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¤1 °1 These
are the words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in
the territory of Benjamin. °2 The word of Yahweh came to him in the
thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. °3 It came again during the reign of Jehoiakim son of
Josiah, king of Judah, until the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah,
king of Judah. In the fifth month of that year, the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were taken into exile. § The call of Jeremiah°4 A word of Yahweh came to me, °5 “Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!” °6 I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! I do not know how to speak; I am still young!” °7 But Yahweh replied, “Do not say; ‘I am still young’, for now you will go whatever be the mission I am entrusting to you, and you will speak of whatever I command you to say. °8 Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you – it is Yahweh who speaks!” °9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. °10 See! Today I give you authority over nations and over kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” °11 A word of Yahweh came to me again, “Jeremiah what do you see?” I said, “I see the branch of awatching tree.”°12 And Yahweh said to me, “You are right. I too am watching to fulfill my word.” °13 The word of Yahweh came to me a second time, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a boiling caldron coming from the north and it is tilted towards this direction.” Then Yahweh said to me, °14 “From the north disaster will boil down on all the people of this land. °15 I am calling all the kingdoms of the north – it is Yahweh who speaks. Each of them will come and encamp at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah. °16 I will pass judgment on my people because of the evil they do in forsaking me; they have burned incense to foreign gods and worshipped gods their hands have made. °17 But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I command you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence! °18 See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priests and the people of the land. °19 They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you – it is Yahweh who speaks.” § The infidelities of Israel¤2 °1 A word of Yahweh came to me, °2 “Go and shout this in the hearing of Jerusalem. This is Yahweh’s word: I remember your kindness as a youth, the love of your bridal days, when you followed me in the wilderness, through a land not sown. °3 Israel was holy to Yahweh, the first-fruits of his harvest. All who ate of it had to pay and misfortune fell on them – it is Yahweh who speaks. °4 Hear the word of Yahweh, people of Jacob, all you families of the nation of Israel. °5 What wrong did your fathers find in me that they strayed far from me? Why did they pursue what is worthless and become worthless themselves? °6 And they did not say: ‘Where is Yahweh who brought us out of Egypt and led us in the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land still untrodden and without inhabitants?’ °7 I brought you to a fertile land to eat of the choicest fruit. As soon as you came you defiled my land and dishonored my heritage! °8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is Yahweh?’ The masters of my teaching did not know me; the pastors of my people betrayed me; the prophets followed worthless idols and spoke in the name of Baal. °9 Therefore I contend with you – it is Yahweh who speaks – and I will contend with your children’s children! °10 Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and observe with care if there has ever been such a thing! °11 Has a nation exchanged its gods, false though they be? But my people have exchanged their Glory for what is worthless! °12 Be aghast at that, O heavens! Shudder, be utterly appalled – it is Yahweh who speaks – °13 for my people have done two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, to dig for themselves leaking cisterns that hold no water! °14 Did I make Israel a slave or was he born in bondage? How then did you become the spoil of others? °15 The lions have roared against you, loudly indeed have they roared, making your country a wasteland, your cities a ruins without inhabitants. °16 Even the Egyptians of Memphis and Tahpanhes have humbled you! °17 Didn’t you bring this on yourself by forsaking Yahweh, your God, even as he led you in the way? °18 Now why call to Egypt? Will the water of the Nile heal you? And why go to Assyria? What good will the water of the River do you? °19 Your own wickedness chastises you and your own unfaithfulness punishes you! Know, and see that it is bitter and evil to forsake Yahweh your God and no longer to fear me – it is Yahweh, the God of hosts, who speaks! °20 It was long ago that you broke your yoke and burst your bonds, saying: ‘I will not serve!’ On every high hill and under every green tree you played the harlot! °21 I planted you a choice vine, a shoot of wholesome stock; why have you become degenerate, a wild vine? °22 Even if you wash with soda and use soap in abundance, the stain of your sin is always before me – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks. °23 How do you dare say: ‘I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals?’ See your footprints in the valley, admit what you have done, O restive young she-camel, running here and there. °24 Wild ass of the desert, sniffing the wind in her desire, who can restrain her lust? Those who pursue her, need not tire themselves, at mating time they will find her. °25 Run if you wish, until your feet are sore, and your throat is dry! But you say: ‘It’s no use, I love foreign gods, it is them I follow.’ § The crimes of Jerusalem°26 As a thief is shamed when caught, so
is the house of Israel, they,
their kings, their princes, their
priests and their prophets! °27 To a tree they say: ‘You are my father!’ and
to a stone: ‘You gave me birth!’ For
they have turned their back on me instead of their face! In
the day of misfortune they
will call me: ‘Rise and save us!’ °28 Where, then, are the gods of your own
making? Let
them rise and save you if they can, in
the time of your distress, for
your gods, O Judah! are as many as
your cities. °29 Why argue with me? You have all betrayed
me – it is Yahweh who speaks. °30 In vain did I strike your children, they
did not learn a lesson! And
your sword, like a destroying lion devoured
your prophets! °31 All you of this generation, hear what
Yahweh says: Have
I been a desert for Israel, a
land of darkness? Why
do my people say: ‘We
will depart from you and
no more return to you’? °32 Does a virgin forget her ornaments, or a
bride her sash? But
my people have forgotten me for
days without number! °33 How well you direct your steps in your
search for lovers, even
to walking along with crime! °34 Look at your garments stained
with the blood of the innocent poor, although you did not catch them breaking
in! °35 I know you say: ‘I am innocent. Why does
his anger not turn away from me?’ I
will accuse you: Yes, you have sinned! °36 How lightly do you change your way! You
will be put to shame by Egypt as you were by Assyria. °37 You will also leave that place with your
hands on your head, for
Yahweh has rejected those you trust, and they will not help you! § Are you really returning to me?¤3 °1 If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he come back to her? Wouldn’t the land be totally polluted? But you, you are a harlot with many lovers, and you still have the nerve to return to me? – it is Yahweh who speaks. °2 Lift your eyes to the hills and see: Where have you not been violated? By the wayside you sat waiting for your lovers, like an Arab in the wilderness, and you have dishonored the land with your evil and your harlotry! °3 The showers held back and there was no spring rain for you, yet you have a harlot’s brow and refuse to be ashamed! °4 Worse still you called to me: ‘Father, guide of my youth! °5 Will you always be angry? Will your wrath last forever?’ That is what you said, and did evil as much as you were able to.” § Comparison of the two sisters°6 During the reign of King Josiah, Yahweh said to me,
“Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone on every high
hill and under every green tree and there played the harlot! °7 So I thought: After all this she will return to me;
but she did not. Her
perverse sister, Judah, saw °8 that for all the adulteries of that
unfaithful Israel, I sent her away with a certificate of divorce. Yet I saw
that the disloyal Judah had no fear and that she too went and played the
harlot! °9 Because of her harlotry, she dishonored
the land, sinning with stones and trees. °10 And
even after that her sister, the unfaithful Judah, did not come to me
wholeheartedly. It was only pretense. It is Yahweh who speaks.” °11 And Yahweh continued, “Rebellious Israel has been
less guilty than false Judah. °12 Go and shout this message to the north: Come
back, unfaithful Israel – it is Yahweh who speaks – I will not let my anger
fall on you for I am merciful, I will not be angry forever. °13 Simply confess your guilt; you have rebelled against
Yahweh your God, and have scattered your favors among strangers under every
green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice – it is the word of Yahweh. § The new Jerusalem°14 Come back, faithless people – it is Yahweh who
speaks – for I am your master. I will select one from a city and two from a
family and bring you to Zion. °15 Then I will give you shepherds after my
own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and prudence. °16 And when you have increased and multiplied in the
land in those days – it is Yahweh who speaks – people will no longer speak of
the ark of the covenant of Yahweh; it will not be remembered or missed, nor
shall it be made again! °17 Then they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of Yahweh’
and all the nations will gather there to honor the name of Yahweh and no
longer will they follow the stubbornness of their wicked hearts. °18 In those days the people of Judah will unite with
the people of Israel and together they will return from the north to the land
that I gave to their ancestors as a heritage. § Continuation of the poem for conversion°19 And I thought: How gladly would I have placed you
among my children and given you as your inheritance a beautiful land, the
most splendid among all the nations! And I thought you would call me ‘my father’
and not turn from following me! °20 But, like a woman unfaithful to her husband, you
have been unfaithful to me, O people of Israel! – it is Yahweh who speaks.” °21 A cry is heard in the barren heights, the weeping
and pleading of the children of Israel, because they have perverted their way
and have forgotten Yahweh their God! °22 “Come back, unfaithful people, I will heal you of
your rebelliousness!” ‘Yes,
we come to you, for you are Yahweh our God! °23 Truly the temples on the heights and the feasts on
the hills are useless; only Yahweh our God can save Israel. °24 The infamous god has devoured all the fruits of our
ancestors’ labor since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons
and their daughters. °25 Let us lie down in our shame and let our
confusion cover us, for it is against Yahweh our God that we have sinned from
our youth until this day, we and our fathers, and we have not obeyed the
voice of Yahweh our God!’ § Disaster foretold¤4 °1 “If you
return to me, O Israel – it is Yahweh who speaks – if you convert to me and
remove your dirty idols from my sight you will have no need to hide from me; °2 if you truthfully, justly and honestly swear by
Yahweh’s life, then you will be a blessing for all nations, and you will be
their glory.” °3 For thus says Yahweh to the people of Judah and
Jerusalem, “Break up deeply your fallow land and do not sow among the thorns.
°4 O men of Judah and Jerusalem! circumcise yourselves
for Yahweh and purify your hearts, lest my wrath spread like a fire that cannot
be quenched because of your evil deeds.” °5 Announce this in Judah, proclaim
it in Jerusalem. Sound
the trumpet through the land; shout
aloud and say: “Assemble
and go to the fortified cities! °6 Raise a banner towards Zion! Run
for your lives, do not tarry, for
I will bring evil and great destruction from the north. °7 The lion has come out of his den; the destroyer of
nations has set out to devastate your country and make your cities ruins
without inhabitants! °8 Because of this, wrap yourselves in sackcloth;
lament and groan, for the fury of Yahweh’s anger has not turned away from us. °9 On that day – it is Yahweh who speaks – the king and
the leaders will be discouraged, the priests will be terrified and the
prophets will be astounded. °10 People will say, “Ah! Lord Yahweh, you
have truly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘You will have peace’
even as the sword is at our throat.” °11 When the time comes it will be said to the people of
Jerusalem: “Wearing
wind from the desert heights is coming to the daughter of my people, neither
to winnow nor to cleanse! °12 A strong wind comes from there. Now
I will declare my judgments against them.” °13 See! Someone comes like the clouds, his
chariots are like a whirlwind, his
horses swifter than eagles! Woe
to us for we are ruined! °14 Cleanse your heart of every evil, Jerusalem, that
you may be saved! How long will you harbor evil plans within you? °15 A voice from Dan declares of a coming disaster from
Mount Ephraim! “Warn the nations. °16
Let everyone know in
Jerusalem and Judah that enemies are coming from a distant land.” °17 They encircle Jerusalem like watchers guarding a
field, because she has rebelled against me – it is Yahweh who speaks. “°18 Your
own conduct and actions have brought this upon you. How bitter is your
punishment and how it deeply penetrates your heart because you have rebelled
against me!” § Barren soil°19 I am in anguish! I tremble in the depths of my being; my heart beats wildly. I cannot remain silent for I hear the sound of the trumpet and the clamor of war! °20 Disaster after disaster; all the land is laid waste; my tents are suddenly destroyed and in an instant all that shelters me is wiped out. °21 For how long must I see the banner raised and hear the sound of the trumpet? °22 “This happens because my people are foolish and do not know me. They are senseless and have no understanding, – wise in doing evil but stupid in doing good!” °23 I looked at the earth and I found it formless and void; I looked at the sky but darkness engulfed it. °24 I looked at the mountains and they were quaking, and all the hills were swaying to and fro. °25 I looked and saw there was no one at all; even the birds deserted the skies. °26 I looked and saw that the fruitful land was a desert and that all the cities were in ruins because of Yahweh and his fierce anger. °27 Yahweh says, “The whole land may be desolate but I will not totally destroy it! °28 Because of this the earth shall mourn and the skies be darkened: I have declared my purpose and will not relent; I have made up my mind and will not change it.” °29 At the sound of the horsemen and archers
every town takes flight; some
go to the thickets and
climb among the rocks. All
the towns are deserted and
no one is left. °30 And you, desolate one, what
will you do? Even
if you are garbed in scarlet and
wear jewels of gold and
put make-up on your eyes, in
vain do you beautify yourself, for
your lovers despise you and
are ready to take your life. °31 I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of
one giving birth the first time. It is the cry of the daughter of Zion,
gasping for breath with hands outstretched: “Woe is me! I am fainting amidst
a band of murderers!” § Not one is upright
¤5 °1 “Go
through the streets of Jerusalem; observe carefully and take note. Search the
entire city squares and find, if you can, even one man who acts justly and
seeks the truth, that I may forgive this city.” °2 Even
though they swear, “As surely as Yahweh lives” they do not mean what they
say. °3 O Yahweh, are you not looking for truth? You struck
them but they did not feel it; you crushed them but they rejected correction.
They set their faces harder than a rock and refused to repent. °4 Then I thought: “Such are the poor, they act
foolishly because they do not know the way of Yahweh, the law of their God! °5 So I will go to the well-to-do and speak to them for
they know the way of Yahweh and the law of their God.” But they, too, have
broken their yoke and burst their bonds! °6 That is why the lion from the forest will slay them
and the wolf from the desert will destroy them, while the leopard lurks
around their cities. Anyone who comes out is torn to pieces, for great is
their sin and many are their desertions! °7 “Why should I pardon you? Your children have
rejected me and sworn by false gods. I gave them all they needed and yet they
committed adultery and trooped to the harlot’s house. They are well-fed, °8 lusty stallions, each one neighing for his
neighbor’s wife. °9 Shall I not call them to account – it is Yahweh who
speaks – shall I not take vengeance against a nation like this? °10 Go up, nations, through her vineyards and ravage
them, but do not entirely destroy my vine. Cut off her branches for they are
not Yahweh’s. °11 For the people of Israel and Judah have
been utterly unfaithful to me – it is Yahweh who speaks. °12 They have spoken falsely of Yahweh, saying, “He does
not exist; no harm will happen to us; we shall see neither the sword nor
famine! °13 As for the prophets, they are but wind.
God doesn’t speak to them.” °14 Because of this, Yahweh the God of hosts has spoken,
“This is what I am going to do to them: I will put words in your mouth. They
will be like a fire, and this people will be the wood it devours.” °15 People of Israel! I will bring against you a nation
from afar – it is Yahweh who speaks – ( ) whose language you do not
understand. °16 ( ) All of them are mighty warriors. °17 They will devour your harvest and your
food, devour
your sons and daughters, devour
your flocks and herds, devour
your vines and your fig trees. They
will devastate with the sword the
fortified cities in which you trust. °18 But even in those days – it is Yahweh who speaks – I
will not utterly destroy them. °19
And when they ask,
“Why has Yahweh our God done all this to us?” you shall say to them, “Just as
you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so shall you serve
strangers in a land that is not your own.” °20 Declare this to the people of Jacob and
make it known in Judah, °21 listen, stupid and senseless people! who
have eyes and do not see, who
have ears and do not hear! °22 Do you not fear me? – it
is Yahweh who speaks – Will
you not tremble before me? I
set the sand as a limit to the sea, an everlasting barrier it may never pass; its
waves toss but cannot prevail; they
roar but are unable to go beyond it. °23 But this people’s heart is rebellious and stubborn;
they have turned aside and gone away! °24 They
do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear Yahweh our God who sends in season
the rain, and has in store for us the harvest.” °25 Your crimes have turned order into chaos, your sins
have deprived you of these blessings, °26 for
among my people are scoundrels; they set traps like fowlers and catch human
beings. °27 Their houses are filled with loot, like
a cage full of birds. It
has turned them rich and powerful; °28 they have become fat and sleek. Great
is their wickedness; there
is no justice in their judgment, for
they do not protect the orphan’s rights nor defend the needy’s cause! °29 Should I not severely punish them for such things? –
it is Yahweh who speaks – Should I not exact vengeance against a people like
them? °30 A terrible and abominable thing has happened in the
land, °31 prophets prophesy lies and priests teach
what pleases them, and my people like it to be so. But what will you do soon? § Jerusalem is besieged¤6 °1 People
of Benjamin! Seek safety beyond Jerusalem. Sound
the trumpet in Tekoa, raise
a signal in Beth-Hacherem, for
misfortune pours out from the north: it
will be a huge disaster. °2 Shall I not compare you, daughter of Zion, to a
beautiful pasture? °3 Shepherds with their flocks are coming to
her, they pitch their tents and feed their flocks all over her. °4 Declare a holy war against her, attack
her at noontime. Woe
to us! For the day declines; the
evening shadows lengthen! °5 Rise up! We shall attack by night and
destroy her palaces! °6 For Yahweh of hosts has spoken: “Cut down trees and
build a siege-ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished for all in
her is oppression. °7 Evil springs from her as water from a
well. Violence and opression are heard in the city, suffering and cruelty are
always before me. § Jeremiah’s threats°8 Take warning, Jerusalem, lest I turn away from you
and make you a desolation, a no-man’s land.” °9 Yahweh of hosts further said, “You shall glean
thoroughly as a vine, what is left of Israel. You shall do what the
grape-gatherer does when his hand goes over the branches again.” °10 To whom shall I speak, whom shall I warn? No one of
them wants to listen, that they may understand. Their ears are stuffed and
they pay no attention. They scorn what Yahweh says and refuse to listen. °11 The anger of Yahweh has filled me and I can bear it
no longer! “Then
pour it out on the children in the street and on the gathering of young men;
both husband and wife will be caught, both the elderly and those who are not
of age. °12 Their houses will be passed to others,
together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand and
strike the people of the land – it is Yahweh who speaks. °13 All of them – from the least to the greatest – are
greedy for gain; prophet and priest alike are deceitful. °14 They treat lightly the disaster of my people saying,
“Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. °15 They should be ashamed of their abominable deeds.
But they have no shame and don’t even know how to blush. Surely they shall
fall with those who will fall; when I ask them to account they will stumble –
it is Yahweh who speaks. °16 This is what Yahweh says, “Stand in the roads and
look. Ask for the ancient paths and know where the good way is. Walk on it
and experience peace for yourselves.” But you said, “We will not take it.” °17 Then Yahweh set watchmen over you: “Pay attention to
the sound of the horn!” But you said, “We will not listen.” °18 Listen nations; know what will befall them! °19 Listen earth! I am bringing disaster on this people!
It is the fruit of their rebellion, because they ignored my words and
despised my Law. °20 The incense from Sheba is useless for me, don’t
bring me the fragrant cane from a distant land. Your burnt offerings are not
acceptable to me nor do I find your sacrifices pleasing.” °21 This is what Yahweh says, “I will place stumbling
blocks before this people to make them stumble, parents and children,
neighbors and friends together.” °22 It is Yahweh who speaks, “See, a people comes from
the north, a powerful nation from the ends of the earth. °23 Armed with bow and spear they are cruel and
merciless. Their voice roars like the roaring sea. Mounted on horses, in
battle formation they come as a fire, against you, daughter of Zion.” °24 When we heard this our hands went limp, anguish
seized us like the birthpangs of a woman. °25 “Let
us not go to the fields or onto the roads, for the enemy’s sword brings
terror on every side.” °26 O my people! Wrap yourself in sackcloth and roll in
ashes; mourn with bitter lament as for an only child, for the destroyer is
coming against us. °27 “I have appointed you as an examiner among my
people, that you may see and appreciate their ways.” °28 They are all rebels and slanderers. They are like
bronze and iron and all are corrupt. °29 The
bellows blow to burn away the lead with fire, but the smelter works in vain
for the evil elements remain. °30 They will be called “worthless silver”
for Yahweh has rejected them. § I can destroy this temple¤7 °1 These words were spoken by Yahweh, to Jeremiah, °2 “Stand at the gate of Yahweh’s house and proclaim this in a loud voice: Listen to what Yahweh says, all you people of Judah (who enter these gates to worship Yahweh). °3 Yahweh the God of Israel says this: Amend your ways and your deeds and I will stay with you in this place. °4 Rely not on empty words such as: ‘Look, the Temple of Yahweh! the Temple of Yahweh! This is the Temple of Yahweh!’ °5 It is far better for you to amend your ways and act justly with all. °6 Do not abuse the stranger, orphan or widow or shed innocent blood in this place or follow false gods to your own ruin. °7 Then I will stay with you in this place, in the land I gave to your ancestors in times past and forever. °8 But you trust in deceptive and useless words. °9 You steal, kill, take the wife of your neighbor; you swear falsely, worship Baal and follow foreign gods who are not yours. °10 Then, after doing all these horrible things, you come and stand before me in this temple that bears my Name and say, ‘Now we are safe.’ °11 Is this house on which rests my Name a den of thieves? I have seen this myself – it is Yahweh who speaks. °12 Go to the sanctuary at Shiloh in Israel, where I first let my Name rest, and see what I did to that place because of the wickedness of my people Israel. °13 You have done all this and have not listened when I repeatedly warned you; neither have you answered when I called you. °14 What I did in Shiloh, I will likewise do to this temple on which rests my Name, this sacred place in which you trust and which I have given to you and to your ancestors. °15 As for you, I will drive you out of my sight, just as I cast away all your kinsfolk in the north, the entire race of Ephraim. °16 Do not plead for this people. Make no prayer or
supplication for them; do not press me on their behalf because I will not
listen to you. °17 Don’t you see what they do in the cities of Judah
and in the streets of Jerusalem? °18
The children gather
wood and the fathers light fire. The women knead dough to make cakes for the
Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings for foreign gods. °19 They do this to belittle me. But is it me they
belittle? asks Yahweh. No, they belittle themselves to their own confusion. °20 Because of this Yahweh has spoken, ‘The fury of my
anger will be poured out on this place, both on man and beast, on the trees
in the fields and on the produce of the earth; it will burn and not be
extinguished.’” § True religion°21 This is what Yahweh of hosts, says to you, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat the flesh. °22 When I brought your forebearers out of Egypt I did not give them mandate regarding sacrifices and burnt offerings. °23 One thing I did command them: Listen to my voice and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in the way I command you and all will be well with you. °24 But they did not listen and paid no attention; they followed the bad habits of their stubborn heart and turned away from me. °25 From the time I brought their forebearers out of
Egypt until this day I have continually sent them my servants, the prophets, °26 but this stiff-necked people did not listen. They
paid no attention and were worse than their forebearers. °27 You may say all these things to them but they will
not listen; you will call them but they will not answer. °28 This is a nation that did not obey Yahweh and
refused to be disciplined; truth has perished and is no longer heard from
their lips. °29 Cut off your hair and throw it away. Intone a lament
on the bare heights, for Yahweh has rejected and foresaken these people.”
This is Yahweh’s word. °30 The people of Judah have done what disgusts me; they
have placed their idols in the sanctuary that houses my Name and defiled it. °31 They have built the temple of Topheth in the valley
of Hinnom where they burn their sons and daughters, something I never
commanded or even thought of. °32 Hence the time will come when it will no longer be
called Topheth or the valley of Hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter,
for they will bury the dead in Topheth for lack of space elsewhere. °33 And the corpses of this people will be eaten by
birds and animals; and none will scare them away. °34 In the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem
I will bring to an end all expressions of joy and happiness, the songs of the
bride and bridegroom, for the land will become a wilderness. ¤8 °1 When
that time comes – it is Yahweh who speaks – they will bring from the tombs
the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of their leaders, priests,
prophets and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. °2 They
will expose them to the Sun and Moon and all the gods of the skies, because
they have loved and served them, and they have followed and worshiped them.
These bones will not be gathered up to be replaced in tombs but will remain
like dung on the ground. °3 Death will be preferable to life for the survivors
of this perverse race who remain in places to which I have driven them. § Sin and punishment°4 This is what Yahweh told me, “You will say to them:
Doesn’t the one who falls get up and the one who goes away return? °5 Why then has this people turned away in stubborn
rebellion? They make a habit of deceit and refuse to repent. °6 I listened attentively; they did not speak
truthfully nor did they repent of their wickedness. No one says: ‘What have I
done!’ They all follow their own course like horses plunging into battle. °7 Even the stork in the sky knows her times; the dove,
the swallow and the crane know the time to return, but my people do not know
the ordinances of Yahweh. °8 How dare you say: ‘We are wise and the Law of Yahweh
is with us’ when the deceiving pen of the scribe has turned it into a lie? °9 The wise will be put to shame; they shall be
dismayed and trapped. Since they have despised the word of Yahweh, what then
is left as the basis of their wisdom? °10 That is why I will give their wives to other men,
their fields to conquerors, for all of them, the smallest to the greatest,
are greedy for gain. All, from the prophet to the priest, practice deceit. °11 They treat lightly the wound of my people saying
‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace. °12 They should be ashamed of their abominable deeds.
They have no shame and don’t even know how to blush. Surely they shall fall
along with those who will fall; for I will ask them to account and they will
stumble. °13 I will make an end of them – it is Yahweh who speaks
– for the vine yields no grapes, the fig tree no figs, even the leaves are
withered. I will hand them over to the passersby.” °14 “Why do we sit still? Get up! We shall go to the
fortified cities to perish there. See, Yahweh our God wants us to die and
gives us poisoned water, because we have sinned against him. °15 We hoped for peace and we see nothing good! for a
time of healing, but terror came! °16
From Dan we hear the
snorting of his horses; at the sound of the neighing of his stallions the
whole earth trembles.” –
“They are coming to devour the land and all it contains, the city and all who
dwell in it. °17 For I am letting loose against you snakes
and adders that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you.” °18 Sorrow takes hold of me, my heart fails me. °19 The pleading of the daughter of my people is heard
all over the land: Has Yahweh abandoned Zion? Is her king no longer there?
