Jeremiah 21 Cross References - LEB

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, _⌊saying_⌋,* ² "Please inquire of Yahweh on behalf of us, for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon is fighting against us. Perhaps Yahweh will do with us according to all his miraculous acts, so that he may go up from against us." ³ Then Jeremiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to Zedekiah: ⁴ 'Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: "Look, I am about to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands,* with which you are fighting against them, the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you from outside the wall, and I will gather them into the center of this city. ⁵ And I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand, and with strong arm, and in _⌊anger_⌋,* and in fury, and in great wrath. ⁶ And I will strike the inhabitants of this city, both humankind and animal; by a great plague they will die. ⁷ And _⌊afterward_⌋,"* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those who remain in this city from the plague, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives, and he will strike them with the _⌊edge_⌋* of the sword. He will not take pity on them, and he will not have compassion, nor will he show compassion." ' ⁸ "And to this people you shall say, 'Thus says Yahweh, "Look, I am setting _⌊before you_⌋* the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ He who stays in this city will die by the sword, or by the famine, or by the plague. And he who goes out and goes over to the Chaldeans who are laying siege to you will live, and his life will be to him as booty. ¹⁰ For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire." ' ¹¹ "And to the house of the king of Judah, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, ¹² O house of David, thus says Yahweh,
"Execute judgment in the morning, justice, and deliver the one who has been seized from the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and it burns, and there is no one who quenches it* because of the evil of your deeds. ¹³ Look, I am against you, O inhabitants* of the valley, O rock of the plain," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh; "you who say, 'Who can descend against us, or who can enter into our hiding place?' ¹⁴ And I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "And I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it will devour all its surroundings." '"

¹⁷ Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his uncle king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah. ¹⁸ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

¹⁸ Then the commander of the imperial guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and three of the threshold keepers. ¹⁹ From the city he took one court official who was chief officer over the men of war, five men _⌊from the king's council_⌋* who were found in the city, the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land being found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ Then the king of Babylon struck them down and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath; thus Judah was removed from its land.

¹⁵ And the sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

¹² Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah; Maasai the son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer;

¹⁰ And at the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with objects of the treasure of the house of Yahweh. And he made Zedekiah his brother king in Judah and Jerusalem. ¹¹ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. ¹² And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet _⌊who spoke for_⌋* Yahweh. ¹³ And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

¹² and their brothers who did the work of the house, eight hundred and twenty-two. And Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah,

²⁵ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Because you yourself sent a letter* in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, _⌊saying_⌋,*

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah the king of Judah, that was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was laying siege to Jerusalem and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah, ³ where Zedekiah, the king of Judah, had confined him, _⌊saying_⌋,* "Why are you prophesying, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Thus says Yahweh, "Look, I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it,

¹ And king Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had made king, reigned as king in the land of Judah in place of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim.

³ And king Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, _⌊saying_⌋,* "Please pray for us to Yahweh our God."

¹ Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, _⌊saying_⌋,*

¹ Zedekiah was _⌊twenty-one years old_⌋* at his beginning to reign, and he reigned eleven years* in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. ² And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh like all that Jehoiakim had done. ³ For because of the _⌊anger_⌋* of Yahweh this happened in Jerusalem and Judah until his casting them from his _⌊presence_⌋.* And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

²⁴ Then the captain of the guard* took Seraiah _⌊the chief priest_⌋,* and Zephaniah _⌊the second priest_⌋,* and three keepers of the threshold.

¹ And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Speak to the _⌊Israelites_⌋* so that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol _⌊and the sea_⌋;* before Baal Zephon, which is opposite it, you will camp by the sea. ³ And Pharaoh will say of the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* 'They are wandering around in the land. The desert has closed in on them.' ⁴ And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and he will chase after them, and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and through all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh." And they did so. ⁵ And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people fled, and the heart of Pharaoh was changed and that of his servants toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have released Israel from serving us!" ⁶ And he harnessed his chariot and took with him his people. ⁷ And he took six hundred select chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and officers over all of them. ⁸ And Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and he chased after the _⌊Israelites_⌋.* (Now the _⌊Israelites_⌋* were going out _⌊boldly_⌋.*) ⁹ And the Egyptians chased after them, and they overtook them encamped at the sea—all the horses of the chariots of Pharaoh and his charioteers and his army—at Pi-hahiroth before Baal Zephon. ¹⁰ And Pharaoh approached, and the _⌊Israelites_⌋* lifted their eyes, and there were the Egyptians traveling after them! And they were very afraid, and the _⌊Israelites_⌋* cried out to Yahweh. ¹¹ And they said to Moses, "Because there are no graves in Egypt? Is that why you have taken us to die in the desert? What is this you have done to us by bringing us out from Egypt! ¹² Isn't this the word we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone so that we can serve Egypt!' because serving Egypt is better for us than our dying in the desert." ¹³ And Moses said to the people, "You must not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will accomplish for you today, because the Egyptians whom you see today you will see never again. ¹⁴ Yahweh will fight for you, and you must be quiet." ¹⁵ And Yahweh said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the _⌊Israelites_⌋* so that they set out.*

¹ And it happened that when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua captured Ai and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he did to Ai and its king) and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ² he* became very afraid because Gibeon was a very large city, _⌊like one of the royal cities_⌋,* and because it was larger than Ai, and all its men were mighty warriors. ³ So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hohman king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, ⁴ "Come up and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, because it has made peace with Joshua and the _⌊Israelites_⌋."* ⁵ And the five kings of the Amorites,* the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their forces, and _⌊they laid siege to Gibeon_⌋* and made war against it. ⁶ And the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "_⌊Do not abandon_⌋* your servant. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, for all the kings of the Amorites* who dwell in the hill country have gathered against us." ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and _⌊all the fighting men_⌋* with him, _⌊all the best warriors_⌋.* ⁸ And Yahweh said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for I have given them into your hand; _⌊no one will withstand you_⌋.* ⁹ Joshua came upon them suddenly _⌊by marching up_⌋* all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ And Yahweh threw them into panic before Israel, who* struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ And as they were fleeing from Israel, they were on the slope of Beth-horon, and Yahweh threw huge stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah; and more died by the hail stones than those whom the _⌊Israelites_⌋* killed by the sword.

¹ And again the _⌊Israelites_⌋* did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Ehud died. ² So Yahweh sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, and he was living in Harosheth Haggoyim. ³ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* cried to Yahweh, as he had nine hundred iron chariots,* and he oppressed the _⌊Israelites_⌋* _⌊cruelly_⌋* for twenty years.* ⁴ Now at that time Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging* Israel. ⁵ And she used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the _⌊Israelites_⌋* went up to her for judgment.

²⁷ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* inquired of Yahweh (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,

¹⁰ _⌊While_⌋* Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near for the battle against Israel. But Yahweh thundered against the Philistines with a great noise on that day and threw them into confusion so that they were defeated before Israel. ¹¹ Then the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and they struck them down as far as below Beth Car. ¹² So Samuel took a single stone and put it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer and said, "Up to here Yahweh has helped us."

²² So they inquired again of Yahweh, "_⌊Did the man come here_⌋?" * And Yahweh said, "Look, he is hiding himself among the baggage."

