. No one heard your words.


text:
 I was the first to tell Zion, 'Look, here they are.' I gave Jerusalem a messenger with the good news.


text:
 When I look, there is no one. There is no one to advise them. When I ask them a question, will they give an answer?


text:
 Here is my servant, whom I support. Here is my chosen one, with whom I am pleased. I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.


text:
 He will not break off a damaged cattail. He will not even put out a smoking wick. He will faithfully bring about justice.


text:
 He will not be discouraged or crushed until he has set up justice on the earth. The coastlands will wait for his teachings.


text:
 The LORD God created the heavens and stretched them out. He shaped the earth and all that comes from it. He gave life to the people who are on it and breath to those who walk on it. This is what the LORD God says:


text:
 I, the LORD, have called you to do what is right. I will take hold of your hand. I will protect you. I will appoint you as my promise to the people, as my light to the nations.


text:
 You will give sight to the blind, bring prisoners out of prisons, and bring those who live in darkness out of dungeons.


text:
 I am the LORD; that is my name. I will not give my glory to anyone else or the praise I deserve to idols.


text:
 Sing a new song to the LORD. Sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you people who sail on the seas and all the creatures that live in them, you coastlands and all who live on them.


text:
 Let those who live in the desert and its cities raise their voices. Let those who live in the settlements of Kedar praise him. Let those who live in Sela sing for joy. Let them shout from the tops of the mountains.


text:
 The LORD marches out like a warrior. He prepares himself for battle like a soldier. He shouts, gives the battle cry, and overpowers his enemies.


text:
 I have been silent for a long time. I kept quiet and held myself back. But like a woman in childbirth I will cry out. I will gasp and pant.


text:
 I will lay waste to mountains and hills. I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn rivers into islands. I will dry up ponds.


text:
 I will lead the blind on unfamiliar roads. I will lead them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light in front of them. I will make rough places smooth. These are the things I will do for them, and I will never abandon them.


text:
 Then those who trust idols and those who say to statues, "You are our gods" will be turned away and put to shame.


text:
 Who is blind except my servant or deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one who has my trust or blind like the servant of the LORD?


text:
 The LORD is pleased because he does what is right. He praises the greatness of his teachings and makes them glorious.


text:
 But these people are robbed and looted. They are all trapped in pits and hidden in prisons. They have become prey with no one to rescue them. They have become loot with no one to say, "Give it back."


text:
 Who among you will listen to this? Is there anyone who will pay attention and listen in the future?


text:
 Who gave Jacob away as loot and handed Israel over to robbers? Wasn't it the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They didn't want to live his way. They didn't obey his teachings.


text:
 So he poured out his burning anger and the horrors of war on them. It engulfed them in flames, but they did not understand. It burned them, but they did not take it to heart.


text:
 The LORD created Jacob and formed Israel. Now, this is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.


text:
 When you go through the sea, I am with you. When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, and the flames will not harm you.


text:
 I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you. Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.


text:
 Since you are precious to me, you are honored and I love you. I will exchange others for you. Nations will be the price I pay for your life.


text:
 Do not be afraid, because I am with you. I will bring your descendants from the east and gather you from the west.


text:
 I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not keep them." Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth.


text:
 All nations have gathered together, and people have assembled. Who among them could have revealed this? Who among them could have foretold this to us? They should bring their witnesses to prove that they were right. Let the people hear them. Then they will say that it is true.


text:
 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD. "I have chosen you as my servant so that you can know and believe in me and understand that I am the one [who did this]. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me.


text:
 I have revealed it to you, I have saved you, and I have announced it to you. There was no foreign [god] among you. You are my witnesses that I am God," declares the LORD.


text:
 "From the [first] day I was the one [who did this]. No one can rescue people from my power. When I do something, who can undo it?"


text:
 This is what the LORD, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send [an army] to Babylon. I will bring back all the Babylonian refugees in the ships that they take pride in.


text:
 He leads chariots and horses, an army and reinforcements. (They lie down together and do not get up [again]. They are extinguished and snuffed out like a wick.) This is what the LORD says:


text:
 I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don't you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.


text:
 Wild animals, jackals, and ostriches will honor me. I will provide water in the desert. I will make rivers on the dry land for my chosen people to drink.


text:
 You did not bring me sheep for your burnt offerings or honor me with your sacrifices. I did not burden you by requiring grain offerings or trouble you by requiring incense offerings.


text:
 You did not buy me any sugar cane with [your] money or satisfy me with the best part of your sacrifices. Rather, you burdened me with your sins and troubled me with your wrongdoings.


text:
 I alone am the one who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions for my own sake. I will not remember your sins [anymore].


text:
 Remind me [of what happened]. Let us argue our case together. State your case so that you can prove you are right.


text:
 That is why I will corrupt the leaders of the holy place. I will claim Jacob for destruction. I will set up Israel for ridicule.


text:
 The LORD made you, formed you in the womb, and will help you. This is what the LORD says: Don't be afraid, my servant Jacob, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.


text:
 I will pour water on thirsty ground and rain on dry land. I will pour my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.


text:
 One person will say, "I belong to the LORD." Another will call on the name of Jacob. Another will write on his hand, "The LORD's," and he will adopt the name of Israel.


text:
 The LORD is Israel's king and defender. He is the LORD of Armies. This is what the LORD says: I am the first and the last, and there is no God except me.


text:
 If there is anyone like me, let him say so. Let him tell me what happened when I established my people long ago. Then let him predict what will happen to them.


text:
 Don't be terrified or afraid. Didn't I make this known to you long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God except me? There is no [other] rock; I know of none.


text:
 All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.


text:
 Everyone associated with the gods will be put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all get together and take their stand. They will be frightened and ashamed together.


text:
 Blacksmiths shape iron into tools. They work them over the coals and shape them with hammers, working them with their strong arms. They get hungry, and their strength fails. If they don't drink water, they will faint.


text:
 Carpenters measure blocks of wood with [chalk] lines. They mark them with pens. They carve them with chisels and mark them with compasses. They carve them into forms of people, beautiful people, so the idols can live in shrines.


text:
 They cut down cedars for themselves. Then they choose fir trees or oaks. They let them grow strong among the trees in the forest. Then they plant cedars, and the rain makes them grow.


text:
 These trees become [fuel] for people to burn. So they take some of them and warm themselves with them. They start fires and bake bread. They also make gods from these trees and worship them. They make them into carved statues and bow in front of them.


text:
 Half of the wood they burn in the fire. Over this half they roast meat that they can eat until they are full. They also warm themselves and say, "Ah! We are warm. We can see the fire!"


text:
 But the rest of the wood they make into gods, carved statues. They bow to them and worship them. They pray to them, saying, "Rescue us, because you are our gods."


text:
 They don't know or understand anything. Their eyes are plastered shut, so they can't see. And their minds are closed, so they can't understand.


text:
 No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say, "I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood."


text:
 They eat ashes because they are deceived. Their own misguided minds lead them astray. They can't rescue themselves or ask themselves, "Isn't what I hold in my right hand a false god?"


text:
 Remember these things, Jacob: You are my servant, Israel. I formed you; you are my servant. Israel, I will not forget you.


text:
 I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you.


text:
 Sing with joy, you heavens, because the LORD has done this. Rejoice, you deep places of the earth. Break into shouts of joy, you mountains, you forests and every tree in them. The LORD has reclaimed Jacob. He will display his glory in Israel.


text:
 The LORD reclaimed you. He formed you in the womb. This is what the LORD says: I, the LORD, made everything. I stretched out the heavens by myself. I spread out the earth all alone.


text:
 I cause the signs of false prophets to fail and make fools of fortunetellers. I make wise men retreat and turn their knowledge into foolishness.


text:
 He confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the plan of his messengers. He says about Jerusalem, "It will be inhabited." He says about the cities of Judah, "They will be rebuilt." He says about their ruins, "I will restore them."


text:
 He says about Cyrus, "He is my shepherd. He will do everything I want him to do." He says about Jerusalem, "It will be rebuilt." He says about the temple, "Your foundation will be laid."


text:
 This is what the LORD says about Cyrus, his anointed one: I have held him by his right hand so he could conquer the nations ahead of him, strip kings of their power, and open doors ahead of him so that the gates would not be shut.


text:
 I will go ahead of you, Cyrus, and smooth out the rough places. I will break down the bronze doors and cut through the iron bars.


text:
 I will give you treasures from dark places and hidden stockpiles. Then you will know that I, the LORD God of Israel, have called you by name.


text:
 For the sake of my servant Jacob, Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by name. I have given you a title of honor, although you don't know me.


text:
 I am the LORD, and there is no other. There is no other God besides me. I will strengthen you, although you don't know me,


text:
 so that from the east to the west people will know that there is no God except me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.


text:
 I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the LORD, do all these things.


text:
 Rain down from above, you heavens, and pour down righteousness, you skies. Let the earth open. Let salvation and righteousness sprout. Let them spring up. I, the LORD, have created them.


text:
 How horrible it will be for the one who quarrels with his maker. He is pottery among other earthenware pots. Does the clay ask the one who shapes it, "What are you making?" Does your work say to you, "There are no handles"?


text:
 How horrible it will be for the one who says to his father, "Why did you conceive me?" or to his mother, "Why did you go through labor pains for me?"


text:
 The LORD is the Holy One and the maker of Israel. This is what the LORD says: Ask me about what is going to happen to my children! Are you going to give me orders concerning my handiwork?


text:
 I made the earth and created humans on it. I stretched out the heavens with my own hands. I commanded all the stars [to shine].


text:
 I prepared Cyrus for my righteous purpose. I will make all his roads straight. He will build my city and let my exiles go free without any payment or any reward, says the LORD of Armies.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: The products from Egypt, the merchandise from Sudan, and the important Sabaeans will come to you. They will belong to you. They will follow you. They will come to you in chains. They will bow to you and pray to you, "Certainly God is with you alone, and there is no other God."


text:
 The LORD created the heavens. God formed the earth and made it. He set it up. He did not create it to be empty but formed it to be inhabited. This is what the LORD says: I am the LORD, and there is no other.


text:
 I haven't spoken privately or in some dark corner of the world. I didn't say to Jacob's descendants, "Search for me in vain!" I, the LORD, speak what is fair and say what is right.


text:
 Come here, you refugees from the nations. Ignorant people carry wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save [anyone].


text:
 Speak and present your case. Yes, let them consult one another. Who revealed this in the distant past and predicted it long ago? Wasn't it I, the LORD? There is no other God except me. There is no other righteous God and Savior besides me.


text:
 Turn to me and be saved, all who live at the ends of the earth, because I am God, and there is no other.


text:
 I have bound myself with an oath. A word has gone out from my righteous mouth that will not be recalled, "Every knee will bow to me and every tongue will swear [allegiance]."


text:
 It will be said of me, "Certainly, righteousness and strength are found in the LORD alone." All who are angry with him will come to him and be ashamed.


text:
 The god Bel bows down; the god Nebo stoops low. Their statues are seated on animals and cattle. The gods that you carry are burdens, a load for weary people.


text:
 These gods stoop low and bow down together. They aren't able to escape with heavy loads. They go away into captivity.


text:
 Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, the few people left of the nation of Israel. I've carried you since your birth. I've taken care of you from the time you were born.


text:
 Even when you're old, I'll take care of you. Even when your hair turns gray, I'll support you. I made you and will continue to care for you. I'll support you and save you.


text:
 To whom will you compare me and make me equal? To whom will you compare me so that we can be alike?


text:
 People pour gold out of their bags and weigh silver on scales. They hire a goldsmith. He makes it into a god. They bow down and worship it.


text:
 They lift it on their shoulders and carry it. They set the idol in its place, and it stands there. It doesn't move from its place. If they cry to it for help, it can't answer. It can't rescue them from their distress.


text:
 Remember the first events, because I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there's no one like me.


text:
 From the beginning I revealed the end. From long ago I told you things that had not yet happened, saying, "My plan will stand, and I'll do everything I intended to do."


text:
 I will call a bird of prey from the east. I will call someone for my plan from a faraway land. I have spoken, and I will bring it about. I have planned it, and I will do it.


text:
 I'll bring my righteousness near; it isn't far away. My salvation will not be delayed. I'll provide salvation for Zion and bring my glory to Israel.


text:
 Go, sit in the dirt, virgin princess of Babylon! Sit on the ground, not on a throne, princess of the Babylonians! You will no longer be called soft and delicate.


text:
 Take millstones and grind flour. Remove your veil. Take off your skirt. Uncover your legs, and cross the river.


text:
 Go into the dark, and sit in silence, princess of the Babylonians! You will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms.


text:
 I was angry with my people. I dishonored those who belong to me. I put them under your control. You showed them no mercy. You placed a heavy burden on old people.


text:
 You said, "I will always be a queen." You didn't carefully consider these things or keep in mind how they would end.


text:
 Now then, listen to this, you lover of pleasure. You live securely and say to yourself, "I'm the only one, and there's no one else. I won't live as a widow. I won't suffer the loss of children."


text:
 In one day both of these will happen to you instantly: the loss of your children and your husband. All this will happen to you in spite of your evil magic and your many spells.


text:
 You feel safe in your wickedness and say, "No one can see me." Your wisdom and knowledge have led you astray, so you say to yourself, "I'm the only one, and there's no one else."


text:
 But evil will happen to you. You won't know how to keep it away. Disaster will strike you. You won't be able to stop it. Destruction will overtake you suddenly. You won't expect it.


text:
 Keep practicing your spells and your evil magic. You have practiced them ever since you were young. You may succeed. You may cause terror.


text:
 You are worn out by your many plans. Let your astrologers and your stargazers, who foretell the future month by month, come to you, rise up, and save you.


text:
 They are like straw. Fire burns them. They can't rescue themselves from the flames. There are no glowing coals to keep them warm and no fire for them to sit by.


text:
 This is how it will be for those who have worked with you, for those who have been with you ever since you were young. They will go their own ways, and there will be no one to save you.


text:
 Listen to this, descendants of Jacob! You are given the name of Israel. You are descended from Judah. You take oaths by the name of the LORD. You acknowledge the God of Israel, but you are not honest or sincere.


text:
 You call yourselves [citizens] of the holy city. You depend on the God of Israel. His name is the LORD of Armies.


text:
 From the beginning I revealed to you what would happen. These words came out of my mouth, and I made them known. Suddenly, I acted, and they happened.


text:
 I know that you are stubborn. Like iron, you are hardheaded. Like bronze, nothing gets through your thick skull.


text:
 That is why I revealed to you what would happen long ago. I told you about them before they happened. [I did this] so you couldn't say, "My gods have done these things. My carved idols and my metal idols have commanded them to happen."


text:
 You've heard these words. Now look at all this. Won't you admit it? From now on I will reveal to you new things, hidden things that you do not know.


text:
 They are created now, not in the past. You haven't heard about them before today, so you can't say that you already knew about them.


text:
 You have never heard about them. You have never known about them. Your ears have never been open to hear them before. I know that you've acted very treacherously and that you have been called a rebel since you were born.


text:
 For my name's sake I'll be patient. For my glory's sake I'll hold my anger back from you, rather than destroy you.


text:
 I am doing this for myself, only for myself. Why should my name be dishonored? I will not give my glory to anyone else.


text:
 My hand laid the foundation of the earth. My right hand stretched out the heavens. When I call for them, they both stand.


text:
 Gather together, all of you, and listen. What idol has revealed such things? The LORD loves Cyrus. He will carry out the LORD's plan against Babylon. He will use his strength against the Babylonians.


text:
 Come here. Listen to this: From the beginning I have spoken nothing in private. From the time it took place, I was there. Now the Almighty LORD has sent me and his Spirit.


text:
 This is what the LORD, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel, says: I am the LORD your God. I teach you what is best for you. I lead you where you should go.


text:
 If only you had listened to my commands! Your peace would be like a river [that never runs dry]. Your righteousness would be like waves on the sea.


text:
 Your descendants would be like sand. Your children would be like its grains. Their names would not be cut off or wiped out in my presence.


text:
 Leave Babylon; flee from the Babylonians! Shout for joy as you tell it and announce it. Shout it out to the ends of the earth. Say that the LORD has reclaimed his servant Jacob.


text:
 They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water flow from a rock for them. He split a rock, and water gushed out.


text:
 Listen to me, you islands. Pay attention, you people far away. Before I was born, the LORD chose me. While I was in my mother's womb, he recorded my name.


text:
 He made my tongue like a sharp sword and hid me in the palm of his hand. He made me like a sharpened arrow and hid me in his quiver.


text:
 But I said, "I have worked hard for nothing. I have used my strength, but I didn't accomplish anything. Yet, certainly my case is in the LORD's hands, and my reward is with my God."


text:
 The LORD formed me in the womb to be his servant in order to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to him. (The LORD honors me, and my God has become my strength.)


text:
 Now, the Lord says, "You are not just my servant who restores the tribes of Jacob and brings back those in Israel whom I have preserved. I have also made you a light for the nations so that you would save people all over the world."


text:
 The LORD is the defender of Israel, its Holy One. This is what the LORD says to the despised one, to the one scorned by the nation, to the slave of rulers: Kings will see [you] and stand. Princes will see [you] and bow. The LORD is faithful. The Holy One of Israel has chosen you.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: In the time of favor I will answer you. In the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you. I will appoint you as my promise to the people. You will restore the land. You will make them inherit the desolate inheritance.


text:
 You will say to the prisoners, "Come out," and to those who are in darkness, "Show yourselves." They will graze along every path, and they will find pastures on every bare hill.


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 They will never be hungry or thirsty, nor will the sun or the burning, hot wind strike them. The one who has compassion on them will lead them and guide them to springs.


text:
 They will come from far away. They will come from the north and from the west, and they will come from the land of Sinim.


text:
 Sing with joy, you heavens! Rejoice, you earth! Break into shouts of joy, you mountains! The LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his humble people.


text:
 Can a woman forget her nursing child? Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb? Although mothers may forget, I will not forget you.


text:
 Look up, look around, and watch! All of your children are gathering together and returning to you. "I solemnly swear as I live," declares the LORD, "you will wear all of them like jewels and display them on yourself as a bride would."


text:
 Though you are destroyed and demolished and your land is in ruins, you will be too crowded for [your] people now. Those who devoured you will be long gone.


text:
 The children taken from you will say to you, "This place is too crowded for me. Make room for me to live here."


text:
 Then you will ask yourself, "Who has fathered these [children] for me? I was childless and unable to have children. I was exiled and rejected. Who raised these [children for me]? I was left alone. Where have they come from?"


text:
 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I will lift my hand [to signal] the nations. I will raise my flag for the people. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders.


text:
 Then kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens will nurse you. They will bow in front of you with their faces touching the ground. They will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who wait with hope for me will not be put to shame.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Prisoners will be freed from mighty men. Loot will be taken away from tyrants. I will fight your enemies, and I will save your children.


text:
 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they will become drunk on their own blood as though it were new wine. Then all humanity will know that I am the LORD, who saves you, the Mighty One of Jacob, who reclaims you.


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 This is what the LORD says: Where are your mother's divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.


text:
 Why was no one here when I came? Why was no one here to answer when I called? Am I too weak to reclaim you? Don't I have the power to rescue you? I dry up the sea with my command, and I turn rivers into deserts. Their fish stink because there is no water, and people die of thirst.


text:
 The Almighty LORD will teach me what to say, so I will know how to encourage weary people. Morning after morning he will wake me to listen like a student.


text:
 I will offer my back to those who whip me and my cheeks to those who pluck hairs out of my beard. I will not turn my face away from those who humiliate me and spit on me.


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 The Almighty LORD helps me. That is why I will not be ashamed. I have set my face like a flint. I know that I will not be put to shame.


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 The one who pronounces me innocent is near. Who will bring a case against me? Let us confront each other! Who accuses me? Let him confront me!


