# verses

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Those who trust in their riches will fall. But those who do right will be as healthy as a green leaf.


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Those who bring trouble on their families will receive nothing but wind. And foolish people will serve wise people.


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The fruit that godly people bear is like a tree of life. And those who lead others to do what is right are wise.


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Godly people get what they should get on earth. So ungodly people and sinners will certainly get what they should get!


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If a man does what is evil, he can't become strong and steady. But if people do what is right, they can't be removed from the land.


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The words of those who are evil hide and wait to spill people's blood. But the speech of those who are honest saves them from traps like that.


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Those who do what is right take good care of their animals. But the kindest acts of those who do wrong are mean.


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Those who do what is wrong want to steal from others. But those who do what is right bear good fruit because of their deep roots.


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There are lies in the hearts of those who plan evil. But there is joy for those who work to bring peace.


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Wise people keep their knowledge to themselves. But the hearts of foolish people shout foolish things.


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Godly people are careful about the friends they choose. But the way of sinners leads them down the wrong path.


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Anyone who refuses to work doesn't even cook what he catches. But a man who works hard values what he has.


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A wise child pays attention to what his father teaches him. But anyone who makes fun of others doesn't listen to warnings.


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Anyone who guards what he says guards his life. But anyone who speaks without thinking will be destroyed.


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People who refuse to work want things and get nothing. But the longings of people who work hard are completely satisfied.


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Money that is gained in the wrong way disappears. But money that is gathered little by little grows.


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Anyone who hates what he is taught will pay for it later. But a person who respects a command will be rewarded.


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The teaching of wise people is like a fountain that gives life. It turns those who listen to it away from the jaws of death.


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Wise people act in keeping with the knowledge they have. But foolish people show how foolish they are.


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Those who turn away from their training become poor and ashamed. But those who accept warnings are honored.


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A longing that is met is like something that tastes sweet. But foolish people hate to turn away from evil.


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A good person leaves what he owns to his children and grandchildren. But a sinner's wealth is stored up for those who do right.


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Those who don't correct their children hate them. But those who love them are careful to train them.


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Those who make fun of others look for wisdom and don't find it. But knowledge comes easily to those who understand what is right.


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People are wise and understanding when they think about the way they live. But people are foolish when their foolish ways trick them.


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Foolish people laugh at making things right when they sin. But honest people try to do the right thing.


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Those who aren't faithful will be paid back for what they've done. And good men will receive rewards for how they've lived.


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A wise person has respect for the Lord and avoids evil. But a foolish person gets mad and is thoughtless.


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Childish people act in keeping with their foolish ways. But knowledge makes wise people feel like kings.


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Evil people will bow down in front of good people. And those who do wrong will bow down at the gates of those who do right.


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The wealth of wise people is their crown. But the foolish ways of foolish people lead to what is foolish.


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Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish he is.


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Anyone who crushes poor people makes fun of their Maker. But anyone who is kind to those in need honors God.


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When trouble comes, sinners are brought down. But godly people have a safe place even when they die.


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Wisdom rests in the hearts of those who understand what is right. And even among foolish people she makes herself known.


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The tongues of wise people use knowledge well. But the mouths of foolish people pour out foolish words.


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A tongue that brings healing is like a tree of life. But a tongue that tells lies produces a broken spirit.


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A foolish person turns his back on how his father has trained him. But anyone who accepts being corrected shows understanding.


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The houses of those who do what is right hold great wealth. But those who do what is wrong earn only trouble.


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Hard training is in store for anyone who leaves the right path. A person who hates to be corrected will die.


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Death and the Grave lie open in front of the Lord. So the hearts of mere men certainly lie open to him!


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A heart that understands what is right looks for knowledge. But the mouths of foolish people feed on what is foolish.


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All the days of those who are crushed are filled with pain and suffering. But a cheerful heart enjoys a good time that never ends.


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The way of people who don't want to work is blocked with thorns. But the path of honest people is a wide road.


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A person who has no sense enjoys doing foolish things. But a man who has understanding walks straight ahead.


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Anyone who always wants more brings trouble to his family. But a person who refuses to be paid off will live.


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The hearts of those who do right think about how they will answer. But the mouths of those who do wrong pour out evil.


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Anyone who turns away from his training hates himself. But anyone who accepts being corrected gains understanding.


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Having respect for the Lord teaches you how to live wisely. So don't be proud if you want to be honored.


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The Lord works everything out for his own purposes. Even those who do wrong were made for a day of trouble.


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A king might speak as if his words come from God. But what he says should not turn right into wrong.


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A king hates it when his people do what is wrong. A ruler is made secure when they do what is right.


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Suppose you are lowly in spirit and are with those who are beaten down. That's better than sharing stolen goods with those who are proud.


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If anyone pays attention to what he is taught, he will succeed. Blessed is the person who puts his trust in the Lord.


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Wise hearts are known for understanding what is right. Pleasant words make people want to learn more.


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Understanding is like a fountain of life to those who have it. But foolish people are punished for the foolish things they do.


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When he winks with his eyes, he is planning to do wrong. When his lips are tightly closed, he is up to no good.


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It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet than to eat a big dinner in a house that is full of fighting.


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A wise servant will rule over a shameful child. He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member.


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Anyone who laughs at those who are poor makes fun of their Maker. Anyone who is happy when others suffer will be punished.


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Those who erase a sin by forgiving it show love. But those who talk about it come between close friends.


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A person who understands what is right learns more from just a warning than a foolish person learns from 100 strokes with a whip.


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It is better to meet a bear whose cubs have been stolen than to meet a foolish person who is acting foolishly.


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The Lord hates two things. He hates it when the guilty are set free. He also hates it when those who aren't guilty are punished.


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A man who has little sense agrees to pay what other people owe. It isn't wise to put up money for others.


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The one who loves to argue loves to sin. The one who builds a high gate is just asking to be destroyed.


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Anyone who understands what is right keeps wisdom in view. But the eyes of a foolish person look everywhere else.


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It isn't good to punish those who aren't guilty. It isn't good to whip officials just because they are honest.


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We think even a foolish person is wise if he keeps silent. We think he understands what is right if he controls his tongue.


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The words of a person's mouth are like deep water. But the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.


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It isn't good to favor those who do wrong. And it isn't good to hold back what is fair from those who aren't guilty.


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The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you.


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The wealth of rich people is like a city that makes them feel safe. They think of it as a city with walls that can't be climbed.


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A man's cheerful heart gives him strength when he is sick. You can't keep going if you have a broken spirit.


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Those whose hearts understand what is right get knowledge. The ears of those who are wise listen for it.


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A broken friendship is harder to deal with than a city that has high walls around it. And arguing is like the locked gates of a mighty city.


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Your tongue has the power of life and death. Those who love to talk will eat the fruit of their words.


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Even a man who has many companions can be destroyed. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.


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It isn't good to get all stirred up without knowledge. And it isn't good to be in a hurry and miss the way.


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A poor person is avoided by his whole family. His friends avoid him even more. The poor person runs after them to beg. But he can't find them.


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It isn't proper for a foolish person to live in great comfort. And it is much worse when a slave rules over princes!


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Those who obey what they are taught guard their lives. But those who don't care how they live will die.


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A person who doesn't want to work leaves his hand in the dish. He won't even bring it back up to his mouth!


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If you whip a person who makes fun of others, childish people will learn to be wise. If you warn someone who already understands what is right, he will gain even more knowledge.


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My son, if you stop listening to what I teach you, you will wander away from the words of knowledge.


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Wine causes you to make fun of others, and beer causes you to start fights. Anyone who is led down the wrong path by them is not wise.


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Anyone who refuses to work doesn't plow in the right season. When he looks for a crop at harvest time, he doesn't find it.


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The Lord hates two things. He hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are. He also hates measures that measure things larger or smaller than they really are.


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Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes. Hold it until you get paid back if he does it for a woman who commits adultery.


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Don't say, "I'll get even with you for the wrong you did to me!" Wait for the Lord, and he will save you.


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The Lord hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are. Scales that are not honest don't please him.


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The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it like a stream of water anywhere he pleases.


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When you punish someone who makes fun of others, childish people get wise. If you teach a person who is already wise, he will get even more knowledge.


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Those who do what is evil pay the price for setting godly people free. Those who aren't faithful pay the price for honest people.


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The best food and olive oil are stored up in the houses of wise people. But a foolish man eats up everything he has.


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Those who are wise can attack a strong city. They can pull down the place of safety its people trust in.


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God hates sacrifices that are brought by evil people. He hates it even more when they bring them for the wrong reason.


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You should want a good name more than you want great riches. To be highly respected is better than having silver or gold.


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Thorns and traps lie in the paths of evil people. But those who guard themselves stay far away from them.


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Anyone who plants evil gathers a harvest of trouble. His power to beat others down will be destroyed.


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If you drive away those who make fun of others, fighting also goes away. Arguing and unkind words will stop.


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The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge. But he does away with the words of those who aren't faithful.


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People who don't want to work say, "There's a lion outside!" Or they say, "I'll be murdered if I go out into the streets!"


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The mouth of a woman who commits adultery is like a deep pit. Any man the Lord is angry with will fall into it.


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A child is going to do foolish things. But correcting him will drive his foolishness far away from him.


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One person may beat poor people down in order to get rich. Another person may give gifts to rich people. Both of them will become poor.


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Pay attention and listen to the sayings of those who are wise. Apply your heart to the sayings I teach.


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I am teaching you words that are completely true. Then you can give the right answers to the one who sent you.


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Don't take advantage of poor people just because they are poor. Don't beat down those who are in need by taking them to court.


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The Lord will stand up for them in court. He will take back the stolen goods from those who have robbed them.


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Don't be a friend with anyone who burns with anger. Don't go around with a person who gets angry easily.


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Don't put up money for him. If you don't have the money to pay, your bed will be taken right out from under you!


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When you take even a quick look at riches, they are gone. They grow wings and fly away into the sky like an eagle.


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He is the kind of person who is always thinking about how much it costs. "Eat and drink," he says to you. But he doesn't mean it.


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Don't move old boundary stones. Don't try to take over the fields of children whose fathers have died.


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Those who drink or eat too much will become poor. If they sleep too much, they'll have to wear rags.


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Who has trouble? Who has sorrow? Who argues? Who has problems? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?


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Don't look at wine when it is red. Don't look at it when it bubbles in the cup. And don't look at it when it goes down smoothly.


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You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean. You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat.


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"They hit me," you will say. "But I'm not hurt! They beat me. But I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?"


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Wisdom is too high for anyone who is foolish. He has nothing to say when people meet at the city gate to conduct business.


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Don't say, "But we didn't know anything about this." The One who knows what you are thinking sees it. The One who guards your life knows it. He will pay each person back for what he has done.


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I want you to know that wisdom is sweet to you. If you find it, there is hope for you tomorrow. So your hope will not be cut off.


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Even if godly people fall down seven times, they always get up. But those who are evil are brought down by trouble.


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A curse will fall on those who say the guilty are not guilty. Nations will call down curses on them. People will speak against them.


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I went past the field of someone who didn't want to work. I went past the vineyard of a man who didn't have any sense.


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These are more proverbs of Solomon. They were copied down by the men of Hezekiah, the king of Judah.


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The heavens are high and the earth is deep. In the same way, the minds of kings are hard to figure out.


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Remove sinful people from where the king is. When he does what is right, his kingdom will be secure.


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Let the king say to you, "Come up here." That's better than for him to shame you in front of nobles. What you have seen with your own eyes


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A messenger trusted by those who send him is like cool snow at harvest time. He renews the spirit of his masters.


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You may sing songs to a troubled heart. But that's like taking a coat away on a cold day. It's like pouring vinegar on baking soda.


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Sometimes a godly person gives in to those who are evil. Then he becomes like a muddy spring of water or a polluted well.


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It isn't proper to honor a foolish person. That's like having snow in summer or rain at harvest time.


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Don't answer a foolish person in keeping with his foolish acts. If you do, you will be like him yourself.


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Answer a foolish person in keeping with his foolish acts. If you do, he won't be wise in his own eyes.


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Sending a message in the hand of a foolish person is like cutting off your feet or drinking something harmful.


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Anyone who hires a foolish person or someone who is passing by is like a person who shoots arrows at just anybody.


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A foolish person who does the same foolish things again is like a dog that returns to where it has thrown up.


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A person who doesn't want to work says, "There's a lion in the road! There's an angry lion wandering in the streets!"


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A person who doesn't want to work leaves his hand in the dish. He acts as if he is too tired to bring it back up to his mouth.


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A person who doesn't want to work is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who give careful answers.


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Don't get mixed up in someone else's fight as you are passing by. That's like picking a dog up by its ears.


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Someone who wants to hurt you uses his words to hide his hatred. But his heart is full of lies that cover up his evil plans.


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What a person says can be charming. But don't believe him. Seven things that God hates can fill that person's heart.


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Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth. Let someone else praise you, and not your own lips.


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Stones are heavy. Sand weighs a lot. But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them.


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Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart. And a friend is sweeter when he gives you honest advice.


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Don't desert your friend or your father's friend. And don't go to your family when trouble strikes you. A neighbor nearby is better than a family member far away.


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Suppose you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning. Then you might as well be calling down a curse on him.


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A person who takes good care of a fig tree will eat its fruit. And a person who looks after his master will be honored.


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When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face. When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like.


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You can grind a foolish person in a mill. You can grind him as you would grind grain with a tool. But you can't remove his foolishness from him.


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Then your lambs will provide you with clothes. And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field.


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You will have plenty of goats' milk. It will feed you and your family. It will also feed your female servants.


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Sinners run away even when no one is chasing them. But those who do what is right are as bold as lions.


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A country has many rulers when its people don't obey. But an understanding king knows how to keep order.


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A child who obeys the law understands what is right. But a child who likes to eat too much brings shame on his father.


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A person who increases his wealth by charging high interest piles it up for someone who will be kind to poor people.


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Those who lead honest people down an evil path will fall into their own trap. But those who are without blame will receive good things.


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Rich people may be wise in their own eyes. But a poor person who understands what is right knows what they are really like.


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Anyone who hides his sins doesn't succeed. But anyone who admits his sins and gives them up finds mercy.


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Blessed is the one who always has respect for the Lord. But anyone who is stubborn will get into trouble.


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A ruler who is mean to his people doesn't have any sense. But anyone who hates money gained in the wrong way will enjoy a long life.


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A man who is troubled because he is guilty of murder will be on the run until the day he dies. No one should give him any help.


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It is better to warn a man than to pretend to praise him. In the end he will be more pleased with you.


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Those who give to poor people will have everything they need. But those who close their eyes to the poor will be under many curses.


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When those who are evil take charge, other people hide. But when those who are evil die, godly people grow stronger.


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A man who still won't obey after being warned many times will suddenly be destroyed. Nothing can save him.


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When those who do right grow stronger, the people are glad. But when those who do wrong become rulers, the people groan.


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A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad. But a man who spends time with prostitutes wastes his father's wealth.


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By doing what is fair, a king makes a country secure. But the one who wants to be paid off tears it down.


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Those who do what is right want to treat poor people fairly. But those who do what is wrong don't care about the poor.


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Suppose a wise man goes to court with a foolish person. Then the foolish person gets mad and pokes fun. And there is no peace.


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The Lord gives sight to the eyes of poor people and those who beat others down. That's what they both have in common.


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Where there is no message from God, the people don't control themselves. But blessed are those who obey the law.


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Have you seen a man who speaks without thinking? There is more hope for foolish people than for him.


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These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. He spoke them as if they came from God. He spoke them to Ithiel and to Ucal.


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Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the palms of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his coat? Who has set all the boundaries of the earth in place? What is his name? What is his son's name? Tell me if you know!


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Keep lies far away from me. Don't make me either poor or rich, but give me only the bread I need each day.


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If you don't, I might have too much. Then I might say I don't know you. I might say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I might become poor and steal. Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.


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"Don't tell lies about a servant when you talk to his master. If you do, he will call down curses on you. And you will pay for it.


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Some people have teeth like swords. The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives. They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth. They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy.


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"A bloodsucking worm has two daughters. They cry out, 'Give! Give!' "Three things are never satisfied. Four things never say, 'Enough!'


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The first is the grave. The second is a woman who can't have a baby. The third is land. It never gets enough water. And the fourth is fire. It never says, 'Enough!'


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"Some make fun of their fathers. Others laugh about obeying their mothers. The ravens of the valley will peck their eyes out. Then the vultures will eat them.


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The first is the way of an eagle in the sky. The second is the way of a snake on a rock. The third is the way of a ship on the ocean. And the fourth is the way of a man with a young woman.


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"This is the way of a woman who commits adultery. She eats. She wipes her mouth. Then she says, 'I haven't done anything wrong.'


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The third is a woman who is married but not loved by her husband. And the fourth is a woman servant who takes the place of the woman she works for.


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The second is a rooster that walks proudly. The third is a billy goat. And the fourth is a king who has his army around him.


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"Have you been foolish? Have you thought you were better than others? Have you planned evil? If you have, put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!


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If you churn cream, you will produce butter. If you twist a nose, you will produce blood. And if you stir up anger, you will produce a fight."


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These are the sayings of King Lemuel. His mother taught them to him. She spoke them as if they came from God.


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If they do, they might drink and forget what the law commands. They might take away the rights of all those who are beaten down.


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"Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor.


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She gets up while it is still dark. She provides food for her family. She also gives some to her female servants.


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She puts on strength and honor as if they were her clothes. She can laugh at the days that are coming.


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Give her the reward she has earned. Let everything she has done bring praise to her at the city gate.


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"Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is completely meaningless! Nothing has any meaning."


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The wind blows to the south. Then it turns to the north. Around and around it goes. It always returns to where it started.


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Every stream flows into the ocean. But the ocean never gets full. The streams return to the place they came from.


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All things are tiresome. They are more tiresome than anyone can say. But our eyes never see enough of anything. Our ears never hear enough.


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Everything that has ever been will come back again. Everything that has ever been done will be done again. Nothing is new on earth.


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There isn't anything about which someone can say, "Look! Here's something new." It was already here long ago. It was here before we were.


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No one remembers the men of long ago. Even those who haven't been born yet won't be remembered by those who will be born after them.


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I spent all of my time studying. I used my wisdom to check everything out. I looked into everything that is done on earth. What a heavy load God has put on men!


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I said to myself, "Look, my wisdom has really been growing. In fact, I'm now wiser than anyone who ruled over Jerusalem in the past. I have a lot of wisdom and knowledge."


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Then I used my mind to understand what it really means to be wise. And I wanted to know what foolish pleasure is all about. But I found out that that's also like chasing the wind.


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I said to myself, "Come on. I'll put pleasure to the test. I want to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless.


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I tried cheering myself up by drinking wine. I even tried living in a foolish way. But wisdom was still guiding my mind. I wanted to see what was really important for men to do on earth during the few days of their lives.


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I bought male and female slaves. And I had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem ever had before.


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I stored up silver and gold for myself. I gathered up the treasures of kings and their kingdoms. I got some male and female singers. I also got many women for myself. Women delight the hearts of men.


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I became far more important than anyone in Jerusalem had ever been before. And in spite of everything, I didn't lose my wisdom.


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I gave myself everything my eyes wanted. There wasn't any pleasure that I refused to give myself. I took delight in everything I did. And that was what I got for all of my work.


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But then I looked over everything my hands had done. I saw what I had worked so hard to get. And nothing had any meaning. It was like chasing the wind. Nothing was gained on this earth.


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I decided to think about wisdom. I also thought about foolish pleasure. What more can a new king do? Can he do anything more than others have already done?


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The eyes of a wise man see things clearly. A person who is foolish lives in darkness. But I finally realized that death catches up with both of them.


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Then I thought, "What happens to a foolish person will catch up with me too. So what do I gain by being wise?" I said to myself, "That doesn't have any meaning either."


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Like a foolish person, a wise man won't be remembered very long. In days to come, both of them will be forgotten. Like a person who is foolish, a wise man must die too!


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So I hated life. That's because the work that is done on this earth made me sad. None of it has any meaning. It's like chasing the wind.


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I hated everything I had worked for on earth. I'll have to leave all of it to someone who lives after me.


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And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Either way, he'll take over everything on earth I've worked so hard for. That doesn't have any meaning either.


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A man might use wisdom, knowledge and skill to do his work. But then he has to leave everything he owns to someone who hasn't worked for it. That doesn't have any meaning either. In fact, it isn't fair.


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As long as he lives, his work is nothing but pain and sorrow. Even at night his mind can't rest. That doesn't have any meaning either.


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A man can't do anything better than eat and drink and be satisfied with his work. I'm finally seeing that those things also come from the hand of God.


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God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness to a man who pleases him. But to a sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth. Then the sinner must hand it over to the one who pleases God. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind.


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There is a time to be born. And there's a time to die. There is a time to plant. And there's a time to pull up what is planted.


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There is a time to kill. And there's a time to heal. There is a time to tear down. And there's a time to build up.


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There is a time to cry. And there's a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. And there's a time to dance.


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There is a time to scatter stones. And there's a time to gather them. There is a time to hug. And there's a time not to hug.


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There is a time to search. And there's a time to stop searching. There is a time to keep. And there's a time to throw away.


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There is a time to tear. And there's a time to mend. There is a time to be silent. And there's a time to speak.


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There is a time to love. And there's a time to hate. There is a time for war. And there's a time for peace.


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He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also given men a sense of what he's been doing down through the ages. But they can't completely figure out what he's done from the beginning to the end.


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They should be happy and do good while they live. I know there's nothing better for them to do than that.


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Everyone should eat and drink. People should be satisfied with all of their hard work. That is God's gift to them.


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I know that everything God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it. And nothing can be taken from it. God does that so men will have respect for him.


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Everything that now exists has already been. And what is coming has existed before. God will judge those who treat others badly.


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Here's something else I saw on earth. Where people should be treated right, they are treated wrong. Where people should be treated fairly, they are treated unfairly.


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I said to myself, "God will judge godly and sinful people alike. He has a time for every act. He has a time for everything that is done."


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What happens to animals happens to people too. Death waits for people and animals alike. People die, just as animals do. All of them have the same breath. People don't have any advantage over animals. Nothing has any meaning.


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"People and animals go to the same place. All of them come from dust. And all of them return to dust.


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Who can know whether the spirit of a man goes up? Who can tell whether the spirit of an animal goes down into the earth?"


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So man should enjoy his work. That's what God made him for. I saw that there's nothing better for him to do than that. After all, who can show him what will happen after he is gone?


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I looked and saw how much people were suffering on this earth. I saw the tears of those who are suffering. They don't have anyone to comfort them. Power is on the side of those who beat them down. Those who are suffering don't have anyone to comfort them.


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But someone who hasn't been born yet is better off than the dead or the living. That's because he hasn't seen the evil things that are done on earth.


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I also saw that man works hard and accomplishes a lot. But he does it only because he wants what his neighbor has. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind.


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One handful with peace and quiet is better than two handfuls with hard work. Working too hard is like chasing the wind.


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A man lived all by himself. He didn't have any sons or brothers. His hard work never ended. But he wasn't happy with what he had. "Who am I working so hard for?" he asked. "Why don't I get the things I enjoy?" That doesn't have any meaning either. In fact, it's a very bad deal!


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Suppose someone falls down. Then his friend can help him up. But suppose the man who falls down doesn't have anyone to help him up. Then feel sorry for him!


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Or suppose two people lie down together. Then they'll keep warm. But how can one person keep warm alone?


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One person could be overpowered. But two people can stand up for themselves. And a rope made out of three cords isn't easily broken.


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A poor but wise young man is better off than an old but foolish king. That king doesn't pay attention to a warning anymore.


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The young man might have come from prison to become king. Or he might have been born poor within the kingdom but still became king.


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At first, all of the people served him when he became king. But those who came later weren't pleased with the way he was ruling. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind.


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Be careful what you say when you go to God's house. Go there to listen. Don't be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don't even know it.


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Don't be too quick to speak. Don't be in a hurry to say anything to God. He is in heaven. You are on earth. So use only a few words when you speak.


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When you make a promise to God, don't wait too long to carry it out. He isn't pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised.


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Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. Don't object to the temple messenger. Don't say, "My promise was a mistake." Why should God be angry with what you say? Why should he destroy what you have done?


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Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn't right or fair. Don't be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Others who are even higher are watching both of them.


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Anyone who loves money never has enough. Anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with what he gets. That doesn't have any meaning either.


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As more and more goods are made, more and more people use them up. So how can those goods benefit their owner? All he can do is look at them with longing.


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The sleep of a worker is sweet. It doesn't matter whether he eats a little or a lot. But the wealth of a rich man keeps him awake at night.


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I've seen something very evil on earth. It's when wealth is stored up and then brings harm to its owner.


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It's also when wealth is lost because of an unwise business deal. Then there won't be anything left for the owner's son.


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A man is born naked. He comes into the world with nothing. And he goes out of it with nothing. He doesn't get anything from his work that he can take with him.


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Here's something else that is very evil. A man is born, and a man dies. And what does he get for his work? Nothing. It's like working for the wind.


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I realized that it's good and proper for a man to eat and drink. It's good for him to be satisfied with his hard work on this earth. That's what he should do during the few days of life God has given him. That's what God made him for.


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Sometimes God gives a man wealth and possessions. He makes it possible for him to enjoy them. He helps him accept the life he has given him. He helps him to be happy in his work. All of those things are gifts from God.


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A man like that doesn't have to think about how his life is going. That's because God fills his heart with joy.


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God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor. He has everything his heart longs for. But God doesn't let him enjoy those things. Instead, strangers enjoy them. That doesn't have any meaning. It's a very evil thing.


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A man might have a hundred children. He might live a long time. But suppose he can't enjoy his wealth. And suppose he isn't buried in the proper way. Then it doesn't matter how long he lives. I'm telling you that a baby that is born dead is better off than he is.


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That kind of birth doesn't have any meaning. The baby dies in darkness and leaves this world. And in darkness it is forgotten.


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It didn't even see the sun. It didn't know anything at all. But it has more rest than that man does.


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And that's true even if he lives for 2,000 years but doesn't get to enjoy his wealth. All people die and go to the grave, don't they?


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What advantage does a wise man have over someone who is foolish? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to act toward others?


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Being satisfied with what you have is better than always wanting more. That doesn't have any meaning either. It's like chasing the wind.


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God has already planned what now exists. He has already decided what man is. A man can't argue with the One who is stronger than he is.


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Who knows what's good for a man? He lives for only a few meaningless days. He passes through life like a shadow. Who can tell him what will happen on earth after he is gone?


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A good name is better than fine perfume. People can learn more from sobbing when someone dies than from being happy when someone is born.


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So it's better to go where people are sobbing than to go where people are having a good time. Everyone will die someday. Those who are still living should really think about that.


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Those who are wise are found where there is sorrow. But foolish people are found where there is pleasure.


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Pay attention to a wise man's warning. That's better than listening to the songs of those who are foolish.


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A foolish person's laughter is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. That doesn't have any meaning either.


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When a wise man takes wealth by force, he becomes foolish. It is sinful to take money from people who want special favors.


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Don't say, "Why were things better in the good old days?" It isn't wise to ask that kind of question.


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Wisdom is a good thing. It's like getting a share of the family wealth. It benefits those who live on this earth.


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Wisdom provides safety, just as money provides safety. But here's the advantage of wisdom. It guards the lives of those who have it.


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When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, here's something to think about. God has made bad times. He has also made good times. So a man can't find out anything about what's ahead for him.


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In my meaningless life here's what I've seen. I've seen a godly man dying even though he is godly. And I've seen a sinful man living a long time even though he is sinful.


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Don't claim to be better than you are. And don't claim to be wiser than you are. Why destroy yourself?


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It's good to hold on to both of those things. Don't let go of either one. A man who has respect for God will avoid going too far in either direction.


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Don't pay attention to everything people say. If you do, you might hear your servant calling down a curse on you.


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I used wisdom to put all of those things to the test. I said, "I've made up my mind to be wise." But it was more than I could accomplish.


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So I tried to understand wisdom more completely. I wanted to study it and figure it out. I tried to find out everything I could about it. I tried to understand why it's foolish to be evil. I wanted to see why choosing foolishness is so unwise.


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A woman who hunts a man down is more painful than death. Her heart is like a trap. Her hands are like chains. A man who pleases God will try to get away from her. But she will trap a sinner.


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"Look," says the Teacher. "Here's what I've discovered. "I added one thing to another to find out everything I could about wisdom.


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I searched and searched but found very little. I did find one honest man among a thousand. But I didn't find one honest woman among a thousand.


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Who is like a wise man? Who knows how to explain things? Wisdom makes a man's face bright. It softens the look on his face.


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I'm telling you to obey the king's command. You took an oath to serve him. You made a promise to God.


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Don't be in a hurry to quit your job in the palace. Don't stand up for something the king doesn't like. He'll do anything he wants to.


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No one who obeys his command will be harmed. Those who are wise will know the proper time and way to approach him.


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There's a proper time and way for people to do everything. That's true even though a man might be suffering greatly.


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He can't stop the wind from blowing. And he doesn't have the power to decide when he will die. No one is let out of the army in times of war. And evil won't let go of those who practice it.


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I understood all of those things. I used my mind to study everything that's done on earth. A man sometimes makes life hard for others. But he ends up hurting himself.


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I also saw sinful people being buried. They used to come and go from the place of worship. And others praised them in the city where they worshiped. That doesn't have any meaning either.


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Sometimes the sentence for a crime isn't carried out quickly. So people make plans to commit even more crimes.


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An evil man may be guilty of a hundred crimes and still live a long time. But I know that things will go better with men who have great respect for God.


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Sinful people don't respect God. So things won't go well with them. Like a shadow, they won't be around very long.


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Here's something else on this earth that doesn't have any meaning. Sometimes godly men get what sinful people should receive. And sinful men get what godly people should receive. Here's what I'm telling you. That doesn't have any meaning either.


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So I advise everyone to enjoy life. A man on this earth can't do anything better than eat and drink and be glad. Then he will enjoy his work. He'll be happy all the days of the life God has given him on earth.


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I used my mind to understand what it really means to be wise. I wanted to observe the hard work man does on earth. He doesn't close his eyes and go to sleep day or night.


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I saw everything God has done. No one can understand what happens on earth. Man might try very hard to figure it out. But he still can't discover what it all means. A wise man might claim he knows. But he can't really understand it either.


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I thought about all of those things. I realized that those who are wise and do what is right are under God's control. What they do is also under his control. But a man doesn't know whether God will show favor to him.


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Everyone will die someday. Death comes to godly and sinful people alike. It comes to good and bad people alike. It comes to "clean" and "unclean" people alike. Those who offer sacrifices and those who don't offer them also die. A good person dies, and so does a sinner. Those who take oaths die. So do those who are afraid to take them.


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Here's what is so bad about everything that happens on this earth. Death catches up with all of us. Also, the hearts of people are full of evil. They live in foolish pleasure. After that, they join those who have already died.


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People who are still alive know they'll die. But those who have died don't know anything. They don't receive any more rewards. And they are soon forgotten.


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Their love, hate and jealousy disappear. They will never share again in anything that happens on earth.


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You love your wife. So enjoy life with her. Do it all the days of this meaningless life God has given you on earth. That's what he made you for. That's what you get for all of your hard work on earth.


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No matter what you do, work at it with all your might. Remember, you are going to your grave. And there isn't any work or planning or knowledge or wisdom there.


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Here's something else I've seen on this earth. Races aren't always won by those who run fast. Battles aren't always won by those who are strong. Wise people don't always have plenty of food. Clever people aren't always wealthy. Those who have learned a lot aren't always favored. God controls the timing of every event. He also controls how things turn out.


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A man doesn't know when trouble will come to him. Fish are caught in nets. Birds are taken in traps. And people are trapped by hard times that come when they don't expect them.


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There was once a small city. Only a few people lived there. A powerful king attacked it. He brought in war machines all around it.


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A certain man lived in that city. He was poor but wise. He used his wisdom to save the city. But no one remembered that poor man.


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So I said, "It's better to be wise than to be powerful." But people looked down on the poor man's wisdom. No one paid any attention to what he said.


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People should listen to the quiet words of those who are wise. That's better than paying attention to the shouts of a ruler of foolish people.


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The hearts of wise people lead them on the right path. But the hearts of foolish people take them down the wrong path.


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A foolish person doesn't have any sense at all. He shows everyone he is foolish. He does it even when he is walking along the road.


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Suppose a ruler gets very angry with you. If he does, don't quit your job in the palace. Stay calm. That will overcome the effects of your big mistakes.


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I've seen slaves on horseback. I've also seen princes who were forced to walk as if they were slaves.


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Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it. Anyone who breaks through a wall might be bitten by a snake.


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Suppose the blade of an ax is dull. And its edge hasn't been sharpened. Then more effort is needed to use it. But skill will bring success.


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A man who is wise says gracious things. But a foolish person is destroyed by what his own lips speak.


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He talks too much. No one knows what lies ahead for him. Who can tell him what will happen after he is gone?


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How terrible it is for a land whose king used to be a servant! How terrible if its princes get drunk in the morning!


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How blessed is the land whose king was born into the royal family! How blessed if its princes eat and drink at the proper time! How blessed if they eat and drink to become strong and not to get drunk!


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Don't call down curses on the king. Don't even think about doing it. Don't call down curses on rich people. Don't even do it in your bedroom. A bird might fly away and carry your words. It might report what you said.


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Give shares of what you earn to a lot of people. After all, you don't know what great trouble might come on the land.


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Clouds that are full of water pour rain down on the earth. A tree might fall to the south or the north. It will stay in the place where it falls.


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Anyone who keeps on watching the wind won't plant seeds. Anyone who keeps looking at the clouds won't gather crops.


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You don't know the path the wind takes. You don't know how a baby is made inside its mother. So you can't understand how God works either. He made everything.


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In the morning plant your seeds. In the evening keep your hands busy. You don't know what will succeed. It may be one or the other. Or both might do equally well.


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No matter how many years a man might live, let him enjoy all of them. But let him remember the dark days. There will be many of them. Nothing that's going to happen will have any meaning.


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Young man, be happy while you are still young. Let your heart be joyful while you are still strong. Do what your heart tells you to do. Go after what your eyes look at. But I want you to know that God will judge you for everything you do.


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So drive worry out of your heart. Get rid of all of your troubles. Being young and strong doesn't have any meaning.


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Remember the One who created you. Remember him while you are still young. Think about him before your times of trouble come. The years will come when you will say, "I don't find any pleasure in them."


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That's when the sunlight will become dark. The moon and the stars will also grow dark. And the clouds will return after it rains.


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Remember your Creator before those who guard the house tremble with old age. That's when strong men will be bent over. The women who grind grain will stop because there are so few of them left. Those who look through the windows won't be able to see very well.


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Remember your Creator before the front doors are closed. That's when the sound of grinding will fade away. Old men will rise up when they hear birds singing. But they will barely hear any of their songs.


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Remember your Creator before you become afraid of places that are too high. You will also be terrified because of danger in the streets. Remember your Creator before the almond trees have buds on them. That's when grasshoppers will drag themselves along. Old men will not want to make love anymore. Man will go to his dark home in the grave. And those who sob over the dead will walk around in the streets.