⁶ So Jonathan said to _⌊his armor bearer_⌋,* "Come, let us go over to the garrisons of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for there is no hindrance for Yahweh to save by many or by few." ⁷ And _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* said, "Do all that is in your heart _⌊that you are inclined to do_⌋.* _⌊I am with you all of the way_⌋!* ⁸ Then Jonathan said, "Look, we are about to go over to the men; and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say to us: 'Wait until we reach you,' _⌊then we will stand as we are_⌋* and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hand, and this will be the sign for us." ¹¹ So the two of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, "The Hebrews are coming out from the holes in which they have hidden themselves." ¹² Then the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and _⌊his armor bearer_⌋,* "Come up to us and we will show you something!" Then Jonathan said to _⌊his armor bearer_⌋,* "Come up after me, for Yahweh has given them into the hand of Israel!" ¹³ So Jonathan went up on his hands and his feet, with _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* after him. They fell before Jonathan and then _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* would kill them after him. ¹⁴ So was the first attack in which Jonathan and _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* killed about twenty men within about half of a furrow in an acre of an open field.

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, "You are coming to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I am coming to you in the name of Yahweh of hosts, the God of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have defied! ⁴⁶ This day Yahweh will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down _⌊and cut off your head_⌋!* Then I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of heaven and to the animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God who is for Israel. ⁴⁷ And all of this assembly will know that Yahweh does not rescue with sword or with spear, for the battle belongs to Yahweh, and he will give you into our hands!" ⁴⁸ _⌊When_⌋* the Philistine got up and came and drew near to meet David, David _⌊ran quickly_⌋* to the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ Then David put his hand into the bag and took a stone from it and slung it. He struck the Philistine on his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. ⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and with the stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him, but there was no sword in David's hand.

⁶ And Saul inquired of Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him, not by dreams or by the Urim* or by the prophets.

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" And Saul said, "_⌊I am in distress_⌋!* For the Philistines are about to make war against me, but God has turned away from me, and he does not answer me any more, not _⌊by the prophets_⌋* or by the dreams. So I called to you to let me know what I should do."

² Jeroboam said to his wife, "Please get up and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Look, Ahijah the prophet is there, and he spoke concerning me before I became king over this people. ³ You must take ten loaves of bread in your hand and cakes and a jar of honey, and you must go to him. He shall tell you what will happen to the boy."

³ and the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know Ramoth-Gilead belongs to us, and we are doing nothing about taking it from the hand of the king of Aram?" ⁴ Then he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to the battle for Ramoth-Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "_⌊I am like you_⌋;* _⌊my people are like your people_⌋;* _⌊my horses are like your horses_⌋."* ⁵ Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire for the word of Yahweh today." ⁶ Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead for the battle, or should I refrain?" Then they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." ⁷ So Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of Yahweh here that we might still inquire from him?" ⁸ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man to inquire from Yahweh, but I despise him, for he never prophesies anything good concerning me, but only bad: Micaiah the son of Imlah." Then Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say so."

³ Then the angel of Yahweh spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, "Get up, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and speak to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?'

¹¹ Then Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of Yahweh here that we might inquire guidance from Yahweh?" One of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."* ¹² Jehoshaphat said, "The word of Yahweh is with him." So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him. ¹³ Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, "_⌊What do we have in common_⌋?* Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother." Then the king of Israel said to him, "No, for Yahweh has called for these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab." ¹⁴ Then Elisha said, "_⌊As Yahweh of hosts lives_⌋,* before whom I stand, surely if I was not _⌊regarding the face_⌋* of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would have not looked at you nor even glanced at you.

¹³ "Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and for the people and for all of Judah concerning the words of this scroll that was found. For the wrath of Yahweh that is kindled against us is great because our ancestors* did not listen to the words of this scroll to do according to all that is written concerning us!" ¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, the keeper of the robes. Now she was living in Jerusalem in the second district. Then they spoke to her,

¹ It happened that in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and his army, against Jerusalem. He encamped against it and built siege works against it all around. ² So the city came under siege until the eleventh year of the king.

⁹ Zerah the Cushite came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah. ¹⁰ And Asa went out before him, and a battle was put in order in the valley of Zepah at Mareshah. ¹¹ Then Asa cried out to Yahweh his God. And he said, "O Yahweh, there is none with you to help between the great and the powerless. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for we rely upon you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, you are our God! Let no man prevail against you!" ¹² So Yahweh defeated the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. ¹³ Then Asa and the army* with him pursued them to Gerar. And many from the Cushites fell, for they had no deliverance, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before his army. And they carried away much war booty.

¹ And it happened that afterward, the _⌊Moabites_⌋,* the _⌊Ammonites_⌋,* and some of the Meunites* came against Jehoshaphat for war. ² And they came and reported it to Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram,* is coming against you. Now behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). ³ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh. And he called for a fast through all Judah. ⁴ And Judah assembled to seek after Yahweh; even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh. ⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Yahweh before the new courtyard. ⁶ And he said, "O Yahweh, God of our ancestors,* are you not God in heaven? Now you rule in all the kingdoms of the nations, and in your hand are power and might, and there is none who can resist against you. ⁷ O, our God, did you yourself not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants* of Abraham your friend forever? ⁸ And they lived in it and built for you a sanctuary for your name in it, saying, ⁹ 'If disaster, a sword, punishment, disease, or famine come upon us, we shall stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you out of our trouble, then you will hear and save us.' ¹⁰ And now, look, the people* of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir whom you did not allow Israel to come against when they came from Egypt, from whom they turned aside and did not destroy, ¹¹ now behold, they are rewarding us by coming to dispossess us from your possession which you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, will you not judge them, for there is no power in us before this great multitude that is coming against us. Now we do not know what we shall do, for our eyes are upon you." ¹³ And all Judah was standing before Yahweh, and also their little children, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the descendants* of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. ¹⁵ And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, thus says Yahweh to you: 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up the ascent of Ziz. And you will find them at the end of the valley facing the desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ There will be no need for you to fight in this battle. Take your stand! Stand and see the deliverance of Yahweh among you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out before them and Yahweh will be with you.'" ¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face* down to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before Yahweh to worship Yahweh. ¹⁹ Then the Levites, from the _⌊Kohathites_⌋* and from the _⌊Korahites_⌋* stood up to praise Yahweh the God of Israel with an exceedingly* loud voice. ²⁰ And they rose up early in the morning and went out to the desert of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you shall be established! Believe in his prophets, and you shall succeed!" ²¹ And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed singers to Yahweh who were giving praise to the splendor of his holiness when they went out before the army. And they said, "Give thanks to Yahweh, for his loyal love is everlasting!" ²² And _⌊when_⌋* they began with singing and praise, Yahweh set ambushes against the people* of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were coming against Judah. And they were defeated ²³ when the people* of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to destroy and demolish them. And when the inhabitants of Seir had made an end of them, each helped to destroy his comrade. ²⁴ And Judah came against the watchtower of the wilderness. And they looked at the crowd, and behold, corpses were lying on the ground. There was none who had escaped. ²⁵ When Jehoshaphat came with his people to plunder their booty, they found among them in abundance possessions, corpses, and precious items. And they took plunder for themselves _⌊until they could carry no more_⌋.* And they were three days in plundering the booty, for it was abundant. ²⁶ And on the fourth day, they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore the name of that place is called the Valley of Berakah up to this day. ²⁷ And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned, and Jehoshaphat was at their head in returning to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh caused them to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ And they came to Jerusalem with harps, stringed instruments, and trumpets to the house of Yahweh. ²⁹ And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the earth when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at rest, since his God gave rest to him all around.