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 The Almighty LORD helps me. Who will find me guilty? They will all wear out like a garment. Moths will eat them.


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 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? Let those who walk in darkness and have no light trust the name of the LORD and depend upon their God.


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 But all of you light fires and arm yourselves with flaming torches. So walk in your own light and among the torches you have lit. This is what you will receive from me: You will be tormented.


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 Listen to me, you people who pursue what is right and seek the LORD. Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were dug.


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 Look to Abraham, your ancestor, and to Sarah, from whom you are descended. When I called Abraham, he was childless. I blessed him and gave him many descendants.


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 So the LORD will comfort Zion. He will comfort all those who live among its ruins. He will make its desert like Eden. He will make its wilderness like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.


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 Pay attention to me, my people. Open your ears to hear me, my nation. My teachings will go out from me. My justice will become a light for the people.


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 My righteousness is near. My salvation is on the way. I will bring justice to people. The coastlands put their hope in me, and they wait eagerly for me.


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 Look at the sky. Look at the earth below. The sky will vanish like smoke. The earth will wear out like clothing, and those who live there will die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, and my righteousness will never fail.


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 Listen to me, you people who know righteousness, you people who have my teachings in your hearts. Don't be afraid of being insulted by people. Don't be discouraged by their ridicule.


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 Moths will eat them like clothing. Worms will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation will last throughout every generation.


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 Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O LORD! Wake up as you did in days long past, as in generations long ago. Didn't you cut Rahab into pieces and stab the serpent?


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 Didn't you dry up the sea, the water of the great ocean? You made a road in the depths of the sea so that the people reclaimed [by the LORD] might pass through it.


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 I alone am the one who comforts you. Why, then, are you afraid of mortals, who must die, of humans, who are like grass?


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 Why have you forgotten the LORD, your Creator? He stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Where is the fury of those who oppress you?


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 I am the LORD your God who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar. My name is the LORD of Armies.


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 I put my words in your mouth and sheltered you in the palm of my hand. I stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and said to Zion, "You are my people."


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 Wake up! Wake up! Stand up, Jerusalem! You drank from the cup in the LORD's hand. That cup was filled with his anger. You drank from the bowl, the cup that makes people stagger, and you drained it!


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 From all the children she gave birth to, there was no one to guide her. From all the children she raised, there was no one to take her by the hand.


text:
 Twice as many disasters have happened to you. Who will feel sorry for you? Violence, destruction, famine, and war have happened to you. Who will comfort you?


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 Your children have fainted. They lie sleeping at every street corner. They are like an antelope caught in a net. They experience the anger of the LORD, the fury of your God.


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 The LORD your God defends his people. This is what your master says: I'm taking from your hand the cup that makes people stagger, the bowl, the cup of my fury. You will never drink from it again.


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 I will put it in the hands of those who made you suffer. They said to you, "Lie down so that we can walk over you." So you made your back like the ground and like a street for them to cross.


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 Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, holy city of Jerusalem. Godless and evil people will no longer come to you.


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 Shake the dust from yourselves. Get up, captive Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains around your neck, captive people of Zion.


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 This is what the LORD says: You were sold, but no price was paid. You will be bought back, but without money.


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 This is what the Almighty LORD says: In the beginning my people went to Egypt to live there as foreigners. Later the Assyrians oppressed them for no reason.


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 So what do I find here? asks the LORD. My people are taken away for no reason. Their rulers are screaming, declares the LORD. And my name is cursed all day long.


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 Now my people will know my name. When that day comes, [they will know] that I am the one who says, "Here I am!"


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 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces the good news, "All is well." He brings the good news, announces salvation, and tells Zion that its God rules as king.


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 Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices and shout together joyfully. When the LORD brings Zion back, they will see it with their own eyes.


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 Break out into shouts of joy, ruins of Jerusalem. The LORD will comfort his people. He will reclaim Jerusalem.


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 The LORD will show his holy power to all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.


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 Run away! Run away! Get away from there! Do not touch anything unclean. Get away from it! Make yourselves pure, you Levites who carry the utensils for the LORD's temple.


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 You will not go away in a hurry, nor will you go away quickly. The LORD will go ahead of you. The God of Israel will guard you from behind.


text:
 Many will be shocked by him. His appearance will be so disfigured that he won't look like any other man. His looks will be so disfigured that he will hardly look like a human.


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 He will cleanse many nations [with his blood]. Kings will shut their mouths because of him. They will see things that they had never been told. They will understand things that they had never heard.


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 He grew up in his presence like a young tree, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him. He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him.


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 He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything.


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 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him.


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 He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds.


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 We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the LORD has laid all our sins on him.


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 He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth.


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 He was arrested, taken away, and judged. Who would have thought that he would be removed from the world? He was killed because of my people's rebellion.


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 He was placed in a tomb with the wicked. He was put there with the rich when he died, although he had done nothing violent and had never spoken a lie.


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 Yet, it was the LORD's will to crush him with suffering. When the LORD has made his life a sacrifice for our wrongdoings, he will see his descendants for many days. The will of the LORD will succeed through him.


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 He will see and be satisfied because of his suffering. My righteous servant will acquit many people because of what he has learned [through suffering]. He will carry their sins as a burden.


text:
 So I will give him a share among the mighty, and he will divide the prize with the strong, because he poured out his life in death and he was counted with sinners. He carried the sins of many. He intercedes for those who are rebellious.


text:
 Sing with joy, you childless women who never gave birth to children. Break into shouts of joy, you women who never had birth pains. "There will be more children of women who have been deserted than there are children of married women," says the LORD.


text:
 Expand the space of your tent. Stretch out the curtains of your tent, and don't hold back. Lengthen your tent ropes, and drive in the tent pegs.


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 You will spread out to the right and left. Your descendants will take over other nations, and they will resettle deserted cities.


text:
 Don't be afraid, because you won't be put to shame. Don't be discouraged, because you won't be disgraced. You'll forget the shame you've had since you were young. You won't remember the disgrace of your husband's death anymore.


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 Your husband is your maker. His name is the LORD of Armies. Your defender is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth.


text:
 "The LORD has called you as if you were a wife who was abandoned and in grief, a wife who married young and was rejected," says your God.


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 I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness," says the LORD your defender.


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 "To me this is like Noah's floodwaters, when I swore an oath that Noah's floodwaters would never cover the earth again. So now I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you.


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 The mountains may move, and the hills may shake, but my kindness will never depart from you. My promise of peace will never change," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.


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 "You suffering, comfortless, storm-ravaged city! I will rebuild your city with precious stones. I will reset your foundations with sapphires.


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 I will rebuild your towers with rubies, your gates with sparkling stones, and all your walls with precious stones."


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 You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, so you will not be afraid. You will be far from destruction, so it won't come near you.


text:
 I've created blacksmiths to fan the coals into flames and to produce useful weapons. I've also created destroyers to bring destruction.


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 No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the LORD's servants. Their victory comes from me," declares the LORD.


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 "Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk. You don't have to pay; its free!


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 Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you and your wages on what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me: Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods.


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 Open your ears, and come to me! Listen so that you may live! I will make an everlasting promise to you- the blessings I promised to David.


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 You will summon a nation that you don't know, and a nation that doesn't know you will run to you because of the LORD your God, because of the Holy One of Israel. He has honored you."


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 Let wicked people abandon their ways. Let evil people abandon their thoughts. Let them return to the LORD, and he will show compassion to them. Let them return to our God, because he will freely forgive them.


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 "Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."


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 "Rain and snow come down from the sky. They do not go back again until they water the earth. They make it sprout and grow so that it produces seed for farmers and food for people to eat.


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 My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow. It will not come back to me without results. It will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do."


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 You will go out with joy and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break into songs of joy in your presence, and all the trees will clap their hands.


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 Cypress trees will grow where thornbushes grew. Myrtle trees will grow where briars grew. This will be a reminder of the LORD's name and an everlasting sign that will never be destroyed.


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 This is what the LORD says: Preserve justice, and do what is right. My salvation is about to come. My righteousness is about to be revealed.


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 Blessed is the one who does these things and the person who holds on to them. Blessed is the one who keeps the day of worship from becoming unholy and his hands from doing anything wrong.


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 Foreigners who have joined the LORD should not say, "The LORD will separate us from his people." Castrated men should not say, "We're only dead trees!"


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 This is what the LORD says: [I will remember] the castrated men who keep my days of worship, choose what pleases me, and faithfully observe the conditions of my promise.


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 Inside my house and within my walls, I will give them something better than sons and daughters. I will give them a monument and a name. I will give them a permanent name that will not be forgotten.


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 And [I will remember] the foreigners who have joined the LORD to worship him, to love the LORD's name, and to be his servants. All of them will keep the day of worship from becoming unholy and will faithfully observe the conditions of my promise.


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 Then I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them happy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, because my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.


text:
 The Almighty LORD, who gathers the scattered people of Israel, declares, "I will gather still others besides those I have already gathered."


text:
 [Israel's] watchmen are blind. None of them know anything. All of them are like dogs that are unable to bark. They lie around dreaming; they love to sleep.


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 These dogs have huge appetites. They are never full. They are the shepherds, but they don't understand. All of them have turned to go their own ways. Each one seeks his own gain.


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 [Each one cries,] "Let me get some wine, and we'll fill ourselves with liquor. And tomorrow will be like today, only better."


text:
 Righteous people die, and no one cares. Loyal people are taken away, and no one understands. Righteous people are spared when evil comes.


text:
 Whom are you making fun of? Whom are you making a face at? Whom are you sticking out your tongue at? Aren't you rebellious children, descendants of liars?


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 You burn with lust under oak trees and under every large tree. You slaughter children in the valleys and under the cracks in the rocks.


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 Your idols are among the smooth stones in the ravine. They are your destiny. You have given them wine offerings and sacrificed grain offerings to them. Do you think I am pleased with all this?


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 You've set up your idols beside doors and doorposts. You've uncovered yourself to the idols. You've distanced yourself from me. You've made your bed with them. You've made a deal with those you have pleasure with in bed. You've seen them naked.


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 You've journeyed to the king with perfumed oils and put on plenty of perfume. You've sent your ambassadors far away and sent them down to Sheol.


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 You've tired yourself out with many journeys. You didn't think that it was hopeless. You've found renewed strength, so you didn't faint.


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 Whom did you dread and fear so much that you lied to me? You haven't remembered me or cared about me. I've been silent for a long time. Is that why you don't fear me?


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 When you cry for help, let your collection of idols save you. A wind will carry them all away. A breath will take them away. But whoever trusts me will possess the land and inherit my holy mountain.


text:
 It will be said: "Build a road! Build a road! Prepare the way! Remove every obstacle in the way of my people!"


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 The High and Lofty One lives forever, and his name is holy. This is what he says: I live in a high and holy place. But I am with those who are crushed and humble. I will renew the spirit of those who are humble and the courage of those who are crushed.


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 I will not accuse you forever. I will not be angry with you forever. Otherwise, the spirits, the lives of those I've made, would grow faint in my presence.


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 I was angry because of their sinful greed, so I punished them, hid [from them], and remained angry. But they continued to be sinful.


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 I've seen their [sinful] ways, but I'll heal them. I'll guide them and give them rest. I'll comfort them and their mourners.


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 I'll create praise on their lips: "Perfect peace to those both far and near." "I'll heal them," says the LORD.


text:
 Cry aloud! Don't hold back! Raise your voice like a ram's horn. Tell my people about their rebellion and the descendants of Jacob about their sins.


text:
 They look for me every day and want to know my ways. They act as if they were a nation that has done what is right and as if they haven't disregarded God's judgment [on them]. They ask me for just decrees. They want God to be near them.


text:
 Why have we fasted if you are not aware of it? Why have we inflicted pain on ourselves if you don't pay attention? Don't you see that on the days you fast, you do what you want to do? You mistreat all your workers.


text:
 Don't you see that when you fast, you quarrel and fight and beat your workers? The way you fast today keeps you from being heard in heaven.


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 Is this the kind of fasting I have chosen? Should people humble themselves for [only] a day? Is fasting just bowing your head like a cattail and making your bed from sackcloth and ashes? Is this what you call fasting? Is this an acceptable day to the LORD?


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 This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.


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 Share your food with the hungry, take the poor and homeless into your house, and cover them with clothes when you see [them] naked. Don't refuse to help your relatives.


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 Then your light will break through like the dawn, and you will heal quickly. Your righteousness will go ahead of you, and the glory of the LORD will guard you from behind.


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 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer. You will cry for help, and he will say, "Here I am!" Get rid of that yoke. Don't point your finger and say wicked things.


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 If you give some of your own food to [feed] those who are hungry and to satisfy [the needs of] those who are humble, then your light will rise in the dark, and your darkness will become as bright as the noonday sun.


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 The LORD will continually guide you and satisfy you even in sun-baked places. He will strengthen your bones. You will become like a watered garden and like a spring whose water does not stop flowing.


text:
 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the foundations of past generations. You will be called the Rebuilder of Broken Walls and the Restorer of Streets Where People Live.


text:
 If you stop trampling on the day of worship and doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the day of worship a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, if you honor it by not going your own way, by not going out when you want, and by not talking idly,


text:
 then you will find joy in the LORD. I will make you ride on the heights of the earth. I will feed you with the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob. The LORD has spoken.


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 But your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn't hear you.


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 Your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers are stained with sin. You speak lies, and you mutter wicked things.


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 No one calls for justice, and no one pleads his case truthfully. People trust pointless arguments and speak lies. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil.


text:
 They hatch viper eggs and weave spiderwebs. Those who eat their eggs will die. When an egg is crushed, a poisonous snake is hatched.


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 Their webs can't be used for clothes, nor can they cover themselves with their works. Their works are evil. Their hands have committed acts of violence.


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 Their feet run to do evil. They hurry to shed innocent blood. Their plans are evil. Ruin and destruction are on their highways.


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 They don't know the way of peace. There's no justice on their highways. They've made their paths crooked. Whoever walks on them will never know peace.


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 That is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn't reach us. We hope for light, but we walk in darkness. We hope for brightness, but we walk in gloom.


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 We grope like blind men along a wall. We grope like people without eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were twilight. We are like dead people among healthy people.


text:
 We all growl like bears. We coo like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none. We hope for salvation, but it's far from us.


text:
 You are aware of our many rebellious acts. Our sins testify against us. Our rebellious acts are with us. We know our wrongdoings.


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 We have rebelled and denied the LORD. We have turned away from our God. We have spoken about oppression and revolt. We have conceived and uttered lies in our hearts.


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 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away. Truth has fallen in the street, and honesty can't come in.


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 Truth is missing. Those who turn away from evil make themselves victims. The LORD sees it, and he's angry because there's no justice.


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 He sees that there's no one to help. He's astounded that there's no one to intercede. So with his own power he wins a victory. His righteousness supports him.


text:
 He puts on righteousness like a coat of armor and a helmet of salvation on his head. He wears clothes of vengeance. He wraps himself with fury as a coat.


text:
 He will pay them back according to their deeds. He will pay back his opponents with wrath and punish his enemies. He will pay back the people who live on the coastlands.


text:
 The people of the west will fear the name of the LORD. Those in the east will fear his glory. He will come like a rushing stream. The wind of the LORD pushes him.


text:
 "This is my promise to them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I put in your mouth will not leave you. They will be with your children and your grandchildren permanently," says the LORD.


text:
 Darkness now covers the earth, and thick darkness covers the nations. But the LORD dawns, and his glory appears over you.


text:
 "Look up, look around, and watch. All of your people assemble and come to you. Your sons come from far away. Your daughters are carried in their arms.


text:
 Then you will see this and rejoice, and your heart will be thrilled with joy, because the riches of the sea will be brought to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you.


text:
 "Many camels will cover your [land], young camels from Midian and Ephah. Everyone from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and incense. They will sing the praises of the LORD.


text:
 All of the flocks from Kedar will gather and come to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve you. They will be sacrificed as acceptable [offerings] on my altar. So I will honor my beautiful temple.


text:
 Certainly, the coastlands wait with hope for me. The ships from Tarshish are the first to bring your children from far away. Their silver and their gold comes with them to honor the name of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, because he has honored you.


text:
 "Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. In my anger I struck you, but in my favor I have compassion on you.


text:
 Your gates will always be open. They will never be closed day or night so that people may bring you the wealth of nations, with their kings led as prisoners.


text:
 Nations and kingdoms that do not serve you will be destroyed. The nations will certainly be ruined.


text:
 "Lebanon's glory will come to you: Cedar, fir, and cypress trees will come to beautify my holy place, and I will honor the place where my feet rest.


text:
 The descendants of those who oppress you will bow in front of you. All who despise you will bow at your feet. They will call you the city of the LORD, Zion, the city of the Holy One of Israel.


text:
 "You have been abandoned and hated; no one has passed through you. But now I will make you a source of everlasting pride, a joy for all generations.


text:
 You will drink milk from other nations and nurse at royal breasts. Then you will know that I am the LORD, your Savior, the Mighty One of Jacob, your Defender.


text:
 I will bring gold instead of bronze. I will bring silver instead of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stone. I will appoint peace as your governor and righteousness as your ruler.


text:
 No longer will you hear about violence in your land or desolation and destruction within your borders. You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.


text:
 The sun will no longer be your light during the day, nor will the brightness of the moon give you light, But the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your God will be your glory.


text:
 Your sun will no longer go down, nor will your moon disappear. The LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sadness will be over.


text:
 Then all your people will be righteous, and they will possess the land permanently. They will be the seedling I have planted, the honored work of my hands.


text:
 The smallest of them will become a family. The weakest of them will become a mighty nation. At the right time I, the LORD, will make it happen quickly."


text:
 The Spirit of the Almighty LORD is with me because the LORD has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released.


text:
 [He has sent me] to announce the year of the LORD's good will and the day of our God's vengeance, to comfort all those who grieve.


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 [He has sent me] to provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of [tears of] grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the LORD, so that he might display his glory.


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 They will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will restore the places destroyed long ago. They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago.


text:
 Foreigners will come forward and become shepherds for your flocks, and children of foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.


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 You will be called the priests of the LORD. You will be called the servants of our God. You will consume the wealth of the nations. You will boast in their splendor.


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 You will receive a double measure of wealth instead of your shame. You will sing about your wealth instead of being disgraced. That is why you will have a double measure of wealth in your land. You will have everlasting joy.


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 I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people's work. I will make an everlasting promise to them.


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 Then their offspring will be known among the nations and their descendants among the people. Everyone who sees them will recognize that they are the descendants whom the LORD has blessed.


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 I will find joy in the LORD. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest's turban, like a bride with her jewels.


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 Like the ground that brings forth its crops and like a garden that makes the seed in it grow, so the Almighty LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up in front of all nations.


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 For Zion's sake I will not remain silent. For Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until its righteousness shines like the dawn and its salvation burns brightly like a torch.


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 The nations will see your righteousness. All kings will see your glory. You will be given a new name that the LORD will announce.


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 You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will no longer be called Destroyed. But you will be named My Delight, and your land will be named Married. The LORD is delighted with you, and your land will be married.


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 As a young man marries a woman, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.


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 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. Whoever calls on the LORD, do not give yourselves any rest,


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 and do not give him any rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it an object of praise throughout the earth.


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 The LORD has sworn with his right hand and with his mighty arm, "I will never again let your enemies eat your grain, nor will foreigners drink the new wine which you made."


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 Those who harvest grain will eat it and praise the LORD. Those who gather grapes will drink wine in my holy courtyards.


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 Go through! Go through the gates! Prepare a way for the people! Build up! Build up the highway! Clear away the stones! Raise a flag for the people!


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 The LORD has announced to the ends of the earth: "Tell my people Zion, 'Your Savior is coming. His reward is with him, and the people he has won arrive ahead of him.'"


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 They will be called Holy People, Those Reclaimed by the LORD, and you will be called Sought After, a City Not Deserted.