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Remember your Creator before the silver cord is cut. That's when the golden bowl will be broken. The wheel will be broken at the well. The pitcher will be smashed at the spring.


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Remember your Creator before you return to the dust you came from. That's when your spirit will go back to God who gave it.


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The Teacher was wise. He gave knowledge to people. He put many proverbs to the test. He thought about them carefully. Then he wrote them down in order.


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The sayings of those who are wise move people to take action. Their collected sayings really nail things down. They are given to us by one Shepherd.


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My son, be careful not to pay attention to anything that is added to them. Books will never stop being written. Too much studying makes people tired.


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Everything has now been heard. And here's the final thing I want to say. Have respect for God and obey his commandments. That's what everyone should do.


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God will judge everything people do. That includes everything they try to hide. He'll judge everything, whether it's good or evil.


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The lotion you have on pleases me. Your name is like perfume that is poured out. No wonder the young women love you!


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Take me away with you. Let us hurry! King Solomon, bring me into your palace." The other women say, "King Solomon, you fill us with joy. You make us happy. We praise your love more than we praise wine." The woman says to the king, "It is right for them to love you!


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"Women of Jerusalem, my skin is dark but lovely. It is dark like the tents in Kedar. It's like the curtains of Solomon's tent.


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Don't stare at me because I'm dark. The sun has made my skin look like this. My brothers burned with anger against me. They made me take care of the vineyards. I haven't even taken care of my own vineyard.


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"King Solomon, I love you. So tell me where you take care of your flock. Tell me where you rest your sheep at noon. Why should I have to act like a prostitute near the flocks of your friends?" The other women say,


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"You are the most beautiful woman of all. Don't you know where to find the king? Follow the tracks the sheep make. Take care of your young goats near the tents of the shepherds." King Solomon says to the Shulammite woman,


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Your earrings make your cheeks even more beautiful. Your strings of jewels make your neck even more lovely." The other women say to her,


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"My love, among the young men you are like an apple tree among the trees of the forest. I'm happy to sit in your shade. Your fruit tastes so sweet to me.


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Give me some raisins to make me strong. Give me some apples to make me feel like new again. Our love has made me weak.


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Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready.


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"Listen! I hear my love! Look! Here he comes! He's leaping across the mountains. He's coming over the hills.


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The one who loves me is like an antelope or a young deer. Look! There he stands behind our wall. He's gazing through the window. He's peering through the screen.


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Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season for singing has come. The cooing of doves is heard in our land.


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The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell. Rise up and come, my love. Come with me, my beautiful one.' " The king says,


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"You are like a dove in an opening in the rocks. You are like a dove in a hiding place on a mountainside. Show me your face. Let me hear your voice. Your voice is so sweet. Your face is so lovely.


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Catch the foxes for us. Catch the little foxes. They destroy our vineyards. The vineyards are in bloom." The woman says,


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Until the day begins and the shadows fade away, turn to me, my love. Be like an antelope or like a young deer on the rocky hills.


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"All night long on my bed I searched for the one my heart loves. I looked for him but didn't find him.


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I will get up. I'll go around in the city. I'll look through all of its streets. I'll search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but didn't find him.


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Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. 'Have you seen the one my heart loves?' I asked.


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As soon as I had passed by them I found the one my heart loves. I threw my arms around him. I didn't let him go until I had brought him to my mother's house. I took him to my mother's room.


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Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready." The other women say,


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"Who is this man coming up from the desert like a column of smoke? He smells like myrrh and incense made from all of the spices of the trader.


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Look! There's Solomon's movable throne. Sixty soldiers accompany it. They have been chosen from the best warriors in Israel.


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All of them are wearing swords. They have fought many battles. Each one has his sword at his side. Each is prepared for the terrors of the night.


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He formed its posts out of silver. He made its base out of gold. Its seat was covered with purple cloth. It was decorated inside with loving care by the women of Jerusalem.


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Women of Zion, come out. Look at King Solomon wearing his crown. His mother placed it on him. She did it on his wedding day. His heart was full of joy."


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The king says to the Shulammite woman, "You are so beautiful, my love! So beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair flows like a flock of black goats coming down from Mount Gilead.


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Your teeth are as clean as a flock of sheep. Their wool has just been clipped. They have just come up from being washed. Each of your teeth has its twin. Not one of them is alone.


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Your lips are like a bright red ribbon. Your mouth is so lovely. Your cheeks behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.


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Your neck is strong and beautiful like the tower of David. That tower is built with beautiful stones. A thousand shields are hanging on it. All of them belong to mighty soldiers.


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I will go to the mountain of myrrh. I'll go to the hill of incense. I'll stay there until the day begins and the shadows fade away.


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"Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come with me from Lebanon. Come down from the top of Mount Amana. Come down from the top of Senir. Come to me from the peak of Mount Hermon. Leave the dens where the lions live. Leave the places in the mountains where the leopards stay.


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My bride, you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes. My sister, you have stolen my heart with one jewel in your necklace.


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My bride, your love is so delightful. My sister, your love makes me happier than wine does. Your perfume smells better than any spice.


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Your lips are as sweet as a honeycomb, my bride. Milk and honey are under your tongue. Your clothes smell like the cedar trees in Lebanon.


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My bride, you are like a garden that is locked up. My sister, you are like a spring of water that has a fence around it. You are like a fountain that is sealed up.


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with saffron, cane and cinnamon. You are like every kind of incense tree. You have myrrh, aloes and all of the finest spices.


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You are like a fountain in a garden. You are like a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon." The woman says,


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"Wake up, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden. Then its sweet smell will spread everywhere. Let my love come into his garden. Let him taste its fine fruits."


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The king says, "My bride, I have come into my garden. My sister, I've gathered my myrrh and my spice. I've eaten my honeycomb and my honey. I've drunk my wine and my milk." The other women say to the Shulammite woman and to Solomon, "Friends, eat and drink. Lovers, drink all you want." The woman says,


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"I slept, but my heart was awake. Listen! The one who loves me is knocking. He says, 'My sister, I love you. Open up so I can come in. You are my dove. You are perfect in every way. My head is soaked with dew. The night air has made my hair wet.'


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"But I've taken my robe off. Must I put it on again? I've washed my feet. Must I get them dirty again?


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I got up to open the door for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh. It flowed from my fingers onto the handles of the lock.


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I opened the door for my love. But he had left. He was gone. My heart sank because he had left. I looked for him but didn't find him. I called out to him, but he didn't answer.


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Those on guard duty found me as they were walking around in the city. They beat me. They hurt me. Those on guard duty at the walls took my coat away from me.


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Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. If you find the one who loves me, tell him our love has made me weak." The other women say,


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"You are the most beautiful woman of all. How is the one you love better than others? How is he better than anyone else? Why do you ask us to make you a promise?" The woman says,


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His eyes are like doves by streams of water. They look as if they've been washed in milk. They are set like jewels in his head.


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His cheeks are like beds of spice that give off perfume. His lips are like lilies that drip with myrrh.


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His arms are like gold that are set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory that is decorated with sapphires.


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His legs are like pillars of marble that are set on bases of pure gold. He looks like the finest cedar tree in the mountains of Lebanon.


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His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is delightful. That's what the one who loves me is like. That's what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem."


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The other women say, "You are the most beautiful woman of all. Where has the one who loves you gone? Which way did he turn? We'll help you look for him." The woman says,


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"My love has gone down to his garden. He's gone to the beds of spices. He's eating in the gardens. He's gathering lilies.


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"My love, you are as beautiful as the city of Tirzah. You are as lovely as Jerusalem. You are as majestic as troops carrying their banners.


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Turn your eyes away from me. They overpower me. Your hair flows like a flock of black goats coming down from Mount Gilead.


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Your teeth are as clean as a flock of sheep coming up from being washed. Each of your teeth has its twin. Not one of them is alone.


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But you are my perfect dove. There isn't anyone like you. You are your mother's favorite daughter. The young women see you and call you blessed. The queens and concubines praise you." The other women say,


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"Who is this woman? She is like the sunrise in all of its glory. She is as beautiful as the moon. She is as bright as the sun. She is as majestic as troops carrying their banners." The king says,


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"I went down to a grove of nut trees. I wanted to look at the new plants growing in the valley. I wanted to find out whether the vines had budded. I wanted to see if the pomegranate trees had bloomed.


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"Come back to us. Come back, Shulammite woman. Come back to us. Come back. Then we can look at you." The woman says, "Why do you want to look at me as you would watch a dancer at Mahanaim?"


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The king says to the Shulammite woman, "You are like a prince's daughter. Your feet in sandals are so beautiful. Your graceful legs are like jewels. The hands of a skilled worker must have shaped them.


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Your navel is like a round bowl that always has mixed wine in it. Your waist is like a mound of wheat that is surrounded by lilies.


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Your neck is smooth and beautiful like an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the towering mountains of Lebanon that face the city of Damascus.


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Your head is like a crown on you. It is as beautiful as Mount Carmel. Your hair is as smooth as purple silk. I am captured by your flowing curls.


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I said, 'I will climb the palm tree. I'll take hold of its fruit.' May your breasts be as sweet as the fruit on the vine. May your breath smell like the tastiest apples.


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May your lips be like the finest wine." The woman says, "May my wine go straight to you, my love. May it flow gently over our lips as we sleep.


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Let's go out to the vineyards early. Let's go and see if the vines have budded. Let's find out whether their flowers have opened. Let's see if the pomegranate trees are blooming. I'll make love to you in the vineyards.


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The mandrake flowers give off their strong smell. All of the best things are waiting for us, new and old alike. I've stored them up for you, my love.


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"I wish you were like a brother to me. I wish my mother's breasts had nursed you. Then if I found you outside, I could kiss you. No one would look down on me.


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I'd bring you to my mother's house. She taught me everything I know. I'd give you spiced wine to drink. It's the juice of my pomegranates.


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Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise. Don't stir up love. Don't wake it up until it's ready." The other women say,


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"Who is this woman coming up from the desert? She's leaning on the one who loves her." The woman says to the king, "Under the apple tree I woke you up. That's where your mother became pregnant with you. She went into labor, and you were born there.


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Hold me close to your heart like the seal around your neck. Keep me close to yourself like the ring on your finger. My love for you is so strong it won't let you go. Love is as powerful as death. Love's jealousy is as strong as the grave. Love is like a blazing fire. It burns like a mighty flame.


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No amount of water can put it out. Rivers can't drown it. Suppose someone offers all of his wealth to buy love. That won't even come close to being enough." The woman's brothers say,


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"We have a little sister. Her breasts are still small. What should we do for our sister when she gets engaged?


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If she were a wall, we'd build silver towers on her. If she were a door, we'd cover her with cedar boards." The woman says to the king,


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"I am a wall. My breasts are like well-built towers. So in your eyes I've become like someone who makes you happy.


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Solomon, you had a vineyard in Baal Hamon. You rented your vineyard to others. They had to pay 25 pounds of silver for its fruit.


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But I can give my own vineyard to anyone I want to. So I give my 25 pounds of silver to you, Solomon. Give 5 pounds to those who take care of its fruit." The king says,


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"My love, you live in the gardens. My friends listen for your voice. But let me hear it now." The woman says,


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"Come away with me, my love. Be like an antelope or like a young deer on mountains that are full of spices."


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Here is the vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah had. It came to him when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were ruling. They were kings of Judah. Isaiah was the son of Amoz.


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Listen to me, heavens! Pay attention to me, earth! The Lord has said, "I raised children. I brought them up. But they have refused to obey me.


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The ox knows its master. The donkey knows where its owner feeds it. But Israel does not know me. My people do not understand me."


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They are a sinful nation. They are loaded down with guilt. They are people who do nothing but evil. They are children who are always sinning. They have deserted the Lord. They have turned against the Holy One of Israel. They have turned their backs on him.


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Israel, why do you want to be beaten all the time? Why do you always refuse to obey the Lord? Your head is covered with wounds. Your whole heart is weak.


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There isn't a healthy spot on your body from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. There are only wounds, cuts and open sores. They haven't been cleaned up or bandaged or treated with olive oil.


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Your country has been deserted. Your cities have been burned down. The food from your fields is being eaten up by outsiders. They are doing it right in front of you. Your land has been completely destroyed. It looks as if strangers have taken it over.


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The city of Zion is left like a hut where someone stands guard in a vineyard. It is left like an empty cabin in a melon field. It's like a city that is being attacked.


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The Lord who rules over all has let some people live through that time of trouble. If he hadn't, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.


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"Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?" asks the Lord. "I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.


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Who asked you to bring all of those animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards?


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Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can't stand your evil gatherings. I can't stand the way you celebrate your New Moon Feasts, Sabbath days and special services.


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I hate your New Moon Feasts and your other appointed feasts. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it.


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You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I will not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I will not listen to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.


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So wash your hands. Make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong!


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Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Give hope to those who are beaten down. Cheer them up. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows.


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"Come. Let us talk some more about this matter," says the Lord. "Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool.


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But you have to be willing to change and obey me. If you are, you will eat the best food that grows on the land.


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You must follow me. You must obey me. If you do not, you will be killed with swords." The Lord has spoken.


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See how the faithful city of Jerusalem has become like a prostitute! Once it was full of people who treated others fairly. Those who did what was right used to live in it. But now murderers live there!


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Your rulers refuse to obey the Lord. They are companions of robbers. All of them love to accept money from those who want special favors. They are always looking for gifts from other people. They don't stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. They don't do it for widows either.


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The Lord is the Mighty One of Israel. The Lord who rules over all announces, "Israel, you have become my enemies. I will pay you back for what you have done. Then you will not trouble me anymore.


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I will turn my powerful hand against you. I will make you completely clean. I will remove everything that is not pure.


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I will give judges to you like the ones you had long ago. I will give you advisers like those you had at the beginning. Then you will be called The City That Does What Is Right. You will also be called The Faithful City."


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Zion will be saved when others are treated fairly. Those who are sorry for their sins will be saved when what is right is done.


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But sinners and those who refuse to obey the Lord will be destroyed. And those who desert the Lord will die.


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Israel, you take delight in worshiping among the sacred oak trees. You will be full of shame for doing that. You have chosen to worship in the sacred gardens. You will be dishonored for doing that.


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You will be like an oak tree whose leaves are dying. You will be like a garden that doesn't have any water.


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Your strongest men will become like dry pieces of wood. Their worship of other gods will be the spark that lights the fire. Everything will be burned up. No one will be there to put the fire out.


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In the last days the mountain where the Lord's temple is located will be famous. It will be the most important mountain of all. It will stand out above the hills. All of the nations will go to it.


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People from many nations will go there. They will say, "Come. Let us go up to the Lord's mountain. Let's go to the house of Jacob's God. He will teach us how we should live. Then we will live the way he wants us to." The law of the Lord will be taught at Zion. His message will go out from Jerusalem.


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He will judge between the nations. He'll settle problems among many of them. They will hammer their swords into plows. They'll hammer their spears into pruning tools. Nations will not go to war against one another. They won't even train to fight anymore.


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Lord, you have deserted the people of Jacob. They are your people. The land is full of false beliefs from the east. The people practice evil magic, just as the Philistines do. They make ungodly people their friends.


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Their land is full of silver and gold. There is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses. There is no end to their chariots.


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Their land is full of statues of gods. They bow down to what their own hands have made. They bow down to what their fingers have shaped.


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Go and hide in caves in the rocks, you people! Hide in holes in the ground. Hide from the terror of the Lord! Hide when he comes in glory and majesty!


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A man who brags will be brought low. Men who are proud will be put to shame. The Lord alone will be honored at that time.


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The Lord who rules over all has set apart a day when he will judge. He has set it apart for all those who are proud and think they are important. He has set it apart for all those who brag about themselves. All of them will be brought low.


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The Lord has set that day apart for all of the cedar trees in Lebanon. They are very tall. He has set it apart for all of the oak trees in Bashan.


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He has set it apart for all of the towering mountains. He has set it apart for all of the high hills.


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People will run and hide in caves in the rocks. They will go into holes in the ground. They will run away from the terror of the Lord. They will run when he comes in glory and majesty. When he comes, he will shake the earth.


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Men had made some statues of gods out of silver. They had made others out of gold. Then they worshiped them. But when the Lord comes, they will throw the statues away to the rodents and bats.


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They will run and hide in caves in the rocks. They will go into holes in the cliffs. They will run away from the terror of the Lord. They will run when he comes in glory and majesty. When he comes, he will shake the earth.


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Here is what the Lord who rules over all is about to do. The Lord will take away from Jerusalem and Judah supplies and help alike. He will take away all of the supplies of food and water.


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He'll take away heroes and soldiers. He'll take away judges and prophets. He'll take away fortune tellers and elders.


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He'll take away captains of companies of 50 men. He'll take away government leaders. He'll take away advisers, skilled workers and those who are clever at doing evil magic.


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People will crush one another. They will fight against each other. They will fight against their neighbors. Young people will attack old people. Ordinary people will attack those who are more important.


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A man will grab hold of one of his brothers at his father's home. He will say, "You have a coat. So you be our leader. Take charge of all of these broken-down buildings!"


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But at that time the brother will cry out, "I can't help you. I don't have any food or clothing in my house. Don't make me the leader of these people."


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Jerusalem is about to fall. And so is Judah. They say and do things against the Lord. They dare to disobey him to his very face.


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The look on their faces is a witness against them. They show off their sin, just as the people of Sodom did. They don't even try to hide it. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought trouble on themselves.


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Tell those who do what is right that things will go well with them. They will enjoy the results of the good things they've done.


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But how terrible it will be for those who do what is evil! Trouble is about to fall on them. They will be paid back for the evil things they've done.


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Those who are young crush my people. Women rule over them. My people, your leaders have taken you down the wrong path. They have turned you away from the right path.


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He judges the elders and leaders of his people. He says to them, "My people are like a vineyard. You have destroyed them. The things you have taken from poor people are in your houses.


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What do you mean by crushing my people? Why are you grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt?" announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all.


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The Lord continues, "The women in Zion are very proud. They walk along with their noses in the air. They tease men with their eyes. They walk with quick, short steps. Little chains jingle on their ankles.


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At that time the Lord will take away the beautiful things they wear. He will take away their decorations, headbands and moon-shaped necklaces.


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He'll remove their headdresses, ankle chains and belts. He'll take away their perfume bottles and charms.


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Instead of smelling sweet, the women will smell bad. Instead of wearing belts, they will wear ropes. Instead of having beautiful hair, they won't have any hair at all. Instead of wearing fine clothes, they'll wear black clothes to show how sad they are. Instead of being beautiful, they'll have the brands of slaves on their bodies.


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The city of Zion will be very sad. Like a widow, she will lose everything. She will sit on the ground and sob.


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At that time seven women will grab hold of one man. They'll say to him, "We will eat our own food. We'll provide our own clothes. Just let us become your wives. Take away our shame!"


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At that time Israel's king will be beautiful and glorious. He will be called The Branch of the Lord. The fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of those who are still left alive in Israel.


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Those who are left in Zion will be called holy. They will be recorded among those who are alive in Jerusalem.


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The Lord will wash away the sin of the women in Zion. He will clean up the blood that was spilled there. He will judge those who spilled that blood. His burning anger will blaze out at them.


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Then the Lord will create over Jerusalem a cloud of smoke by day. He will also create a glow of flaming fire at night. They will appear over all of Mount Zion and those who gather together there. The Lord's glory will be like a tent over them.


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It will cover them and give them shade from the hot sun all day long. It will be a safe place where they can hide from storms and rain.


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I will sing a song for the Lord. He is the one I love. It's a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil.


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He dug up the soil and removed its stones. He planted the very best vines in it. He built a lookout tower there. He also cut out a winepress for it. Then he kept looking for a crop of good grapes. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit.


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What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?


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Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence. And it will be destroyed. I will break down its wall. And people will walk all over it.


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I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it."


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The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the garden he takes delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.


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How terrible it will be for you who get too many houses! How terrible for you who get too many fields! Finally there won't be any space left in the land. Then you will live all alone.


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I heard the Lord who rules over all announce a message. He said, "You can be sure that the great houses will become empty. The fine homes will be left with no one living in them.


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A ten-acre vineyard will produce only six gallons of wine. Six bushels of seeds will produce less than a bushel of grain."


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How terrible it will be for those who get up early in the morning to start drinking! How terrible for those who stay up late at night until they are drunk with wine!


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They have harps and lyres at their big dinners. They have tambourines, flutes and wine. But they don't have any concern for the mighty acts of the Lord. They don't have any respect for what his powerful hands have done.


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So my people will be taken away as prisoners. That's because they don't understand what the Lord has done. Their government leaders will die of hunger. The rest of the people won't have any water to drink.


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So the grave is hungry to receive them. Its mouth is open wide to swallow them up. Their nobles and the rest of the people will go down into it. They will go there together with all those who have wild parties.


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But the Lord who rules over all will be honored because he judges fairly. The holy God will show that he is holy by doing what is right.


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Then sheep will graze as if they were in their own grasslands. Lambs will eat grass among the destroyed buildings where rich people used to live.


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How terrible it will be for those who continue to sin and lie about it! How terrible for those who keep on doing what is evil as if they were tied to it!


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How terrible for those who say, "Let God hurry up and do what he says he will. We want to see it happen. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan soon. We want to know what it is."


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How terrible it will be for those who say that what is evil is good! How terrible for those who say that what is good is evil! How terrible for those who say that darkness is light and light is darkness! How terrible for those who say that what is bitter is sweet and what is sweet is bitter!


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How terrible it will be for those who think they are wise! How terrible for those who think they are really clever!


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How terrible it will be for those who are heroes at drinking wine! How terrible for those who are heroes at mixing drinks!


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How terrible for those who take money to set guilty people free! How terrible for those who don't treat good people fairly!


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Flames of fire burn up straw. Dry grass sinks down into those flames. Evil people will be like plants whose roots rot away. They will be like flowers that are blown away like dust. That's because they have said no to the law of the Lord who rules over all. They have turned against the message of the Holy One of Israel.


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So the Lord's anger burns against his people. He raises his hand against them. He strikes them down. The mountains shake. The bodies of dead people lie in the streets like trash. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.


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He lifts up a banner to gather the nations that are far away. He whistles for them to come from the farthest places on earth. Here they come. They are moving very quickly.


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None of them grows tired. None of them falls down. None of them sleeps or even takes a nap. All of them are ready for battle. Every belt is pulled tight. Not a single sandal strap is broken.


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The enemies' arrows are sharp. All of their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are as hard as rock. Their chariot wheels turn like a twister.


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The sound of their army is like the roar of lions. It's like the roar of young lions. They growl as they capture what they were chasing. They carry it off. No one can take it away from them.


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At that time the enemy army will roar over Israel. It will sound like the roaring of the ocean. If someone looks at the land of Israel, he will see darkness and trouble. The clouds will make even the light become dark.


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In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on his throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored.


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Above him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying.


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They were calling out to one another. They were saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who rules over all. The whole earth is full of his glory."


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"How terrible it is for me!" I cried out. "I'm about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all."


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He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, "This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for."


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


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So he said, "Go and speak to these people. Tell them, " 'You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.'


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Make the hearts of these people stubborn. Plug up their ears. Close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. And they might turn to me and be healed."


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Then I said, "Lord, how long will it be like that?" He answered, "It will last until the cities of Israel are destroyed and no one is living in them. It will last until the houses are deserted. The fields will be completely destroyed.


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Even if a tenth of the people remain there, the land will be completely destroyed again. But when oak trees and terebinth trees are cut down, stumps are left. And my holy people will be like stumps that begin to grow again."


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Ahaz was king of Judah. Rezin was king of Aram. And Pekah was king of Israel. Rezin and Pekah marched up to fight against Jerusalem. But they couldn't overpower it. Ahaz was the son of Jotham and the grandson of Uzziah. Pekah was the son of Remaliah.


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The royal family of Ahaz was told, "The army of Aram has joined forces with Ephraim's army." So the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled with fear. They shook just as trees in the forest shake when the wind blows through them.


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The Lord said to me, "Go out and see Ahaz. Take your son Shear-Jashub with you. Meet Ahaz at the end of the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It is on the road to the Washerman's Field.


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"Tell Ahaz, 'Be careful. Stay calm. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope because of the burning anger of Rezin, Aram and the son of Remaliah. After all, they are nothing but a couple of pieces of smoking firewood.


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"Let's march into Judah and attack it. Let's tear everything down. Then we can share the land among ourselves. And we can make Tabeel's son king over it."


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The capital of Aram is Damascus. And the ruler of Damascus is only Rezin. Do not worry about the people of Ephraim. They will be too crushed to be considered a people. That will happen before 65 years are over.


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The capital of Ephraim is Samaria. And the ruler of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." ' "


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"I am the Lord your God. Ask me to give you a miraculous sign. It can be anything in the deepest grave or in the highest heaven."


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Then I said, "Listen, you members of the royal family of Ahaz! Isn't it enough for you to test the patience of men? Are you also going to test the patience of my God?


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The Lord himself will give you a miraculous sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel.


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"The time will come when he is old enough to decide between what is wrong and what is right. By that time he will have only butter and honey to eat.


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But even before that happens, the lands of the two kings you are afraid of will be completely destroyed.


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"The Lord will also bring the king of Assyria against you. And he will bring him against your people and the whole royal family. That will be a time of trouble unlike any since the people of Ephraim broke away from Judah."


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At that time the Lord will whistle for the Egyptians. They will come like flies from the streams of Egypt. He will also whistle for the Assyrians. They will come from their country like bees.


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All of them will come and camp in the deep valleys. They will camp in caves in the rocks. And they'll camp near bushes and water holes.


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At that time the Lord will use the Assyrians to punish you. Ahaz had hired them earlier from east of the Euphrates River. Now their king will be like a razor in the Lord's hand. He will shave the hair from your head and legs. He will also shave off your beards.


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But they will give enough milk and butter to live on. Everyone who is left alive in the land will have nothing but butter and honey to eat.


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The land used to have vineyards with 1,000 vines worth 25 pounds of silver. But soon the whole land will be covered with thorns and bushes.


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Men will go there to hunt with bows and arrows. That's because it will be covered with bushes and thorns.


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All of the hills used to be plowed with hoes. But you won't go there anymore. That's because you will be afraid of the thorns and bushes. Cattle will be turned loose on those hills. And sheep will run there.


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I will send for Zechariah and the priest Uriah. They can be trusted. They will be witnesses for me. Zechariah is the son of Jeberekiah."


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Then I went and made love to my wife, who was a prophet. She became pregnant and had a baby boy. The Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.


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"The king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus. He will also carry away the goods that were taken from Samaria. That will happen before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother.' "


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"I am like the gently flowing stream of Siloam. But the people of Judah have turned their backs on me. They are filled with joy because of the fall of Rezin and the son of Remaliah.


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So I am about to bring against these people the king of Assyria and his whole army. The Assyrians will be like the mighty Euphrates River when it is flooding. They will run over everything in their path.


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They will sweep on into Judah like a flood. They will pass through Judah and reach all the way to Jerusalem. Immanuel, they will attack your land like an eagle. Their wings will spread out and cover it."


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Sound the battle cry, you nations! But you will be torn apart. Listen, all of you lands far away! Prepare for battle! But you will be torn apart. Prepare for battle! But you will be torn apart.


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Make your battle plans! But you won't succeed. Give your orders! But they won't be carried out. That's because God is with us.


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The Lord put his powerful hand on me and spoke to me. He warned me not to live the way these people live. He said,


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"People of Judah, do not agree with those who say Isaiah is guilty of treason. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be afraid.


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I am the Lord who rules over all. You must think about me as holy. You must have respect for me. You must fear me.


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Then I will be a holy place of safety for you. But for many people in Israel and Judah I will be a stone that causes them to trip. I will be a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem I will be a trap and a snare.


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Keep safe what the Lord said to you through me. Seal up among my followers what he taught you through me.


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I will wait for the Lord. He is turning his face away from Jacob's people. I will put my trust in him.


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Here I am. Here are the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and reminders to Israel from the Lord who rules over all. He lives on Mount Zion.


text:
Some will tell you to ask for advice from people who get messages from those who have died. Others will tell you to ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead. But those people only whisper. Their words are barely heard. So shouldn't you ask for advice from your God? Why should you get advice from dead people to help those who are alive?


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Follow what the Lord taught you and said to you through me. People who don't speak in keeping with those words won't have any hope in the morning.


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They will suffer and be hungry. They'll wander through the land. When they are very hungry, they will become angry. They'll look up toward heaven. They'll call down curses on their king and their God.


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Then they will look at the earth. They'll see nothing but suffering and darkness. They'll see terrible sadness. They'll be driven into total darkness.


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But there won't be any more sadness for those who were suffering. In the past the Lord brought shame on the land of Zebulun. He also brought shame on the land of Naphtali. But in days to come he will honor Galilee, where people from other nations live. He will honor the land along the Mediterranean Sea. And he will honor the territory east of the Jordan River.


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The people who are now living in darkness will see a great light. They are now living in a very dark land. But a light will shine on them.


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Lord, you will make our nation larger. You will increase their joy. They will show you how glad they are. They will be as glad as people are at harvest time. They will be as glad as soldiers are when they share the things they've taken after a battle.


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You set Israel free from Midian long ago. In the same way, you will break the heavy yoke that weighs Israel down. You will break the wooden beams that are on their shoulders. You will break the rods of those who strike them down.


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Every fighting man's boot that is used in battle will be burned up. So will every piece of clothes that is covered with blood. All of them will be thrown into the fire.


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A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.


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The authority of his rule will continue to grow. The peace he brings will never end. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom. He will make the kingdom strong and secure. His rule will be based on what is fair and right. It will last forever. The Lord's great love will make sure that happens. He rules over all.


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All of the people will know about it. Ephraim's people and those who live in Samaria will know about it. Their hearts are very proud. They say,


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"The brick buildings have fallen down. But we will rebuild them with blocks of stone. The fig trees have been chopped down. But we'll plant cedar trees in place of them."


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In spite of that, the Lord has made Rezin's enemies stronger. He has stirred up Assyria to fight against Israel.


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Arameans from the east have opened their mouths and swallowed Israel up. So have Philistines from the west. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.


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But his people have not returned to the One who struck them down. They haven't turned for help to the Lord who rules over all.


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So he will cut off from Israel heads and tails alike. In a single day he will cut off palm branches and tall grass alike. The palm branches are the people who rule over others. The tall grass is the people who bow down to them.


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Those who guide the people of Israel are leading them down the wrong path. So those who follow them aren't on the right road.


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The Lord will not be pleased with the young men. He won't take pity on widows and on children whose fathers have died. All of them are ungodly and evil. They say sinful things with their mouths. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.


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What is evil burns like a fire. It burns up bushes and thorns. It sets the forest on fire. It sends up a huge column of smoke.


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The Lord rules over all. When he gets angry, he will burn up the land. The people will die. Men will eat their brothers.


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People will eat up everything they can find on their right. But they'll still be hungry. They will eat everything they can find on their left. But they won't be satisfied. So they will eat the dead bodies of their children.


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That's what Manasseh's people will do to Ephraim. And that's what Ephraim's people will do to Manasseh. Together they will turn against Judah. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.


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How terrible it will be for you who make laws that aren't fair! How terrible for you who write laws that make life hard for others!


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You take away the rights of poor people. You hold back what is fair from my people who are suffering. You take for yourselves what belongs to widows. You rob children whose fathers have died.


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What will you do on the day when the Lord punishes you? On that day trouble will come from far away. Who will you run to for help? Who will you trust your riches with?


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All you can do is bow down in fear among the prisoners. All you can do is fall among those who have died in battle. Even then, the Lord is still angry. His hand is still raised against them.


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The Lord says, "How terrible it will be for the people of Assyria! They are the war club that carries out my anger.


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I will send them against the ungodly nation of Judah. I will order them to fight against my own people. They make me angry. I will order them to take their goods and carry them away. I will order them to walk on my people as if they were walking on mud.


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But that is not what the king of Assyria plans. It is not what he has in mind. His purpose is to destroy many nations. His purpose is to put an end to them.


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'I took over Calno just as I took Carchemish. I took over Hamath just as I did Arpad. I took Samaria just as I did Damascus.


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My powerful hand grabbed hold of kingdoms whose people worship statues of gods. They had more gods than Jerusalem and Samaria did.


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I took over Samaria and its statues of gods. In the same way, I will take Jerusalem and its gods.' "


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The Lord will finish everything he has planned to do against Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Then he'll say, "Now I will punish the king of Assyria. I will punish him because his heart and his eyes are so proud.


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"The king of Assyria says, " 'I have used my powerful hand to take over all of those nations. I am very wise. I have great understanding. I have wiped out the borders between nations. I've taken their treasures. Like a great hero I've brought their kings under my control.


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I've taken the wealth of the nations. It was as easy as reaching into a bird's nest. I've gathered the riches of all of those countries. It was as easy as gathering eggs that have been left in a nest. Not a single baby bird flapped its wings. Not one of them opened its mouth to chirp.' "


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Does an ax claim to be more important than the one who swings it? Does a saw brag that it is better than the one who uses it? That would be like a stick swinging someone who picks it up! It would be like a war club waving the one who carries it!


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So the Lord who rules over all will send a sickness. The Lord will send it on the king of Assyria's strong fighting men. It will make them weaker and weaker. The army he was so proud of will be completely destroyed. It will be as if it had been burned up in a fire.


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The Lord is the light of Israel. He will become a fire. Israel's Holy One will become a flame. In a single day he will burn up all of Assyria's bushes. He will destroy all of their thorns.


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He will completely destroy the beauty of their forests and rich farm lands. The Assyrian army will be like a sick man who becomes weaker and weaker.


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It will be like the trees of their forests. So few of them will be left standing that even a child could count them.


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In days to come, some people will still be left alive in Israel. They will be from Jacob's family line. But they won't depend any longer on the nation that struck them down. Instead, they will truly depend on the Lord. He is the Holy One of Israel.


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Israel, your people might be as many as the grains of sand by the sea. But only a few of them will return. The Lord has handed down a death sentence. He will destroy his people. What he does is right.


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The Lord rules over all. The Lord says, "My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian army. They beat you with rods. They lift up war clubs against you, just as the Egyptians did.


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Very soon I will not be angry with you anymore. I will turn my anger against the Assyrians. I will destroy them."


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The Lord who rules over all will beat them with a whip. He will strike them down as he struck Midian down at the rock of Oreb. And he will reach his wooden staff out over the waters. That's what he did in Egypt.


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People of Zion, in days to come he will lift the heavy load of the Assyrians from your shoulders. He will remove their yokes from your necks. They will be broken because you have become so strong.


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The Assyrian army has entered the town of Aiath. They have passed through Migron. They have stored up supplies at Micmash.


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They have marched through the pass there. They said, "Let's camp for the night at Geba." The people of Ramah tremble with fear. Those who live in Gibeah of Saul run away.


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Today the Assyrians have stopped at Nob. They are shaking their fists at Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem.


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The Assyrian soldiers are like trees in a forest. The Lord who rules over all will chop them down. The Lord will cut off their branches with his great power. He will chop the tall trees down. He will cut down even the highest ones.