—“Why have they provoked me with their images, with their foreign gods?” °20 The harvest is over, the summer is past and we have
not been saved. °21 I am brokenhearted because of my people’s
misfortune. I
am crushed and dismayed. °22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no
healer there? Why is no remedy given to my people? °23 I would that my head were a well of water and my
eyes a fountain of tears to weep day and night for the slain of my people. ¤9 °1 Who
will give me a lodging, in the desert, that I may leave my people and
go far from them? For
they are all adulterers, a
band of traitors. °2 They bend their tongue like bows. Deceit
and not truth prevail in the land. They
commit one crime after another and
do not know me. °3 Each one is suspicious of his friend and
no one trusts his brother, brother
deceives brother, friend
slanders friend. °4 They deceive each other; no
one speaks the truth. Their
tongues are addicted to lying; they
are perverse and too hardened to repent. °5 They live amidst deceitfulness and
deceitfulness prevents them from knowing me. °6 That is why – word of Yahweh God of hosts
– I
will refine and test them, for
what else can I do for my people? °7 Their tongues are like deadly arrows, uttering
deceitful words. With
their friend they speak of peace but
in their heart they set a trap for him. °8 Isn’t it reason enough for me to punish
them? Shall
I not avenge myself on such a nation? °9 On the mountains there will be weeping and wailing,
and on the prairies of the wilderness a dirge, because they have been burnt
and deserted, and the sound of flock is heard no more. The birds of the sky
and the beasts have all fled and are gone. °10 I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of
jackals. I
will make the cities of Judah a wasteland without inhabitants.” °11 Who is wise enough to understand these events? And
who is the one Yahweh has chosen to reveal them? Why has the land perished
and been laid waste like a desert where no one passes? °12 Yahweh answered, “It is because they have forsaken
the Law that I gave them. They have not listened to me °13 but in the stubbornness of their heart they have
followed the Baals as they were instructed by their ancestors.” °14 That is why Yahweh, the God of hosts and the God of
Israel says, “I will make this people eat bitter food and I will give them
poisoned water. °15 I will scatter them among nations that
neither they nor their ancestors knew and I will send the sword after them
until I have finished with them.” °16 Listen! Call for the wailing women to come, send for
the most skillful! °17 Let them hasten to intone a funeral song, and let us
weep, our
eyes running with tears. °18 The sound of wailing is heard in Zion. A
terrible disaster has befallen us! How
great our shame to leave the land, to
see our homes broken down! °19 You women, take heed of what Yahweh says,
let your ears pay attention to his words. Teach
this lament to your daughters and
each of them to their friends: °20 “Death has come through our windows and
invaded our palaces, cutting
down the children in the street and
young men in the squares! °21 The corpse are scattered in the fields
like dung; like
sheaves cut by the reaper with
no one to gather them!” § True wisdom
°22 It is Yahweh who speaks: “Let not the wise boast of his wisdom, nor the valiant of his valor nor the wealthy of his wealth! °23 But if someone wants to boast, let him boast of this: of understanding and knowing me. I am Yahweh, the merciful; I implement justice and rule the world with righteousness. For in these things I delight,” this is Yahweh’s word. °24 “The time is coming,” Yahweh says, “when I will ask
to account both those who are circumcised and those who are not: °25 Egypt, Juda, the Amonites and the Moabites with all
the Arabs of the desert, for all these nations are not circumcised, and the
people of Israel are not circumcised in their heart.” § Idols and the true God¤10 °1 Hear
the word which Yahweh speaks to you, people of Israel, °2 “Do not follow the way of the foreign nations and do
not fear signs in the sky as they do. The Awesome God of these nations is but
nothing. °3 It is only wood cut from a tree in the
forest and shaped by a craftsman’s chisel. °4{a} They
adorned it with silver and gold – °9
silver from Tarshish
and gold from Ophir – work of a carver and a goldsmith’s hand, all the work
of artists; they are dressed in violet and purple cloth woven by skilled
weavers. {°4b} It is fasthened down with nails to keep
it from falling over. °5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a
cucumber field; they cannot speak. They have to be carried because they
cannot walk. Have no fear of them; they can do neither harm nor good.” °6 No one equals you, Yahweh, you
are great. Power
is yours, and great is your Name! °7 Who would not fear you, King of nations? You
are to be feared, for
among the wise of the nations and
in all their kingdoms no
one equals you. °8 They are all brutish and stupid; their
idols are proof of their foolishness. °10 But Yahweh is the true God, the
living God and eternal King. His
anger makes the earth quake; the
nations cannot endure his fury. °11 You will say this to them, “The gods who
did not make either the heavens or the earth shall disappear from the earth
and from under the heavens.” °12 By his power he made the earth, by
his wisdom he established the world; by
his understanding he extended the heavens. °13 When he raises his voice the
waters pile up in the heavens. He
calls the clouds from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain
and from his storehouse sends out the wind. °14 At this everyone feels stupid and without
knowledge. Every goldsmith is ashamed of his idol which is a fraud without
breath. °15 They are worthless, ridiculous objects;
they shall perish when the time of retribution comes. °16 He instead has formed the universe and
Israel as well, the tribe of his inheritance, for
he is the portion of Jacob: Yahweh,
God of hosts is his name. °17 Gather up your belongings and leave the
land, you who are the victims of siege, °18 for thus says Yahweh, “I
am hurling far away the inhabitants of this land, and I will let them be
pursued and captured.” °19 Woe is me! What suffering! My
wound is incurable! But
I shall say; “Mine is this illness, I
must bear it.” °20 My tent is destroyed, all
its cords are snapped. My
children have left me and are no more; no
one is left to pitch my tent or
to set my shelter up. °21 For the pastors have become senseless and
have not consulted Yahweh; they
have not prospered and
all their flocks are scattered. °22 Heed the news! Pay attention! A
great commotion is heard from the north; they
are coming to make the cities of Judah a desolate land, a den of jackals. § Jeremiah’s prayer°23 You know, Yahweh, that man’s life is not within his own control and it is not for him to direct his steps! °24 Correct us, Yahweh, with prudence, not in anger, lest you destroy us completely. °25 Put out your anger on the nations that do not know you, on the people who do not call on your Name. For they have devoured Jacob and consumed him thoroughly; his homeland is already laid waste. § Jeremiah supports Josiah’s reform¤11 °1 This is
the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh: °2 Say to
the people of Jerusalem: °3 Cursed be anyone who does not heed the
terms of this covenant °4 which I ordained for your ancestors the
day I freed them from that cleansing furnace that Egypt is. I said to them:
‘If you obey my voice and do all that I command you, you will be my people
and I will be your God. °5 Then I will fulfill the promise I swore
to your ancestors, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey,’ (as it is
today).” I
replied, “Amen, Yahweh.” °6 Yahweh said to me, “Publish what I say in the cities
of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, ‘Hear the terms of this covenant and
keep them. °7 When I brought your forebearers out of
Egypt, I solemnly warned them and have continued to tell them: ‘Obey me.’ °8 But they did not listen to me or heed what I said;
each one followed his own stubborn heart. So I fulfilled against them all the
words of this covenant that I had commanded them, but which they did not
follow.” °9 Yahweh said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the
people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. °10 They
have returned to the sins of their forebearers who refused to obey me; they
have followed and served foreign gods. The nation of Israel and the nation of
Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.” °11 That is why Yahweh says to you, “I will bring upon
them a disaster from which there will be no escape. When they cry to me I
will not listen. °12 Then the cities of Judah and the people
of Jerusalem will go crying to the gods they worship, but these will not help
them in the time of misfortune. °13
For you, Judah, have
as many gods as there are cities; as numerous as the streets in Jerusalem are
the altars you have raised to Baal.” °14 For your part, do not intercede for this people, nor
offer a plea or petition because I will not listen when they cry to me in the
time of their distress. °15 What is my beloved doing in my House? She
is plotting evil deeds. Will
your vows and the meat of your victims
cleanse you from your wickedness and allow you to rejoice? Yahweh
had called you °16 ‘Beautiful Green Olive Tree — fair
and fruitful!’ But
with the roar of a storm, its
foliage took fire and
its branches were broken. °17 And Yahweh, God of host, who planted you, has
condemned you to shame. Indeed the nation of Israel and the nation of Jacob
harmed themselves when they worshiped Baal and aroused my anger. § Plot against Jeremiah°18 Yahweh made it known to me and so I know! And you let me see their scheming: {12,6 } “Take care, even your kinsfolk and your own family are false with you and behind your back they freely criticize you. Do not trust them when they approach you in a friendly way.” °19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.” °20 Yahweh, God of hosts, you who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. °21 This is what Yahweh has to say against the people of Anathoth who threatened me with death and said, “Do not prophesy any more in the name of Yahweh and we will spare your life.” °22 Yahweh says to them, “This is how I will punish you: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and daughters shall die of hunger. °23 No one will survive when I bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.” § Why do the wicked prosper?¤12 °1 Yahweh, you are always right when I complain to you; nevertheless, where is your justice? Why do the wicked prosper? And why do traitors live in peace? °2 You plant them and they take root; they grow and are fruitful; they honor you with words but their heart is far from you. °3 But you, Yahweh, you know me and see me; you search my heart – it is close to you. Send them off like sheep to be butchered; put them aside for the day of slaughter. °4 How long will the land be in mourning and the grass of the fields remain withered? The birds and the beasts have perished because of the wickedness of the inhabitants, for they say: ‘God does not see what we do.’ °5 “If you tire when running with those on foot, how can you compete with horses? If you do not feel secure in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?” °7 I have abandoned my house, I
have given up my own people; I
have given over those I most cherished into the hands of their enemies. °8 My own have been for me like a lion in
the forest; they
have roared against me – now I hate them. °9 My own have become for me like a bird of
prey. Let
all the birds of prey attack them. Come
here, all you wild beasts and devour them! °10 Many shepherds have ravaged my vine; they
have trampled my beloved field and
made it a desolate wasteland, °11 parched and mournful in my sight. But
no one cares! °12 To every height in the desert destroyers
have come, for
Yahweh has a devouring sword. It
reaches from one end of the land to the other; no
one is safe! °13 They have sown grain and reaped thorns; they
have toiled for nothing. Your
harvests bring shame on you because of Yahweh’s anger. °14 Yahweh declares, “Because all my wicked neighbors
have laid hands on the land I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from
their own land, and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. °15 But after I have done this, I will have compassion
on them and bring them back to their possession, each one to his own land. °16 If then they learn the ways I taught my people and
call upon my name when taking an oath, they who once taught my people to
swear by Baal, may settle among my people. °17 But if
then any nation does not obey me, I will uproot and destroy it – it is Yahweh
who speaks.” § The linen belt¤13 °1 This is what Yahweh said to me: “Go! Buy yourself a linen belt and put it around your waist; do not put it in water.” °2 So I bought the belt as Yahweh ordered and put it around my waist. °3 The word of Yahweh came to me a second time, °4 “Take the belt you bought, the one you put around your waist, and go to the torrent Perah; hide it there in a hole in the rock.” °5 I went and hid it as Yahweh instructed me. °6 After many days Yahweh said to me, “Go to the torrent Perah and get the belt I ordered you to hide there.” °7 I went to the torrent and dug up the belt but it was ruined and good for nothing, °8 and Yahweh said to me, °9 “In this way I will destroy the pride and great glory of Judah, °10 this wicked people who refuse to heed what I say, this stubborn people who go after other gods to serve and worship them. And they shall become like this belt which is now good for nothing. °11 For just as a belt is to be bound around a man’s waist so was the people of Israel and Judah bound to me – it is Yahweh who speaks – to be my people, my glory and my honor; but they would not listen. § The broken wine jars°12 You will say to them this word of Yahweh the God of Israel, “Every pitcher should be filled with wine.” And they will say: “Don’t we know that a pitcher should be filled with wine?” °13 You will reply, “You are the pitchers that Yahweh will fill until you are drunk. I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land – kings who succeed David, the priests, the prophets and all who live in Jerusalem. °14 I will dash them one against another, parents and children together. I will have neither compassion nor mercy: I am going to destroy them.” § A vision of exile°15 Hear and pay attention; do not be proud, for Yahweh has spoken! °16 Give glory to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, and your feet stumble in the darkening hills. You were hoping for light, but he will turn it into the darkness of death and deep gloom! °17 If you do not heed this warning I will weep in secret because of your pride and I will shed tears when Yahweh’s flock has been taken captive. °18 Say to the king and the queen mother, “Humble
yourselves, for
the crown of glory has
fallen from your head. °19 The cities of the Negeb have been shut
and no one comes to open them, all
Judah is deported, completely
carried off.” °20 Look up Jerusalem and see those who come from the
north. Where is the flock that was entrusted to you and where are your
beautiful sheep? °21 What will you say when those you let take liberties
with you come back to oppress you? Won’t
your pain be like that of a woman giving birth? °22 And if
you ask yourself, “Why has all this disgrace fallen on me?” It is because of
your great wickedness that they have torn away your clothes and dealt
violently with you. °23 Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard his
spots? And can you do good, you who are accustomed to doing evil? °24 I will scatter you like straw blown by the desert
wind; °25 that is your reward – it is Yahweh who
speaks – because you have forgotten me and trusted in Falsehood. °26 I myself will pull your skirts over your face and
your shame shall be seen. °27 Your adultery, your neighing, your brazen
prostitution, all this abomination I have seen on the hills and in the
fields. Woe to you Jerusalem! When at last will you be cleansed?” § The great drought
¤14 °1 The word of Yahweh concerning drought came to Jeremiah: °2 Judah mourns, the cities languish, desolate, they sink to the ground. From Jerusalem a cry is heard. °3 The rich sent the poor for water, but they found none at the cisterns, and returned with empty vessels. °4 The soil is cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are dismayed and have covered their heads like mourners. °5 Even the doe in the fields abandons her newborn calf because there is no pasture. °6 The wild donkeys stand on the heights sniffing the air like jackals and languish as they find not even a thistle! °7 Even if our faults accuse us, you Yahweh, work for the glory of your Name. In truth, many have been our rebellions and great is our sin against you. °8 O Yahweh! Hope of Israel, you who save in the time of distress, why are you as a stranger in this land, or like a traveler who stays only a night? °9 Why should you be as if bewildered, like a warrior unable to save? But you are in our midst Yahweh, and on us your Name has been invoked. Do not abandon us! § Do not intercede for this people°10 This is what Yahweh says about this people, “They
like to wander here and there, not stopping for a moment, so Yahweh takes no
pleasure in them; he remembers their wickedness and will punish their sins.” °11 And Yahweh said, “Do not pray for the well-being of
this people! °12 If they fast I will not listen to their
cry; if they offer me burnt offerings and oblations, I will not accept them.
Instead I am going to make an end of them with sword, famine and plague.” °13 And I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! You know what the
prophets are saying to them: ‘You will not see the sword nor suffer famine
for I will give you true peace in this place.’” °14 But Yahweh said, “These prophets have proclaimed
untruths in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to
them. False visions, worthless divinations and delusions of their own
imagination – that is what they prophesy.” °15 And Yahweh added, “These prophets whom I did not
send and who prophesy in my name, saying that the sword and famine will not
touch this land – these same prophets will perish by the sword and famine. °16 As for the people listening to them, their corpses
will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem. There will be no one to bury
them or their wives, their sons or daughters, when they die of famine and by
the sword. For I shall make their own malice fall upon them. °17 This you will say to them: Let my eyes shed tears
night and day without ceasing! For with a great wound has the virgin daughter
of my people been wounded, a most grievous wound. °18 If I go into the country, I see those slain by the
sword. If I enter the city I see the ravages of famine. For the prophet and
the priest did not understand what was happening in the land.” °19 Have you then rejected Judah forever? Do you abhor
Zion? Why have you wounded us and left us with no hope of recovery? We
hoped for salvation but received nothing good; we waited for healing, but
terror came! °20 Yahweh, we know our wickedness and that of our
ancestors, and the times we have sinned against you. °21 For your name’s sake do not despise us; do not
dishonor the throne of your glory. Remember us. Do not break your covenant
with us! °22 Among the worthless idols of the nations, are there
any who can bring rain, or make the skies send showers? Only
in you, Yahweh our God, do we hope, for it is you who do all this. ¤15 °1 Yahweh
answered me, “Even if Moses and Samuel came in person to plead for this
people, my heart would have no pity. Send them away from my presence! Let
them go! °2 And if they say: ‘Where shall we go?’
tell them: Yahweh says this: Those destined for the plague, to the plague;
for the sword, to the sword; for starvation, to starvation; those for
captivity, to captivity. °3 For I shall send them four kinds of destroyers: the
sword to slay, dogs to ravage, birds of the sky and beasts of the earth to
devour and destroy. °4 I shall make them an object of horror for
all the kingdoms of the world because of what Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king
of Judah, did in Jerusalem. § The horrors of war°5 Who will take pity on you, Jerusalem? Who
will feel sorry for you? Who
will turn to ask how you are? °6 It was you who rejected me – word of
Yahweh – you turned your back on me, and because of that I have stretched out
my hand to destroy you. I
was weary of showing mercy! °7 I winnowed them with a fork in the cities
of the land, I
left my people without children; I
brought them to ruin, but
they did not change their ways. °8 Their widows are more numerous than the sand of the
seas. On the mothers of youths I have brought a destroyer who ravages in
broad daylight. Suddenly terror and fear grips them. °9 The mother who had seven children is confused and
discouraged as if breathing her last. Although it is still day her sun has
set. As
for those who remain, I shall let them be slain by the sword in sight of
their enemies – it is Yahweh who speaks. °12 Can you break iron that comes from the
north, or bronze? °13 I will let your wealth and your treasures
be handed over to plunderers, not
for a price but because of all your sins within your frontiers. °14 You shall be slaves of your enemies among
a people you do not know, for the fury of my anger is on fire and will burn you up.” § Yahweh, remember me!°10 Woe is me, Mother, why did you bring me to the light? A man of dissension throughout the land! I owe them nothing, neither do they owe me, yet they all curse me! °11 Tell me Yahweh, if I have not served you well! Did I not plead with you for my enemies in the time of their shame and disgrace? °15 You know I have, Yahweh! Take care of me, defend me; take vengeance on my persecutors. Remember! For you I have suffered great humiliations. °16 I devoured your words when they came. They were my happiness and I felt full of joy when you made your Name rest on me. Never did I associate with worldly people, °17 amusing myself with scoffers! When your hand was upon me I stood apart and you filled me with your anger. °18 Why is there no end to my sorrow or healing for my wound? Why do you deceive me, and why does my spring suddenly dry up? °19 Then Yahweh spoke to me, “If you return I will take you back and you will serve me again. Draw the gold from the dross and you will be as my own mouth. You must draw them to you and not go over to them. °20 I will make you a fortress and a wall of bronze facing them; if they fight against you they will not overcome you; °21 I am with you to free you and save you. I will redeem you from the wicked and free you from the hands of tyrants.” § Do not take a wife
¤16 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms: °2 “Do not take a wife nor have sons and daughters in this place, °3 for this is what Yahweh says about sons and daughters born here, and about fathers and mothers who bring them to light in this country: °4 All will die of fatal diseases and no one will mourn for them or bury them; their corpses will be like dung on the ground. They will perish by the sword and by starvation and their corpses will be devoured by birds of prey and wild animals.” °5 Yahweh further insisted, “Do not go into a house of mourning; neither weep nor loudly lament with the bereaved for I have already withdrawn my peace from these people – even my unwavering love and compassion. °6 Both the great and the lowly in this country will perish and no one will mourn for them or bury them. No one shall gash his skin or shave his head as an act of mourning. °7 No funeral meal shall be shared to comfort the bereaved or console them on the death of their fathers and mothers. °8 Do not go to a house of celebration to feast with them before foods and drinks, °9 for Yahweh, Saboath God of Israel has this to say: In this place and before your very eyes, I will muffle every sound of pleasure and joy, even the song of the newlywed. °10 When you announce all these things to the people,
they will ask you: ‘Why has Yahweh decided to bring such terrible disasters
on us? What wickedness or sin have we committed against Yahweh our God?’ °11 Then you shall tell them: ‘It is because your
ancestors turned away from me and went after other gods to serve and worship
them. They have forsaken me and refused to obey my Law. °12 But you are worse than your forebearers because each
of you has gone his own evil ways following his stubborn heart in complete
defiance of me. °13 Therefore, I will kick you out of this
land into a place which is strange to you and your forebearers. There, you
will serve other gods day and night, and you will get no compassion from me.’
” °14 Yahweh says, “The days are coming when people will
no longer say, ‘Yahweh is a living God for he brought the Israelites out of
Egypt,’ °15 Rather, they will say, ‘Yahweh is a
living God for he liberated the Israelites out of the northern land and out
of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Yes, I will bring them back
to their own country – the land that I bestowed to their forebearers.” °16 But now Yahweh says, “I am sending for many fishermen
to catch them. Afterwards, I will send for many hunters to hunt them down on
every mountain, hill and cave in the rocks. °17 The
things that they do are manifest before my eyes and the sins that they commit
are not hidden from me. °18 I will make them pay double for their
wickedness and sin; they have contaminated my land with their idols that are
as dead as corpses and have filled it with their abominations.” § Will people make their own gods?°19 Yahweh, my strength and my fortress, my
refuge in times of distress! From
the furthest limits of the earth nations
will come to you and say, “Our
ancestors possessed only falsehood, worthless
idols bereft of power.” °20 Will people make their own gods? Then
they are not gods! °21 Hence Yahweh says: “I will show and
let them know my power and my might. And
they will know that Yahweh is my name.” ¤17 °1 The sin
of Judah is engraved with a tool of steel, with a point of diamond. It is
written on the tablets of their hearts as on the horns of their altars. °2 Their altars and sacred poles witness of it beside
every green tree, °3 on the high hills and in the open
country! I will give away your wealth and your treasures as plunder because
of your sin in the high places of your land. °4 Because of your fault you will lose the land I gave
you. I will give you as slaves to your enemies in a land that you have never
known before, for you have kindled the fire of my anger and it will burn
forever. § Words of wisdom°5 This is what Yahweh says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from Yahweh! °6 He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness. °7 Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Yahweh and whose confidence is in him! °8 He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit. °9 Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him? °10 I, Yahweh, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds. °11 Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay, is someone who hoards riches that he unjustly gained. At the noontime of his life, his wealth will abandon him; at the twilight of his breath, his folly will be confirmed.” °12 What a glorious and exalted throne is our Sanctuary! °13 Yahweh, hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame and those who turn from you will be cast out from your land, for they have rejected Yahweh, the fountain of living water. °14 Heal me, Yahweh, and I shall be whole; save me and I shall be safe, O you, my hope! °15 People say to me, “Where are Yahweh’s threats? Let
them be carried out now!” °16 But I did not urge you to bring
devastation nor
a time of tragic death; you
well know my desire and
my pleading is in your ears. °17 Do not terrorize my heart; be
my refuge in the day of disaster. °18 Let my persecutors be humbled, rather
than me! Let
them be terrified but not me! Let
the day of misfortune fall on them! Crush
them twice over! § Observance of the Sabbath°19 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, “Go and stand at the gate they call the People Gate, where the kings of Judah enter and leave; °20 and tell the king and all the people of Judah that this is what Yahweh says: °21 For the sake of your lives, be careful not to carry a load on the sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. °22 Carry no burden out of your adobes and refrain from work on the day of the sabbath. Uphold its sacredness as I commanded your forefathers. °23 They did not obey me or pay attention to what I said. Stiff-necked as they were, they would not hear or accept my warnings. °24 But if you pay attention – it is Yahweh who speaks –
and keep the sabbath holy, not working or carrying loads °25 through the gates of Jerusalem, then you will be
witnesses to the entry of kings of David’s descent through these gates,
riding in chariots and on horses. You shall see them and their princes along
with the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city
shall last forever. °26 People will come from the towns of Judah and from
the suburbs of Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin, from the Lowland
and the hill country and from the Negeb, bringing into the temple burnt offerings and
sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, as an act of thanksgiving to Yahweh. °27 But if you do not listen and do not keep the sabbath
holy, if you work and carry loads through the gates of Jerusalem, then I will
set fire to those gates. It will burn the city and will not be quenched.” § At the potter’s house¤18 °1 This is the word of Yahweh that came to Jeremiah: °2 “Go down to the potter’s house and there you will hear what I have to say.” °3 So I went to the potter’s house and found him working at the wheel. °4 But the pot he was working on was spoiled in his hands, so he reworked it all over again into another pot that suits his desire. °5 Meanwhile Yahweh sent me his word, °6 “People of Israel, can I not do with you what this potter does? As clay in the potter’s hand so are you in my hands. °7 At times I warn a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot or destroy it. °8 But if they change their ways, I then relent and refrain from doing the harm I had intended to do. °9 At other times I declare that a nation or kingdom will be built up and planted °10 but then they do what displeases me and do not listen to me, so I decide to reverse the good deeds that I intend to do.” °11 And Yahweh added, “Now tell the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem: Yahweh says to you, ‘Listen, I am planning to destroy you; I am hatching a devastating plot against you! Turn from your evil ways; rectify your conduct and your deeds.’ °12 But you reply: ‘It’s no use! We shall follow our own plans’; and each one goes on obeying his stubborn heart.” § My people have forsaken me
°13 Because of this Yahweh has to say: Ask
among the nations, ‘Has
anyone heard the like of this? The
Virgin Israel has done a most abominable thing. °14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave the
rocky heights of the field? Do
the fresh waters of great rivers ever dry up? °15 Yet my people have forgotten me, offering
incense to empty idols that
made them stumble on their way as
they left the ancient paths. Now
they have taken the wrong way, the
crooked way that leads nowhere. °16 Their land will be left desolate, and
an object of lasting derision. All
who pass by will be astonished and
shake their heads. °17 Like the wind that blows from the east I
will scatter them before their enemies; I
will turn my back to them, not my face, in the day of their disaster! § Do not forgive their sin°18 Then, they said, “Come, let us plot against
Jeremiah, for even without him, there will be priests to interpret the
Teachings of the Law; there will always be wisemen to impart counsel and
prophets to proclaim the word. Come, let us accuse him and strike him down
instead of listening to what he says.” °19 Hear me, O Yahweh! Listen
to what my accusers say. °20 Is evil the reward for good? Why
do they dig a grave for me? Remember
how I stood before you to
speak well on their behalf so
that your anger might subside. °21 Now let their children starve; hand
them over to the sword! Let
their wives become childless and widows! Let
their men be victims of plague and
their young men be slain in battle! °22 Let cries be heard in their houses when
you suddenly bring bandits against them, for
they have dug a pit to trap me and
hidden snares to catch my feet. °23 O Yahweh, you know all of their plots to
take my life! Forgive
not their crime; forget not their sin; crush
them on the day of your anger. § The broken jar¤19 °1 This
was an order of Yahweh to Jeremiah, “Go and buy a jar from the potter. Take
with you some elders of the people and a few senior priests, °2 and go out to the valley of Ben-Hinnom at the
entrance to the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there what I tell you. °3 Say this: Hear the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah
and citizens of Jerusalem! Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel is
the one who speaks. I am about to send a disaster upon this place that will
make the ears of those who hear it tingle. °4 Here
they have forsaken me, offering incense to foreign gods that neither they,
their ancestors nor the kings of Judah have known. They have profaned this
place by filling it with the blood of the innocent. °5 They have put up high places for Baal to burn their
children in fire as a sacrifice. This is something that I have never
commanded them to do, much less conceived in my mind. °6 ‘Hence, I, Yahweh, tell you now that the days will
surely come when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of
Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Massacre. °7 In this place I will frustrate the plans of Judah
and Jerusalem and let them be slain by their enemies – the very people who
have doggedly sought their lives. Then, I will commit their corpses to the
birds and the beasts as food. °8 I will transform this city into a
horrible wasteland – an object of scorn and a panorama of horror that will
shock passers-by and make them kiss upon witnessing the terrible catastrophe!
°9 The city will be surrounded by the enemies who have
vowed to massacre the people. No one will be able to flee from this tight
siege and the people in the city will be forced to eat the flesh of one
another, even that of their very own children. °10 Then, you shall break the jar before the people who
have accompanied you °11 and you will tell them that I, Yahweh the
God of hosts, will smash the people of this city like the shattered jar of
the potter which is beyond repair. People will bury the dead even in Topheth,
for there is no more space in the land to bury them. °12 This is precisely what I will do to Jerusalem and
its citizens, making this city like Topheth. °13 The
houses of Jerusalem and the palaces of the kings of Judah will be defiled
like Topheth because the roofs of these houses have been used to burn incense
for the stars of the skies and to pour wine-offerings for strange gods.’ ” § Confrontation in the temple
°14 Then Jeremiah left Topheth where Yahweh had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the porch of the House of Yahweh. There he told all the people, °15 “Listen to the word of Yahweh, God of Israel: I am about to bring on this city and the towns surrounding the disaster that I have already foretold, because they are a stiff-necked people and will not listen to me.” ¤20 °1 When the priest Pashur, son of Immer, who was the chief officer in the House of Yahweh, heard Jeremiah prophesying like this, °2 he ordered his people to beat Jeremiah and put him in chains at the Gate of Benjamin, the upper gate at the House of Yahweh. °3 The next day, after Pashur ordered the release of Jeremiah, the latter told the former, “Yahweh has already changed your name. It is not Pashur anymore but ‘Terror on every side.’ °4 For Yahweh says: I am going to hand you over to terror, you and your friends. They will fall under the sword of their enemies while you look on. I will deliver the people of Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon who will deport them to Babylon or slay them by the sword. °5 I will likewise allow the enemies plunder all the wealth of this city. All the possessions and treasures of the kings of Judah will be seized and carried off to Babylonia. °6 As for you, Pashur, you and your entire family will be taken as captives to Babylon where you will die and be buried – you and all your friends whom you deceived with lies.” § You have seduced me°7 Yahweh, you have seduced me and I let myself be seduced. You have taken me by force and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; they all make fun of me, °8 for every time I speak I have to shout, “Violence! Devastation!” Yahweh’s word has brought me insult and derision all day long. °9 So I decided to forget about him and speak no more in his name. But his word in my heart becomes like a fire burning deep within my bones. I try so hard to hold it in, but I cannot do it. °10 I hear many people whispering, “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!” All my friends watch me to see if I will slip: “Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say; “then we can get the better of him and have our revenge.” °11 But Yahweh, a mighty warrior, is with me. My persecutors will stumble and not prevail; that failure will be their shame and their disgrace will never be forgotten. °12 Yahweh, God of hosts, you test the just and probe the heart and mind. Let me see your revenge on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. °13 Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh and say: he has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked! °14 Cursed be the day I was born! Bless
not the day my mother brought me to light! °15 Cursed be the man who broke the news to
my father: ‘It’s a boy!’ and
it made him joyful! °16 Let him be like the towns that Yahweh destroyed
without mercy. Let
him hear a warning shout in the morning and
a battle cry at noon! °17 For he did not kill me in the womb, that
my mother would have been my grave, and
have carried me forever. °18 Why did I ever leave the womb to
live in trouble and sorrow, and
spend my days in shame? § An answer for Zedekiah¤21 °1 These
words of Yahweh came to Jeremiah when king Zedekiah sent Pashur, son of
Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, to say to him: °2 “Consult Yahweh on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylon, has started a war with us. Perhaps Yahweh will work a few of
his miracles and make the enemy withdraw.” °3 Jeremiah replied, “This is what Yahweh the God of
Israel says to Zedekiah: °4 I am about to bring back to you the
weapons with which you are fighting outside the wall the king of Babylon and
the Chaldeans who are besieging you; and I will pile up these weapons in the
center of the city. °5 Then I myself will fight against you with
outstretched hand and mighty arm, with anger and fury and great wrath, °6 I will strike all in the city, both humans and
animals, and they will perish in a terrible plague. °7 After this – it is Yahweh who speaks – I will hand
over Zedekiah, king of Judah, his servants and the citizens who survive the
plague, the sword and famine over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I will
hand them over to their enemies, to those who have been hounding their blood.