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 Who is this coming from Bozrah in Edom with his clothes stained bright red? Who is this dressed in splendor, going forward with great strength? "It is I, the LORD. I am coming to announce my victory. I am powerful enough to save [you]."


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 "I have trampled alone in the winepress. No one was with me. In my anger I trampled on people. In my wrath I stomped on them. Their blood splattered my clothes so all my clothing has been stained.


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 I looked, but there was no help. I was astounded that there was no [outside] support. So with my own power I won a victory. My anger supported me.


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 In my anger I trampled on people. In my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground."


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 I will acknowledge the LORD's acts of mercy, and [sing] the praises of the LORD, because of everything that the LORD has done for us. He has done many good things for the nation of Israel because of his compassion and his unlimited mercy.


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 In all their troubles he was troubled, and he was the Messenger who saved them. In his love and compassion he reclaimed them. He always held them and carried them in the past.


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 But they rebelled and offended his Holy Spirit. So he turned against them as their enemy; he fought against them.


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 Then his people remembered Moses and the distant past. Where is the one who brought them out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit in them?


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 Where is the one who sent his powerful arm to support the right hand of Moses? Where is the one who divided the water in front of them to make an everlasting name for himself?


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 Where is the one who led them through the deep water? Like horses in the wilderness, they didn't stumble.


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 Like animals going down into a valley, they were given rest by the LORD's Spirit. In this way you guided your people to make an honored name for yourself.


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 Look down and see from heaven, from your holy and beautiful dwelling. Where is your determination and might? Where is the longing of your heart and your compassion? Don't hold back.


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 You are our Father. Even though Abraham doesn't know us and Israel doesn't pay attention to us, O LORD, you are our Father. Your name is our Defender From Everlasting.


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 O LORD, why do you let us wander from your ways and become so stubborn that we are unable to fear you? Return for the sake of your servants. They are the tribes that belong to you.


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 Your holy people possessed the land for a little while. Our enemies have trampled on your holy place.


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 If only you would split open the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at your presence.


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 Be like the fire that kindles brushwood and makes water boil. Come down to make your name known to your enemies. The nations will tremble in your presence.


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 When you did awe-inspiring things that we didn't expect, you came down and the mountains quaked in your presence.


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 No one has ever heard, no one has paid attention, and no one has seen any god except you. You help those who wait for you.


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 You greeted the one who gladly does right and remembers your ways. You showed your anger, because we've sinned. We've continued to sin for a long time. Can we still be saved?


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 We've all become unclean, and all our righteous acts are like permanently stained rags. All of us shrivel like leaves, and our sins carry us away like the wind.


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 No one calls on your name or tries to hold on to you. You have hidden your face from us. You have let us be ruined by our sins.


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 But now, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.


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 Our holy and beautiful temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned to the ground. All that we valued has been ruined.


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 Despite these things, LORD, will you hold back? Will you be silent and make us suffer more than we can bear?


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 I was ready to answer those who didn't ask. I was found by those who weren't looking for me. I said, "Here I am! Here I am!" to a nation that didn't worship me.


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 I stretched out my hands all day long to stubborn people. They chose to go the wrong direction. They followed their own plans.


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 These people constantly and openly provoked me. They offered sacrifices in gardens and burnt incense on brick altars.


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 They sat among the graves and spent their nights in caves. They ate pork and in their pots made broth from unclean foods.


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 They said, "Stay away! Don't touch me! I'm holier than you are." They have become like smoke in my nose, like a smoldering fire all day long.


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 "Look! It is written in front of me. I will not be silent, but I will repay. I will repay you in full.


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 I will repay you for your sins and for the sins of your ancestors," says the LORD. They burnt incense on the mountains and slandered me on the hills, so I will be the first to pay them back in full.


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 This is what the LORD says: When someone finds juice for new wine in a cluster of grapes, another person will say, "Don't destroy it, because there's a blessing in it." In the same way, I will do this for my servants: I will not destroy everything.


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 I will bring [with me] Jacob's descendant, one who will inherit my mountains from Judah. My chosen ones will inherit them. My servants will live there.


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 The Sharon Plain will be a pasture for flocks. The Achor Valley will be a resting place for cattle and for my people who search for me.


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 You have abandoned the LORD and forgotten my holy mountain. You have prepared a table for the god of good fortune and offered cups full of spiced wine to the goddess of destiny.


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 Now I will destine you for death. All of you will bow to be slaughtered. I called, but you didn't answer. I spoke, but you didn't listen. You did what I consider evil. You chose what I don't like.


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 This is what the LORD God says: My servants will eat, but you will be hungry. My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. My servants will be glad, but you will be ashamed.


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 My servants will sing because of the gladness in their hearts. But you will cry because of your sadness and wail because of your depression.


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 Your name will be used as a curse by my chosen ones. The Almighty LORD will kill you and call his servants by another name.


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 Whoever asks for a blessing in the land will be blessed by the God of Truth. Whoever swears an oath in the land will swear by the God of Truth. Past troubles are forgotten. They are hidden from my eyes.


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 I will create a new heaven and a new earth. Past things will not be remembered. They will not come to mind.


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 Be glad, and rejoice forever in what I'm going to create, because I'm going to create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people to be a joy.


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 I will rejoice about Jerusalem and be glad about my people. Screaming and crying will no longer be heard in the city.


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 There will no longer be an infant who lives for only a few days or an old man who doesn't live a long life. Whoever lives to be a hundred years old will be thought of as young. Whoever dies before he is a hundred years old will be cursed as a sinner.


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 They will not build homes and have others live there. They will not plant and have others eat from it. My people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will enjoy what they've done.


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 They will never again work for nothing. They will never again give birth to children who die young, because they will be offspring blessed by the LORD. The LORD will bless their descendants as well.


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 Wolves and lambs will feed together, lions will eat straw like oxen, and dust will be food for snakes. "They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain," says the LORD.


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 This is what the LORD says: Heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool. Where can you build a house or resting place for me?


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 I have made all these things. "That is why all these things have come into being," declares the LORD. I will pay attention to those who are humble and sorry [for their sins] and who tremble at my word.


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 Whoever kills a bull is like someone who kills a person. Whoever sacrifices a lamb is like someone who breaks a dog's neck. Whoever offers a grain sacrifice is like someone who [offers] pig's blood. Whoever burns incense is like someone who worships an idol. People have certainly chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in detestable things.


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 So I will choose harsh treatment for them and bring on them what they fear. I called, but no one answered. I spoke, but they didn't listen. They did what I consider evil. They chose what I don't like.


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 Listen to the word of the LORD, all who tremble at his word. Your relatives, who hate you and exclude you for my name's sake, say, "Let the LORD show his glory; then we will see your joy." But they will be put to shame.


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 Listen to the uproar from the city. Listen to the sound from the temple. It is the sound of the LORD paying back his enemies as they deserve.


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 Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in one day? Can a nation be born in a moment? When Zion went into labor, she also gave birth to her children.


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 "Do I bring a mother to the moment of birth and not let her deliver?" asks the LORD. "Do I cause a mother to deliver and then make her unable to have children?" asks your God.


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 You will nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breasts. You will nurse to your heart's delight at her full breasts.


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 This is what the LORD says: I will offer you peace like a river and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream. You will nurse and be carried in Jerusalem's arms and cuddled on her knees.


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 When you see it, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like new grass. The power of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but he will condemn his enemies.


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 The LORD will come with fire and with his chariots like a thunderstorm. He will pay them back with his burning anger and punish them with flames of fire.


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 The LORD will judge with fire, and he will judge all people with his sword. Many people will be struck dead by the LORD.


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 People make themselves holy and prepare themselves for their garden rituals. They go into the garden and devour pork, disgusting things, and mice. "They will come to an end at the same time," declares the LORD.


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 Because of their actions and their thoughts, I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They will come and see my glory.


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 I will set up a sign among them and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put and Lud, Meshech, Rosh, Tubal, Javan, and to the distant coastlands who have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will tell about my glory among the nations.


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 They will bring all your relatives from every nation like a grain offering to the LORD. "They will come on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules and camels to my holy mountain, Jerusalem," declares the LORD. They will come like the people of Israel who bring their grain offerings in clean dishes to the LORD's temple.


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 "The new heaven and earth that I am about to make will continue in my presence," declares the LORD. "So your descendants and your name will also continue in my presence.


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 From one month to the next and from one week to the next all people will come to worship me," declares the LORD.


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 Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die. The fire that burns them will not go out. All humanity will be disgusted by them.


text:
 [These are] the words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah. He was one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah when King Josiah, son of Amon, was in his thirteenth year as king of Judah.


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 The LORD also spoke when Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah and during the 11 years that Zedekiah, [another] son of Josiah, was king of Judah. The LORD continued to speak to Jeremiah until the people of Jerusalem were taken away into captivity in the fifth month of the year.


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 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations."


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 But the LORD said to me, "Don't say that you are only a boy. You will go wherever I send you. You will say whatever I command you to say.


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 Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. The LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth.


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 Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms. You will uproot and tear down. You will destroy and overthrow. You will build and plant."


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 Again the LORD spoke his word to me and asked, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I answered, "I see a branch of an almond tree."


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 Again the LORD spoke his word to me and asked, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a boiling pot, and its top is tilted away from the north."


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 Then the LORD said to me, "Disaster will be poured out from the north on all those who live in the land.


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 I am going to call every family and kingdom from the north," declares the LORD. "They will come, and they will set up their thrones at the entrance of Jerusalem's gates. They will attack all the walls around the city and all the cities of Judah.


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 I will pass sentence on my people because of all their wickedness. They abandoned me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped what their hands have made.


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 Brace yourself, Jeremiah! Stand up, and say to them whatever I tell you to say. Don't be terrified in their presence, or I will make you [even more] terrified in their presence.


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 Today I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up to the whole land. You will be able to stand up to Judah's kings, its officials, its priests, and [all] the common people.


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 They will fight you, but they will not defeat you. I am with you, and I will rescue you," declares the LORD.


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 "Go and announce to Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: I remember the unfailing loyalty of your youth, the love you had for me as a bride. I remember how you followed me into the desert, into a land that couldn't be farmed.


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 Israel was set apart for the LORD. It was the best part of the harvest. All who devoured it became guilty, and disaster struck them,' " declares the LORD.


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 This is what the LORD says: What did your ancestors find wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.


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 They didn't ask, "Where is the LORD, who brought us from Egypt? He led us through the desert, through a wasteland and its pits, a land of drought and the shadow of death. No one lives there or travels there."


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 I brought them into a fertile land to eat its fruit and its produce. They came and made my land unclean. They made my property disgusting.


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 The priests didn't ask, "Where is the LORD?" Those who deal with my teachings didn't know me. The rulers rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal and followed statues that couldn't help them.


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 "That is why I am bringing charges against you," declares the LORD, "and I am bringing charges against your grandchildren.


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 Go over to the coasts of Cyprus, and see. Send [someone] to Kedar, and observe closely. See if there has ever been anything like this.


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 Has any nation ever exchanged gods? (Their gods aren't really gods.) Yet, my people have exchanged their Glory for something that doesn't help them.


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 "My people have done two things wrong. They have abandoned me, the fountain of life-giving water. They have also dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that can't hold water.


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 "Are the people of Israel slaves? Were they born into slavery? Why, then, have they become someone's property?


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 Young lions have roared very loudly at them. Young lions have turned the land into a wasteland. The cities have been burned down, and everyone has left.


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 You won't gain anything by going to Egypt to drink water from the Nile River. You won't gain anything by going to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates River.


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 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your unfaithful ways will punish you. You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for you if you abandon the LORD your God and do not fear me," declares the Almighty LORD of Armies.


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 "Long ago you broke off your yoke, tore off your chains, and said that you wouldn't be a slave. You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree.


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 I planted you like a choice grapevine from the very best seed. Now you have turned against me and have become a wild vine.


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 Even if you wash with detergent and use a lot of soap, I would still see the stains from your wickedness," declares the Almighty LORD.


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 "How can you say that you haven't dishonored yourselves and haven't followed other gods-the Baals? Look how you've behaved in the valley. Acknowledge what you've done. You are like a young camel that swiftly runs here and there.


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 You are like a wild donkey that is used to the desert, sniffing the wind while in heat. All who look for you won't get tired. They will find you during your monthly period.


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 Don't run until your feet are bare and your throats are dry. But you say that it's useless. You love foreign gods and follow them.


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 "As a thief feels ashamed when he's caught, so the nation of Israel will feel ashamed. Their kings, princes, priests, and prophets will also feel ashamed.


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 You call wood your father. You call stone your mother. You've turned your backs, not your faces, to me. But when you're in trouble, you ask me to come and rescue you.


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 Where are the gods that you made for yourselves? Let them come and rescue you when you're in trouble. You have as many gods as you have cities, Judah!


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 "I have punished your children without results. They didn't respond to correction. You killed my prophets like a raging lion.


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 "Consider the word of the LORD, people of this generation. Haven't I been a desert, a land of thick darkness, for Israel? Why do my people say that they are free to wander around and no longer come to me?


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 A young woman can't forget her jewelry or a bride her veils. Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days.


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 You have the blood from poor and innocent people on your clothes. You didn't kill them for breaking in to your home.


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 In spite of all this you say, 'I'm innocent. God will turn his anger from me, because I haven't sinned.'


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 You change your mind so easily. You will be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria.


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 You will also leave this place with your hands over your head, because the LORD has rejected those you trust. You will not be helped by them."


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 A saying: If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, her first husband shouldn't go back to her again. The land would become thoroughly polluted. "You have acted like a prostitute who has many lovers. And now you want to come back to me!" declares the LORD.


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 "Look at the bare hills, and see. You have had sex with men in every place. You sat by the roadside waiting for them like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness.


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 So the rain has been withheld, and there have been no spring showers. Yet, you have the shameless look of a prostitute, and you refuse to blush.


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 But now you are calling to me. You say, 'Father! You have been my companion ever since I was young.


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 He won't hold a grudge forever. He won't always be angry.' You have said and done all the evil things that you could."


text:
 When Josiah was king, the LORD asked me, "Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She went up every high mountain and under every large tree, and she acted like a prostitute there.


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 I thought that after she had done all this that she would come back to me. But she didn't come back, and her treacherous sister Judah saw her.


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 Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, wasn't afraid. She also acted like a prostitute.


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 Because she wasn't concerned about acting like a prostitute, she polluted the land and committed adultery with standing stones and wood pillars.


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 Even after all this, Israel's treacherous sister Judah didn't wholeheartedly come back to me. She was deceitful," declares the LORD.


text:
 Go and proclaim these things to the north: " 'Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is the LORD speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I'm merciful,' declares the LORD. 'I will no longer be angry with you.


text:
 Admit that you've done wrong! You have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have given yourself to strangers under every large tree. You have not obeyed me,' declares the LORD.


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 "Come back, you rebellious people," declares the LORD. "I'm your husband. I will take you, one from every city and two from every family, and bring you to Zion.


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 I will give you shepherds after my own heart. They will be shepherds who feed you with knowledge and insight.


text:
 In those days you will be fertile, and your population will increase in the land," declares the LORD. "People will no longer talk about the ark of the LORD's promise. It will no longer come to mind. They won't remember it, miss it, or make another one.


text:
 At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD. All nations will gather in Jerusalem because the name of the LORD will be found there. They will no longer follow their own stubborn, evil ways.


text:
 In those days the nation of Judah will live with the nation of Israel. They will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their ancestors as their own property.


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 "I wanted to treat you like children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful property among the nations. I thought that you would call me Father and wouldn't turn away from me.


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 But like a wife who betrays her husband, so you, nation of Israel, betrayed me," declares the LORD.


text:
 The sound of crying is heard on the hills. It is the crying and the pleading of the people of Israel. They have become crooked and have forgotten the LORD their God.


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 "Come back, you rebellious people, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful." Here we are! We have come to you because you are the LORD our God.


text:
 Truly, the noise from the hills, from the mountains, is the noise of false worship. Truly, the LORD our God will rescue us.


text:
 Ever since we were young, the shameful worship [of Baal] has taken everything our ancestors worked for, their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.


text:
 We must lie down in our shame and be covered by our disgrace. Ever since we were young, we and our ancestors have sinned against the LORD our God. We haven't obeyed the LORD our God.


text:
 The LORD declares, "If you come back, Israel, if you come back to me, if you take your disgusting idols out of my sight and you don't wander away from me,


text:
 if you take the oath, "As the LORD lives..." in an honest, fair, and right way, then the nations will be blessed, and they will be honored by me."


text:
 This is what the LORD says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed fields, and don't plant among thorns.


text:
 Be circumcised by the LORD, and get rid of the foreskins of your hearts, people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. If you don't, my fury will flare up like a fire. It will burn, and no one will be able to put it out, because of the evil you do.


text:
 Report this message in Judah. Make it heard in Jerusalem. Say, "Blow the ram's horn throughout the land." Shout loudly and say, "Gather together! Let's go into the fortified cities."


text:
 Raise the flag to signal people to go to Zion. Take cover! Don't just stand there! I'm bringing disaster and widespread destruction from the north.


text:
 A lion has come out of its lair. A destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to destroy your land. Your cities will be ruined, and no one will live in them.


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 "When that day comes," declares the LORD, "the king and the leaders will lose their courage. The priests will be stunned. The prophets will be amazed and astonished."


text:
 I said, "Almighty LORD, you certainly have deceived these people and Jerusalem. You said that everything would go well for them, but a sword is held at their throats."


text:
 At that time it will be said to these people and to Jerusalem: "A hot wind from the heights will blow in the desert on the tracks of my people. It will not be a wind that winnows or cleanses.


text:
 The enemy comes up like clouds. His chariots are like a raging wind. His horses are faster than eagles. How horrible it will be for us! We will be destroyed!


text:
 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart so that you may be rescued. Don't continue making evil plans.


text:
 Warn the nations about these things. Bring them to the attention of Jerusalem. "Hostile troops are coming from a distant country. They are shouting battle cries against the cities of Judah.


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 They surround them like men guarding a field, because Judah has rebelled against me," declares the LORD.


text:
 My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. My heart is beating wildly! My heart is pounding! I can't keep quiet because I hear a ram's horn sounding the alarm for war.


text:
 One disaster follows another. The whole land is ruined. My tents are suddenly destroyed. Their curtains are torn in an instant.


text:
 "My people are fools. They don't know me. They are stupid people. They don't understand. They are experts in doing wrong, and they don't know how to do good."


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 I see that the fertile land has become a desert, and all its cities are torn down because of the LORD and his burning anger.