²¹ Then Yahweh sent an angel, and he destroyed every mighty warrior of strength, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he returned with shamed face to his land and went into the house of his god. And some of the offspring of his loins fell upon him there with the sword.

¹ For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. A maskil.*
O God, we have heard with our ears; our ancestors* have told us of work you worked in their days, in days of old. ² You with your hand drove out the nations, but them* you planted. You harmed the peoples, but them* you let spread out. ³ For not with their sword did they possess the land, and their arm did not give them victory. Rather it was your right hand and your arm and the light of your presence, because you delighted in them. ⁴ You are my king, O God. Command* victories for Jacob.

⁸ Come, see the works of Yahweh, who has placed desolations on the earth. ⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and cuts off the spear. The wagons of war he burns with fire. ¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. ¹¹ Yahweh of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our high stronghold.

⁴ For see, the kings assembled;* they advanced together. ⁵ _⌊They themselves saw_⌋* it, so they were astonished. They were terrified; they ran off. ⁶ Trembling seized them there— pain as of a woman in labor. ⁷ With an east wind you shatter* the ships of Tarshish.* ⁸ As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of Yahweh of hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish her forever. Selah

⁵ Remember his wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth, ⁶ O offspring of Abraham his servant, you descendants* of Jacob, his chosen ones. ⁷ He is Yahweh our God; his judgments are in all the earth. ⁸ He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded for a thousand generations, ⁹ that he made with Abraham, and by his oath swore to Isaac. ¹⁰ He then confirmed it to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, ¹¹ saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment that is your* inheritance." ¹² When they were _⌊few in number_⌋*— a trifle—and were sojourners in it, ¹³ and they wandered about _⌊among the nations_⌋,* from one kingdom to another people, ¹⁴ he allowed no one to oppress them, and he rebuked kings on account of them, ¹⁵ "Do not touch my anointed ones, nor harm my prophets." ¹⁶ Then he called for a famine upon the land; he broke every _⌊supply_⌋* of bread. ¹⁷ He sent a man on ahead of them; Joseph was sold as a slave. ¹⁸ They clamped* his feet in fetters.* His neck* went into irons.* ¹⁹ Until the time his word came about, the word of Yahweh tested* him. ²⁰ The king sent and he freed him; the ruler of the peoples sent and let him loose. ²¹ He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, ²² to obligate* his officials _⌊as he saw fit_⌋* and teach his elders wisdom. ²³ Then Israel came to Egypt, and Jacob was a sojourner in the land of Ham. ²⁴ And he* made his people very fruitful. He also made them* stronger than their* enemies. ²⁵ He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal deceitfully against his servants. ²⁶ He sent his servant Moses, together with Aaron whom he had chosen. ²⁷ They set before them the words concerning his signs and portents in the land of Ham. ²⁸ He sent darkness and made it dark, and they did not rebel against his words. ²⁹ He turned their waters into blood and it killed their fish. ³⁰ Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings. ³¹ He spoke, and there came flies and gnats throughout all their territory.* ³² He gave hail for their rains and the fire of lightning in their land. ³³ And he struck their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their territory. ³⁴ He spoke and there came locusts and young locusts without number. ³⁵ And they ate up all the vegetation in their land, and they ate up the fruit of their ground. ³⁶ And he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their virility. ³⁷ Then he brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. ³⁸ Egypt was glad when they departed, because the fear of them* had fallen upon them. ³⁹ He spread out a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light at night. ⁴⁰ They* asked, and he brought quail, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. ⁴¹ He opened the rock and waters flowed; they coursed* through the dry places like a river. ⁴² For he remembered his holy _⌊promise_⌋;* he remembered Abraham his servant. ⁴³ And so he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing. ⁴⁴ And he gave to them the lands of the nations, and they inherited the labor of the peoples, ⁴⁵ so that they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise Yah.*

¹ Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loyal love endures forever. ² Give thanks to the God of gods, for his loyal love endures forever. ³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his loyal love endures forever. ⁴ To him who alone does great wonders, for his loyal love endures forever. ⁵ To him who made the heavens with skill,* for his loyal love endures forever. ⁶ To him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his loyal love endures forever. ⁷ To him who made the great lights, for his loyal love endures forever. ⁸ The sun to rule the day, for his loyal love endures forever. ⁹ The moon and stars to rule the night, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁰ To him who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹¹ And he brought Israel out from among them, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹² With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹³ To him who divided the _⌊Red Sea_⌋* in two, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁴ And he let Israel cross over through the midst of it, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁵ But he tossed Pharaoh and his army into the _⌊Red Sea_⌋,* for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁶ To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁷ To him who struck great kings, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁸ And he killed mighty kings, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁹ Sihon the king of the Amorites, for his loyal love endures forever. ²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan, for his loyal love endures forever. ²¹ And he gave their land as an inheritance, for his loyal love endures forever. ²² An inheritance to Israel his servant, for his loyal love endures forever. ²³ Who remembered us in our low estate, for his loyal love endures forever. ²⁴ And he rescued us from our enemies, for his loyal love endures forever. ²⁵ The one who gives food to all flesh, for his loyal love endures forever. ²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loyal love endures forever.

¹ Look! The hand of Yahweh is not too short _⌊to save_⌋,* and his ear is not too dull _⌊to hear_⌋.* ² Rather, your iniquities have been _⌊barriers_⌋* between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.

¹⁷ 'Ah Lord Yahweh! Look, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. _⌊Nothing_⌋* is too difficult for you,

²⁴ Look, the siege ramps have come up to the city to capture it, and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, because of the sword, the famine, and the plague, and what you spoke happened, and look, you are seeing it.*

⁷ "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'This is what you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me, "Look, the army of Pharaoh, which set out to help you, is going to return to his land Egypt.

¹⁴ And Zedekiah the king sent and made someone bring Jeremiah the prophet to him, to the third entrance that was at the _⌊temple_⌋* of Yahweh. And the king said to Jeremiah, "I am asking you _⌊something_⌋,* you must not hide _⌊anything_⌋* from me." ¹⁵ And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely kill me? _⌊Besides_⌋,* if I advise you, you will not listen to me. ¹⁶ So Zedekiah the king swore to Jeremiah in secret, _⌊saying_⌋,* "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* who has made for us this life, I will not kill you and I will not give you into the hand of these men who are seeking your life." ¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If only you will go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then _⌊you_⌋* will live, and this city will not be burned with fire, and you will live, you and your house. ¹⁸ But if you do not go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.'" ¹⁹ And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand and they abuse me." ²⁰ And Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the voice of Yahweh with regard to what I am saying to you, and it will go well with you, and _⌊you_⌋* will live. ²¹ But if you are refusing to surrender, this is the thing that Yahweh has shown me. ²² Now look, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah are being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon. And look, they are saying,
'_⌊Your trusted friends_⌋* have misled you, and they have prevailed against you. Your feet are stuck in the mud, so they turned backward.' ²³ And all your wives and your children will be led out to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon you will be seized, and this city will burn with fire." ²⁴ And Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "No man must know about these words so that you will not die. ²⁵ And if the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come to you and say to you, 'Please tell us what you said to the king. You must not conceal it from us so that we will not kill you. And what did the king say to you?' ²⁶ Then you shall say to them, 'I was presenting my plea _⌊before_⌋* the king, to not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'" ²⁷ And all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, and he informed them like all these words that the king commanded. So they fell silent, for the _⌊conversation_⌋* was not heard.

¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah, the king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. ² In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was taken by assault.

⁴ And Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard. Look, I am going to pray to Yahweh your God according to your words, _⌊and then_⌋* all the words* that Yahweh answers you I will tell you; I will not withhold from you a word." ⁵ Then they said to Jeremiah, "May Yahweh be against us as _⌊a true and faithful witness_⌋* if we do not do according to all the words* that Yahweh sends you for us. ⁶ Whether good or bad, we will listen to the voice of Yahweh our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of Yahweh our God."

³ For because of the _⌊anger_⌋* of Yahweh this happened in Jerusalem and Judah until his casting them from his _⌊presence_⌋.* And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. ⁴ _⌊And then_⌋* in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came against Jerusalem, he and all his army. And they laid siege to it, and built siege works* against it all around. ⁵ So the city came _⌊under siege_⌋* until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. ⁶ In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine in the city became severe and there was no food for the people of the land.

³ "Son of man,* these men took up their idols into their heart and _⌊they placed before themselves_⌋* a stumbling block of their guilt.* _⌊Should I really let myself be consulted by them_⌋?* ⁴ Therefore speak with them, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Every person from the house of Israel who brings up his idols into his heart and _⌊places before himself_⌋* a stumbling block of his guilt* and yet he comes to the prophet, I Yahweh, I will respond to him through this act* with respect to the multitude* of his idols, ⁵ so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their heart, those who are estranged from me, all of them, through their idols.' ⁶ Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Return,* and turn away from your idols and from all of your detestable things! Turn away your faces!" ' ⁷ For _⌊each person_⌋* from the house of Israel, and from the alien who dwells as an alien in Israel, who separates himself _⌊from following me_⌋* and brings up his idols into his heart and _⌊places before himself_⌋* a stumbling block of his guilt*, and yet he comes to the prophet to consult him concerning me, I Yahweh will answer* him myself.

¹ And then in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, men from the elders of Israel came to consult Yahweh, and they sat _⌊before me_⌋.* ² And the word of Yahweh _⌊came_⌋* to me, _⌊saying_⌋,* ³ "Son of man,* speak with the elders of Israel, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Are you coming to consult me? _⌊As I live_⌋,* I will surely not allow myself* to be consulted by you!" ' _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

⁵ And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation. I will break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling.

⁴ _⌊save that they bow down under the prisoners and fall under the slain_⌋?* In all of this his anger has not turned away, and still his hand is stretched out.

⁴ A sound, a noise is on the mountains, the likeness of many people! A sound of the roar of the kingdoms, of nations gathering! Yahweh of hosts is mustering an army for battle.

⁵ and to Babylon he will bring Zedekiah, and there he will be until my attending to him," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. "If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not be successful" '?"

⁵ 'They are coming to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the corpses of the people whom I will strike in my anger and in my wrath, for whom I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness.

⁸ And the Chaldeans will return, and they will fight against this city, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire." ' ⁹ Thus says Yahweh: 'You must not deceive yourselves, _⌊saying_⌋,* "Surely the Chaldeans will go from us," for they will not go. ¹⁰ For even if you struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and only men pierced through remained among them, each one in his tent, they would rise up and they would burn this city with fire.'"

² "Thus says Yahweh, 'The one who stays in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. But the one who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. And his life will be for him as booty, and he will live.' ³ Thus says Yahweh, 'Surely this city will be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.'"

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If only you will go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then _⌊you_⌋* will live, and this city will not be burned with fire, and you will live, you and your house. ¹⁸ But if you do not go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.'"

³ And all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the chief officer, Nergal-sharezer the high official, with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

¹⁸ And they took with them the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the sprinkling bowls, and the pans, and all the vessels of bronze which were used in temple service.

⁵ The Lord has become like an enemy; he has destroyed Israel; he has destroyed all its citadel fortresses;* he has ruined all its fortifications and multiplied lamentation and mourning in the daughter of Judah.

⁷ The Lord has rejected his altar; he has rejected his sanctuary; he has delivered into the hands of the enemy the walls of its citadel fortresses.* They have cried out in the house of Yahweh like a day of an appointed feast.

³⁷ therefore, look! I am gathering all of your lovers _⌊whom you were pleased about_⌋,* and all of whom you loved in addition to all of whom you hated, and I will gather them against you from _⌊everywhere_⌋,* and I will uncover your nakedness to them, and they will see all of your nakedness. ³⁸ And I will judge you with the judgment of women committing adultery and shedding blood, and I will give you the blood of rage and jealousy. ³⁹ And I will give you into their hand, and they will demolish your mound, and they will break down your high places, and they will strip you of your clothes, and they will take _⌊your beautiful jewelry_⌋,* and they will leave you naked and bare. ⁴⁰ And they will bring up against you a crowd, and they will stone you with stones,* and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. ⁴¹ And they will burn your houses with fire, and they will execute against you judgments _⌊before_⌋* many women, and I will stop you from prostitution, and also a harlot's wages you will not give* again.

¹² Even though they bring up their children, I will bereave them before maturity.* Woe to them indeed, when I depart from them!

² I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, and they will loot the houses, and the women will be raped; half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city.

⁷ And the king was angry and sent his troops and* destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

⁶ Therefore say to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* 'I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the _⌊forced labor_⌋* of Egypt, and I will deliver you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great punishments.

¹⁵ For now I could have stretched out my hand, and I could have struck you and your people with the plague, and you would have perished from the earth.

²³ Watch out for yourselves so that you do not forget the covenant of Yahweh your God that he had _⌊made_⌋* with you and make for yourselves a divine image of the form of anything that Yahweh your God _⌊has forbidden_⌋,*

³⁴ Or has a god ever attempted to go to take for himself* a nation from the midst of a nation, using trials and signs and wonders and war, with an outstretched arm and with great and awesome deeds, like all that Yahweh your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

²⁵ Therefore _⌊Yahweh's wrath was kindled_⌋* against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them* and struck them,* and the mountains quaked, and their corpses* were like refuse in the middle of the streets.

¹² Aram from the east and Philistines* from the west— and they devoured Israel with the whole mouth. He has not turned away his anger in all of this, and his hand is still stretched out.

¹⁷ Therefore the Lord did not rejoice over its young men, and he did not have compassion on its orphans and widows, for everyone was godless and an evildoer, and every mouth was speaking folly. In all of this his anger did not turn away, and still his hand is stretched out.

²¹ Manasseh devoured Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; together they were against Judah. In all of this his anger has not turned away, and still his hand is stretched out.

¹⁰ But* they _⌊were the ones who_⌋* rebelled, and they grieved _⌊his Holy Spirit_⌋,* so* he _⌊became an enemy to them_⌋;* he himself fought against them.

¹² And their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and their wives together. For I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

³⁷ Look, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I driven them in my anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath, and I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell _⌊in safety_⌋.*

⁴ He has bent his bow like an enemy; he has set his right hand like a foe, and he has slain all the treasures of the eye;* in the tent of the daughter of Zion, he has poured out his anger like fire. ⁵ The Lord has become like an enemy; he has destroyed Israel; he has destroyed all its citadel fortresses;* he has ruined all its fortifications and multiplied lamentation and mourning in the daughter of Judah.