They shall be slain without mercy or compassion.” °8 Then Yahweh instructed me to say this to the people:
“Take heed! I, Yahweh, am presenting you a choice between the way that leads
to life and the way that leads to death. °9 Those
who remain in the confines of the city will meet their deaths by the sword,
famine or plague; those who go out and surrender to the Chaldeans besieging
the city will live and will be the only ones to be saved. °10 For I am turning to this city for its ruin, not for
its good – word of Yahweh – it will be given over to the king of Babylon who
will destroy it by fire.” § Address to the royal family
°11 You will give this message to the King’s officials.
To the royal family of Judah say this: °12 Officials
of David’s palace, hear the word of Yahweh: “Give
judgment each morning and
deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, lest
my fury break loose like a fire with
no one to quench it.” °13 This is Yahweh’s word, “See, I am coming
to you who
live in the hills overlooking the valley, you
who say, ‘Who will come against us and enter this secure place?’ °14 I will punish you according to your
deeds, and
in your forests I will kindle a fire that
will devour all that surrounds it.” § Against evil kings¤22 °1 Yahweh
said to me, “Go to the palace of the king of Judah and give him this message:
°2 Hear the word of Yahweh, O king of Judah who sit on
the throne of David. To you, your servants and all who enter by these gates, °3 Yahweh says: Practice
justice and do good. Free
the oppressed from their oppressor. Harm
not the foreigners, the orphans and the widows; do them no violence, and let
no innocent blood be spilled in this place. °4 If you do this, kings succeeding King
David will enter these gates riding on their chariots and horses, together
with their servants and their people. °5 But if you do not heed my word –
it is Yahweh who speaks I swear by myself that this place will become a
ruin.” °6 For this is what Yahweh says of the royal house of
Judah: For
me you are like Gilead, like a peak of Lebanon! And yet I will transform you
into a desert, a city where no one lives. °7 I will
prepare destroyers to attack you, each with an axe in his hand. They will cut
down your choice cedars and throw them into the fire. °8 Pagans without number will pass by this city and say
to one another, “Why has Yahweh dealt with this great city in such a way?” °9 And they will answer, “Because they broke their
covenant with Yahweh, their God, and worshiped and served other gods!” °10 Weep not for the one who is dead! grieve
not for him. Mourn
rather for him who is in exile for he will never return to see his homeland
again! °11 For this is what Yahweh has said of King
Josiah’s son, Shallum, who succeeded his father as king of Judah: °12 “He will never return, for he will die in
the place to which he has been deported and will never see this land again. § Against Jehoiakim°13 Damned is the one who builds his house with stolen goods, and extends it upwards by means of injustice; he who makes his fellowman work for nothing and refuses to give him his wages! °14 So you build for yourself a fine palace with spacious upper rooms! So you have large windows put in, you have it paneled with cedarwood and painted vermillion. °15 Does amassing cedar make you more of a king? Was not your father a just man? He ate and drank to his life’s content, but he acted justly and all went well for him. °16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy: this is the meaning of knowing Yahweh. °17 But your eyes and heart are set on selfish gain, on the shedding of innocent blood, and oppressive violence. °18 Therefore this is what Yahweh says concerning
Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: No
one shall lament for him saying: Alas, my brother! Alas, O sister! No one
shall lament for him saying: Alas, my lord! Alas, your majesty! °19 He will be given the burial of a donkey, dragged
away and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem. °20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out; weep
from the heights of Bashan cry
out from Abarim, for
all your lovers have been crushed. °21 I spoke to you in more fortunate days, but
you said: ‘I will not listen.’ You
have been like that since your youth, paying
no attention to my word. °22 All your shepherds will be scattered by
the wind and your lovers will be taken captive; then you will be covered with
shame because of your evil deeds. °23 You who call your house: ‘Lebanon’ and
made your nest of cedarwood, how
you will groan when sorrow comes like the birthpangs of a woman in labor! °24 By my life – says Yahweh – even if Jeconiah,
Jehoiakim’s son, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand I would
pull him off! °25 I will hand you to those who seek your life, to the
Chaldeans you fear. °26 Then I will hurl you and the mother who
bore you into a foreign land where you were not born. There you shall die, °27 for to the land for which you long, you will never
return!” °28 Is this Jeconiah a broken and useless crock that no
one wants? Why has he been expelled, he and his family, to a land they do not
know? °29 Land, land, land! Hear what Yahweh says. °30 These are his words, “List this man as childless!”
None of his race will succeed; not one will be fortunate to sit on David’s
throne and rule again over Judah. § The good shepherd¤23 °1 “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” °2 This is the message of Yahweh, God of Israel, to the shepherds in charge of my people, “You have scattered my sheep and driven them away instead of caring for them. Now I will deal with you because of your evil deeds. °3 I will gather the remnant of my sheep from every land to which I have driven them and I will bring them back to the grasslands. They will be fruitful and increase in number. °4 I will appoint shepherds who will take care of them. No longer will they fear or be terrified. No one will be lost.” °5 Yahweh further says, “The day is coming when I will raise up a
king who is David’s righteous successor. He will rule wisely and govern with
justice and righteousness. °6 That will be a
grandiose era when Judah will enjoy peace and Israel will live in safety. He
will be calledYahweh-Our-Justice!” °7 “The days are coming,” says Yahweh, “when people
shall no longer swear by Yahweh as the living God who freed the people of
Israel from the land of Egypt. °8 Rather, they will swear by Yahweh as the
living God who restored the descendants of Israel from the northern empire
and from all the lands where he had driven them, to live again in their own
land!” § Lying prophets°9 About the prophets: My
heart breaks within me, and
all my bones tremble, I
am like a drunken man, like
a man overcome by wine because
of Yahweh and his holy words. °10 The land is full of adulterers. Because of this I
put a curse on the country; it is in mourning and the desert grasslands have
withered. They follow an evil path and readily act unjustly. °11 Even the prophet and the priest are corrupt; I have
found out about their wickedness in my House – word of Yahweh. °12 That is why their path will become slippery in the
dark, making them stumble and fall when I bring evil upon them in the year of
their punishment. °13 I well know how stupid the prophets of Samaria were;
they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people Israel astray. °14 But among the prophets of Jerusalem I have likewise
seen horrors: for they are adulterers and liars! They
encourage the evildoers so that none of them turns away from wickedness. For
me all of them are like Sodom; and the common people like Gomorrah. °15 That is why Yahweh the God of hosts speaks against
the prophets: I will give them bitter food to eat and poisoned water to
drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem evil has spread all over the land. °16 Thus Yahweh warns, “Do not listen to what the
prophets say. They give you false hope and tell you their own illusions, and
not what comes from the mouth of Yahweh. °17 They
dare say to those who despise me: ‘Yahweh has spoken, be at peace’; and to
those who follow their own stubborn hearts they say: ‘No misfortune will come
upon you!’ °18 Who then has been present in the council of Yahweh?
Who has heard and understood his word? Who has paid attention to his word and
is able to pass it on? °19 The storm of Yahweh’s wrath breaks forth and a
whirling hurricane bursts upon the head of the wicked! °20 Yahweh’s wraths will not relent before the full accomplishment
of his plans. The time will come when you will understand what it is. °21 I did not send these prophets, yet they went
running. I did not speak, yet they prophesied! °22 Were
they present in my council? Then let them proclaim my word to my people and
have them turn away from their evil ways and their wicked deeds. °23 Am I a God only when I am near – it is Yahweh who
speaks – and not when I am far off? °24 If
someone hides in secret places do I not see him? – Do I not fill the heavens
and the earth? °25 I have listened and heard the lies that the prophets
have proclaimed in my name. All said: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ °26 How long will there be prophets of lies who proclaim
their own illusions? °27 They would like to make the people forget
my Name by the dreams they relate to one another, just as their ancestors
forgot my Name when they followed Baal. °28 The
prophet who has a dream prophesies a dream, whereas the one who receives my
word proclaims the word of truth. What
have straw and wheat in common? °29
Isn’t my word like
fire, like the hammer that shatters a rock? °30 That is why I oppose the prophets who steal from one
another words that are supposedly mine. °31 I am
against the prophets who have only to move their tongues to utter oracles. °32 I am against those whose prophecies are based on
lying dreams, who lead my people astray with their trickery and pretensions.
I did not commission or charge them to transmit my orders, so they are of no
benefit to my people – word of Yahweh. °33 And when these people, or a prophet or a priest
jestingly asks you: What is the ‘Burden’ of Yahweh? you will answer: ‘You are
the burden – and I am going to get rid of you.’ This is Yahweh’s word. °34 And the prophets, priests or common people who say:
‘Burden’ of Yahweh, will be punished, and their household as well. °35 This is what you should say, to one another, among
yourselves, “What is Yahweh’s answer?” or “What has Yahweh said?” °36 But there must be no mention of “Burden” of Yahweh
for it shall be burdensome for the one who says it. °37 And if you want to know, °38 this
is what Yahweh says: °39 Since you use this expression in spite of my
prohibition, I will cast you off and thrust you out of my sight, – you and
the city I gave to you and your ancestors. °40 I will
bring upon you everlasting shame and dishonor that will be yours forever. § The two baskets of figs¤24 °1 Yahweh
showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the Temple. It was after
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had deported Jekoniah, son of Jehoiakim, king
of Judah together with the princes of Judah, the blacksmiths and metalworkers
and had taken them to Babylon. °2 One of the baskets had choice figs that ripen early,
the other had bad ones, so bad that they couldn’t be eaten. °3 Yahweh said to me, “What do you see Jeremiah?” I
replied, “Figs. The good figs are excellent but the bad figs are so rotten
they cannot be eaten!” °4 So the word of Yahweh came to me: °5 “Just as these figs are good, so do I consider good
those who have been deported from Judah to the land of the Chaldeans. °6 I will look kindly on them and bring them back to
this land. I will restore and not destroy them, I will plant and not uproot
them. °7 I will dispose their heart to know me as
Yahweh. They will be my people and I will be their God for they will come
back to me with all their heart. °8 “But as far as King Zedekiah of Judah is concerned,
I will deal with him as one deals with rotten figs – so rotten they cannot be
eaten. I will likewise deal with his princes and the remnants of Jerusalem –
those who have stayed in the country and those who have migrated to Egypt. °9 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the
earth, a reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule, a curse in all the
countries to which I will drive them. °10 I will
also bring sword, famine and plague upon them until they are utterly erased
from the land I gave to them and to their ancestors. § Seventy years of captivity¤25 °1 This is
the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the
fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, which was the first year of
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. °2 And this word was transmitted by the
prophet Jeremiah to all the people of Judah and to all the citizens of
Jerusalem: °3 “For twenty-three years, that is, from the
thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon until today, the word of Yahweh has
come to me and I have continuously spoken to you, °4 but you
would not listen. Besides Yahweh has sent his servants the prophets to you
again and again, but you neither listened nor paid attention. °5 They said, ‘Turn from your evil ways and repent of
your wicked deeds that you may live in the land that Yahweh gave to you and
your ancestors forever and ever. °6
Do not turn after
other gods to serve and worship them. Do not provoke my anger with these
things your own hands have made, and I will do you no harm.’ °7 But you refused to listen – it is Yahweh who speaks
– and provoked my anger with these gods you yourselves have made to your own
detriment. °8 That is why Yahweh God of hosts says to you: Since
you have not listened to what I said, °9 I will
summon all the clans of the north – it is Yahweh who speaks – and my steward
Nebuchadnezzar will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and
against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy these people,
making them desolate, an object of ridicule, an everlasting ruins. °10 I will banish from them every sound of joy and
happiness, the song of the bride and bridegroom, the noise of the mill and
the light of the lamp. °11 All the land will be a ruin and a desolation and for
seventy years these nations will serve the king of Babylon. °12 (But after seventy years I will punish the king of
Babylon and his nation for their guilt – it is Yahweh who speaks – and I will
make it forever desolate!) °13 On this land I will now bring all that I foretold,
all that is written in this book. °14
They will be subject
to great nations and kings! I will repay them according to their deeds and
the work of their hands.” § The cup of God’s wrath°15 Yahweh, the God of Israel, instructed me, “Take from
my hand this cup of wine and let all the nations to whom I send you drink
from it. °16 They will drink and stagger and lose
control of their minds before the sword I am sending among them.” °17 So I took the cup from Yahweh’s hand and made all
the nations to whom he sent me drink from it: °18 ( ) to
bring them in ruins, a desolation which is an object of ridicule and curses,
as they are today. °19 Then I gave it to Pharaoh king of Egypt,
to his ministers, his princes and all his people, to all the countries of the
west, °20 to all the kings of Uz, to all the kings
of the Philistines in Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and those left at Ashdod; °21 to all the people of Edom, Moab and Ammon; °22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon: the kings of the
coastlands across the sea; °23 Deda, Tama, Buz and °24 all the kings of Arabia and the kings of the west
and the kings of those who live in the desert; °25 all
the kings of Zimri, Elim and Media and °26 all
the kings of the north, far and near, one after the other; all the kings that
are found on the face of the earth! And after them the king of Babylon shall
drink it! °27 You will say to them, “This is the message of Yahweh
the God of hosts and the God of Israel: ‘Drink, get drunk, vomit, fall
without raising again in front of the sword I am sending against you.’ °28 But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to
drink, tell them, ‘Yahweh the God of hosts has spoken: You also must drink. °29 When you see that I am punishing first the city
where my Name rests, do you think you will be spared? No, you will not, for I
am personally bringing down a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth – it
is Yahweh God of hosts who speaks.’ °30 You will communicate all these words to them and
say, “Yahweh roars on high and from his holy dwelling threatens all the
inhabitants of the world. His mighty roar echoes to the farthest ends of the
earth. °31 For Yahweh judges all the nations and
passes sentence against all humankind, and he abandons the wicked to the
sword – word of Yahweh.” °32 Yahweh, God of hosts, says, “See, disaster spreads
from nation to nation. A storm arises from the ends of the earth. °33 On that day Yahweh’s victims will be spread from one
end of the earth to the other. No one will mourn for them; no one will gather
them up or bury them – they will be like dung on the soil! °34 Howl, shepherds, and lament! Roll
in the dust you leaders of flocks for the day of slaughter and dispersal has
come for you and you will fall like fattened rams. °35 The shepherds will find no refuge and the leaders of
the the flocks will not be able to escape. °36 The shepherds cry out and the leaders of flocks
wail, °37 for Yahweh lays waste the grasslands, and
the pastures are silent because of the fury of Yahweh’s anger. °38 Like a lion he leaves his lair; because of his
fierce wrath the land has been stricken by the sword and has become a
wasteland.” § Jeremiah is arrested and judged¤26 °1 At the beginning of the reign of Judah’s king Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: °2 Yahweh says this, “Stand in the courtyard of Yahweh’s House and say to all who come from the towns of Judah to worship in Yahweh’s house – all that I command you to say; do not omit anything! °3 Perhaps they will listen to you. Perhaps each one will turn from his wicked ways. Then I will change my mind and forget the destruction that I have planned to inflict on them because of their wicked deeds. °4 Tell them: This is what Yahweh says: “You have not obeyed me and you have failed to walk according to my Law which I have set before you. °5 You have not heeded my servants, the prophets, whom I have persistently sent to you. If you stubbornly close your ears to them, °6 I will treat this House of mine as I treated the sanctuary of Shiloh and let all the nations see that Jerusalem is a cursed city.” °7 The priests, the prophets and all the people heard what Jeremiah said in Yahweh’s House. °8 When Jeremiah finished saying all that Yahweh had commanded, he was besieged by the priests and prophets saying, “You are bound to die! °9 How dare you speak in Yahweh’s Name telling us that this House will be treated like Shiloh and this city is to become a deserted ruins.” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the House of Yahweh. °10 Upon hearing this, the leaders of Judah came up from the king’s palace to the House of Yahweh and took their place at the entrance of the New Gate. °11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the leaders of the people: “This man must die for he has spoken against the city as you have heard with your own ears!” °12 Jeremiah replied, “I have been sent by Yahweh to prophesy against this House and this city all that you have heard. °13 Hence, reform your ways and your deeds and obey Yahweh your God that he may change his mind and not bring upon you the destruction he had intended. °14 As for me I am in your hands; do with me whatever you consider just and right. °15 But know that I am innocent and if you take my life you commit a crime that is a curse on yourselves, on the city and the people. In truth it was Yahweh who sent me to say all that I said in your hearing.” °16 Then the leaders, backed by the people, said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve death; he spoke to us in the Name of Yahweh.” °17 Some of the elders of the land addressed the people’s assembly saying, °18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied publicly in the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Zion will become like a field, Jerusalem a heap of rubble and the Temple Mount a hill of overgrown thickets.’ °19 Did King Hezekiah of Judah and the people of Judah kill him? They instead feared Yahweh and implored his pardon until they succeeded in their plea to make him change his mind; and Yahweh did not inflict the harm with which he had threatened them. How can we commit such a crime?” °20 There was another man, by the name of Uriah son of
Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim who also prophesied in the name of Yahweh. He spoke
against this city and this country in words similar to those of Jeremiah. °21 When King Jehoiakim together with his officials
heard his words, he decided to do away with him. When Uriah came to know
about it, he was scared and fled to Egypt. °22 But King
Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Achbor with some people into Egypt. °23 They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King
Jehoiakim who had him slain and his body thrown into the common people’s
burial place. °24 As for Jeremiah he was befriended by Ahikam, son of
Shaphan, and was not handed over to those who wanted him put to death. § The yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
¤27 °1 In the
beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, son of Josiah, the word of Yahweh came to
Jeremiah in this way, °2 “Make for yourself ropes and a yoke and
put them on your neck. °3 Then send word to the kings of Edom,
Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through their ambassadors, who have come to
Jerusalem, to see Zedekiah king of Judah. °4 Give
them these instructions for their masters: Yahweh
God of hosts tells you what you ought to say to your masters: °5 By means of my great power and mighty deeds I made
the earth, as well as the people and animals that inhabit it, and I give them
to whom ever I wish. °6 Now I have given all these lands into the
hands of my steward Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and I will even make the
beasts of the field subject to him. °7 All
nations will serve him, his son and his grandson until the time for his land
comes and then he will be overpowered by powerful nations and great kings. °8 As for the nation or kingdom that refuses to serve
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, I will punish it with the sword, famine and
plague – word of Yahweh – until I completely wipe it out. °9 Hence you must no longer pay attention to your prophets,
diviners, interpreters of dreams, astrologists or sorcerers who say that you
must not submit yourselves to the king of Babylon. °10 For
they are prophets of lies which will cause you to be finally driven from your
land. I myself will drive you out and you will perish. °11 But the nation that submits to the yoke of the king
of Babylon and serves him, that nation I will leave in its own land – word of
Yahweh – to till it and live there.” °12 Then I gave the same message to King Zedekiah of
Judah, “Place your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Serve him and
his people and you will live. °13 Why should you and your people die by the
sword, famine and plague as Yahweh has threatened any nation that will not
serve the king of Babylon? °14 Do not listen to the prophets when they
say, ‘You will not have to serve the king of Babylon.’ For they are deceiving
you with their prophesies. °15 I did not send them, says Yahweh, and
they falsely use my name in their prophesying. Let it not be that I drive you
out of your land and you perish, you and the prophets who have spoken to
you.” °16 Then I spoke to the priests and the people, “Yahweh
tells you not to listen to your prophets who say: ‘Very soon now the articles
from Yahweh’s House will be brought back from Babylon.’ They prophesy lies. °17 Do not listen to them; instead serve the king of
Babylon and survive. Why should this city become a ruins? °18 If they were prophets and if they had Yahweh’s word
in their hearts, they would now be praying to Yahweh God of hosts not to
allow the objects still remaining in the House of Yahweh and in the royal
palace and in Jerusalem to be carried off to Babylon. °19 For, Yahweh says something about the pillars, the
Sea, the movable stands and the other objects still in this city °20 which Nebuchadnezzar did not carry off when he
deported Jekoniah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon
together with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. °21 Yes, this is what Yahweh the God of hosts says about
the objects remaining in the House of Yahweh and in the royal palace in
Jerusalem: °22 “They will be taken to Babylon and there
they will remain until the day I deal with them. Then I will bring them back
and restore them to this place.” § Jeremiah and Hananiah¤28 °1 Early in the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah spoke to me. Hananiah son of Azzur from Gibeon proclaimed in Yahweh’s House in the presence of the priests and the people, °2 “This is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. °3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the objects that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took away from Yahweh’s House and carried to Babylon. °4 I will likewise bring back Jekoniah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all who were taken from Judah and deported to Babylon. For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon – word of Yahweh.” °5 Then Jeremiah replied to Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people, °6 “So be it! May Yahweh fulfill the words you have spoken and bring back from Babylon to this place the objects taken from the House of Yahweh and all the exiles. °7 Yet hear now what I say in your hearing and the hearing of all the people. °8 The prophets who came before you and me continually prophesied war, disaster and plague to many nations and great kingdoms. °9 So the prophet who prophesies peace will not be recognized as truly sent by Yahweh, until his predictions are fulfilled.” °10 Then Hananiah took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah and broke it. °11 Hananiah proclaimed in the presence of all the people, “Yahweh says this: In the same manner within two years will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar from the neck of all the nations.” Then Jeremiah the prophet went on his way. °12 Some time later, a word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, °13 “Go and tell this to Hananiah: This is what Yahweh says: You have broken a wooden yoke but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. °14 For this is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: I am placing a yoke of iron on the neck of all the nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.” °15 Then Jeremiah said to Hananiah, “Listen! Hananiah, you have not been sent by Yahweh and yet you have deceived these people, giving them false hope with your lies. °16 That is why Yahweh says with regard to you: I am removing you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against Yahweh.” °17 And in the seventh month of that year Hananiah died. §PROPHECIES OF BLESSING
§ The letter to the exiles
¤29 °1 This is
the text of the letter the prophet Jeremiah sent to the rest of the elders,
to the priests, the prophets and to all the people that Nebuchadnezzar had
deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. °2 This
was after King Jekoniah, the queen mother, the officials, the princes of
Judah and Jerusalem, the smiths and metalworkers had left Jerusalem. °3 The letter was hand-carried by Elasah son of Shaphan
and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King
Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: °4 This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says to all those deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: °5 “Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat what they produce, °6 marry and have children, seek wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too will have children. While there, increase in number; do not decrease. °7 Pull yourselves together for the welfare of the land to which I have sent you and intercede on its behalf as you pray to Yahweh; for its welfare will be your welfare.” °10 This is what Yahweh says, “When the seventy years allowed to Babylon have been completed I will come to you and fulfill my promise of restoring you back to this place. °11 For I know what my plans for you are, plans to save you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and to give you hope.” °12 And Yahweh says, “When you call on me I will listen. °13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” °14 For Yahweh says, “I will let myself be found by you and I will gather you from among all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you and bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. °15 Indeed you are trusting in prophets allegedly raised
for you by Yahweh in Babylon. °16 But this is the word of Yahweh: °8 Do not be deceived by the prophets and seers who are
among you. Do not believe in their dreams or be confident in their illusions.
°9 For I did not send them and they take advantage of
my name to foretell lies. As for the king who sits on the throne of David and
all the people who live in this city (your kinsfolk who did not go into exile
with you); °17 thus says Yahweh God of hosts, “I am
sending sword, famine and plague against them. I will make them like rotten
figs, so rotten they cannot be eaten. °18 I will
pursue them with sword, famine and plague. They will be a horror for all the
kingdoms of the earth, a curse, an abomination, a sign of desolation, mockery
and ridicule among all the nations where I scatter them. °19 For they did not heed my words when I sent them
again and again my servants, the prophets. They refused to pay attention. °20 As for you, exiles, whom I sent away from Jerusalem
to Babylon, hear the word of Yahweh. °21 This
is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says concerning Ahab
son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah who prophesy lies in my name, “I
will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and he will slay them
before your eyes. °22 This will give rise to a curse widely
used by the captives from Judah in Babylon: ‘May the Lord treat you like
Zedekiah and Ahab, who were roasted in the fire by the king of Babylon!’ °23 for they have acted outrageously: they have
committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have used my name to
proclaim lies which I did not command them. I know it and have witnessed it,”
declares Yahweh. °24 After that Shemaiah of Nehelam °25 sent letters in his own name to all the people in
Jerusalem and to Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah the priest and to all the priests
saying, °26 “Yahweh has made you priest in place of
Jehoiada to be in charge in the House of Yahweh to arrest every mad prophet
and put him in the stocks and neck-irons. °27 So why
have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, a would-be prophet in your midst? °28 In this role he sent a message to us in Babylon: You
will be there for a long time! Build houses and live in them; plant gardens
and eat their produce.” °29 When Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the
hearing of the prophet Jeremiah, °30
the word of Yahweh
came to Jeremiah, °31 “Send this message to all the exiles:
This is what Yahweh says concerning Shemaiah of Nehelam: Shemaiah prophesied
although I did not send him and he made you trust in lies. °32 Because of that I will punish Shemaiah and his
descendants; none of them will live to witness the blessings I will bestow on
my people, for he incited my people to rebel against Yahweh.” § The restoration of the northern kingdom
¤30 °1 This is
another word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh: °2 Yahweh, God of Israel says, “Write in a book all that
I have communicated to you, °3 for the days are coming when I shall
bring my captive people Israel and Judah back to the land I gave to their
ancestors as their inheritance.” °4 These are words spoken by Yahweh to Israel: °5 We have heard cries of fear, terror
and not peace! °6 Ask and see: Does
a man bear children? Then
why do I see every strong man with
his hands on his hips like a woman in labor, every
face turned a ghastly color? °7 How terrible that day! there
is none to equal it! It
is a time of distress for Jacob, but
he will be saved. °8 On that day, – declares Yahweh of hosts – I will
break the yoke around his neck and burst his bonds, that strangers may no
longer enslave them. °9 They will instead serve Yahweh their God
and David their king whom I will raise up for them. °10 Yahweh says, “Fear not, Jacob my servant. Be not
dismayed, Israel, for I will rescue you and your descendants from that
far-off land where you are captive. Jacob shall return and know peace,
molested by no one. °11 I am with you to save you. I will utterly destroy
the nations where you are scattered. You alone shall not be destroyed, but I
will discipline you justly and not let you go unpunished.” °12 Yahweh says, “Your
wound is incurable, your
injury is grievous. °13 There is no one to plead your cause. There
is a remedy for an ulcer but
no healing for you! °14 All your lovers have forgotten you; they
care nothing for you. For
I struck you as an enemy does, with
a cruel punishment, because
of your great guilt and
the wickedness of your sin. °15 Why cry out now that you are hurt? Is
there no cure for your pain? Because
of your great crime and grievous sin I have done this to you. °16 Yet all who devour you will be devoured. Your
oppressors will be taken captive; your plunderers will be plundered and those
who despise you will be despised. °17
Because you were
called ‘outcast – Zion for whom no one cares,’ I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,” says Yahweh. °18 Yahweh says, “I will restore my people into Jacob’s
tents and have pity on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt over its ruins
and the palace restored on its proper place. °19 From
them will come songs of praise and the sound of merrymaking. I
will multiply them and they shall not be few. I will bestow honor on them and
they shall not be despised. °20 Their children will be as before and
their community will be established before me. I will ask their oppressors to
account. °21 Their leader will be one of themselves, their ruler
shall emerge from their midst. I will bring him close to me for who would
dare to approach me? °22 You shall be my people and I shall be
your God.” °23 See the storm of Yahweh bursting forth in fury; like
the turmoil of a hurricane it sweeps down on the head of the wicked. °24 The fierce wrath of Yahweh will not turn away until
he has done and accomplished the purpose of his heart. In
the latter days you will understand this. ¤31 °1 Yahweh
declares that when that time comes he will be the God of all the families of
Israel, and they will be his people. °2 Thus says Yahweh: The people who survived the sword
have found grace in the desert. As Israel was seeking for his rest °3 Yahweh appeared from afar saying, I have loved you
with a love everlasting, so I have kept for you my mercy. °4 I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel! You
will take up your tambourines and go out dancing joyfully.°5 You will plant vineyards again on the hills of
Samaria, and the farmers who plant them will enjoy their fruit. °6 There shall be a day when watchmen will call out on
the hills of Ephraim, “Come, let us go to Zion, to Yahweh our God!” °7 For Yahweh says this: Shout with joy for
Jacob; rejoice
for the greatest of nations. Proclaim
your praise and say: “Yahweh
has saved his people, the
remnant of Israel!” °8 Look, I will bring them back from the
land of the north, gather them from the ends of the earth, the lame and the
blind, mothers and women in labor – a great throng will return. °9 They went away weeping, they
will return in joy. I
will lead them by the streams of water, on a level path so that no one will
stumble, for
I am Israel’s father and Ephraim is my firstborn. § He who scattered Israel now gathers them!°10 Hear the word of Yahweh, O nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands: He who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock. °11 For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. °12 They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to Yahweh’s blessings – the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden; no more will they be afflicted. °13 Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow. °14 I will fill the priests with abundance, and
satisfy my people with my bounty –
this is Yahweh’s word. °15 Thus speaks Yahweh: “In Ramah, a voice of mourning and great weeping is heard, Rachel wailing for her children and refusing to be consoled, for her children are no more.” °16 Yahweh says this to her: “Weep no more and wipe the tears of your eyes; your sorrow will have redress. They will come back from the enemy’s land. °17 There is hope for your descendants; your children will return to their own borders. °18 I heard Ephraim saying in grief: ‘You disciplined me like an untamed calf, and I have been disciplined. Bring me back, and I will return, for you are my God, my Lord. °19 Yes, I strayed, but I have repented. Now I understand and I beat my breast; I bear the disgrace of my youth, and I blush with shame and humiliation.’ °20 Is not Ephraim my favored son, the child in whom I delight? Often have I threatened him, but I still remember him, and my heart yearns for him. I must show him mercy,” declares Yahweh. °21 Set up road signs, put
up guideposts; focus
your attention to the highway, the
road by which you went. Return,
O virgin Israel, return
to these cities of yours. °22 How long will you remain wandering, O
unfaithful daughter? Yahweh
is creating something new on earth – the
woman finds her husband again.” § Restoration of Judah°23 These are words of Yahweh, God of hosts and God of
Israel, “When I bring back the captives to the land of Judah and its towns,
the people will once more use the expression: ‘Yahweh bless you, O dwelling
of righteousness, holy mountain!’ °24 All Judah and its towns, the farmer and those who
move about with their herds will live there in peace. °25 I will refresh the weary and lift up the
downhearted.” °26 Then I awoke and looked around; my sleep had been
peaceful. °27 “The days are coming – this is the word of Yahweh –
when I shall sow the people of Israel and the people of Judah with the seed
of man and of beasts. °28 It will happen that just as I watched
over them to uproot and overthrow, to destroy and bring disaster, so shall I
likewise build and plant – word of Yahweh. °29 No longer will it be said: ‘The parents have eaten
sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ °30 Instead everyone will die because of their own sin;
whoever eats sour grapes will have his teeth set on edge! § The new covenant°31 The time is coming – it is Yahweh who speaks – when I will forge a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. °32 It will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. For they broke my covenant although I was their Lord. °33 This is the covenant I shall make with Israel after that time: I will put my Law within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God and they will be my people. °34 And they will not have to teach each other, neighbor or brother, saying: ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the greatest to the lowliest, for I will forgive their wrongdoing and no longer remember their sin.” °35 This is the word of Yahweh, he
who gives the sun for light during the day and orders the moon and the stars
to give light at night, he
who stirs the sea and makes the waves roar, and who is called Yahweh, God of
hosts: °36 “Only if these laws vanish from my sight, – says
Yahweh – will the descendants of Israel cease to be a nation before me. °37 Only when the skies above are measured and the
foundations of the earth are found below, only then will I reject the
descendants of Israel because of what they have done – word of Yahweh. °38 Behold, the days are coming when the city will be
rebuilt for Yahweh from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate °39 and the measuring tape will stretch from there to
the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. °40 The
whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown and all the fields as far
as the brook of Kidron and the corner of the Horse Gate on the east will be
holy to Yahweh. Never again will the city be uprooted, never again
destroyed.” § Jeremiah buys a field¤32 °1 This is
the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah’s reign as king of Judah, the
eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. °2 At that
time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem and the prophet
Jeremiah was imprisoned in the Guards’ Courtyard of the royal palace of
Judah. °3 Zedekiah king of Judah had him shut up after saying
to him, “Why do you prophesy in the name of Yahweh as you do? Yes, you said:
‘I am going to hand this city to the king of Babylon who will take it. °4 And King Zedekiah will not escape from the
Chaldeans; he will be delivered into the power of the king of Babylon, speak
face to face to him and see him with his own eyes. °5 Zedekiah
will be brought to Babylon where he will remain until I deal with him. In any
case your fight against the Chaldeans is hopeless’.” °6 So at that time the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah:
°7 ‘Hanamel, son of your uncle Shallum, is going to
visit you and ask you to buy his field at Anathoth as it is your right to do
so.’ °8 Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the
courtyard of the Guards and said, ‘Purchase my field at Anathoth since you
have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for
yourself.’ °9 I then understood this was the word of Yahweh and I
bought the field from Hanamel and I weighed out the silver for it, seventeen
shekels of silver. °10 Then I signed and sealed the deed, had it
witnessed and the silver weighed on the scales. °11 Then I
took the deed of purchase (the sealed copy containing the terms and
conditions and the open copy). °12
I gave the deed of
purchase to Baruch, son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of
Hanamel my uncle and the witnesses who signed the deed and before all the
Jews who were sitting in the court of the Guards. °13 Then
in their presence I commanded Baruch: °14 This is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of
Israel says: Take these documents, both the sealed and the unsealed copies of
the deed of purchase. Place them in an earthenware jar so that they may last
a long time °15 for Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel
says this: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.” § Prayer of Jeremiah°16 When I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son
of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh: °17
“Ah, Lord Yahweh, you
have made the heavens and the earth with your great power and mighty deeds.