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 This is what the LORD says: The whole earth will be ruined, although I will not destroy it completely.


text:
 The earth will mourn, and the sky will grow black. I have spoken, and I have planned it. I won't change my plans, and I won't turn back.


text:
 All the people in the city will flee at the sound of riders and archers. They will go off into the thickets and climb among the rocks. The entire city will be abandoned, and no one will live in it.


text:
 You are going to be destroyed! What are you going to do? Why do you dress in red and put on gold jewelry? Why do you wear eye shadow? You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to kill you.


text:
 I hear a woman in labor. I hear the woman cry with anguish as she gives birth to her first child. My people Zion are gasping for breath. They are stretching out their hands, saying, "How horrible it is for us! We're defenseless in the presence of murderers!"


text:
 Walk around the streets of Jerusalem. Look around, and think about these things. Search the city squares. See if you can find anyone who does what is right and seeks the truth. Then I will forgive Jerusalem.


text:
 LORD, your eyes look for the truth. You strike these people, but they don't feel it. You crush them, but they refuse to be corrected. They are more stubborn than rocks. They refuse to turn back.


text:
 I thought, "These are poor, foolish people. They don't know the way of the LORD and the justice that God demands.


text:
 Let me go to important people and speak to them. They know the way of the LORD and the justice that God demands." But they, too, had broken off their yokes and torn off their chains.


text:
 That is why a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the wilderness will destroy them. A leopard will lie in ambush outside their cities. All who leave the cities will be torn to pieces, because they rebel so often and they become more and more unfaithful.


text:
 "Why should I forgive you? Your children abandoned me. They took godless oaths. They committed adultery, even though I satisfied their needs. They traveled in crowds to the houses of prostitutes.


text:
 "Go among Jerusalem's rows of grapevines and destroy them, but don't destroy all of them. Cut off the branches because they don't belong to the LORD.


text:
 They lie about the LORD and say, "He doesn't exist! Nothing bad will happen to us. We won't experience war or famine.


text:
 The prophets are nothing but windbags. The LORD hasn't spoken through them, so let what they say happen to them."


text:
 This is what the LORD God of Armies says: Because you've talked like this, I'm going to put my words in your mouth like a fire. These people will be like wood. My words will burn them up.


text:
 Nation of Israel, I'm going to bring a nation from far away to attack you, declares the LORD. It is a nation that has lasted a long time. It is an ancient nation. You don't know the language of this nation. You can't understand what its people say.


text:
 They will devour your harvest and your food. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will devour your flocks and your cattle. They will devour your grapevines and your fig trees. With their swords they will destroy the fortified cities you trust.


text:
 They will ask, "Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?" Answer them, "You have abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land. So you will serve foreigners in a land that isn't yours."


text:
 Hear this, you stupid and senseless people! You have eyes, but you cannot see. You have ears, but you cannot hear.


text:
 Don't you fear me?" asks the LORD. "Don't you tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it cannot cross. Although the waves toss continuously, they can't break through. Although they roar, they can't cross it.


text:
 They don't say to themselves, 'We should fear the LORD our God. He sends rain at the right time, the autumn rain and the spring rain. He makes sure that we have harvest seasons.'


text:
 "Wicked people are found among my people. They lie in ambush like bird catchers. They set traps and catch people.


text:
 Like cages filled with birds, their houses are filled with deceit. That is why they become powerful and rich.


text:
 They grow big and fat. Their evil deeds have no limits. They have no respect for the rights of others. They have no respect for the rights of orphans. But they still prosper. They don't defend the rights of the poor.


text:
 Prophets prophesy lies. Priests rule under the prophets' directions, and my people love this. But what will you do in the end?"


text:
 "Take cover, people of Benjamin! Run away from Jerusalem! Blow the ram's horn in Tekoa. Raise the flag over Beth Hakkerem, because disaster and widespread destruction are coming from the north.


text:
 With their flocks, shepherds will come to them, pitch their tents all around them, and each of them will tend his own flock.


text:
 [The shepherds say,] 'Prepare yourselves for war against Zion. Let's attack at noon! How horrible it will be for us. The day is passing, and the shadows of evening are growing longer.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says: Cut down its trees. Build up dirt mounds to attack Jerusalem. This city must be punished. There is nothing but oppression in it.


text:
 As a well keeps its water fresh, so Jerusalem keeps its evil fresh. Violence and destruction can be heard in it. I see that it is sick and wounded.


text:
 Pay attention to my warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you. I will make your land desolate, a land where no one will live.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says: Thoroughly pick through the faithful few of Israel like someone picks through a grapevine. Like someone picking grapes, pass your hand over its branches again.


text:
 Whom can I speak to? Whom can I give a warning to? Who will listen? Their ears are plugged, and they aren't able to pay attention. When the LORD speaks his word to them, they show contempt for it and object to it.


text:
 I am filled with the anger of the LORD. I am tired of holding it in. "Pour it out on the children in the street and on the gangs of young men. A man and his wife will be taken away as well as very old people.


text:
 Their households, their fields, and their wives will be turned over to others. I will use my power against those who live in the land," declares the LORD.


text:
 "All of them, from the least important to the most important, are eager to make money dishonestly. All of them, from prophets to priests, act deceitfully.


text:
 They treat my people's wounds as though they were not serious, saying, 'Everything is alright! Everything is alright!' But it's not alright.


text:
 Are they ashamed when they do disgusting things? No, they're not ashamed. They don't even know how to blush. So they will die with those who die. They will be brought down when I punish them," says the LORD.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths. Ask which way leads to blessings. Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves. But you said that you wouldn't live that way.


text:
 I posted watchmen over you. Pay attention to the sound of the ram's horn. But you said that you wouldn't pay attention.


text:
 Listen, earth! I'm going to bring disaster on these people. It is the result of their own plots, because they won't pay attention to my words. They reject my teachings.


text:
 Incense that comes from Sheba is no good to me. Sugar cane that comes from a distant land is no good to me. I won't accept your burnt offerings. I'm not pleased with your sacrifices.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I'm going to lay stumbling blocks in front of these people. Parents and children will stumble over them. Neighbors and their friends will die.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: An army is going to come from the north. A great nation is preparing itself in the distant parts of the earth.


text:
 Its people take hold of bows and spears. They are cruel and have no compassion. They sound like the roaring sea. They ride on horses. They march like soldiers ready for battle against my people Zion.


text:
 We have heard the news about them. Our hands hang limp. We are gripped by anguish and pain like a woman giving birth to a child.


text:
 Wear sackcloth, and roll around in ashes, my people. Mourn as if you have lost your only child, and cry bitterly. The destroyer will suddenly attack us.


text:
 "Jeremiah, I have put you in charge of testing and refining my people. You will know how to test their ways.


text:
 They are all vicious rebels. They go around slandering. They are all like bronze and iron. They corrupt themselves.


text:
 The bellows of the blast furnace blow fiercely to make the fire melt away the lead. It is useless to go on refining because the impurities can't be removed.


text:
 "Stand at the gate of the LORD's house, and announce from there this message: 'Listen to the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who go through these gates to worship the LORD.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Change the way you live and act, and I will let you live in this place.


text:
 Do not trust the words of this saying, "This is the LORD's temple, the LORD's temple, the LORD's temple!" It's a lie.


text:
 Suppose you do not oppress foreigners, orphans, and widows, or kill anyone in this place. And suppose you do not follow other gods that lead you to your own destruction.


text:
 Then I will let you live in this place, in the land that I gave permanently to your ancestors long ago.


text:
 You steal, murder, commit adultery, lie when you take oaths, burn incense as an offering to Baal, and run after other gods that you do not know.


text:
 Then you stand in my presence in the house that is called by my name. You think that you're safe to do all these disgusting things.


text:
 The house that is called by my name has become a gathering place for thieves. I have seen what you are doing,' " declares the LORD.


text:
 " 'But go to my place that was at Shiloh, where I first made a dwelling place for my name. See what I did to Shiloh because of the evil done by my people Israel.


text:
 You have done the same things the people did at Shiloh,' " declares the LORD. " 'Although I spoke to you again and again, you did not listen. When I called you, you did not answer.


text:
 So what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that is called by my name. This is the place I gave to you and to your ancestors, the place where you feel so safe.


text:
 I will force you out of my sight as I forced out all your relatives, all of Ephraim's descendants.'


text:
 "Jeremiah, don't pray for these people. Don't cry or pray for them. Don't plead with me, because I will not listen to you.


text:
 Children gather wood, fathers light fires, and women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. They pour out wine offerings to other gods in order to make me furious.


text:
 They aren't really provoking me," declares the LORD. "But they are [harming] themselves to their own shame.


text:
 "This is what the Almighty LORD says: My anger and fury will be poured out on this place, on humans and animals, and on trees and crops. My anger and fury will burn and not be put out.


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the meat.


text:
 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, I did not tell them anything about burnt offerings and sacrifices.


text:
 But I did tell them this, 'Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Live the way I told you to live so that things will go well for you.'


text:
 But they didn't obey me or pay attention to me. They followed their own plans and their stubborn, evil ways. They went backward and not forward.


text:
 From the time that your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again.


text:
 But you didn't obey me or pay attention to me. You became impossible to deal with, and you were worse than your ancestors.


text:
 "Jeremiah, you will say all these things to them, but they will not obey you. You will call to them, but they will not respond to you.


text:
 You will say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the LORD their God. They did not accept discipline. Truth has disappeared and vanished from their lips.'


text:
 "Cut off your hair and throw it away. Sing a song of mourning on the bare hills, because in his anger the LORD has rejected and abandoned the people of this generation.


text:
 The people of Judah have done what I consider evil," declares the LORD. "They set up their detestable idols in the house that is called by my name. They have made it unclean.


text:
 They have built worship sites at Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices. I did not ask for this. It never entered my mind.


text:
 "That is why the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when that place will no longer be known as Topheth or the valley of Ben Hinnom. Instead, it will be known as Slaughter Valley. They will bury [people] at Topheth because no other place will be left.


text:
 The dead bodies of these people will become food for birds and animals, and no one will be there to frighten them away.


text:
 In the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, I will banish the sounds of joy and happiness and the sounds of brides and grooms, because the land will be a wasteland."


text:
 The LORD declares, "At that time the bones of the kings and the leaders of Judah, the bones of the priests and the prophets, and the bones of the others who lived in Jerusalem will be taken out of their graves.


text:
 They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky. These are the things that they had loved, served, gone after, sought, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered or buried, but they will become manure on the ground.


text:
 "Then the few who remain from these wicked people will want to die rather than live where I will scatter them," declares the LORD of Armies.


text:
 "Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: When someone falls, he gets back up. When someone turns away from me, he returns.


text:
 The people of Jerusalem turned away from me without ever returning. They still cling to deceit. They refuse to return.


text:
 I have paid attention and listened, but they weren't honest. They don't turn away from their wickedness and ask, "What have we done?" They go their own ways like horses charging into battle.


text:
 Even storks know when it's time to return. Mourning doves, swallows, and cranes know when it's time to migrate. But my people don't know that I, the LORD, am urging them to return.


text:
 " 'How can you say that you are wise and that you have the LORD's teachings? The scribes have used their pens to turn these teachings into lies.


text:
 Wise people are put to shame, confused, and trapped. They have rejected the word of the LORD. They don't really have any wisdom.


text:
 That is why I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. All of them, from the least important to the most important, are eager to make money dishonestly. All of them, from prophets to priests, act deceitfully.


text:
 They treat my dear people's wounds as though they were not serious, saying, "Everything is alright! Everything is alright!" But it's not alright.


text:
 Are they ashamed that they do disgusting things? No, they're not ashamed. They don't even know how to blush. So they will die with those who die. They will be brought down when I punish them,' " says the LORD.


text:
 " 'I would have gathered their harvest,' " declares the LORD, " 'but there are no grapes on the vine. There are no figs on the tree, and the leaves have dried up. What I have given them will be taken away.'"


text:
 Why are we just sitting here? Let's get up! Let's go into the fortified cities and die there. The LORD our God has condemned us to die. He has given us poison to drink because we have sinned against the LORD.


text:
 We hoped for peace, but nothing good has happened. We hoped for a time of healing, but there's only terror.


text:
 The snorting of horses can be heard from Dan. The neighing of stallions makes the whole land tremble. They are coming to devour the land and everything in it, the city and its people.


text:
 "I am going to send snakes among you, vipers that can't be charmed. They will bite you," declares the LORD.


text:
 The cry from my dear people comes from a distant land: "Isn't the LORD in Zion? Isn't Zion's king still there?" They make me furious with their idols, with their foreign gods.


text:
 Isn't there medicine in Gilead? Aren't there doctors there? Then why hasn't the health of my dear people been restored?


text:
 "I wish that my head were [filled with] water and my eyes were a fountain of tears so that I could cry day and night for my dear people who have been killed.


text:
 I wish I had a place to stay in the desert. I would abandon my people and go away from them. They are all adulterers, a mob of traitors.


text:
 They use their tongues like bows that shoot arrows. Lies and dishonesty rule the land. They go from one evil thing to another, and they don't know me," declares the LORD.


text:
 "Beware of your neighbors. Don't trust your relatives. Every relative cheats. Every neighbor goes around slandering.


text:
 Everyone cheats his neighbor. No one speaks the truth. My people train their tongues to speak lies. They wear themselves out doing wrong.


text:
 Oppression follows oppression. Deceit follows deceit. They refuse to acknowledge me," declares the LORD.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says: I will now refine them with fire and test them. What else can I do for my dear people?


text:
 Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They speak deceitfully. People speak politely to their neighbors, but they think of ways to set traps for them.


text:
 I will punish them for these things, declares the LORD. I will punish this nation. I still won't be satisfied.


text:
 I will cry and weep for the mountains. I will sing a funeral song for the pastures in the wilderness. They are destroyed so that no one can travel through them. No one can hear the sound of cattle. Birds and cattle have fled. They are gone.


text:
 I will turn Jerusalem into a pile of rubble, a home for jackals. I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one can live there.


text:
 No one is wise enough to understand this. To whom has the LORD revealed this so that they can explain it? The land dies; it has been ruined like the desert so that no one can travel through it.


text:
 The LORD answered, "They've abandoned my teachings that I placed in front of them. They didn't obey me, and they didn't follow them.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to feed these people bitterness and give them poison to drink.


text:
 I will scatter them among nations that they and their ancestors haven't heard of. I will send armies after them until I've wiped them out.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says: Consider this: Call for the women who cry at funerals. Send for those who are the most skilled.


text:
 They should come quickly and cry for us. Our eyes will run with tears. Our eyelids will flow with water.


text:
 The sound of crying is heard from Zion. "We're ruined! We're very ashamed. We must leave our land because our homes have been torn down."


text:
 Listen to the word of the LORD, you women, and open your ears to hear his words. Teach your daughters how to cry. Teach your neighbors funeral songs.


text:
 Death has come through our windows and entered our palaces. Death has cut down the children in the streets and the young men in the market places.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Dead bodies will fall like manure on the field. They will be like grain that has been cut but not gathered.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Don't let wise people brag about their wisdom. Don't let strong people brag about their strength. Don't let rich people brag about their riches.


text:
 If they want to brag, they should brag that they understand and know me. They should brag that I, the LORD, act out of love, righteousness, and justice on the earth. This kind of bragging pleases me, declares the LORD.


text:
 I will punish Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, and Moab. I will punish all who shave the hair on their foreheads or live in the desert. Even though these nations are circumcised, all Israel has uncircumcised hearts."


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Don't learn the practices of the nations. Don't be frightened by the signs in the sky because the nations are frightened by them.


text:
 The religion of the people is worthless. Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes.


text:
 Craftsmen decorate them with silver and gold and fasten them [together] with hammers and nails so that they won't fall over.


text:
 These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. They aren't able to speak. They have to be carried, because they can't walk. Don't be afraid of them. They can't harm you. They can't do you any good either.


text:
 Everyone fears you, O King of the Nations. This is what you deserve. No one is like you among all the wise people in the nations or in all their kingdoms.


text:
 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. Craftsmen and goldsmiths shape these metals. The clothing for the idols is blue and purple, all made by skilled workers.


text:
 But the LORD is the only God. He is the living God and eternal king. The earth trembles when he is angry. The nations can't endure his fury.


text:
 Tell them this: These gods will disappear from the earth and from under heaven because they didn't make heaven and earth.


text:
 The LORD made the earth by his power. He set up the world by his skill. He stretched out the world by his understanding.


text:
 He speaks, and the water in the sky produces a storm. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning flash with the rain. He brings wind out of his storehouses.


text:
 Everyone is stupid and ignorant. Metalsmiths are put to shame by their idols. Their statues are false [gods]. They can't breathe.


text:
 Jacob's God isn't like them. He made everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. His name is the LORD of Armies.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I am going to throw out those who live in the land at this time and cause trouble for them so that they will feel it.


text:
 Oh, I'm wounded! My wound is serious. Then I thought that this is my punishment, and I will bear it.


text:
 My tent is destroyed, and all my ropes are broken. My children have left me and have disappeared. There's no one to set up my tent again or put up my tent curtains.


text:
 The shepherds are foolish. They don't look to the LORD for help. That is why they won't succeed, and all their flocks will be scattered.


text:
 The report has arrived. A tremendous uproar is coming from the land of the north. Its army will destroy Judah's cities and make them homes for jackals.


text:
 O LORD, I know that the way humans act is not under their control. Humans do not direct their steps as they walk.


text:
 Correct me, O LORD, but please be fair. Don't correct me when you're angry. Otherwise, you'll reduce me to nothing.


text:
 Pour out your fury on the nations who don't know you and on people who don't worship you. They have devoured the descendants of Jacob. They have devoured them completely. They have destroyed their homes.


text:
 "Listen to the terms of this promise, and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem.


text:
 Say to them, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who doesn't listen to the terms of this promise.


text:
 I made this promise to your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, which was an iron smelter. I said, "Obey me, and do everything that I have told you to do. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.


text:
 I will keep the oath I made to your ancestors and give them a land flowing with milk and honey, the land you still have today." ' " I answered, "Yes, LORD."


text:
 The LORD said to me, "Announce all these things in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Listen to the terms of this promise, and keep them.


text:
 I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, and the warning still applies to you today. I solemnly warned them to obey me.


text:
 But they didn't obey me or pay attention to me. They followed their own stubborn, evil ways. So I punished them, because they did not keep all the terms of the promise, the terms that I commanded them to keep."


text:
 The LORD said to me, "Conspiracy exists among the people of Judah and among those who live in Jerusalem.


text:
 They've gone back to the evil ways of their ancestors and refused to obey my words. They are following other gods and worshiping them. The nations of Israel and Judah have rejected the promise that I made to their ancestors.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I'm going to bring a disaster on them that they can't escape. Although they will cry out to me, I won't listen to them.


text:
 Then the cities of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem will cry to the gods to whom they've been sacrificing. But these gods will never rescue them when they're in trouble.


text:
 Judah, you have as many gods as you have cities. You have set up many altars [in Jerusalem] to sacrifice to Baal. You have as many altars as there are streets in Jerusalem.


text:
 Jeremiah, don't pray for these people. Don't cry or pray for them. I won't listen when they call to me for help in times of trouble.


text:
 "What right do these people I love have to be in my house when they do so many devious things? Can the meat from their sacrifices turn disaster away from them? They rejoice when they do evil."


text:
 The LORD called you a large olive tree that has beautiful fruit to look at. He will set fire to you with a mighty storm, and your branches will be broken.


text:
 The LORD of Armies planted you. He has pronounced disaster on you. This is because of the evil things that Israel and Judah have done. They have made him furious by burning incense as an offering to Baal.


text:
 I was like a trusting lamb brought to the slaughter. I didn't know that they were plotting against me. They were saying, "Let's destroy the tree with its fruit. Let's cut Jeremiah off from this world of the living so that we won't be reminded of him anymore."


text:
 O LORD of Armies, you judge fairly and test motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I've brought my case to you.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: The people of Anathoth want to kill you. They say, "Don't prophesy in the name of the LORD, or we'll kill you."