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Jesse's family is like a tree that has been cut down. A new little tree will grow from its stump. From its roots a Branch will grow and produce fruit.


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The Spirit of the Lord will rest on that Branch. He will help him to be wise and understanding. He will help him make wise plans and carry them out. He will help him know the Lord and have respect for him.


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The Branch will take delight in respecting the Lord. He will not judge things only by the way they look. He won't make decisions based simply on what people say.


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He will always do what is right when he judges those who are in need. He'll be completely fair when he makes decisions about poor people. When he commands that people be punished, it will happen. When he orders that evil people be put to death, it will take place.


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Wolves will live with lambs. Leopards will lie down with goats. Calves and lions will eat together. And little children will lead them around.


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Cows will eat with bears. Their little ones will lie down together. And lions will eat straw like oxen.


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A baby will play near a hole where cobras live. A young child will put his hand into a nest where poisonous snakes live.


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None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion. The oceans are full of water. In the same way, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.


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At that time the man who is called the Root from Jesse's family line will be like a banner that brings nations together. They will come to him. And the place where he rules will be glorious.


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At that time the Lord will reach out his hand to gather his people a second time. He will bring back those who are left alive. He'll bring them back from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt and Cush. He'll bring them from Elam, Babylonia and Hamath. He will also bring them from the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.


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He will lift up a banner. It will show the nations that he is gathering the people of Israel. He'll bring back those who had been taken away as prisoners. He'll gather together the scattered people of Judah. He'll bring them back from all four directions.


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Ephraim's people won't be jealous anymore. Judah's attackers will be cut off. Ephraim won't be jealous of Judah. And Judah won't attack Ephraim.


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Together they will rush down the slopes of Philistia to the west. They'll take what belongs to the people of the east. They'll take over Edom and Moab. The people of Ammon will be under their control.


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The Lord will dry up the Red Sea in Egypt. With his powerful hand he'll send a burning wind to sweep over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into many streams. Then people will be able to go across it wearing sandals.


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There was a road the people of Israel used when they came up from Egypt. In the same way, there will be a wide road coming out of Assyria. It will be used by the Lord's people who are left alive there.


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In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, "Lord, we will praise you. You were angry with us. But now your anger has turned away from us. And you have brought us comfort.


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God, you are the one who saves us. We will trust in you. Then we won't be afraid. Lord, you give us strength. We sing about you. Lord, you have saved us."


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People of Israel, he will save you. That will bring you joy like water that is brought up from wells.


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In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, "Give thanks to the Lord. Worship him. Tell the nations what he has done. Announce how honored he is.


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People of Zion, give a loud shout! Sing with joy! The Holy One of Israel is among you. And he is great."


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Lift up a banner on the top of a bare hill. Shout to the enemy soldiers. Wave for them to enter the gates that are used by the nobles of Babylon.


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The Lord has set those soldiers apart to fight for him. He has sent for them to carry out his anger against Babylon. They will be happy when he wins the battle for them.


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Listen! I hear a noise in the mountains. It sounds like a huge crowd. Listen! I hear a loud noise among the kingdoms. It sounds like nations gathering together. The Lord who rules over all is bringing an army together for war.


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They come from lands far away. They come from the farthest places on earth. The Lord and those weapons of his anger are coming to destroy the whole country of Babylonia.


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The people will be filled with terror. Pain and suffering will grab hold of them. They will groan with pain like a woman having a baby. They'll look at one another in terror. Their faces will burn with shame.


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The day of the Lord is coming. It will be a terrible day. The Lord's burning anger will blaze out. He will make the land dry and empty. He'll destroy the sinners in it.


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All of the stars in the sky will stop giving their light. The sun will be darkened as soon as it rises. The moon will not shine.


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The Lord will punish the world because it is so evil. He will punish evil people for their sins. He'll put an end to the bragging of those who are proud. He'll bring down the pride of those who don't show any pity.


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He will make the heavens tremble. He'll shake the earth out of its place. The Lord who rules over all will show how angry he is. At that time his burning anger will blaze out.


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Outsiders who live in Babylonia will scatter like antelope that are chased by a hunter. They are like sheep that don't have a shepherd. All of them will return to their own people. They will run back to their own countries.


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Those who are captured will have spears stuck through them. Those who are caught will be killed with swords.


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Their babies will be smashed to pieces right in front of their eyes. Their houses will be robbed. Their wives will be raped.


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The Lord will stir up the Medes to attack the Babylonians. They aren't interested in getting silver. They don't delight in gold.


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Instead, they will use their bows and arrows to strike the young men down. They won't even show any mercy to babies. They won't take pity on children.


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The city of Babylon is the jewel of kingdoms. It is the glory and pride of the Babylonians. But God will destroy it just as he did Sodom and Gomorrah.


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No one will ever live in Babylon again. No one will live there for all time to come. Arabs will never set up their tents there. Shepherds will never rest their flocks there.


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But desert creatures will lie down there. Wild dogs will fill its houses. Owls will live there. Wild goats will jump around in it.


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Hyenas will cry out in its forts. Wild dogs will bark in its beautiful palaces. The time for Babylon to be punished is near. Its days are numbered.


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The Lord will show tender love toward Jacob's people. Once again he will choose Israel. He'll settle them in their own land. Outsiders will join them. They and the people of Jacob will become one people.


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Nations will help Israel return to their own land. People from other nations will belong to Israel. They will serve them as male and female servants in the Lord's land. The Israelites will make prisoners of those who had held them as prisoners. They will rule over those who had crushed them.


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They will make fun of the king of Babylonia. They will say, "See how the one who crushed others has fallen! See how his anger has come to an end!


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When they became angry, they struck nations down. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again.


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Even the pine trees are glad. The cedar trees of Lebanon are happy too. They say, 'Babylon, you have fallen. Now no one comes and cuts us down.'


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"King of Babylonia, many people in the grave are really excited about meeting you when you go down there. The spirits of the dead get up to welcome you. At one time all of them were leaders in the world. They were kings over the nations. They get up from their thrones.


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All of them call out to you. They say, 'You have become weak, just as we are. You have become like us.'


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Your grand show of power has been brought down to the grave. The noise of your harps has come down here along with your power. Maggots are spread out under you. Worms cover you.


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"King of Babylonia, you thought you were the bright morning star. But now you have fallen from heaven! You once brought nations down. But now you have been thrown down to the earth!


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You said in your heart, 'I will go up to heaven. I'll raise my throne above the stars of God. I'll sit as king on the mountain where the gods meet. I'll set up my throne on the highest slopes of the sacred mountain.


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But now you have been brought down to the grave. You have been thrown into the deepest part of the pit.


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"Those who see you stare at you. They think about what has happened to you. They say to themselves, 'Is this the man who shook the earth? Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear?


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Did he turn the world into a desert? Did he destroy its cities? Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?'


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But you have been thrown out of your tomb. You are like a branch that is cut off and thrown away. You are covered with the bodies of those who have been killed with swords. You have been tossed into a stony pit along with them. You are like a dead body that people have walked on.


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You won't be buried like other kings. That's because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. "The children of that evil man will be killed. None of them will be left to carry on the family name.


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So prepare a place to kill his children. Kill them because of the sins of the rulers who lived before them. They must not rise to power. They must not rule over the world. They must not cover the earth with their cities."


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"I will rise up against them," announces the Lord who rules over all. "I will destroy Babylon. It will not be remembered anymore. No one will be left alive there. I will destroy its people and their children after them," announces the Lord.


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"I will turn it into a place where nothing but owls can live. I will turn it into a swamp. I will sweep through it like a broom and destroy everything," announces the Lord who rules over all.


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The Lord who rules over all has taken an oath. He has said, "You can be sure that what I have planned will happen. What I have decided will take place.


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I will crush the Assyrians in my land. On my mountains I will walk all over them. The yokes they put on my people will be removed. The heavy load they put on their shoulders will be taken away."


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That's how the Lord carries out his plan all over the world. That's how he reaches out his powerful hand to punish all of the nations.


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The Lord who rules over all has planned it. Who can stop him? He has reached out his powerful hand. Who can keep him from using it?


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"The rod of Assyria has struck all of you Philistines. But do not be glad that it is broken. That rod is like a snake that will produce an even more poisonous snake. It will produce a darting, poisonous serpent.


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Even the poorest people in Israel will have plenty to eat. Those who are in need will lie down in safety. But I will destroy your families. They will die of hunger. I will kill any of them who are still left alive.


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"Cities of Philistia, cry out for help! Scream in pain! All of you Philistines, melt away in fear! An army is coming from the north in a cloud of dust. No one in its ranks is falling behind.


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What answer should be given to the messengers from that nation? Tell them, 'The Lord has made Zion secure. His suffering people will find safety there.' "


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Moab. The city of Ar in Moab is destroyed. It happened in a single night. Kir in Moab is also destroyed. It happened in a single night.


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The people of Dibon go up to their temple to worship. They go to their high places to sob. The people of Moab cry over the cities of Nebo and Medeba. All of their heads are shaved. All of their beards have been cut off.


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In the streets they wear black clothes. On their roofs and in the market places all of them are crying. They fall down flat with their faces toward the ground. And they sob.


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The people of Heshbon and Elealeh cry out. Their voices are heard all the way to Jahaz. So the fighting men of Moab cry out. Their hearts are weak.


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My heart cries out over Moab. Some who run away get as far as Zoar. Others run all the way to Eglath Shelishiyah. Others go up the road to Luhith. They are sobbing as they go. Still others travel the road to Horonaim. They sing a song of sadness because their town is being destroyed.


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The waters at Nimrim are dried up. And so is the grass. The plants have died. Nothing green is left.


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The people are trying to escape through the Valley of the Poplar Trees. They are carrying with them the wealth they have collected and stored up.


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Their loud cries echo along the border of Moab. They reach as far as Eglaim. Their songs of sadness reach all the way to Beer Elim.


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The waters of the city of Dimon are full of blood. But the Lord will bring even more trouble on Dimon. He will bring lions against those who run away from Moab. They will also attack those who remain in the land.


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People of Moab, send lambs as a gift to the ruler of Judah. Send them from Sela. Send them across the desert. Send them to Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem.


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The women of Moab are at the places where people go across the Arnon River. They are like birds that flap their wings when they are pushed from their nest.


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The Moabites say to the rulers of Judah, "Give us advice. Make a decision. Cover us with your shadow. Make it like night even at noon. Hide those of us who are running away. Don't turn them over to their enemies.


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Let those who have run away from Moab stay with you. Keep them safe from those who are trying to destroy them." Those who crush others will be destroyed. The killing will stop. The attackers will disappear from the earth.


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A man from the royal house of David will sit on Judah's throne. He will rule with faithful love. When he judges he will do what is fair. He will be quick to do what is right.


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We have heard all about Moab's pride. We have heard how very proud they are. They think they are so much better than others. They brag about themselves. But all of their bragging is nothing but empty words.


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So the people of Moab cry out. All of them cry over their country. Sing a song of sadness. Sob over the men of Kir Hareseth.


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The vineyards of Heshbon dry up. So do the vines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have walked all over its finest vines. Those vines once reached as far as Jazer. They spread out toward the desert. Their new growth went all the way to the Dead Sea.


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Jazer sobs over the vines of Sibmah. And so do I. Heshbon and Elealeh, I soak you with my tears! There isn't any ripe fruit for people to shout about. There isn't any harvest to make them happy.


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Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards. No one sings or shouts in the vineyards. No one stomps on grapes at the winepresses. That's because the Lord has put an end to the shouting.


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My heart sobs over Moab like a song of sadness played on a harp. Deep down inside me I sob over Kir Hareseth.


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Moab's people go to their high place to pray. But all they do is wear themselves out. Their god Chemosh can't help them at all.


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But now he says, "In exactly three years, people will look down on Moab's glory. Now Moab has many people. But by that time only a few of them will be left alive. And even they will be weak."


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Damascus. He said, "Damascus will not be a city anymore. Instead, all of its buildings will be knocked down.


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The cities of Aroer will be deserted. They will be left to the flocks that lie down there. No one will make them afraid.


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Ephraim's people will no longer have cities with high walls around them. Royal power will disappear from Damascus. Those who are left alive in Aram will be like the glory of the people of Israel," announces the Lord who rules over all.


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It will be as when a worker cuts and gathers grain in the Valley of Rephaim. He gathers up stalks with his arms. Only a few heads of grain are left.


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In the same way, only a few people will be left alive. It will be as when workers knock olives off the trees. Only two or three olives are left on the highest branches. Four or five at most are left on the limbs that produce fruit," announces the Lord, the God of Israel.


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In days to come, men will look to their Maker for help. They will turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.


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They won't trust in the altars they made with their own hands. They won't pay any attention to the poles they used to worship the goddess Asherah. And they won't depend on the incense altars they made with their own fingers.


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At that time the strong cities in Israel will be deserted. They will be as they were when the Israelites drove the Canaanites out of them. They will be like places that are taken over by bushes and weeds. The whole land will become dry and empty.


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Israel, you have forgotten God, who saves you. You have not remembered the Rock, who keeps you safe. You might set out the finest plants. You might plant vines from other lands.


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The plants might start to grow on the day you set them out. The vines might begin to bud on the morning you plant them. But even if they do, there won't be any harvest. Instead, there will be sickness and pain that won't go away.


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How terrible it looks for us! Many nations are marching against us. The noise of their armies is like the sound of the ocean. They are making a lot of noise. It sounds like huge waves crashing on the shore.


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It sounds like the roar of rushing waters. But when the Lord speaks out against them, they run far away. The wind blows them away like straw on the hills. A strong wind drives them along like tumbleweeds.


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In the evening, the nations terrify us. But before morning comes, they are gone. That's what happens to those who steal our goods. That's what happens to those who take what belongs to us.


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How terrible it will be for the land whose armies are like large numbers of flying insects! That land is along the rivers of Cush.


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Its people send messengers on the Nile River. They travel over the water in papyrus boats. Messengers, hurry back home! Go back to your people, who are tall and have smooth skin. Everyone is afraid of them. They are warriors. Their language is different from ours. Their land is divided up by rivers.


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Pay attention, all you people of the world! Listen, all you who live on earth! Banners will be lifted up on the mountains. And you will see them. Trumpets will be blown. And you will hear them.


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The Lord says to me, "I will look down from heaven, where I live. I will be as quiet as summer heat in the sunshine. I will be as quiet as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."


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A farmer cuts off new growth with pruning knives. He cuts down spreading branches and takes them away. He does it before the grapes are harvested. That's when the blooms are gone and the grapes are ripe. In the same way, the Lord will cut off the nations that are gathered against his people.


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Their dead bodies will be left for the birds of the mountains to eat. They will be left for the wild animals. The birds will eat the dead bodies all summer long. The wild animals will eat them all through the winter.


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At that time gifts will be brought to the Lord who rules over all. The people who are tall and have smooth skin will bring them. Everyone is afraid of those people. They are warriors. Their language is different from ours. Their land is divided up by rivers. They will bring their gifts to Mount Zion. That's where the Lord who rules over all has put his Name.


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Egypt. The Lord is coming to Egypt. He's riding on a cloud that moves very fast. The statues of the gods in Egypt tremble with fear because of him. The hearts of the people there melt away inside them.


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The Lord says, "I will stir up one Egyptian against another. Relatives will fight against relatives. Neighbors will fight against one another. Cities will fight against cities. Kingdoms will fight against one another.


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The people of Egypt will lose hope. I will keep them from doing what they plan to do. They will ask their gods for advice. They will turn to the spirits of dead people for help. They will go to people who get messages from those who have died. They will ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead.


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I will hand the Egyptians over to a mean and unkind master. A powerful king will rule over them," announces the Lord. He is the Lord who rules over all.


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Its waterways will stink. And the streams of Egypt will get smaller and smaller until they dry up. The tall grass that grows along the river will dry up.


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So will the plants along the banks of the Nile. Even the planted fields along the Nile will dry up. Everything that grows there will blow away and disappear.


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The fishermen will moan. All those who drop hooks into the Nile will sob. Those who throw their nets on the water will become very sad.


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The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish. Pharaoh's wise men give advice that doesn't make any sense. How can they dare to say to Pharaoh, "We're among the wise men"? How can they say to him, "We're like the advisers to the kings of long ago"?


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Pharaoh, where are your wise men now? Let them tell you what the Lord who rules over all has planned against Egypt.


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The officials of Zoan have become foolish. The leaders of Memphis have been lied to. The most important leaders in Egypt have led its people down the wrong path.


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The Lord has given them a spirit that makes them feel dizzy. They make Egypt unsteady in everything it does. Egypt is like a person who drinks too much. He throws up and then walks around in the mess he's made.


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No one in Egypt can do anything to help them. Its elders and important leaders can't help them. Its prophets and priests can't do anything. Those who rule over others can't help. And those who bow down to them can't help either.


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In days to come, the people of Egypt will be as terrified as women. The Lord who rules over all will raise his hand against them. Then they will tremble with fear.


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The people of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians. Everyone in Egypt who hears the name of Judah will be terrified. That's because of what the Lord who rules over all is planning to do to them.


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At that time the people of five cities in Egypt will use the Hebrew language when they worship the Lord who rules over all. They will take an oath. And they will promise to be faithful to him. One of those cities is called The City of the Sun.


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At that time there will be an altar to the Lord in the middle of Egypt. There will be a monument to him at its border.


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They will remind people that the Lord who rules over all is worshiped in Egypt. The people there will cry out to the Lord because of those who treat them badly. He will send someone to stand up for them and save them. And he will set them free.


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So the Lord will make himself known to the people of Egypt. At that time they will recognize that he is the Lord. They will worship him by bringing sacrifices and grain offerings to him. They will make promises to the Lord. And they will keep them.


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The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague. But then he will heal them. They will turn to the Lord. And he will answer their prayers and heal them.


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At that time there will be a wide road from Egypt to Assyria. The people of Assyria will go to Egypt. And the people of Egypt will go to Assyria. The people of Egypt and Assyria will worship the Lord together.


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The Lord who rules over all will bless those three nations. He will say, "Let the Egyptians be blessed. They are my people. Let the Assyrians be blessed. My hands created them. And let the Israelites be blessed. They are my very own people."


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Sargon sent his highest commander to the city of Ashdod. He attacked it and captured it. Sargon was king of Assyria.


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Three years earlier the Lord had spoken to me. He had said, "Take off the black clothes you are wearing. And take your sandals off." So I did. I went around barefoot. I didn't have anything on but my underwear.


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After Ashdod was captured, the Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has gone around barefoot for three years. He has not worn anything but his underwear. He is a sign and reminder to Egypt and Cush about what will happen to them.


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"The king of Assyria will lead prisoners away from Egypt and Cush. Young people and old people alike will be taken away. Like Isaiah, they will be barefoot. They will not be wearing anything but their underwear. And their backsides will be bare. So the Egyptians will be put to shame.


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"People trusted in Cush to help them. They bragged about what Egypt could do for them. But they will be afraid and put to shame.


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At that time the people who live on the coast of Philistia will speak up. They will say, 'See what has happened to those we depended on! We ran to them for help. We wanted them to save us from the king of Assyria. Now how can we escape?' "


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Babylonia. It is known as the Desert by the Two Rivers. An attack is coming through the desert. It is coming from a land of terror. It's sweeping along like a windstorm blowing across the Negev Desert.


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I have seen a vision about something terrible that will happen. People are turning against Babylon. Robbers are taking its goods. Elamites, attack the city! Medes, surround it! The Lord will put an end to all of the suffering Babylon has caused.


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The vision fills my body with pain. Pains take hold of me. They are like the pains of a woman having a baby. I am shaken by what I hear. I'm terrified by what I see.


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My heart grows weak. Fear makes me tremble. I longed for evening to come. But it brought me horror instead of rest.


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In my vision the Babylonians set the tables. They spread the rugs out. They eat. They drink. Get up, you officers! Rub your shields with oil!


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Tell him to watch for chariots that are pulled by teams of horses. Tell him to watch for men riding on donkeys or camels. Make sure he stays awake. Make sure he stays wide awake."


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"My master!" the guard shouts back. "Day after day I stand here on the lookout tower. Every night I stay here on duty.


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Look! Here comes a man in a chariot! It's being pulled by a team of horses. He's calling out the news, 'Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All of the statues of its gods lie broken in pieces on the ground!' "


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My people, you have been crushed like grain on a threshing floor. But now I'm telling you the good news I've heard. It comes from the Lord who rules over all. He is the God of Israel.


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Edom. Someone is calling out to me from the land of Seir. He says, "Guard, when will the night be over? Guard, how soon will it end?"


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The guard answers, "Morning is coming. But the night will return. If you want to ask again, come back and ask."


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Arabia. He told me to give orders to traders from Dedan. They were camping in the bushes of Arabia.


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I told them to bring water for those who are thirsty. I also gave orders to those who live in Tema. I told them to bring food for those who are running away.


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They are running away from where the fighting is heaviest. That's where the swords are ready to strike. That's where the bows are ready to shoot.


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Only a few of Kedar's soldiers who shoot arrows will be left alive." The Lord has spoken. He is the God of Israel.


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about the Valley of Vision. People of Jerusalem, what's the matter with you? Why have all of you gone up on the roofs of your houses?


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Why is your town so full of noise? Why is your city so full of the sound of wild parties? Those among you who died weren't killed with swords. They didn't die in battle.


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All of your leaders have run away. They've been captured without a single arrow being shot. All those who were caught were taken away as prisoners. They ran off while your enemies were still far away.


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So I said, "Leave me alone. Let me sob bitter tears. Don't try to comfort me. My people have been destroyed."


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The Lord who rules over all sent the noise of battle against you. The Lord brought disorder and terror to the Valley of Vision. The walls of the city were knocked down. Cries for help were heard in the mountains.


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Soldiers from Elam came armed with bows and arrows. They came with their chariots and horses. Soldiers from Kir got their shields ready.


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Your rich valleys filled up with chariots. Horsemen took up their battle positions at your city gates.


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Judah wasn't a safe place to live in anymore. When all of that happened, you depended on the weapons in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.


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You saw that the City of David had many holes in its walls. They needed to be repaired. You stored up water in the Lower Pool.


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You picked out the weaker buildings in Jerusalem. You tore them down and used their stones to strengthen the city walls against attack.


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You built a pool between the two walls. You used it to save the water that was running down from the Old Pool. But you didn't look to the One who made it all possible. You didn't pay any attention to the One who planned everything long ago.


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The Lord who rules over all called out to you at that time. The Lord told you to sob and cry. He told you to tear your hair out. And he told you to put black clothes on.


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Instead, you are enjoying yourselves at wild parties! You are killing cattle and sheep. You are eating their meat and drinking wine. You are saying, "Let's eat and drink, because tomorrow we'll die."


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I heard the Lord who rules over all speaking. "Your sin can never be paid for as long as you people live," says the Lord.


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The Lord who rules over all speaks. The Lord says, "Go. Speak to the head servant Shebna. He is in charge of the palace. Tell him,


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'What are you doing here outside the city? Who allowed you to cut out a tomb for yourself here? Who said you could carve out your grave on the hillside? Who allowed you to cut out your resting place in the rock?


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He will roll you up tightly like a ball. He will throw you into a very large country. There you will die. And there the chariots you are so proud of will remain. You bring shame on your master's family!


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The Lord will put your robe on Eliakim. He will tie your belt around him. He will hand your authority over to him. Eliakim will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah.


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" 'The Lord will give Eliakim the key of authority in David's royal house. No one can shut what he opens. And no one can open what he shuts.


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The Lord will set him firmly in place like a peg that is driven into a wall. He will hold a position of honor in his family.


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The good name of his whole family will depend on him. They will be like bowls and jars hanging on a peg.


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" 'But a new day is coming,' " announces the Lord who rules over all. " 'At that time the peg that was driven into the wall will give way. It will break off and fall down. And the heavy load hanging on it will also fall.' " The Lord has spoken.


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about Tyre. Men in the ships of Tarshish, cry out! The city of Tyre is destroyed. Its houses and harbor are gone. That's the message you have received from the island of Cyprus.


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People on the island of Tyre, be silent. Traders from the city of Sidon, be quiet. Those who sail on the Mediterranean Sea have made you rich.


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Grain from Egypt came across the mighty waters. The harvest of the Nile River brought wealth to Tyre. It became the market place of the nations.


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Sidon, be ashamed. Mighty Tyre out in the sea, be ashamed. The sea has spoken. It has said, "It's as if I had never felt labor pains or had children. It's as if I had never brought up sons or daughters. It's as if the city of Tyre had never existed."


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Just look at Tyre. It's no longer the old, old city that was known for its wild parties. It no longer sends its people out to settle in lands far away.


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Tyre was a city that produced kings. Its traders were princes. They were honored all over the earth. So who planned to destroy such a city?


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The Lord who rules over all planned to do it. He wanted to bring down all of its pride and glory. He wanted to put to shame those who were honored all over the earth.


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People of Tarshish, spread out over your land like the waters of the Nile. There isn't anything to hold you back anymore.


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The Lord has reached his powerful hand out over the sea. He has made its kingdoms tremble with fear. He has given a command concerning Phoenicia. He has ordered that its forts be destroyed.


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He said, "No more wild parties for you! People of Sidon, you are now destroyed! "Leave your city. Go across the sea to Cyprus. Even there you will not find any rest."


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Look at the land of the Babylonians. No one lives there anymore. The Assyrians have turned it into a place for desert creatures. They built their towers in order to attack it. They took everything out of its forts. They knocked all of its buildings down.


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A time is coming when people will forget about Tyre for 70 years. That's the length of a king's life. But at the end of those 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute that people sing about. They say,


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"Forgotten prostitute, pick up a harp. Walk through the city. Play the harp well. Sing many songs. Then you will be remembered."


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At the end of the 70 years, the Lord will punish Tyre. He will let it return to its way of life as a prostitute. It will earn its living with all of the kingdoms on the face of the earth.


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But the money it earns will be set apart for the Lord. The money won't be stored up or kept for Tyre. Instead, it will go to those who live the way the Lord wants them to. It will pay for plenty of food and fine clothes for them.


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The Lord is going to completely destroy everything on earth. He will twist its surface. He'll scatter those who live on it.


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Priests and people alike will suffer. So will masters and their servants. And so will women and their female servants. Sellers and buyers alike will suffer. So will those who borrow and those who lend. And so will those who owe money and those who lend it.


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The earth will be completely destroyed. Everything of value will be taken out of it. That's what the Lord has said.


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The earth will dry up completely. The world will dry up and waste away. The most important people on earth will fade away.


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The earth is polluted by its people. They haven't obeyed the laws of the Lord. They haven't done what he told them to do. They've broken the covenant that will last forever.


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So the Lord will send a curse on the earth. Its people will pay for what they've done. They will be burned up. Very few of them will be left.


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The happy sounds of tambourines will be gone. The noise of those who enjoy wild parties will stop. The joyful music of harps will become silent.


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In the streets people will cry out for wine. All joy will turn into sadness. All happiness will be driven out of the earth.


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That's how it will be on the earth. And that's how it will be among the nations. It will be as when workers knock all but a few olives off the trees. It will be like a vine that has only a few grapes left after the harvest.


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Those who are left alive will shout with joy. People from the west will praise the Lord because he is the King.


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So give glory to him, you who live in the east. Honor the name of the Lord, you who are in the islands of the sea. He is the God of Israel.


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From one end of the earth to the other we hear singing. People are saying, "Give glory to the One who always does what is right." But I said, "I feel very bad. I'm getting weaker and weaker. How terrible it is for me! People turn against one another. They can't be trusted. So they turn against each other."


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Anyone who runs away from the terror will fall into the pit. Anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. The Lord will open the windows of the skies. He will flood the land. The foundations of the earth will shake.


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The earth will be unsteady like someone who is drunk. It will sway like a tent in the wind. Its sin will weigh so heavily on it that it will fall. It will never get up again.


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At that time the Lord will punish the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens above. He will also punish the kings on the earth below.


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They will be brought together like prisoners in chains. They'll be locked up in prison. After many days the Lord will punish them.


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The Lord who rules over all will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The elders of the city will be there. They will see his glory. His rule will be so glorious that the sun and moon will be too ashamed to shine.


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Lord, you are my God. I will honor you. I will praise your name. You have been perfectly faithful. You have done wonderful things. You had planned them long ago.


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You have turned cities into piles of trash. You have pulled down the high walls that were around them. You have destroyed our enemies' forts. They will never be rebuilt.


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Poor people have come to you for safety. You have kept needy people safe when they were in trouble. You have been a place to hide when storms came. You have been a shade from the heat of the sun. Evil people attack us. They are like a storm beating against a wall.


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They are like the heat of the desert. You stopped the noisy shouts of our enemies. You kept them from winning the battle over us and singing about it. You are like the shadow of a cloud that cools the earth.


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On Mount Zion the Lord who rules over all will prepare a feast for all of the nations. The best and richest foods and the finest aged wines will be served.


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On that mountain the Lord will destroy the veil of sadness that covers all of the nations. He will destroy the gloom that is spread over everyone.


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He will swallow up death forever. The Lord and King will wipe away the tears from everyone's face. He will remove the shame of his people from the whole earth. The Lord has spoken.


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At that time they will say, "He is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. He is the Lord. We trusted in him. Let us be filled with joy because he saved us."


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The Lord's powerful hand will keep Mount Zion safe. But he will walk all over Moab. Its people will be crushed, just as straw is crushed in animal waste.


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They will try to swim their way out of it. They will spread their hands out in it, just as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim. But God will bring down Moab's pride. None of their skill will help them.


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He will pull down their high, strong walls. He will bring them down to the ground. He'll bring them right down to the dust.


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At that time a song will be sung in the land of Judah. It will say, "We have a strong city. God's saving power surrounds it like walls and towers.


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Open its gates so that those who do what is right can enter. They are the people who remain faithful to God.


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Lord, you will give perfect peace to anyone who commits himself to be faithful to you. That's because he trusts in you.


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He brings down those who are proud. He pulls down cities that have high walls. They fall down flat on the ground. He throws them down to the dust.


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Lord, you are honest and fair. You guide those who do what is right. You lead them on a straight path. You make their way smooth.


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Lord, we are living the way your laws command us to live. We are waiting for you to act. Our hearts long for you to be true to your name. That's what you are known for.


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My heart longs for you at night. My spirit longs for you in the morning. You will come and judge the earth. Then the people of the world will learn to do what is right.


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Grace is shown to sinful people. But they still don't learn to do what is right. They keep on doing evil even in a land where others are honest and fair. They don't have any respect for the majesty of the Lord.


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Lord, you have raised your hand high to punish them. But they don't even see it. Let them see how much you love your people. Then they will be put to shame. Let the fire you are saving for your enemies burn them up.


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Lord, you are our God. Other masters besides you have ruled over us. But your name is the only one we honor.


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Those other masters are now dead. They will never live again. Their spirits won't rise from the dead. You punished them and destroyed them. You wiped out all memory of them.


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Lord, you have made our nation grow. You have made it larger. You have gained glory for yourself. You have increased the size of our land.


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Lord, when your people were suffering, they came to you. When you punished them, they could barely whisper a prayer.


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We were pregnant. We groaned with pain. But nothing was born. We didn't bring your saving power to the earth. We didn't give life to the people of the world.


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Israel, those among you who have died will live again. Their bodies will rise from the dead. You who lie in the grave, wake up and shout with joy. The dew of the morning gives life to the earth. So the earth will give up its dead people.


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My people, go into your houses. Shut the doors behind you. Hide yourselves for a little while. Do it until the Lord's anger is over.


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He is coming from the place where he lives. He will punish the people of the earth for their sins. The blood that has been spilled on the earth will be brought out into the open. The ground will no longer hide those who have been killed.


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At that time the Lord will punish Leviathan with his sword. His great, powerful and deadly sword will punish the serpent that glides through the sea. He will kill that twisting sea monster.


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"I am the Lord. I watch over my vineyard. I water it all the time. I guard it day and night. I do it so no one can harm it.


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I am not angry with my vineyard. I wish thorns and bushes would come up in it. Then I would march out against them in battle. I would set all of them on fire.


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So the enemies of my people had better come to me for safety. They should make peace with me. I will say it again. They should make peace with me."


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In days to come, Jacob's people will put down roots like a vine. Israel will bud and bloom. They will fill the whole world with fruit.


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The Lord struck down those who struck Israel down. But he hasn't punished Israel as much. The Lord killed those who killed many of his people. But he hasn't punished his people as much.


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The Lord will use war to punish Israel. He will make them leave their land. With a strong blast of his anger he will drive them out. It will be as if the east wind were blowing.


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The people of Jacob will have to pay for their sin. That must happen in order for their sin to be taken away. They will make all of the altar stones like chalk. They will crush them to pieces. No poles that had been used to worship the goddess Asherah will be left standing. No incense altars will be left either.


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Cities that have high walls around them will become empty. They will be deserted settlements. They will be like a desert. Calves will eat and lie down in them. They will strip the branches of their trees bare.


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When their twigs are dry, they will be broken off. Then women will come and make fires with them. The people of Jacob don't understand the Lord. So the One who made them won't be concerned about them. Their Creator won't show them his favor.


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At that time the Lord will separate Israel from other people. He will gather the Israelites together. He will gather them one by one from the Euphrates River all the way to the Wadi of Egypt.


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At that time a loud trumpet will be blown. Those who were dying in Assyria will come and worship the Lord. So will those who were taken away to Egypt. All of them will worship the Lord on his holy mountain in Jerusalem.


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How terrible it will be for the city of Samaria! It sits on a hill like a crown of flowers. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. It sits above a valley that has rich soil. How terrible it will be for the glorious beauty of that fading flower!


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The Lord will bring the strong and powerful king of Assyria against Samaria. The Lord will throw that city down to the ground with great force. It will be like a hailstorm. It will be like a wind that destroys everything. It will be like a driving rain and a flooding storm.


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That city is like a crown. The leaders of Ephraim are drunk. They take pride in their city. But its enemies will walk all over it.


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It sits on a hill above a rich valley. It's like a crown of flowers whose glorious beauty is fading away. But it will become like a fig that is ripe before harvest. As soon as someone sees it, he picks it and swallows it.


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At that time the Lord who rules over all will be like a glorious crown. He will be like a beautiful wreath for those of his people who will be left alive.


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He will help those who are fair when they judge. He will give strength to those who turn back their enemies at the city gate.


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Israel's leaders are drunk from wine. They can't walk straight. They are drunk from beer. They are unsteady on their feet. Priests and prophets drink beer. They can't walk straight. They are mixed up from drinking too much wine. They drink too much beer. They are unsteady on their feet. The prophets see visions but don't really understand them. The priests aren't able to make good decisions.


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They throw up. All of the tables are covered with the mess they've made. There isn't one spot on the tables that isn't smelly and dirty.


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My people are making fun of me. They say, "Who does he think he's trying to teach? Who does he think he's explaining his message to? Is it to children who do not need their mother's milk anymore? Is it to those who have just been taken from her breast?


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Here is how he teaches. Do this and do that. Do that and do this. Obey this rule and obey that rule. Obey that rule and obey this rule. Learn a little here and learn a little there."