Nothing is impossible to you! °18 You show mercy to thousands but bring the
punishment for the parents’ sins on their children. Great and Mighty, Yahweh
God of hosts is your name! °19 You are great in planning and mighty in
deeds, your eyes follow the ways of all the humans, and you give to each one
according to his conduct and the fruit of their actions. °20 You have continually worked signs and wonders, in
the land of Egypt, in Israel and among all humankind. Hence you have become
famous, as we see today. °21 You brought your people from the land of
Egypt with signs and wonders, with your great power and your mighty deeds. °22 You gave your people this land which you had
promised with an oath to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.
°23 But as soon as they entered and conquered
it, they did not listen to you and did not walk according to your Law. They
refused to do what you commanded and you brought great misfortune on them. °24 You see, O Yahweh, the mounds built up to take the
city are reaching it. And the city exhausted by the sword, famine and plague
will be given over to the Chaldeans. What you foretold has happened as you
can now see! °25 And yet you told me, O Lord Yahweh, to
buy a field with silver and have the purchase witnessed in the very days the
city is falling to the Chaldeans!” § God’s answer°26 The word of Yahweh then came to Jeremiah: °27 “I am Yahweh, the God of all humankind. Is there
anything impossible for me? °28 Therefore this is what Yahweh says: I am
about to hand the city over to the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon who will take it. °29 The Chaldeans who are attacking the city
will come in and set it on fire. They will burn the houses where the people
aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal and pouring drink offerings to
foreign gods. °30 For the people of Israel and Judah have
done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. °31 All they did was to arouse my anger with the work of
their hands – it is Yahweh who speaks – for this city has so aroused my anger
and fury from the time it was built to this day, °32 that I
must remove it from my sight. It is on account of all the evil the people of
Israel and Judah have done to anger me – they, their kings and princes, their
priests and prophets, the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. °33 They turned their backs to me and not their faces.
Although I taught them time and time again they did not listen nor have they
learned the lesson. °34 They even put their idols in the
sanctuary that houses my Name to defile it. °35 They
built high places to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom where they worshipped
Baal and sacrificed their sons and daughters to Moloch. This I never
commanded nor did I ever think they could do such a detestable thing and so
make Judah so sinful. § I will bring them back
°36 As you say, this city exhausted by the sword, famine
and plague will be handed over to the king of Babylon. But now listen to what
Yahweh the God of Israel says: °37
“See, I am going to
gather them from all the countries where I scattered them in my anger, fury
and great wrath. I
will bring them back to this place and have them live in safety. °38 They will be my people and I shall be their God. °39 I will have them think and act in another way, so
that they may always fear me for their own good and the good of their
children. °40 I will forge an eternal covenant with them by which
I shall never cease to do them good and I shall place my fear in their heart
so that they may never turn away from me. °41 I shall rejoice in doing them good and I shall plant
them securely in this land with all my heart and soul.” °42 And Yahweh says, “Just as I brought great disaster
on this people, so shall I bring them all the happiness I promised them. °43 Then fields will be bought in this land about which
you say that it is a wasteland without people or animals and given over to
the Chaldeans. °44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds written
and sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin and the region around
Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah, in the towns of the hill country, in the
towns of Shephelah and those of the south. Yes,
I will bring back their captives” – word of Yahweh. § Another promise of restoration¤33 °1 When
Jeremiah was still detained in the Guards’ Court the word of Yahweh came to
him a second time: °2 He who made the earth, who fashioned and established
it, he whose Name is Yahweh is speaking to you, °3 “Call
me and I shall answer. I will reveal to you great and mysterious things you
have not known.” °4 For this is what Yahweh God of Israel
says, “You have seen how the houses of Jerusalem and the royal palace of
Judah were demolished and used as a defense against the siege mounds in the °5 fighting against the Chaldeans. But they have been
filled with dead bodies, for I slew these people in the fury of my anger when
I no longer looked to this city because of their wickedness. °6 However I will apply a remedy for its healing. I
will cure them and make them enjoy peace and truth. °7 I will bring back the captives of Judah and Israel
and rebuild them as before. °8 I will cleanse them from the guilt of
their sin against me and their infidelity. °9 This
city will be for me a cause of joy, praise and glory in the sight of all the
nations of the earth, when they hear of all the good I do for them. They will
fear and tremble when they see all the good and all the peace I provide for
them.” °10 Thus says Yahweh, “You say of this city that it is a
wasteland without humans or animals. But in the towns of Judah and in the
streets of Jerusalem which are a ruins without people or animals °11 there will be heard again the sound of merriment and
happiness, the song of the newlywed and the voice of those who pray: ‘Praise
to Yahweh God of hosts, for Yahweh is good and his love endures forever!’
When I restore the fortune of the land as it was before,” says Yahweh, “the
voice of those who sing praise in the House of Yahweh will be heard.” °12 Thus says Yahweh God of hosts: In this place, which
is a wasteland without people or animals and in all its towns, there will
once again be pastures where the shepherds will tend their flocks. °13 In the towns of the hill country, Shephelah and the
south, in the territory of Benjamin and the villages around Jerusalem and in
the towns of Judah, flocks will pass under the hand of the one who counts
them – word of Yahweh. § Promises to David’s descendants°14 The days are coming when I shall fulfill the promise
that I made in favor of Israel and Judah. °15 In those days and at that time I will cause to
sprout the shoot of righteousness from David’s line; he will practice justice
and righteousness in the land. °16
In those days Judah
will experience salvation and Jerusalem will live in safety. He will be
called Yahweh-Our-Righteousness.” °17 For Yahweh says, “David will never be without a
descendant seated on the throne of Israel, °18 nor
will the priests and Levites be left without descendants to stand before me
and to present burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices.” °19 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah as follows, °20 “If you are able to break my covenant with the day
or my covenant with the night so that night and day would not follow at their
appointed times, °21 then might my covenant with David my
servant be broken. Only then would there be no descendant to reign on his
throne and no priests or Levites to minister before me. °22 Just as the stars in the sky or the sand on the
seashore cannot be counted, to the same extent shall I multiply the
descendants of David and the Levites who minister before me.” °23 Again the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, °24 “Have you not noticed what these people say: ‘Yahweh
has rejected the two kingdoms he chose.’ So they despise my people, and no
longer consider them a nation. °25
But Yahweh says: If I
have not established my covenant with day and night, if I have not fixed the
laws of the heavens and the earth, °26 then I
can reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and not take from
among them rulers for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I am
going to restore their fortune and show compassion on them.” § A promise to Zedekiah¤34 °1 This
was the word of Yahweh addressed to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, and his army as well as all the kingdoms of the earth that were
under his dominion, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and
all the cities of Judah: °2 This is the word of Yahweh, God of Israel, “Go and
say this to Zedekiah king of Judah: ‘See, I am giving this city to the king
of Babylon and he will set it on fire. °3 You
will not escape from his hands but will surely be captured and given over to
him. You will see him face to face and speak directly to him and you will go
to Babylon.’ °4 Just listen, Zedekiah, king of Judah, to
the word of Yahweh! This is what Yahweh says about you, ‘You will not be
slain by the sword; °5 no, you will die in peace. As they made
funeral pyres in honor of your ancestors, former kings, so will they make a
fire in your honor and lament ‘Alas, my master! – word of Yahweh.” °6 Then Jeremiah the prophet gave this message to
Zedekiah, king of Judah in Jerusalem. °7 At that
time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem and the cities
of Judah which were still resisting – Lachish and Azekah. These were the only
fortified cities remaining in Judah. § About the liberated slaves°8 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a treaty with all the people of Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. °9 Everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no fellow Jew would be kept in bondage. °10 The princes and all the citizens agreed to this. They made a treaty and so set them free. °11 Yet they changed their mind afterwards and brought back the slaves they had freed and used them as slaves again. °12 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, °13 “Yahweh the God of Israel says this: I made a covenant with your ancestors the day I brought them out of Egypt from the house of slavery and I said: °14 At the end of every seven years you will free any Hebrews who have been sold to you and have served you for six years, you are to send them free from your services. But your ancestors did not listen and paid no attention. °15 Recently you repented and did what was right in my sight when each one proclaimed liberty to one another and you made a covenant with me in the House where my Name rests. °16 But now you have gone back on your word and profaned my Name. You have brought back your slaves, male and female, to whom you had given complete freedom and you have again reduced them to slavery. °17 That is why Yahweh says: Since you have not obeyed me in proclaiming freedom for your friends and neighbors I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, freedom to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you detestable to every kingdom on earth. °18 Those who have sinned against my covenant, who have not observed the terms of the alliance they made before me, I will liken them to the calf they cut in two and then walked between its halves. °19 The princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, °20 I will hand them over to their enemies. Their corpses will serve as food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. °21 Zedekiah and his officials I will give over to the hands of their enemies. You saw the army of the king of Babylon withdrawing from you. °22 But now I am issuing an order to bring them back to this city. They will attack and capture the city and set it on fire. As for the towns of Judah I will reduce them to a wasteland without inhabitants.” § The example given by the Rechabites¤35 °1 A
message from Yahweh came to Jeremiah in the days of Josiah’s son Jehoiakim,
king of Judah: °2 “Go to the Rechabite family; speak to
them and bring them to a room in the House of Yahweh; then give them wine to
drink.” °3 So I went to get Jaazaniah, son of Jeremiah, son of
Habazziniah, his brothers and sons and all the household of the Rechabites. °4 I brought them to the House of Yahweh, into the room
of the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, the man of God. It was close to the
room of the leaders which is above the room of the doorkeeper Maasekah, son
of Shallum. °5 I then placed pitchers of wine and cups
before the Rechabites and told them, “Drink wine!” °6 But they answered, “We don’t drink wine because our
father Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us: ‘Never drink wine, you as well as
your children; °7 don’t build a house and don’t sow seeds.
You shall not plant or own a vineyard; do nothing like that but live in tents
all your days so that you may live for a long time in the land where you
dwell!’ °8 We have observed all the commands of our father
Jonadab, son of Rechab, always abstaining from wine, we, our wives, our sons
and daughters. °9 We haven’t built houses to live in and we
have no vineyards, fields or seeds. °10 We
live in tents and we obey and practice all that our father Jonadab ordered
us. °11 But when king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
attacked the land, we said: “Come, we shall go to Jerusalem to escape from
the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Arameans. This is why now we
stay in Jerusalem.” °12 Yahweh spoke again to Jeremiah, °13 “Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel bids
you to go and tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem: Will
you reject a correction and refuse what I say? – word of Yahweh. °14 Jonadab son of Rechab commanded his children not to
drink wine, and his words have been observed; to this day they have obeyed
their father by not taking wine. As for you, I have spoken to you time and
time again and you have not listened to me! °15 I
have sent you my servants the prophets again and again saying: ‘Turn away
from your wickedness, reform your way of life and do not follow other gods to
serve them. Then you will live in the land that I gave you and your
forebearers.’ But you neither heeded nor listened to me. °16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried
out their father’s order but this nation has not obeyed me.” °17 Therefore this is what Yahweh the God of hosts and
the God of Israel says, “I
am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem all the
disaster I foretold, because I spoke and they would not listen, I called and
they would not respond.” °18 Then Jeremiah said to the Rechabites, “This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says: ‘Because you have been obedient to your father Jonadab and observed all his instructions, because you have acted according to his commands, °19 because of that – word of Yahweh – Jonadab shall always have a descendant to stand before me.” §THE SUFFERING OF JERMIAH
§ The scroll is burned¤36 °1 This
word from Yahweh came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of
Josiah. °2 “Get a scroll and write on it all that I have spoken
to you concerning Jerusalem, Judah and all the nations, from the first day I
spoke to you in the time of Josiah until this day. °3 Perhaps
when the people of Judah hear of all the afflictions I intend to send them,
to make each of them turn away they would decide to turn from their wicked
ways. Hence I may forgive their wickedness and sin.” °4 Jeremiah then called Baruch son of Neriah and while
Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on the scroll all that Yahweh had said. °5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I am in jail and
cannot go to Yahweh’s House. °6 So you go to Yahweh’s House on a day of
fasting and read publicly all that you wrote as I dictated. Read it to all
the people of Judah who come in from their towns. °7 Perhaps
they will entreat Yahweh and each one will turn from his wickedness, for
great is the wrath of Yahweh and the punishment with which he has threatened
this people.” °8 So Baruch Neriah’s son did all that the prophet
Jeremiah had commanded about this reading in the House of Yahweh. °9 In the ninth month of the fifth year of Josiah’s son
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, a fast before Yahweh was proclaimed to all the
people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the towns of Judah. Then
in the House of Yahweh Baruch read publicly the words of Jeremiah written in
the scroll. °10 This he did in the room of the secretary
Gemariah Shapan’s son, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the
House of Yahweh. °11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan heard
all of Yahweh’s words written on the scroll °12 he
went to the secretary’s room in the king’s house where all the officials were
sitting – Elishama, the secretary, Delaiah, son of Shemaiah; Elnathan, son of
Acbor; Gemariah, son of Shaphan; Zedekiah, son of Hananiah, and the rest of
the officials. °13 Micaiah told them all that he had heard when Baruch
read the the content of the scroll to the people. °14 Then
all the officials sent Jehudi, son of Netaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son
of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll from which you read to all the
people and come!” So Baruch went with the scroll in his hand. °15 They told him to sit down and read it to them, and
Baruch read it to them. °16 When they heard all that, they gazed at one another
in fear and said, “We ought to tell this to the king.” °17 They then asked Baruch, “May we know how you wrote
that.” He said, °18 “As he dictated these words, I wrote them
in ink on the scroll.” °19 Then the officials instructed Baruch,
“Jeremiah and you have to hide and let no one know where you are.” °20 They kept the scroll in the room of Elishama the
secretary and went to the king in the courtyard and reported all to him. °21 The king then sent Jehudi to bring him the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishamah’s room and read it to the king and to all the officials standing around him. °22 Now it was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter palace while a fire was burning in the fire pot in front of him. °23 Whenever Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king would cut them off into pieces with the secretary’s knife and cast them in the fire until the whole scroll was burned. °24 Neither the king nor his officials were afraid when
they heard all these words and they did not tear their garments. °25 And yet Elnathan, Deliah and Gemariah had urged the
king not to burn the scroll, but he did not listen. °26 Instead the king ordered Jerahmeel, a son of the
king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the
secretary and Jeremiah the prophet; but Yahweh concealed them. °27 A word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after the king
burned the scroll with the words Baruch had written as Jeremiah dictated, °28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the words
that were on the first one which Jehoiakim burned. °29 And
tell Jehoiakim this message of Yahweh: You have burned the scroll and you
said: This man dared to write that the king of Babylon will certainly destroy
this land and wipe away from it men and animals! °30 That
is why Yahweh has spoken against Jehoiakim, king of Judah: Not one of his
descendants will sit on the throne of David. His dead body will be exposed to
the heat of day and the chill of night. °31 I will
ask him to account as well as his children and his attendants for their
wickedness. I will pour out on them all the disasters and it will be the same
for the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem I have foretold
against them, because they have paid no attention.” °32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to
Baruch son of Neriah, the secretary. He wrote on it all the words of the
scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned in the fire, and he added many
more similar words. § Zedekiah consults Jeremiah¤37 °1 Josiah’s
Zedekiah was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to be king of Judah
in the place of Jehoiakin son of Jehoiakim. °2 But
neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid attention to
the words of Yahweh spoken through Jeremiah the prophet. °3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah with the
priest Zehaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah to say, “Intercede for us with
Yahweh our God!” °4 At that time Jeremiah had not yet been
imprisoned and he was still going about among the people. °5 Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt and when the
Chaldeans heard of this, they withdrew from Jerusalem. °6 Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the
prophet: °7 “Yahweh the God of Israel has spoken. Say
this to the king of Judah who sent you to consult me: Pharaoh’s army which
was on its way to help you is about to return to its own land, °8 and the Chaldeans will come back and attack this
city. They will capture it and set it on fire. °9 Do not deceive yourselves by saying that the
Chaldeans are not to come back, because they surely will. °10 Even if you had defeated the whole Chaldean army and
they were left with only wounded men, they would all come out of their tents
and set fire to this city.” § Jeremiah in the well°11 While the Chaldean army was withdrawing from Jerusalem because of the advance of Pharaoh’s troops, °12 Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin to receive an inheritance there. °13 But upon reaching the Benjamin Gate he was stopped by a sentry named Irijah, son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah who said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!” °14 Jeremiah answered, “There’s no truth to that!” But Irijah did not listen. He nabbed Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. °15 They were so angry with Jeremiah, they beat him and locked him in the house of Jonathan the secretary which had been transformed into a prison. °16 Jeremiah was put in the dungeon cells and was kept there for a number of days. °17 Then King Zedekiah sent for him and secretly questioned him in his house:“Is there any word from Yahweh?” Jeremiah replied, “Yes, there is!” and added, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon!” °18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you, to your servants or to the people that you should have me imprisoned? °19 Where are your prophets °20 who said to you: ‘The King of Babylon will never come to attack you and destroy this land?’ Now listen to me, my lord king! Take heed of my plea and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, for there I am doomed to die!” °21 So King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be transferred to the Guards’ Court and that every day he be supplied with loaf of bread from the bakers’ street until there was no more bread. So Jeremiah remained in the Guards’ Court. ¤38 °1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur son of Malchiah heard what Jeremiah said publicly °2 in the name of Yahweh, “Anyone who stays in the city will perish by the sword, famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will survive although he may lose everything. °3 For Yahweh has spoken: I have handed over this city to the king of Babylon and he will take it.” °4 Then the officials told the king, “This man should be put to death, because he is weakening the will of the fighting men and the people left the city. In fact he is not out to save the people but to do harm.” °5 King Zedekiah said, “His life is in your hands for the king has no power against you.” °6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, in the Guards’ Court. They lowered him by means of ropes. There was no water in the cistern but only mud and Jeremiah sank into the mud. °7 Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian official of the king’s house, heard that they had lowered Jeremiah in the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, °8 Ebedmelech went and spoke to him, °9 “My lord king! These men have acted wickedly in all they did to Jeremiah the prophet. They threw him into the cistern where he will die.” °10 So the king ordered Ebedmelech the Ethiopian: “Take three men with you from here and draw Jeremiah the prophet out from the cistern before he dies.” °11 Ebedmelech took the men with him and went into the king’s house beneath the treasury. There he got pieces of rags and old clothes which he lowered by means of ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. °12 Ebedmelech said to Jeremiah, “Put the pieces of rags and old clothes under your armpits, over the ropes.” This Jeremiah did. °13 Then Jeremiah was pulled up from the cistern by means of the ropes and was brought to the Guards’ Court to stay there. °14 King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of Yahweh’s House and there said to him, “I am going to ask you a question; hide nothing from me!” Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, °15 “If I tell you something, won’t you put me to death? And if I advice you, will you listen to me?” °16 King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah: “As Yahweh lives who gave us a soul, I will not have you die and I will not hand you over to those who want to kill you.” °17 Jeremiah told to Zedekiah, “This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says: If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon you will survive and the city will not be burned. You and your household will live. °18 But if you surrender not to the king of Babylon, this very city will be handed over to the Chaldeans and they will set it on fire. For your part, you will not escape.” °19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the people of Judah who have surrendered to the Chaldeans. I fear the Chaldeans will give me over to them and they will ill-treat me.” °20 Jeremiah said, “They will not hand you over. Listen to what Yahweh says to you through me; it will be well with you and you will live. °21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what Yahweh has let me see: °22 All the women left in your palace will be handed over to the officers of the king of Babylon and will sing this song: ‘Your friends have deceived and overcome you. When your feet have sunk into the mud, they turn away from you!’ °23 All your wives and children shall be led out to the Chaldeans and you will not escape from them. You will be nabbed by the king of Babylon and this city will be burned down!” °24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know about this conversation lest you will die. °25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and if they come to you and ask you what I spoke of to you, even though they threaten you, °26 you will say to them: I only made a petition to the king not to send me back to the house of Jonathan to die.” °27 All the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him. He replied just as the king had instructed him, and they said no more since no one had overheard the conversation. °28 But Jeremiah remained in the Guards’ Court until the day Jerusalem was taken. § The fall of Jerusalem and the fate of Jeremiah¤39 °1 In the
tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon came with his entire army and they besieged Jerusalem. °2 On the ninth day of the fourth month in Zedekiah’s
eleventh year a breach was made in the city wall. °3 All the
officials of the king of Babylon entered and took their seats at the Middle
Gate: Nergal-Sherazer of Samgar, Sarsekim chief officer, Nergal-Sherazer a
high official and all the officials of the king of Babylon. °4 Upon seeing this, King Zedekiah of Judah and all the
military fled from the city by night, going out by way of the king’s garden
through the gate between the two walls in the direction of Arabah. °5 But the Chaldean army chased them and caught up with
Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They took him and brought him up to the
king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There Nebuchadnezzar passed
sentence on him. °6 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons
of Zedekiah in his presence and all the nobles of Judah. °7 He gouged Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with a
double bronze chain to take him to Babylon. °8 The Chaldeans burned the King’s palace along with
the people’s abodes and then broke down the walls of Jerusalem. °9 Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards, deported to
Babylon the remainder of the people who stayed in the city as well as those
who had deserted to his side and those craftsmen who were still there. °10 As for the poorest people who owned nothing,
Nebuzaradan left them at that time in the land of Judah, giving them
vineyards and fields. °11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given orders
about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan chief of the guards: °12 “Take
him and look after him; do him no harm but deal with him just as he tells
you.” °13 Nebuzaradan commander of the guards,
Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sherazer, a high official and all the
other officers of the king of Babylon °14 sent
and had Jeremiah taken from the Guards’ Court and given over to Gedaliah son
of Ahikam son of Shaphan. So he remained among the people. § Reward for Ebedmelek°15 Now the word of Yahweh had come to Jeremiah while he
was imprisoned in the Guards’ Court: °16 “Go
and talk to Ebedmelek the Ethiopian: Tell him this word of Yahweh the God of
hosts and the God of Israel: You see on that day that I am about to carry out
what I have foretold in the past, disaster and not prosperity for this city. °17 But I will save you on that day – word of Yahweh –
and you will not be handed over to those whom you fear. For I will certainly
save you and you will not perish by the sword. °18 You
will be able to escape and live because you have trusted me – it is Yahweh
who speaks.” § Jeremiah is freed¤40 °1 The
word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards,
had released him at Ramah when he had taken him, bound in chains, with those
to be deported from Jerusalem and Judah to Babylon. °2 The commander of the guards took Jeremiah and said
to him, “Yahweh your God foretold this calamity for this place. °3 Now he has implemented what he then said he would do
because you have sinned against him and have not listened to him. °4 But I have been removing today the fetters off your
hands and releasing you to be free… You may wish to go with me to Babylon and
I will take care of you. However I am not obliging you if you decide not to
go. You have the choice to go wherever you like in this land.” °5 Nebuzaradan added, “Why don’t you go back to
Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan? He has been appointed governor over
the towns of Judah by the King of Babylon. You could stay with him among your
people. Yet go wherever it seems right for you to go.” The commander of the
guards gave him provisions and a gift and set him on his way. °6 And so Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam who
was residing at Mizpah. He stayed with him among the people who were left in
the land. § Gedaliah, the governor°7 Now all the army chiefs in the open country with
their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam
to be governor over the land and put him in charge of the men, women and
children and the lowliest of the people who had not been deported to Babylon. °8 They came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of
Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth,
the sons of Ephai the Netophathite and Jaazaniah son of Maacathite and their
men. °9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan swore to them
and their men: “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans; remain in the
country, serve the king of Babylon and all will be well with you. °10 As for me, I am based here in Mizpah and I am your
representative with the Chaldeans who settle at this place. For your part
gather wine, fruit and oil; store it in your vessels and stay in the towns
you have occupied.” °11 The Jews who were in Moab, Ammon, Edom and in the
other lands also learned that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of the
population and that he had placed over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of
Shaphan. °12 All of these Jews returned from the
places where they had been dispersed and came to Gedaliah at Mizpah in the
land of Judah. There they gathered in wine and fruit in great quantities. § Gedaliah murdered°13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the chiefs of
guerrilla warfare came to Gedaliah at Mizpah °14 and
said, “Don’t you know that Baalis, king of the Ammonites has commissioned
Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” °15 But
Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, did not believe him. Then
Johanan spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son
of Nethaniah without anyone knowing. Don’t allow him to kill you lest all the
Jews assembled with you be dispersed and the rest of Judah perish.” °16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of
Kareah, “Don’t do that because what you have said about Ishmael is a lie.” ¤41 °1 It was
the seventh month when Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, a member of
the royal family who had been chief officer of the king, came with ten men to
Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan at Mizpah. While they were eating
together °2 Ishmael and the men with him stood up and
slew Gedaliah with the sword, thus killing the man whom the king of Babylon
had appointed governor of the land. °3 Ishmael also killed the Jews who were with Gedaliah
at Mizpah as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there. °4 Two days after the assassination of Gedaliah and
before anyone had heard of it, °5 eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh and
Samaria arrived with beards shaved, torn clothes and their bodies slashed,
carrying offerings and incense to the House of Yahweh. °6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah left Mizpah to meet them
weeping as they went. He said to them, °7 “Come
along to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam.” But as soon as he came to the center of
the town, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him killed them and threw
their bodies into a cistern. °8 Ten of these men, however, said to
Ishmael, “Don’t kill us for we have provisions hidden in the country, corn,
oil barley and honey.” These Ishmael did not kill with the others. °9 The cistern where Ishmael had thrown the corpses of
these people he had killed was the large cistern built by King Asa when he
had to defend himself against Basha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah
filled it with their corpses. °10 Ishmael took captive the small population of Mizpah,
the royal princesses whom Nebuzaradan, commander of the bodyguard had left in
the care of Gedaliah. Ishmael obliged them to follow him and set out for the
land of the Ammonites. °11 When Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers
with him heard of the crimes of Ishmael they assembled their men and set off
to fight Ishmael. °12 They caught up with him at the great pool
of Gibeon. °13 As soon as the people Ishmael had taken by force
from Mizpah saw Johanan, son of Kareah and the army officers with him, they
rejoiced °14 and turned back to join Johanan. °15 In the meantime Ishmael was able to flee from
Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites. °16 Then Johanan and the army officers with him took the
people he had rescued from Ishmael, son of Nethaniah. They were those men,
women, children and court officials that Ishmael carried off by force from
Mizpah after slaying Gedaliah. Johanan brought them from Gibeon, °17 and they stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem.