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says: I'm going to punish them. The young men will die because of war. Their sons and daughters will die because of famine.


text:
 I will bring a disaster on the people of Anathoth. It will be a year of punishment. There will be no survivors.


text:
 O LORD, even if I would argue my case with you, you would always be right. Yet, I want to talk to you about your justice. Why do wicked people succeed? Why do treacherous people have peace and quiet?


text:
 You plant them, and they take root. They grow, and they produce fruit. They speak well of you with their lips, but their hearts are far from you.


text:
 You know me, O LORD. You see me and test my devotion to you. Drag them away like sheep to be slaughtered. Prepare them for the day of slaughter.


text:
 How long will the land mourn? How long will the plants in every field remain dried up? The animals and the birds are dying, because people are wicked. They think that God doesn't know what they are doing.


text:
 "If you have raced against others on foot, and they have tired you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in open country, how can you live in the jungle along the Jordan River?


text:
 Even your relatives and members of your father's household betray you. They have also formed a mob to find you. Don't trust them when they say good things about you.


text:
 "I have abandoned my nation. I have left my own people. I have handed the people I love over to their enemies.


text:
 My people are like a colorful bird of prey. Other birds of prey surround it. Go, gather all the animals in the field, and bring them to devour it.


text:
 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard. They've trampled my property. They've turned my pleasant property into a wasteland.


text:
 They've left it a wasteland. Devastated, it mourns in my presence. The whole land is destroyed, but no one takes this to heart.


text:
 Looters swarm all over the bare hills in the desert. The LORD's sword destroys them from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe.


text:
 My people planted wheat, but they harvested thorns. They worked until they became sick, but they gained nothing by it. They were disappointed by their harvests because of the burning anger of the LORD.


text:
 "This is what I, the LORD, say about all my evil neighbors who take the inheritance that I gave my people Israel: I am going to uproot those neighbors from their lands. I will also uproot the people of Judah from among them.


text:
 After I've uprooted them, I will have compassion on them again. I will return them to their inheritance and to their lands.


text:
 Suppose they learn carefully the ways of my people. Suppose they take an oath in my name, 'As the LORD lives...' as they taught my people to take an oath in [the name of] Baal. Then they will build homes among my people.


text:
 This is what the LORD said to me: "Buy a linen belt. Put it around your waist. Don't let it get wet."


text:
 "Take the belt that you bought, the one you're wearing. Go to the Euphrates River, and bury it there in a crack in the rocks."


text:
 After many days the LORD said to me, "Go to the Euphrates, and get the belt from where I told you to bury it."


text:
 So I went back to the Euphrates and dug it up. I got the belt from where I had buried it. Now the belt was ruined. It was good for nothing.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: This is how I will destroy Judah's arrogance and Jerusalem's extreme arrogance.


text:
 These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They go their own stubborn ways and follow other gods in order to serve them and worship them. They are like this good-for-nothing belt.


text:
 As a belt clings to a person's waist, so I have made the entire nation of Israel and the entire nation of Judah cling to me," declares the LORD. "I did this so that they would be my people and bring fame, praise, and honor to me. However, they wouldn't listen.


text:
 "Give this message to them, 'This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Every bottle will be filled with wine.' Then they will say to you, 'We know that every bottle will be filled with wine.'


text:
 Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: I'm going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk. The kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all those who live in Jerusalem will become drunk.


text:
 Then I will smash them like bottles against each other. I will smash parents and children together, declares the LORD. I will have no pity, mercy, or compassion when I destroy them.'"


text:
 Honor the LORD your God before it gets dark, before your feet stumble on the mountains in the twilight. You will look for light, but the LORD will turn it into the shadow of death and change it into deep darkness.


text:
 If you won't listen, I will cry secretly over your arrogance. I will cry bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears because the LORD's flock will be taken captive.


text:
 Say to the king and his mother, "Come down from your thrones, because your crowns have fallen off your heads."


text:
 The cities in the Negev will be locked up, and there will be no one to reopen them. All the people of Judah will be taken away into captivity.


text:
 Look up, and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you-your beautiful sheep?


text:
 What will you say when God makes the people you thought were your friends your new masters? Won't pain grip you like a woman in labor?


text:
 If you ask yourself, "Why do these things happen to me?" it's because you have so many sins. Your clothes have been torn off and your limbs are bare.


text:
 Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin or leopards change their spots? Can you do good when you're taught to do wrong?


text:
 This is your fate, the destiny I have planned for you," declares the LORD. "You have forgotten me and trusted false gods.


text:
 I have seen you commit adultery and squeal with delight. I have seen you act like a shameless prostitute on the hills and in the fields. How horrible it will be for you, Jerusalem! Will you ever be clean?"


text:
 Judah mourns; its gates fall apart. The people of Judah sit in mourning on the ground. Their cry goes up from Jerusalem.


text:
 Important people send their assistants out for water. They go to the cisterns, but they don't find any water. They come back with their containers empty. They cover their heads, because they are ashamed and disgraced.


text:
 The ground is cracked because there has been no rain in the land. The farmers are disappointed. They cover their heads.


text:
 Wild donkeys stand on the bare hills. They sniff the air like jackals. Their eyesight fails because they have no green plants.


text:
 Do something, LORD, for the sake of your name, even though our sins testify against us. We have been unfaithful and have sinned against you.


text:
 You are Israel's hope, the one who saves it in times of trouble. Why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only one night?


text:
 Why should you be like someone taken by surprise, like a strong man who cannot help? You, O LORD, are among us. We are called by your name. Don't leave us!


text:
 This is what the LORD says about these people: They love to wander. They don't keep their feet where they belong. So the LORD isn't happy with them. He will remember their crimes and punish their sins.


text:
 Even if they go without food, I won't listen to their cries for help. Even if they sacrifice burnt offerings and grain offerings, I won't be pleased with them. But I will destroy these people with wars, famines, and plagues."


text:
 Then I said, "Almighty LORD, prophets are saying to them, 'You won't see wars or famines, because I, the LORD, will give you lasting peace in this place.'"


text:
 Then the LORD told me, "These are the lies that the prophets are telling in my name: They claim that I sent them, commanded them, and spoke to them. They dreamed up the visions they tell you. Their predictions are worthless. They are the products of their own imagination.


text:
 "I didn't send these prophets. Yet, they prophesy in my name that there will be no wars or famines in this land. So this is what I, the LORD, say about them: Wars and famines will bring an end to these prophets.


text:
 The people they prophesy to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem. They will be victims of famines and wars. No one will bury them, their wives, their sons, or their daughters. I will pour on them the destruction that they deserve.


text:
 "Say this to them: 'My eyes flow with tears day and night without stopping because my dear people will suffer massive destruction. It will be a very serious blow.'"


text:
 If I go to the field, I see those killed because of war. If I go to the city, I see those sick because of famine. Prophets and priests wander through a land they haven't heard of.


text:
 Have you completely rejected Judah? Do you despise Zion? Why have you struck us so hard that we cannot heal? We hope for peace, but no good comes from it. We hope for a time of healing, but there's only terror.


text:
 O LORD, we realize our wickedness and the wrongs done by our ancestors. We have sinned against you.


text:
 For the sake of your name, don't despise us. Don't dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your promise to us; don't break it.


text:
 The worthless gods of the nations can't make it rain. By themselves, the skies can't give showers. But you can, O LORD our God. We have hope in you because you do all these things.


text:
 Then the LORD said to me, "Even if Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me, I would not feel sorry for these people. Send them away from me, and let them go.


text:
 When they ask you where they should go, say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: Those who are destined to die will die. Those who are destined to die in wars will die in wars. Those who are destined to die in famines will die in famines. Those who are destined to die in captivity will die in captivity.'


text:
 "I will devise four ways to punish them," declares the LORD. "I will send swords to kill, dogs to drag away, and birds and animals to devour and destroy.


text:
 I will make these people a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. This will happen because of what Judah's King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, did in Jerusalem.


text:
 No one will take pity on you, Jerusalem. No one will mourn for you. No one will bother to ask how you are doing.


text:
 You have left me," declares the LORD. "You have turned your back on me. So I will use my power against you and destroy you. I'm tired of showing compassion to you.


text:
 "I will separate them with a winnowing shovel at the city gates. I will make them childless. I will destroy my people because they will not change their ways.


text:
 Their widows will be more numerous than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noontime I will send a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring anguish and terror to them.


text:
 A mother who gives birth to seven sons will grow faint and breathe her last. She will die, ashamed and humiliated, while it is still daylight. I will put survivors from these people to death in the presence of their enemies," declares the LORD.


text:
 I'm so miserable! Why did my mother give birth to me? I am a man who argues and quarrels with the whole earth. I have never lent or borrowed anything. Yet, everyone curses me.


text:
 The LORD said, "I will certainly rescue you for a good reason. I will certainly make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and in times of distress.


text:
 I will give away your wealth and treasures as loot as the price for all the sins that you have committed throughout your territory.


text:
 I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you haven't heard of, because my anger has started a fire. It will burn you."


text:
 O LORD, you understand. Remember me, take care of me, and take revenge on those who persecute me. Be patient, and don't take me away. You should know that I've been insulted because of you.


text:
 Your words were found, and I devoured them. Your words are my joy and my heart's delight, because I am called by your name, O LORD God of Armies.


text:
 I didn't keep company with those who laugh and have fun. I sat alone because your hand was on me. You filled me with outrage.


text:
 Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable, refusing to heal? Will you disappoint me like a stream that dries up in summertime?


text:
 This is what the LORD says: If you will return, I will take you back. If you will speak what is worthwhile and not what is worthless, you will stand in my presence. The people will return to you, but you will not return to them.


text:
 I will make you like a solid bronze wall in front of these people. They will fight you, but they will not defeat you. I am with you, and I will save you and rescue you, declares the LORD.


text:
 This is what the LORD says about the sons and daughters born in this place and about the mothers and fathers who have children in this land:


text:
 They will die horrible deaths. No one will mourn for them or bury them. They will be like manure on the ground. Wars and famines will bring them to an end. Their bodies will be food for birds and animals.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Don't go into a house where people are grieving. Don't go to mourn or to grieve for them. I'm taking my peace, love, and compassion away from these people," declares the LORD.


text:
 "Old and young alike will die in this land. No one will mourn for them or bury them. No one will cut his own body or shave his own head for them.


text:
 No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn the dead. No one will give a consoling drink to those who have lost their fathers or mothers.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to put a stop to the sounds of joy and happiness and the sounds of brides and grooms in this place. This will happen in your lifetime, while you watch.


text:
 "When you tell the people all these things, they will ask you, 'Why does the LORD threaten us with all these disasters? What have we done wrong? How have we sinned against the LORD our God?'


text:
 Then say to them, 'It's because your ancestors abandoned me, declares the LORD. They followed other gods, served them, worshiped them, and abandoned me. They didn't obey my teachings.


text:
 You have done worse than your ancestors. All of you are following your own stubborn, evil ways that keep you from obeying me.


text:
 So I will throw you out of this land into a land that you and your ancestors haven't heard of. There you will serve other gods day and night because I will no longer have pity on you.'


text:
 "That is why the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer begin an oath with, 'The LORD brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. As the LORD lives....'


text:
 But they will say, 'The LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he had scattered them. As the LORD lives....' They will say this because I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors.


text:
 "I'm going to send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will catch the people of Israel. After that, I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt for them on every mountain and hill and even in the cracks in the rocks.


text:
 I see everything that they do. They can't hide anything from me. Their wickedness can't be hidden; I can see it.


text:
 First, I will have them pay twice as much for their wickedness and their sin, because they have polluted my land. They have filled my property with the lifeless statues of their detestable and disgusting idols."


text:
 The LORD is my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Nations come to you from the most distant parts of the world and say, "Our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods."


text:
 That is what I will teach them. This time I will make my power and my strength known to them. Then they will know that my name is the LORD."


text:
 [The LORD says,] "Judah's sin is written with an iron pen. It is engraved with a diamond point on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.


text:
 Even their children remember their altars and their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah beside large trees on high hills


text:
 and on mountains in the open country. I will turn your wealth and all your treasures into loot. I will do this because of your worship sites and your sin throughout all your territory.


text:
 You will lose the inheritance that I gave you. I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you haven't heard of. I will do this because you have stirred up the fire of my anger. It will burn forever.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Cursed is the person who trusts humans, who makes flesh and blood his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.


text:
 He will be like a bush in the wilderness. He will not see when something good comes. He will live in the dry places in the desert, in a salty land where no one can live.


text:
 He will be like a tree that is planted by water. It will send its roots down to a stream. It will not be afraid in the heat of summer. Its leaves will turn green. It will not be anxious during droughts. It will not stop producing fruit.


text:
 "The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.


text:
 I, the LORD, search minds and test hearts. I will reward each person for what he has done. I will reward him for the results of his actions.


text:
 A person who gets rich dishonestly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay. During his lifetime, he will lose his wealth. In the end, he will be a godless fool."


text:
 O LORD, the Hope of Israel, all who abandon you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in dust, because they abandon the LORD, the fountain of life-giving water.


text:
 I have not run away from being your shepherd, and I have not longed for the day of destruction. You know what came out of my mouth.


text:
 Put my persecutors to shame, but do not let me be put to shame. Terrify them, but do not let me be terrified. Bring the day of disaster on them, and destroy them completely.


text:
 This is what the LORD said to me: Stand at People's Gate, where the kings of Judah go in and out. Then stand at every gate in Jerusalem.


text:
 Tell everyone: "Listen to the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, all the people of Judah, and all those who live in Jerusalem, and go through these gates.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Watch out! If you value your lives, do not carry anything on the day of worship or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.


text:
 Do not bring anything out of your homes on the day of worship. Do not do any work, but observe the day of worship as a holy day, as I told your ancestors.


text:
 Your ancestors did not obey me or pay attention to me. They were impossible to deal with and would not listen or accept discipline.


text:
 "Now," declares the LORD, "you must listen to me and not bring anything through the gates of this city on the day of worship. You must observe the day of worship as a holy day by not doing any work on it.


text:
 If you do this, then the kings and princes who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city. They and their princes will ride in chariots and on horses along with the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. This city will always have people living in it.


text:
 "People will come from the cities of Judah, from all around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the foothills, from the mountains, and from the Negev. They will bring burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and incense. They will also bring thank offerings to the LORD's temple.


text:
 But you must listen to me and observe the day of worship as a holy day by not carrying anything through the gates of Jerusalem on the day of worship. If you don't do this, I will set its gates on fire. The fire will burn down the palaces in Jerusalem, and you won't be able to put it out."


text:
 Whenever a clay pot he was working on was ruined, he would rework it into a new clay pot the way he wanted to make it.


text:
 "Nation of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter does with clay? Nation of Israel, you are like the clay in the potter's hands.


text:
 But suppose the nation that I threatened turns away from doing wrong. Then I will change my plans about the disaster I planned to do to it.


text:
 But suppose that nation does what I consider evil and doesn't obey me. Then I will change my plans about the good that I promised to do to it.


text:
 "Now say to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: I'm going to prepare a disaster and make plans against you. Turn from your evil ways, change your lives, and do good.'


text:
 "But they will answer, 'It's useless! We'll live the way we want to. We'll go our own stubborn, evil ways.'


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Ask among the nations if anyone has ever heard anything like this. The people of Israel have done a very horrible thing.


text:
 But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense as an offering to worthless idols, and they stumble along the way, on the ancient path. They go on side roads and not on major highways.


text:
 Their land will become desolate and something to be hissed at forever. Everyone who will pass by it will be stunned and shake his head.


text:
 Like the east wind I will scatter them in front of the enemy. On the day of their disaster, I will show them my back, not my face."


text:
 Then they said, "Let's plot against Jeremiah, because the teachings of the priests, the advice of wise people, and the word of the prophets won't disappear. Accuse him! Pay no attention to anything he says."


text:
 Good should not be paid back with evil. They dig a pit to take my life. Remember how I stood in your presence and pleaded for them in order to turn your anger away from them.


text:
 Now, hand their children over to famine. Pour out their [blood] by using your sword. Then their wives will become childless widows. Their husbands will be put to death. Their young men will be struck down in battle.


text:
 Make them cry out from their homes when you suddenly send troops against them, because they dug a pit to catch me and hid snares for my feet.


text:
 But you, O LORD, know that they plan to kill me. Don't forgive their crimes. Don't wipe their sins out of your sight. Make them stumble in your presence. Deal with them when you get angry.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders of the priests.


text:
 Go to the valley of Ben Hinnom at the entrance to Potsherd Gate. Announce there the things I plan to do.


text:
 Say, "Listen to the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to bring such a disaster on this place that the ears of everyone who hears about it will ring.


text:
 "The people, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have abandoned me. They have made this place unrecognizable by burning incense as an offering to other gods that they hadn't heard of. They have filled this place with the blood of innocent people.


text:
 They have built worship sites to burn their children as sacrifices to Baal. I didn't ask them or command them to do this. It never entered my mind.


text:
 "That is why the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben Hinnom. Instead, it will be called Slaughter Valley.


text:
 I will smash the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will cut them down with swords in front of their enemies and with the hands of those who want to kill them. I will give their bodies as food to birds and to animals.


text:
 I will devastate this city. It will become something to hiss at. Everyone who goes by it will be stunned and hiss with contempt at all the disasters that happen to it.


text:
 I will make the people eat the flesh of their sons and daughters. They will eat each other's flesh during blockades and hardships that their enemies impose on them when they want to kill them."


text:
 Say to them, 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: I will smash these people and this city as this potter's jar was smashed beyond repair. They will bury [the dead] in Topheth until there's no other place to bury them.


text:
 That's what I will do to this place and to those who live in it, declares the LORD. I will make this city like Topheth.


text:
 The houses in Jerusalem, the houses of the kings of Judah, and all the rooftops of the houses will be unclean like this city Topheth. This is because people burned incense to the entire army of heaven and poured out wine offerings to other gods.' "


text:
 Then Jeremiah left Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy. He stood in the courtyard of the LORD's temple and said to all the people,


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to bring on this city and on all its towns the disasters that I threatened. They've become impossible to deal with, and they refuse to obey me."


text:
 Now the priest, Immer's son Pashhur, the chief officer of the LORD's temple, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.


text:
 Pashhur struck the prophet Jeremiah and put him in prison at Upper Benjamin Gate that was in the LORD's temple.


text:
 The next day when Pashhur took Jeremiah out of prison, Jeremiah said to him, "The LORD doesn't call you Pashhur, but he calls you Terror Everywhere.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I'm going to make you terrify yourself and all your friends. Their enemies' swords will kill them, and you will see it with your own eyes. I will hand all of Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will take the people away as captives to Babylon or kill them with swords.


text:
 I will hand all the riches of this city over to their enemies. This will include all its produce, all its valuables, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. Their enemies will loot them, take them away, and bring them to Babylon.


text:
 And you, Pashhur, and all those who live in your house will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon, and you will die there. You will be buried there together with all your friends to whom you prophesied these lies."


text:
 O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived. You overpowered me and won. I've been made fun of all day long. Everyone mocks me.


text:
 Each time I speak, I have to cry out and shout, "Violence and destruction!" The word of the LORD has made me the object of insults and contempt all day long.


text:
 I think to myself, "I can forget the LORD and no longer speak his name." But [his word] is inside me like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I wear myself out holding it in, but I can't do it any longer.


text:
 I have heard many [people] whispering, "Terror is everywhere! Report him! Let's report him!" All my closest friends are waiting to see me stumble. They say, "Maybe he will be tricked. Then we can overpower him and take revenge on him."


text:
 But the LORD is on my side like a terrifying warrior. That is why those who persecute me will stumble. They can't win. They will be very ashamed that they can't succeed. Their eternal shame will not be forgotten.


text:
 But the LORD of Armies examines the righteous. He sees their motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I've brought my case to you.


text:
 Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! He has rescued the lives of needy people from the power of wicked people.


text:
 Cursed is the man who made my father very happy with the news that he had just become the father of a baby boy.


text:
 May that man be like the cities that the LORD destroyed without pity. May he hear a cry of alarm in the morning and a battle cry at noon.


text:
 If only he had killed me while I was in the womb. Then my mother would have been my grave, and she would have always been pregnant.


text:
 Why did I come out of the womb? All I've seen is trouble and grief. I will finish my days in shame.