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All right then, these people won't listen to me. So God will speak to them. He will speak by using people who speak unfamiliar languages. He will speak by using the mouths of strangers.


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He said to his people, "I am offering you a resting place. Let those who are tired rest." He continued, "I am offering you a place of peace and quiet." But they wouldn't listen.


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So then, here is what the Lord's message will become to them. Do this and do that. Do that and do this. Obey this rule and obey that rule. Obey that rule and obey this rule. Learn a little here and learn a little there. So when they try to go forward, they'll fall back and be wounded. They'll be trapped and captured.


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Listen to the Lord's message, you who make fun of the truth. Listen, you who rule over these people in Jerusalem.


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You brag, "We have entered into a covenant with death. We have made an agreement with the grave. When a terrible plague comes to punish us, it can't touch us. That's because we depend on lies to keep us safe. We hide behind what isn't true."


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So the Lord and King speaks. He says, "Look! I am laying a stone in Zion. It is a stone that has been tested. It is the most important stone for a firm foundation. The one who trusts in that stone will never be shaken.


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I will use a measuring line to prove that you have not been fair. I will use a plumb line to prove that you have not done what is right. Hail will sweep away the lies you depend on to keep you safe. Water will flood your hiding place.


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Your covenant with death will be called off. The agreement you made with the grave will not stand. When the terrible plague comes to punish you, you will be beaten down by it.


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As often as it comes, it will carry you away. Morning after morning, day and night, it will come to punish you." If you understand this message, it will bring you absolute terror.


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You will be like someone whose bed is too short to lie down on. You will be like those whose blankets are too small to wrap themselves in.


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The Lord will rise up to judge, just as he did at Mount Perazim. He will get up to act, just as he did in the Valley of Gibeon. He'll do his work, but it will be strange work. He'll carry out his task, but it will be an unexpected one.


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Now stop making fun of me. If you don't, your chains will become heavier. The Lord who rules over all has spoken to me. The Lord has told me he has ordered that the whole land be destroyed.


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When a farmer plows in order to plant, does he plow without stopping? Does he keep on breaking up the soil and making the field level?


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When he's made the surface even, doesn't he plant caraway seeds? Doesn't he scatter cummin? Doesn't he plant wheat in its proper place? Doesn't he plant barley where it belongs? Doesn't he plant spelt along the edge of the field?


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Caraway seeds are beaten out with a rod. They aren't separated out under a threshing sled. Cummin seeds are beaten out with a stick. The wheel of a cart isn't rolled over them.


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Grain must be ground up to make bread. A farmer separates it out. But he doesn't go on doing it forever. He drives the wheels of a threshing cart over it. But he doesn't let the horses grind it to dust.


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All of those insights come from the Lord who rules over all. His advice is wonderful. His wisdom is glorious.


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Jerusalem, how terrible it will be for you! Ariel, you are the city where David settled. The years will come and go. Keep on celebrating your regular feasts.


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The Lord says, "Ariel, I will surround you. Jerusalem, I will get ready to attack you. Your people will sob. They will sing songs of sadness. I will make you like the front of an altar that is covered with blood.


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I will be like an army that is camped against you on all sides. I will surround you with towers in order to attack you. I will build my ramps all around you and set up my ladders.


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You will be brought down to the grave. You will speak from deep down inside the ground. Your words will be barely heard out of the dust. Your voice will sound like the voice of a ghost coming from under the ground. Your words will sound like a whisper out of the dust."


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Jerusalem, all of your enemies will become like fine dust. Their terrifying armies will become like straw that the wind blows away. All of a sudden, in an instant,


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the Lord who rules over all will come. He will come with thunder, earthquakes and a lot of noise. He'll bring windstorms and rainstorms with him. He'll send a blazing fire that will burn everything up.


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Armies from all of the nations will fight against Ariel. They will attack it and its fort. They'll surround it completely. But suddenly those armies will disappear like a dream. They will vanish like a vision in the night.


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They will be like a hungry person who dreams he is eating. But when he wakes up, he's still hungry. They will be like a thirsty person who dreams he is drinking. But when he wakes up, he is weak. His thirst hasn't been satisfied. In the same way, the armies from all of the nations that fight against Mount Zion will disappear.


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People of Jerusalem, be shocked and amazed. Make yourselves blind so you can't see anything. Get drunk, but not from wine. Be unsteady on your feet, but not because of beer.


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The Lord has made you fall into a deep sleep. He has closed the eyes of your prophets. He has covered the heads of your seers so they can't see.


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For you, this whole vision is like words that are sealed up in a scroll. Suppose you give it to someone who can read. And suppose you say to him, "Please read this for us." Then he'll answer, "I can't. It's sealed up."


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Or suppose you give the scroll to someone who can't read. And suppose you say, "Please read this for us." Then he'll answer, "I don't know how to read."


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The Lord says, "These people worship me only with their words. They honor me by what they say. But their hearts are far away from me. Their worship doesn't mean anything to me. They teach nothing but human rules.


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So once more I will shock these people with many wonderful acts. I will destroy the wisdom of those who think they are so wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart."


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How terrible it will be for people who do everything they can to hide their plans from the Lord! They do their work in darkness. They think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"


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They turn everything upside down. How silly they are to think that potters are like the clay they work with! Can what is made say to the one who made it, "You didn't make me"? Can the pot say to the potter, "You don't know anything"?


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In a very short time, Lebanon will be turned into rich farm lands. The rich farm lands will seem like a forest.


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At that time those who can't hear will hear what is read from the scroll. Those who are blind will come out of gloom and darkness. They will be able to see.


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Those who aren't proud will once again find their joy in the Lord. And those who are in need will find their joy in the Holy One of Israel.


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Those who don't show any pity will vanish. Those who make fun of others will disappear. All those who look for ways to do what is evil will be cut off.


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Without any proof, they claim that a man is guilty. In court they try to trap the one who speaks up for others. By using dishonest witnesses they keep those who aren't guilty from being treated fairly.


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Long ago the Lord saved Abraham from trouble. Now he says to Jacob's people, "You will not be ashamed anymore. Your faces will no longer grow pale with fear.


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You will see your children living among you. I myself will give you those children. Then you will honor my name. You will recognize how holy I am. I am the Holy One of Jacob. You will have great respect for me. I am the God of Israel.


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I will give understanding to you who find yourselves going down the wrong path. You who are always speaking against others will accept what I teach you."


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"How terrible it will be for these stubborn children of mine!" announces the Lord. "How terrible for those who carry out plans that did not come from me! Their agreement with Egypt did not come from my Spirit. So they pile up one sin on top of another.


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They go down to Egypt without asking me for advice. They look to Pharaoh to help them. They ask Egypt to keep them safe.


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But the people of Judah will be put to shame because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them. Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage. Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor."


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Here is a message the Lord gave me about the animals in the Negev Desert. Judah's messengers carry their riches on the backs of donkeys. They carry their treasures on the humps of camels. They travel through a land of danger and suffering. It's a land that is filled with lions. Poisonous snakes are also there. The messengers travel to a nation that can't do them any good.


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The Lord said to me, "Go now. Write on a tablet for the people of Judah what I am about to say. Also write it on a scroll. In days to come it will be a witness that lasts forever.


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The people of Judah refuse to obey me. They are children who tell lies. They will not listen to what I want to teach them.


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They say to the seers, 'Don't see any more visions!' They say to the prophets, 'Don't give us any more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy things we want to hear even if they aren't true.


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So the Holy One of Israel speaks. He says, "You have turned your backs on what I have said. You have depended on telling people lies. You have crushed others.


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Those sins are like cracks in a high wall. They get bigger and bigger. Suddenly the wall breaks apart. Then it quickly falls down.


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It breaks into small pieces like a clay pot. It breaks up completely. Not one piece is left big enough for taking coals from a fireplace. Not one piece is left for dipping water out of a well."


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The Lord and King is the Holy One of Israel. He says, "You will find peace and rest when you turn away from your sins and depend on me. You will receive the strength you need when you stay calm and trust in me. But you do not want to do what I tell you to.


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You said, 'No. We'll escape on horses.' So you will have to escape! You said, 'We'll ride off on fast horses.' So those who chase you will use faster horses!


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When one of them dares you to fight, a thousand of you will run away. When five of them dare you, all of you will run away. So few of you will be left that you will be like a flagpole on top of a mountain. You will be like only one banner on a hill."


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But the Lord longs to show you his favor. He wants to give you his tender love. The Lord is a God who is always fair. Blessed are all those who wait for him to act!


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People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you won't sob anymore. When you cry out to the Lord for help, he will show you his favor. As soon as he hears you, he'll answer you.


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He might treat you like prisoners. You might eat the bread of trouble. You might drink the water of suffering. But he will be your Teacher. He won't hide himself anymore. You will see him with your own eyes.


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You will hear your Teacher's voice behind you. You will hear it whether you turn to the right or the left. It will say, "Here is the path I want you to take. So walk on it."


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Then you will get rid of the silver statues of your gods. You won't have anything to do with the gold statues either. All of them are "unclean." So you will throw them away like dirty rags. You will say to them, "Get away from us!"


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The Lord will send rain on the seeds you plant in the ground. The crops that grow will be rich and plentiful. At that time your cattle will eat grass in rolling meadows.


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The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat the finest feed and crushed grain. The farmers will use pitchforks and shovels to separate it from the straw.


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At that time the towers of your enemies will fall down. Their soldiers will die. Streams of water will flow on every high mountain and hill.


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The moon will shine like the sun. And the sunlight will be seven times brighter than usual. It will be like the light of seven full days. That will happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds and bruises he has brought on his people.


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The Lord will come from far away in all of his power and glory. He will show his burning anger. Thick clouds of smoke will be all around him. His mouth will speak angry words. The words from his tongue will be like a destroying fire.


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His breath will be like a rushing flood that rises up to the neck. He'll separate out the nations he is going to destroy. He'll place a bit in their jaws. It will lead them down the road to death.


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You will sing as you do on the night you celebrate a holy feast. Your hearts will be filled with joy. You will be as joyful as people playing their flutes as they go up to the mountain of the Lord. He is the Rock of Israel.


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The Lord will cause people to hear his powerful voice. He will make them see his arm coming down to punish them. It will come down with burning anger and destroying fire. It will come down with rain, thunderstorms and hail.


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He will strike them with his rod to punish them. Each time he does, his people will celebrate with the music of harps and tambourines. He will use his powerful arm to strike the Assyrians down in battle.


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In the Valley of Ben Hinnom, Topheth has been prepared for a long time. It has been made ready for the king of Assyria. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide. It has plenty of wood for the fire. The breath of the Lord will be like a stream of burning sulfur. It will set the wood on fire.


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How terrible it will be for those who go down to Egypt for help! How terrible for those who depend on horses! They trust in how many chariots they have. They trust in how strong their horsemen are. But they don't look to the Holy One of Israel. They don't ask the Lord for his help.


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He too is wise. He can bring horrible trouble. He does what he says he'll do. He'll rise up against everyone who does what is evil. He'll fight against those who help them.


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The men of Egypt are only human. They aren't God. Their horses are only flesh and blood. They aren't spirits. The Lord will reach out his powerful hand to punish everyone. The Egyptians provide help. But they will be tripped up. The people of Judah receive the help. But they will fall down. All of them will be destroyed.


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The Lord says to me, "A powerful lion stands over its food and growls. A lot of shepherds can be brought together to drive it away. But the lion is not frightened by their shouts. It is not upset by the noise they make. In the same way, I will come down from heaven. I will fight on Mount Zion and on its hills. Nothing will drive me away. I am the Lord who rules over all.


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Like a bird hovering over its nest, I will guard Jerusalem. I will keep it safe. I will pass over it and save it. I am the Lord who rules over all."


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The time will come when every one of you will turn your backs on your gods of silver and gold. You sinned when you made them with your own hands.


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The Lord says, "The Assyrians will be killed with swords. But it will not be men who use them. The swords that kill them will not be used by human beings. The Assyrians will run away from those swords. But their young men will be caught and forced to work hard.


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Their hiding places will be destroyed when terror strikes them. When their commanders see their enemy's battle flags, they will be filled with panic," announces the Lord. His fire blazes out from Mount Zion. His furnace burns in Jerusalem.


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Each man will be like a place to get out of the wind. He will be like a place to hide from storms. He'll be like streams of water flowing in the desert. He'll be like the shadow of a huge rock in a dry and thirsty land.


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Then the eyes of those who see won't be closed anymore. The ears of those who hear will listen to the truth.


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Foolish people won't be considered noble anymore. Those who are worthless won't be highly respected.


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A foolish person says foolish things. His mind is full of evil thoughts. He doesn't do what is right. He tells lies about the Lord. He doesn't give hungry people any food. He doesn't let thirsty people have any water.


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The one who is worthless uses sinful methods. He makes evil plans against poor people. He destroys them with his lies. He does it even when those people are right.


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You women who are so contented, pay attention to me. You who feel so secure, listen to what I have to say.


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You feel secure now. But in a little over a year you will tremble with fear. The grape harvest will fail. There won't be any fruit.


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So tremble, you contented women. Tremble with fear, you who feel so secure. Take your fine clothes off. Put black clothes on.


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Beat your chests to show how sad you are. The pleasant fields have been destroyed. The fruitful vines have dried up.


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My people's land is overgrown with thorns and bushes. Sob over all of the houses that were once filled with joy. Cry over this city that used to be full of wild parties.


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The royal palace will be left empty. The noisy city will be deserted. The fort and lookout tower will become a dry and empty desert forever. Donkeys will enjoy being there. Flocks will eat there.


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That will continue until the Holy Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the desert will be turned into rich farm lands. The rich farm lands will seem like a forest.


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In the desert and the rich farm lands people will do what is right. And they will treat one another fairly.


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Doing what is right will bring peace and rest. When my people do that, they will stay calm and trust in the Lord forever.


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But how blessed you people will be! You will plant your seeds by every stream. You will let your cattle and donkeys wander anywhere they want to.


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How terrible it will be for you, you who destroy others! Assyria, you haven't been destroyed yet. How terrible for you, you who turn against others! Others haven't turned against you yet. When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed. When you stop turning against others, others will turn against you.


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Lord, show us your favor. We long for you to help us. Make us strong every morning. Save us when we're in trouble.


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Nations, what you have taken in battle is destroyed. It's as if young locusts had eaten it up. Like large numbers of locusts, people rush to get it.


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He will be the firm foundation for their entire lives. He will give them all of the wisdom, knowledge and saving power they will ever need. Respect for the Lord is the key to that treasure.


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Look! Judah's brave men cry out loud in the streets. The messengers who were sent to bring peace sob bitter tears.


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The wide roads are deserted. No one travels on them. Our peace treaty with Assyria is broken. Those who witnessed it are looked down on. No one is respected.


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The land is filled with sadness and wastes away. Lebanon is full of shame and dries up. The rich land of Sharon is like the Arabah Desert. The trees of Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.


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"You nations far away, listen to what I have done! My people who are near, recognize how powerful I am!


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The sinners in Zion are terrified. They tremble with fear. They say, 'Who of us can live through the Lord's destroying fire? Who of us can live through the fire that burns forever?'


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A person must do what is right. He must be honest and tell the truth. He must not get rich by cheating others. His hands must not receive money from those who want special favors. He must not let his ears listen to plans to commit murder. He must close his eyes to even thinking about doing what is evil.


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A person like that will be kept safe. It will be as if he were living on high mountains. It will be as if he were living in a mountain fort. He will have all of the food he needs. And he will never run out of water."


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People of Judah, you will see the king in all of his glory and majesty. You will view his kingdom spreading far and wide.


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You will think about what used to terrify you. You will say to yourself, "Where is that chief officer of Assyria? Where is the one who forced us to send gifts to his king? Where is the officer in charge of the towers that were used when we were attacked?"


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You won't see those proud people anymore. They spoke a strange language. None of us could understand it.


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Just look at Zion! It's the city where we celebrate our regular feasts. Turn your eyes toward Jerusalem. It will be a peaceful place to live in. It will be like a tent that will never be moved. Its stakes will never be pulled up. None of its ropes will be broken.


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There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of wide rivers and streams. No boat with oars will travel on them. No mighty ship will sail on them.


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That's because the Lord is our judge. The Lord gives us our law. The Lord is our king. He will save us.


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The ropes on your ship hang loose. The mast isn't very secure. The sail isn't spread out. But the Lord will strike the Assyrians down. Then a large amount of goods will be taken from them and divided up. Even people who are disabled will carry off what was taken.


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No one living in Zion will ever say again, "I'm sick." And the sins of those who live there will be forgiven.


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Nations, come near and listen to me! Pay attention to what I'm about to say. Let the earth and everything in it listen. Let the world and everything that comes out of it pay attention.


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The Lord is angry with all of the nations. His anger burns against all of their armies. He will totally destroy them. He will have them killed.


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Those who are killed won't be buried. Their dead bodies will be thrown on the ground. They will give off a very bad smell. Their blood will cover the mountains.


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All of the stars in the heavens will vanish. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll. All of the stars in the sky will fall like dried-up leaves from a vine. They will drop like wrinkled figs from a fig tree.


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The sword of the Lord will finish its deadly work in the sky. Then it will come down to strike Edom. He will totally destroy that nation.


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His sword will be red with blood. It will be covered with fat. The blood will flow like the blood of lambs and goats being sacrificed. The fat will be like the fat taken from the kidneys of rams. That's because the Lord will offer a sacrifice in the city of Bozrah. He will kill many people in Edom.


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The people and their leaders will be killed like wild oxen and young bulls. Their land will be wet with their blood. The dust will be covered with their fat.


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That's because the Lord has set aside a day to pay Edom back. He has set aside a year to pay them back for what they did to the city of Zion.


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The streams of Edom will be turned into tar. Its dust will be turned into blazing sulfur. Its land will become burning tar.


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The fire will keep burning night and day. It can't be put out. Its smoke will go up forever. Edom will lie empty for all time to come. No one will ever travel through it again.


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The desert owl and screech owl will make it their home. The great owl and the raven will build their nests there. God will use his measuring line to show how completely Edom will be destroyed. He will use his plumb line to show how empty Edom will become.


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Edom's nobles won't have anything left there that can be called a kingdom. All of its princes will vanish.


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Thorns will cover its forts. Bushes and weeds will cover its safest places. It will become a home for wild dogs. It will become a place where owls live.


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Desert creatures will meet with hyenas. Wild goats will call out to each other. Night creatures will also sleep there. They will find places where they can rest.


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Owls will make their nests and lay their eggs there. And they will hatch them. They will take care of their little ones under the shadow of their wings. Male and female falcons will also gather there.


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Look in the scroll of the Lord. There you will read that none of those animals will be missing. Male and female alike will be there. The Lord himself has commanded it. And his Spirit will gather them together.


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The Lord will decide what part of the land goes to each animal. Then he will give each one its share. It will belong to them forever. And they will live there for all time to come.


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The desert and the dry ground will be glad. The dry places will be full of joy. Flowers will grow there. Like the first crocus in the spring,


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the desert will bloom with flowers. It will be very glad and shout with joy. The glorious beauty of Lebanon will be given to it. It will be as beautiful as the rich lands of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the glory of the Lord. They will see the beauty of our God.


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Say to those whose hearts are afraid, "Be strong. Do not fear. Your God will come. He will pay your enemies back. He will come to save you."


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Then the eyes of those who are blind will be opened. The ears of those who can't hear will be unplugged.


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Those who can't walk will leap like a deer. And those who can't speak will shout with joy. Water will pour out in dry places. Streams will flow in the desert.


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The burning sand will become a pool of water. The thirsty ground will become bubbling springs. In the places where wild dogs once lay down, tall grass and papyrus will grow.


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A wide road will go through the land. It will be called The Way of Holiness. Only those who are pure and clean can travel on it. Only those who lead a holy life can use it. Evil and foolish people can't walk on it.


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No lions will use it. No wild animals will be on it. None of them will be there. Only people who have been set free will walk on it.


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Those the Lord has saved will return to their land. They will sing as they enter the city of Zion. Joy that lasts forever will be like beautiful crowns on their heads. They will be filled with gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing will be gone.


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He sent his field commander from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. He sent him along with a large army. The commander stopped at the channel that brings water from the Upper Pool. It was on the road to the Washerman's Field.


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Eliakim, Shebna and Joah went out to him. Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was in charge of the palace. Shebna was the secretary. Joah, the son of Asaph, kept the records.


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" ' "Besides, do you think I've come without being sent by the Lord? Have I come to attack and destroy this land without receiving a message from him? The Lord himself told me to march out against your country. He told me to destroy it." ' "


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Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah spoke to the field commander. They said, "Please speak to us in the Aramaic language. We understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew. If you do, the people who are on the wall will be able to understand you."


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You will do that until I come back. Then I'll take you to a land that is just like yours. It's a land that has a lot of grain and fresh wine. It has plenty of bread and vineyards.


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" 'Don't let Hezekiah fool you. He's telling you a lie when he says, "The Lord will save us." Has the god of any nation ever saved his land from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria?


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Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they saved Samaria from my power?


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Which one of all of the gods of those countries has been able to save his land from me? So how can the Lord save Jerusalem from my power?' "


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Hezekiah sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, to me. He also sent the leading priests and the secretary Shebna to me. All of them were wearing black clothes.


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They told me, "Hezekiah says, 'Today we're in great trouble. The Lord is warning us. He's bringing shame on us. Sometimes babies come to the moment when they should be born. But their mothers aren't strong enough to allow them to be born. Today we are like those mothers. We aren't strong enough to save ourselves.


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Then I said to them, "Tell your master, 'The Lord says, "Do not be afraid of what you have heard. The officers who are under the king of Assyria have spoken evil things against me.


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During that time Sennacherib received a report. He was told that Tirhakah was marching out to fight against him. Tirhakah was king of Egypt. He was from the land of Cush. When Sennacherib heard the report, he sent messengers again to Hezekiah with a letter. It said,


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I'm sure you have heard about what the kings of Assyria have done to all of the other countries. They have destroyed them completely. So do you think you will be saved?


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" 'The kings who ruled before me destroyed many nations. Did the gods of those nations save them? Did the gods of Gozan, Haran or Rezeph save them? What about the gods of the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?


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"Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all of the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth.


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They have thrown the statues of the gods of those nations into the fire. And they have destroyed them. That's because they weren't really gods at all. They were nothing but statues that were made out of wood and stone. They were made by human hands.


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I sent a message to Hezekiah. I said, "The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, 'You have prayed to me about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.


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So here is the message I have spoken against him. I am telling him, " ' "You will not win the battle over Zion. Its people hate you and make fun of you. The people of Jerusalem lift up their heads proudly as you run away.


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Through your messengers you have laughed at me again and again. And you have said, 'I have many chariots. With them I have climbed to the tops of the mountains. I've climbed the highest mountains in Lebanon. I've cut down its tallest cedar trees. I've cut down the best of its pine trees. I've reached its farthest mountains. I've reached its finest forests.


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I've dug wells in strange lands. I've drunk the water from them. I've walked through all of Egypt's streams. I've dried up every one of them.'


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" ' "But I, the Lord, say, 'Haven't you heard what I have done? Long ago I arranged for you to do all of that. In days of old I planned it. Now I have made it happen. You have turned cities with high walls into piles of stone.


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" ' " 'But I know where you live. I know when you come and go. I know how very angry you are with me.


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You roar against me and brag. And I have heard your bragging. So I will put my hook in your nose. I will put my bit in your mouth. And I will make you go home by the same way you came.' " ' "


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The Lord said, "Hezekiah, here is a miraculous sign for you. "This year you will eat what grows by itself. Next year you will eat what grows from that. But in the third year you will plant your crops and gather them in. You will plant your grapevines and eat their fruit.


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Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who are still left alive. My great love will make sure that happens. I rule over all.


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"I will guard this city and save it. I will do it for myself. And I will do it for my servant David."


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Then the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the Assyrians. He put to death 185,000 soldiers there. The people of Jerusalem got up the next morning. They looked out and saw all of the dead bodies.


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In those days Hezekiah became very sick. He knew he was about to die. I went to see him. I told him, "The Lord says, 'Put everything in order. Make out your will. You are going to die soon. You will not get well again.' "


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"Go and speak to Hezekiah. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of King David, says, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. I will add 15 years to your life.


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And I will save you and this city from the powerful hand of the king of Assyria. I will guard this city.


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" ' "Here is a miraculous sign from me. It will show you that I will heal you, just as I promised I would.


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The shadow that was made by the sun has gone down ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz. I will make it go back up those ten steps." ' " So the shadow went back up the ten steps it had gone down.


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Here is a song of praise that was written by Hezekiah, the king of Judah. He wrote it after he was sick and had gotten well again.


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I said, "I'm enjoying the best years of my life. Must I now go through the gates of death? Will the rest of my years be taken away from me?"


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I said, "Lord, I'll never see you again while I'm still alive. I'll never see people anymore. I'll never again be with those who live in this world.


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My body is like a shepherd's tent. It has been pulled down and carried off. My life is like a piece of cloth that I've rolled up. You have cut it off from the loom. In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end.


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I waited patiently until sunrise. But like a lion you broke all of my bones. In a short period of time you have brought my life to an end.


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I cried softly like a weak little bird. I groaned like a sad dove. My eyes grew tired as I looked up toward heaven. Lord, I'm in trouble. Please come and help me!


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"But what can I say? You have promised to heal me. And you yourself have done it. Once I was proud and bitter. But now I will live the rest of my life free of pride.


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Lord, people find the will to live because you keep your promises. And my spirit also finds life in your promises. You brought me back to health. You let me live.


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I'm sure it was for my benefit that I suffered such great pain. You love me. You kept me from going down into the pit of death. You have put all of my sins behind your back.


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People in the grave can't praise you. Dead people can't sing praise to you. Those who go down to the grave can't hope for you to be faithful to them.


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It is those who are alive who praise you. And that's what I'm doing today. Fathers tell their children about how faithful you are.


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"You will save me. So we will sing and play music on stringed instruments. We will sing all the days of our lives in your temple."


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When Hezekiah was sick, I had said, "Press some figs together. Spread them on a piece of cloth. Apply them to Hezekiah's boil. Then he'll get well again."


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At that time Hezekiah had asked me, "What will the miraculous sign be to prove I'll go up to the Lord's temple?" That's when the Lord had made the shadow go back ten steps.


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At that time Merodach-Baladan, the king of Babylonia, sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been sick but had gotten well again. Merodach-Baladan was the son of Baladan.


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Hezekiah gladly received the messengers. He showed them what was in his storerooms. He showed them the silver and gold. He took them to where the spices and the fine olive oil were kept. He showed them where he kept all of his weapons. And he showed them all of his treasures. In fact, he showed them everything that was in his palace and in his whole kingdom.


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Then I went to King Hezekiah. I asked him, "What did those men say? Where did they come from?" "They came from a land far away," Hezekiah said. "They came to me from Babylon."


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I asked, "What did they see in your palace?" "They saw everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "I showed them all of my treasures."


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" 'Some of the members of your family line will be taken away. They will be your own flesh and blood. They will include the children who will be born into your family line in years to come. And they will serve the king of Babylonia in his palace.' "


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Speak tenderly to the people of Jerusalem. Announce to them that their hard service has been completed. Tell them that their sin has been paid for. Tell them I have punished them enough for all of their sins."


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A messenger is calling out, "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord. Make a straight road through it for our God.


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Every valley will be filled in. Every mountain and hill will be made level. The rough ground will be smoothed out. The rocky places will be made flat.


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Another messenger says, "Cry out." And I said, "What should I cry?" "Cry out, 'All people are like grass. They don't last any longer than flowers in the field.


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The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them. So people are just like grass.


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Zion, you are bringing good news to your people. Go up on a high mountain and announce it. Jerusalem, you are bringing good news to them. Shout the message loudly. Shout it out loud. Don't be afraid. Say to the towns of Judah, "Your God is coming!"


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The Lord and King is coming with power. His powerful arm will rule for him. He has set his people free. He is bringing them back as his reward. He has won the battle over their enemies.


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He takes care of his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have little ones.


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Who has measured the oceans by using the palm of his hand? Who has used the width of his hand to mark off the sky? Who has measured out the dust of the earth in a basket? Who has weighed the mountains on scales? Who has weighed the hills in a balance?


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Did the Lord have to ask anyone to help him understand? Did he have to ask someone to teach him the right way? Who taught him what he knows? Who showed him how to understand?


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The nations are only a drop in a bucket to him. He considers them as nothing but dust on the scales. He weighs the islands as if they were only fine dust.


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Lebanon doesn't have enough trees to keep his altar fires burning. It doesn't have enough animals to sacrifice as burnt offerings to him.


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To him, all of the nations don't amount to anything. He considers them to be worthless. In fact, they are less than nothing in his sight.


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Will you compare him to a statue of a god? Any skilled worker can make a statue. Then another worker covers it with gold and makes silver chains for it.


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But someone who is too poor to bring that kind of offering will choose some wood that won't rot. Then he looks for a skilled worker. He pays the worker to make a statue of a god that won't fall over.


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Don't you know who made everything? Haven't you heard about him? Hasn't it been told to you from the beginning? Haven't you understood it ever since the earth was made?


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God sits on his throne high above the earth. Its people look like grasshoppers to him. He spreads the heavens out like a cover. He sets it up like a tent to live in.


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They are planted. They are scattered like seeds. They put down roots in the ground. But as soon as that happens, God blows on them and they dry up. Then a windstorm sweeps them away like straw.


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Look up toward the sky. Who created everything you see? The Lord causes the stars to come out at night one by one. He gives each one of them a name. His power and strength are great. So none of the stars is missing.


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Family of Jacob, why do you say, "The Lord doesn't notice our condition"? People of Israel, why do you say, "Our God doesn't pay any attention to our rightful claims"?


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Don't you know who made everything? Haven't you heard about him? The Lord is the God who lives forever. He created everything on earth. He won't become worn out or get tired. No one will ever know how great his understanding is.


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But those who trust in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.


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The Lord says, "People who live on the islands, come and stand quietly in front of me. Let the nations gain new strength in order to state their case. Let them come forward and speak. Let us go to court and find out who is right.


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"Who has stirred up a king from the east? Who has helped him win his battles? I hand nations over to him. I bring kings under his control. He turns them into dust with his sword. With his bow he turns them into straw blowing in the wind.


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He hunts them down. Then he moves on unharmed. He travels so fast that his feet don't seem to touch the ground.


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Who has made that happen? Who has carried it out? Who has created all of the people who have ever lived? I, the Lord, have done it. I was with the first of them. And I will be with the last of them."


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The people on the islands have seen that king coming. And it has made them afraid. People tremble with fear from one end of the earth to the other. They come and gather together.


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One skilled worker makes a statue of a god. Another covers it with gold. The first worker says to the second, "You have done a good job." Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer. Still another gives the statue its final shape. The third worker says to the last one, "You have done a good job." Then they nail the statue down so it won't fall over.


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The Lord says, "People of Israel, you are my servants. Family of Jacob, I have chosen you. You are the children of my friend Abraham.


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I gathered you from one end of the earth to the other. From the farthest places on earth I brought you together. I said, 'You are my servants.' I have chosen you. I have not turned my back on you.


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So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. My powerful right hand will take good care of you. I always do what is right.


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"All those who are angry with you will be put to shame. And they will be dishonored. Those who oppose you will be destroyed. And they will vanish.


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You might search for your enemies. But you will not find them. Those who go to war against you will completely disappear.


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I am the Lord your God. I take hold of your right hand. I say to you, 'Do not be afraid. I will help you.'


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Family of Jacob, you are as weak as a worm. But do not be afraid. People of Israel, there are only a few of you. But do not be afraid. I myself will help you," announces the Lord. He is the one who sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel.


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He says, "I will make you into a threshing sled. It will be new and sharp. It will have many teeth. You will grind the mountains down and crush them. You will turn the hills into nothing but straw.


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You will toss them in the air. A strong wind will catch them and blow them away. You will be glad because I will make that happen. You will praise me. I am the Holy One of Israel.


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"Those who are poor and needy search for water. But there isn't any. Their tongues are dry because they are thirsty. But I will help them. I am the Lord. I will not desert them. I am Israel's God.


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I will make streams flow on the bare hilltops. I will make springs come up in the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water. I will turn the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs.


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I will make trees grow in the desert. I will plant cedar and acacia trees there. I will plant myrtle and olive trees there. I will make pine trees grow in the dry and empty desert. I will plant fir and cypress trees there.


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Then people will see and know that my powerful hand has done it. They will consider and understand that I have created it. I am the Holy One of Israel."


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The Lord says to the nations and their gods, "State your case." Jacob's King says to them, "Prove your case to me.


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Show me your facts. Tell me and my people what is going to happen. Tell us what happened in the past. Then we can check it out and see if it is really true. Or announce to us the things that will take place.


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Tell us what will happen in the days ahead. Then we will know that you are gods. Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad. Then we will be terrified and filled with fear.


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But you are less than nothing. Your actions are completely worthless. I hate it when people worship you.


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"I have stirred up a king who will come from the north. He lives in the east. He will bring honor to me. He walks all over rulers as if they were mud. He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay.


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Which one of you gods said those things would happen before they did? Who told us about them so we could know them? Who told us ahead of time? Who told us so we could say, 'You are right'? None of you told us about them. None of you told us ahead of time. In fact, no one heard you say anything at all.


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I was the first to tell Zion. I said, 'Look! The people of Israel are coming back!' I sent a prophet to Jerusalem with the good news.


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I look, but there is no one among the gods that can give me advice. None of them can answer when I ask them the simplest question.


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So they are not really gods at all. What they do does not amount to anything. They are as useless as wind.


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"Here is my servant. I take good care of him. I have chosen him. I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him. He will make everything right among the nations.


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He will not break a bent twig. He will not put out a dimly burning flame. He will be faithful and make everything right.


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He will not grow weak or lose hope. He will not give up until he makes everything right on the earth. The islands will put their hope in his law."


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God created the heavens and spread them out. The Lord made the earth and everything that grows on it. He gives breath to its people. He gives life to those who walk on it. He says to his servant,


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"I, the Lord, have chosen you to do what is right. I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you safe. You will put my covenant with the people of Israel into effect. And you will be a light for the other nations.


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You will open eyes that can't see. You will set prisoners free. Those who sit in darkness will come out of their cells.


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"I am the Lord. That is my name! I will not let any other god share my glory. I will not let statues of gods share my praise.


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What I said would happen has taken place. Now I announce new things to you. Before they even begin to happen, I announce them to you."


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Sing a new song to the Lord. Sing praise to him from one end of the earth to the other. Sing, you who sail out on the ocean. Sing, all of you creatures in it. Sing, you islands. Sing, all of you who live there.


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Let the desert and its towns raise their voices. Let those who live in the settlements of Kedar be glad. Let the people of Sela sing with joy. Let them shout from the tops of the mountains.


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The Lord will march out like a mighty warrior. He will stir up his anger like a soldier getting ready to fight. He will shout the battle cry. And he will win the battle over his enemies.