³³ "_⌊As I live_⌋,"* _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh, "_⌊surely_⌋* with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with _⌊rage pouring forth_⌋* I will reign as king over you! ³⁴ And I will bring you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries to which you were scattered with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with rage poured out.

⁵ Mountains quake before him; the hills shake apart.* The earth heaves before him— the world and all her inhabitants. ⁶ His indignation—who can stand before it? Who can endure _⌊his fierce anger_⌋?* His wrath is poured out like fire; rocks are shattered before* him.

⁷ And Yahweh said, "I will destroy humankind whom I created from upon the face of the earth, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven,* for I regret that I have made them."

¹¹ Then I said, "Until when, Lord?"
And he said,
"Until the cities lie wasted without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is ruined and a waste,

¹ Look! Yahweh is about to lay the earth waste and is about to devastate it, and he will twist her surface, and he will scatter her inhabitants. ² And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the female slave, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the one to whom he lends. ³ The earth shall be utterly laid waste, and it shall be utterly plundered,
for Yahweh has spoken this word. ⁴ The earth dries up, it withers; the world languishes, it withers. The elevated of the people of the earth languish, ⁵ and the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants. For they have transgressed laws; they have passed by statutes;* they have broken the everlasting covenant. ⁶ Therefore a curse devours the earth, and the inhabitants in it suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth burn, and _⌊few men are left_⌋.*

²⁰ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says the Lord Yahweh, "Look, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on the humankind, and on the animal, and on the tree of the field, and on the fruit of the ground, and it will not be extinguished."

³ But you, O Yahweh, you know me, you see me, and you test that my heart is with you. Tear them apart like sheep for the slaughtering, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. ⁴ _⌊How long_⌋* will the land mourn, and the vegetation of every field dry up, because of the wickedness of those who live in it? The animals and the birds* are swept away, because they have said, "He does not see our future."

¹² Although they fast, I am not listening to their cry of entreaty. And although they present burnt offering and grain offering, I am not favorable to them. But by the sword, and by the famine, and by the plague, I am about to destroy them."

¹² Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Again there will be in this waste place, _⌊without_⌋* people and animals,* and in all its towns, pasture for shepherds allowing their flock to lie down.

¹⁷ "_⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh, 'You have not listened to me to proclaim release each one to his fellow countryman and each one to his neighbor. Look, I am going to proclaim to you a release,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'to the sword, to the plague, and to the famine, and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

²⁹ And concerning Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, you shall say, 'Thus says Yahweh, "You have burned this scroll, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Why have you written in it, _⌊saying_⌋,* "The king of Babylon will certainly come and he will destroy this land, and he will cause to disappear from it humankind and animals"?'"*

²² Now then, certainly you must know that by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague you will die in the place where you desire to go, to dwell as aliens there."

¹² A third of you will die because of the plague, and because of the famine they will perish in the midst of you, and a third will fall through the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every direction of the wind, and I will draw the sword behind them. ¹³ And my anger will come to an end, and I will place my rage on them, and I will relent, and they will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my passion _⌊when I fully vent my rage against them_⌋.*

¹⁵ The sword _⌊is outside_⌋,* and the plague and the famine _⌊are inside_⌋;* the one who is in the field will die by the sword, and the one who is in the city, famine and plague will devour him.

¹⁶ But* I will spare from them _⌊a few men_⌋* from the sword, from the famine and from the plague, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they will go, and they will know that I am Yahweh."

¹³ "Son of man,* when a land sins against me by _⌊acting very unfaithfully_⌋,* then I will stretch out my hand against it, and I will break for it the _⌊supply of food_⌋,* and I will send against it famine, and I will cut it off, both human and animal.

¹⁷ Or, if I bring a sword over that land, and I say, 'Sword, let it cross over into* the land!' And I will cut off from it both human and animal.

¹⁹ And if I were to send a plague to that land, and I pour out my rage on it with blood to cut it off, both human and animal,

²¹ For thus says the Lord Yahweh: "How much more when I send my four punishments—the evil sword, and famine, and a fierce animal, and a plague—to Jerusalem to cut it off, both human and animal!

²⁷ "Thus you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "_⌊As I live_⌋,* _⌊surely_⌋* whoever is in the ruins, by the sword they will fall, and whoever is on the surface of the open field, I will give him to the animals* to eat him, and whoever is in the stronghold and in the cave, they will die by the plague.

²⁹ And they will know that I am Yahweh when I make my land a desolation and a wasteland, because of all of their detestable things that they have done.

³ Therefore the land mourns, and all those living in it languish with the animals of the field, and the birds of the heaven, and even the fish of the sea are being swept away.

¹² Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and _⌊the temple mount_⌋* as a high place in a forest.

³ "I will destroy humanity and beast; I will destroy the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks* with the wicked. And I will cut off humankind from the face of the earth"—a declaration of Yahweh.

²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations,* and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

⁵⁰ _⌊a grim-faced nation_⌋* _⌊who does not show respect_⌋* to the old and the young and does not show pity.

⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the Arabah of Jericho, and all of his army scattered from him. ⁶ So they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and _⌊they passed sentence on him_⌋.* ⁷ They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; then they blinded the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

¹⁷ Therefore he brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, and he killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary. He showed no mercy on a young man, a virgin, the elderly, or decrepit. He delivered all into his hand. ¹⁸ And all the vessels of the house of God, the great and the small, the storehouses of the house of Yahweh, and the storehouses of the king and his princes, these all he brought to Babylon. ¹⁹ And they burned the house of God. And they shattered the walls of Jerusalem and burned its citadels with fire and destroyed all the vessels of its treasuries. ²⁰ And he took _⌊those who escaped the sword_⌋* to Babylon. And they became servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,

¹⁷ Look! I am stirring the Medes up against them, who do not value silver and do not delight in gold. ¹⁸ And their bows will shatter young men. And they will not show mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not look compassionately on children.

¹¹ _⌊When its branches are dry_⌋,* they are broken; women are coming and setting light to it.
For it is not a people of understanding;
therefore his maker will not have compassion on him, and his creator will not show him favor.

⁶ I was angry with my people; I profaned my inheritance, and I gave them into your hand. You did not _⌊give_⌋* them mercy; on the aged you made your yoke very heavy.

¹⁴ And I will smash them, each one against his brother, and the fathers and the sons together," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. "I will not have compassion, and I will not take pity, and I will not show compassion from destroying them." '"

⁸ But like the bad figs that cannot be eaten because of their bad quality—for thus says Yahweh—so I will treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who live in the land of Egypt. ⁹ And I will make them as a terror, an evil to all the kingdoms of the earth, as a disgrace and a proverb, as a taunt and a curse, in all the places where I will drive them. ¹⁰ And I will send among them the sword, the famine, and the plague, until they perish from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.'"*

¹⁹ the officials of Judah, and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— ²⁰ and I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and their dead bodies* will become as food for the birds* of the heavens* and for the animals* of the earth. ²¹ And Zedekiah the king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, who retreated from you. ²² Look, I am going to command,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire, and the towns of Judah I will make a desolation _⌊without_⌋* an inhabitant.'"

¹⁷ Then King Zedekiah sent and fetched him. And the king questioned him in secrecy in his house, and he said, "Is there a word from Yahweh?" And Jeremiah said, "There is." And he said, "You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon."