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur, son of Malchiah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah. They said,


text:
 "Consult the LORD for us, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking us. Maybe the LORD will perform miracles for us so that Nebuchadnezzar will retreat."


text:
 'This is what the LORD God of Israel says: I'm going to take your weapons away from you. You are using these weapons to fight the king of Babylon as well as the Babylonians who are now blockading you outside the wall. I will bring the Babylonians inside this city.


text:
 I will defeat those who live in this city, both people and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.


text:
 Afterwards, declares the LORD, I will hand over Judah's King Zedekiah, his officials, the people, and everyone else in this city who survives the plague, war, and famine. They will be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. Nebuchadnezzar will kill them with swords. He won't spare them, show them compassion, or care for them.'


text:
 "Say to these people, 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to give you the choice of life or death.


text:
 Those who live in this city will die in the war, famine, or plague. Those of you who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. You will escape with your lives.


text:
 I've decided to harm this city, not to do good to it, declares the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.'


text:
 descendants of David. This is what the LORD says: Judge fairly every morning. Rescue those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Otherwise, my fury will break out and burn like fire. No one will be able to put it out because of the evil things you have done.


text:
 " 'I'm against you, Jerusalem. You are the city that is in the valley and on the rock in the plain,' " declares the LORD. " 'But you ask, "Who can attack us? Who can enter our places of refuge?"


text:
 " 'I will punish you because of the evil things you have done,' " declares the LORD. " 'I will start a fire in your forests, and it will burn up everything around you.'"


text:
 "Listen to the word of the LORD, you officials, you people who come into these gates, and you, king of Judah, the one sitting on David's throne.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Judge fairly, and do what is right. Rescue those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Don't mistreat foreigners, orphans, or widows, and don't oppress them. Don't kill innocent people in this place.


text:
 If you do what I say, then the kings who sit on David's throne will ride through the gates of this palace in chariots and on horses along with their officials and their people.


text:
 But if you don't do what I say, I will take an oath on myself," declares the LORD, "that this palace will become a pile of rubble.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says about the palace of the king of Judah: This palace is like Gilead to me, like the top of Lebanon. I will certainly turn it into a desert, into cities that no one lives in.


text:
 I will send people to destroy you. They will have their own weapons. They will cut down your finest cedar trees and throw them on a fire.


text:
 "People from many nations will pass by this city and ask each other, 'Why has the LORD done this to this important city?'


text:
 The answer will be: 'They rejected the promise of the LORD their God. They worshiped other gods and served them.' "


text:
 Don't cry for the dead. Don't shake your heads at them. Cry bitterly for those who are taken away, because they won't come back to see their homeland.


text:
 This is what the LORD says about King Josiah's son Shallum, who succeeded his father as king of Judah and left this place: He will never come back here again.


text:
 "How horrible it will be for the person who builds his house dishonestly and his upper rooms through injustice. He makes his neighbors work for nothing and doesn't pay them for their work.


text:
 He says, 'I will build a large house for myself with big upper rooms.' He cuts out windows in it, panels the rooms with cedar, and paints them red.


text:
 Do you think you're a better king than others because you use more cedar? Your father ate and drank and did what is fair and right. Everything went well for him.


text:
 He defended the cause of the poor and needy. Everything went well for him. Isn't this what it means to know me?" asks the LORD.


text:
 "But your eyes and your mind are set on nothing but dishonest profits. You kill innocent people and violently oppress your people."


text:
 This is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim, son of Judah's King Josiah: People won't mourn for him and say, "How horrible it is for my brother and sister!" They won't mourn for him and say, "How horrible it is for my master and his splendor!"


text:
 He will receive a donkey's burial. He will be dragged off and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.


text:
 "Go to Lebanon and cry! Raise your voice in Bashan! Cry out from Abarim, because all your lovers are defeated."


text:
 I spoke to you when you were prosperous, but you said that you wouldn't listen. This is how you've been ever since you were young. You don't listen to me.


text:
 The wind will blow away all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Then you will be ashamed and disgraced by all your wickedness.


text:
 You live in Lebanon and have your nest in the cedars. But you will groan when pain strikes you, pain like a woman giving birth to a child.


text:
 "As I live," declares the LORD, "even though you, Jehoiakin, son of Judah's King Jehoiakim, are the signet ring on my right hand, I will pull you off my hand.


text:
 I will hand you over to those who want to kill you, those you fear-King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Babylonians.


text:
 I will throw you and your mother into another land. You weren't born there, but you will die there.


text:
 This Jehoiakin is like a rejected and broken pot that no one wants. Is that why he and his descendants will be thrown out and cast into another land they've never heard of?


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Write this about Jehoiakin: He will be childless. He won't prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will succeed him as king. They won't sit on David's throne and rule Judah again.


text:
 "How horrible it will be for the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep in my care," declares the LORD.


text:
 "This is what I, the LORD God of Israel, said to the shepherds who take care of my people: You have scattered my sheep and chased them away. You have not taken care of them, so now I will take care of you by punishing you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD.


text:
 "Then I will gather the remaining part of my flock from all the countries where I chased them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fertile and increase in number.


text:
 I will put shepherds over them. Those shepherds will take care of them. My sheep will no longer be afraid or terrified, and not one of them will be missing," declares the LORD.


text:
 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will grow a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who will rule wisely. He will do what is fair and right in the land.


text:
 In his lifetime, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name that he will be given: The LORD Our Righteousness.


text:
 "That is why the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people's oaths will no longer be, 'The LORD brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. As the LORD lives....'


text:
 Instead, their oaths will be, 'The LORD brought the descendants of the nation of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he had scattered them. As the LORD lives....' At that time they will live in their own land.


text:
 "[Say this] about the prophets: I am deeply disturbed. All my bones tremble. I am like a drunk, like a person who has had too much wine, because of the LORD and his holy words.


text:
 The land is filled with adulterers. The land mourns because of the curse. Pastures in the wilderness have dried up. The people are evil, and they use their strength to do the wrong things.


text:
 The prophets and priests are godless. Even in my temple I've found them doing evil," declares the LORD.


text:
 "That is why their own way will become like slippery paths in the dark. They will be chased away, and they will fall down in the dark. I will bring disaster on them. It is time for them to be punished," declares the LORD.


text:
 "[Say this] about the prophets of Samaria: I saw something disgusting. The prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.


text:
 "[Say this] about the prophets of Jerusalem: I see something horrible. The prophets of Jerusalem commit adultery and live a lie. They support those who do evil so that no one turns back from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me, and those who live in Jerusalem are like Gomorrah."


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says about the prophets: I will give them wormwood to eat and poison to drink. The prophets of Jerusalem have spread godlessness throughout the land.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies says: Don't listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hope. They speak about visions that they dreamed up. These visions are not from the LORD.


text:
 They keep saying to those who despise me, "The LORD says, 'Everything will go well for you.' " They tell all who live by their own stubborn ways, "Nothing bad will happen to you."


text:
 Who is in the LORD's inner circle and sees and hears his word? Who pays attention and listens to his word?


text:
 The storm of the LORD will come with his anger. Like a windstorm, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked.


text:
 The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has done everything he intends to do. In the last days you will understand this clearly.


text:
 I didn't send these prophets, yet they ran [with their message]. I didn't speak to them, yet they prophesied.


text:
 If they had been in my inner circle, they would have announced my words to my people. They would have turned back from their evil ways and the evil they have done.


text:
 "No one can hide so that I can't see him," declares the LORD. "I fill heaven and earth!" declares the LORD.


text:
 They tell each other the dreams they had, because they want to make my people forget my name, as their ancestors forgot my name because of Baal.


text:
 The prophet who has a dream should tell his dream. However, the person who has my word should honestly speak my word. What does grain have to do with straw?" asks the LORD.


text:
 I'm against those who prophesy dreams they made up," declares the LORD. "They tell the dreams they made up and lead my people astray with their lies and their wild talk. I didn't send them or command them to go. They don't help these people at all," declares the LORD.


text:
 "When these people, the prophets, or the priests ask you, 'What revelation has the LORD burdened you with now?' say to them, 'You are the burden! I will abandon you, declares the LORD.'


text:
 Suppose the prophets, the priests, or these people say, 'This is the LORD's revelation!' I will punish them and their families.


text:
 They should ask their neighbors and their relatives, 'What is the LORD's answer?' and 'What did the LORD say?'


text:
 They should never again say, 'This is the LORD's revelation,' because each person's word becomes the revelation. They will twist the words of the living God, the LORD of Armies, our God.


text:
 "Jeremiah, say this to the prophets, 'What was the LORD's answer to you?' and 'What did the LORD say?'


text:
 Suppose they say, 'This is the LORD's revelation!' Then say, 'This is what the LORD says: Because you have said, "This is the LORD's revelation!" even though I commanded you not to repeat this saying,


text:
 I will certainly forget you. I will throw you out of my presence and out of the city that I gave you and your ancestors.


text:
 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took Jehoiakin (son of King Jehoiakim of Judah), the princes of Judah, the skilled workers, and the builders from Jerusalem into captivity and brought them to Babylon. After this, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs set in front of the LORD's temple.


text:
 One basket had very good figs, like figs that ripen first. The other basket had very bad figs. These figs were so bad that they couldn't be eaten.


text:
 Then the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I answered, "Figs. Figs that are very good. I also see figs that are very bad, so bad that they can't be eaten."


text:
 "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: The captives of Judah, whom I sent away from here to Babylon, are like these good figs. I will look kindly on them.


text:
 I will watch over them for their own good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them.


text:
 I will give them the desire to know that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, because they will wholeheartedly come back to me.


text:
 "But this is what the LORD says about the bad figs that are so bad that they can't be eaten. The LORD says, 'Like these bad figs, I will abandon King Zedekiah of Judah, his princes, the remaining few in Jerusalem who stayed behind in this land, and those who are living in Egypt.


text:
 I will make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth. They will be a disgrace and an example. They will become something ridiculed and cursed wherever I scatter them.


text:
 I will send wars, famines, and plagues until they disappear from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.'"


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah about all the people of Judah when Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was in his fourth year as king. (This was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.)


text:
 The prophet Jeremiah spoke to all the people of Judah and to everyone who lived in Jerusalem. He said,


text:
 "For 23 years, from the time that Josiah, son of Amon, was in his thirteenth year as king of Judah until today, the LORD continued to speak his word to me. So I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.


text:
 "Even though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you, you haven't listened or paid attention to them.


text:
 The prophets said, 'Turn from your evil ways and the evil you have done, and live in the land that the LORD permanently gave to you and your ancestors.


text:
 Don't follow other gods to serve and worship them. Don't make me furious about the idols your hands have shaped. Then I won't harm you.


text:
 But you haven't listened to me, declares the LORD. You have made me furious about the idols your hands have shaped and [have brought] harm upon yourselves.'


text:
 so I'm going to send for all the families from the north. I will also send for my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, declares the LORD. I will bring the families from the north to attack this land, its people, and all these surrounding nations. I'm going to destroy them and turn them into something terrible, something ridiculed, and something permanently ruined.


text:
 I will take from them the sounds of joy and happiness, the sounds of brides and grooms, the sound of mills, and the light of lamps.


text:
 This whole land will be ruined and become a wasteland. These nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.


text:
 "When the 70 years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their crimes, declares the LORD. I will turn Babylon into a permanent wasteland.


text:
 I will bring on that land all the disasters I threatened to do to it, everything that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations, everything written in this book.


text:
 Many nations and great kings will make slaves of the people of Babylon, and I will pay them back for what they have done."


text:
 This is what the LORD God of Israel said to me: Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my fury, and make all the nations to whom I'm sending you drink from it.


text:
 When they drink from it, they will stagger and go insane because of the wars that I'm going to send them.


text:
 So I took the cup from the LORD's hand. I made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink from it:


text:
 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah as well as its kings and officials. When they drank from it, they became wastelands and ruins, something ridiculed and cursed, until today.


text:
 [I also made these people drink from it:] Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, officials, all his people,


text:
 and all the foreign people living among them; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of Philistia, those from the cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, and the people left in Ashdod;


text:
 all the kings of the north, near and far, one after another-all the kingdoms of the earth. Last of all, the king of Sheshach will drink from the cup.


text:
 [The LORD said,] "Say to them, 'This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk, vomit, fall down, and don't get up because of the wars that I'm going to send you.'


text:
 But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink from it, say to them, 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: You must drink from it!


text:
 I am going to bring disaster on the city that is named after me. Do you think you'll go unpunished? You will not go unpunished! I'm declaring war on all those who live on earth, declares the LORD of Armies.'


text:
 "That is why you will prophesy all these things to them and say, 'The LORD roars from above. He thunders from his holy dwelling place. He roars against his land. He shouts like those who stomp grapes. He shouts against all those who live on earth.


text:
 The sound is echoing to the ends of the earth because the LORD has brought charges against the nations. He will judge all humans. He will kill the wicked, declares the LORD.'


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies says: Disaster is spreading from nation to nation. A great storm is brewing from the distant corners of the earth."


text:
 On that day those killed by the LORD will stretch from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, taken away, or buried. They will become like manure on the ground.


text:
 Mourn, you shepherds, and cry. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. The time has come for you to be slaughtered. The time has come for you to be scattered, and you will break like fine pottery.


text:
 The shepherds are crying and the leaders of the flock are mourning because the LORD is stripping their pasture.


text:
 He has left his lair like a lion. Their land has been ruined because of the heat of the oppressor, because of the fury of his anger.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's temple, and speak to all the people who come from the cities of Judah to worship in the LORD's temple. Tell them everything that I command you to tell them. Don't leave out a single word.


text:
 Maybe they'll listen, and they'll turn from their evil ways. Then I'll change my plan about the disaster I intend to bring on them because of the evil they have done."


text:
 The LORD added, "Also say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: Suppose you don't listen to me and don't follow my teachings that I set in front of you.


text:
 Suppose you don't listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent to you again and again, even though you didn't listen.


text:
 Then I will do to this temple what I did to Shiloh. I will turn this city into something that will be cursed by all the nations on earth.'"


text:
 The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these things in the LORD's temple.


text:
 But as soon as Jeremiah finished saying everything that the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets, and all the people grabbed him and said, "You must die!


text:
 Why do you prophesy in the LORD's name that this temple will be like Shiloh and this city will become a pile of rubble with no one living here?" Then all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the LORD's temple.


text:
 When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they went from the king's palace to the LORD's temple. They sat at the entrance of New Gate to the LORD's [temple].


text:
 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, "This man is condemned to die because he prophesied against this city as you yourselves have heard."


text:
 Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, "The LORD sent me to prophesy everything that you have heard me say against this temple and against this city.


text:
 Now, change your ways and what you are doing, and listen to the LORD your God. Then the LORD will change his plan about the disaster that he intends to bring on you.


text:
 But know for certain that if you put me to death, you, this city, and the people living in it will be guilty of killing an innocent person. The LORD has certainly sent me to speak all these things to you."


text:
 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, "This man should not be condemned to die. He has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God."


text:
 "Micah from Moresheth prophesied at the time of Judah's King Hezekiah and said to all the people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD of Armies says: Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a pile of rubble, and the temple mountain will become a worship site covered with trees.'


text:
 Did Judah's King Hezekiah and all the people of Judah put Micah to death? No! Hezekiah feared the LORD and sought the LORD's favor. So the LORD changed his plan about the disaster he intended to bring on them. But we are about to bring a bigger disaster on ourselves."


text:
 There was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD. His name was Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath Jearim. He prophesied against this city and this land as Jeremiah did.


text:
 When King Jehoiakim and all his personal troops and officials heard what Uriah said, the king wanted to put him to death. But Uriah heard about it and fled in fear to Egypt.


text:
 They brought Uriah from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king executed Uriah and threw his body into the burial ground for the common people.


text:
 Ahikam, son of Shaphan, supported Jeremiah. So Jeremiah was not handed over to the people to be put to death.


text:
 This is what the LORD said to me: Make [leather] straps and a wooden yoke, and strap the yoke on your neck.


text:
 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon, with messengers who have come to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem.


text:
 Give them an order for their masters: "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Say this to your masters,


text:
 'I used my great strength and my powerful arm to make the earth along with the people and the animals on it. I give it to anyone I please.


text:
 Now I have handed all these countries over to my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made wild animals serve him.


text:
 All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until Babylon is defeated. Then many nations and great kings will make him their slave.


text:
 " 'Suppose nations or kingdoms won't serve or surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will punish those nations by wars, famines, and plagues, until I have put an end to them by Nebuchadnezzar's power, declares the LORD.


text:
 Don't listen to prophets, mediums, interpreters of dreams, fortunetellers, or sorcerers who tell you that you'll never serve the king of Babylon.


text:
 They are prophesying lies to you. They will cause you to be taken far from your lands. I'll scatter you, and you will die.


text:
 But suppose a nation surrenders to the king of Babylon and serves him. I will let it stay in its own land. People will farm the land and live on it,' " declares the LORD.


text:
 I spoke the same message to King Zedekiah of Judah, "Surrender to the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and you will stay alive.


text:
 Why should you and your people die in wars, famines, and plagues? The LORD has threatened the nations that don't serve the king of Babylon.


text:
 Don't listen to the prophets who tell you that you'll never serve the king of Babylon. They are prophesying lies to you.


text:
 I didn't send them, declares the LORD. They prophesy lies in my name. So I will scatter you, and you and the prophets will die."


text:
 I also spoke this message to the priests and all the people. "This is what the LORD said to me: Don't listen to the prophets who tell you that the utensils of the LORD's temple will be brought back from Babylon soon. They are prophesying lies to you.


text:
 Don't listen to them. Instead, serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city be turned into rubble?


text:
 If they are prophets and the LORD is speaking to them, they should beg the LORD of Armies not to allow the utensils that are left in the LORD's temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem to be taken away to Babylon.


text:
 "Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakin, son of King Jehoiakim of Judah, into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. But he didn't take the pillars, the bronze pool, the stands, and the rest of the utensils that are left in this city.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says about the utensils that are left in the LORD's temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem:


text:
 They will be taken to Babylon and stay there until I come for them, declares the LORD. I will take them from there and bring them back to this place."


text:
 In that same year, early in the rule of King Zedekiah of Judah, in the fifth month of his fourth year as king, the prophet Hananiah, son of Azzur, from Gibeon, spoke to me in the LORD's temple. He said to me in front of the priests and all the people,


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.


text:
 Within two years I will bring back all the utensils of the LORD's temple that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from this place and carried off to Babylon.


text:
 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiakin, son of King Jehoiakim of Judah, and all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD. So I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon."


text:
 The prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people standing in the LORD's temple.


text:
 He said, "Amen! May the LORD do this! May the LORD make your prophecy come true and bring back the utensils of the LORD's temple and all the captives from Babylon to this place.


text:
 Long ago, the prophets who preceded you and me prophesied wars, disasters, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms.


text:
 But the prophet who prophesied peace was recognized as a prophet that the LORD sent only if the message of the prophet came true."


text:
 Hananiah said in front of all the people, "This is what the LORD says: In the same way, I will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years." Then the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.


text:
 After the prophet Hananiah broke the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said,


text:
 "Tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken the wooden yoke, but I will replace it with an iron yoke.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations so that they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. They will serve him! I will even make wild animals serve him.'"


text:
 Then Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, "Now listen, Hananiah, the LORD hasn't sent you. You have made these people believe a lie.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I'm going to remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have encouraged rebellion against the LORD."


text:
 The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter from Jerusalem to the rest of the leaders among the captives. He also sent it to the priests, the prophets, and all the people that Nebuchadnezzar took away as captives from Jerusalem to Babylon.


text:
 (This was after King Jehoiakin and his mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and metal workers left Jerusalem.)


text:
 He sent the letter with Shaphan's son Elasah and Hilkiah's son Gemariah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah had sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. The letter said:


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all those who were taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:


text:
 Get married, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so that they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there; don't decrease.


text:
 Work for the good of the city where I've taken you as captives, and pray to the LORD for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Don't let the prophets or the mediums who are among you trick you. Don't even listen to your own dreams.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: When Babylon's 70 years are over, I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place.


text:
 I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.


text:
 I will let you find me, declares the LORD. I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I've scattered you, declares the LORD. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive.