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The Lord says, "For a long time I have kept silent. I have been calm and quiet. But now, like a woman having a baby, I cry out. I am struggling to breathe.


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I will completely destroy the mountains and hills. I will dry up everything that grows there. I will turn rivers into dry land. I will dry up the pools.


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Israel is blind. So I will lead them along paths they had not known before. I will guide them on roads they are not familiar with. I will turn the darkness into light as they travel. I will make the rough places smooth. Those are the things I will do. I will not desert my people.


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Some people trust in statues of gods. They say to them, 'You are our gods.' But they will be dishonored. They will be put to shame.


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"Israel, listen to me! You can hear, but you do not understand. Look to me! You can see, but you do not know what you are seeing.


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The people of Israel serve me. But who is more blind than they are? Who is more deaf than the messengers I send? Who is more blind than those who have committed themselves to be faithful to me? Who is more blind than my servants?


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Israel, you have seen many things. But you have not paid any attention to me. Your ears are open. But you do not hear anything I say."


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The Lord wanted his people to see how great and glorious his law is. He wanted to show them that he always does what is right.


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Enemies have carried off everything they own. All of my people are trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They themselves have become like stolen goods. No one can save them. They have been carried off. And there is no one who will say, "Send them back."


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Family of Jacob, who among you will listen to what I'm saying? People of Israel, which one of you will pay close attention in days to come?


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Who allowed you to be carried off like stolen goods? Who handed you over to robbers? The Lord did it! We have sinned against him. Israel, you wouldn't follow his ways. You didn't obey his law.


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So he poured his burning anger out on you. He had many of you killed off in battle. You were surrounded by flames. But you didn't realize what was happening. Many of you were destroyed. But you didn't learn anything from it.


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Family of Jacob, the Lord created you. People of Israel, he formed you. He says, "Do not be afraid. I will set you free. I will send for you by name. You belong to me.


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You will pass through deep waters. But I will be with you. You will pass through the rivers. But their waters will not sweep over you. You will walk through fire. But you will not be burned. The flames will not harm you.


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I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I am the one who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free. I will give up Cush and Seba for you.


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You are priceless to me. I love you and honor you. So I will trade other people for you. I will give up other nations to save your lives.


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Do not be afraid. I am with you. I will bring your people back from the east. I will gather you from the west.


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I will say to the north, 'Let them go!' And I will say to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from far away. Bring my daughters from the farthest places on earth.


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Bring back everyone who belongs to me. I created them to bring glory to me. I formed them and made them."


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All of the nations are gathering together. All of them are coming. Which one of their gods said ahead of time that the people of Israel would return? Which of them told us anything at all about the past? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right. Then others will hear them. And they will say, "What they said is true."


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"People of Israel, you are my witnesses," announces the Lord. "I have chosen you to be my servants. I wanted you to know me and believe in me. I wanted you to understand that I am the one and only God. Before me, there was no other god at all. And there will not be any god after me.


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I have made known what would happen. I told you about it. And I saved you. I did it. It was not some other god you worship. You are my witnesses that I am God," announces the Lord.


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"And that is not all! I have always been God, and I always will be. No one can save people from my powerful hand. When I do something, who can undo it?"


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The Lord sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel. He says, "People of Israel, I will send an army to Babylon to save you. I will cause all of the Babylonians to run away. They will try to escape in the ships they were so proud of.


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Long ago the Lord opened a way for his people to go through the Red Sea. He made a path through the mighty waters.


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He caused Egypt to send out its chariots and horses. He sent its entire army to its death. Its soldiers lay down there. They never got up again. They were destroyed. They were blown out like a dimly burning flame. But the Lord says,


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I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don't you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.


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Even wild dogs and owls honor me. That is because I provide water in the desert for my people to drink. I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land for my chosen ones.


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"Family of Jacob, you have not prayed to me as you should. People of Israel, you have not even begun to get tired while doing it.


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You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with your sacrifices. I have not loaded you down by requiring grain offerings. I have not made you tired by requiring you to burn incense.


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But you have not bought any sweet-smelling cane for me. You have not given me the fattest parts of your animal sacrifices. Instead, you have loaded me down with your sins. You have made me tired with the wrong things you have done.


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"I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts. I do it because of who I am. I will not remember your sins anymore.


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But let us go to court together. Remind me of what you have done. State your case. Prove to me that you are not guilty.


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So I will put the high officials of your temple to shame. I will let Jacob's family be totally destroyed. And I will let people make fun of Israel.


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I made you. I formed you when you were born as a nation. I will help you. So listen to what I am saying. Family of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servants. People of Israel, I have chosen you.


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I will pour water out on the thirsty land. I will make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my Spirit on your children. I will pour out my blessing on their children after them.


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Some will say, 'We belong to the Lord.' Others will call themselves by Jacob's name. Still others will write on their hands, 'We belong to the Lord.' And they will be called by the name of Israel.


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"I am Israel's King. I set them free. I am the Lord who rules over all. So listen to what I am saying. I am the First and the Last. I am the one and only God.


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Who is like me? Let him come forward and speak boldly. Let him tell me everything that has happened since I created my people long ago. And let him tell me what has not happened yet. Let him announce ahead of time what is going to take place.


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Do not tremble with fear. Do not be afraid. Didn't I announce everything that has happened? Didn't I tell you about it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any other God but me? No! There is no other Rock. I do not know even one."


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Those who make statues of gods don't amount to anything. And the statues they think so much of are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They don't know anything. So they will be put to shame.


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People like that will be put to shame. Those who make statues of gods are mere men. Let all of them come together and state their case. They will be terrified and put to shame.


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A blacksmith gets his tool. He uses it to shape metal over the burning coals. He uses his hammers to make a statue of a god. He forms it with his powerful arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength. He doesn't drink any water. He gets weaker and weaker.


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A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line. He draws a pattern on it with a marker. He cuts out a statue with sharp tools. He marks it with compasses. He shapes it into the form of a handsome man. He does all of that so he can put it in a temple.


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He cuts down a cedar tree. Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree. It might be a tree that grew in the forest. Or it might be a pine tree he planted. And the rain made it grow.


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Man gets wood from trees for fuel. He uses some of it to warm himself. He starts a fire and bakes bread. But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it. He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it.


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He burns half of the wood in the fire. He prepares a meal over it. He cooks meat over it. He eats until he is full. He also warms himself. He says, "Good! I'm getting warm. The fire is nice and hot."


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From the rest of the wood he makes a statue. It becomes his god. He bows down and worships it. He prays to it. He says, "Save me. You are my god."


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People like that don't even know what they are doing. Their eyes are shut so that they can't see the truth. Their minds are closed so that they can't understand it.


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No one even stops to think about this. No one has any sense or understanding. If anyone did, he would say, "I used half of the wood for fuel. I even baked bread over the fire. I cooked meat. Then I ate it. Should I now make a statue of a god out of the wood that's left over? Should I bow down to a block of wood? The Lord would hate that."


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That's as foolish as eating ashes! The mind of someone like that has led him down the wrong path. He can't save himself. He can't bring himself to say, "This thing I'm holding in my right hand isn't really a god at all."


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The Lord says, "Family of Jacob, remember those things. People of Israel, you are my servants. I have made you. You are my servants. Israel, I will not forget you.


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I will sweep your sins away as if they were a cloud. I will blow them away as if they were the morning mist. Return to me. Then I will set you free."


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Sing with joy, you heavens! The Lord does wonderful things. Shout out loud, you earth! Burst into song, you mountains! Sing, you forests and all of your trees! The Lord sets the family of Jacob free. He shows his glory in Israel.


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The Lord says, "People of Israel, I set you free. I formed you when you were born as a nation. "I am the Lord. I have made everything. I alone spread out the heavens. I formed the earth by myself.


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"Some prophets are not really prophets at all. I show that their miraculous signs are fake. I make those who practice evil magic look foolish. I destroy the learning of those who think they are wise. Their knowledge does not make any sense at all.


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I make the words of my servants the prophets come true. I carry out what my messengers say will happen. "I say about Jerusalem, 'My people will live there again.' I say about the towns of Judah, 'They will be rebuilt.' I say about their broken-down buildings, 'I will make them like new again.'


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I say about Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd. He will accomplish everything I want him to. He will say about Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt." And he will say about the temple, "Let its foundations be laid." '


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"Cyrus is my anointed king. I take hold of his right hand. I give him the power to bring nations under his control. I help him strip kings of their power to go to war against him. I break city gates open so he can go through them. I say to him,


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'I will march out ahead of you. I will make the mountains level. I will break down bronze gates. I will cut through their heavy iron bars.


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I will give you treasures that are hidden away in dark places. I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I am the God of Israel. I am sending for you by name.


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Cyrus, I am sending for you by name. I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob. They are my servants. I am doing it for Israel. They are my chosen people. You do not know anything about me. But I am giving you a title of honor.


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I am the Lord. There is no other Lord. I am the one and only God. You do not know anything about me. But I will make you strong.


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Then people will know there is no God but me. Everyone from where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west will know it. I am the Lord. There is no other Lord.


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I cause light to shine. I also create darkness. I bring good times. I also create hard times. I do all of those things. I am the Lord.


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" 'Rain down godliness, you heavens above. Let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide to receive it. Let freedom spring to life. Let godliness grow along with it. I have created all of those things. I am the Lord.' "


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How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with his Maker! He is like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground. Does clay say to a potter, "What are you making?" Does a pot say, "You don't have any skill"?


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How terrible it will be for anyone who says to his father, "Why did you give me life?" How terrible for anyone who says to his mother, "Why have you brought me into the world?"


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The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He made them. He says to them, "Are you asking me about what will happen to my children? Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made?


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I made the earth. I created man to live there. My own hands spread out the heavens. I put all of the stars in their places.


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I will stir up Cyrus and help him win his battles. I will make all of his roads straight. He will rebuild Jerusalem. My people have been taken away from their country. But he will set them free. I will not pay him to do it. He will not receive a reward for it," says the Lord who rules over all.


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The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem, "You will get everything Egypt produces. You will receive everything the people of Cush and the tall Sabeans get in trade. All of it will belong to you. And all of those people will walk behind you as slaves. They will be put in chains and come over to you. They will bow down to you. They will admit, 'God is with you. There is no other God.' "


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All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame. They will be dishonored. They will be led away in shame together.


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But the Lord will save Israel. He will save them forever. They will never be put to shame or dishonored. That will be true for all time to come.


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The Lord created the heavens. He is God. He formed the earth and made it. He set it firmly in place. He didn't create it to be empty. Instead, he formed it for people to live on. He says, "I am the Lord. There is no other Lord.


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I have not spoken in secret. I have not spoken from a dark place. I have not said to Jacob's people, 'It is useless to look for me.' I am the Lord. I always speak the truth. I always say what is right.


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"Come together, you people of the nations who escaped from Babylonia. Gather together and come into court. Only people who do not know anything would carry around gods that are made out of wood. They pray to gods that can't save them.


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Tell me what will happen. State your case. Talk it over together. Who spoke long ago about what would happen? Who said it a long time ago? I did. I am the Lord. I am the one and only God. I always do what is right. I am the one who saves. There is no God but me.


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I have made a promise with an oath in my own name. I have spoken with complete honesty. I will not take back a single word. I said, 'Everyone's knee will bow down to me. Everyone's mouth will take an oath in my name.'


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They will say, 'The Lord always does what is right. Only he can make us strong.' " All those who have been angry with the Lord will come to him. And they will be put to shame.


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But the Lord will help all of the people of Israel. He will make them right with himself. And they will praise him.


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The gods Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame. The statues of them are being carried away on the backs of animals. They used to be carried around by the people who worshiped them. But now they've become a heavy load for tired animals.


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Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame together. They aren't able to save their own statues. They themselves are carried off as prisoners.


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The Lord says, "Family of Jacob, listen to me. Pay attention, you people of Israel who are left alive. I have taken good care of you since your life began. I have carried you since you were born as a nation.


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I will continue to carry you even when you are old. I will take good care of you even when your hair is gray. I have made you. And I will carry you. I will take care of you. And I will save you. I am the Lord.


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Some people pour gold out of their bags. They weigh out silver on the scales. They hire someone who works with gold to make it into a god. They bow down to it and worship it.


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They lift it up on their shoulders and carry it. They set it up in its place. And there it stands. It can't move from that spot. Someone might cry out to it. But it does not answer him. It can't save him from his troubles.


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"Remember what happened in the past. Think about what took place long ago. I am God. There is no other God. I am God. There is no one like me.


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Before something even happens, I announce how it will end. In fact, from times long ago I announced what was still to come. I say, 'My plan will succeed. I will do anything I want to do.'


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I will send for a man from the east to carry out my plan. From a land far away, he will come like a bird that eats dead bodies. I will bring about what I have said. I will do what I have planned.


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The time is almost here for me to make everything right. It is not far away. The time for me to save you will not be put off. I will save the city of Zion. I will bring honor to Israel.


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"City of Babylon, go down and sit in the dust. Leave your throne and sit on the ground. City of the Babylonians, your life will not be comfortable and easy anymore.


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Get millstones and grind some flour like a female slave. Take your veil off. Lift your skirts up. Make your legs bare. Wade through the streams.


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Everyone will see your naked body. Everyone will see your shame. I will pay you back for what you did. I will not spare any of your people."


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The Lord says, "City of the Babylonians, go into a dark prison and sit there quietly. You will not be called the queen of kingdoms anymore.


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I was angry with my people. I treated them as if they did not belong to me. I handed them over to you. And you did not show them any pity. You even placed heavy loads on their old people.


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You said, 'I will continue to be queen forever!' But you did not think about what you were doing. You did not consider how things might turn out.


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"So listen, you who love pleasure. You think you are safe and secure. You say to yourself, 'I am like a god. No one is greater than I am. I'll never be a widow. And my children will never be taken away from me.'


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But both of those things will happen to you in a moment. They will take place on a single day. You will lose your children. And you will become a widow. That is what will happen to you. All of your evil magic and powerful spells will not save you.


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You have felt secure in your evil ways. You have said, 'No one sees what I'm doing.' Your wisdom and knowledge lead you down the wrong path. You say to yourself, 'I am like a god. No one is greater than I am.'


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So horrible trouble will come on you. You will not know how to use your evil magic to make it go away. Great trouble will fall on you. No amount of money can keep it away. Something terrible will happen to you all at once. You will not see it coming ahead of time.


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"So keep on casting your magic spells. Keep on practicing your evil magic. You have been doing those things ever since you were a child. Perhaps they will help you. Maybe they will scare your enemies away.


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All of the advice you have received has only worn you out! Let those who study the heavens come forward. They claim to know what is going to happen by watching the stars every month. So let them save you from the trouble that is coming on you.


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They are just like straw. Fire will burn them up. They can't even save themselves from the powerful flames. They are not like coals that can warm anyone. They are not like a fire to sit by.


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They can't do you any good. You have done business with them ever since you were a child. You have always asked them for advice. All of them are bewildered and continue in their own ways. None of them can save you."


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People of Jacob, listen to me. You are called by the name of Israel. You come from the family line of Judah. You take oaths in the name of the Lord. You pray to Israel's God. But you aren't honest. You don't mean what you say.


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You call yourselves citizens of the holy city of Jerusalem. You say you depend on Israel's God. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. He says,


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"Long ago I told you ahead of time what would happen. I announced it and made it known. Then all of a sudden I acted. And those things took place.


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I knew how stubborn you were. Your neck was as unbending as iron. Your forehead was as hard as bronze.


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So I told you those things long ago. Before they happened I announced them to you. I did it so you would not be able to say, 'My statues of gods did them. My wooden and metal gods made them happen.'


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You have heard me tell you those things. Think about all of them. Won't you admit they have taken place? "From now on I will tell you about new things that will happen. I have not made them known to you before.


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Those things are taking place right now. They did not happen long ago. You have not heard of them before today. So you can't say, 'Oh, yes. I already knew about them.'


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You have not heard or understood what I said. Your ears have been plugged up for a long time. I knew very well that you would turn against me. From the day you were born, you have refused to obey me.


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For the honor of my own name I put off showing my anger. I hold it back from you so people will continue to praise me. I do not want to destroy you.


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I have put you to the test in the furnace of suffering. I have tried to make you pure. But I did not use as much heat as it takes to make silver pure.


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I tried to purify you for my own honor. I did it for the honor of my name. How can I let myself be dishonored? I will not give up my glory to any other god.


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"Family of Jacob, listen to me. People of Israel, pay attention. I have chosen you. I am the First and the Last. I am the Lord.


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With my own hand I laid the foundations of the earth. With my right hand I spread out the heavens. When I send for them, they come and stand ready to obey me.


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"People of Israel, come together and listen to me. What other god has said ahead of time that certain things would happen? I have chosen Cyrus. He will carry out my plans against Babylon. He will use his powerful arm against the Babylonians.


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I myself have spoken. I have chosen him to carry out my purpose. I will bring him to Babylon. He will succeed in what I tell him to do.


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"Come close and listen to me. "From the first time I said Cyrus was coming, I did not do it in secret. When he comes, I will be there." The Lord and King has filled me with his Spirit. People of Israel, he has sent me to you.


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The Lord is the Holy One of Israel. He sets his people free. He says to them, "I am the Lord your God. I teach you what is best for you. I direct you in the way you should go.


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I wish you would pay attention to my commands. If you did, peace would flow over you like a river. Holiness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean.


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Your family would be like the sand. Your children after you would be as many as the grains of sand by the sea. It would be impossible to count them. I would always accept the members of your family line. They would never be cut off or destroyed."


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People of Israel, leave Babylon! Hurry up and get away from the Babylonians! Here is what I want you to announce. Make it known with shouts of joy. Send the news out from one end of the earth to the other. Say, "The Lord has set Jacob's people free. They are his servants."


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They didn't get thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water flow out of the rock for them. He broke the rock open, and water came out of it.


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People who live on the islands, listen to me. Pay attention, you nations far away. Before I was born the Lord chose me to serve him. He appointed me by name.


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He made my words like a sharp sword. He hid me in the palm of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow. He took good care of me and kept me safe.


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But I said, "In spite of my hard work, I feel as if I haven't accomplished anything. I've used up all of my strength. It seems as if everything I've done is worthless. But the Lord will give me what I should receive. My God will reward me."


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The Lord formed me in my mother's body to be his servant. He wanted me to bring the family of Jacob back to him. He wanted me to gather the people of Israel to himself. The Lord will honor me. My God will give me strength.


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The Lord says to me, "It is not enough for you as my servant to bring the tribes of Jacob back to their land. It is not enough for you to bring back the people of Israel I have kept alive. I will also make you a light for other nations. Then you will make it possible for the whole world to be saved."


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The Lord sets his people free. He is the Holy One of Israel. He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations. He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him, "Kings will see you and rise up to honor you. Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect. I am the Lord. I am faithful. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have chosen you."


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The Lord says to his servant, "When it is time to show you my favor, I will answer your prayers. When it is time to save you, I will help you. I will keep you safe. You will put my covenant with the people of Israel into effect. Then their land will be made like new again. Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty.


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I want you to say to the prisoners, 'Come out.' Tell those who are in their dark cells, 'You are free!' "On their way home they will eat beside the roads. They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill.


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They will not get hungry or thirsty. The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them. The One who shows his tender love to them will guide them. Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.


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They will come from far away. Some of them will come from the north. Others will come from the west. Still others will come from Aswan in the south."


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Shout with joy, you heavens! Be glad, you earth! Burst into song, you mountains! The Lord will comfort his people. He will show his tender love to those who are suffering.


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The Lord answers, "Can a mother forget the baby who is nursing at her breast? Can she stop showing her tender love to the child who was born to her? She might forget her child. But I will not forget you.


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Look up. Look all around you. All of your people are getting together to come back to you. You can be sure that I live," announces the Lord. "And you can be just as sure that your people will be like decorations you will wear. Like a bride, you will wear them proudly.


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"Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty. It was turned into a dry and empty desert. But now you will be too small to hold all of your people. And those who destroyed you will be far away.


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The children who were born during your time of sorrow will speak to you. They will say, 'This city is too small for us. Give us more space to live in.'


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Then you will say to yourself, 'Whose children are these? I lost my children. And I couldn't have any more. My children were taken far away from me. And no one wanted them. Who brought these children up? I was left all alone. So where have these children come from?' "


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The Lord and King continues, "I will call out to the nations. I will give a signal to them. They will bring back your sons in their arms. They will carry your daughters on their shoulders.


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Their kings will become like fathers to you. Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you. They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground. They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed."


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Can goods that were stolen by soldiers be taken away from them? Can prisoners be set free from the powerful Babylonians?


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"Yes, they can," the Lord answers. "Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers. Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians. Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you. And I will save your people.


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I will make those who beat you down eat the flesh of others. They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine. Then everyone on earth will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob."


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The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem, "Do you think I divorced your people before you? Is that why I sent them away? If it is, show me the letter of divorce. I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe. You were sold because you sinned against me. Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.


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When I came to save you, why didn't anyone welcome me? When I called out to you, why didn't anyone answer me? Wasn't my arm powerful enough to set you free? Wasn't I strong enough to save you? I dry up the sea with a single command. I turn rivers into a desert. Then fish rot because they do not have any water. They die because they are thirsty.


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The Lord and King has taught me what to say. He has taught me how to help those who are tired. He wakes me up every morning. He makes me want to listen like a good student.


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I let my enemies beat me on my bare back. I let them pull the hair out of my beard. I didn't turn my face away when they made fun of me and spit on me.


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The Lord and King helps me. He won't let me be dishonored. So I've made up my mind to keep on serving him. I know he won't let me be put to shame.


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He is near. He will prove I haven't done anything wrong. So who will bring charges against me? Let's face each other in court! Who can bring charges against me? Let him come and face me!


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The Lord and King helps me. So who will judge me? My enemies will be like clothes that moths have eaten up. They will disappear.


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Does anyone among you have respect for the Lord? Does anyone obey the message of the Lord's servant? Let the person who walks in the dark trust in the Lord. Let the one who doesn't have any light to guide him depend on his God.


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But all of you sinners who light fires should go ahead and walk in their light. You who carry flaming torches should walk in their light. Here's what I'm going to do to you. I'll make you lie down in great pain.


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The Lord says, "Listen to me, you who want to do what is right. Pay attention, you who look to me. Consider the rock you were cut out of. Think about the rock pit you were dug from.


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Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people. Think about Sarah. She is your mother. When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children. But I blessed him and gave him many of them.


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You can be sure that I will comfort Zion's people. I will look with loving concern on all of their destroyed buildings. I will make their deserts like Eden. I will make their dry and empty land like my very own garden. Joy and gladness will be there. People will sing and give thanks to me.


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"Listen to me, my people. Pay attention, my nation. My law will go out to the nations. I make everything right. That will be a guiding light for them.


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The time for me to set you free is near. I will soon save you. My powerful arm will make everything right among the nations. The islands will put their hope in me. They will wait for my powerful arm to act.


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Look up toward the heavens. Then look at the earth. The heavens will vanish like smoke. The earth will wear out like clothes. Those who live there will die like flies. But I will save you forever. My saving power will never end.


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"Listen to me, you who know what is right. Pay attention, you who have my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid when mere people make fun of you. Do not be terrified when they laugh at you.


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They will be like clothes that moths have eaten up. They will be like wool that worms have chewed up. But my saving power will last forever. I will save you for all time to come."


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Wake up! Lord, wake up! Dress your powerful arm with strength as if it were your clothes. Wake up, just as you did in the past. Wake up, as you did long ago. Didn't you cut Rahab to pieces? Didn't you stab that sea monster to death?


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Didn't you dry up the Red Sea? Didn't you dry up those deep waters? You made a road on the bottom of that sea. Then those who were set free went across.


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The Lord says to his people, "I comfort you because of who I am. Why are you afraid of mere men? They are only human beings. They are like grass that dries up.


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How can you forget me? I made you. I spread out the heavens. I laid the foundations of the earth. Why are you terrified every day? Is it because those who are angry with you are crushing you? Is it because they are trying to destroy you? Their anger can't harm you anymore.


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You prisoners who are so afraid will soon be set free. You will not die in your prison cells. You will not go without food.


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I am the Lord your God. I stir up the ocean. I make its waves roar. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All.


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I have put my words in your mouth. I have kept you safe in the palm of my hand. I set the heavens in place. I laid the foundations of the earth. I say to Zion, 'You are my people.' "


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Wake up, Jerusalem! Wake up! Get up! The Lord has handed you the cup of his burning anger. And you have drunk from it. That cup makes men unsteady on their feet. And you have drunk from it to the very last drop.


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None of the children who were born to you are left to guide you. None of the children you brought up are left to lead you by the hand.


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Nothing but trouble has come to you. You have been wiped out and destroyed. And you have suffered hunger and war. No one feels sorry for you. No one can comfort you.


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Your children have fainted. They lie helpless at every street corner. They are like antelope that have been caught in a net. They have felt the full force of the Lord's burning anger. Jerusalem, your God had to warn them strongly.


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So listen to me, you suffering people of Jerusalem. You have been made drunk, but not by drinking wine.


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Your Lord and King speaks. He is your God. He stands up for his people. He says, "I have taken from you the cup of my burning anger. It made you unsteady on your feet. But you will never drink from that cup again.


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Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer. They said to you, 'Fall down flat on the ground. Then we can walk all over you.' And that is exactly what you did. You made your back like a street to be walked on."


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Wake up! Zion, wake up! Dress yourself with strength as if it were your clothes. Holy city of Jerusalem, put on your clothes of glory. Those who haven't been circumcised will never enter you again. Neither will those who are "unclean."


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Get up, Jerusalem! Shake off your dust. Take your place on your throne. Captured people of Zion, remove the chains from your neck.


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The Lord says, "When you were sold as slaves, no one paid anything for you. Now no one will pay any money to set you free."


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The Lord and King continues, "Long ago my people went down to Egypt. They lived there for a while. Later, Assyria crushed them without any reason.


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"Now look at what has happened to them," announces the Lord. "Once again my people have been taken away. And no one paid anything for them. Those who rule over them brag about it," announces the Lord. "All day long without stopping, people speak evil things against my name.


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So the day will come when my people will really know the meaning of my name. They will know what kind of God I am. They will know that I told them ahead of time they would return to their land. They will know that it was I."


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What a beautiful sight it is to see messengers coming with good news! How beautiful to see them coming down from the mountains with a message about peace! How wonderful it is when they bring the good news that we are saved! How wonderful when they say to Zion, "Your God rules!"


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Listen! Those on guard duty are shouting out the message. With their own eyes they see the Lord returning to Zion. So they shout with joy.


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Burst into songs of joy together, you broken-down buildings in Jerusalem. The Lord has comforted his people. He has set Jerusalem free.


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The Lord will use the power of his holy arm to save his people. All of the nations will see him do it. Everyone from one end of the earth to the other will see it.


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You who carry the articles that belong to the Lord's temple, leave Babylon! Leave it! Get out of there! Don't touch anything that isn't pure and clean. Come out of Babylon and be pure.


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But this time you won't have to leave in a hurry. You won't have to rush away. The Lord will go ahead of you and lead you. The God of Israel will follow behind you and guard you.


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The Lord says, "My servant will act wisely and accomplish his task. He will be highly honored. He will be greatly respected.


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Many people were shocked when they saw him. He was so scarred that he did not look like a man at all. His body was so twisted that he did not look like a human being anymore.


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But many nations will be surprised when they see what he has done. Kings will be so amazed that they will not be able to say anything. They will understand things they were never told about. They will know the meaning of things they never heard about."


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His servant grew up like a tender young plant. He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground. He didn't have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him. There wasn't anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him.


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Men looked down on him. They didn't accept him. He knew all about sorrow and suffering. He was like someone people turn their faces away from. We looked down on him. We didn't have any respect for him.


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He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the pain that should have been ours. But we thought God was punishing him. We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer.


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But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us.


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All of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from God. All of us have turned to our own way. And the Lord has placed on his servant the sins of all of us.


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He was beaten down and made to suffer. But he didn't open his mouth. He was led away like a sheep to be killed. Lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn't open his mouth.


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He was arrested and sentenced to death. Then he was taken away. He was cut off from this life. He was punished for the sins of my people. Who among those who were living at that time could have understood those things?


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He was given a grave with those who were evil. But his body was buried in the tomb of a rich man. He was killed even though he hadn't harmed anyone. And he had never lied to anyone.


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The Lord says, "It was my plan to crush him and cause him to suffer. I made his life a guilt offering to pay for sin. But he will see all of his children after him. In fact, he will continue to live. My plan will be brought about through him.


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After he suffers, he will see the light that leads to life. And he will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what he will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins.


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So I will give him a place of honor among those who are great. He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle. That is because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice. He was counted among those who had committed crimes. He took the sins of many people on himself. And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong."


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"Jerusalem, sing! You are now like a woman who never had a child. Burst into song! Shout with joy! You who have never had labor pains, you are now all alone. But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband," says the Lord.


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"Make a large area for your tent. Spread out its curtains. Go ahead and make your tent wider. Make its ropes longer. Drive the stakes down deeper.


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You will spread out to the right and the left. Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land. They will settle down in the deserted cities of those nations.


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"Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore. Do not be afraid of being dishonored. People will no longer make fun of you. You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt. You will no longer remember the shame of being a widow in Babylonia.


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I made you. I am now your husband. My name is The Lord Who Rules Over All. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have set you free. I am the God of the whole earth.


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You were like a wife who was deserted. And her heart was broken. You were like a wife who married young. And her husband sent her away. But now I am calling you to come back," says your God.


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For a moment I turned my face away from you. I was very angry with you. But I will show you my loving concern. My faithful love will continue forever," says the Lord. He is the one who set you free.


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"During Noah's time I took an oath and made a promise. I said I would never cover the earth with water again. In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you. I will never punish you again.


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The mountains might shake. The hills might be removed. But my faithful love for you will never be shaken. And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be broken," says the Lord. He shows you his loving concern.


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"Suffering city, you have been beaten by storms. You have not been comforted. I will rebuild you with turquoise stones. I will rebuild your foundations with sapphires.


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I will line the top of your city wall with rubies. I will make your gates out of gleaming jewels. And I will make all of your walls out of precious stones.


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When you do what is right, you will be made secure. Your leaders will not be mean to you. You will not have anything to be afraid of. You will not be terrified anymore. Terror will not come near you.


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People might attack you. But I will not be the cause of it. Those who attack you will give themselves up to you.


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"I created blacksmiths. They fan the coals into flames of fire. They make weapons that are fit for their work. I also created those who destroy others.


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But no weapon that is used against you will succeed. People might bring charges against you. But you will prove that they are wrong. Those are the things I do for my servants. I make everything right for them," announces the Lord.


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"Come, all of you who are thirsty. Come and drink the water I offer to you. You who do not have any money, come. Buy and eat the grain I give you. Come and buy wine and milk. You will not have to pay anything for it.


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Why spend money on what is not food? Why work for what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me. Then you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the richest food there is.


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Listen and come to me. Pay attention to me. Then you will live. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. I will give you my faithful love. I promised it to David.


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You too will send for nations you do not know. Even though they do not know you, they will hurry and come to you. That is what I will do. I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you."


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Let the one who is evil stop doing evil things. And let him quit thinking evil thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord. The Lord will show him his tender love. Let him turn to our God. He is always ready to forgive.


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"The heavens are higher than the earth. And my ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.


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The rain and the snow come down from the sky. They do not return to it without watering the earth. They make plants come up and grow. The plants produce seeds for farmers. They also produce food for people to eat.


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The words I speak are like that. They will not return to me without producing results. They will accomplish what I want them to. They will do exactly what I sent them to do.


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"My people, you will leave Babylonia with joy. You will be led out of it in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song as you go. And all of the trees in the fields will clap their hands.


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Pine trees will grow where there used to be bushes that had thorns on them. And myrtle trees will grow where there used to be thorns. That will bring me great fame. It will be a lasting reminder of what I can do. It will not be forgotten."


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The Lord says, "Do what is fair and right. I will soon come and save you. Soon everyone will know that what I do is right.


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Blessed is the man who does what I want him to. He is faithful in keeping the Sabbath day. He does not misuse it. He does not do what is evil on that day."


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Suppose an outsider wants to follow the Lord. Then he shouldn't say, "The Lord won't accept me as one of his people." And a eunuch shouldn't say, "I'm like a dry tree that doesn't bear any fruit."


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The Lord says, "Suppose some eunuchs keep my Sabbath days. They choose to do what pleases me. And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.


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Then I will set up a monument in the area of my temple. Their names will be written on it. That will be better for them than having sons and daughters. The names of the eunuchs will be remembered forever. They will never be forgotten.


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"Suppose outsiders want to follow me and serve me. They want to love me and worship me. They keep the Sabbath day and do not misuse it. And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.


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Then I will bring them to my holy mountain of Zion. I will give them joy in my house. They can pray there. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on my altar. My house will be called a house where people from all nations can pray."


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The Lord and King will gather those who were taken away from their homes in Israel. He announces, "I will gather them to myself. And I will gather others to join them."


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Come, all of you enemy nations! Come like wild animals. Come and destroy like animals in the forest.


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Israel's prophets are blind. They don't know the Lord. All of them are like watchdogs that can't even bark. They just lie around and dream. They love to sleep.


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They are like dogs that love to eat. They never get enough. They are like shepherds who don't have any understanding. All of them do as they please. They only look for what they can get for themselves.


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"Come!" they shout. "Let's get some wine! Let's drink all the beer we can! Tomorrow we'll do the same thing. And that will be even better than today."


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Those who are right with God die. And no one really cares about it. Men who are faithful to the Lord are swept away by trouble. And no one understands why that happens to those who do what is right.


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The Lord says, "Come here, you children of women who practice evil magic! You are children of prostitutes and those who commit adultery.


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Who are you making fun of? Who are you laughing at? Who are you sticking your tongue out at? You are people who refuse to obey me. You are just a bunch of liars!


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You burn with sinful longing among the oak trees. You worship your gods by having sex under every green tree. You sacrifice your children in the valleys. You also do it under the cliffs.


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You have chosen some of the smooth stones in the valleys to be your gods. You have joined yourselves to them. You have even poured out drink offerings to them. You have given grain offerings to them. So why should I take pity on you?


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You have set up statues to remind you of your gods. You have put them behind your doors and doorposts. You deserted me. You invited other lovers into your bed. You climbed into it and welcomed them. You made a deal with them. And you looked at their naked bodies.


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You went to the god Molech with olive oil. You took a lot of perfume along with you. You sent your messengers to places far away. You even sent them down to the place of the dead.


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All of your efforts wore you out. But you would not say, 'It's hopeless.' You received new strength. So you did not give up.


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"Who are you so afraid of that you have not been true to me? You have not remembered me. You do not even care about me. I have not punished you for a long time. That is why you are not afraid of me.


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You have not done what is right or good. I will let everyone know about it. And that will not be of any benefit to you.


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Go ahead and cry out for help to all of the statues of your gods. See if they can save you! The wind will carry them off. Just a puff of air will blow them away. But anyone who comes to me for safety will receive the land. He will possess my holy mountain of Zion."


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A messenger says, "Build up the road! Build it up! Get it ready! Remove anything that would keep my people from coming back."