²¹ But if you are refusing to surrender, this is the thing that Yahweh has shown me. ²² Now look, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah are being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon. And look, they are saying,
'_⌊Your trusted friends_⌋* have misled you, and they have prevailed against you. Your feet are stuck in the mud, so they turned backward.' ²³ And all your wives and your children will be led out to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon you will be seized, and this city will burn with fire."

⁴ _⌊And then_⌋* _⌊when_⌋* Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all _⌊the soldiers_⌋* with him, they fled and went out at night from the city by the way of the garden of the king through the gate between the walls. And they went out toward the Jordan Valley. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And he pronounced _⌊sentence_⌋* on him. ⁶ And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes. The king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. ⁷ Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah and tied him up with bronze fetters to bring him to Babylon.

⁸ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. ⁹ Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and _⌊he passed sentence on him_⌋.* ¹⁰ And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah. ¹¹ Then he made blind the eyes of Zedekiah, and they tied him up with bronze fetters, and the king of Babylon brought him to Babylon. And he put him in _⌊prison_⌋* until the day of his death.

²⁴ Then the captain of the guard* took Seraiah _⌊the chief priest_⌋,* and Zephaniah _⌊the second priest_⌋,* and three keepers of the threshold. ²⁵ And from the city he took one high official who was chief officer over _⌊the soldiers_⌋,* and seven men of _⌊the king's advisors_⌋* who were found in the city, and the secretary of the commander of the army who levied for military service the people of the land, and sixty men* of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. ²⁶ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard* took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²⁷ And the king of Babylon struck them down and killed them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah left from its land.

⁹ And my eye will not take pity, and I will not show compassion. According to your ways I will _⌊deal with you_⌋,* and your detestable things will be in the midst of you, and you will know that I am Yahweh who strikes.*

¹⁸ And so I will act in rage, and my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion, and they will cry in my ear with a loud voice, and I will not hear them."

⁵ And to the others he said in my hearing, "Go through the city behind him and kill! Your eyes shall not take pity, and you shall not have compassion. ⁶ You must kill _⌊totally_⌋* old man, young man and young woman, and little children and women, but _⌊concerning_⌋* every man _⌊with the mark on him_⌋* you must not approach; and from my sanctuary you must begin." And they began with the old men who _⌊were before_⌋* the house.*

¹⁰ And I, my eye will not take pity, and I will not have compassion; their way I will bring on their head."

¹² And the prince who is in the midst of them, on his shoulder he will carry the baggage in the dusk, and* he will go out; _⌊the wall will be dug through_⌋* to bring him through it; and he will cover his face so that he will* not see the land with his* eye. ¹³ And I will spread out my net on him, and he will be captured in my hunting snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. ¹⁴ And all who are around him, his help* and all of his troops I will scatter _⌊in every direction_⌋,* and I will draw* the sword behind them. ¹⁵ And they will know that I am Yahweh _⌊when I scatter them_⌋* among the nations and I scatter them in the countries. ¹⁶ But* I will spare from them _⌊a few men_⌋* from the sword, from the famine and from the plague, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they will go, and they will know that I am Yahweh."

²⁰ And I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my hunting net, and I will bring him to Babylon, and I will enter into judgment with him there about his infidelity that he displayed against me. ²¹ And all of his choice troops, among all of his troops, they will fall by the sword, and those who are remaining,* they will be scattered to all the directions of the wind, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have spoken.'

²⁵ And as for you, profane one, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come with the time of the punishment of the end, ²⁶ thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Remove the turban and lift off the crown; things are no longer the same. Exalt the low and bring low the high.

⁶ For look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, the bitter and impetuous nation, the one who walks through the spacious places of earth to take possession of dwellings not belonging to it.* ⁷ They* are dreadful and awesome; their* justice and their* dignity proceed from themselves.* ⁸ Their* horses are more swift than leopards; they are more menacing than wolves at dusk. Their* horsemen gallop; their* horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle that is swift to devour. ⁹ All of them* come for violence, their faces pressing forward. They gather captives like the sand. ¹⁰ And they themselves scoff at kings and rulers are a joke to them. They laugh at every fortification, and they heap up earth and take it.

²⁶ "See, I am setting _⌊before you_⌋* _⌊today_⌋* a blessing and a curse:

¹⁵ "See, I am setting _⌊before you_⌋* _⌊today_⌋* life and prosperity and death and disaster;

¹⁹ I invoke as a witness against you _⌊today_⌋* the heaven and the earth: life and death I have set _⌊before you_⌋,* blessing and curse. So choose life, so that you may live, you and your offspring,*

¹⁹ If you are willing and you are obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. ²⁰ But if you refuse and you rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.
For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken."

⁷ And _⌊afterward_⌋,"* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and those who remain in this city from the plague, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives, and he will strike them with the _⌊edge_⌋* of the sword. He will not take pity on them, and he will not have compassion, nor will he show compassion." '

¹³ Why should you die—you and your people—by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

² "Thus says Yahweh, 'The one who stays in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. But the one who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. And his life will be for him as booty, and he will live.'

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If only you will go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then _⌊you_⌋* will live, and this city will not be burned with fire, and you will live, you and your house. ¹⁸ But if you do not go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.'" ¹⁹ And Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest they give me into their hand and they abuse me." ²⁰ And Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the voice of Yahweh with regard to what I am saying to you, and it will go well with you, and _⌊you_⌋* will live.

¹⁸ For surely I will save you, and you will not fall by the sword. But your life will be for you as booty because you have trusted in me," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.'"

⁵ And you, do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek great things,* for look, I am about to bring disaster upon all flesh," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "but to you I will give your life as booty in all the places where you may go." '"

¹⁰ And if there is _⌊anyone_⌋* from the house of Israel or* from the alien who is dwelling in their midst who eats any blood, then* I will set my face against the person who eats the blood, and I will cut him off from among his people.

³ And I myself will set my face against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he has given _⌊some of_⌋* his offspring to Molech, so that _⌊he makes my sanctuary unclean_⌋* and profanes* _⌊my holy name_⌋.* ⁴ And if the people of the land ever shut their eyes from* that man at his giving _⌊some of_⌋* his offspring to Molech, not putting him to death, ⁵ then* I myself will set my face against that man and against his clan, and I will cut him off and all those from the midst of their people who prostitute after Molech.

¹⁷ And I will set my face against you, and you shall be defeated _⌊before_⌋* your enemies; and your haters shall rule over you, and you shall flee away, but* there shall not be _⌊anybody who is pursuing_⌋* you.

¹⁹ And they burned the house of God. And they shattered the walls of Jerusalem and burned its citadels with fire and destroyed all the vessels of its treasuries.

¹⁶ The face of Yahweh is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

²⁷ But if you do not listen to me, to declare holy the day of the Sabbath, and to not carry a burden and enter through the gates of Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it will not be quenched." '"

⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the earth.'" '"

²⁸ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh: "Look, I am going to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. ²⁹ And the Chaldeans, who are fighting against this city, will come and set this city on fire, and they will burn it, and the houses where they have made smoke offerings on their roofs to Baal, and where they have devoted libations to other gods, in order to provoke me to anger. ³⁰ For the people* of Israel and the people* of Judah were doing only evil in my eyes from their youth, for the people* of Israel were only provoking me to anger by the work of their hands," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ³¹ "For this city has been for me a cause of my anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even until this day, so I will remove it from my _⌊sight_⌋,*

² "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: 'Go and say to Zedekiah the king of Judah, now you must say to him, "Thus says Yahweh: 'Look, I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

²² Look, I am going to command,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire, and the towns of Judah I will make a desolation _⌊without_⌋* an inhabitant.'"