text:
 But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and about all the people who live in this city, the people who are your relatives and who weren't taken away as captives:


text:
 The LORD of Armies says: I'm going to send them wars, famines, and plagues. These people are like rotten figs to me, figs that are so bad that they can't be eaten.


text:
 I will chase them with wars, famines, and plagues. I will make them a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. They will become something cursed, ridiculed, and hissed at, and they will be a disgrace among all the nations where I scatter them.


text:
 They didn't listen to me, declares the LORD. I sent them my servants the prophets again and again, but they refused to listen, declares the LORD.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Kolaiah's son Ahab and about Maaseiah's son Zedekiah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: I'm going to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will kill them as you watch.


text:
 Because of them, all the captives from Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: May the LORD curse you as he cursed Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned to death.


text:
 They have done shameful things in Israel. They committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and spoke lies in my name. I didn't command them to do this. I know what they have done. I'm a witness, declares the LORD.


text:
 'This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. These letters said:


text:
 The LORD made you priest instead of Jehoiada so that there would be officials for the LORD's temple. You should put any lunatic who acts like a prophet in prison and in shackles.


text:
 That's why Jeremiah sent this message to us in Babylon: You will be captives a long time. Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce.'"


text:
 "Send this message to all the captives: 'This is what the LORD says about Shemaiah from Nehelam: Shemaiah prophesied to you, but I didn't send him. He has made you believe a lie.


text:
 The LORD says: I will punish Shemaiah from Nehelam. I will also punish his descendants. No one from his family will be left alive. He will not see the blessings that I'm going to send my people, declares the LORD, because he has encouraged rebellion against the LORD.'"


text:
 The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity. I will bring them back to the land that I gave their ancestors, and they will take possession of it."


text:
 Ask now, and see: Can a man give birth to a child? Why, then, do I see every strong man holding his stomach in pain like a woman giving birth to a child? Why has every face turned pale?


text:
 How terrible that day will be! There will be no other day like it. It will be a time of calamity for the descendants of Jacob, but they will be rescued from it.


text:
 "On that day," declares the LORD of Armies, "I will break the yokes off your necks and tear off your ropes. Foreigners will no longer make you serve them.


text:
 "Don't be afraid, my servant Jacob," declares the LORD. Don't be terrified, Israel. I'm going to rescue you from a faraway place. I'm going to rescue your descendants from where they are captives. The descendants of Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will frighten them.


text:
 I am with you, and I will rescue you," declares the LORD. "I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you with justice. I won't let you go entirely unpunished.


text:
 All your lovers have forgotten you, and they don't want you anymore. I've punished you as an enemy would. I've corrected you as a cruel person would. You are very wicked, and you have many sins.


text:
 Why do you cry about your wound, your injury that can't be cured? I've done this to you. You are very wicked, and you have many sins.


text:
 That is why everyone who devours you will be devoured, and all your enemies will be taken away as captives. Those who looted you will be looted. Those who stole from you in war will have things stolen from them.


text:
 I'll restore your health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD. "People call you an outcast: Zion, no one cares for you.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: I'm going to bring the captives back to Jacob's tents and show compassion on their homes. Cities will be built on the ruins, and fortified palaces will be built in their rightful place.


text:
 The people who live there will sing songs of praise, and the sound of laughter will be heard from there. I'll make them numerous, and their number won't decrease. I'll bring them honor, and they won't be considered unimportant.


text:
 Their children will be like they were long ago. Their community will be established in my presence, and I will punish everyone who oppresses them.


text:
 Their leader will be someone from their own people. Their ruler will come from among them. I'll bring him near, and he will come close to me. Who would dare to come near me?" asks the LORD.


text:
 The storm of the LORD will come with his anger. Like a driving wind, it will swirl down on the heads of the wicked.


text:
 The LORD's burning anger will not turn back until he has done everything he intends to do. In the last days you will understand this clearly.


text:
 "At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people."


text:
 This is what the LORD says: The people who survived the wars have found favor in the desert. Israel went to find its rest.


text:
 The LORD appeared to me in a faraway place and said, "I love you with an everlasting love. So I will continue to show you my kindness.


text:
 Once again I will build you up, and you will be rebuilt, my dear people Israel. Once again you will take your tambourines, and you will go dancing with happy people.


text:
 Once again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. Those who plant them will enjoy the fruit.


text:
 There will be a day when watchmen on the mountains of Ephraim will call out this message: 'Arise! Let's go to Zion, to the LORD our God.'"


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Sing a happy song about Jacob. Sing joyfully for the leader of the nations. Shout, sing praise, and say, "O LORD, rescue your people, the remaining few from Israel."


text:
 "I will bring them from the land of the north. I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Blind people and lame people will return together with pregnant women and those in labor. A large crowd will return here.


text:
 They will cry as they return. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams on a level path where they will not stumble. I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be my firstborn.


text:
 "You nations, listen to the word of the LORD. Tell it to the distant islands. Say, 'The one who scattered the people of Israel will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd watches over his flock.'


text:
 The LORD will free the descendants of Jacob and reclaim them from those who are stronger than they are.


text:
 They will come and shout for joy on top of Mount Zion. They will stream to it to enjoy the LORD's blessings: fresh grain, new wine, and olive oil, lambs and calves. Their lives will be like well-watered gardens, and they will never suffer again.


text:
 Then young women will rejoice and dance along with young men and old men. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them. I will give them joy in place of their sorrow.


text:
 I will satisfy the priests with rich food. My people will be filled with my blessings," declares the LORD.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: A sound is heard in Ramah, the sound of crying in bitter grief. Rachel is crying for her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are dead.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Stop your crying, and wipe away your tears. You will be rewarded for your work, declares the LORD. You will return from the land of the enemy.


text:
 Your future is filled with hope, declares the LORD. Your children will return to their own territory.


text:
 "I have certainly heard Ephraim mourn and say, 'You disciplined me, and I was disciplined. I was like a young, untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned, because you are the LORD my God.


text:
 After I was turned around, I changed the way I thought and acted. After I was taught a lesson, I hung my head in shame. I was so ashamed and humiliated, because of all the stupid things I have done ever since I was young.'


text:
 Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? Even though I have often spoken against him, I still think fondly of him. That is why my heart longs for him, and I will certainly have compassion on him," declares the LORD.


text:
 Set up landmarks! Put up road signs! Remember the highway, the road on which you traveled. Come back, my dear people Israel, come back to your cities.


text:
 How long will you wander around, you unfaithful people? The LORD will create something new on earth: A woman will protect a man.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: When I have brought them back from captivity, they will once again use this saying in Judah and in its cities: "The LORD will bless you, home of righteousness, holy mountain.


text:
 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the nations of Israel and Judah with people and animals.


text:
 Once I watched over them to uproot them, to tear them down, and to wreck, ruin, and hurt them. Now I will watch over them to build them up and to plant them," declares the LORD.


text:
 "When those days come, people will no longer say, 'Fathers have eaten sour grapes, and their children's teeth are set on edge.'


text:
 But each person will die for his own sin. Whoever eats sour grapes will have his own teeth set on edge.


text:
 It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.


text:
 "But this is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days," declares the LORD: "I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.


text:
 No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, 'Know the LORD.' All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me," declares the LORD, "because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them."


text:
 The LORD provides the sun to be a light during the day. He orders the moon and stars to be lights during the night. He stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. His name is the LORD of Armies. This is what the LORD says:


text:
 Only if these laws stop working, declares the LORD, will Israel's descendants stop being a nation in my presence.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: Only if the heavens could be measured or the foundations of the earth could be searched, would I ever reject all of Israel's descendants because of everything that they have done, declares the LORD.


text:
 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to Corner Gate.


text:
 A measuring line will stretch from there straight to the Hill of Gareb, and then it will turn to Goah.


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah during Zedekiah's tenth year as king of Judah. (This was Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year as king.)


text:
 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was blockading Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah was locked up in the courtyard of the prison. This prison was in the palace of the king of Judah.


text:
 When King Zedekiah of Judah locked up Jeremiah, Zedekiah asked him, "Why are you prophesying? You are saying, 'This is what the LORD says: I'm going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.


text:
 King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the Babylonians. He will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon. He will talk to Nebuchadnezzar in person and look him in the eye.


text:
 Nebuchadnezzar will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and Zedekiah will stay there until I deal with him, declares the LORD. When you fight the Babylonians, you won't win.'"


text:
 'Jeremiah, your cousin Hanamel, son of Shallum, is going to come to you and say, "Buy my field that is in Anathoth, because as the closest relative it is your responsibility to buy it.'"


text:
 "Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the prison. He said to me, 'Please buy my field that is in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. It is your responsibility to purchase it, because the rights of the closest relative belong to you. Buy it for yourself.' Then I knew that the LORD had spoken to me.


text:
 "So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and gave him the money. The field cost seven ounces of silver.


text:
 Then I took the sealed copy of the deed, containing the terms and conditions, as well as an unsealed copy.


text:
 I gave the copies of the deeds to Baruch, son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I did this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who had signed the deed and in the presence of all the Jews who were sitting in the courtyard of the prison.


text:
 'This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Take both of these documents, both the sealed and the unsealed copies of the deed. Put them in a clay jar so that they will last a long time.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: My people will again buy houses, fields, and vineyards in this land.'


text:
 'Almighty LORD, you made heaven and earth by your great strength and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you.


text:
 You show mercy to thousands of generations. However, you punish children for the wickedness of their parents. You, God, are great and mighty. Your name is the LORD of Armies.


text:
 You make wise plans and do mighty things. You see everything the descendants of Adam do. You reward them for the way they live and for what they do.


text:
 You performed miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt. To this day you are still doing them in Israel. You made a name for yourself that continues to this day.


text:
 You brought your people from Egypt with miraculous signs and amazing things, with a mighty hand and a powerful arm, and with great terror.


text:
 You gave them the land that you swore with an oath to give their ancestors, the land flowing with milk and honey.


text:
 They entered and took possession of it. However, they refused to obey you or to follow your teachings. They didn't do anything you commanded them to do, so you brought all this disaster on them.


text:
 " 'See how the dirt ramps have been built up around the city to capture it! Because of wars, famines, and plagues, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you have threatened to do has happened, as you can see.


text:
 Yet you, Almighty LORD, told me to buy a field with money and get witnesses to confirm it, although the city was handed over to the Babylonians.'"


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I'm going to hand this city over to the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. They will capture it.


text:
 "The Babylonians who are attacking this city will break in, set this city on fire, and burn it down. They will burn down the houses of people who made me furious by going up to the roofs to burn incense to Baal and to pour out wine offerings to other gods.


text:
 Ever since they were young, the people of Israel and Judah have done what I consider evil. The people of Israel have made me furious by what they've done," declares the LORD.


text:
 "The people in this city have made me so angry and furious from the day they built it to this day. So now I must remove this city from my presence.


text:
 "The people of Israel and Judah have made me furious because they are evil. The people, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, and the Judeans and those who live in Jerusalem


text:
 have turned their backs, not their faces to me. I taught them again and again, but they refused to listen and learn.


text:
 They set up their detestable idols in the temple that is called by my name, and they dishonored it.


text:
 In the valley of Ben Hinnom they built worship sites for Baal to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I didn't ask them to do this. It never entered my mind. I didn't make Judah sin.


text:
 "You have said this about the city, 'Because of wars, famines, and plagues it will be handed over to the king of Babylon.' Now this is what the LORD God of Israel says:


text:
 I am going to gather the people from all the lands where I scattered them in my anger, fury, and terrifying wrath. I will bring them back to this place and make them live here securely.


text:
 I will give them the same attitude and the same purpose so that they will fear me as long as they live. This will be for their own good and for the good of their children.


text:
 I will make an eternal promise to them that I will never stop blessing them. I will make them fear me so that they will never turn away from me.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: As I brought all these disasters on these people, so I will bring on them all these blessings that I have promised them.


text:
 You have said that this land is a wasteland, without people or animals living in it. You have also said that it has been handed over to the Babylonians. But people will once again buy fields in this land.


text:
 They will buy fields for money, sign deeds, seal them, and have people witness the signing of the deeds. This will happen in the territory of Benjamin, in the region of Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities on the mountains, in the hill country, and in the Negev because I will bring them back from their captivity," declares the LORD.


text:
 While Jeremiah was still being held in the courtyard of the prison, the LORD spoke his word to him a second time. The LORD said,


text:
 "I made [the earth], formed it, and set it in place. My name is the LORD. This is what the LORD says:


text:
 Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know.


text:
 The houses in this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah have been torn down to be used against the dirt ramps and weapons of the Babylonians. This is what the LORD God of Israel says about this:


text:
 The people of Israel fought the Babylonians. Now their houses are filled with the bodies of their own people I killed in my anger and my fury. I will hide my face from this city because of its wickedness.


text:
 "But I will heal this city and restore it to health. I will heal its people, and I will give them peace and security.


text:
 I will cleanse them from all the sins that they have committed against me. I will forgive them for all the sins that they have committed against me and for rebelling against me.


text:
 Then Jerusalem will be my source of joy, praise, and honor. All the nations on earth will hear about all the blessings that I will give to Jerusalem. They will be afraid and tremble because of all the prosperity that I will provide for it.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: You have said that this place is ruined and that no people or animals live in it. It's true! The cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are deserted. No people or animals live there. But once again you will hear


text:
 the sounds of joy and happiness and the sounds of brides and grooms. You will hear those who bring thank offerings to the LORD's temple say, 'Give thanks to the LORD of Armies because the LORD is good, because his mercy endures forever.' I will restore the fortunes of the land to what they were before," says the LORD.


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies says: In this deserted place, where no people or animals live, and in all its cities, there will once again be pastures where shepherds can rest their flocks.


text:
 In the cities on the mountains, in the foothills, in the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the area around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shepherds will once again count their sheep," says the LORD.


text:
 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will keep the promise that I made to Israel and Judah.


text:
 In those days and at that time, I will cause a righteous branch to spring up for David. He will do what is fair and right in the land.


text:
 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live securely. Jerusalem will be called The LORD Our Righteousness.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: David will never fail to have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel.


text:
 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a descendant in my presence to sacrifice burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to prepare daily sacrifices."


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Suppose you could break my arrangement with day and night so that they wouldn't come at their proper time.


text:
 Then my arrangement with my servant David could be broken, and he would not have a descendant to rule on his throne. The arrangement with my servants the Levitical priests could also be broken.


text:
 I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who serve me like the stars of heaven that cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore that cannot be measured."


text:
 "Haven't you noticed what these people have said? They have said that the LORD has rejected the two families he has chosen. They despise my people, and they no longer consider them a nation.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: Suppose I hadn't made an arrangement with day and night or made laws for heaven and earth.


text:
 Then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David. I would not let any of David's descendants rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, I will restore their fortunes and love them."


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, his entire army, and all the kingdoms and people that he ruled were attacking Jerusalem and all its cities. He said,


text:
 "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, 'The LORD says: I'm going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.


text:
 You will not escape from him. You will certainly be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will talk to you face to face. Then you will go to Babylon.


text:
 " 'Listen to the word of the LORD, King Zedekiah of Judah. This is what the LORD says about you: You will not die in war.


text:
 You will die peacefully. People will burn [funeral] fires for you as they did for your ancestors, the kings who lived before you. They will say, "Oh, master," as they mourn for you. I have spoken my word, declares the LORD.'"


text:
 He did this when the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the cities of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities of Judah that were left.


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves.


text:
 Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave.


text:
 All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free.


text:
 But afterwards, they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again.


text:
 "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: I put a condition on the promise I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said,


text:
 'Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free.' But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me.


text:
 Recently, you changed and did what I consider right. You agreed to free your neighbors, and you made a promise in my presence, in the temple that is called by my name.


text:
 Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and female slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: You didn't obey me. You haven't freed your relatives and neighbors. Now I am going to free you," declares the LORD. "I will free you to die in wars, plagues, and famines. I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified at the thought of you.


text:
 I will hand over the people who have rejected my promise. They have not kept the terms of the promise which they made in my presence when they cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces.


text:
 I will hand over the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the palace officials, the priests, and all the common people who passed between the pieces of the calf.


text:
 I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them, and their corpses will be food for birds and wild animals.


text:
 I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them and to the army of the king of Babylon, the army that has withdrawn from you.


text:
 I am going to give a command," declares the LORD. "I will bring that army back to this city to attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one will live there."


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah during the reign of Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah of Judah. He said,


text:
 "Go to the family of Rechab and talk to them. Take them into one of the side rooms in the LORD's temple, and offer them a drink of wine."


text:
 I took Jaazaniah, who was the son of Jeremiah and the grandson of Habazziniah, and I took Jaazaniah's brothers and all his sons-the whole family of Rechab.


text:
 I brought them into the LORD's temple, into the side room of the sons of Hanan. (He was Igdaliah's son, the man of God.) It was next to the room of the officials and above the side room of Maaseiah, Shallum's son, the doorkeeper.


text:
 Then I set cups and pitchers filled with wine in front of the family of Rechab. I said to them, "Drink some wine."


text:
 They answered, "We don't drink wine, because our ancestor Jonadab, Rechab's son, gave us this order: 'You and your descendants must never drink wine.


text:
 Never build any houses or plant any fields or vineyards. You must never have any of these things. You must always live in tents so that you may live for a long time in the land where you are staying.'


text:
 We, along with our wives, sons, and daughters, have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab, Rechab's son, in everything he ordered us to do. We have never drunk wine,


text:
 But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded this land, we said, 'Let's go to Jerusalem [to escape] the Babylonian and Aramean armies.' That's why we are living in Jerusalem."