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The One who is highly honored lives forever. His name is holy. He says, "I live in a high and holy place. But I also live with anyone who turns away from his sins. I live with anyone who is not proud. I give new life to him. I give it to anyone who turns away from his sins.


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I will not find fault with my people forever. I will not always be angry with them. If I were, I would cause their spirits to grow weak. The very breath of life would go out of the people I created.


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I was very angry with them. They always longed for more and more of everything. So I punished them for that sin. I turned my face away from them because I was angry. But they kept on wanting their own way.


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I have seen what they have done. But I will heal them. I will guide them. And I will comfort them just as I did before.


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Then the people of Israel who are sorry for their sins will praise me. I will give perfect peace to those who are far away and those who are near. And I will heal them," says the Lord.


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The Lord told me, "Shout out loud. Do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people that they have refused to obey me. Tell the family of Jacob how much they have sinned.


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Day after day they worship me. They seem ready and willing to know how I want them to live. They act as if they were a nation that does what is right. They act as if they have not turned away from my commands. They claim to want me to give them fair decisions. They seem ready and willing to come near and worship me.


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'We have gone without food,' they say. 'Why haven't you noticed it? We have made ourselves suffer. Why haven't you paid any attention to us?' "On the day when you fast, you do as you please. You take advantage of all of your workers.


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When you fast, it ends in arguing and fighting. You hit one another with your fists. That is an evil thing to do. The way you are now fasting keeps your prayers from being heard in heaven.


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Do you think that is the way I want you to fast? Is it only a time for a man to make himself suffer? Is it only for people to bow their heads like tall grass that is bent by the wind? Is it only for people to lie down on black cloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast? Do you think I can accept that?


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"Here is the way I want you to fast. "Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain.


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Share your food with hungry people. Provide homeless people with a place to stay. Give naked people clothes to wear. Provide for the needs of your own family.


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Then the light of my blessing will shine on you like the rising sun. I will heal you quickly. I will march out ahead of you. And my glory will follow behind you and guard you. That is because I always do what is right.


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You will call out to me for help. And I will answer you. You will cry out. And I will say, 'Here I am.' "Get rid of the chains you use to hold others down. Stop pointing your finger at others as if they had done something wrong. Stop saying harmful things about them.


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Work hard to feed hungry people. Satisfy the needs of those who are crushed. Then my blessing will light up your darkness. And the night of your suffering will become as bright as the noonday sun.


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I will always guide you. I will satisfy your needs in a land that is baked by the sun. I will make you stronger. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring whose water never runs dry.


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Your people will rebuild the cities that were destroyed long ago. And you will build again on the old foundations. You will be called The One Who Repairs Broken Walls. You will be called The One Who Makes City Streets Like New Again.


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"Do not work on the Sabbath day. Do not do just anything you want to on my holy day. Make the Sabbath a day you can enjoy. Honor my holy day. Do not work on it. Do not do just anything you want to. Do not talk about things that are worthless.


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Then you will find your joy in me. I will give you control over the most important places in the land. And you will enjoy all of the good things in the land I gave your father Jacob." The Lord has spoken.


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People of Israel, the Lord's arm is not too weak to save you. His ears aren't too deaf to hear your cry for help.


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But your sins have separated you from your God. They have caused him to turn his face away from you. So he won't listen to you.


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Your hands and fingers are stained with blood. You are guilty of committing murder. Your mouth has told lies. Your tongue says evil things.


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People aren't fair when they present their cases in court. They aren't honest when they state their case. They depend on weak arguments. They tell lies. They plan to make trouble. Then they carry it out.


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The plans they make are like the eggs of poisonous snakes. Anyone who eats those eggs will die. When one of them is broken, a snake comes out.


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Those people weave their evil plans together like a spider's web. But the webs they make can't be used as clothes. They can't cover themselves with what they make. Their acts are evil. They do things to harm others.


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They are always in a hurry to sin. They run quickly to murder those who aren't guilty. Their thoughts are evil. They leave a trail of suffering and pain.


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They don't know how to live at peace with others. What they do isn't fair. They lead twisted lives. No one who lives like that will enjoy peace and rest.


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We aren't being treated fairly. We haven't been set free yet. The God who always does what is right hasn't come to help us. We look for light. But we see nothing but darkness. We look for brightness. But we walk in deep shadows.


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Like blind people we feel our way along the wall. We are like those who can't see. At noon we trip and fall as if the sun had already set. Compared to those who are healthy, we are like dead people.


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All of us growl like hungry bears. We cry like sad doves. We want the Lord to do what is fair and save us. But he doesn't do it. We long for him to set us free. But the time for that seems far away.


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That's because we've done so many things he considers wrong. Our sins prove that we are guilty. The wrong things we've done are always troubling us. We admit that we have sinned.


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We've refused to obey the Lord. We've made evil plans against him. We've turned our backs on our God. We've stirred up trouble and refused to follow him. We've told lies that came from our own minds.


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So people stop others from doing what is fair. They keep them from doing what is right. No one tells the truth in court anymore. No one is honest there.


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In fact, truth can't be found anywhere. Those who refuse to do evil are attacked. The Lord sees that people aren't treating others fairly. That makes him unhappy.


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He sees that there is no one who helps his people. He is shocked that no one stands up for them. So he will use his own powerful arm to save them. He has the strength to do it because he is holy.


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He will put the armor of holiness on his chest. He'll put the helmet of salvation on his head. He'll pay people back for the wrong things they do. He'll wrap himself in anger as if it were a coat.


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He will pay his enemies back for what they have done. He'll pour his anger out on them. He'll punish those who attack him. He'll give the people in the islands what they have coming to them.


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People in the west will show respect for the Lord's name. People in the east will worship him because of his glory. The Lord will come like a rushing river that was held back. His breath will drive it along.


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"I set my people free. I will come to Mount Zion. I will come to those in Jacob's family who turn away from their sins," announces the Lord.


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"Here is the covenant I will make with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit is on you. I have put my words in your mouth. They will never leave your mouth. And they will never leave the mouths of your children or their children after them. That will be true for all time to come," says the Lord.


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Darkness covers the earth. Thick darkness spreads over the nations. But I will rise and shine on you. My glory will appear over you.


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"Look up. Look all around you. All of your people are getting together to come back to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried like little children.


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Then your face will glow with joy. Your heart will beat fast because you are so happy. Wealth from across the ocean will be brought to you. The riches of the nations will come to you.


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Herds of young camels will cover your land. They will come from Midian and Ephah. They will also come from Sheba. They'll carry gold and incense. And people will shout praises to me.


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All of Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve as your sacrifices. I will accept them as offerings on my altar. That is how I will bring honor to my glorious temple.


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People from the islands are coming to me. The ships of Tarshish are out in front. They are bringing your children back from far away. Your children are bringing their silver and gold with them. They are coming to honor me. I am the Lord your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you.


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"People from other lands will rebuild your walls. Their kings will serve you. When I was angry with you, I struck you. But now I will show you my tender love.


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Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring you the wealth of the nations. Their kings will come along with them.


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"Lebanon's glorious trees will be brought to you. Its pines, firs and cypress trees will be brought. They will be used to make my temple beautiful. And I will bring glory to the place where my throne is.


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The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you. All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet. Jerusalem, they will call you The City of the Lord. They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel.


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"You have been deserted and hated. No one even travels through you. But I will make you into something to be proud of forever. You will be a place of joy for all time to come.


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You will get everything you need from kings and nations. You will be like children who are nursing at their mother's breasts. Then you will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob.


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Instead of bronze I will bring you gold. In place of iron I will give you silver. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze. In place of stones I will give you iron. I will make peace govern you. I will make godliness rule over you.


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People will no longer harm one another in your land. They will not wipe out or destroy anything inside your borders. You will call your walls Salvation. And you will name your gates Praise.


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You will not need the light of the sun by day anymore. The bright light of the moon will no longer have to shine on you. I will be your light forever. My glory will shine on you. I am the Lord your God.


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Your sun will never set again. Your moon will never lose its light. I will be your light forever. Your days of sorrow will come to an end.


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Then all of your people will do what is right. The land will belong to them forever. They will be like a young tree I have planted. My hands have created them. They will show how glorious I am.


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The smallest family among you will become a tribe. The smallest tribe will become a mighty nation. I am the Lord. When it is the right time, I will act quickly."


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The Spirit of the Lord and King is on me. The Lord has anointed me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts have been broken. He has sent me to announce freedom for those who have been captured. He wants me to set prisoners free from their dark prisons.


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He has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free. He wants me to announce the day when he will pay his enemies back. Our God has sent me to comfort all those who are sad.


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He wants me to help those in Zion who are filled with sorrow. I will put beautiful crowns on their heads in place of ashes. I will anoint them with oil to give them gladness instead of sorrow. I will give them a spirit of praise in place of a spirit of sadness. They will be like oak trees that are strong and straight. The Lord himself will plant them in the land. That will show how glorious he is.


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They will rebuild the places that were destroyed long ago. They will repair the buildings that have been broken down for many years. They will make the destroyed cities like new again. They have been broken down for a very long time.


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Outsiders will serve you by taking care of your flocks. People from other lands will work in your fields and vineyards.


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You will be called priests of the Lord. You will be named workers for our God. You will enjoy the wealth of nations. You will brag about getting their riches.


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Instead of being put to shame my people will receive a double share of wealth. Instead of being dishonored they will be glad to be in their land. They will receive a double share of riches there. And they'll be filled with joy that will last forever.


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The Lord says, "I love those who do what is right. I hate it when people steal and do other sinful things. So I will be faithful to those who do what is right. And I will bless them. I will make a covenant with them that will last forever.


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Their children after them will be famous among the nations. Their families will be praised by people everywhere. All those who see them will agree that I have blessed them."


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The people of Jerusalem will say, "We take great delight in the Lord. We are joyful because we belong to our God. He has dressed us with salvation as if it were our clothes. He has put robes of godliness on us. We are like a groom who is dressed up for his wedding. We are like a bride who decorates herself with her jewels.


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The soil makes the young plant come up. A garden causes seeds to grow. In the same way, the Lord and King will make godliness grow. And all of the nations will praise him."


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The Lord says, "For the good of Zion I will not keep silent. For Jerusalem's benefit I will not remain quiet. I will not keep silent until its people's godliness shines like the sunrise. I will not remain quiet until they are saved and shine like a blazing torch.


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Jerusalem, the nations will see that I have made everything right for you. All of their kings will see your glory. You will be called by a new name. I myself will give it to you.


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You will be like a glorious crown in my strong hand. You will be like a royal crown in my powerful hand.


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People will not call you Deserted anymore. They will no longer name your land Empty. Instead, you will be called The One the Lord Delights In. Your land will be named The Married One. I will take delight in you. And your land will be like a bride.


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As a young man gets married to a young woman, your people will marry you. As a groom is happy with his bride, I will be full of joy over you."


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Jerusalem, I have stationed guards on your walls. They must never be silent day or night. You who call out to the Lord must not give yourselves any rest.


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And don't give him any rest until he makes Jerusalem secure. Don't give him any peace until people all over the earth praise that city.


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The Lord has taken an oath and made a promise. He has lifted up his right hand and mighty arm. He has promised, "I will never give your grain to your enemies for food again. Outsiders will never again drink the fresh wine you have worked so hard for.


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Instead, those who gather the grain will eat it themselves. And they will praise me. Those who gather grapes to make the wine will enjoy it. They will drink it in the courtyards of my temple."


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Go out through your gates, people of Jerusalem! Go out! Prepare the way for the rest of your people to return. Build up the road! Build it up! Remove the stones. Raise a banner over the city for the nations to see.


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The Lord has announced a message from one end of the earth to the other. He has said, "Tell the people of Zion, 'Look! Your Savior is coming! He is bringing his people back as his reward. He has won the battle over their enemies.' "


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They will be called The Holy People. The Lord will set them free. And Jerusalem will be named The City the Lord Cares About. It won't be deserted anymore.


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Who is this man coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? His clothes are stained bright red. Who is he? He is dressed up in all of his glory. He is marching toward us with great strength. The Lord answers, "It is I. I have won the battle. I am mighty. I have saved my people."


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The Lord answers, "I have been stomping on the nations as if they were grapes. No one was there to help me. I walked all over the nations because I was angry. That is why I stomped on them. Their blood splashed all over my clothes. So my clothes were stained bright red.


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I looked around, but no one was there to help me. I was shocked that no one gave me any help. So I used my own powerful arm to save my people. I had the strength to do it because I was angry.


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I walked all over the nations because I was angry with them. I made them drink from the cup of my burning anger. I poured their blood out on the ground."


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I will talk about the kind things the Lord has done. I'll praise him for everything he's done for us. He has done many good things for the nation of Israel. That's because he loves us and is very kind to us.


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When they suffered, he suffered with them. He sent his angel to save them. He set them free because he is loving and kind. He lifted them up and carried them. He did it again and again in days long ago.


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But they refused to obey him. They made his Holy Spirit sad. So he turned against them and became their enemy. He himself fought against them.


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Then his people remembered what he did long ago. They recalled the days of Moses and his people. They asked, "Where is the One who brought Israel through the Red Sea? Moses led them as the shepherd of his flock. Where is the One who put his Holy Spirit among them?


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He used his glorious and powerful arm to help Moses. He parted the waters of the sea in front of them. That mighty act made him famous forever.


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Like cattle that are taken down to the flatlands, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord." That's how he guided his people. So he made a glorious name for himself.


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Lord, look down from heaven. Look down from your holy and glorious throne. Where is your great love for us? Where is your power? Why don't you show us your tender love and concern?


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You are our Father. Abraham might not accept us as his children. Jacob might not recognize us as his family. But you are our Father, Lord. Your name is The One Who Always Sets Us Free.


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Lord, why do you let us wander away from you? Why do you let us become so stubborn that we don't respect you? Come back and help us. We are the tribes that belong to you.


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For a little while your holy people possessed the land. But now our enemies have torn your temple down.


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I wish you would open up your heavens and come down to us! I wish the mountains would tremble when you show your power!


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Be like a fire that causes twigs to burn. It also makes water boil. So come down and make yourself known to your enemies. Cause the nations to shake with fear when they see your power!


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Long ago you did some wonderful things we didn't expect. You came down, and the mountains trembled when you showed your power.


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No one's ears have ever heard of a God like you. No one's eyes have ever seen a God who is greater than you. No God but you acts for the good of those who trust in him.


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You come to help those who enjoy doing what is right. You help those who thank you for teaching them how to live. But when we continued to disobey you, you became angry with us. So how can we be saved?


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All of us have become like someone who is "unclean." All of the good things we do are like polluted rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind.


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No one prays to you. No one asks you for help. You have turned your face away from us. You have let us waste away because we have sinned so much.


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Don't be so angry with us, Lord. Don't remember our sins anymore. Please show us your favor. All of us belong to you.


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Our people used to praise you in our holy and glorious temple. But now it has been burned down. Everything we treasured has been destroyed.


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Lord, won't you help us even after everything that's happened? Will you keep silent and punish us more than we can stand?


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The Lord says, "I made myself known to those who were not asking for me. I was found by those who were not trying to find me. I spoke to a nation that did not pray to me. 'Here I am,' I said. 'Here I am.'


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All day long I have held out my hands to welcome a stubborn nation. They lead sinful lives. They go where their evil thoughts take them.


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They are always making me very angry. They do it right in front of me. They offer sacrifices in the gardens of other gods. They burn incense on altars that are made out of bricks.


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They sit among the graves. They spend their nights talking to the spirits of the dead. They eat the meat of pigs. Their cooking pots hold soup that has 'unclean' meat in it.


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They say, 'Keep away! Don't come near us! We are too sacred for you!' Those people are like smoke in my nose. They are like a fire that keeps burning all day.


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"I will judge them. I have even written it down. I will not keep silent. Instead, I will pay them back for all of their sins.


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I will punish them for their sins and the sins of their people before them," says the Lord. "They burned sacrifices on the mountains. They disobeyed me by worshiping other gods on the hills. So I will really punish them for all of the sins they have committed."


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The Lord says, "Sometimes juice is still left in grapes that have been crushed. So people say, 'Don't destroy them. Some good juice is still left in them.' That is what I will do for the good of those who serve me. I will not destroy all of my people.


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I will give children to the families of Jacob and Judah. They will possess my entire land. My chosen people will be given all of it. Those who serve me will live there.


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Their flocks will eat in the rich grasslands of Sharon. Their herds will rest in the Valley of Achor. That is what I will do for my people who follow me.


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"But some of you have deserted me. You no longer worship on my holy mountain of Zion. You spread a table for the god that is called Good Fortune. You offer bowls of mixed wine to the god named Fate.


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So I will make it your fate to be killed with swords. Each of you will die a horrible death. That is because I called out to you, but you did not answer me. I spoke to you, but you did not listen. You did what is evil in my sight. You chose to do what does not please me."


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So the Lord and King says, "Those who serve me will have food to eat. But you will be hungry. My servants will have plenty to drink. But you will be thirsty. Those who serve me will be full of joy. But you will be put to shame.


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My servants will sing with joy in their hearts. But you will cry out because of the great pain in your hearts. You will cry because your spirits are sad.


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My chosen ones will use your names when they call down curses on others. I am your Lord and King. I will put you to death. But I will give new names to those who serve me.


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They will ask me to bless their land. They will do it in my name. I am the God of truth. They will take oaths and make promises in their land. They will do it in my name. I am the God of truth. The troubles of the past will be forgotten. They will be hidden from my eyes.


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"I will create new heavens and a new earth. The things that have happened before will not be remembered. They will not even enter your minds.


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So be glad and full of joy forever because of what I will create. I will cause others to take delight in Jerusalem. They will be filled with joy when they see its people.


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And I will be full of joy because of Jerusalem. I will take delight in my people. Sobbing and crying will not be heard there anymore.


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"Babies in Jerusalem will no longer live only a few days. Old people will not fail to live for a very long time. Those who live to the age of 100 will be thought of as still being young when they die. Those who die before they are 100 will be considered as having been under God's curse.


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They will no longer build houses only to have others live in them. They will no longer plant crops only to have others eat them. My people will live to be as old as trees. My chosen ones will enjoy for a long time the things they have worked for.


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Their work will not be worthless anymore. They will not have children who are sure to face sudden terror. Instead, I will bless them. I will also bless their children after them.


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Even before they call out to me, I will answer them. While they are still speaking, I will hear them.


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Wolves and lambs will eat together. Lions will eat straw like oxen. Serpents will not bite anyone. They will eat nothing but dust. None of those animals will harm or destroy anything or anyone on my holy mountain of Zion," says the Lord.


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The Lord says, "Heaven is my throne. The earth is under my control. So how could you ever build a house for me? Where would my resting place be?


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Didn't my powerful hand make everything? That is how all things were created," announces the Lord. "The person I value is not proud. He is sorry for the wrong things he has done. He has great respect for what I say.


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But others are not like that. They sacrifice bulls to me, but at the same time they kill people. They offer lambs to me, but they also sacrifice dogs to other gods. They bring grain offerings to me, but they also offer pig's blood to other gods. They burn incense to me, but they also worship statues of gods. They have chosen to go their own way. They take delight in things I hate.


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So I have also made a choice. I will make them suffer greatly. I will bring on them what they are afraid of. When I called out to them, no one answered me. When I spoke to them, no one listened. They did what is evil in my sight. They chose to do what displeases me."


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Listen to the word of the Lord. Listen, you who tremble with fear when he speaks. He says, "Some of your own people hate you. They turn their backs on you because you are faithful to me. They make fun of you and say, 'Let the Lord show his glory by saving you. Then we can see how happy you are.' But they will be put to shame.


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Hear the loud sounds coming from the city! Listen to the noise coming from the temple! I am the one who is causing it. I am paying my enemies back for everything they have done.


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"Zion is like a woman who has a baby before she goes into labor. She has a son even before her labor pains begin.


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Who has ever heard of anything like that? Who has ever seen such a thing? Can a country be born in a day? Can a nation be created in a moment? But as soon as Zion goes into labor, her people increase their numbers.


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Zion, would I bring you to the moment of birth and not let it happen?" says the Lord. "Would I close up a mother's body when it is time for her baby to be born?" says your God.


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"Be glad along with Jerusalem, all you who love her. Be filled with joy because of her. Take great delight in her, all you who sob over her.


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You will nurse at her comforting breasts. And you will be satisfied. You will drink until you are full. And you will delight in her rich and plentiful supply."


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The Lord continues, "I will cause peace to flow over her like a river. I will make the wealth of nations sweep over her like a flooding stream. You will nurse and be carried in her arms. You will play on her lap.


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When you see that happen, your hearts will be filled with joy. Just as grass grows quickly, you will succeed. The Lord will show his power to those who serve him. But he will pour out his anger on his enemies.


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The Lord will judge them with fire. His chariots are coming like a windstorm. He will pour out his burning anger on his enemies. It will blaze out like flames of fire.


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The Lord will bring everyone into court. He will use fire and his sword to punish those he finds guilty. He will put many people to death.


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"Some people set themselves apart and make themselves pure. They do it so they can go into the gardens to worship other gods. They do what the worship leader tells them to do. They eat the meat of pigs and rats. They also eat other things I hate. All of those people will come to a horrible end," announces the Lord.


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"They have done many evil things. And they plan to do even more. So I will come and gather the people of every nation and language. They will see my glory when I act.


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"I will do a miracle among them. I will send to the nations some of those who are left alive. I will send some of them to the people of Tarshish, Libya and Lydia, who are famous for using bows. I will send others to Tubal and Greece. And I will send still others to islands far away. The people who live there have not heard about my fame. They have not seen my glory. Those I send will tell the nations about my glory when I act.


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"And they will bring back all of the people of Israel from all of those nations. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem. My people will ride on horses, mules and camels. They will come in chariots and wagons," says the Lord. "Those messengers will bring my people as an offering to me. They will bring them to my temple, just as the Israelites bring their grain offerings in bowls that are 'clean.'


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"I will make new heavens and a new earth. And they will last forever," announces the Lord. "In the same way, your name and your children after you will last.


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Everyone will come and bow down to me. They will do it at every New Moon Feast and on every Sabbath day," says the Lord.


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"When they go out of Jerusalem, they will see the dead bodies of those who refused to obey me. The worms that eat the bodies will not die. The fire that burns them will not be put out. It will make everyone sick just to look at them."


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These are the words Jeremiah received from the Lord. He was the son of Hilkiah. Jeremiah was one of the priests at Anathoth. That's a town in the territory of Benjamin.


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A message came to Jeremiah from the Lord. It came in the 13th year that Josiah was king over Judah. Josiah was the son of Amon.


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The Lord's message also came to Jeremiah during the whole time Jehoiakim was king over Judah. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah. The Lord continued to speak to Jeremiah until the fifth month of the 11th year that Zedekiah was king over Judah. That's when the people of Jerusalem were forced to leave their country. Zedekiah was the son of Josiah. Here is what Jeremiah said.


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"Before I formed you in your mother's body I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart to serve me. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations."


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But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I'm only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to. You must say everything I command you to say.


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Then the Lord reached out his hand. He touched my mouth and spoke to me. He said, "I have put my words in your mouth.


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Today I am appointing you to speak to nations and kingdoms. I want you to pull them up by the roots and tear them down. I want you to destroy them and crush them. But I also want you to build them up and plant them."


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A message came to me from the Lord. He asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "The branch of an almond tree," I replied.


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Another message came to me from the Lord. He asked me, "What do you see?" "A pot that has boiling water in it," I answered. "It's leaning toward us from the north."


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The Lord said to me, "Something very bad will be poured out on everyone who lives in this land. It will come from the north.


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I am about to send for all of the armies in the northern kingdoms," announces the Lord. "Their kings will come to Jerusalem. They will set up their thrones at the very gates of the city. They will attack all of the walls that surround the city. They will go to war against all of the towns of Judah.


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I will judge my people. They have done many evil things. They have deserted me. They have burned incense to other gods. They have worshiped the gods their own hands have made.


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"So get ready! Stand up! Tell them everything I command you to. Do not let them terrify you. If you do, I will terrify you in front of them.


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Today I have made you like a city that has a high wall around it. I have made you like an iron pillar and a bronze wall. Now you can stand up against the whole land. You can stand against the kings and officials of Judah. You can stand against its priests and its people.


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They will fight against you. But they will not overcome you. I am with you. I will save you," announces the Lord.


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"Go. Announce my message to the people in Jerusalem. I want everyone to hear it. Tell them, " 'I remember how faithful you were to me when you were young. You loved me as if you were my bride. You followed me through the desert. Nothing had been planted there.


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Your people were holy to me. They were the first share of my harvest. All those who destroyed them were held guilty. And trouble came to their enemies,' " announces the Lord.


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The Lord says, "What did your people find wrong with me? Why did they wander so far away from me? They worshiped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless.


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They did not ask, 'Where is the Lord? He brought us up out of Egypt. He led us through a dry and empty land. He guided us through deserts and deep valleys. It was a land of darkness where there wasn't any rain. No one lived or traveled there.'


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But I brought you into a land that has rich soil. I gave you its fruit and its finest food. In spite of that, you polluted my land. You turned it into something I hate.


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The priests did not ask, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who taught my law did not know me. The leaders refused to obey me. The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal. They worshiped worthless statues of gods.


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"So I am bringing charges against you again," announces the Lord. "And I will bring charges against your children's children.


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Go over to the coasts of the western nations and look. Send people to the land of Kedar and have them look closely. See if there has ever been anything like this.


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Has a nation ever changed its gods? Actually, they are not even gods at all. But my people have traded away their glorious God. They have traded me for worthless statues of gods.


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"My people have sinned twice. They have deserted me, even though I am the spring of water that gives life. And they have dug their own wells. But those wells are broken. They can't hold any water.


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Are you people of Israel servants? You were not born as slaves, were you? Then why have you been carried off like stolen goods?


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Lions have roared. They have growled at you. They have destroyed your land. Your towns are burned and deserted.


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Haven't you brought that on yourselves? I am the Lord your God, but you deserted me. You left me even while I was leading you.


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Why do you go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor River? Why do you go to Assyria to drink from the Euphrates River?


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You will be punished because you have sinned. You will be corrected for turning away from me. I am the Lord your God. If you desert me, bad things will happen to you. If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly. I want you to understand that," announces the Lord who rules over all.


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"Long ago you broke off the yoke I put on you. You tore off the ropes I tied you up with. You said, 'I won't serve you!' In fact, on every high hill you lay down like a prostitute. You worshiped other gods under every green tree.


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You were like a good vine when I planted you. You were a healthy plant. Then how did you turn against me? How did you become a bad, wild vine?


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You might wash yourself with baking soda. You might use plenty of soap. But I can still see the stains your guilt covers you with," announces the Lord and King.


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"You say, 'I am "clean." I haven't followed the gods that are named after Baal.' How can you say that? Remember how you acted in the valley. Consider what you have done. You are like a female camel running quickly here and there.


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You are like a wild donkey that lives in the desert. She smells the wind when she longs for a mate. Who can hold her back? The males that run after her do not need to wear themselves out. At mating time they will easily find her.


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Do not run after other gods until your sandals are worn out and your throat is dry. But you said, 'It's no use! I love those gods. I must go after them.'


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"A thief is dishonored when he is caught. And you people of Israel are filled with shame. Your kings and officials are dishonored. So are your priests and your prophets.


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You say to a piece of wood, 'You are my father.' You say to a stone, 'You are my mother.' You have turned your backs to me. You refuse to look at me. But when you are in trouble, you say, 'Come and save us!'


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So where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come when you are in trouble! Let them save you if they can! Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns.


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"I punished your people. But it did not do them any good. They did not pay attention when they were corrected. You have killed your prophets with swords. You have swallowed them up like a hungry lion.


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"You who are now living, consider my message. I am saying, "Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been like a land of deep darkness? Why do my people say, 'We are free to wander. We won't come to you anymore'?


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Does a young woman forget all about her jewelry? Does a bride forget her wedding jewels? But my people have forgotten me more days than anyone can count.


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The blood of those you have killed is on your clothes. You have destroyed poor people who were not guilty. You did not catch them in the act of breaking in. In spite of all of that,


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you say, 'I'm not guilty of doing anything wrong. The Lord isn't angry with me.' But I will judge you. That is because you say, 'I haven't sinned.'


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Why do you keep on changing your ways so much? Assyria did not help you. And Egypt will not help you either.


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So you will also leave Egypt with your hands tied together above your heads. I have turned my back on those you trust. They will not help you.


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"Suppose a man divorces his wife. What if she then gets married to another man? Should her first husband return to her again? If he does, won't the land become completely 'unclean'? People of Israel, you have lived like a prostitute. You have loved many other gods. So do you think you can return to me now?" announces the Lord.


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"Look up at the bare hilltops. Is there any place where you have not committed adultery with other gods? By the side of the road you sat waiting for lovers. You sat there like someone who wanders in the desert. You have polluted the land. You are like a sinful prostitute.


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So I have held the showers back. I have kept the spring rains from falling. But you still have the bold face of a prostitute. You refuse to blush with shame.


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You have just now called out to me. You said, 'My Father, you have been my friend ever since I was young.


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Will you always be angry with me? Will your anger continue forever?' That is how you talk. But you do all of the evil things you can."


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During the time Josiah was king, the Lord spoke to me. He said, "Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have not been faithful to me. They have committed adultery with other gods. They worshiped them on every high hill and under every green tree.


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"I thought that after they had done all of those things, they would return to me. But they did not. Their sister nation Judah saw it. And they were not faithful to me either.


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"I gave Israel their letter of divorce. I sent them away because they were unfaithful to me so many times. But I saw that their sister nation Judah did not have any respect for me. They were not faithful to me either. They also went out and committed adultery with other gods.


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"Israel was not faithful to me, but that did not bother them at all. They made the land 'unclean.' They worshiped gods that were made out of stone and wood.


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In spite of all that, their sister Judah did not come back to me. They were not faithful to me either. They did not return with all their heart. They only pretended to," announces the Lord.


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The Lord said to me, "Israel and Judah have not been faithful to me. But Israel was not as bad as Judah was.


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"Go. Announce this message to the people in the north. Tell them, " 'Israel, you have not been faithful,' announces the Lord. 'Return to me. Then I will look on you with favor again. My love is faithful,' announces the Lord. 'I will not be angry with you forever.


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Admit that you are guilty of doing what is wrong. You have refused to obey me. I am the Lord your God. You have committed adultery with other gods. You worshiped them under every green tree. And you have not obeyed me,' " announces the Lord.


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"You people have not been faithful," announces the Lord. "Return to me. I am your husband. I will choose one of you from each town. I will choose two from each territory. And I will bring you to the city of Zion.


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"Then I will give you shepherds who are dear to my heart. Their knowledge and understanding will help them lead you.


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In those days your numbers will increase greatly in the land," announces the Lord. "Then people will not talk about the ark of the covenant of the Lord anymore. It will never enter their minds. They will not remember it. The ark will not be missed. And another one will not be made.


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"At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord. All of the nations will gather together there. They will go there to honor me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts want them to do.


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"In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel. Together they will come from a land in the north. They will come to the land I gave to your people long ago. I wanted them to have it as their very own.


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"I myself said, " 'I would gladly treat you like my children. I would give you a pleasant land. It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.' I thought you would call me 'Father.' I hoped you would always follow me.


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But you people are like a woman who is not faithful to her husband. Israel, you have not been faithful to me," announces the Lord.


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A cry is heard on the bare hilltops. The people of Israel are sobbing and praying. That's because their lives are so twisted. They've forgotten the Lord their God.


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"You have not been faithful," says the Lord. "Return to me. I will heal you. Then you will not turn away from me anymore." "Yes," the people say. "We will come to you. You are the Lord our God.


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The gods we worship on the hills and mountains are useless. You are the Lord our God. You are the only one who can save us.


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From our earliest years shameful gods have eaten up everything our people worked for. They have eaten up our flocks and herds. They've destroyed our sons and daughters.


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Let us lie down in our shame. Let our dishonor cover us. You are the Lord our God. But we have sinned against you. We and our people before us have sinned. We haven't obeyed you from our earliest years until now."


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"If you will return, Israel, return to me," announces the Lord. "Put the statues of your gods out of my sight. I hate them. Stop going down the wrong path.


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Take all of your oaths in my name. Say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' Let all of your promises be truthful, fair and honest. Then I will bless the nations. And they will take delight in me."


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Here is what the Lord is telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He says, "Your hearts are as hard as a field that has not been plowed. So change your ways and produce good crops. Do not plant seeds among thorns.


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People of Judah and Jerusalem, obey me. Do not let your hearts be stubborn. If you do, my anger will blaze out against you. It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. No one will be able to put it out.


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"Announce my message in Judah. Tell it in Jerusalem. Say, 'Blow trumpets all through the land!' Give a loud shout and say, 'Gather together! Let's run to cities that have high walls around them!'


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Warn everyone to go to Zion! Run for safety! Do not wait! I am bringing trouble from the north. Everything will be totally destroyed."


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Lions have come out of their den. Those who destroy nations have begun to march out. They have left their place to destroy your land completely. Your towns will be broken to pieces. No one will live in them.


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So put on black clothes. Sob and cry over what has happened. The Lord hasn't turned his burning anger away from us.


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"A dark day is coming," announces the Lord. "The king and his officials will lose hope. The priests will be shocked. And the prophets will be terrified."


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Then I said, "You are my Lord and King. You have completely tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem. You have told them, 'You will have peace and rest.' But swords are pointed at our throats."


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At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be warned. They will be told, "A hot and dry wind is coming, my people. It is blowing toward you from the bare hilltops in the desert. But it does not separate straw from grain.


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Look! Our enemies are approaching like the clouds. Their chariots are coming like a strong wind. Their horses are faster than eagles. How terrible it will be for us! We'll be destroyed!


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People of Jerusalem, wash your sins from your hearts and be saved. How long will you hold on to your evil thoughts?


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A voice is speaking all the way from the city of Dan. From the hills of Ephraim it announces that trouble is coming.


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"Tell the nations. Warn Jerusalem. Say, 'An army will attack you. It is coming from a land far away. It will shout a war cry against the cities of Judah.


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It will surround them like people who guard a field. Judah has refused to obey me,' " announces the Lord.


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"The army will attack you because of your conduct and actions. That is how you will be punished. It will be so bitter! It will cut deep down into your hearts!"


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I'm suffering! I'm really suffering! I'm hurting badly. My heart is suffering so much! It's pounding inside me. I can't keep silent. I've heard the sound of trumpets. I've heard the battle cry.


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One trouble follows another. The whole land is destroyed. In an instant my tents are gone. My home disappears in a moment.


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The Lord says, "My people are foolish. They do not know me. They are children who do not have any sense. They have no understanding at all. They are skilled in doing what is evil. They do not know how to do what is good."


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I looked at the earth. It didn't have any shape. And it was empty. I looked at the sky. Its light was gone.


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I looked. And the fruitful land had become a desert. All of its towns were destroyed. The Lord had done all of that because of his burning anger.


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So the earth will be filled with sadness. The sky above will grow dark. I have spoken, and I will not take pity on them. I have made my decision, and I will not change my mind."