³ Thus says Yahweh, 'Surely this city will be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.'"

¹⁸ But if you do not go surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire, and you will not escape from their hand.'"

²³ And all your wives and your children will be led out to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hand, but by the hand of the king of Babylon you will be seized, and this city will burn with fire."

⁸ And the Chaldeans burned the palace* of the king and the houses* of the people with fire and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.

¹¹ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Look, _⌊I am determined to bring disaster on you_⌋,* even to exterminate all Judah.

²⁷ Look, I am going to watch over them for harm and not for good, and all people* of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will perish by the sword and by the famine until their perishing.

¹³ And he burned the _⌊temple_⌋* of Yahweh, and the palace* of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house he burned with fire.

⁷ And I will set my face against them. From the fire they may_⌊escape_⌋,* but the fire will yet consume them, and they will know that I am Yahweh _⌊when I set my face against them_⌋.*

⁴ And even if they go into captivity before their enemies, from there I will command the sword and it will kill them, and I will fix my eyes on them for harm and not for good."

⁶ However, did not my words and my regulations which I commanded my servants the prophets overtake your ancestors?* And they repented and said, 'Yahweh of hosts planned to do with us according to our ways, and according to our deeds so he has dealt with us.'" '"

¹⁸ "Say to the king and to the queen mother, '_⌊Take a lower seat_⌋,* for _⌊your beautiful crown_⌋* has come down from your head.'*

²⁰ And you must say to them, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem who enter through these gates.

¹ And I said, "Listen, O heads of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?

¹³ _⌊And_⌋* the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.

²⁸ then* I will go against you in hostile anger, and also* I myself* will discipline you seven times for your sins.

²² For a fire was kindled* by my anger, and it burned _⌊up to the depths of Sheol_⌋,* and it devoured the earth and its produce, and it set afire the foundation of the mountains.

¹⁵ David reigned over all of Israel, and he* was administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

¹⁷ And I broke the evil one's jaw bones, and I made his prey drop from his teeth.

¹ Of Solomon.*
O God, give your judgments to the king, and your righteousness to the king's son. ² May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. ³ Let the mountains yield prosperity* for the people, and the hills in righteousness. ⁴ May he provide justice for the poor of the people, save the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor.

¹² Indeed he will deliver the needy who is crying for help, and the afflicted who has no helper. ¹³ He will take pity on the helpless and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save. ¹⁴ From oppression and from violence he will redeem their lives, and their blood will be precious in his eyes.

² "How long will you judge unjustly and _⌊show favoritism to the wicked_⌋?* Selah ³ Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan; provide justice to the afflicted and the poor. ⁴ Rescue the helpless and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

⁸ _⌊Each morning_⌋,* I will destroy all the wicked of the land, cutting off from the city of Yahweh all evildoers.

¹¹ Rescue those who are led away to the death and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back, ¹² if you say, "Look, we do not know this," does not he who weighs hearts perceive it? And he who keeps your soul,* he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds.

⁸ Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights* of all the _⌊needy_⌋.* ⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteousness, and defend the poor and needy.

¹⁶ Woe to you, O land, when your king is a youth and your princes feast in the morning. ¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobility and your princes feast at the proper time— to gain strength and not to get drunk.

¹⁷ Learn to do good! Seek justice! Rescue the oppressed! Defend the orphan! Plead for the widow!

³¹ And the strong man shall become like tinder, and his work like a spark. And both of them shall burn together, and there is not one to quench them."

² When it was reported to the house of David, saying "Aram stands by Ephraim," his heart and the heart of his people shook like the shaking of the trees of the forest because of the wind.

¹³ Then he said, "Hear, house of David! Is it too little for you to make men weary, that you should also make my God weary?

³ "Bring counsel, make a decision; make your shade like the night in the middle of noonday. Hide the outcasts; you must not betray the fugitive. ⁴ Let my outcasts of Moab dwell as aliens among you; be a hiding place for them from the presence of the destroyer." When the oppressor is no more, destruction has stopped, the _⌊one who tramples has_⌋* disappeared from the land, ⁵ then a throne shall be established in steadfast love, and one shall sit on it in faithfulness, in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and zealous for righteousness.

¹ Ah! Those who go down to Egypt for help!
They rely on horses
and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very numerous, and they do not look to the holy one of Israel, and they do not consult Yahweh. ² And indeed, he is wise, and he brings disaster, and he does not remove his words, and he will rise against the house of evildoers and against the help of workers of iniquity.

⁴ Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and remove the foreskins of your hearts,* men* of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and burns, and there is no one who extinguishes it,* because of the evil of your deeds."

¹⁴ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, look, I am making my words in your mouth like a fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them.

²⁸ They have grown fat, they have grown sleek, also, _⌊their evil deeds have no limit_⌋.* They do not judge with justice, the legal cause of the orphan, or allow it to succeed, and the legal case of the poor, they do not defend.

⁴ And _⌊you will let go your hand from your inheritance_⌋* that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in the land that you do not know, for you kindled a fire in my anger, until eternity it will be kindled."

⁵ And I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand, and with strong arm, and in _⌊anger_⌋,* and in fury, and in great wrath.

² And you must say, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter through these gates. ³ Thus says Yahweh, "Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been seized from the hand of the oppressor. And you must not oppress the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow. And you must not shed innocent blood in this place.

¹⁵ Do you reign as king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and he did justice and righteousness, then it was well with him? ¹⁶ He judged the legal cause of the needy and the poor, and then it was well. _⌊Is that not what it means to know me_⌋?*" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ¹⁷ "But there is nothing in your eyes and your heart _⌊except_⌋* your unlawful gain, and on shedding the blood of the innocent, and on committing oppression and extortion."

⁵ "Look, days are coming," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will reign as king, and he will achieve success, and he will do justice and righteousness in the land.

¹⁹ Look, the storm of Yahweh has gone forth in wrath, even a whirling tempest. It will whirl upon the head of the wicked.

⁷ Perhaps their plea will fall _⌊before_⌋* Yahweh and each one will turn away from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that Yahweh pronounced against this people."

³ He has cut down _⌊in fierce anger_⌋* all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn his right hand from the faces of the enemy, and he has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire, it has consumed all around. ⁴ He has bent his bow like an enemy; he has set his right hand like a foe, and he has slain all the treasures of the eye;* in the tent of the daughter of Zion, he has poured out his anger like fire.

¹¹ Yahweh has completed his anger, he has poured out _⌊his fierce anger_⌋;* he has kindled a fire in Zion, it consumed her* foundations.

⁴⁷ And you must say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it. ⁴⁸ And all creatures will see that I, Yahweh, I kindled it—it will not be quenched!" '"

¹⁸ "Son of man,* the house of Israel has become as silver dross to me; all of them are as bronze and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace, even as silver dross, silver dross they became! ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Because all of you have become as silver dross, therefore look! I am gathering you to the midst of Jerusalem, ²⁰ like the gathering of silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin to the middle of a furnace to blow fire on it for melting. Thus I will gather in my anger and in my rage, and I will _⌊deposit_⌋* you, and I will melt you. ²¹ And I will gather you, and I will blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and so I will melt you in the midst of her. ²² Thus you will be melted like the melting of silver in the midst of a furnace, and you will know that I, Yahweh, I have poured out my rage on you.'"