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Tell the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem, 'Won't you ever learn your lesson and obey my words? declares the LORD.


text:
 Jonadab, Rechab's son, ordered his descendants not to drink wine. This order has been carried out. His descendants have not drunk any wine to this day, because they have obeyed their ancestor's order. I have spoken to you again and again, but you have refused to listen to me.


text:
 I have sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again. They said, "Turn from your evil ways, do what is right, and don't follow other gods in order to serve them. Then you will live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors." However, you refused to listen to me or obey me.


text:
 The descendants of Jonadab, Rechab's son, have carried out the orders of their ancestor, but you refuse to listen to me.


text:
 " 'This is what the LORD God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring on Judah and on all those who live in Jerusalem all the disasters that I threatened. I have spoken to them, but they didn't listen. I called to them, but they didn't answer.'"


text:
 Then Jeremiah said to the family of Rechab, "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You obeyed the order of your ancestor Jonadab, followed all his instructions, and did exactly what he told you to do.


text:
 So this is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: A descendant of Jonadab, Rechab's son, will always serve me."


text:
 In the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah of Judah, the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said,


text:
 "Take a scroll, and write on it everything that I have dictated to you about Israel, Judah, and all the other nations from the time I spoke to you during the reign of Josiah until today.


text:
 Maybe the nation of Judah will hear about all the disasters that I plan to bring on them, and they will turn from their wicked ways. Then I will forgive their wickedness and their sins."


text:
 Then Jeremiah called Baruch, son of Neriah. Jeremiah dictated everything that the LORD had told him, and Baruch wrote it all down on a scroll.


text:
 On a day of fasting, you must read from the scroll the LORD's message that you wrote as I dictated. You must read it to the people in the LORD's temple. You must also read it to all the people of Judah when they come from their cities.


text:
 Maybe their prayers will come into the LORD's presence, and they will turn from their evil ways. The LORD has threatened these people with his terrifying anger and fury."


text:
 Baruch, son of Neriah, did as the prophet Jeremiah commanded him. In the LORD's temple he read from the scroll everything that the LORD had said.


text:
 In the ninth month of the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah of Judah, a time for fasting was called. It was a time for all the people in Jerusalem and for everyone who was coming from any city in Judah to Jerusalem to fast in the LORD's presence.


text:
 Then Baruch read the scroll containing the words of Jeremiah. Baruch read it to all the people in the LORD's temple in the room of the scribe Gemariah, son of Shaphan, in the upper courtyard at the entrance of New Gate of the LORD's temple.


text:
 Micaiah, who was the son of Gemariah and the grandson of Shaphan, heard Baruch read from the scroll everything the LORD had said.


text:
 Then he went down to the scribe's room in the king's palace where all the scribes were sitting. The scribe Elishama, Delaiah (son of Shemaiah), Elnathan (son of Achbor), Gemariah (son of Shaphan), Zedekiah (son of Hananiah), and all the other officials were there.


text:
 Then all the officials sent Jehudi, who was the son of Nethaniah, the grandson of Shelemiah, and the great-grandson of Cushi, to Baruch. Jehudi said to Baruch, "Bring the scroll that you read publicly, and come with me." Baruch, son of Neriah, took the scroll and went with him to see the officers.


text:
 When they heard everything, they turned to each other in terror. They said to Baruch, "We must tell the king everything."


text:
 After they put the scroll in the side room of the scribe Elishama, they went to the king in the courtyard and told him everything.


text:
 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. He took the scroll from the side room of the scribe Elishama. Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials standing by the king.


text:
 It was the ninth month, and the king was in his winter house sitting in front of the fire in the fireplace.


text:
 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a scribe's knife and throw them into the fire in the fireplace. He did this until the whole scroll was burned up.


text:
 The king and all his attendants didn't show any fear or tear their clothes in fear when they heard everything being read.


text:
 Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he refused to listen to them.


text:
 The king commanded Jerahmeel (the king's son), Seraiah (son of Azriel), and Shelemiah (son of Abdeel) to arrest the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But the LORD had hidden Baruch and Jeremiah.


text:
 After the king burned up the scroll that Baruch had written and that Jeremiah had dictated, the LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said,


text:
 "Take another scroll, and write on it everything that was written on the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah burned.


text:
 Say about King Jehoiakim of Judah, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned this scroll, and you asked Jeremiah, "Why did you write that the king of Babylon will certainly come to destroy this land and take away people and animals?"


text:
 This is what the LORD says about King Jehoiakim of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David's throne, and his own corpse will be thrown out and exposed to the heat of day and the cold of night.


text:
 I will punish him, his descendants, and his attendants for their wickedness. They refused to listen. So I will bring on them, on those who live in Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah all the disasters that I have threatened.'"


text:
 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch, son of Neriah. As Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it everything that was on the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned. They added many similar messages.


text:
 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Zedekiah, son of Josiah, to be king of Judah. Zedekiah succeeded Jehoiakin, son of Jehoiakim.


text:
 But Zedekiah, his administrators, and the common people didn't listen to what the LORD had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah.


text:
 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal (son of Shelemiah) and the priest Zephaniah (son of Maaseiah) to the prophet Jeremiah. They asked him, "Please pray to the LORD our God for us."


text:
 Jeremiah was still free to come and go among the people. The people of Jerusalem hadn't put him in prison yet.


text:
 Pharaoh's army had come from Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were blockading Jerusalem heard this news, they retreated from Jerusalem.


text:
 "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to get advice from me: 'Pharaoh's army has come out to help you. But it will go back to Egypt, its own land.


text:
 " 'This is what the LORD says: Don't deceive yourselves by thinking that the Babylonians will leave you. They will not leave you.


text:
 Even if you would defeat the entire Babylonian army so that they had only a few badly wounded men left in their tents, they would get up and burn down this city.'"


text:
 So Jeremiah wanted to leave Jerusalem and go to the territory of Benjamin to take possession of his property there among the people.


text:
 But when he came to Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard there, whose name was Irijah, son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah, arrested the prophet Jeremiah. He said, "You're deserting to the Babylonians!"


text:
 Jeremiah answered, "That's a lie! I'm not deserting to the Babylonians." But Irijah wouldn't listen to him. Irijah arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officials.


text:
 The officials were so angry with Jeremiah that they beat him and put him in prison in the scribe Jonathan's house, which had been turned into a prison.


text:
 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, and the king asked him privately in the palace, "Is there any message from the LORD?" Jeremiah answered, "Yes! There is a message from the LORD. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon."


text:
 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, "What crime have I committed against you, your administrators, or these people? Why have you put me in prison?


text:
 But now, Your Majesty, please listen, and accept my plea for mercy. Don't return me to the scribe Jonathan's house, or I will die there."


text:
 King Zedekiah gave the command to have Jeremiah put in the courtyard of the prison. He gave him a loaf of bread every day from the bakers' street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the prison.


text:
 Shephatiah (son of Mattan), Gedaliah (son of Pashhur), Jucal (son of Shelemiah), and Pashhur (son of Malchiah) heard that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people.


text:
 They heard Jeremiah say, "This is what the LORD says: Those who stay in this city will die in wars, famines, or plagues. But those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.


text:
 "This is what the LORD says: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, and it will capture the city."


text:
 Then the officials said to the king, "Have this man put to death. He discourages the soldiers who are left in this city and all the people by telling them such things. This man is not trying to help these people; he's trying to hurt them."


text:
 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son. It was in the courtyard of the prison. They used ropes to lower Jeremiah into the cistern. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.


text:
 But an official in the royal palace, Ebed Melech from Sudan, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. The king happened to be sitting at Benjamin Gate.


text:
 "Your Majesty, everything that these men have done to the prophet Jeremiah is wrong. They have thrown him into the cistern, where he'll starve to death, because there's no more bread in the city."


text:
 Then the king gave Ebed Melech from Sudan this command: "Take 30 men from here, and lift the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies."


text:
 So Ebed Melech took the men with him and went to the royal palace, to a room under the treasury. He took rags and torn clothes from there and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.


text:
 Ebed Melech from Sudan said to Jeremiah, "Put these rags and torn clothes under your arms to protect you from the ropes." Jeremiah did.


text:
 They used the ropes to pull Jeremiah up and lift him out of the cistern. Then Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the prison.


text:
 King Zedekiah sent for the prophet Jeremiah and brought him to the third entrance in the LORD's temple. "I'm going to ask you a question," the king said to Jeremiah. "Don't hide anything from me."


text:
 Jeremiah answered Zedekiah, "If I answer you, you'll kill me. If I give you advice, you won't listen to me."


text:
 So King Zedekiah secretly swore an oath to Jeremiah, "The LORD gave us life. As the LORD lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to these men who want to kill you."


text:
 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you will live, and this city will not be burned. You and your household will live.


text:
 But if you don't surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians. They will burn it down, and you will not escape from them."


text:
 King Zedekiah answered Jeremiah, "I'm afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Babylonians. The Babylonians may hand me over to them, and they will torture me."


text:
 Jeremiah said, "You will not be handed over to them. Obey the LORD by doing what I'm telling you. Then everything will go well for you, and you will live.


text:
 All the women who are left in the palace of Judah's king will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon. These women will say: 'Your trusted friends have misled you and used you. Your feet are stuck in the mud, and your friends have deserted you.'


text:
 "All your wives and children will be brought to the Babylonians. You will not escape from them. You will be captured by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down."


text:
 The officials may find out that I've been talking with you. They may come to you and say, 'Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you. Don't hide anything from us, or we'll kill you.'


text:
 If they come to you, say to them, 'I asked the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.'"


text:
 All the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. He told them exactly what the king had told him to say. So they stopped questioning him, because they hadn't heard his conversation with the king.


text:
 In the tenth month of Zedekiah's ninth year as king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked Jerusalem with his entire army and blockaded it.


text:
 On the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year as king, they broke into the city.


text:
 Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat in Middle Gate: Nergal (the quartermaster), Samgar Nebo (the chief officer), Nergal (the quartermaster and the chief fortuneteller), and all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon.


text:
 When King Zedekiah of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled. They left the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls, and they took the road to the plain [of Jericho].


text:
 The Babylonian army pursued them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plain of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him to Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. The king of Babylon passed sentence on him.


text:
 The king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons as Zedekiah watched at Riblah. He also slaughtered all the leaders of Judah.


text:
 The Babylonians burned down the royal palace and the people's homes, and they tore down the walls of Jerusalem.


text:
 Nebuzaradan, Babylon's captain of the guard, captured the few people left in the city, those who surrendered to him, and the rest of the people.


text:
 But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left some poor people who had nothing in the land of Judah. At that time he gave them vineyards and farms.


text:
 Nebuzaradan (the captain of the guard), Nebushazban (the chief official), Nergal (the quartermaster and the chief fortuneteller), and all the other leaders of the king of Babylon sent for Jeremiah.


text:
 They took Jeremiah out of the courtyard of the prison and handed him over to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, to take him home. So he lived among the people.


text:
 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the prison, the LORD spoke his word to him. The LORD said,


text:
 "Say to Ebed Melech from Sudan, 'This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to carry out my threat against this city by bringing disaster on it instead of prosperity. At that time these things will happen as you watch.


text:
 But at that time I will rescue you, declares the LORD. You will not be handed over to those you fear.


text:
 I will certainly rescue you. You will not die in war. You will escape with your life because you trusted me, declares the LORD.'"


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, let him go at Ramah. Nebuzaradan found Jeremiah in chains along with the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken to Babylon.


text:
 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah aside and said to him, "The LORD your God threatened to bring this disaster on this place.


text:
 He has carried out his threat. The LORD did as he promised because you Israelites have sinned against him and refused to obey him. That is why this has happened to you.


text:
 Today I'm removing the chains from your hands. If you would like to come with me to Babylon, come, and I'll look after you. But if you don't want to come with me to Babylon, don't come. The whole land is yours. Go wherever you want.


text:
 "If you wish to remain, then go back to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed to govern the cities of Judah. Live among the people with him, or go anywhere you want." The captain of the guard gave Jeremiah some food and a present and let him go.


text:
 Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, at Mizpah and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.


text:
 All the army commanders and their men who were in the field heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, to govern the country and some of the country's poorest men, women, and children who had not been taken away to Babylon.


text:
 These are the commanders who went with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael (son of Nethaniah), Johanan and Jonathan (sons of Kareah), Seraiah (son of Tanhumeth), the sons of Ephai from Netophah, and Jezaniah, who was the son of a man from Maacah.


text:
 Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men. He said, "Don't be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Live in this country, serve the king of Babylon, and you will prosper.


text:
 I'm going to live in Mizpah and represent you when the Babylonians come to us. Gather grapes, summer fruit, and olive oil, and put them in storage jars. Live in the cities you have taken over."


text:
 Now, all the Jews who were in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and in all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few survivors in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, to govern them.


text:
 So all the Jews returned from all the places where they had been scattered. They came to Judah and to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They gathered a large harvest of grapes and summer fruit.


text:
 Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were still in the country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.


text:
 They asked him, "Do you know that King Baalis of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael, Nethaniah's son, to kill you?" However, Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, didn't believe them.


text:
 Then Johanan, Kareah's son, secretly asked Gedaliah at Mizpah, "Let me kill Ishmael, Nethaniah's son. No one will know about it. Why should he kill you? All the Jews who have gathered around you would scatter. What is left of Judah would disappear."


text:
 Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, told Johanan, Kareah's son, "Don't do that! What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie."


text:
 In the seventh month Ishmael (son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, a descendant of the royal family and of the king's officers) went with ten men to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. As they ate together at Mizpah,


text:
 Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him got up, drew their swords, and killed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. So they assassinated the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.


text:
 Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah as well as the Babylonian soldiers that he found there.


text:
 80 men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved off, their clothes were torn, and cuts were on their bodies. They brought grain offerings and incense to the LORD's temple.


text:
 Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, left Mizpah to meet them, crying as he went. When he met them, he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam."


text:
 When they came into the city, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, and his men slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.


text:
 However, ten men from the group had said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey hidden in the country." So he left them alone and didn't kill them along with the others.


text:
 Now, the cistern where Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had killed was the same one that King Asa made as a part of his defense against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, filled it with the bodies.


text:
 Then Ishmael took captive the rest of the people who were at Mizpah. He captured the king's daughters and all the other people who had been left at Mizpah. They were the people whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had put under the control of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam. Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, took them captive and left for Ammon.


text:
 When Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, had done,


text:
 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael. They caught up with him at the large pool in Gibeon.


text:
 When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were with him, they were glad.


text:
 Then Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were with him brought back the rest of the people of Mizpah whom he had rescued from Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam. Johanan brought back men, women, children, soldiers, and commanders from Gibeon.


text:
 They were afraid of the Babylonians because Ishmael had killed Gedaliah whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.


text:
 Then all the army commanders along with Kareah's son Johanan and Hoshaiah's son Jezaniah and all the people, from the least important to the most important, came to the prophet Jeremiah.


text:
 They said to him, "Please listen to our request, and pray to the LORD your God for all of us who are left here. As you can see, there are only a few of us left.


text:
 The prophet Jeremiah answered them, "I have listened to your request. I will pray to the LORD your God as you have requested, and I will tell you everything the LORD says. I won't keep anything from you."


text:
 They said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we don't do exactly what the LORD your God tells us to do.


text:
 We will obey the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, whether it's good or bad. Yes, we will obey the LORD our God so that everything will go well for us."


text:
 So Jeremiah called Kareah's son Johanan, all the army commanders who were with him, and all the people from the least important to the most important.


text:
 Jeremiah said to them, "You sent me to plead your case humbly to the LORD. This is what the LORD God of Israel says:


text:
 Suppose you stay in this land. Then I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not uproot you. I will change my plans about the disaster I've brought on you.


text:
 Don't be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Don't be afraid of him, declares the LORD. I'm with you. I will save you and rescue you from his power.


text:
 Then you say, 'We'll go to Egypt, where we won't have to see war, hear the sound of a ram's horn, or be hungry. We'll stay there.'


text:
 "Now, listen to the word of the LORD, you people who are left in Judah. This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Suppose you're determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there.


text:
 Then the wars you fear will catch up with you in Egypt. The famines you dread will follow you to Egypt, and you will die there.


text:
 So all the people who decide to go and live in Egypt will die in wars, famines, and plagues. No one will survive or escape the disasters I will bring on them.


text:
 "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: As my anger and my fury were poured out on those who live in Jerusalem, so my fury will be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become a curse word. You will become something ridiculed, cursed, and disgraced. You won't see this place again.


text:
 "The LORD has told you people who are left in Judah not to go to Egypt. You need to know that I am warning you today.


text:
 You only deceived yourselves when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us, and tell us everything that the LORD our God says, and we'll do it.'


text:
 But now, you need to know that you will die in wars, famines, or plagues in the place where you want to go and live."


text:
 So Jeremiah finished telling all the people the message from the LORD their God. He told them everything the LORD their God sent him to tell them.


text:
 Azariah (son of Hoshaiah), Johanan (son of Kareah), and all the arrogant people said to Jeremiah, "You're lying! The LORD our God didn't send you to tell us that we must not go to live in Egypt.


text:
 But Baruch, son of Neriah, has turned you against us in order to hand us over to the Babylonians. Then they will kill us or take us as captives to Babylon."


text:
 So Johanan (son of Kareah), all the army commanders, and all the people didn't obey the LORD. They didn't stay in Judah.


text:
 Johanan (son of Kareah) and all the army commanders took all the people who were left in Judah to Egypt. These were all the people who had come back to Judah from the places where they had been scattered.


text:
 They took men, women, children, and the king's daughters. They took every person whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, including the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch, son of Neriah.


text:
 "Take some large stones, and bury them under the brick pavement at the entrance to the Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes. Do this while the people of Judah watch you.


text:
 Say to them, 'This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to send for my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones that I buried, and I will spread his royal canopy above them.


text:
 He will defeat Egypt. He will bring death to those who are supposed to die. He will capture those who are supposed to be captured. He will kill in battle those who are supposed to be killed in battle.


text:
 He will set fire to the temples of Egypt's gods. He will burn down the temples and take their gods captive. Nebuchadnezzar will put on Egypt as his coat as a shepherd puts on his coat. He will leave Egypt peacefully.


text:
 The LORD spoke his word to Jeremiah about all the Jews living in Egypt at Migdol, Tahpanhes, Noph, and Pathros.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disasters I brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah. Today they are deserted ruins.


text:
 It is because their people did evil, and they made me angry. They went to burn incense and serve other gods that neither you nor your ancestors heard of.


text:
 I have sent my servants the prophets to you again and again to tell you not to do these detestable things that I hate.


text:
 But you wouldn't listen or pay attention. You wouldn't turn from your wicked ways and wouldn't stop burning incense as an offering to other gods.


text:
 That is why my fury and anger were poured out and continued to burn in the cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. So they became the desolate ruin that they are today.


text:
 Now, this is what the LORD God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Why do you bring this terrible disaster on yourselves? Why do you keep destroying men, women, children, and babies from Judah until none are left?


text:
 Why do you make me angry by burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live. You will destroy yourselves and be cursed and ridiculed by all the nations on earth.


text:
 Have you forgotten the wicked things done by your ancestors, by the kings of Judah and their wives, and by you and your wives in Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem?


text:
 You have not humbled yourselves even to this day. You haven't feared me or lived your lives by my teachings or by my decrees that I gave your ancestors.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to bring disaster on you and destroy all of Judah.


text:
 I will take away from Judah those who are left, those who were determined to go to live in Egypt. They will die in Egypt. All of them, from the least important to the most important, will die in wars or be brought to an end by famines. They will become something cursed, ridiculed, and disgraced.


text:
 None of the people of Judah who went to live in Egypt will survive or return to Judah, where they long to return and live. Only a few refugees will return there.


text:
 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, all the women who were standing there, and all the people who lived at Pathros in Egypt answered Jeremiah. They said,


text:
 We will do everything we said we would do. We will burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out wine offerings to her as our ancestors, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. We had plenty to eat then, and we lived comfortably and saw no disaster.


text:
 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out wine offerings to her, we have had nothing but wars and famines."


text:
 The women added, "When we burned incense to the queen of heaven, poured out wine offerings to her, and made cakes for her with her image on them, do you think our husbands didn't approve?"


text:
 "Doesn't the LORD remember that you burned incense in the cities of Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem along with your ancestors, your kings and your officials, and the people in the land?


text:
 The LORD could no longer bear the wicked and detestable things you did. That is why your land has become something ruined, destroyed, and cursed. No one lives in that land today.


text:
 You burned incense as offerings to other gods, sinned against the LORD, and wouldn't obey him. You didn't live by his teachings, decrees, or written instructions. That is why you have met with this disaster as it is today."


text:
 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, "Listen to the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who are in Egypt.


text:
 This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives made promises, and you have kept them. You said, 'We will certainly do what we vow. We will burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out wine offerings to her.' "So go ahead. Keep your vows, and do what you vow.


text:
 But listen to the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who live in Egypt. 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah who lives anywhere in Egypt will ever again call on my name and take the oath, "As the Almighty LORD lives."


text:
 I am going to watch over them. I am going to watch over them to bring disasters, not blessings. In Egypt the people from Judah will die in wars and famines until everyone is gone.


text:
 Those who escape the wars will return to Judah from Egypt. Then all the people of Judah who went to live in Egypt will know whose words have come true, mine or theirs.


text:
 I will give you this sign,' declares the LORD. 'I will punish you in this place so that you will know that my threats of disaster will happen to you.


text:
 This is what the LORD says: I'm going to hand Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, over to his enemies and to those who want to kill him, just as I handed over King Zedekiah of Judah to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to those who wanted to kill him.'"


text:
 This is the message that the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch, son of Neriah. Baruch wrote these things on a scroll as Jeremiah dictated them during the fourth year that Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, was king of Judah. Jeremiah said,


text:
 You said, 'I'm so miserable! The LORD has added grief to my pain. I'm worn out from groaning. I can't find any rest.'


text:
 "Say this to Baruch, 'This is what the LORD says: I will tear down what I have built. I will uproot what I have planted throughout the earth.