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People can hear the sound of horsemen. Men who are armed with bows are coming. The people in every town run away. Some of them go into the bushes. Others climb up among the rocks. All of the towns are deserted. No one is living in them.


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What are you doing, you who are destroyed? Why do you dress yourself in bright red clothes? Why do you put on jewels of gold? Why do you put makeup on your eyes? You make yourself beautiful for no reason at all. Your lovers hate you. They are trying to kill you.


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I hear a cry like the cry of a woman having a baby. I hear a groan like someone having her first child. It's the cry of the people of Zion struggling to breathe. They reach out their hands and say, "Help us! We're fainting! Murderers are about to kill us!"


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The Lord says, "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look around. Think about what you see. Search through the market places. See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful. If you can, I will forgive this city.


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They take all of their oaths in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' But their oaths can't be trusted."


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Lord, don't your eyes look for truth? You struck your people down. But they didn't feel any pain. You crushed them. But they refused to be corrected. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to turn away from their sins.


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I thought, "The people of Jerusalem are foolish. They don't know how the Lord wants them to live. They don't know what their God requires of them.


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So I will go to the leaders. I'll speak to them. They should know how the Lord wants them to live. They must know what their God requires of them." But all of them had broken off the yoke the Lord had put on them. They had torn off the ropes he had tied them up with.


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So a lion from the forest will attack them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will hide and wait near their towns. It will tear to pieces anyone who dares to go out. Again and again they have refused to obey the Lord. They have turned away from him many times.


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The Lord says, "Jerusalem, why should I forgive you? Your people have deserted me. They have taken their oaths in the names of gods that are not really gods at all. I supplied everything they needed. But they committed adultery. Large crowds went to the houses of prostitutes.


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Your people are like stallions that have plenty to eat. Their sinful longings are out of control. Each of them goes after another man's wife.


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Shouldn't I punish them for that?" announces the Lord. "Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things?


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"Armies of Babylonia, go through their vineyards and destroy them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches. Those people do not belong to me.


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They have told lies about the Lord. They said, "He won't do anything! No harm will come to us. We will never see war or be hungry.


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The prophets are nothing but wind. Their message doesn't come from the Lord. So let what they say will happen be done to them."


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The Lord God rules over all. He says to me, "The people have spoken those words. So my words will be like fire in your mouth. I will make the people like wood. And the fire will burn them up."


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"People of Israel, listen to me," announces the Lord. "I am bringing against you a nation from far away. It is an old nation. And it will last for a long time. Its people speak a language you do not know. You can't understand what they are saying.


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They will eat up your crops and your food. They will strike down your sons and daughters. They will kill your sheep and cattle. They will destroy your vines and fig trees. You trust in your cities that have high walls around them. But the people in them will be killed with swords.


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" 'Jeremiah,' the people will ask, 'Why has the Lord our God done all of this to us?' "Then you will tell them, 'You have deserted the Lord. You have served other gods in your own land. So now you will serve another nation in a land that is not your own.'


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'Listen to this, you foolish people, who do not have any sense. You have eyes, but you do not see. You have ears, but you do not hear.


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Shouldn't you have respect for me?' announces the Lord. 'Shouldn't you tremble with fear in front of me? I made the sand to hold the ocean back. It will do that forever. The ocean can't go past it. The waves might roll, but they can't sweep over it. They might roar, but they can't go across it.


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But you people have stubborn hearts. You refuse to obey me. You have turned away from me. You have gone down the wrong path.


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You do not say to yourselves, "Let us have respect for the Lord our God. He sends rain in the fall and the spring. He promises us that the harvest will come at the same time each year."


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But the things you have done wrong have robbed you of those gifts. Your sins have kept those good things far away from you.'


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"Jeremiah, some of my people are evil. They hide and wait just as people hide to catch birds. They set traps for men.


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A hunter uses tricks to fill his cage with birds. And my people have filled their houses with a lot of goods. They have become rich and powerful.


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They have grown fat and heavy. There is no limit to the evil things they do. In court they do not state the case of children whose fathers have died. They do not stand up for poor people.


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The prophets prophesy lies. The priests rule by their own authority. And my people love it that way. But what will they do in the end?"


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The Lord says, "People of Benjamin, run for safety! Run away from Jerusalem! Blow trumpets in Tekoa! Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem! Horrible trouble is coming from the north. The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power.


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Shepherds will come against it with their flocks. They will set up their tents around it. All of them will take care of their own sheep."


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The Babylonians say, "Prepare for battle against Judah! Get up! Let's attack them at noon! But the daylight is fading. The shadows of evening are getting longer.


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The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says, "Cut some trees down. Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem's walls. I must punish that city. It is filled with people who treat others badly.


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Wells keep giving fresh water. And Jerusalem keeps on sinning. Its people are always fighting and causing trouble. When I look at them, I see nothing but sickness and wounds.


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Jerusalem, listen to my warning. If you do not, I will turn away from you. Your land will become a desert. No one will be able to live there."


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The Lord rules over all. He says to me, "People gather the few grapes that are left on a vine. So let Israel's enemies gather the few people who are left alive in the land. Look carefully at the branches again. Do it like someone who gathers the last few grapes."


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Who can I speak to? Who can I warn? Who will even listen to me? Their ears are closed so they can't hear. The Lord's message displeases them. They don't take any delight in it.


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But the Lord's anger burns inside me. I can no longer hold it in. The Lord says to me, "Pour out my anger on the children in the street. Pour it out on the young people who are gathered together. Husband and wife alike will be caught in it. So will those who are very old.


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I will reach out my hand against those who live in the land," announces the Lord. "Then their houses will be turned over to others. So will their fields and their wives.


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Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important. Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can.


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They bandage the wounds of my people as if they were not very deep. 'Peace, peace,' they say. But there isn't any peace.


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Are they ashamed of their hateful actions? No. They do not feel any shame at all. They do not even know how to blush. So they will fall like others who have already fallen. They will be brought down when I punish them," says the Lord.


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The Lord tells the people of Judah, "Stand where the roads cross, and look around. Ask where the old paths are. Ask for the good path, and walk on it. Then your hearts will find rest in me. But you said, 'We won't walk on it.'


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I appointed prophets to warn you. I said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpets!' But you said, 'We won't listen.'


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Earth, pay attention. I am going to bring trouble on them. I will punish them because of the evil things they have done. They have not listened to my words. They have said no to my law.


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What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba? Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away? I do not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices do not please me."


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So the Lord says, "I will bring an army against the people of Judah. Parents and children alike will trip and fall. Neighbors and friends will die."


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The Lord says to Jerusalem, "Look! An army is coming from the land of the north. I am stirring up a great nation. Its army is coming from a land that is very far away.


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Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all. They come riding in on their horses. They sound like the roaring ocean. They are lined up for battle. They are marching out to attack you, city of Zion."


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We have heard reports about them. And our hands can't help us. We are suffering greatly. It's like the pain of a woman having a baby.


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Don't go out to the fields. Don't walk on the roads. Our enemies have swords. And there is terror on every side.


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Put on black clothes, my people. Roll among the ashes. Cry with bitter sobbing just as you would cry for an only child. The one who is going to destroy us will come suddenly.


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The Lord says to me, "I have made you like one who tests metals. My people are the ore. I want you to watch them and test the way they live.


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All of them are used to disobeying me. They go around telling lies about others. They are like bronze mixed with iron. All of them do very sinful things.


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The fire is made very hot so the lead will burn away. But it is impossible to make those people pure. Those who are evil are not removed.


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"Stand at the gate of my house. Announce my message to the people there. Say, " 'Listen to the Lord's message, all of you people of Judah. You always come through these gates to worship the Lord.


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The God of Israel is speaking to you. He is the Lord who rules over all. He says, "Change the way you live and act. Then I will let you live in this place.


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" ' "Do not trust in lies. Do not say, 'This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord! This is the temple of the Lord!'


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Do not treat outsiders or widows badly in this place. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. Do not worship other gods. That will only bring harm to you.


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" ' "If you obey me, I will let you live in this place. It is the land I gave your people who lived long ago. It was promised to them for ever and ever.


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" ' "You continue to steal and commit murder. You commit adultery and tell lies. You burn incense to Baal. You worship other gods you have not known anything about before.


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" ' "Then you come and stand in front of me. You keep coming to this house where I have put my Name. You say, 'We are safe.' You think you are safe when you do so many things I hate.


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My Name is in this house. But you have made it a den for robbers! I have been watching you!" announces the Lord.


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" ' "Go now to the town of Shiloh. Go to the place where I first made a home for my Name. See what I did to it because of the evil things my people Israel were doing.


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" ' "I spoke to you again and again," announces the Lord. "I warned you while you were doing all of those things. But you did not listen. I called out to you. But you did not answer.


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So what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house where my Name is. It is the temple you trust in. It is the place I gave to you and your people of long ago.


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" ' "But I will throw you out of my land. That is exactly what I did to the people of Ephraim. And they are your relatives." '


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"Jeremiah, do not pray for those people. Do not make any appeal or request for them. Do not beg me. I will not listen to you.


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"Don't you see what they are doing? They are worshiping other gods in the towns of Judah. They are offering sacrifices to them in the streets of Jerusalem.


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The children go out and gather wood. The fathers light the fire. The women mix the dough. They make flat cakes of bread for the goddess who is called the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods. That makes me very angry.


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"But am I the one they are hurting?" announces the Lord. "Aren't they only harming themselves? They should be ashamed of it."


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So the Lord and King says, "I will pour out my burning anger on this place. It will strike people and animals alike. It will destroy the trees and the crops in the fields. It will burn, and no one will be able to put it out."


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The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Go ahead! Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices. Eat the meat yourselves!


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When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.


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I also gave them another command. I said, 'Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.'


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"But they did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. They went backward and not forward.


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"Again and again I sent my servants the prophets to you. They came to you day after day. They prophesied from the time your people left Egypt until now.


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"But the people did not listen. They refused to pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They did more evil things than their people who lived before them.


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"Jeremiah, when you tell them all of that, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not answer.


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"So say to them, 'You are a nation that has not obeyed the Lord your God. You did not pay attention when you were corrected. Truth has died out. You do not tell the truth anymore.' "


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The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem, "Cut off your hair. Throw it away. Sing a song of sadness on the bare hilltops. I am very angry with you. I have turned my back on you. I have deserted you.


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"The people of Judah have done what is evil in my eyes," announces the Lord. "They have set up statues of their gods. They have worshiped them in the house where my Name is. They have made my house 'unclean.' I hate those statues.


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The people have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. There they worship other gods. And there they sacrifice their children in the fire. That is something I did not command. It did not even enter my mind.


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"So watch out!" announces the Lord. "The days are coming when people will not call it Topheth anymore. And they will not call it the Valley of Ben Hinnom either. Instead, they will call it the Valley of Death. They will bury the dead bodies of some people in Topheth. But they will run out of room.


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Then they will not be able to bury the bodies of other people there. So the bodies will become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals. And no one will scare them away.


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"I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. The voices of brides and grooms will not be heard anymore. There will not be any sounds of joy in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. The land will become a desert.


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"At that time the tombs will be opened," announces the Lord. "The bones of the kings and officials of Judah will be brought out. The bones of the priests and prophets will be removed. So will the bones of the people of Jerusalem.


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They will lie outside under the sun, moon and all of the stars. "All of those people had loved and served those things. They had followed them and worshiped them. They had asked them for advice. So the bones of those people will not be gathered up or buried again. Instead, they will be like trash lying there on the ground.


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"Everyone who is left alive in this evil nation will want to die rather than live. That is what they will long for in the lands where I force them to go," announces the Lord who rules over all.


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"Jeremiah, tell them, 'The Lord says, " ' "When people fall down, don't they get up again? When someone turns away, doesn't he come back?


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Then why have the people of Jerusalem turned away from me? Why do they always turn away? They keep on telling lies. They refuse to come back to me.


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I have listened carefully. But they do not say what is right. They refuse to turn away from their sins. No one says, 'What have I done?' All of them go their own way. They are like horses charging into battle.


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Storks know when to fly south. So do doves, swifts and thrushes. But my people do not know what I require them to do.


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" ' "How can you people say, 'We are wise. We have the law of the Lord'? Actually, the teachers of the law have told lies about it. Their pens have not written what is true.


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Those who think they are wise will be put to shame. They will become terrified. They will be trapped. They have not accepted my message. So what kind of wisdom do they have?


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I will give their wives to other men. I will give their fields to new owners. Everyone wants to get richer and richer, from the least important of them to the most important. Prophets and priests alike try to fool everyone they can.


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" ' "I will take away their harvest," announces the Lord. "There will not be any grapes on the vines. The trees will not bear any figs. The leaves on the trees will dry up. What I have given them will be taken away from them." ' "


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Why are we sitting here? Let's gather together! Let's run to the cities that have high walls around them! Let's die there! The Lord our God has sentenced us to death. He has given us poisoned water to drink. That's because we've sinned against him.


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We hoped peace would come. But nothing good has happened to us. We hoped we would finally be healed. But all we got was terror.


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When our enemy's horses snort, the noise is heard all the way from Dan. When their stallions neigh, the whole land trembles with fear. They have come to destroy the land and everything in it. The city and everyone who lives there will be destroyed.


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"People of Judah, I will send poisonous snakes among you. No one will be able to charm them. And they will bite you," announces the Lord.


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Listen to the cries of my people from a land far away. They cry out, "Isn't the Lord in Zion? Isn't its King there anymore?" The Lord says, "Why have they made me so angry by worshiping their wooden gods? Why have they made me angry with their worthless statues of gods from other lands?"


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Isn't there any healing lotion in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor there? Then why doesn't someone heal the wounds of my people?


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I wish my head were a spring of water! I wish my eyes were a fountain of tears! I would sob day and night over my people who have been killed.


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I wish I had somewhere to go in the desert where a traveler could stay! Then I could leave my people. I could get away from them. All of them commit adultery by worshiping other gods. They aren't faithful to the Lord.


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"They get ready to use their tongues like bows," announces the Lord. "Their mouths shoot out lies like arrows. They tell lies to gain power in the land. They go from one sin to another. They do not pay any attention to me.


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Be on guard against your friends. Do not trust the members of your own family. Every one of them cheats. Every friend tells lies.


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One friend cheats another. No one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues how to lie. They wear themselves out sinning.


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Jeremiah, you live among people who tell lies. When they lie, they refuse to pay any attention to me," announces the Lord.


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So the Lord who rules over all says, "I will put them through the fire to test them. What else can I do? My people are so sinful!


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Their tongues are like deadly arrows. They tell lies. With their mouths all of them speak kindly to their neighbors. But in their hearts they set traps for them.


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Shouldn't I punish them for that?" announces the Lord. "Shouldn't I pay back the nation that does those things?"


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I will cry and sob over the fields in the hills. I will sing a song of sadness about the desert grasslands. They are dry and empty. No one travels through them. The mooing of cattle isn't heard there. The birds of the air have flown away. All of the animals are gone.


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The Lord says, "I will knock all of Jerusalem's buildings down. I will make it a home for wild dogs. The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed. No one will be able to live in them."


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Who is wise enough to understand those things? Who has been taught by the Lord? Who can explain them? Why has the land been destroyed so completely? Why has it become like a desert that no one can go across?


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The Lord answered me, "Because my people have turned away from my law. I gave it to them. But they have not kept it. They have not obeyed me.


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Instead, they have done what their stubborn hearts wanted them to do. They have worshiped the gods that are named after Baal. They have done what their people have taught them to do down through the years."


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So now the Lord who rules over all speaks. He is the God of Israel. He says, "I will make these people eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water.


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I will scatter them among the nations. They and their people before them have not had anything to do with those nations before. I will chase these people with swords. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them."


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The Lord rules over all. He says, "Here is something I want you to think about. Send for the women who sob over the dead. Send for the most skilled among them."


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Let them come quickly and sob over us. Let them cry until tears flow from our eyes. Let them sob until water pours out of our eyes.


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People are heard sobbing in Zion. They are saying, "We are destroyed! We are filled with shame! We must leave our land. Our houses have been torn down."


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Women, hear the Lord's message. Listen to what he's saying. Teach your daughters how to sob over the dead. Teach one another a song of sadness.


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Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered our forts. It has removed the children from the streets. It has taken the young people out of the market places.


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Say, "The Lord announces, " 'The dead bodies of men will be like trash lying in the open fields. They will lie there like grain that is cut down at harvest time. No one will gather them up.' "


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The Lord says, "Do not let a wise man brag about how wise he is. Do not let a strong man boast about how strong he is. Do not let a rich person brag about how rich he is.


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But here is what the one who brags should boast about. He should brag that he has understanding and knows me. I want him to know that I am the Lord. No matter what I do on earth, I am always kind, fair and right. And I take delight in that," announces the Lord.


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"The days are coming when I will judge people," announces the Lord. "I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their bodies.


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That includes the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon and Moab. It also includes all those who live in the desert in places far away. None of the people in those nations is really circumcised. And not even the people of Israel are circumcised in their hearts."


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He says, "Do not follow the practices of other nations. Do not be terrified by warnings in the sky. Do not be afraid, even though the nations are terrified by them.


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The practices of those nations are worthless. People cut a tree out of the forest. A skilled worker shapes the wood with a sharp tool.


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Others decorate it with silver and gold. They use a hammer to nail it to the floor. They want to keep it from falling down.


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The statues of their gods can't speak. They are like scarecrows in a field of melons. They have to be carried around because they can't walk. So do not worship them. They can't do you any harm. And they can't do you any good either."


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King of the nations, everyone should have respect for you. That's what people should give you. Among all of the wise people in the nations there is no one like you. No one can compare with you in all of their kingdoms.


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All of them are foolish. They don't have any sense. They think they are taught by worthless wooden gods.


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Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish. Gold is brought from Uphaz. People who are skilled in working with wood and gold make a statue. Then they put blue and purple clothes on it. The whole thing is made by skilled workers.


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But you are the only true God. You are the only living God. You are the King who rules forever. When you are angry, the earth trembles with fear. The nations can't stand up under your anger.


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The Lord says to the Jews who are living in Babylonia, "Tell the people of the nations, 'Your gods did not make the heavens and the earth. In fact, those gods will disappear from the earth. They will vanish from under the heavens.' "


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But God used his power to make the earth. His wisdom set the world in place. His understanding spread the heavens out.


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When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar. He makes clouds rise from one end of the earth to the other. He sends lightning along with the rain. He brings the wind out from his storerooms.


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No one has any sense. No one knows anything at all. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his wooden gods. The metal gods he worships are fakes. They can't even breathe.


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The God of Jacob is not like them. He gives his people everything they need. He made everything that exists. And that includes Israel. It's the nation that belongs to him. His name is The Lord Who Rules Over All.


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People of Jerusalem, your enemies have surrounded you. They are attacking you. So gather up what belongs to you. Then leave the land.


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The Lord says, "I am about to throw out of this land everyone who lives in it. I will bring trouble on them. They will be captured."


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How terrible it will be for me! I've been wounded! And my wound can't be healed! In spite of that, I said to myself, "I'm sick. But I'll have to put up with it."


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Jerusalem is like a tent that has been destroyed. All of its ropes have snapped. My people have gone away from me. Now no one is left to set up my tent. I have no one to set it up for me.


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The leaders of my people are like shepherds who don't have any sense. They don't ask the Lord for advice. That's why they don't succeed. And that's why their whole flock is scattered like sheep.


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Listen! A message is coming! I hear the sound of a great army marching down from the north! It will turn Judah's towns into a desert. They will become a home for wild dogs.


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Correct me, Lord. But please be fair. Don't correct me when you are angry. If you do, nothing will be left of me.


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Pour out your burning anger on the nations. They don't pay any attention to you. They refuse to worship you. They have destroyed the people of Jacob. They've wiped them out completely. They've also destroyed the land they lived in.


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"Listen to the terms of the covenant I made with my people long ago. Tell Judah the terms still apply to them. Tell those who live in Jerusalem that they must obey them too.


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"I am the God of Israel. So let the people know what I want them to do. Tell them I am saying, 'May the man who does not obey the terms of the covenant be under my curse.


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I gave those terms to your people long ago. That was when I brought them out of Egypt. I saved them out of that furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure.' I said, 'Obey me. Do everything I command you to do. Then you will be my people. And I will be your God.


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" 'I raised my hand and made an oath to your people long ago. I promised them I would give them a land that had plenty of milk and honey.' It is the land you own today. I kept my promise." I replied, "Amen, Lord."


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The Lord said to me, "Here is what I want you to announce in the towns of Judah. Say it also in the streets of Jerusalem. Tell the people, 'Listen to the terms of my covenant. Obey them.


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Long ago I brought your people up from Egypt. From that time until today, I warned them again and again. I said, "Obey me."


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" 'But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. So I brought down on them all of the curses of the covenant. I commanded them to obey it. But they refused.' "


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The Lord continued, "The people of Judah have made some evil plans. So have those who live in Jerusalem.


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All of them have returned to the sins their people committed long ago. Those people refused to listen to what I told them. And now the people of Israel and Judah alike have worshiped other gods and served them. They have broken the covenant I made with their people who lived before them.


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"So I say, 'I will bring trouble on them. They will not be able to escape it. They will cry out to me. But I will not listen to them.


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" 'The people of Jerusalem and of the towns of Judah will cry out to the gods they burn incense to. But those gods will not help them at all when trouble strikes them.


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Judah, you have as many gods as you have towns. And in Jerusalem you have set up as many altars as there are streets. You are burning incense to that shameful god Baal.'


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"Jeremiah, do not pray for those people. Do not make any appeal or request for them. They will call out to me when they are in trouble. But I will not listen to them.


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"I love the people of Judah. But they are working out their evil plans along with many others. So what are they doing in my temple? Can meat that is offered to me keep me from punishing you? When you do evil things, you get a lot of pleasure from them."


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People of Judah, the Lord once called you a healthy olive tree. He thought its fruit was beautiful. But now he will come with the roar of a mighty storm. He will set the tree on fire. And its branches will be broken.


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The Lord who rules over all planted you. But now he has ordered your enemies to destroy you. The people of Israel and Judah have done what is evil. They have made the Lord very angry by burning incense to Baal.


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The Lord told me about the evil plans of my enemies. That's how I knew about them. He showed me what they were doing.


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I had been like a gentle lamb that was led off to be killed. I didn't realize they had made plans against me. They had said, "Let's destroy the tree and its fruit. Let's cut him off while he's still living. Then his name won't be remembered anymore."


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But Lord, you rule over all. You always judge fairly. You put people's hearts and minds to the test. So pay them back for what they've done. I've committed my cause to you.


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The Lord says, "Jeremiah, here is what I am telling you about the men of Anathoth. They want to kill you. They are saying, 'Don't prophesy in the Lord's name. If you do, we will kill you with our own hands.' "


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So the Lord who rules over all says, "I will punish them. Their young men will be killed with swords. Their sons and daughters will die of hunger.


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Only a few people will be left alive. I will judge the men of Anathoth. I will destroy them when the time to punish them comes."


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Lord, when I bring a matter to you, you always do what is right. But now I would like to speak with you about whether you are being fair. Why are sinful people successful? Why do those who can't be trusted have an easy life?


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You have planted them. Their roots are deep in the ground. They grow and produce fruit. They honor you by what they say. But their hearts are far away from you.


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Lord, you know me and see me. You test my thoughts about you. Drag those people off like sheep to be killed! Set them apart for the day of their death!


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How long will the land be thirsty for water? How long will the grass in every field be dry? The people who live in the land are evil. So the animals and birds have died. And that's not all. The people are saying, "The Lord won't see what happens to us."


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The Lord says, "Suppose you have run in a race with other men. And suppose they have worn you out. Then how would you be able to race against horses? Suppose you feel safe only in open country. Then how would you get along in the bushes near the Jordan River?


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Even your own family has turned against you. They have shouted loudly at you. They might say nice things about you. But do not trust them.


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"I will turn my back on my people. I will desert my land. I love the people of Judah. In spite of that, I will hand them over to their enemies.


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My own land has become like a spotted hawk. And other hawks surround it and attack it. Come, all of you wild animals! Gather together! Come together to eat up my land.


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Many shepherds will destroy my vineyard. They will walk all over it. They will turn my pleasant vineyard into a dry and empty land.


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My vineyard will become a desert. It will be dry and empty in my sight. The whole land will be completely destroyed. And no one even cares.


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Many will come to destroy it. They will gather on the bare hilltops in the desert. I will use them as my sword to destroy my people. They will kill them from one end of the land to the other. No one will be safe.


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People will plant wheat. But all they will gather is thorns. They will wear themselves out. But they will not have anything to show for it. My anger is burning against you. So you will be ashamed of the crop you gather."


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The Lord continues, "All of my evil neighbors have taken over the land I gave my people Israel. So I will pull them up by their roots from the lands they live in. And I will pull up the roots of the people of Judah from among them.


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"But after I pull those nations up, I will show my tender love to them again. I will bring all of them back to their own lands. I will take all of them back to their own countries.


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"Suppose they learn to follow the practices of my people. And they take an oath and make a promise in my name. They say, 'You can be sure that the Lord is alive.' They do it just as they once taught my people to take oaths in Baal's name. Then I will give them a place among my people.


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"But what if one of those nations does not listen? Then you can be sure I will pull it up by the roots and destroy it," announces the Lord.


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The Lord said to me, "Go and buy a linen belt. Put it around your waist. But do not let it get wet."


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"Take off the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist. Go to Perath. Hide the belt there in a crack in the rocks."


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Many days later the Lord spoke to me again. He told me, "Go to Perath. Get the belt I told you to hide there."


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So I went to Perath. I dug up the belt. I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But it had rotted. It was completely useless.


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"Those people are evil. They refuse to listen to what I say. They do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They chase after other gods. They serve them and worship them. So they will be like this belt. They will be completely useless.


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A belt is tied around a man's waist. In the same way, I tied all of the people of Israel and Judah to me," announces the Lord. "I wanted them to be my people. They should have brought me fame and praise and honor. But they have not listened to me.


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"Tell them, 'The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, "Every wineskin should be filled with wine." ' "The people might say to you, 'Don't we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?'


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"If they do, tell them, 'The Lord says, "I am going to fill with wine everyone who lives in this land. I will make the kings who sit on David's throne drunk. And I will fill with wine the priests, the prophets and everyone who lives in Jerusalem.


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I will smash them against one another. I will punish parents and children alike," announces the Lord. "I will not feel sorry for them. I will not show them any kindness. My tender love for them will not keep me from destroying them." ' "


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Give glory to the Lord your God. Honor him before he sends darkness to cover the land. Do it before you trip and fall on the darkened hills. You hope that light will come. But he will turn it into thick darkness. He will change it to deep shadows.


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If you don't listen, I will sob in secret. Because you are so proud, I will sob bitterly. Tears will flow from my eyes. The Lord's flock will be taken away as prisoners.


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Speak to the king and his mother. Tell them, "Come down from your thrones. Your glorious crowns are about to fall from your heads."


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The gates of the cities in the Negev Desert will be shut tight. There won't be anyone to open them. You will be carried away as prisoners. You will be taken away completely.


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Jerusalem, look up! Your enemies are coming from the north. Where is the flock you were supposed to take care of? Where are the sheep you were so proud of?


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You have worked hard to make special friends. But the Lord will let them rule over you. Then what will you say? Suffering will take hold of you. It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby.


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Suppose you ask yourself, "Why has this happened to me?" It's because you have committed so many sins. That's the reason your skirt has been torn off. That's why your body has been treated so badly.


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Can people from Ethiopia change their skin? Can leopards change their spots? It's the same with you. You have always done what is evil. So how can you do what is good?


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That is what will happen to you. I have appointed it for you," announces the Lord. "You have forgotten me. You have trusted in other gods.


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They will see that you have not been faithful to me. You have committed adultery with other gods. And you have acted like a prostitute who does not have any shame. I have seen what you did on the hills and in the fields. And I hate it. How terrible it will be for you, Jerusalem! How long will you choose to be 'unclean'?"


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"Judah is filled with sadness. Its cities are wasting away. The people sob over the land. Crying is heard in Jerusalem.


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The nobles send their servants to get water. They go to the wells. But they do not find any water. They return with empty jars. They are terrified. They do not have any hope. They cover their heads.


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The ground is dry and cracked. There isn't any rain in the land. The farmers are terrified. They cover their heads.


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Wild donkeys stand on the bare hilltops. They long for water as wild dogs do. Their eyesight fails because they do not have any grass to eat."


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Our sins are a witness against us. Lord, do something for the honor of your name. We have completely turned away from you. We've sinned against you.


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You are Israel's only hope. You save us when we're in trouble. Why are you like a stranger to us? Why are you like a traveler who stays for only one night?


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Why are you like a man who is taken by surprise? Why are you like a soldier who can't save anyone? Lord, you are among us. And we are your people. Please don't desert us!


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The Lord has given me a message about these people. He says, "They really love to wander away from me. Their feet go down the wrong path. I do not accept these people. I will remember the evil things they have done. I will punish them for their sins."


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Even if they go without food, I will not listen to their cry for help. They might sacrifice burnt offerings and grain offerings. But I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with war, hunger and plague."


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But I said, "Lord and King, the prophets keep telling them something else. They say, 'You won't have to suffer from war or hunger. Instead, the Lord will give you peace and rest in this place.' "


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Then the Lord said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them. I have not even spoken to them. Everything they tell you about their visions or secret knowledge is a lie. They pretend to bring you messages from other gods. They try to get you to believe their own mistaken ideas.


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"So here is what I am saying about the prophets who are prophesying in my name. I did not send them. But they are saying, 'No war or hunger will come to this land.' Those same prophets will die because of war and hunger.


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And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem. They will die because of hunger and war. No one will bury their bodies. No one will bury their wives or children. I will pour trouble out on them. That is exactly what they should get.


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"Jeremiah, give them this message. Tell them, " 'Let tears flow from my eyes. Let them pour out night and day. Never let them stop. The people of my own nation have suffered a terrible wound. They have been crushed.


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Suppose I go into the country. Then I see people who have been killed with swords. Or suppose I go into the city. Then I see people who have died of hunger. Prophet and priest alike have gone to a land they hadn't had anything to do with before.' "


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Lord, have you turned your back on Judah completely? Do you hate the city of Zion? Why have you made us suffer? We can't be healed. We hoped peace would come. But nothing good has happened to us. We hoped we would finally be healed. But all we got was terror.


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Lord, we admit we've done evil things. We also admit that our people of long ago were guilty. It's true that we've sinned against you.


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For the honor of your name, don't turn your back on us. Don't bring shame on your glorious throne in the temple. Remember the covenant you made with us. Please don't break it.


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Do any of the worthless gods of the nations bring rain? Do the skies send down showers all by themselves? No. Lord our God, you send the rain. So we put our hope in you. You are the one who does all of those things.


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Then the Lord said to me, "Suppose Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me. Even then my heart would not feel sorry for these people. Send them away from me! Let them go!


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"Suppose they ask you, 'Where should we go?' "Then tell them, 'The Lord says, " ' "Those I have appointed to die will die. Those I have appointed to be killed with swords will be killed with swords. Those I have appointed to die of hunger will die of hunger. Those I have appointed to be taken away as prisoners will be taken away." '


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"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," announces the Lord. "Swords will kill them. Dogs will drag them away. Birds of the air will eat them up. And wild animals will destroy them.


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"I will make all of the kingdoms on earth hate them. That will happen because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. He was king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah.


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"Jerusalem, who will have pity on you? Who will sob over you? Who will stop to ask how you are doing?


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You have said no to me," announces the Lord. "You keep on turning away from me. So I will destroy you with my own hands. I can't show you my tender love anymore.


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I will stand at the city gates of the land. I will separate the straw from the grain. I will destroy my people. I will bring great sorrow on them. They have not changed their ways.


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I will increase the number of their widows. They will be more than the grains of sand on the seashore. At noon I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of the young men among my people. All at once I will bring down on them great suffering and terror.


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Mothers who have many children will grow weak. They will take their last breath. The sun will set on them while it is still day. They will be dishonored and put to shame. All those who are left alive I will kill with swords. I will have their enemies do it," announces the Lord.


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My mother, I wish I had never been born! The whole land opposes me. They fight against me. I haven't made loans to anyone. And I haven't borrowed anything. But everyone still calls down curses on me.


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The Lord said, "Jeremiah, I will keep you safe for a good purpose. I will make your enemies ask you to pray for them. They will make their appeal to you when they are in great trouble.


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"People of Judah, the armies of Babylonia will come from the north. They are as strong as iron and bronze. Can anyone break their power?


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I will give away your wealth and your treasures. Your enemies will carry off everything. And they will not pay anything for it. That will happen because you have sinned so much. You have done it all through your country.


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I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you have not had anything to do with before. My anger will start a fire that will burn you up."


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Lord, you understand how much I'm suffering. Show concern for me. Take care of me. Pay back those who are trying to harm me. You are patient. Don't take my life away from me. Think about how much shame I suffer because of you.


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When I received your words, I ate them. They filled me with joy. My heart took delight in them. Lord God who rules over all, I belong to you.


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I never sat around with those who go to wild parties. I never had a good time with them. I sat alone because you had put your powerful hand on me. Your anger against sin was burning inside me.


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Why does my pain never end? Why is my wound so deep? Why can't I ever get well? To me you are like a stream that runs dry. You are like a spring that doesn't have any water.


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So the Lord says, "Turn away from your sins. Then I will heal you. And then you will be able to serve me. Speak words that are worthy, not worthless. Then you will be speaking for me. Let these people turn to you. But you must not turn to them.


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I will make you like a wall to them. I will make you like a strong bronze wall. The people will fight against you. But they will not overcome you. I am with you. I will save you," announces the Lord.


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"I will save you from the hands of evil people. I will set you free from those who treat you badly."


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Here is the Lord's message about the children who are born in this place. He says about them and their parents,


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"Some of them will die of deadly sicknesses. No one will sob over them. Their bodies will not be buried. Instead, they will be like trash lying there on the ground. Others will die because of war and hunger. Their bodies will not be buried. Instead, they will become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals."


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The Lord says, "Jeremiah, do not enter a house where a meal is being served because someone has died. Do not go there to sob or to comfort the family. I will not bless these people anymore. I have taken my love and pity away from them," announces the Lord.


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"Important and ordinary people alike will die in this land. Their bodies will not be buried. No one will sob over them. No one will cut himself or shave his head because of them.


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No one will offer food or drink to comfort those who sob over the dead. No one will do it even if someone's father or mother has died.


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"Do not enter a house where a big dinner party is being held. Do not sit down there to eat and drink.


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I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. I am telling you, 'In your days I will judge your people. You will see it with your own eyes. I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness here in Jerusalem. The voices of brides and grooms will not be heard anymore.'


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"Tell these people all of those things. They will ask you, 'Why has the Lord decided to send so much trouble on us? We haven't done anything wrong. We haven't committed any sins against the Lord our God.'


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"When they say that, tell them, 'I did it because your people of long ago deserted me,' announces the Lord. 'They followed other gods. They served them and worshiped them. They deserted me. They did not obey my law.