They planned to go on later towards Egypt °18 for
fear of the Chaldeans because Ishmael had slain Gedaliah who was appointed
governor of the land by the king of Babylon. § The flight to Egypt¤42 °1 Then
the army officers, especially Johanan, son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of
Hoshaiah, and all the people from the smallest to the greatest came to speak
to Jeremiah: °2 “Listen to our plea and pray to Yahweh
our God for us, this remnant of people, because really we are few from many,
as you can see. °3 May Yahweh your God show us the way we
should go and what we should do.” °4 Jeremiah the prophet answered them, “I have heard
you. Yes, I am going to speak to Yahweh as you have requested. And whatever
be the word of Yahweh, I shall let you know it without hiding anything.” °5 They said to Jeremiah, “May Yahweh be a true and
worthy witness against us if we do not act according to every word that
Yahweh your God will say to us through you! °6 Whether
it be good or bad for us we will obey Yahweh our God to whom we are sending
you, so it will be well with us for having obeyed the voice of Yahweh our
God.” °7 Ten days later the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah. °8 He then called Johanan, son of Kareah and the army
officers with him and all the people from the least to the greatest °9 and said to them, “This is the word of Yahweh, God
of Israel to whom you sent me with your petition: °10 If you
wish to live peacefully in this land I will build you up and not pull you
down, I will plant you and not uproot you for I will relent of the harm I did
you. °11 You are afraid of the king of Babylon,
but do not fear him – word of Yahweh – for I am with you to save you and
rescue you from his hand. °12 I will put mercy in his heart so that he
may have mercy on you and let you live in your own land. °13 But if you say: ‘No, we will no longer live in this
land,’ disobeying the voice of Yahweh your God, °14 and if
you say: ‘No, we shall go to Egypt where we shall no more have wars or hear
the trumpet call, where we shall not be hungry for bread!’ °15 Then hear the word of Yahweh, remnant of Judah!
Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel speaks: “If you turn towards Egypt to
go there and stay there, °16 the sword you fear will strike you there
in the land of Egypt and famine which you dread will be yours there in Egypt
and you will die. °17 All those who turn towards Egypt to enter
and live there will die by sword, famine and pestilence. No one will escape
or flee from the misfortune that I will bring upon them.” °18 This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel
says, “Just as my burning anger was poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so
will my fury be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will become a
curse and a reproach and you will never again see this place.” °19 That is what Yahweh has foretold, O remnant of
Judah. Do not go to Egypt; be quite sure that I have warned you today. °20 You risked your lives when you sent me to Yahweh
your God saying: ‘Pray for us to Yahweh our God and tell us all that Yahweh
says and we shall do it.’ °21 I have told you today though you still do
not obey Yahweh your God in all that he told you through me. °22 Be sure of this, it will be by the sword, famine and
pestilence that you will die in the place where you want to go and live.” ¤43 °1 Jeremiah
had hardly finished giving the message of Yahweh to the people – all that
Yahweh had sent him to say – °2 when Azariah son of Hoshiah and Johanan
son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying!
Yahweh our God did not send you to tell us not to go and settle in Egypt. °3 No, Baruch son of Neriah is prompting you to hand us
over to the Chaldeans either to be killed or deported to Babylon!” °4 So neither Johanan son of Kareah nor the army
officers nor the people heeded Yahweh’s command to stay in the land of Judah.
°5 Instead Johanan and the army officers led away the
remnant of the Jews who had returned to the land of Judah from the nations
where they had been driven. °6 They also led away the men, women,
children and the royal princesses – all those that Nebuzaradan, commander of
the bodyguard, had left in the care of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of
Shaphan, with Jeremiah, the prophet and Baruch, son of Neriah. °7 So in defiance of Yahweh’s order they entered Egypt
and arrived at Tahpanhes. § Jeremiah foretells the invasion of Egypt°8 There at Tahpanhes the word of Yahweh came to
Jeremiah: “While the Jews are watching you, °9 take
some large stones and bury them in clay in the brick terrace at the entrance
to Pharaoh’s house at Tahpanhes °10
and then say to them:
This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says: I am sending for my
servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and he will set his throne over these
stones that I have hidden here and spread a royal canopy. °11 He shall come and strike the land of Egypt bringing
death to those destined to die, captivity for those destined to be taken
captive, sword for those destined for the sword. °12 He
will set fire to the temples of the Egyptian gods; these gods will be burned
or carried away. As a shepherd wraps himself in a cloak, so will the king of
Babylon wrap the land of Egypt about himself and depart in safety. °13 He will break the sacred pillars at Heliopolis and
burn the temples of the gods in Egypt.” § Jeremiah’s last warnings¤44 °1 A word
of Yahweh came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Egypt especially
in the cities of Migdal, Tahpanhes and Memphis, as well as in the territory
of Patros: °2 “You have seen all the disaster that I
brought on Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. °3 These
are no more than ruins without inhabitants because of the evil they have
done. They have provoked my anger by offering incense to foreign gods that
neither they nor their fathers knew. °4 I sent them my servants the prophets time and time
again to tell them: ‘Do not do this abominable thing that I detest!’ °5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not
turn away from their evil ways or give up worshiping strange gods. °6 Then the fury of my anger was loosed and blazed in
the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem making them the desolate
ruins they are today. °7 And now Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of
Israel asks you: Why do you bring such great harm on yourselves? Because of
your deeds every man, woman, child and infant will be taken from Judah and
you will be left without a remnant. °8 Why do
you provoke my anger with the work of your hands? Why do you worship foreign
gods in Egypt where you came to live? Surely you will decrease in number and
be a curse and an object of reproach among all the nations? °9 Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers
and the misdeeds of the kings of Judah and its princes, and the evil behavior
of your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? °10 So far they have had no contrition and have not
followed my law and my decrees that I set before you and your ancestors.” °11 Because of this Yahweh God of hosts and God of
Israel warns you, “I am turning my face away from you to bring disaster on
you and to completely destroy Judah. °12 The
remnant of Judah that chose to enter Egypt and live there will all perish.
They will be destroyed by the sword and famine and become an object of horror
and cursing, of condemnation and reproach. °13 I will
punish those in Egypt as I punished Jerusalem with the sword, famine and
pestilence. °14 None of the remnant of Judah that came to
Egypt will escape or flee, and return to Judah where you long to go and
live.” °15 Then all the men who knew their wives were offering
incense to foreign gods and all the women, a great assembly, replied to
Jeremiah in a louder voice. °16 “As for what you say in the name of
Yahweh we will not listen; °17 we want to do all that we said we wanted
to do: burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out wine to her as we
did, we and our fathers, our kings and princes in the towns of Judah and the
streets of Jerusalem. Then we had our fill of bread and were prosperous and
free from misfortune. °18 But since we stopped burning incense to
the queen of heaven we have been in need of everything and have perished by
the sword and famine.” °19 And the women added, “When we offered
incense and poured libations to the queen of heaven, didn’t our husbands know
that we made sacrificial cakes decorated with her image?” °20 Jeremiah then answered all the people, men and
women, who had told him this: °21 “Is it not better that Yahweh remembered
the incense you burned in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem,
you, your fathers, your kings, princes, and all the people? Do
you think it slipped his memory? °22
Yahweh could no
longer bear the sight of your evil and abominable deeds. That is why your
land has become the desolate waste that it is today! °23 All the misfortune that you are suffering today has
happened because you burned incense and sinned against Yahweh, by not obeying
him or following his law, his instructions and his commands.” °24 Jeremiah then addressed all the people especially
the women, “Listen to Yahweh’s message: °25 This
is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: You and your
wives think that what you say with your lips becomes an obligation you must
fulfill. You say: ‘We are bound to keep the vows we have made to burn incense
and pour out wine to the queen of heaven.’ Go ahead! Fulfill your vows and do
what you promised! °26 Nevertheless listen, all you Jews living
in Egypt, listen to what Yahweh says to you: By my own great Name I swear –
word of Yahweh – that throughout Egypt no one from Judah will invoke my Name;
no one will be left to say: ‘As the Lord Yahweh lives.’ °27 I am watching over them but not for their good. All
the people of Judah in Egypt will perish by the sword and famine until they
are wiped out. °28 Only a few will escape the sword and
return from Egypt to Judah; and the remnant who came to settle in Egypt will
understand whose word comes true, theirs or mine! °29 And
this is the sign that I will punish you in this place, says Yahweh, that you
may know that my threatening words to you will be fulfilled: °30 I will hand over the Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt
to his enemies who want to slay him, just as I let Zedekiah, king of Judah,
be taken by his adversary, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was determined
to kill him. ¤45 °1 These
are the words of Jeremiah the prophet to Baruch, son of Neriah who wrote on a
scroll what Jeremiah dictated. It was in the fourth year of the reign of
Jehoiakim son of Josias king of Judah when he said °2 “There
is a word of Yahweh for you, Baruch. Why do you complain: °3 ‘Alas for me! I am weary of sighing and I find no
rest!’ °4 Yahweh says: ‘When I am knocking down
what I have built and pulling up what I planted, °5 why do
you want great things for yourself? Don’t look for them! Yet, though I am
about to send disaster on everyone – word of Yahweh – you will be safe
wherever you go.” §PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN
NATIONS
§ Against Egypt¤46 °1 These
are Yahweh’s words addressed to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the nations. °2 Concerning Egypt, this is the message against the
army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the
Euphrates by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the fourth year of
Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: °3 “Prepare shield and buckler, and
march to battle! °4 Harness the horses. Into
your saddles, horsemen! To
your ranks, with your helmets on! Polish
your spears! Put
on your breastplates! °5 But what do I see? With
broken ranks they fall back; their warriors are routed. They
flee headlong without looking back, as
terrors explode on every side. °6 The swift cannot flee, nor
the hero escape. In
the north by the Euphrates, they
stumble and fall. °7 Who is this surging forward like the
Nile, like
rivers of billowing waters? °8 Egypt surges like the Nile, like
rivers of billowing waters. She
says, ‘I will rise and flood the earth; I
will sweep cities and their people away.’ °9 Charge, horses! Drive
madly, charioteers! March
on, warriors – men
of Cush and Put, with your shields, men
of Lydia, with your bows. °10 This is the day of Yahweh God of hosts, a
day of vengeance on his foes. The
sword devours, drunk with blood; for
Yahweh Sabaoth holds a sacrifice in
the north country by the Euphrates. °11 Go up to Gilead in search of balm, virgin
daughter of Egypt. You
have taken medicines in vain, but
for you there is no healing. °12 The nations have heard of your shame, the
earth is filled with your cries; warrior
has stumbled against warrior, and
both have fallen together.” § Invasion of Egypt°13 This is the message Yahweh gave to the prophet
Jeremiah about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who was to
attack Egypt: °14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol,
Memphis and Tahpanhes. Say to them: Take
your posts; prepare for the worst! The
sword has devoured your neighbors. °15 Why has Apis fled? Your
black bull god did not make a stand! Why?
Because Yahweh thrust him down °16
and caused him to
stumble and fall. Then
they said to each other: ‘Get
up, let us go back to our people, to
the land of our birth, away
from the devouring sword.’ °17 Pharaoh, king of Egypt, will be called
‘The noisy one who lets his chance slip by.’ °18 As surely as I live – says the King whose
name is Yahweh Sabaoth – one
will come who is like Tabor, like
Carmel above the sea. °19 Pack your belongings ready for exile, you
who live in Egypt, for
Memphis will be laid waste, without
inhabitants and desolate. °20 Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but
a gadfly from the north has come upon her. °21 The mercenaries in her ranks are
like fattened calves; but
they too have fled failing
to stand their ground, for
the day of their calamity has come, the
time of their punishment. °22 She makes a sound like a fleeing serpent as
her enemies advance in force, coming
against her with axes, like
loggers cutting down trees. °23 Dense though her forest be, they
will raze it – says Yahweh. They
are beyond number, more
numerous than locusts. °24 The daughter of Egypt will be abased, handed
over to the people of the north.” °25 Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, has said: “I will
punish Amon of Thebes, and Egypt with her gods and kings, Pharaoh and those
who trust in him. °26 I will hand them over to those who seek
their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his ministers. Later,
however, Egypt will be inhabited again as in times past – it is Yahweh who
says so. °27 But fear not, my servant Jacob; be not dismayed, O
Israel. I will deliver you from a distant land, your descendants from their
place of exile. Jacob will again find rest, and no one will make him afraid. °28 Fear not, Jacob my servant, for I am with you –
Yahweh speaks – I will make an end of the nations among which I scattered
you, but I will spare you. I will discipline you, though, with justice; I
will not let you go unpunished. § Against the Philistines¤47 °1 This is
Yahweh’s word that came to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines
before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. °2 Thus says Yahweh: “Look,
waters rise from the north; soon
they will become a raging flood overflowing
the land and all it contains, the
towns and their inhabitants. All
dwellers in the land will wail °3 at the sound of the hooves of stamping
steeds, the
rattle of chariots, the rumbling of wheels. Parents
forget their children, as
their hands fall limp. °4 The day of ruin has come upon the
Philistines; Tyre
and Sidon, the last of their allies, are cut off from them. Yahweh
is set to destroy the Philistines, the
remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. °5 Gaza is shaved bald, Ashkelon
has perished. O
remnant in the valley, how
long will you gash yourselves? °6 O sword of Yahweh, how
long before you rest? Return
to your scabbard; stop
and keep still! °7 But how can it rest, when
it is Yahweh who commanded it to
attack Ashkelon and the seacoast?” § Against Moab¤48 °1Concerning Moab.Yahweh the God of Israel, says this: “Woe
to Nebo, for it is laid waste. Kiriathaim
is captured and disgraced; the
fortress is shattered and abased. °2 No more will Moab be praised; men
in Heshbon are plotting her downfall: ‘Let
us put an end to that nation!’ You,
too, Madmen, will be subdued; behind
you stalks the sword. °3 Listen, a cry from Horonaim – a
cry of ruin and destruction! °4 Moab is destroyed; her
cry is heard as far as Zoar. °5 Her little ones go up the way to Lihit,
weeping bitterly as they make the ascent. On
the descent to Horonaim the
cry of destruction is still heard. °6 Flee, run for your lives, like
the wild asses in the desert. °7 Since you trusted in your deeds and
riches, you
also will be captured. Chemosh
will go into exile, together
with her priests and officials. °8 Upon every city the destroyer comes, and
not a single city escapes. The
valley is despoiled, the
plain plundered, as
Yahweh has declared. °9 Bury Moab for she has perished! Her
cities will become desolate, with
no inhabitant left. °10 A curse be on him who is lax in performing the work
of Yahweh! A curse be on him who holds back his sword from shedding blood! °11 From his youth Moab has lived at ease
resting complacently upon lees, never
having gone into exile, never
having been decanted; so
she kept her own flavor as wine, her
aroma remained the same. °12 And so the day will come – Yahweh says – when I will
send decanters to her. They will empty her flasks and break her jars. °13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as Israel has
been ashamed of Bethel, in which they put their trust. °14 How can you say, ‘We are heroes and valiant men of
war?’ °15 Moab will be destroyed, her towns
shattered; her finest young men will be slaughtered – it is the King who
speaks, whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth. °16 Moab’s ruin is near at hand; her
downfall comes at top speed. °17 All you her neighbors, mourn for her, all
you who knew her well; say,
“How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious rod!” °18 Come down from glory, sit
on the parched ground, all
you who dwell in Dibon; Moab’s
destroyer has come against you, he
has destroyed your stronghold. °19 Stand by the way and watch closely, you
who dwell in Aroer; ask
the men who flee, the women who escape, ask
them what has happened. °20 Moab is shamed, oh, yes, destroyed; howl
and cry out for her. Announce
it by the Arnon that
Moab is ruined. °21 Judgment has come on the tableland: on Holon, Jahzah
and Mephaath, °22 on Dibon, Nebo and Bethdiblathaim, °23 on Kiriathaim, Bethgamul and Bethmeon, °24 on Kerioth and Bozrah, on all the cities of Moab,
far and near. °25 The horn of Moab is cut off and her arm
broken – it is Yahweh who speaks. °26 Make her drunk! Because she magnified herself
against Yahweh, Moab will wallow in her vomit and become a laughingstock in
turn. °27 Was not Israel a laughingstock to you?
Was she found among thieves, that whenever you speak of her you wag your
head? °28 Leave the cities and dwell in the rocky
cliffs, O
inhabitants of Moab. Learn
from the dove that makes its nest out of reach on the edge of a cliff. °29 We have heard of the pride of Moab, of
her loftiness and arrogance, of
the haughtiness of her heart. °30 Yahweh says: I know her insolence; her
words are false, her
deeds are vain. °31 And so I wail for Moab; for
the whole of Moab I moan; for
the people of Kir-Heres I mourn. °32 O vineyard of Sibmah, I
weep for you more than for Jazer. Your
branches spread as far as the sea, all
the way to the sea of Jazer. The
destroyer has fallen on
your harvest and your vintage. °33 Jubilation is at an end in
the fruit gardens of Moab; the
vintage shout of joy is not heard, for
I have drained the wine from the wine vats. °34 The cry of Heshbon and Elealeh is heard as far as
Jahaz. From Zoar to Horonaim and Eglathshelishiyah, their lament is heard,
for even the waters of Nimrim have become desolate. °35 Yahweh says: I will bring to an end any one in Moab
who offers sacrifice on the high place and burns incense to his gods. °36 And that is why my heart, like a flute, sobs for
Moab, moans for the people of Kir-Heres whose accumulated riches have all
perished. °37 Every head is shorn, every beard cut off;
gashes are on their hands, sackcloth covers their loins. °38 There is nothing but lamentation on all the
housetops and in the public squares of Moab, for I have shattered her like a
vessel that no one wants – says Yahweh. °39 What terror has seized Moab, what wailing! Oh, how
she has turned back in shame! Moab has become a laughingstock and a horror to
her neighbors. °40 For thus says Yahweh: Look, an eagle is
swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. °41 The towns will be captured, the
strongholds seized. The
heart of Moab’s warriors on that day will be like the heart of a woman in
travail. °42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation
because she defied the Lord. °43 Terror, pit, and snare be upon you, O
people of Moab – says Yahweh. °44 He who flees from terror will fall into the pit; he
who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; for I will let this
happen to Moab in the year of her punishment – says Yahweh. °45 Fugitives stop in the shadow of Heshbon, for a fire
has gone from the house of Sihon, burning Moab’s skull and her boasters’
crown. °46 Woe to you, Moab, people
of Chemosh who suffer calamity! Your
sons are taken into exile, your
daughers into captivity. °47 But in the days to come I will restore
the fortunes of Moab – Yahweh declares.” The judgment on
Moab ends here. § Against Ammon¤49 °1Concerning the Ammonites.Yahweh says this: “Has
Israel no sons? Has
she no heir? Why
then has Milcom disinherited Gad, why
have his people settled in its cities? °2 But the days are coming –
says Yahweh – when
I will sound the battle alarm against
Rabbah of the Ammonites. It
will become a heap of ruins, its
villages destroyed by fire. Then
Israel will dispossess those
who had dispossessed her –
Yahweh says. °3 Wail, Heshbon, for the destroyer marches! Howl,
inhabitants of Rabbah! Put
on sackcloth, lament, run
to and fro, gashing yourselves; for
Milcom goes into exile, along
with his priests and officials. °4 Why boast of your valleys, your
valleys flowing with fruit, O
faithless daughter, trusting
in your riches and saying, ‘Who
will dare attack me?’ °5 Look, I will bring terror upon you; you
will be driven away, everyone
making his own way, with
no one to gather the fugitives. °6 Yet I will restore the fortunes of
the Ammonites later on. It
is Yahweh Sabaoth who speaks.” § Against Edom°7Concerning Edom,this is what Yahweh says: “Is
there no more wisdom left in Teman? Has
counsel perished from the prudent? Has
their understanding decayed? °8 Flee or hide in dark caves, you
inhabitants of Dedan, for
I will bring destruction upon Esau when
I come to punish him. °9 If grape pickers worked in your vineyard, would
they not leave gleanings behind? If
thieves came to you at night, would
they not steal only as much as they want? °10 But I will strip Esau bare; his
hiding places I will uncover. His
relatives, children and neighbors will
perish, and he will be no more. °11 Leave your widows and orphans behind, and
rest assured I will keep them alive.” °12 For thus says Yahweh: “Even those not sentenced to
drink the cup must drink it. Why then should you go unpunished? You, too,
shall drink! °13 By my own self have I sworn, says Yahweh:
Bozrah shall become an object of horror and disgrace, a desolation and a
curse. All her towns and cities shall be ruins forever.” °14 I have
received a message from Yahweh, a herald has been sent among the nations: “Assemble!
Prepare for battle! March
against these people! °15 Look, I will reduce you among the
nations, make you despised among humankind. °16 The terror that you inspire and
your pride have deceived you, you
who live in the crags, on
the rocky heights of the hill. Though
you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, I
will bring you down from there – it is Yahweh who speaks. °17 Edom will become a horror, shocking every passerby
who will catch his breath at the sight of her wounds. °18 As when Sodom, Gomorrah, and their neighboring towns
were overthrown, no one shall dwell or visit there – thus Yahweh proclaims. °19 As when a lion comes from the thicket of Jordan to a
rich feeding ground, so I, in an instant, will drive Edom from its land. Whom
will I choose for this task? Who is like me and can call me to account? What
shepherd can stand against me? °20 Therefore hear Yahweh’s plan against Edom, against
those who live in Teman. They will be dragged away, even the smallest sheep;
their pasture will be destroyed on account of them. °21 The earth will tremble at the sound of their fall;
to the Sea of Reeds their cry will resound. °22 Look! An eagle will soar and spread its wings over
Bozrah. On that day the heart of Edom’s warriors will pound like the heart of
a woman in labor.” § About the Syrian cities°23Message concerning
Damascus: “Hamath
and Arpad are confused, having
heard bad news. Their
hearts are faint with fear like
the waters of a troubled sea. °24 Damascus has become feeble and
turns to flee in panic, gripped
by anguish and pain, like
a woman in travail. °25 How the renowned city is forsaken, the
city of delight! °26 Her young men will fall in the streets, her
soldiers will be silenced on that day. Yahweh
declares: °27 I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
it will consume Ben-Hadad’s fortresses.” § Against the Arabic tribes°28A message concerning Kedarand the kingdoms of Hazor, which
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked. This is what Yahweh says: “Arise
and attack Kedar, destroy
the people of the east! °29 Their tents and flocks will be taken
away, their
goods and camels carried off as
men shout, ‘Terror on every side!’ °30 Flee, dwell in deep caves, you
who live in Hazor – says Yahweh. For
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devised a plot against you. °31 Arise and attack a nation at ease, which
lives in confidence, a
nation that has neither bars nor gates, a
people that dwells alone complacently. °32 Their camels will become plunder, their
large herds will be spoils; I
will scatter to the winds those
who are in far-off places; I
will bring disaster on
them from every side. °33 Hazor will be a jackal’s haunt, forever
a wasteland uninhabited
by humans, unvisited
by anyone.” § Against Elam°34 This is theWord
of Yahweh against Elam,which came to the prophet Jeremiah at the
beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. °35 Yahweh
Sabaoth says this: “See,
I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. °36 I will bring the four winds against her from the
four quarters of the heavens, and there will be no nation on earth to which
Elam’s exiles will not be dispersed. °37 I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those
who seek their lives. I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger.
I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. °38 I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king
and officials. °39 Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam
in the days to come – says Yahweh.” § Against Babylon¤50 °1 This is
the word Yahweh spoke against Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans, through
the prophet Jeremiah: °2 “Do not hide this, but announce among the nations
that Babylon is taken, Bel confounded, Merodach dismayed; her images are put
to shame, her idols destroyed. °3 A people from the north marches against her, set to
turn her into a wasteland abandoned by both people and beast. °4 In those days – declares Yahweh – the people of
Israel and Judah will come in tears to seek their God Yahweh. °5 Their faces turned toward Zion, they will ask the
way to it. They will come and say, ‘Let us join ourselves to the Lord in an
everlasting covenant never to be forgotten.’ °6 My people were lost sheep misled by their shepherds
and left to roam on the mountains. They wandered from hill to hill and lost
the way to their fold. °7 They were devoured by enemies who chanced upon them
and said, ‘We have no guilt. This is their due for they sinned against
Yahweh, their true shepherd and hope of their ancestors.’ °8 Flee from Babylon, leave the land of the Chaldeans,
be like the rams that lead the flock! °9 For I will stir up nations from the north to march
against Babylon. Their arrows are like those of skilled warriors, that never
return empty-handed; and Babylon will be captured. °10 Chaldea will be plundered, and the plunderers will
be filled. °11 Rejoice as long as you can, you
plunderers of my inheritance! Frolic
like heifers threshing grain, and
neigh like stallions! °12 But your mother will be disgraced; she
will be the least of the nations, laid
waste and a desert. °13 Yahweh’s fury will leave her desolate, an
empty solitude, uninhabited. Every
passerby will be horrified at
the sight of the wounds of Babylon. °14 Take your posts around the city, all
you who bend the bow. Shoot
at her, spare no arrows, for
great is her iniquity. °15 Raise the war cry! Now
she surrenders! Her
walls are torn down, her towers fallen. Since
this is Yahweh’s vengeance, take
revenge on her; do
to her as she has done to others. °16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and
the reaper with his sickle at harvest time. Escape
from the oppressor’s sword; let
everyone return to his own people, let
everyone flee to his own land. °17 Israel was a straying sheep which lions pursued.
First to devour her was the Assyrian; and the last to crush her bones was
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. °18 Therefore Yahweh, God of Israel, says: I will punish
the king of Babylon and his land, as once I punished the king of Assyria. °19 But I will return Israel to her fold, to feed on
Bashan and Carmel and on Mount Ephraim and Gilead, till she has her fill. °20 In those days, Yahweh says, a search will be made
for Israel’s guilt, but none will be found, and for the sins of Judah, and none
will be found; for I will forgive the remnant whose lives I have spared. °21 Attack the land of Merathaim, and those who live in
Pekod; pursue and kill them, says Yahweh; do all as I have commanded. °22 Battle alarm is in the land, the alarm of great destruction.
°23 How broken and shattered is the hammer of
the whole earth! How horrifying has Babylon become among the nations! °24 You ensnared yourself, O Babylon, and were caught
before you knew it; you were found out and seized because you challenged Yahweh.