³¹ and so I poured out my indignation on them. With the fire of my wrath I destroyed them; I returned their way upon their head," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

⁸ To stir up rage, to avenge myself through vengeance, I placed its blood on the barrenness of a rock, _⌊so that it may not be covered_⌋."* ⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe to the city of bloodguilt! I, even I, will make the pile of wood great! ¹⁰ Pile up the logs; kindle the fire; finish cooking the meat, and mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned.* ¹¹ And _⌊make it stand_⌋* empty upon its burning coals so that it may become hot, and its copper may become molten and be melted in the midst of it,* so that its uncleanness and its rust be consumed. ¹² Through effort she has caused weariness; _⌊its thick rust_⌋* went not out of it. Its rust! Into the fire with its rust! ¹³ In your uncleanness is obscene conduct, because I cleansed you, but you were not clean from your uncleanness; you will not be clean again until _⌊I fully vent my rage_⌋* on you. ¹⁴ I, Yahweh, I have spoken. It is coming, and I did it; I will not disregard, and I will not take pity, and I will not reconsider. According to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you!"* _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

⁶ His indignation—who can stand before it? Who can endure _⌊his fierce anger_⌋?* His wrath is poured out like fire; rocks are shattered before* him.

¹⁸ Moreover, their silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh. And in the fire of his zeal, the whole land shall be consumed, for a terrifying end he shall make for all the inhabitants of the land.

⁵ Yahweh is righteous in her midst; he does not do wickedness. _⌊Morning by morning_⌋* he renders his judgment; at dawn he does not fail, but an evil one knows no shame.

⁹ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Judge with trustworthy justice, and show* steadfast love and compassion _⌊to one another_⌋.* ¹⁰ You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the needy. You must not devise evil in your heart _⌊against one another_⌋.'* ¹¹ But they refused to listen, and turned* a stubborn shoulder and _⌊stopped their ears from listening_⌋.*

⁴³ And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell—into the unquenchable fire!*

⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life lame than, having two feet, to be thrown into hell!*

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not extinguished.'*

⁶⁹ and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

³ And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Grant me justice against my adversary!' ⁴ And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, 'Even if I do not fear God or respect people, ⁵ yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end by her* coming back!'"

⁴ for it is God's servant to you for what is good. But if you do what is bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God's servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does what is bad.

⁸ And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out from Egypt.'

²⁰ And they set out from Succoth, and they encamped at Etham on the edge of the desert.

⁶ The king and his men went to Jerusalem, to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. They said to David, "You will not come here, for even the blind and the lame can turn you back, saying, 'David cannot come here.'" ⁷ David captured the fortress of Zion, the city of David.

² As mountains are round about Jerusalem, so Yahweh is round about his people, from now until forever.

¹ The oracle of the valley of vision:
_⌊What business do you have going_⌋* up, all of you, to the roofs,

⁴ Do not trust in _⌊the deceitful words_⌋,* _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The temple of Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh, they are the temple of Yahweh.'

³⁰ "_⌊Therefore_⌋* look, I am against the prophets," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "who steal my words each one from his neighbor. ³¹ Look, I am against the prophets," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "who take their tongues* and declare as prophets, 'Yahweh _⌊declares_⌋.'* ³² Look, I am against those who prophesy dreams of lies,"* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and tell them, and they caused my people to err through their lies, and in their recklessness, when I myself have not sent them nor commanded them, so they profit not this people at all," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁴ Why do you boast in your valleys? Your valleys* are ebbing. O unfaithful daughter, who trusted in her treasures, who said, 'Who will come against me?' ⁵ Look, I am going to bring dread on you," _⌊declares_⌋* Lord Yahweh of hosts, "from all your surrounding neighbors. And you will be scattered, each one _⌊before it_⌋,* and there is no one who gathers the fugitives.*

¹⁶ Your terror has deceived you, the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, you who seize the height of the hill. Though you make your nest high like the eagle, from there I will bring you down," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

³¹ "Look, I am against you, O arrogant one," _⌊declares_⌋* Lord Yahweh of hosts, "for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

²⁵ "Look, I am against you, O mountain of the destruction," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "the one that destroys the whole earth. And I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will roll you down from the cliffs, and I will make you as a mountain burned away.

¹² The kings of the earth did not believe, and all the inhabitants of the world, that a foe and an enemy could enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Because of your speaking falseness and because you envisioned a lie, therefore, look! I am against you!" _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

³ The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of a rock, the heights of its dwelling, you who say in your heart: 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' ⁴ Even if you soar like the eagle, even if your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down!" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh:

¹¹ Its rulers judge for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money. But they lean on Yahweh, saying, "Is not Yahweh in our midst? Disaster will not come upon us."

³¹ They shall eat from the fruit of their way, and they shall be sated from their own schemes,

¹⁰ Tell the innocent* that it is good for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. ¹¹ Woe to the wicked!* It is bad! For what is done by his hands will be done to him.

¹² And this shall happen: when the Lord has finished all his work against _⌊Mount Zion_⌋* and Jerusalem, "I will punish the _⌊arrogance_⌋* of the king of Assyria and _⌊his haughtiness_⌋."*

¹⁸ And he will destroy the glory of his forest and orchard _⌊completely_⌋,* and it will be like the wasting away of one who is sick. ¹⁹ And the rest of the trees* of his forest will be a small number, and a boy can write them down.

²¹ And this shall happen on that day:
Yahweh will punish the host of heaven in heaven, and the kings of the earth on the earth.

¹⁰ For the fortified city is solitary, a settlement deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness; the calf grazes there, lies down there and destroys its branches. ¹¹ _⌊When its branches are dry_⌋,* they are broken; women are coming and setting light to it.
For it is not a people of understanding;
therefore his maker will not have compassion on him, and his creator will not show him favor.

²⁴ By the hand of your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said, "With my many chariots,* I myself have gone up the height of the mountains, to the remote areas of Lebanon. And I cut off _⌊its tall cedars_⌋,* the choicest of its junipers. And I came to the height of its limit, the forest of its orchard.*

²⁹ The bellows* are burned up, lead is consumed by fire. _⌊In vain_⌋* _⌊he keeps on refining_⌋,* but the wicked are not torn apart.

²⁵ "Look, days are coming," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and I will call into account all those who are circumcised in the foreskin:

²² _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Look, I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword. Their sons and their daughters will die by the famine.

¹⁰ I, Yahweh, examine the _⌊mind_⌋,* I test the _⌊heart_⌋,* and give to each one according to his way, according to the fruit of his deeds.

⁷ And I will consecrate against you destroyers, everyone with his weapons, and they will cut down _⌊your choicest cedars_⌋,* and cast them* on the fire.

¹⁹ great in counsel and great in deed, whose eyes are opened to all the ways of the children of humankind, to give to each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds,

⁴⁶ "Son of man,* set your face toward the way of the south,* and preach to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the territory of the Negev.

¹ Open your doors, O Lebanon,
so that fire will devour your cedars!

⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked, for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap, ⁸ because the one who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.