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" 'But you have done more evil things than they did. All of you are doing what your stubborn and evil hearts want you to do. You are not obeying me.


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" 'So I will throw you out of this land. I will send you away to a land that you and your people have not had anything to do with before. There you will serve other gods day and night. And I will not show you any favor.'


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"But a new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time people will no longer say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt. And that's just as sure as he is alive.'


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"Instead, they will say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north. He gathered them out of all of the countries where he had forced them to go. And that's just as sure as he is alive.' I will bring them back to the land I gave their people long ago.


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"But now I will send for many fishermen," announces the Lord. "They will catch some of these people. After that, I will send for many hunters. They will hunt the others down on every mountain and hill. They will bring them out of the cracks in the rocks.


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I will pay them back double for their sin and the evil things they have done. They have made my land 'unclean.' They have set up lifeless statues of their evil gods. They have filled my land with them. I hate those gods."


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Lord, you give me strength. You are like a fort to me. When I'm in trouble, I go to you for safety. The nations will come to you from one end of the earth to the other. They will gather together and say, "Our people of long ago didn't own anything except statues of gods. The statues were worthless. They didn't do them any good.


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The Lord says, "So I will teach them about myself. This time I will show them how powerful and mighty I am. Then they will know that I am the Lord.


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"Judah's sin is carved with an iron tool. It is written with a sharp stone. It is carved on the tablets of their hearts. It is written on the horns that stick out from the corners of their altars.


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Even their children offer sacrifices to other gods on those altars. They use the poles that were made to worship the goddess Asherah. They worship strange gods beside the green trees and on the high hills.


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I will give away my holy Mount Zion to the Babylonians. Your enemies will carry off your wealth and all of your treasures. I will give away your high places. That will happen because you have sinned. You have done it all through your country.


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You will lose the land I gave you. And it will be your own fault. I will make you slaves to your enemies. You will serve them in a land you have not had anything to do with before. You have set my anger on fire. It will burn forever."


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The Lord says, "Those who trust in man are under my curse. They depend on human strength. Their hearts turn away from me.


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They will be like a bush in a dry and empty land. They will not enjoy success when it comes. They will live in dry places in the desert. It is a land of salt where no one else lives.


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He will be like a tree that is planted near water. It sends out its roots beside a stream. It is not afraid when heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It does not worry when there is no rain. It always bears fruit."


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The Lord says, "I look deep down inside human hearts. I see what is in people's minds. I reward a man in keeping with his conduct. I bless him based on what he has done."


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Some people get rich in the wrong way. They are like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn't lay. When their lives are half over, their riches will desert them. In the end they will prove how foolish they have been.


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Our temple is where the Lord's glorious throne is. From the beginning it has been high and lifted up.


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Lord, you are Israel's only hope. Everyone who deserts you will be put to shame. The names of those who turn away from you will be listed among the dead. Lord, they have deserted you. You are the spring of water that gives life.


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Lord, heal me. Then I will be healed. Save me from my enemies. Then I will be saved. You are the one I praise.


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They keep saying to me, "What has happened to the message the Lord gave you? Let it come true right now!"


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I haven't run away from being the shepherd of your people. You know I haven't wanted the day of Jerusalem's fall to come. You are aware of every word that comes from my lips.


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Let those who attack me be put to shame. But keep me from shame. Let them be terrified. But keep me from terror. Bring the day of trouble on them. Destroy them once and for all.


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The Lord said to me, "Go. Stand at the city gate where the people gather together. That is where the kings of Judah go in and out. Also go to all of the other gates of Jerusalem.


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Say, 'Listen to the Lord's message, you kings of Judah and all of you people of Judah and Jerusalem. You always come through these gates.


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" 'The Lord says, "Make sure you do not carry a load on the Sabbath day. Do not bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.


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Do not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath. Do not do any work on that day. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do as I commanded your people long ago.


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But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They would not listen or pay attention when I corrected them.


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" ' "Be careful to obey me," announces the Lord. "Do not bring a load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do not do any work on it.


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" ' "Then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses. The people of Judah and Jerusalem will come along with them. And this city will always have people living in it.


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Some will come from the towns of Judah. And some will come in from the villages around Jerusalem. Others will come from the territory of Benjamin. And others will come in from the western hills. Still others will come from the central hill country and the Negev Desert. All of them will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will come bringing grain offerings, incense and thank offerings. They will take all of those offerings to my house.


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" ' "But what if you do not obey me? Suppose you do not keep the Sabbath day holy. And suppose you carry a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Then I will start a fire that can't be put out. It will begin at the gates of Jerusalem. It will destroy its mighty towers." ' "


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His hands were shaping a pot out of clay. But he saw that something was wrong with it. So he formed it into another pot. He shaped it in the way that seemed best to him.


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"People of Israel, I can do with you just as this potter does," announces the Lord. "The clay is in the potter's hand. And you are in my hand, people of Israel.


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"Suppose at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is going to be pulled up by the roots. And I tell it that it will be torn down and destroyed.


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But suppose the nation I warned turns away from its sins. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on it as I had planned.


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But it does what is evil in my sight. It does not obey me. Then I will think again about the good things I had wanted to do for it.


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"So speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Tell them, 'The Lord says, "Look! I am making plans against you. I am going to bring trouble on you. So each one of you must turn from your evil ways. Change the way you live and act." '


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"But they will reply, 'It's no use. We will continue to do what we've already planned. All of us will do what our stubborn and evil hearts want us to do.' "


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So the Lord says, "Ask the nations a question. Say to them, 'Who has ever heard anything like this? The people of Israel have done a very horrible thing.


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Does the snow ever disappear from Lebanon's rocky slopes? Do its cool waters ever stop flowing from places far away?


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But my people have forgotten me. They burn incense to worthless gods. Their gods made them trip and fall as they walked on the old paths. They made them use side roads instead of roads that were built up.


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So their land will be completely destroyed. People will make fun of it again and again. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will shake their heads.


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I will sweep over my people like a wind from the east. I will use the Babylonians to scatter them. I will show them my back and not my face. I will desert them when their day of trouble comes.' "


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They said, "Come on. Let's make plans against Jeremiah. We'll still have priests to teach us the law. We'll always have wise people to give us advice. We'll have prophets to bring us messages from the Lord. So come on. Let's speak out against Jeremiah. We shouldn't pay any attention to what he says."


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Should the good things I've done be paid back with evil? But my enemies have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood in front of you and spoke up for them. I tried to turn your anger away from them.


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So let their children die of hunger. Let my enemies be killed in war. Let their wives lose their children and husbands. Let their men be put to death. Let their young men be killed in battle.


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Bring their enemies against them without warning. Let cries be heard from their houses. They have dug a pit to capture me. They have hidden traps for my feet.


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But Lord, you know all about their plans to kill me. Don't forgive their crimes. Don't erase their sins from your sight. Destroy my enemies. Punish them when the time to show your anger comes.


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The Lord said to me, "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people. Also tell some of the priests to go with you.


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Go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom. Stand near the entrance of the gate where broken pieces of pottery are thrown away. "There announce the message I give you.


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Tell the people, 'Listen to the Lord's message, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Listen! I am going to bring trouble on Jerusalem. It will be so horrible that it will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring.


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" ' "My people have deserted me. They have made this city a place where other gods are worshiped. They have burned sacrifices to them here. They and their people and the kings of Judah had never had anything to do with those gods before. My people have also filled this place with the blood of those who are not guilty of anything.


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They have built the high places where they worship Baal. There they sacrifice their children in the fire as offerings to Baal. That is something I did not command or talk about. It did not even enter my mind.


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" ' "So watch out!" announces the Lord. "The days are coming when people will not call this place Topheth anymore. And they will not call it the Valley of Ben Hinnom either. Instead, they will call it the Valley of Death.


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" ' "In this place I will make the plans of Judah and Jerusalem as useless as a broken jar. I will use their enemies to kill my people with swords. They will die at the hands of those who want to take their lives. I will give their dead bodies as food to the birds of the air and the wild animals.


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" ' "I will destroy this city completely. People will make fun of it. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will laugh at its people because of all of their wounds.


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I will make the people of this city eat the dead bodies of their sons and daughters. And they will eat one another. They will do it because things will be so bad during the attack. The enemies who want to take their lives will bring all of that trouble on them." '


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Tell them, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "This potter's jar is smashed and can't be repaired. And I will smash this nation and this city. People will bury their dead in Topheth. But they will run out of room.


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Here is what I will do to Jerusalem and those who live here," announces the Lord. "I will make this city like Topheth.


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The houses in Jerusalem will be made 'unclean' like Topheth. So will the houses of the kings of Judah. All of those people burned incense on their roofs to all of the stars. They poured out drink offerings to other gods." ' "


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Then I returned from Topheth. That's where the Lord had sent me to prophesy. I stood in the courtyard of the Lord's temple. I spoke to all of the people. I said,


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"The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'Listen! I am going to punish this city and the villages that are around it. I am going to bring against them all of the trouble I have announced. That is because my people were stubborn. They would not listen to what I said.' "


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The priest Pashhur was chief officer in the Lord's temple. He was the son of Immer. Pashhur heard me prophesying that Jerusalem would be destroyed.


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The next day Pashhur set me free. I said to him, "The Lord's name for you isn't Pashhur. It's Magor-Missabib. That name means Terror on Every Side.


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"The Lord says to you, 'I will make you a terror to yourself. You will also be a terror to all of your friends. With your own eyes you will see them die. Their enemies will kill them with swords. I will hand all of the people of Judah over to the king of Babylonia. He will carry them away to Babylonia or kill them with swords.


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" 'I will hand all of the wealth of this city over to Judah's enemies. I will give them all of its products and everything of value. I will turn over to them all of the treasures that belonged to the kings of Judah. They will take those things and carry them off to Babylon.


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" 'Pashhur, you and everyone who lives in your house will also be forced to go there. You have prophesied lies to all of your friends. So all of you will die in Babylonia. And that's where your bodies will be buried.' "


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Lord, you tricked me, and I was tricked. You overpowered me and won. People make fun of me all day long. Everyone laughs at me.


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Every time I speak, I cry out. All you ever tell me to talk about is fighting and trouble. Your message has brought me nothing but dishonor. It has made me suffer shame all day long.


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Sometimes I think, "I won't talk about him anymore. I'll never speak in his name again." But then your message burns in my heart. It's like a fire inside my very bones. I'm tired of holding it in. In fact, I can't.


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I hear many people whispering, "There is terror on every side! Report Jeremiah! Let's report him to the authorities!" All of my friends are waiting for me to slip. They are saying, "Perhaps he will be tricked into making a mistake. Then we'll win out over him. We'll get even with him."


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But you are with me like a mighty warrior. So those who are trying to harm me will trip and fall. They won't win out over me. They will fail. They'll be totally put to shame. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.


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Lord, you rule over all. You test those who do what is right. You see what is in people's hearts and minds. So pay them back for what they've done. I've committed my cause to you.


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Sing to the Lord, you people! Give praise to him! He saves the lives of those who are in need. He saves them from the powerful hands of sinful people.


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May the man who brought my father the news be under a curse! He's the one who made my father very glad. He said, "You have had a baby! It's a boy!"


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May that man be like the towns the Lord destroyed without pity. May that man hear loud sobs in the morning. May he hear a battle cry at noon.


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He should have killed me in my mother's body. He should have made my mother my grave. He should have let her body stay large forever.


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Why did I ever come out of my mother's body? I've seen nothing but trouble and sorrow. My days will end in shame.


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A message came to me from the Lord. It came when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur to me. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. Zedekiah sent the priest Zephaniah along with him. Zephaniah was the son of Maaseiah. They said to me,


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"Ask the Lord to help us. Nebuchadnezzar is attacking us. He is king of Babylonia. In the past the Lord did wonderful things for us. Maybe he'll do them again. Then Nebuchadnezzar will pull his armies back from us."


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'The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, "The king of Babylonia and his armies are all around this city. They are getting ready to attack you. You have weapons of war in your hands to fight against them. But I am about to turn your weapons against you. And I will bring your enemies inside this city.


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" ' "I myself will fight against you. I will reach out my powerful hand and mighty arm. I will come against you with all of my burning anger.


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I will strike down those who live in this city. I will kill people and animals alike. They will die of a terrible plague.


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" ' "After that, I will hand you over to your enemies who want to kill you," announces the Lord. "I will hand over Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I will hand over his officials and the people in this city who live through the plague, war and hunger. All of them will be turned over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. He will kill them with swords. He will not show them any kindness. He will not feel sorry for them. In fact, he will not have any concern for them at all." '


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"Tell the people, 'The Lord says, "I am offering you a choice. You can choose the way that leads to life. Or you can choose the way that leads to death.


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Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But those who go out and give themselves up to the Babylonians who are attacking you will live. They will escape with their lives.


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" ' "I have decided to do this city harm and not good," announces the Lord. "It will be handed over to the king of Babylonia. And he will destroy it with fire." '


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The Lord says to you who belong to David's royal house, " ' "Every morning do what is right and fair. Save those who have been robbed. Set them free from the people who have treated them badly. If you do not, my anger will blaze out against you. It will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. No one will be able to put it out.


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Jerusalem, I am against you," announces the Lord. "You live above this valley. You are on a high, rocky flatland. And you say, 'Who can come against us? Who can enter our place of safety?'


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But I will punish you in keeping with what you have done," announces the Lord. "I will start a fire in your forests. It will burn up everything around you." ' "


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The Lord said to me, "Jeremiah, go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Announce my message there. Tell him,


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'King of Judah, listen to the Lord's message. You are sitting on David's throne. You and your officials and your people come through these gates.


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The Lord says, "Do what is fair and right. Save those who have been robbed. Set them free from the people who have treated them badly. Do not do anything wrong to outsiders or widows in this place. Do not harm children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong.


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" ' "Be careful to obey those commands. Then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this palace. They will come riding in chariots and on horses. Their officials and their people will come along with them.


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" ' "But suppose you do not obey those commands," announces the Lord. "Then I promise you that this palace will be destroyed. I make that promise by taking an oath in my own name." ' "


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The Lord speaks about the palace of the king of Judah. He says, "You are like the land of Gilead to me. You are like the highest mountain in Lebanon. But I will make you like a desert. You will become like towns that no one lives in.


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I will send destroyers against you. All of them will come with their weapons. They will cut up your fine cedar beams. They will throw them into the fire.


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"People from many nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?'


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"And the answer will be, 'Because its people have turned away from the covenant the Lord their God made with them. They have worshiped other gods. And they have served them.' "


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Don't sob over dead King Josiah. Don't be sad because he's gone. Instead, sob bitterly over King Jehoahaz. He was forced to leave his country. He will never return. He'll never see his own land again.


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Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father Josiah. But he has gone away from this place. That's because the Lord says about him, "He will never return.


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The Lord says, "How terrible it will be for King Jehoiakim! He builds his palace by mistreating his people. He builds its upstairs rooms with money that was gained by sinning. He makes his own people work for nothing. He does not pay them for what they do.


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He says, 'I will build myself a great palace. It will have large rooms upstairs.' So he makes big windows in it. He covers its walls with cedar boards. He decorates it with red paint.


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"Jehoiakim, does having more and more cedar boards make you a king? Your father Josiah had enough to eat and drink. He did what was right and fair. So everything went well with him.


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He stood up for those who were poor or needy. So everything went well with him. That is what it means to know me," announces the Lord.


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"Jehoiakim, the only thing on your mind is to get rich by cheating others. You would even kill people who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. You would mistreat them. You would take everything they own."


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So the Lord speaks about King Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah. He says, "His people will not sob over him. They will not say, 'My poor brother! My poor sister!' They will not sob over him. They will not say, 'My poor master! How sad that his glory is gone!'


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In fact, he will be buried like a donkey. His body will be dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem."


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The Lord says, "People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon. Cry out for help. Let your voice be heard in the land of Bashan. Cry out from the mountains of Abarim. All those who were going to help you are crushed.


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When you felt secure, I warned you. But you said, 'I won't listen!' You have acted like that ever since you were young. You have not obeyed me.


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The wind will drive all of your shepherds away. All those who were going to help you will be carried off as prisoners. Then you will be dishonored and put to shame. That will happen because you have been so sinful.


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Some of you live in Jerusalem in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. You are comfortable in your cedar buildings. But you will groan when pain comes on you. It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby.


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"King Jehoiachin, you are the son of Jehoiakim," announces the Lord. "Suppose you were a ring on my right hand. And suppose the ring even had my royal seal on it. Then I would still pull you off my finger. And that is just as sure as I am alive.


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"I will hand you over to those who are trying to kill you. I will turn you over to people you are afraid of. I will give you to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. I will hand you over to his armies.


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"I will throw you out into another country. I will throw your mother out. Neither of you was born in that country. But both of you will die there.


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This man Jehoiachin is like a broken pot. Everyone hates him. No one wants him. Why will he and his children be thrown out of this land? Why will they be sent to a land they didn't have anything to do with before?


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The Lord says, "Let the record say that this man did not have any children. Let it report that he did not have any success in life. None of his children will have success either. None of them will sit on David's throne. None of them will ever rule over Judah.


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"How terrible it will be for the shepherds who lead my people down the wrong path!" announces the Lord. "They are destroying and scattering the sheep that belong to my flock."


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So the Lord, the God of Israel, speaks to the shepherds who take care of my people. He tells them, "You have scattered my sheep. You have driven them away. You have not taken good care of them. So I will punish you for the evil things you have done," announces the Lord.


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"I myself will gather together those who are left alive in my flock. I will gather them out of all of the countries where I have driven them. And I will bring them back to their own land. There my sheep will have many lambs. Their numbers will increase.


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"I will place shepherds over them who will take good care of them. My sheep will not be afraid or terrified anymore. And none of them will be missing," announces the Lord.


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"A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "At that time I will raise up from David's royal line a true and rightful Branch. He will be a King who will rule wisely. He will do what is fair and right in the land.


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In his days Judah will be saved. Israel will live in safety. And the Branch will be called The Lord Who Makes Us Right With Himself.


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"Other days are also coming," announces the Lord. "At that time people will no longer say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt. And that's just as sure as he is alive.'


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"Instead, they will say, 'The Lord brought the people of Israel up out of the land of the north. He gathered them out of all of the countries where he had forced them to go. And that's just as sure as he is alive.' Then they will live in their own land."


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Here is my message about the prophets. My heart is broken inside me. All of my bones tremble with fear. I am like a man who is drunk. I am like someone who has had too much wine. That's what the Lord's holy words have done to me.


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The land is full of people who aren't faithful to the Lord. Now the land is under his curse. And that's why it is thirsty for water. That's why the grasslands in the desert are dry. The prophets are leading sinful lives. They don't use their power in the right way.


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"Prophets and priests alike are ungodly," announces the Lord. "Even in my temple I find them sinning.


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So their path will become slippery. They will be thrown out into darkness. There they will fall. I will bring trouble on them when the time to punish them comes," announces the Lord.


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"Among the prophets of Samaria I saw something I can't stand. They were prophesying in the name of Baal. They were leading my people Israel down the wrong path.


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I have also seen something horrible among Jerusalem's prophets. They are not faithful to me. They are not living by the truth. They strengthen the hands of those who do evil. So the people do not turn from their sinful ways. All of them are like the people of Sodom to me. They are just like the people of Gomorrah."


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So the Lord who rules over all speaks about the prophets. He says, "I will make them eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water. The prophets of Jerusalem have spread their ungodly ways all through the land."


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The Lord who rules over all says to the people of Judah, "Do not listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hopes. They talk about visions that come from their own minds. What they say does not come from my mouth.


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They keep speaking to those who hate me. They say, 'The Lord says you will have peace.' They speak to all those who do what their stubborn hearts want them to do. They tell them, 'No harm will come to you.'


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But which of them has ever stood in my courts? Have they been there to see a vision or hear my message? Who has listened and heard my message there?


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A storm will burst out because of my burning anger. A windstorm will sweep down on the heads of sinful people.


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My anger will not turn back. I will accomplish everything I plan to do. In days to come you will understand it clearly.


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I did not send those prophets. But they have run to tell you their message anyway. I did not speak to them. But they have still prophesied.


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Suppose they had stood in my courts. Then they would have announced my message to my people. They would have turned my people from their evil ways. They would have turned them away from their sins.


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Can anyone hide in secret places so that I can't see him?" announces the Lord. "Don't I fill heaven and earth?" announces the Lord.


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"I have heard what the prophets are saying. They prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! The Lord has given me a dream!'


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How long will that continue in the hearts of those prophets who tell lies? They try to get others to believe their own mistaken ideas.


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They tell one another their dreams. They think that will make my people forget my name. In the same way, their people of long ago forgot my name when they worshiped Baal.


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"Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream. But let the one who has my message speak it faithfully. Your prophets have given you straw to eat instead of grain," announces the Lord.


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"So I am against those prophets," announces the Lord. "I am against those who steal messages from one another. They claim that the messages come from me.


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"Yes," announces the Lord. "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues but still say, 'Here is what the Lord says.'


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I am against prophets who talk about dreams that did not come from me," announces the Lord. "They tell foolish lies. Their lies lead my people down the wrong path. "But I did not send those prophets. I did not appoint them. They do not help my people in the least," announces the Lord.


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"Jeremiah, those people might ask you a question. Or a prophet or priest might do it. They might ask, 'What message have you received from the Lord?' "Then tell them, 'You ask, "What message?" Here it is. "I will desert you," announces the Lord.'


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"A prophet or priest might make a claim. Or someone else might do it. He might claim, 'I have received a message from the Lord.' Then I will punish him and his family.


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"Here is what each of you people keeps on saying to your friend or relative. You ask, 'What is the Lord's answer?' Or you ask, 'What has the Lord spoken?'


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But you must not talk about 'a message from the Lord' again. That is because your message becomes your own message. And so you twist my words. I am the living God. I am the Lord who rules over all. And I am your God.


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"Here is what you keep saying to a prophet. You ask, 'What is the Lord's answer to you?' Or you ask, 'What has the Lord spoken?'


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You claim, 'I have received a message from the Lord.' But I really say, 'You used the words, "I have received a message from the Lord." But I told you that you must not claim, "I have received a message from the Lord." '


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"So you can be sure I will forget you. I will throw you out of my sight. I will also destroy the city I gave you and your people.


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King Jehoiachin was forced to leave Jerusalem. He was the son of Jehoiakim. Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. The officials and all of the skilled workers were forced to leave with him. After they left, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs. They were in front of his temple.


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One basket had very good figs in it. They were like figs that ripen early. The other basket had figs that weren't good at all. In fact, they were so bad they couldn't even be eaten.


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Then the Lord asked me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "Figs," I answered. "The good ones are very good. But the others are so bad they can't be eaten."


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"I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I say, 'I consider the people who were forced to leave Judah to be like those good figs. I sent them away from this place. I forced them to go to Babylonia.


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My eyes will watch over them. I will be good to them. And I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up. I will not tear them down. I will plant them. I will not pull them up by the roots.


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" 'I will change their hearts. Then they will know that I am the Lord. They will be my people. And I will be their God. They will return to me with all their heart.


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" 'But there are also figs that are not very good. In fact, they are so bad they can't be eaten,' says the Lord. 'Zedekiah, the king of Judah, is like those bad figs. So are his officials and the people of Jerusalem who are still left alive. I will punish them whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.


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" 'I will make all of the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. In fact, they will hate them a great deal. They will laugh and joke about them. They will call down curses on them. All of that will happen no matter where I force them to go.


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I will send war, hunger and plague against them. They will be destroyed from the land I gave them and their people of long ago.' "


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A message about all of the people of Judah came to me from the Lord. It came in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. It was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah.


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"For 23 years the Lord's messages have been coming to me. They began to come in the 13th year that Josiah was king of Judah. He was the son of Amon. The Lord's messages still come to me today. I've spoken to you people again and again. But you haven't listened to me.


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"The Lord has sent all of his servants the prophets to you. They've come to you again and again. But you haven't listened. You haven't paid any attention to them.


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"They said, 'Each of you must turn from your evil ways and practices. Then you can stay in the land forever. It's the land the Lord gave you and your people long ago.


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Don't follow other gods. Don't serve them or worship them. Don't make the Lord angry with the gods your own hands have made. Then he won't harm you.'


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" 'But you did not listen to me,' announces the Lord. 'You have made me very angry with the gods your hands have made. And you have brought harm on yourselves.'


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So I will send for all of the nations in the north. And I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia,' announces the Lord. " 'I will bring all of them against this land and against you who live here. They will march out against all of the nations that are around this land. I will set them apart in a special way to be destroyed. People will be shocked because of them. And they will make fun of them. Those nations will be destroyed forever.


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" 'I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. I will put an end to the voices of brides and grooms. The sound of grinding millstones will not be heard anymore. And lamps will not be lit anymore.


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This whole country will become dry and empty. And those nations will serve the king of Babylonia for 70 years.


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" 'But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do it when the 70 years are over,' announces the Lord. 'I will make that land a desert forever.


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" 'I have spoken against that land. And I will make all of those things happen to it. Everything will happen that is written in this scroll. And I will make everything Jeremiah prophesied against all of the nations come true.


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The people of Babylonia will become slaves of many other nations and great kings. I will pay them back for what their hands have done.' "


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The Lord is the God of Israel. He said to me, "Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my burning anger. Make all of the nations to which I send you drink it.


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When they drink it, they will not even be able to walk straight. It will drive them out of their minds. I am going to send war against them."


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So I took the cup from the Lord's hand. I made all of the nations to which he sent me drink from it.


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He sent me to Judah's kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would call down curses on them. And that's how things still are today.


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Here is a list of the other kings and nations he sent me to. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt his attendants, his officials, all of his people


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all of the people from other lands who lived there all of the kings of Uz the Philistine kings of Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron the Philistines who were still living in Ashdod


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all of the kings of Tyre and Sidon the kings of the islands and other lands along the Mediterranean Sea


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all of the kings in the north, near and far So he sent me to all of the kingdoms on the face of the earth, one after the other. After all of them drink from the cup of the Lord's anger, the king of Babylonia will drink from it too.


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The Lord says, "Tell them, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Drink from this cup. Get drunk and throw up. Fall down and do not get up again. I am going to send war against you." '


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"But they might refuse to take the cup from your hand. They might not want to drink from it. Then tell them, 'The Lord who rules over all says, "You have to drink from it!


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I am beginning to bring trouble on the city where I have put my Name. You might think you will not be punished. But you will certainly be punished. I am sending war against everyone who lives on earth," announces the Lord who rules over all.'


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"Jeremiah, prophesy against them. Tell them, " 'The Lord will roar from heaven like a lion. His voice will sound like thunder from his holy temple there. He will roar loudly against his land. He will shout like those who stomp on grapes in winepresses. He will shout against everyone who lives on earth.


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The noise of battle will be heard from one end of the earth to the other. That's because the Lord will bring charges against the nations. He will judge every human being. He will kill sinful people with his sword,' " announces the Lord.


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The Lord who rules over all says, "Look! Horrible trouble is spreading from one nation to another. A mighty storm is rising. It is coming from a place that is very far away."


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At that time those the Lord kills will be lying around everywhere. They will be found from one end of the earth to the other. No one will sob over them. Their dead bodies will not be gathered up or buried. Instead, they will be like trash lying there on the ground.


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Sob and cry, you shepherds. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. Your time to be killed has come. You will fall and be broken to pieces like fine clay pots.


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Listen to the cries of the shepherds. Hear the sobs of the leaders of the flock. The Lord is destroying their grasslands.


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Like a lion he will leave his den. The land of those leaders will become a desert. That's because the sword of the Lord brings great harm. His anger will burn against them.


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A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after Jehoiakim became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah.


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The Lord said, "Stand in the courtyard of my house. Speak to the people of the towns in Judah. Speak to all those who come to worship in my house. Tell them everything I command you. Do not leave out a single word.


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Perhaps they will listen. Maybe they will turn from their evil ways. Then I will not do what I said I would. I will not bring trouble on them. I had planned to punish them because of the evil things they had done.


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And listen to the words my servants the prophets are speaking. I have sent them to you again and again. But you have not listened to them.


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So I will make this house like Shiloh. All of the nations on earth will call down curses on this city." ' "


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I finished telling all of the people everything the Lord had commanded me to say. But as soon as I did, the priests, the prophets and all of the people grabbed hold of me. They said, "You must die!


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Why do you prophesy those things in the Lord's name? Why do you say that this house will become like Shiloh? Why do you say that this city will be empty and deserted?" And all of the people crowded around me in the Lord's house.


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The officials of Judah heard what had happened. So they went up from the royal palace to the Lord's house. There they took their places at the entrance of the New Gate.


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Then the priests and prophets spoke to the officials and all of the people. They said, "This man should be sentenced to death. He has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"


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Then I spoke to all of the officials and people. I said, "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city. He told me to say everything you have heard.


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So change the way you live and act. Obey the Lord your God. Then he won't do what he said he would. He won't bring on you the trouble he said he would bring.


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But you can be sure of one thing. If you put me to death, you will be held accountable for spilling my blood. And I haven't even done anything wrong. You will bring guilt on yourselves and this city and those who live in it. The Lord has sent me to you. He wanted me to say all of those things so you could hear them. And that's the truth."


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Then the officials and all of the people spoke to the priests and prophets. They said, "This man shouldn't be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God."


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Some of the elders of the land stepped forward. They spoke to the whole community that was gathered there. They said,


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"Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all of the people of Judah. He told them, 'The Lord who rules over all says, " ' "Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds." '--(Micah 3:12)


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"Did King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah put Micah to death? Hezekiah had respect for the Lord. He asked the Lord to show him his favor. And the Lord didn't judge Jerusalem as he said he would. He didn't bring on it the trouble he said he would bring. But we are about to bring horrible trouble on ourselves!"


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Uriah was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord. He was from Kiriath Jearim. He was the son of Shemaiah. Uriah prophesied against this city and this land. He said the same things I did.


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King Jehoiakim and all of his officers and officials heard Uriah's words. So the king tried to have him put to death. But Uriah heard about it. He was afraid. And he ran away to Egypt.


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So King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan to Egypt. He also sent some other men along with him. Elnathan was the son of Acbor.


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Those men brought Uriah out of Egypt. They took him to King Jehoiakim. Then the king had Uriah struck down with a sword. He had Uriah's body thrown into one of the graves of the ordinary people.


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In spite of that, Ahikam stood up for me. He was the son of Shaphan. Because of Ahikam, I wasn't handed over to the people to be put to death.


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A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah.


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"Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah.


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Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, 'The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Here is what I want you to tell your masters.


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I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please.


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" ' "Now I will hand all of your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is king of Babylonia. I will put even the wild animals under his control.


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All of the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.


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" ' "But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague," announces the Lord. "I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it.


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" ' "So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practice evil magic. All of them will tell you, 'You won't serve the king of Babylonia.'


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" ' "But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die.


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" ' "But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there," ' " announces the Lord.


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I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, "Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live.


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Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That's what the Lord said would happen to any nation that won't serve the king of Babylonia.


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"Don't listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, 'You won't serve the king of Babylonia.' They are prophesying lies to you.


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'I have not sent them,' announces the Lord. 'They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.' "


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Then I spoke to the priests and all of those people. I said, "The Lord says, 'Do not listen to the prophets who say, "Very soon the articles from the Lord's house will be brought back from Babylon." They are prophesying lies to you.


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Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylonia. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed?


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" 'If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the articles in my house and the king's palace will not be taken to Babylon.


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" 'I am the Lord who rules over all. Do you know what those articles are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge metal bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other articles that are left in this city.


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Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, did not take those things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. He also took all of the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with him. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim.


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" 'I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king's palace and Jerusalem.


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They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,' announces the Lord. 'Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.' "


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The prophet Hananiah spoke to me in the Lord's house. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. It was in the fifth month of his fourth year. Hananiah was from Gibeon. He was the son of Azzur. In front of the priests and all of the people Hananiah said to me,


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"The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylonia.


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Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia, removed all of the articles that belong to my house. He took them to Babylon. Before two years are over, I will bring them back to this place.


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" 'I will also bring King Jehoiachin back. He is the son of Jehoiakim. And I will bring back all of the others who were taken from Judah to Babylon,' announces the Lord. 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylonia.' "


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Then I, the prophet Jeremiah, replied to the prophet Hananiah. I spoke to him in front of the priests and all of the people. They were standing in the Lord's house.


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I said, "Amen, Hananiah! May the Lord do those things! May he make the words you have prophesied come true. May he bring back from Babylon the articles that belong to the Lord's house. May he bring back to this place all of the people who were taken away.


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There have been prophets long before you and I were ever born. They have prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms. They have spoken about war, trouble and plague.


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But what if a prophet says peace will come? Only if it comes true will he be recognized as one who has been truly sent by the Lord."


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In front of all of the people he said, "The Lord says, 'In the same way, I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. Before two years are over, I will remove it from the necks of all of the nations.' " When I heard that, I went on my way.


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A message came to me from the Lord. It was shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off my neck. The message said,


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"Go. Tell Hananiah, 'The Lord says, "You have broken a wooden yoke. But in its place you will get an iron yoke."


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The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all of those nations. I will make them serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonia. So they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals." ' "


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Then I, the prophet Jeremiah, spoke to the prophet Hananiah. I said, "Listen, Hananiah! The Lord hasn't sent you. But you have tricked these people. Now they trust in lies.


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So the Lord says, 'I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. Before this year is over, you will die. You have taught the people to turn against me.' "


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I, the prophet Jeremiah, sent a letter from Jerusalem to Babylonia. It was for the Jewish elders who were still alive there. It was also for the priests and prophets in Babylonia. And it was for all of the other people Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem to Babylon.


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It was sent to them after King Jehoiachin had been forced to leave Jerusalem. His mother and the court officials were taken with him. The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem and all of the skilled workers had also been forced to go to Babylon.


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I gave the letter to Elasah and Gemariah. Zedekiah, the king of Judah, had sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. Elasah was the son of Shaphan. Gemariah was the son of Hilkiah. Here is what the letter said.


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The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He speaks to all those he forced to go from Jerusalem to Babylon. He says,


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Get married. Have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons. Give your daughters to be married. Then they too can have sons and daughters. Increase your numbers there. Do not let the number of your people get smaller.


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"Also work for the success of the city I have sent you to. Pray to the Lord for that city. If it succeeds, you too will enjoy success."


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The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, "Do not let the prophets trick you. Do not be fooled by those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to people who try to explain their dreams to you.


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The Lord says, "You will be forced to live in Babylonia for 70 years. After they are over, I will come to you. My gracious promise to you will come true. I will bring you back home.


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"I know the plans I have for you," announces the Lord. "I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come.


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"I will be found by you," announces the Lord. "And I will bring you back from where you were taken as prisoners. I will gather you from all of the nations. I will gather you from the places where I have forced you to go," announces the Lord. "I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you away."


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But here is what the Lord says about the king who now sits on David's throne. He also says it about all of the people who remain in this city. And he says it about all those who did not go with you to Babylon.


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The Lord who rules over all says, "I will send war, hunger and plague against them. I will make them like bad figs. They are so bad they can't be eaten.