°25 Yahweh has opened his armory, brought out
the arms of his fury, for Yahweh Sabaoth has work to do in the land of
Chaldea. °26 Come against her from every side; break open her
granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain, destroy her, leaving no remnant. °27 Slay all her oxen, down to the slaughterhouse with
them! Woe to them! Their day has come, the time for their chastisement. °28 Listen! Fugitives and refugees from the land of
Babylon have come to announce in Zion Yahweh’s vengeance for his temple. °29 Surround Babylon with archers, and leave her no way
of escape. Repay her as her deeds deserve; do to her as she has done to
others. Give her the due for her defiance of Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel. °30 That day her warriors and young men as well will
fall and lie in silence. °31 I am against you, arrogant one! It is
Yahweh Sabaoth who speaks – the time to punish you has come. °32 The arrogant one will stumble; no one will help her
up. In her towns I will kindle a fire that will consume everything around. °33 Thus says Yahweh Sabaoth: The people of Israel are
oppressed, and the people of Judah as well, for their captors hold them fast
and refuse to let them go. °34 But strong is their avenger, Yahweh
Sabaoth is his name. He will fight for their cause and succeed; he will give
them rest in their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon. °35 A sword upon the Chaldeans, upon the people of
Babylon, her princes and sages! °36
A sword upon her
false prophets: may they lose their wits! A sword upon her warriors: may they
tremble in terror! °37 A sword upon her mercenaries: may they
become women! A
sword upon her treasures: may they be plundered! °38 A
sword upon her waters: may they dry up! For hers is a land of idols that go
mad with terrors. °39 So, desert beasts will live there; there will the
owl and ostrich dwell. From generation to generation, the land will never be
inhabited again. °40 As when God overturned Sodom and Gomorrah
with their neighbors, nobody will live there any more, no one will make his
home there again. °41 A strong people is coming from the north, a mighty
nation. Stirred up from the far ends of the earth °42 are
men armed with bows and spears who are cruel and without mercy. They sound
like the roaring sea as they ride on galloping steeds. They come in battle
formation against you, daughter of Babylon. °43 Your king has heard news of them, and his hands hang
limp. Anguish has gripped him, and pain as that of a woman in travail. °44 As a lion comes from the thicket of Jordan to a rich
feeding ground, so I, in an instant, will drive them off, and whom I choose I
will establish there. For who is like me? And who can call me to account?
What shepherd can stand against me? °45 Therefore hear Yahweh’s plans against Babylon,
against the land of the Chaldeans: they will be dragged away, even the
smallest sheep, their pasture will be destroyed on account of them. °46 The earth quakes at the cry ‘Babylon is captured!’
Among the nations the outcry is heard.” § The Lord against Babylon¤51 °1 This is
what Yahweh says: “I
will stir up a devastating wind against Babylon and the Chaldeans. °2 I will send foreigners to Babylon to
winnow her and lay waste her land. On
the day of her affliction they
will besiege her from all sides. °3 Let not her archers bend their bows, let
them not stand up in their armor. Spare
not her young men; destroy
the host of her warriors. °4 They will fall fatally wounded in
the streets of Babylon. °5 For Israel and Judah have not been
forgotten by their God, Yahweh Sabaoth, though
their land is guilt-ridden before
the Holy One of Israel. °6 Save your lives, flee from Babylon! Partake
not of her punishment; this
is a time of Yahweh’s vengeance, a
time of his recompense to her. °7 Babylon was a golden cup in Yahweh’s
hand, a
cup which made the whole earth drunk. The
nations drank her wine, and
they have become mad. °8 Babylon’s fall is sudden. Wail
for her, wail! Bring
balm for her wounds, if
she could yet be healed. °9 ‘We have tried to heal Babylon, but
she is beyond healing. Let
us go back, each to his own land, and
leave her to her judgment which
rises up to heaven.’ °10 Yahweh has defended our rights, come,
let us declare in Zion what
our God Yahweh has done. °11 Sharpen the arrows, take
up the shields! Yahweh
has aroused Media’s kings in
his resolve to destroy Babylon. This
is Yahweh’s vengeance, vengeance
for his temple. °12 Raise a flag on the walls of Babylon, and
make the watch strong. Post
guards, prepare an ambush! Yahweh
will carry out his purpose, his words against the people of Babylon. °13 You who dwell by mighty waters, you
who are rich in treasures, this
is your end; the time for
you to be cut off has come. °14 Yahweh Sabaoth has sworn: Surely
I will fill you with troops, thick
as a swarm of locusts; they
will exult over you and raise the vintage shout. § Hymn°15 He made the earth by his power, founded
the world by his wisdom, spread
out the sky by his discernment. °16 When he thunders, the heaven roars; from
the earth he makes clouds rise; he
sends lightning with the rain, and
from his vaults brings out the wind. °17 Everyone stand stupefied at this; artisans
blush, for the idols they made have
no life and are a fraud. °18 They are worthless, ridiculous; when
judgment comes they will perish. °19 The Portion of Jacob is not like them, for
he is the creator of all; Yahweh
Sabaoth is his name, and
his heritage is Israel. The
hammer of Yahweh °20 You were my hammer, my weapon of war. With you I
wrecked nations, with you I demolished kingdoms. °21 With you I wrecked horse and rider, chariot and
charioteer. °22 With you I wrecked man and woman, youth
and aged, young man and maiden. °23 With you I wrecked shepherd and flock, farmer and
draft animal, rulers and officials. °24 But now I will repay Babylon and those who dwell in
Chaldea for the wrong they did to Zion. °25 I am
against you, ravaging mountain, ravager of the whole earth! It is Yahweh who
speaks. I
will lay my hands on you, roll you down over the crags, and make you a
parched, eroded mountain. °26 No cornerstone will be taken from you, or
foundation stone; forever shall you be a ruins, Yahweh says. °27 Raise a signal on the earth, among the nations blow
the trumpet. Prepare the nations for war, summon the kingdoms to battle
Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Marshal a great force against her; bring up the
cavalry, swarming and bristling. °28 Prepare the nations to battle her, the Medes with
their kings, their governors and officials, all the countries they rule. °29 The earth trembles and writhes as Yahweh carries out
his process of turning the land of Babylon into a desert where no one lives. °30 Her warriors have ceased to fight; they cower in
their strongholds. Their strength is dried up, their homes are burned and
their gates broken. °31 One after another couriers run to the king, bringing
news that his entire city is fallen: °32 The
fords have been seized, the fortresses set afire, and all the warriors
terrified. °33 Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel, says:
Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trodden. A little while,
and the time of the harvest grain will come for her.” °34 The people of Zion said: ‘Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, has consumed and routed me. He has left me as an empty vessel. Like
a dragon he has swallowed me, and filled his belly; he cast me out of my
Eden. °35 May the violence done to my flesh be upon Babylon,
says the city of Zion. May my blood be upon the Chaldeans,’ says Jerusalem. °36 Yahweh says to his people: “See now, I defend your
cause and avenge you. I will dry up her sea and drain her springs. °37 Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, a haunt of
jackals, an object of horror and derision, a place where no one lives. °38 Her people will roar like lions; they will growl
like lion cubs. °39 But while they are feverish, I will
prepare a drink for them and make them drunk till they grow drowsy and fall
into eternal sleep, never to wake up again. °40 I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter,
like goats and rams. °41 How has Babylon been seized, the glory of the world
taken captive! How has Babylon become a horror among nations! °42 The sea has risen over Babylon and covered her with
its roaring waves. °43 Her cities have become desolate, a land
of drought and a desert, a land where no one dwells, a land through which no
one travels. °44 I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him belch out
what he devoured. No longer will nations stream to him. The wall of Babylon
has fallen. °45 My people, come out of her! Run for your lives! Run
from Yahweh’s fierce anger. °46 Do not lose heart or be afraid when
rumors are heard, when rumors come year after year, rumors of violence and
disaster, intrigues of ruler against ruler. °47 The time will surely come when I will punish the
idols of Babylon; her land will be put to shame when all around her lie
slain. °48 Then heaven and earth and all therein
will rejoice over Babylon, for out of the north the destroyers will come to
attack her – it is Yahweh who speaks. °49 Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as
the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. °50 You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not
linger. Remember Yahweh from this far country and think of Jerusalem: °51 ‘We have been put to shame, dishonor has covered our
faces; because aliens have entered the holy places of Yahweh’s house.’ °52 But days will come – Yahweh declares – when I will
punish her idols, the wounded will groan all over her land. °53 Though Babylon mount skyward, though she fortify her
heights, the mere threat of the destroyers I send is enough to make her
terrified. °54 Listen! Loud cries from Babylon, the sound of
terrible destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! °55 That is Yahweh laying waste the city, silencing her
monstrous din. Well may her waves roar and their clamor be heard afar! °56 Upon Babylon the destroyer has come; her warriors
are captured, their bows are broken. For
Yahweh is a God who rewards, who repays her enemies in full. °57 I will make her rulers and sages drunk, her
governors, her officers and warriors; they will sleep the sleep of death and
never awake, says the King whose name is Yahweh Sabaoth. °58 Yahweh Sabaoth says this: The wide ramparts of
Babylon will be razed to the ground, her high gates burned down. The people’s
labor will go to naught; the nation’s toil will end in fire.” § The written oracle thrown into the river°59 This is the message Jeremiah gave to Seraiah, son of Neriah who is Mahseiah’s son, when he went to Babylon at the command of Zedekiah, who was then in the fourth year of his reign as king of Judah. °60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll the entire disaster that was to befall Babylon – all these words recorded here. °61 Jeremiah then said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. °62 Then say: ‘Yahweh, you yourself have proclaimed that this place will be destroyed, that neither people nor beast will ever live here again, for it will remain desolate forever.’ °63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. °64 Then say: “So will Babylon sink and rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her.” Here end the words of Jeremiah. § The fall of Jerusalem¤52 °1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became
king and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother, Hamutal by name,
was the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. °2 He did evil in the sight of Yahweh just as Jehoiakim
had done. °3 All that happened in Jerusalem and Judah
came about because of Yahweh’s anger until the day when he drove them out of
his sight. Zedekiah
rebelled against the king of Babylon; °4 so in
the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched with his entire army and laid siege to
Jerusalem. They camped outside the city and built siege works all around it. °5 The city was under siege up to the eleventh year of
Zedekiah. °6 On the ninth day of the fourth month famine became a
serious problem in the city, and throughout the land there was no bread for
the people. °7 When the city was opened by a breach in
the wall the Judean army fled. They left the city by night through the gate
between the two walls near the king’s garden. While the Chaldeans were still
surrounding the city they fled towards the Arabah. °8 The
Chaldeans followed in hot pursuit of King Zedekiah. They caught up with him
in the plains of Jericho. All his army deserted and scattered. °9 The Chaldeans seized the king and led him away to
Riblah in the territory of Hamath and there the king of Babylon passed
sentence on him. There at Riblah, the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of
Zedekiah in his presence and also killed all the officials of Judah. °10 He then put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with
a double bronze chain and took him to Babylon. °11 He was
imprisoned there in the house of the guards until the day of his death. °12 On the tenth day of the fifth month in the
nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of
the bodyguard and servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem and set
fire to the House of Yahweh and the royal palace as well as to all the houses
in Jerusalem. °13 He also burned every important building. °14 The Chaldean army under the commander of the
bodyguard completely demolished all the walls around Jerusalem. °15 Nebuzaradan commander of the bodyguard carried off
into exile some of the poorest among the people, the remnant of Jews left in
the city, and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the remainder
of the artisans. °16 But Nebuzaradan left behind those among
the very poor who were capable of working in vineyards and cultivating the
soil. °17 The Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars,
the stands and the bronze Sea in the House of Yahweh and carried off all this
bronze to Babylon. °18 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, the
spoons and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. °19 The commander of the bodyguard took the basins,
censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, ladles and bowls – all that was
made of gold or silver. °20 The two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls
underneath it, the movable stands which King Solomon had made for the House
of Yahweh – all this bronze was of an immeasurable weight. °21 The pillars were each eighteen cubits high with a
circumference of twelve cubits. Each had a thickness of four fingers and was
hollow. °22 On the top of each pillar was a bronze
capital five cubits high and above this and around the capital was filigree
work with pomegranates in bronze. °23
Ninety-six
pomegranates hung down and in all the filigree decoration there was a total
of a hundred pomegranates. °24 The commander of the bodyguard took captive Seraiah
the chief priest and Zephaniah the next priest in rank, as well as three
doorkeepers. °25 He also took from those in the city a eunuch in
command of the fighting men, seven personal advisers to the king who were
discovered in the city, °26 the commander’s secretary responsible for
military conscription and sixty of his men who were found in the city.
Nebuzaradan took all these away to the king of Babylon at Riblah. °27 There at Riblah in the territory of Hamath the king
of Babylon had them put to death. So Judah was taken captive and taken away
from its own land. °28 This is the number of the population deported by
Nebuchadnezzar: in the seventh year 3,023 Jews; °29 in the
eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 people from Jerusalem; °30 in his twenty-third year 745 Jews deported by Nebuzaradan
commander of the bodyguard – in all 4,600 people. °31 On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the
thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiakin king of Judah, Evil-Merodach
king of Babylon, in the year he came to the throne pardoned Jehoiakin king of
Judah and released him from prison. °32 He
spoke kindly to him and gave him more honorable treatment than the other
kings who were with him in Babylon. °33 Jehoiakin
put aside his prisoner’s garment and for the rest of his life ate at the
king’s table. °34 Day by day for as long as he lived he was maintained
by the king of Babylon. {EZEKIEL} [Ezk Ezekiel]¤1 °1 On the fifth day of the fourth month of
the thirtieth year when I was with the exiles by the river Kebar, the heavens
opened and I had visions from Yahweh. °2 On the fifth of the month (it was the fifth year of
the exile of King Jehoiakin) °3 the word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel, son
of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans by the banks of the Kebar. There
the hand of Yahweh was upon me. § Ezekiel sees the Glory of Yahweh°4 I looked: a windstorm came from the north bringing a great cloud. A fiery light inside it lit up all around it, while at the center there was something like a glowing metal. °5 In the center were what appeared to be four creatures with the
same form; °6 but each had four faces and four
wings. °7 Their legs
were straight and their feet were like those of a calf, shining like polished
bronze. °8 Under their wings (on their four sides)
they had human hands. The wings of one °9 touched
those of the other. Their faces did not turn as they advanced, because they
were able to go forward in any of the four directions of their faces. °10 I saw they had human faces; but each one also had the face of a lion on the right, and on the left the face of an ox, and all four had the face of an eagle. °11 Their wings were spread upwards. Each had two wings meeting those of its neighbor and two covering its body; having four faces they could advance in any of the four directions. °12 Wherever the spirit would go, they went without turning as they advanced. °13 Between these creatures could be seen glowing coals like torches moving between them. The fire blazed and flashed from thunderbolts. °14 The creatures ran to and fro like thunderbolts. °15 While I looked at the creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them, °16 glittering as if made of chrysolite. The four wheels had the same shape: indeed each was double – two wheels placed crosswise, °17 so they could follow any of the four directions without turning as they went. °18 Their rims were lofty and looked terrifying, and the four of them were covered with eyes all the way round. °19 When the creatures moved forward the wheels moved along beside them and when the creatures rose from the ground the wheels rose, too. °20 Wherever the spirit was to go, there the creatures went and the wheels went with them for the spirit of the creatures was also in the wheels. °21 When the creatures moved forward they did, too, stopping when they stopped, rising above the ground when they did, for the spirit of the creatures was in the wheels. °22 Over the heads of the creatures was a kind of platform; it looked like crystal. °23 Under the platform their wings were straight, one parallel to the other. (Each creature had two that covered its body). °24 I heard the noise of their wings when they moved, similar to the roar of many waters, similar to the voice of the Most High, the noise of a multitude or of a camp. When they were not moving they lowered their wings. °25 I heard a noise above the platform over their heads. °26 Above it was a throne resembling a sapphire and high on this throne was a figure similar to that of a man. Then I saw a light as of glowing bronze as if fire enveloped him °27 from his waist upwards. And from his waist downwards it was as if fire gave radiance around him. °28 The surrounding light was like a rainbow in the clouds after a day of rain. This vision was the likeness of Yahweh’s Glory. On seeing it I fell on my face and then I heard a voice speaking. § Ezekiel receives his mission¤2 °1 He said to me, “Son of man, stand up for
I am about to speak to you.” °2 A spirit came upon me as he spoke and
kept me standing and then I heard him speak, °3 “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to
a people who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have sinned
against me to this day. °4 Now I am sending you to these defiant and
stubborn people to tell them ‘this is the Lord Yahweh’s word.’ °5 So, whether they listen or not this set of rebels
will know there is a prophet among them. °6 But
you, son of man, do not fear them or what they say, for they will be as
thorns for you and you will be sitting on a nest of scorpions. Don’t be
afraid of their words when you are facing this set of rebels. °7 Tell them what I say whether they choose to listen
or not, for they are rebels. °8 Listen then, son of man, to what I say
and don’t be a rebel among rebels. Open your mouth and take in what I’m about
to say.” °9 I looked and saw a hand stretched out in front of me
holding a scroll. °10 He unrolled it before me; on both sides
were written lamentations, groanings and woes. ¤3 °1 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what is given to you. Eat this scroll and then go; speak to the people of Israel.” °2 I opened my mouth and he made me eat the scroll and then °3 he said to me, “Eat and fill yourself with this scroll that I’m giving you.” I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey. °4 He said, “Son of man, go to the Israelites; speak to them with my words. °5 Indeed it is not a people with a difficult foreign language to whom you are sent; it is to the people of Israel. °6 It’s not to the many nations with difficult and obscure languages which you cannot understand. If I sent you to them they would listen to you. °7 But the Israelites will not listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me; all of them are defiant and stubborn of heart. °8 See I am making your face as unyielding as theirs and your forehead as hard as theirs. °9 I am making your forehead as hard as a diamond, harder than flint; so you shall not fear or tremble because of this set of rebels.” °10 He said to me, “Son of man, listen and take to heart all I say to you, °11 and then go to the exiles, your fellow countrymen, speak to them and tell them: ‘This is what Yahweh says,’ whether they listen or not.” °12 Then the spirit lifted me up; behind me I heard a great acclamation, “Blessed be the Glory of Yahweh in his dwelling place” °13 and I heard the noise of the animals’ wings brushing against each other, and the noise of the wheels; it was a great uproar. °14 The spirit had lifted me up, and carried me off but I went in a bitter and feverish spirit because the hand of Yahweh was heavy upon me. °15 I came to Tel Abib to the exiles living by the river Chebar and I stayed there seven days with them, overwhelmed. § “I have made you a watchman”°16 After seven days the word of Yahweh came to me, °17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the House of Israel. With the word you hear from my mouth you will warn them in my name. °18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ if you do not speak to warn the wicked man to give up his evil ways and so live, he shall die for his sin, and I will hold you responsible for his death. °19 But if you have warned the wicked man and he has not given up his wickedness and evil ways, he shall die for his sin but you will save yourself. °20 When the righteous man turns from what is good to do evil I shall put an obstacle in his path: he shall die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. His good deeds will not be remembered and I shall hold you responsible for his death. °21 But when you have warned the righteous man to keep him from sinning and he has not sinned, he will live for sure for he was warned and you will save your life.” § Ezekiel becomes mute°22 The hand of Yahweh was upon me and he said to me, “Get up! Go to the valley and there I shall speak to you.” °23 I got up and went towards the valley and there was the Glory of Yahweh that I had seen by the Chebar river. I fell on my face. °24 Then the spirit came to me and kept me standing; He spoke to me and said; “Go! Shut yourself in your house. °25 You, son of man, will be bound with cords and prevented from going among the people. °26 Your tongue shall stick to your palate and you will remain dumb and not be able to rebuke them for they are a rebellious people. °27 But when I speak to you I shall open your lips and you shall say to them: This is the word of Yahweh! He who listens, let him listen and he who refuses to listen, let him refuse for they are a rebellious people. § Ezekiel plays war¤4 °1 Son of man, take a clay tablet; place it
in front of you and draw on it the city of Jerusalem. °2 Then act as if you were laying siege to it; dig a
trench round it and build a ramp; set up tents and a battering ram against
it. °3 Take an iron pan; place it as a wall of
iron between you and the city and look towards the city: it is under siege
and you are besieging it. All this will be a sign for the people of Israel. °4 Lie on your left side, taking upon yourself the sin
of Israel, for you will bear their sin as long as you are lying on it. °5 I have assigned to you a number of days equal to the
duration of their sins – for a hundred and ninety days you will bear the sin
of Israel. °6 When you have completed this you shall lie down
again on your right side and bear the sin of Judah for forty days – one day
corresponding to a year. °7 Then you shall turn your face and your
bared arm towards the siege of Jerusalem and prophesy against it. °8 I shall bind you with cords to prevent you from
turning from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your
confinement. °9 Take some wheat and barley, some beans,
lentils, millet and spelt; put it all in one vessel and make some bread; this
is what you will eat all the time you are lying on your side – one hundred
and ninety days. °10 The food you eat will be a daily ration of eight
ounces a day; °11 you will drink two thirds of a quart of
water each day. °12 Eat the food as you would a barley cake.
You will cook it publicly on human dung, °13 for
that is the way – says Yahweh – the people of Israel will eat unclean bread
among the nations where I shall drive them.” °14 I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! I have not been defiled:
from childhood until now I have never eaten any animal found dead or torn;
unclean meat has never entered my mouth.” °15 He then said, “Very well! I allow you cow dung in
place of human dung for baking your bread.” °16 He
continued, “Son of man, I shall cut off the food in Jerusalem. They will eat
strictly-rationed bread with anxiety and despair as they drink water
sparingly, °17 for food and water will be in short
supply and they will all waste away because of their sin. § Slaughter and death in Jerusalem¤5 °1 Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it
as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales and divide the
hair you have cut off. °2 Burn a third of it in the middle of the
city at the end of the siege, then take a third that you will strike with the
sword all around the city; finally scatter a third in the wind and unsheathe
a sword and pursue them. °3 Take a few strands of hair and tuck them
away in the folds of your clothes; °4 then throw some of them to burn in the
fire. Then speak against all Israel: °5 This is what Yahweh said: That is Jerusalem! I
placed her in the midst of the nations surrounded by other countries; °6 she rebelled against my laws and my precepts more
than neighboring nations. In fact she rejected my laws and did not keep my
decrees. °7 That is why Yahweh speaks thus: Your rebellion is
greater than that of the nations around you – you have not kept my laws,
respected my decrees or observed my ordinances but instead have conformed to
the laws of neighboring nations – °8
because of that
Yahweh speaks thus: I too have set myself against you. I will pass judgment
on you in the sight of the nations. °9 And
because of your abominations I will punish you in a way I have never before
done and never will do in the future. °10 That
is why parents among you will eat their children and children their parents.
I will pass judgment on you and scatter your remnant to every wind. °11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares Yahweh,
because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your horrors and abominations,
I will strike you without pity! I too will show no mercy! °12 A third of your people will die of the plague or
starve within your walls, a third will fall by the sword outside the city, a
third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with sword unsheathed. °13 My anger will spend itself, my fury against them be
satisfied. I will have my revenge and they will know that I, Yahweh, have
spoken in my jealousy when I have exhausted my fury against them. °14 I will make you a heap of ruins, a reproach among
the neighboring nations in the eyes of all who pass by. °15 You will be a reproach, a taunt, a lesson, a warning
and an object of horror for the nations near you when, with anger, wrath and stinging
reproach, I punish you. I, Yahweh, have spoken. °16 When I send against you the deadly arrows of
starvation to do away with you and blot you out, I will make you lack all
food. °17 Hunger and wild beasts will destroy your
children, while sword and plague will visit you. It is I, Yahweh, who have
spoken.” ¤6 °1 The
word of Yahweh came to me as follows, °2 “Son of
man, look towards the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. Say to
them: °3 Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of Yahweh!
To the mountains and hills, to the rivers and valleys Yahweh has spoken: I am
going to bring the sword against you and destroy your high places. °4 Your altars will become desolate, your incense
burners smashed; °5 I will lay your corpses in front of your
idols and scatter your bones around your altars. °6 Wherever you live, the towns will be in ruins and
the high places desolate, your altars demolished and defiled, your filthy
idols smashed and ruined, °7 your incense burners knocked all around
you and you will know that I am Yahweh. °8 But I
shall spare some of you. They will escape the sword and be scattered among
the nations. °9 Your survivors then will remember me among the
people where they are exiled, for I shall break the adulterous hearts of
those whose eyes lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for
the evil they committed, for all their abominations. °10 And they will know that I, Yahweh, have not spoken
in vain in saying I would inflict this disaster on them.” °11 This is what Yahweh said, “Clap your hands, stamp
your feet and say: Well done! when the people of Israel are falling by the
sword, famine and plague because of their abominations. °12 He who is far away will die of the plague, he who is
near will fall by the sword, whoever survives and is spared will die of
starvation. Against them I will exhaust my fury. °13 And
you will know that I am Yahweh when their people lie slain in the midst of
their idols, around their altars, on every high hill, on the mountain tops,
under every green tree and spreading oak and wherever they offered fragrant
incense to all their idols. °14 I will stretch out my hand against them,
I will make their country a desolate wasteland from the desert to Riblah,
wherever they live; and they will know that I am Yahweh.” ¤7 °1 This
word of Yahweh came to me, °2 “And you, son of man, listen to what the
Lord says to Israel: °3 Finished! The end is coming for the four corners of
the land. It is all over for you. I am unleashing my anger against you. I
will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your filthy
practices. °4 I will not look on you with pity; I will
be merciless. I will bring against you what is fitting for your conduct and
your detestable practices and you will know it is Yahweh striking you. °5 Thus says Yahweh: Disaster! Disaster is coming! °6 The end is near! It is your turn, you who live in
the country. °7 The time has come, the day is near! No
joy, only panic on the mountains! °8
Now I am unleashing
my fury against you; my anger will exhaust itself on you. I will judge you
according to your ways and your detestable practices. °9 I will not look on you with pity; I will be without
mercy. I will judge you according to your conduct and call you to account for
your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity and I will show
you no mercy. I will give you what your conduct deserves. And you will know
that I am Yahweh when I strike you for your abominable practices. °10 This is the day, the end is coming, the die is cast.
For insolence has blossomed, pride bears its fruits °11 and violence reigns. No one will escape. °12 The time has come, the day is here! Let not the
buyer rejoice or the seller regret, for the punishment will fall upon all. °13 The seller will not get back what he has sold, even
though he survives, for the sentence regarding the multitude will not be
reversed. °14 They may sound the trumpet, make preparations, but
no one will go to battle, for I am indignant with all. °15 Outside in the open is the sword; plague and starvation
in the houses. Those in the country will die by the sword, those in the city
will be victims of famine and plague. °16 Those
who escape will go to the mountains; they will be like doves, each one
moaning because of his sin. °17 Every hand will be limp, every knee as weak as
water; °18 they will put on sackcloth and shudder.
All will be covered with shame and every head bald. °19 They will throw their silver in the streets and
their gold will be dropped like filth. Silver or gold will not save them on
the day of Yahweh’s anger. It will be useless to satisfy their hunger and to
fill their stomachs, for it was their stumbling block, the cause of their
sin. °20 They became proud of their splendid jewel (the
Temple), but they put into it their loathsome images and idols; that is why I
will make it a horror. °21 I will hand it over as plunder to
foreigners and as booty to the most wicked of the land, and they will defile
it. °22 I will take away my protection from them and people
will profane my treasure. Robbers will enter and desecrate it °23 and within it there will be massacres, for the land
is full of violence. °24 I will bring the most cruel of the nations to take
possession of their houses. I will break the pride of the violent and their
sanctuaries will be profaned. °25 Anguish is coming; they will seek peace but there
will be none. °26 Disaster will follow disaster, rumor will
follow rumor. In vain will they demand a vision from the prophet. The priest
will have no answer; the elders will be unable to advise. °27 The king will mourn; the princes will be overcome
with grief, and the hands of the citizens will tremble. I
will treat them as their conduct deserves and judge them according to their
deeds, and they will know that I am Yahweh. § The Glory of Yahweh departs from the Temple¤8 °1 On the fifth day of the sixth month in the sixth year, I happened to be sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting in front of me when the hand of Yahweh fell heavily on me. °2 I looked and saw a being as of fire. Downwards from what appeared to be his loins there was the appearance of fire, and from his loins upward a brightness like sparkling bronze. °3 As he stretched out the form of a hand and took me by my hair, the spirit lifted me between heaven and earth and brought me in a divine vision to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate facing north. There stands the idol which provokes Yahweh’s jealousy. °4 And the Glory of the God of Israel was there, similar to the vision I had seen in the plain. °5 He said to me, “Son of man, look to the north.” I looked in the direction of the north and there, to the north of the altar gate, at the entrance, I saw this idol which provokes his jealousy. °6 He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing? Do you see the great abomination that Israel commits here to drive me from my sanctuary? You will see other abominations greater than this.” °7 He then led me to the door of the court. °8 He said, “Son of man, break through the wall.” I
broke through the wall and made an opening. °9 He
said, “Go in and see the wicked abomination they are committing here.” °10 I went in, looked around and saw all kinds of
reptiles, repulsive beasts and all the filthy idols of Israel portrayed on
the wall all around. °11 Before them stood seventy men, elders of Israel, and
among them was Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan. Each held a censer in his hand, and
perfume rose from a cloud of incense. °12 He said, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of
Israel do in the dark, each one in his room of pictures? For they think:
Yahweh does not see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.” °13 Then he said, “You will see more of their great
abominations.” °14 He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of
the house of Yahweh and there women were sitting, weeping for Tammuz. °15 He said to me, “Did you see, son of man? You will
see even greater abominations than these.” °16 And he led me to the inner court of the house of
Yahweh and at the door to Yahweh’s sanctuary, between the porch and the altar,
were about twenty-five men, their backs to the temple, facing east and
worshiping the sun. He said to me, °17 “Did
you see, son of man? Is it not enough for Judah to commit the abominations
that they commit here? See they are waving the branch before their nose. °18 I too will act against them in anger; my eye will
not see with pity and I will be without mercy. Though they cry loudly in my
ears, I will not hear them.” ¤9 °1 Then he shouted loudly in my ears saying, “The punishment of the city is near; see each one of these has in his hand his instrument of destruction.” °2 And six men came from the direction of the upper gate which faces north, each one with his instrument of destruction. With them was a man clothed in linen with writing material at his side. They came and stopped near the altar of bronze. °3 Then the Glory of the God of Israel rose from the cherubim where it rested and went to the threshold of the house. Yahweh called to the man clothed in linen who had the material for writing at his side, °4 and he said to him, “Pass through the center of the city, through Jerusalem, and trace a cross on the forehead of the men who sigh and groan because of all the abominations committed in it.” °5 I heard him say to the others, “Now you may pass through the city after him and strike. Your eyes shall not look with pity; show no mercy! Do away with them all – °6 old men, young men, virgins, children and women – but do not touch anyone marked with a cross.” And as they were told to begin with the sanctuary, they struck the elders who were in front of the Temple. °7 Yahweh said to them, “Let the courts be filled with the slain and the Temple be defiled with their blood; go out!” They went and slew the people in the city. °8 While they were slaying the people, I fell on my face and cried out saying, “Ah, Yahweh! Are you going to destroy all that is left of Israel, and unleash your fury against Jerusalem?” °9 He said to me, “The sin of Israel and Judah is very great; the land is filled with blood and the city full of perversion. For they say: ‘Yahweh has forsaken the land; Yahweh does not see.’ °10 I too will be without pity; I will show no mercy and I will bring their deeds upon their heads.” °11 Then the man clothed in linen who brought the writing kit reported, “I have done what you ordered.” ¤10 °1 I looked and saw that in the expanse over the heads of the cherubim there was something resembling a sapphire stone in the form of a throne. °2 He spoke to the man clothed in linen, “Enter by the space between the wheels under the cherubim, fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And I saw him as he entered. °3 The cherubim stood at the right of the Temple when the man entered and the cloud filled the inner court. °4 Then the Glory of Yahweh rose from above the cherubim to the threshold of the Temple and the Temple was filled with the cloud while the court was filled with the radiance of Yahweh’s Glory. °5 The noise of the cherubim’s wings could be heard as
far as the outer court, similar to the voice of God Almighty when he
thunders. °6 Yet the man clothed in linen had been
given the order to take the fire from between the wheels, in the space
between the cherubim; so he went and stood beside the wheel. °7 A cherub then stretched his hand towards the fire in
the space between the cherubim, took some and gave handfuls to the man
clothed in linen who took them and went out. °8 At that
moment I noticed this human hand under the wings of the cherubim. °9 I also saw four wheels beside the cherubim, each
wheel beside a cherub. The wheels resembled sparkling chrysolite. °10 As for their appearance, the four had the same form;
each was formed of two wheels placed crosswise, °11 so
they could move following any of their four directions, without turning as
they went. °12 In the direction the cherub’s head was
turned, the wheels followed without turning. Their rims were full of eyes all
around. °13 In my hearing the wheels were called
“whirling.” °14 (Each one had four faces, the first was
the face of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a
lion, the fourth the face of an eagle. °15 The
cherubim mounted up – they were the same creatures I had seen by the river
Chebar). °16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved at their
side and when the cherubim raised their wings to rise above the earth, the
wheels did not depart from their side. °17 When
they stopped, the wheels stopped; when they rose, the wheels rose with them,
for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. °18 The Glory of Yahweh went from above the threshold of the house and went to rest on the cherubim. °19 Then the cherubim left, opening their wings and rising above the earth in my sight, and the wheels went with them. They halted at the east gate of the house of Yahweh and the Glory of the God of Israel was over them. °20 These were the living creatures I had seen under the
God of Israel on the banks of the river Chebar. I recognized them as
cherubim. °21 Each had four faces, each had four wings
and they had what seemed like human hands under their wings. °22 As for the appearance of their faces, they were the
faces I had seen by the river Chebar, the same likeness. Each one went
straight ahead. § The leaders of the people are punished¤11 °1 Then the spirit lifted me up and brought
me to the eastern gate of Yahweh’s house, the one facing east, and there at
the entrance to the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son
of Azzur and Peletiah, son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. °2 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, these are the men
who plot wickedness and give evil counsel in the city. °3 They say: ‘Now there is no need of more houses! The
city is the pot and we are the meat!’ °4 Because
of that, prophesy against them, prophesy, son of man!” °5 The spirit of Yahweh seized me and said, “Speak!
This is the word of Yahweh: I know what you have said, Israel! I know what
you are thinking. °6 You have multiplied your victims in the
city; you have filled the streets with the slain. °7 That is
why Yahweh has spoken. The slain you have left in its midst; they are the
meat, this city is the pot and I will bring you out of it. °8 Yahweh says: Because you are afraid of the sword, I
will send the sword against you. °9
I will make you leave
and deliver you over to foreigners and I will pass sentence on you. °10 You will fall by the sword; I
will judge you on the borders of Israel and you will know that I am Yahweh. °11 The city will not be like a pot to preserve you, nor
will you be meat within her. °12 And you will know that I am Yahweh, for
until now you have not walked according to my ordinances; you have not
applied my laws, but instead you have acted according to the laws of the
nations around you.” °13 It happened that while I was prophesying, Pelatiah,
son of Beniah, died. I fell on my face and cried aloud saying, “Ah, Yahweh!
Are you to destroy even the remnant of Israel?” °14 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °15 “Son of man, these people have said of your
brothers, your relatives, and all the exiled Israelites: ‘They are well far
from Yahweh! He gave this land to us as our possession.’ °16 Give them therefore this word from Yahweh: I myself
have sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the
peoples, but I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries they entered.” °17 For that reason Yahweh says, “I will gather you from
among the peoples; I will group you together out of the countries where you
were scattered and give you the land of Israel. °18 When you
have come back and removed all the horrors and abominations, I will give you
a new heart; I will put a new spirit in you. °19 Yes, I will remove their heart of stone and give
them a heart of flesh, °20 that they may walk in my statutes,
observe my laws and practice them, and they shall be my people and I will be
their God. °21 As for those whose hearts follow their
horrors and abominations, I will punish them according to their deeds.” °22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings and the wheels went with them. °23 The Glory of the God of Israel was over them. The Glory of Yahweh rose, leaving the city to rest on the mountain that is to the east. °24 At that point the spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Chaldea – all this happened in vision by the power of the spirit of God – and the vision I had seen left me. °25 Then I told the exiles all that Yahweh had shown me. § The parable of the exile¤12 °1 This word of Yahweh came to me, °2 “Son of man, you live in the midst of a house of rebels: they have eyes for seeing but do not see; they have ears for hearing but do not hear, for they are a house of rebels. °3 Because of this, son of man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage in their sight as an exile does; and go as an exile to another place in their sight. Would that they may understand, because they are a house of rebels. °4 You will gather your things, an exile’s baggage, by day to be seen by them, and you will leave in the evening as for a departure of deportees. While they look on, °5 dig a hole in the wall and leave from there. °6 As they look on, shoulder your baggage and leave in the dark. Veil your face and do not look at the land for I have made you a sign for Israel.” °7 I did as I was ordered, gathering my things by day, an exile’s baggage, and in the evening I made a hole in the wall with my hand. I left in the dark, in their presence, shouldering my baggage. °8 In the morning the word of Yahweh came to me: °9 “Son of man, did not the Israelites, these rebels, ask you, ‘What are you doing there?’ °10 Answer them on behalf of Yahweh: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites remaining in the city. °11 Say, ‘I am a sign for you,’ for what I have done will happen to them: They will be deported, exiled. °12 The prince among them shall shoulder his baggage in the dark and depart. They will dig a hole in the wall to let him leave by it. He will cover his face because he must not see the land with his eyes. °13 I will spread my net over him and he will be caught in its mesh. I will bring him to Babylon in the country of the Chaldeans but he will not see it and it is there that he will die. °14 As for all those who form his court, his guard, his troops, I will scatter them to the winds and pursue them with the sword. °15 They will know I am Yahweh when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them in other countries. °16 I will however allow a small number of them to escape the sword, famine and pestilence so they may confess their abominations among the nations where they will go and they will know I am Yahweh.” °17 This word of Yahweh came to me, °18 “Son of man, trembling you will eat your bread and
you will drink water in fear and anxiety. °19 Say to
the people, ‘This is what Yahweh says regarding those who live in Jerusalem
in the land of Israel: In fear they will eat their bread and in affliction
they will drink their water because the land will be desolate, stripped of
all it contains, due to the violence of its inhabitants. °20 Cities that were inhabited will become ruins, the
country a wasteland and you will know that I am Yahweh.” § The word of God will be fulfilled°21 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °22 “Son of man, what do you mean by this proverb: The
days pass and the visions do not come true? Why do you refer thus to what
happens in Israel? °23 You shall say to them this word of
Yahweh: No more of this proverb. It will not be used in Israel, for the day
is at hand when every vision will be fulfilled. °24 No
longer will there be false visions or misleading divinations in Israel. °25 I, Yahweh, will say what I want to say, and my words
will be fulfilled. There will be no more delay, for it is in your days,
rebellious people, that I will speak and it will be done – word of Yahweh.” °26 The word of Yahweh was given me in these terms, °27 “Son of man, this is what Israel says: ‘Ezekiel’s
visions refer to the distant future; he prophesies for times far off.’ °28 Therefore speak to them: This is what Yahweh says:
There will be no further delay concerning my words: what I say will be done –
word of Yahweh.” § The false prophets¤13 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me again, °2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of
Israel, against those who prophesy on their own initiative. Say: Hear the
word of Yahweh! °3 This is what Yahweh says: Woe to the
senseless prophets who follow their own inspiration without having seen
anything! °4 Your prophets, Israel, are like foxes
among the ruins! °5 They have not gone up to the breaches nor
have they built a wall around Israel so that she may hold out in battle on
the day of Yahweh. °6 Their discourse is trickery and lies;
they say:word of Yahwehwhen Yahweh
has not sent them and yet they wait for him to fulfill their word. °7 Is it not a false vision you have seen? Have you not
uttered lying divinations? You say:oracle
of Yahwehwhen I have not spoken. °8 But
this is what Yahweh says: Because of your false and lying revelations I will
oppose you, word of Yahweh. °9 My hand will strike the prophets whose
revelations are delusions, whose predictions are lies. They will not be
accepted among my people’s assembly nor will they be inscribed in the
register of the nation of Israel. They will not reenter the land of Israel –
and you will know that I am Yahweh. °10 These prophets have misled my people saying “Peace!”
when there is no peace. The people are building a wall and these prophets
daub it with whitewash; °11 but say to those who daub it with
whitewash: The wall will fall. I will send torrential rain, huge hailstones
and stormy winds, and see: °12 the wall will fall! Will they not say to
you: Where is the whitewash with which you daubed it?” °13 That is why Yahweh speaks thus: In my fury I will
make a violent wind break out and in my anger I will send a torrential downpour,
and my wrath will hurl destructive hailstones. °14 I will
destroy the wall you daubed with whitewash; I will level it to the ground and
its foundation will be laid bare. It will fall and beneath it you will be
utterly destroyed and you will know that I am Yahweh. °15 I will exhaust my anger against the wall and against
those who daubed it with whitewash. Then they will say to you: Where is the
wall and where are those who whitewashed it, °16 the
prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and who had visions of peace
when there was no peace?” °17 Yahweh then said to me, “As for you, son of man,
turn towards the women of your people who prophesy on their own initiative,
and prophesy against them. °18 You will say: Woe to those who make magic
bands for all wrists and veils for every size of head – those women who
ensnare souls! °19 For the Lord Yahweh says: You who ensnare
the lives of my people, will you preserve your own? You have dishonored me
among my people for handfuls of barley and pieces of bread. Because of you,
people die who should not die, and people live who should not live. For my
people listen to you and your lies.” °20 That is why Yahweh speaks, “I hate the wrist bands
with which you ensnare souls like birds. °21 I will
tear your veils and free my people from your hands. No more will they fall
into your hands and you will know that I am Yahweh. °22 You have disheartened with lies the righteous whom I
would never dishearten, and you have strengthened the wicked, that he might
not turn away from his evil ways and so save his life. °23 Because of that I will no longer let you have false
visions or practice divinations. I will free my people from your clutches and
you will know that I am Yahweh.” § I will not allow them to
consult me
¤14 °1 Some of the elders of Israel came and sat in front of me. °2 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, °3 “Son of man, these men are keeping in their heart and remain attached to what makes them sin. Am I to allow them to consult me? °4 Speak to them on my behalf: To every Israelite who goes to a prophet while he keeps filthy idols in his heart and is attached to what makes him sin, I, Yahweh, will give the answer his many idols deserve. °5 For I want to take hold of Israel’s heart, the heart of all those who have strayed from me because of their filthy idols. °6 So then say to the people of Israel: Thus says Yahweh: come back, turn away from your filthy idols; turn your face away from all your abominations. °7 If a man of the people of Israel or a guest staying in Israel strays away from following me and goes to a prophet to consult me while he keeps idols in his heart and remains attached to what makes him sin, I, Yahweh, will answer him myself. °8 I will turn my face against this man, I will make of him a proverbial example, I will strike him from the midst of my people and you will know that I am Yahweh. °9 If the prophet lets himself be seduced and gives an answer, it will be I, Yahweh, who will have let him be seduced. I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. °10 They will be responsible for their sin. The prophet will be as guilty as the one who consulted him, °11 that the people of Israel may no longer stray from me. Instead of defiling themselves with all their transgressions, they will be for me a people and I will be their God – word of Yahweh.” °12 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °13 “Son of man, when a nation sins against me by being
unfaithful, I will stretch out my hand against it, deprive it of bread, and
famine will destroy people and animals. °14 But if
there were found in the land these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, they
would save their lives because of their righteousness – word of Yahweh. °15 If I also let wild beasts roam the land to deprive
it of children so that it becomes a desolation without a passerby because of
the beasts, °16 if these three men were in the land, as I
live, word of Yahweh, they would not save their sons or daughters but only
they themselves would be spared while the land would be made desolate. °17 The same would happen if I brought the sword against
this land and ordered the sword to go through the land destroying people and
animals. °18 If these three men were in the land, as I
live, word of Yahweh, they would not save sons and daughters but they
themselves would be spared. °19 Or if I sent pestilence to the land and
poured out my fury against it in bloodshed in order to destroy people and
animals, °20 if Noah, Daniel and Job were in the land,
as I live, word of Yahweh, they would not save sons or daughters, but their
own lives would be spared because of their righteousness.” °21 Now this is what Yahweh says, “Although I have sent
my four great punishments, sword, famine, wild beasts and plague against
Jerusalem to destroy people and animals, °22 there
are survivors, sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come to
you here, and when you see their way of life and their deeds, you will no
longer be shocked at the disaster I brought on Jerusalem and at everything
that happened to her. °23 They will set your mind at rest when you
see their conduct and you will realize that not in vain was all that I did in
the city – word of Yahweh.” § Israel: The useless vine¤15 °1 This word of Yahweh came to me, °2 “Son of man, in what way is the wood of the vine
superior to that of any other tree in the forest? °3 Do they
take its wood to make anything? Do they use it to make a peg for hanging a
tool? °4 But now they have used it as fuel and the fire has
burned it at both ends leaving the middle charred. Is it then of any use? °5 If it was of no use when it was whole, of even less
use will it be when burnt in the fire.” °6 That is why Yahweh speaks thus, “I took the vine
from among all the trees of the forest, and I gave it to the fire to be
burned. This is how I have just dealt with those living in Jerusalem.°7 I will turn my face against them. Though they
escaped from the fire, the fire will burn them and you will know that I am
Yahweh when I turn against them. °8 I will make the land desolate because
they have been unfaithful – word of Yahweh.” § The unfaithful bride¤16 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem its
sins. °3 You say on my behalf: Your beginning was
in Canaan; there you were born. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a
Hittite. °4 On the day you were born your cord was
not cut, you were not bathed in water to make you clean, you were not rubbed
with salt nor were you wrapped in cloth. °5 There
was no one to look with pity on you or compassionate enough to give you any
of these attentions. You were left exposed in the open fields because you
were looked upon with disgust on the day you were born. °6 But I passed by and saw you immersed in your blood.
I said to you in the midst of your blood, “Live!” °7 I made
you grow like a plant of the field. °8 You
grew up and became tall and were becoming of marriageable age. Your breasts
were formed and your hair had grown but you were naked and exposed. I passed
by later and saw you were at the age of love and spread part of my garment
over you to cover your nudity. I made a covenant with you with an oath – word
of Yahweh – and you were mine. °9 Then I bathed you in water, I cleansed
you of your blood and anointed you with oil. °10 I
clothed you with embroidered cloth and put soft leather sandals on your feet.
I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. °11 I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on
your arms, a necklace around your neck °12 and a
ring in your nose. °13 I gave you earrings and a magnificent
crown for your head. You were adorned with gold and silver; your clothing was
fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You were fed on finest flour, honey
and oil; you became very beautiful and rose to be queen. °14 Your beauty was perfect and your renown spread
through the nations, because of the splendor I had given you – word of
Yahweh. °15 But you relied on your beauty; you trusted in your
fame and you began to give yourself to every passerby like a prostitute. °16 With some of your garments you made your high places
where you played the harlot (the like has never been and never will be). °17 With my silver and my gold and with the ornaments
that were your splendor and which I had given you, you formed male idols and
gave yourself to them. °18 With your embroidered garments you
covered them and before them you have placed my oil and my incense. °19 My bread which I gave you, the fine flour, the oil
and the honey with which I fed you, you offered as fragrant incense before
them, word of Yahweh. °20 You took the sons and daughters you bore
for me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was it not enough to
prostitute yourself? °21 Did you have to slaughter my children as
an offering to your idols? °22 You revel in your abominations and
prostitution without remembering the days of your youth when you were naked
and exposed, lying in your blood. °23 Woe, woe to you – declares Yahweh – for all this
wickedness! °24 You built your mounds and made your high
places at every crossroad. °25 At the entrance to every road you built
your lofty shrines; you defiled your beauty giving yourself to every passerby
and always increasing your harlotry. °26 You
gave yourself to the Egyptians, your large-limbed neighbors and provoked my
anger with your increasing promiscuity. °27 And I
stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory and gave you
over to the mercy of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines who were
shocked by your filthy ways. °28 You played the harlot with the Assyrians as well
because you were never satisfied. Yes, you played the harlot with them but
you remained insatiable. °29 Then you multiplied your prostitutions in
a land of merchants, Chaldea, and even with that you were not satisfied. °30 Ah! How my anger rose against you, word of Yahweh,
as you did all that, the work of an accomplished harlot, °31 when you built your mounds at the entrance to every
road and your shrines in every square! You were not like a prostitute because
you scorned payments. °32 Adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to
your husband. °33 All prostitutes receive fees, but you
gave gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come to you for your favors. °34 In your prostitution you have been different from
other women; no one approaches you and whereas you offer payment no one gives
you any. You are completely different. °35 Therefore harlot, hear the word of Yahweh! °36 This is what Yahweh says, “For having exposed
yourself and uncovered your nakedness to your lovers and your abominable
idols and because you have offered them the blood of your children, because
of that, °37 I will gather all the lovers that found
pleasure in you and all those you loved, as well as those you hated; I will
assemble them from all around to come against you and I will strip you before
them and they will see your nakedness. °38 I will
judge you as adulterous women are judged and as those who shed blood and I
will bring upon you the blood vengeance of anger and jealousy. °39 I will hand you over to them; they will tear down
your mounds and shrines; they shall strip you of your clothes, taking from
you the ornaments that were your splendor and leaving you naked and bare. °40 They shall bring a troop against you to stone you
and gash you with swords. °41 Your houses will be burned by fire.
Sentence shall be passed on you in the presence of many women. I will make
you cease your prostitutions and you shall no longer be hired. °42 But when I have exhausted my fury against you, my
jealousy shall leave you. I will be calm and no longer angry. °43 Because you did not remember the days of your youth
and roused my anger with all these things, I in turn will make you
responsible for all you did, word of Yahweh. Have you not added detestable
deeds to all your other abominations? °44 Every maker of proverbs will say of you: “Like
mother, like daughter!” °45 You are the daughter of your mother who
loathed her husband and her children, and you are the sister of your sisters
who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite,
your father an Amorite. °46 Your elder sister is Samaria who with her
daughters lives on your left, and your younger sister at your right is Sodom
with her daughters. °47 You have followed their ways insanely and
given yourself to the same abominations. You have been more corrupt than they
in every way. °48 As I live, word of Yahweh, Sodom your
sister and her daughters have not done as you have done. °49 The sins of Sodom your sister were pride,
over-indulgence in food, complacency and indifference to the poor and needy. °50 They were arrogant and did detestable things in my
sight. For that reason I destroyed them as you have seen. °51 As for Samaria she has not committed half of your
sins. Your abominations are more numerous than hers and in comparison make
your sisters appear righteous. °52
So bear your
disgrace, you who have committed such detestable sins that have provided
excuses to your sisters! They appear to be more righteous than you are. Be
ashamed and bear your disgrace since your sisters seem holy compared to you. °53 When I restore the fortunes of Sodom and her
daughters, I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, °54 that you may bear your shame and confusion because
they now feel they are better than you. °55 When
your sister Sodom and her daughters and Samaria with hers will return to what
they were before, you and your daughters will also return to what you were
before. °56 Had not Sodom your sister become a byword
for you in the time when you felt proud, °57 before
your wickedness had become known? But now you have become the taunt of the
daughters of Edom and all her neighbors, of the daughters of the Philistines
who all around show their disgust for you. °58 You
shall bear the consequences of your foul behavior and your abominations, word
of Yahweh. § That you may be put to shame°59 For thus says Yahweh: “I will treat you as you
deserve, you who despised the oath and broke the covenant. °60 But I will remember my covenant with you in the days
of your youth and make in your favor an eternal covenant. °61 You will be mindful of your ways and be ashamed when
I take your sisters, both the elder and the younger, and give them to you as
daughters, without prejudice to my covenant with you. °62 For I will uphold my covenant with you and you will
know that I am Yahweh, °63 so that you may remember, be ashamed and
never open your mouth again because of your humiliation, when I have pardoned
you for all you have done,” word of Yahweh. § The kings – David’s sons¤17 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Son of man, set a riddle and relate a
parable to the people of Israel. Yahweh says this: °3 The great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers
and fine plumage of various colors came to Lebanon and removed the top of a
cedar. °4 He broke off the topmost of the twigs and
carried it off to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. °5 He then took a seed of the land and planted it like
a willow in fertile soil near abundant water. °6 It grew
and became a splendid vine with spreading branches turned towards the eagle,
and roots growing deep. It became a vine growing branches and producing
foliage. °7 But there was another great eagle with powerful
wings and abundant plumage and the vine twisted its roots and °8 its branches towards him to be better watered than
in the soil where it was planted. That vine, however, was able to produce
branches, bear fruit and develop into a magnificent vine, because it had been
planted in a good field near abundant water.” °9 Yahweh says, “Will the vine prosper? Will the eagle
not tear out its roots and cut away its fruit so that the foliage will wither
and the vine dry up? It will not take much effort or many people to pull up
its roots. °10 It has been transplanted, but it will not
prosper. When the east wind blows, the vine will completely wither away. In
the soil where it grows it will wither!” °11 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °12 “Say to these rebellious people: Do you not
recognize what all this signifies? The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and
carried the king and princes off to Babylon. °13 Then
he took a member of the royal family and made an alliance with him, binding
him by oath. He also carried off the leading citizens °14 to keep the kingdom humble and unable to assert
itself, and to oblige the king to respect the treaty. °15 But the king rebelled against him and sent
messengers to Egypt to ask for horses and a powerful army. Will he succeed?
Will he escape after doing this? Will he escape after breaking the treaty? °16 As I live, word of Yahweh, he will die in the land
of the king who put him on the throne, but whose oath he despised, and whose
treaty he has broken. There in Babylon he will die. °17 Pharaoh will not send a mighty army and throngs of
men to help him in war when ramps are built and siege works erected to kill
many people. °18 This king has despised the oath and
broken the treaty. Because he did all these things after giving his hand, he
shall not escape! °19 That is why Yahweh speaks thus: “As I live, I will
make him account for the oath he despised and the treaty he broke. °20 I will spread my net over him and he will be caught
in its mesh. I will bring him to Babylon and there I will demand an account
of his infidelity to me. °21 As for the pick of his troops they will
fall by the sword; those who survive will be scattered to the winds and you
will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken.” °22 Thus says Yahweh: “At the top of the cedar I will
take one of its uppermost branches, a tender twig and plant it. °23 On a lofty, massive mountain, on a high mountain of
Israel I will plant it. It will produce branches and bear fruit and become a
magificent cedar. Birds of all kinds will nest in it and find shelter in its
branches. °24 And all the trees of the field shall know
that I am Yahweh, I who bring down the lofty tree and make the lowly tree
tall. I will make the tree that is full of sap wither and the dry tree bloom.
I, Yahweh, have spoken and this will I do.” § If a sinner turns away from
sin, he will
live
¤18 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in
these terms, °2 “Why are you applying this proverb
to the land of Israel: ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes and the children’s
teeth are set on edge?’ °3 As I live, word of Yahweh, this proverb will no longer be quoted in Israel. °4 All life is in my hands, the life of the parent and the life of the child are mine. The lives of both are in my hands, so the one who sins will die. °5 Imagine a man who is righteous and practices what is just and right. °6 He does not eat in the mountain shrines, or look towards the filthy idols of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, or have intercourse with a woman during her period; °7 he molests no one, pays what he owes, does not steal, gives food to the hungry and clothes to the naked, °8 demands no interest on a loan and doesn’t lend for interest, refrains from injustice, practices true justice, man to man, °9 follows my decrees and obeys my laws in acting loyally. Because such a man is truly righteous, he will live, word of Yahweh. °10 But perhaps this man has a son who steals and sheds blood, committing crimes which his father never did. °11 Perhaps the son eats at the mountain shrines, defiles the wife of his neighbor, °12 oppresses the poor and needy, steals, neglects to pay his debts, looks to the idols, does detestable things, °13 demands interest on a loan, even practices usury. Will such a man live? No, he will not! Because he has committed all these abominations he will die: his guilt will fall upon him. °14 But imagine that such a man has in turn a son who does not commit the sins he has seen his father do. °15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, °16 or oppress anyone or ask for a pledge on a loan; does not steal; and gives food to the hungry and clothing to the naked, °17 turns from injustice, exacts no usury or excessive interest, observing my decrees and practicing my laws: such a man shall not die because of his father’s sins; no, he will live! °18 His father instead, who practiced extortion and stole from others, will die for his sin, because he did wrong among his people. °19 You may say, ‘Why does the son not bear the guilt of his father?’ But the son did what was just and right, observing and practicing my decrees; he will live! °20 The person who sins is the one who will die. The son will not be held responsible for the sin of his father and the father will not be responsible for the sin of his son. The righteous deeds of the righteous will be to his credit and the sin of the wicked will be charged against him. °21 If the sinner turns from his sin, observes my decrees and practices what is right and just, he will live, he will not die. °22 None of the sins he committed will be charged against him; he will live as a consequence of his righteous deeds. °23 Do I want the death of the sinner? – word of Yahweh. Do I not rather want him to turn from his ways and live? °24 But if the righteous man turns away from what is good and commits sins as the wicked do, will he live? His righteous deeds will no longer be credited to him, but he will die because of his infidelity and his sins. °25 But you say: Yahweh’s way is not just! Why, Israel! Is my position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong? °26 If the righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and sinning, he dies because of his sins. °27 And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. °28 He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had committed. °29 But you, Israel, say: Yahweh’s way is not just! Is my position not just? Is it not rather yours that is wrong? °30 That is why I will judge you, Israel, each one according to his ways, word of Yahweh. Come back, turn away from your offenses, that you may not deserve punishment. °31 Free yourselves from all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, Israel? °32 I do not want the death of anyone, word of Yahweh, but that you be converted and live!” § The last kings of Judah¤19 °1 As for you, son of man, intone a
lamentation for the princes of Israel. °2 Say: A
lioness among lions was your mother! Crouching among the cubs she nursed her whelps. °3 One of these she pushed forward and he grew to be a young
lion, able to tear his prey and become a man-eater. °4 But the nations heard about him and he was trapped
in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.°5 When she saw that her hope had come to nothing, she
took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. °6 He strutted among the others for he had become a
strong lion, able to tear his prey and be a man-eater. °7 He destroyed their strongholds and ravaged their
towns. The country and its inhabitants were alarmed at the sound of his roar.
°8 But the nations came against him from the regions
round about. They spread their net over him and caught him in their pit. °9 They put him in a cage with hooks and brought him to
the king of Babylon. There he was put in custody so that his roar was no
longer heard in the mountains of Israel. °10 Your mother was like the vine of a vineyard planted
near water. It became fruitful and leafy from being so well-watered. °11 It produced a vigorous branch that became a royal
scepter towering above the foliage. It was outstanding for its height and its
numerous branches. °12 But the vine was uprooted in fury and cast down to
the ground. The east wind dried it up and stripped it of its fruit. Its
vigorous branch withered and was burned by fire. °13 It is
now planted in the desert, in an arid land of drought. °14 Fire from its stem has destroyed its branches and
fruit. No vigorous branch or royal scepter has been left. This
is a lament that people will sing. § A summary of the history of Israel¤20 °1 It happened on the tenth day of the fifth
month of the seventh year, some men from among the elders of Jerusalem came
to consult Yahweh and sat in front of me. °2 Then
the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °3 “Son of
man, say to the elders of Israel: This is the word of Yahweh: Do you come to
consult me? As I live, I will not answer you – word of Yahweh. °4 Judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Let
them know about the detestable practices of their fathers. °5 Say to them: This
is what Yahweh has said: The day I chose Israel, I committed myself to the
descendants of Jacob with an oath. I revealed myself to them in the land of
Egypt and I swore to them, I am Yahweh, your God. °6 On that
day I swore to them that I would take them out of Egypt to a country I had
explored for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most splendid of
lands. °7 I said to them: Let each one reject the horrors that
attract him! Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am Yahweh,
your God. °8 But they rebelled against me and would not listen;
none of them rejected the horrors that attracted them, none abandoned the
filthy idols of Israel. I then thought of pouring out my fury on them,
exhausting my anger against them in the land of Egypt. °9 But for the sake of my Name I relented, lest it be
profaned in the sight of the nations where they lived, whose inhabitants had
seen how I revealed myself to the Israelites in bringing them out of Egypt. °10 So I brought them out of Egypt and led them to the
desert. °11 I gave them my decrees and made my laws
known to them, laws by which man lives provided he observes them. °12 I also gave them my sabbaths to be a sign between
us, letting them know that I am Yahweh who makes them holy. °13 But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They
did not follow my decrees, they despised my laws by which man lives, provided
he obeys them; they so profaned my sabbaths that in my fury I thought of destroying
them in the desert. °14 But again I relented for the sake of my Name, lest
it be profaned in the sight of the nations who saw me bring them out. °15 However I swore to them in the desert that I would
not bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey that I had given them
– the choicest of lands – °16 because they had despised my laws and had
not followed my decrees; they had profaned my sabbaths, and their heart went
after their idols. °17 But I had pity on them and did not
destroy them; I did not do away with them in the desert. °18 I said to their children in the desert: Do not
follow the example of your fathers; do not keep their practices and do not
defile yourselves with their idols. °19 I am
Yahweh, your God. Follow my decrees, observe my laws and practice them. °20 Keep my sabbaths holy and let them be a sign between
us and you will know that I am Yahweh, your God. °21 But their children too rebelled against me; they did
not follow my decrees or observe my laws; they did not carry out these laws
by which man lives provided he obeys them. They profaned my sabbaths and I
thought of pouring out my fury on them and exhausting my anger against them
in the desert. °22 But once more I held back my hand lest my Name be
profaned in the eyes of the nations that had seen me bring them out. °23 However I swore to them in the desert that I would
scatter them among the nations and disperse them in other lands since they
had not obeyed my laws, °24 but instead had defiled my sabbaths and
had looked to the idols of their fathers. °25 In the
meantime I gave them statutes that were not good and laws they could not live
by, °26 so that they might be defiled by their
gifts. I let them offer by fire all their firstborn, in order to shame them
and let them know that I am Yahweh. °27 Therefore, son of man, speak to Israel; say to them:
This is what Yahweh says: Do you not know that your fathers offended me by
their infidelity? °28 I led them to the land I had sworn to
give them, but whenever they saw a lofty hill or leafy tree they offered
sacrifices. They provoked me with the offerings they made there – appeasing
aromas and drink offerings. °29 Then I said to them, ‘What is this place
to which you go?’ That is why they called ithigh place. °30 Say to Israel, thus says Yahweh: Since you follow
your fathers in lusting after their abominations, °31 in
bringing your gifts and in sacrificing your children by fire, never ceasing
to defile yourselves with your idols, am I to answer when you consult,
Israel? As I live, word of Yahweh, I will not answer you. °32 You have in mind to be like the other nations,
worshiping wood and stone, but this shall not happen. °33 As I live, word of Yahweh, I will rule you with an
iron hand, an outstretched arm and outpourings of wrath. °34 Then I will bring you from the midst of the nations
and from the peoples where I have scattered you with a strong hand, an
outstretched arm and outpourings of wrath. °35 I will
lead you to the wilderness of Syria and °36 there
I will enter into judgment with you face to face. Just as I judged your
fathers in the desert of Egypt, °37
so will I judge you,
word of Yahweh. I will make you feel my rod and sort you out. °38 I will rid you of rebels; though they go out from
the land of their exile, they shall not enter the land of Israel and you will
know that I am Yahweh. °39 People of Israel, this is what the Lord Yahweh says:
Go, serve your idols, but in the end you will not refuse to listen to me. No
longer shall you profane my holy Name with your gifts and your idols. °40 For it is on my holy mountain, the high mountain of
Israel – word of Yahweh – that all Israel, all in the land, shall serve me. °41 There I will accept you as a pleasing fragrance when
I bring you out from the nations and assemble you from the lands where you
were dispersed, and through you my holiness will be shown to the nations. °42 You will know that I am Yahweh when I lead you to
the land of Israel, to the land that I swore to your ancestors that I would
give you. °43 And there you will remember your ways and
all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves; and you shall loathe
yourselves because of your evil ways. °44 You
will know that I am Yahweh when I deal with you, Israel, for my Name’s sake
and not according to your wickedness and corrupt deeds, word of Yahweh. ¤21 °1 The
word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °2 “Son of
man, look towards the south; direct your words to the south and prophesy
againstForest of the south.°3 Say to the forest: ‘O forest, hear the word of
Yahweh: I am kindling a fire that will burn every tree, both green and dry;
its flame will not be quenched but from the south to the north every face
will be scorched. °4 Everyone will see that it was I, Yahweh,
who kindled it and that it will not be put out.” °5 This
time I said, “Lord Yahweh, they say that I am always talking in parables.” § My sword is unsheathed°6 But the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °7 “Son of man, look towards Jerusalem; address your
words to the sanctuary and prophesy against Israel. °8 Say to Israel: I come against you; I will unsheathe
my sword and cut off from you both the good and the wicked. °9 Yes: against both the good and the wicked. My sword
is unsheathed against all mortals from north to south. °10 And all will know that I, Yahweh, have unsheathed my
sword, and unsheathed it will remain.” °11 And you, son of man, groan in the bitterness of a
broken heart, groan in their presence. °12 When
they say to you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will answer: ‘Because of what
will happen; when you hear of it, every heart will melt, every hand become
limp, every spirit will be faint and knees shall be as weak as water.’ It is
to happen; it has come, word of the Lord Yahweh.” °13 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °14 “Son of man; prophesy and say on my behalf: The
sword has been polished and sharpened. °15 It has
been sharpened for a massacre. °16
Yahweh gave it to be
polished and seized by the hand. He has had the sword sharpened and polished
to hand to the executioner. °17 Cry out and wail, son of man, for this sword is
intended for my people and for the princes of Israel. They shall be given
over to the sword with my people; beat your breast, word of Yahweh. °18-°19 And
you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands! The sword will strike and
strike again for the slaughter, for the massacre. °20 Hearts
languish and people fall for I have placed at every gate the sword for
slaughter. °21 It has been sharpened and shines. O
sword! slash to the right, slash to the left, wherever you turn. °22 For my part I clap my hands and release my fury; I,
Yahweh, have spoken.” °23 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °24 “Son of man, mark two roads for the coming of the
king of Babylon’s sword. The two should leave from the same point. °25 At the head of each road place a sign, the first
directing the sword to Rammah of the Ammonites and the second to Judah and
the fortified city of Jerusalem. °26
The king of Babylon,
in fact, is now standing at the parting of the ways, at the head of both
roads looking for an omen. He is shaking arrows, questioning the idols,
looking at the liver of the victims. °27 The lot falls upon Jerusalem. Then he raises a
warcry, ‘Set a battering ram at the gates, construct a ramp and erect
siegeworks.’ °28 Those who have sworn allegiance to him in
Jerusalem do not dare believe it; but he remembers their guilt and they are
captured. °29 That is why Yahweh has spoken: Your evil
deeds have brought to mind your wickedness and made known your sins. And when
I remembered you, sin appeared in all your deeds. Because of this you will be
taken captive. °30 As for you, dishonored criminal, prince of Israel,
the day and moment of your punishment has come. °31 They
will remove your turban, take away your crown. All will be changed: what is
lowly will be lifted high and what is lofty will be brought low. °32 I will make it a ruins, a ruins such as never has
been, until the one comes whose right it is to rule, the one I shall send. °33 And you, son of man, prophesy and say: This is
Yahweh’s word concerning the Ammonites and their insults. This is what you
are to say: The sword is unsheathed for the slaughter, polished and flashing
for the work of destruction. °34 Beware of your false visions and lying
omens, when your sword is laid to the necks of the wicked for their time has
come and their punishment is near. °35 People
of Ammon, put back the sword in its shealth. In your own place, in the land
of your birth you will be judged. °36
I will pour out my
wrath on you, against you I will breathe the fire of my fury and hand you
over to brutal men, experts in destruction. °37 You
will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be spilled throught the land and
you shall be remembered no more for I, Yahweh, have spoken.” § The sins of Jerusalem¤22 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °2 “Son of man, will you judge them? Will you judge the city of blood? Charge her with all her detestable practices. °3 Say: This is Yahweh’s word: City of bloodshed, your hour has come. You who made your own idols to defile yourself, you are nearing your last days, the end of your years has come. °4 That is why I am making you an object of horror for the nations and a laughing-stock for every country. °5 Those both near and far will mock you, for your name is defiled and you are full of tumult. °6 The leaders of Israel, each according to his strength, have one intent – to shed blood. °7 In you, Israel, father and mother are treated with contempt, in you the alien is oppressed, the fatherless and the widow are wronged. °8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my sabbaths. °9 In you, men slander to shed blood; in you, they go to eat on the hill sanctuaries and act shamefully. °10 In you are those who defile their father’s bed, in you are those who violate women when they are unclean. °11 One man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife, another shamefully dishonors his daughter-in-law, another violates his own sister, his father’s daughter. °12 In you, men accept bribes to shed blood. You exact interest and usury and you rob and exploit your neighbor, and you have forgotten me. It is Yahweh who speaks. °13 See, I will clap my hands at your dishonest profit, and the blood you have shed. Will your courage hold out, will your hands be steady when I shall come against you? °14 I, Yahweh, have spoken and I will act accordingly. °15 I will scatter you among the nations, I will disperse you in other countries to rid you of your uncleanness. °16 Then you will be dishonored in the eyes of the nations and you will know that I am Yahweh.” °17 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °18 “Israel has become for me like dross; some were like silver, bronze, tin, iron and lead; but in the furnace only dross is left. °19 The Lord Yahweh has spoken: This is how I am gathering you together in Jerusalem. °20 As they place silver, bronze, iron, lead and tin in the fires of a furnace to be smelted, so in my anger will I assemble you, put you in the furnace and smelt you. °21 I will gather you in Jerusalem, stir up the fire of my wrath and smelt you in it. °22 As silver is smelted in the furnace so will you be smelted and you will know that I, Yahweh, have poured out my fiery wrath against you.” °23 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °24 “Son of man, say to Jerusalem: You are a land without rain, a land without a shower on a day of wrath, °25 a land where the princes have been like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour people; they take treasures and precious objects and increase the number of widows. °26 Your priests have broken my laws and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between what is holy and what is common; they have not taught what difference there is between the clean and the unclean. They have ignored my sabbath and I have been dishonored by them. °27 The officials of the city are like wolves who tear their prey, shedding blood and killing people for unjust gain. °28 As for the prophets, they whitewash everything by means of false visions and lying predictions, saying: ‘Yahweh has spoken’ when Yahweh has not spoken. °29 The lords of the land have practiced extortion and robbery, oppressing the poor and needy, molesting the alien and denying him justice. °30 I looked for a man among them to build a wall and stand on the breach to protect the land lest I destroy it, but I found none. °31 So I have poured out my wrath against them; I have destroyed them in the heat of my fury bringing down on their heads all they have done – it is Yahweh who speaks.” § Oholah and Oholibah¤23 °1 The word of the Lord Yahweh came to me in
these terms, °2 “Son of man, there were two women,
daughters of the same mother. °3 They became prostitutes in Egypt, even
from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and caressed. °4 The elder was called Oholah, her sister Oholibah.
Both of them were mine and they gave me sons and daughters.Oholahis Samaria andOholibahis Jerusalem. °5 Oholah was mine when she played the harlot; she
lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians, °6 warriors
dressed in purple, governors, commanders, desirable young men, riders on
horses. °7 She offered them her harlotry, to those
who were the best of Assyria. She dishonored herself with all those for whom
she lusted and with their idols. °8
But she did not forget
her harlotry with the Egyptians who had lain with her and poured their lust
on her from the time of her youth. °9 That is
why I gave her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, the object of her lustful
desires. °10 They uncovered her nakedness, seized her sons
and daughters and slew her. And she became a byword among women because
punishment had come to her. °11 Her sister, Oholibah, witnessed this but she was
even more corrupt in her lust and worse than her sister in her prostitution. °12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors,
commanders, horsemen, all desirable young men, and °13 I saw
how she dishonored herself. Both
sisters acted in the same way but she went further than her sister. °14 No sooner had she seen men portrayed on walls,
pictures of Chaldeans sketched in vermilion than she lusted after these men, °15 tightly belted, heads top-heavy with turbans, all
resembling Babylonian cavalry officers. °16 She
sent messengers to Chaldea and °17
they came to her in
the bed of love and defiled her with their prostitution. They dishonored her
so much that she turned from them in disgust. °18 But because she had given herself and exposed her
nakedness, I too turned from her in disgust just as I had turned away from
her sister. °19 She multiplied her harlotry recalling her
youth when she played the harlot in Egypt. °20 She
lusted after her lovers whose bodies were like those of donkeys and whose
organs resembled those of horses. °21 She returned to the shameful conduct of
her youth with the Egyptians. °22 That is why, Oholibah, thus says Yahweh: I am
sending against you your lovers from whom you have turned away in disgust and
I will bring them against you from all sides, °23 Babylonians
and Chaldeans, men of Pekod, Shoa and Koa and all the Assyrians with them,
handsome young men, governors, commanders, cavalry officers, titled people,
all riding horses. °24 They will come against you with chariots, wagons and
throngs of people who will assail you from all sides with buckler, shield and
helmet. °25 I will put your case before them and they
will judge you according to their laws. I will release my jealousy against
you so that they shall deal with you furiously. They will cut off your nose
and your ears and what is left of you will fall by the sword. They will seize
your sons and daughters and what is left of you will be consumed by the fire;
°26 they will strip you of your clothes and
ornaments. °27 I will put an end to your shameful behavior and your
harlotry dating from your time in Egypt; you will not look towards them again
and will no longer dream of Egypt. Thus says °28 the
Lord Yahweh: I am handing you over to those you hate, to those from whom you
turned in disgust. °29 They will treat you with loathing and
take from you everything you have worked for, leaving you naked and uncovered
and the nakedness of your harlotry will be exposed. °30 Your shameful conduct and your promiscuity have
brought this upon you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled
yourself with their idols. °31 Since you have gone the way of your sister, I will
place her cup in your hand. °32 Thus says Yahweh: You shall drink your
sister’s cup which is deep and wide. You shall be the butt of derision and
mockery: the cup holds so much! °33
You shall be filled
with drunkenness and sorrow; it is a cup of desolation and horror, the cup of
Samaria, your sister! °34 You will drink and empty it to the dregs, and then
tear your breasts – for I have spoken, word of the Lord Yahweh.” °35 That is why the Lord Yahweh speaks thus: “Since you
have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you too will pay for your
immodesty and harlotry!” °36 Then Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, will you judge
Oholah and Oholibah? Confront them with their abominations, °37 for they have committed adultery and stained their
hands with blood. They committed adultery with their idols and even
sacrificed their children – my children – as food for them. °38 At that time they defiled my sanctuary and profaned
my sabbaths; °39 the same day they sacrificed their
children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary to desecrate it. This is
what they did in my house. °40 Both of them sent messages to men who had come from
afar and they came. You bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and
decked yourself with jewels. °41 You seated yourself on a stately couch
and beside a table on which you put incense and oil that was mine. °42 The sound of a carefree crowd was heard there
because of their number, not to mention the people brought in from the
desert. They put bracelets on the wrists of the women and splendid crowns on
their heads. °43 Then I said about this city, worn out and
defiled with her adultery: This is indeed harlotry! °44 Men go to her as one goes to a prostitute. So they
went to Oholah and Oholibah, the dissolute women! °45 But upright men will judge as adulterous those who
have shed blood, for indeed they are adulteresses and blood is on their
hands.” °46 For thus says Yahweh: “Let a great assembly be
gathered against them! Let them be delivered to terror and spoil! °47 The assembly will stone them, have them cut in
pieces by the sword, kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses. °48 I will put an end to debauchery in this land; all
the women will be warned and no longer will they imitate your immorality. °49 I will make your immorality fall on your own heads
and when you receive the punishment of your idolatry, you will know that I am
Yahweh.” ¤24 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me on the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year in these terms, °2 “Write today’s date, this very day, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem today. °3 Teach this rebellious people by means of a parable: This is what Yahweh ordered me to do: Put the pot on the fire; place it there and pour water into it. °4 Put in it all the pieces of meat, the choice pieces, the leg and shoulder and fill it with the best of the bones. °5 Take these from the pick of the flock. Set wood underneath it in a circle to boil the pieces of meat and cook the bones in it.” °6 Now this is what Yahweh says, “Woe to the city of blood, to the rusty pot with the rust encrusted on it! Let them empty it, piece by piece but without sparing anyone, °7 for the blood she shed is in her midst. She poured it on the rock surface, not on the ground where dust would cover it. °8 But I will not cover the blood that was poured on the bare rock. I shall instead kindle my fury and take revenge. °9 That is why the Lord Yahweh speaks thus: Woe to the city of blood! °10 I will make a great heap of wood! Pile on the wood, light the fire, cook the meat well, adding the spice, and let the bones burn. °11 Leave the empty pot on the coals that it may heat and the bronze grow red-hot to melt the filth inside so its rust will be consumed. °12 But the rust is such that not even the fire removes it. °13 I have tried to cleanse you of the filth of your immorality but since you would not be cleansed, you shall not be cleansed until I have satisfied my fury against you. °14 I, Yahweh, have spoken. This will happen; I will act and not relent; I will show no pity, no compassion. You shall be judged according to your ways and your deeds – word of Yahweh.” § Ezekiel’s wife dies°15 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °16 “Son of man, I am about to suddenly take from you the delight of your eyes, but you are not to lament or weep or let your tears flow. °17 Groan in silence and do not mourn for the dead; wear your turban, put on your sandals, do not cover your beard or eat the customary food of mourners.” °18 I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died that evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. °19 Then the people said to me: “Explain to us the meaning of your actions.” °20 I said to them, “The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms: °21 ‘Say to Israel: I am about to profane my sanctuary, your pride, the delight of your eyes for which you long. The sons and daughters you left behind will also fall by the sword, °22 but you will do as I have done: you will not cover your beard or eat the customary food of mourners; °23 you will keep your turbans on your heads and sandals on your feet. You will not lament or weep. Instead, because of your sin, you will waste away and groan among yourselves. °24 Ezekiel will be a sign for you. Do as he did and when this happens you will know that I am Yahweh.’ °25 Son of man, the day I take their stronghold, the
jewel which is the delight of their eyes, for which they and their children
long, °26 on that day a fugitive will come to give
you the news. °27 That very day you will open your mouth
and be able to speak to him and you will no longer be silent. You will be a
sign for them and they will know I am Yahweh.” §PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN
NATIONS
§ Ammon, Moab, Edom, the Philistines¤25 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Turn towards the people of the Ammonites
and prophesy against them. °3 Say to them on my behalf: This is what
Yahweh says: Because you mocked when my sanctuary was profaned, when the land
of Israel was laid waste and the Judeans were exiled, °4 I am giving you over to the people of the East as
their possession; they will pitch their camps and settle among you. They will
eat your fruit and drink your milk. °5 I will
turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and the towns of the Ammonites into a
sheepfold and you will know that I am Yahweh.” °6 Thus says Yahweh: “Because you clapped your hands
and stamped your feet and danced for joy with an evil heart against the land
of Israel, °7 I will stretch out my hand against you
and hand you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the
nations; no longer will you be numbered among them. I will destroy you and
you will know I am Yahweh.” °8 Thus says Yahweh, “Because Moab said: ‘Judah is like
all the other nations,’ °9 I will leave Moab unprotected and destroy
the towns which are her glory: Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, Kiriathaim. °10 I will give Moab along with the Ammonites as a
possession to the people of the East so that the Ammonites will not be
remembered among the nations. °11 When I will punish Moab, they will know I
am Yahweh.” °12 Word of Yahweh, “Because Edom took revenge on Judah
and was guilty in so doing, this is what °13 Yahweh
says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom, destroying people and animals.
I will make it a ruins from Teman and let them be slain as far as Dedan. °14 I will put Israel in charge of my revenge against
Edom. They will deal with Edom according to my wrath and my fury and Edom
will experience my revenge” – word of Yahweh. °15 Word of Yahweh, “Because the Philistines have taken
revenge with an evil heart and because of their ceaseless hatred, thus says
Yahweh: °16 I intend to stretch out my hand against
the Philistines; I will cut off the Kerethites and destroy the rest of the
coast. °17 I will take terrible revenge and punish
them in my wrath – then they will know I am Yahweh.” § Against Tyre¤26 °1 On the first day of the month in the
eleventh year, the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °2 “Son of man, you see how Tyre has mocked Jerusalem:
‘Aha! the land through which the goods of the nations came to me is
destroyed; what she received will now be mine, I shall prosper while she lies
in ruins.’ °3 Because Tyre said that – word of Yahweh –
I am against her! I will bring many people against her. They will rise like
the waves of the sea, °4 they will destroy the ramparts of Tyre
and knock down its towers. I will sweep away the dust, making of it a bare
rock. °5 She will be in the midst of the sea, a
place to hang out nets – I, Yahweh, have spoken. °6 Tyre will be plunder for the nations; her villages
on dry land will be laid waste by the sword and they will know that I am
Yahweh.” °7 This is what Yahweh says, “From the north I will
bring Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, against Tyre. He will come with
horses, chariots and cavalry, a vast army and throngs of people. °8 He will lay waste with the sword your villages on
dry land. He will set up a siege wall against you and throw up a mound and
raise a roof of shields against you. °9 He will
set a battering ram to hammer your walls and he will demolish your towers
with weapons. °10 His numerous horses will cover you with
dust. The noise of the cavalry, the wheels of the chariots and wagons will
make your walls shake when they enter your gates as one enters a town through
a breach in its walls. °11 Horses’ hooves will trample your streets; he will
slay your people with the sword and your powerful pillars will crumble to the
ground. °12 They will plunder your riches and loot
your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant
houses. Your stones, timber and soil they will cast into the sea. °13 I will silence your songs and the sound of your
lyres will be heard no more. °14 I will make a stark rock of you, a place
to dry fishing nets, and you shall never be rebuilt! – I, Yahweh, have
spoken. °15 This is a word of Yahweh to Tyre: At the time of
your massacre, will not the coastlands quake, when the noise of your fall and
the groaning of the victims is heard? °16 All
the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones; they will remove
their robes and take off their embroidered garments. They will put on
mourning clothes, sit on the ground, tremble with fear and be appalled
because of you. °17 They will be amazed on your account and will
take up this lament: ‘How
you have perished, vanished from the sea, city of renown! Formerly you and
your citizens were so powerful on the sea! You imposed terror on all °18 but now the coastlands tremble on the day of your
fall. The islands of the sea are terrified at your disappearance.’ °19 Thus says Yahweh: When I make you into a city of
ruins like uninhabited towns, when I make the ocean rise against you and the
mighty waters cover you, °20 then I will thrust you down with those
who descend to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will throw you into the
netherworld, into everlasting loneliness, like those who go down to the pit,
that you may not return to the land of the living. °21 Then
you will be an object of horror, and even if sought, you will not be found –
word of Yahweh.” § A lament for Tyre
¤27 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Son of man, intone a lament for Tyre and
°3 say to
her, who is gateway to the sea who trades with people on many coasts: This is
what Yahweh says: Tyre,
you were satisfied with your perfect beauty. °4 Your
borders were in the heart of the sea and your builders perfected your beauty;
°5 all your planks were made of the wood of fir trees,
your masts from the cedars of Lebanon and °6 your
oars from the oak of Bashan. Your decks were of cedar from the coast of
Cyprus inlaid with ivory. °7 Embroidered linen from Egypt was used for your sails
which served as your ensign. Your awning was made of blue and purple from the
coasts of Elishah. °8 Your oarsmen were citizens of Sidon and
Arvad. The most skilled men from Zemer served you as pilots, °9 veteran craftsmen from Gebal were on board to seal
your seams. All the ships of the seas with their crews called on you to
barter for your wares. °10 Persia, Lud and Put served in your army as men of
war. They brought you splendor and hung their bucklers and helmets on your
walls. °11 The men of Arvad and Helech watched all
around your walls; men of Gamad guarded your towers and hung their shields on
your walls completing your magnificence. °12 Tarshish traded with you because of your abundant
wealth, supplying your markets with silver, iron, tin and lead. °13 Javan, Tubal and Mishech trafficked with you,
providing you with slaves and articles in bronze. °14 People of Togarmah exchanged work horses, war horses
and mules for your wares. °15 The people of Rhodes traded with you and
many coastlands were your customers; in payment they gave ivory tusks and
ebony wood. °16 Edom trafficked with you because of your
many products and provided your markets with turquoise, purple fabric,
embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral and rubies. °17 Judah
and Israel sold you wheat from Minnith, millet, honey, oil and resin. °18 Damascus traded with you because of your abundant
wares and provided you with wine from Helbon and white wool. °19 Danites and Greeks from Uzal exchanged wrought iron,
cassia and calamus for your merchandise. °20 Dedan
supplied you with saddle blankets. °21 Arabia
and all the princes of Kedar carried on a lively trade with you in lambs,
rams and goats. °22 Merchants from Sheba and Raamah provided your
markets with all kinds of high grade spices, precious stones and gold. °23 Haran, Canneh, Eden, Asshur and Chilmad °24 traded with you in beautiful garments, blue fabric,
embroidered cloth, colored rugs with twisted and tightly-knotted cords. °25 The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise. You
lay filled and heavy in
the midst of the ocean. °26 Your mariners led you to the high sea and
the east wind wrecked you in the sea. °27 Your riches, wares, merchandise, your
seamen and sailors, those
who repaired your seams, and
assured your trade, your
men of war with all the passengers sank into the depths of the sea on
the day of your shipwreck. °28 At the cries of your seamen the coasts
quaked °29 and the oarsmen came from their ships; sailors
and seamen went ashore. °30 They mourn and weep bitterly for you,
throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. °31 Because of you they shave their heads and
wear sackcloth. In
the bitterness of their hearts they weep and intone a bitter lament for you. °32 A funeral song is heard: Who
was like Tyre, now silent in
the midst of the ocean? °33 How many nations you provided with
the goods unloaded from distant shores! With
your abundant riches and commerce you enriched the kings of the earth, °34 but now you are shattered by the sea,
engulfed in its depths. Your
wares and all your company have gone down! °35 All who live on the coasts are appalled
because of you, their
kings shudder, and fall prostrate. °36 The merchants of the nations hiss at you, you
are an object of dread. You
have gone forever.” § About the king of Tyre¤28 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: You
are very proud and self-satisfied: ‘I
am a god, I sit like a god in the heart of the sea.’ Yet
you are man and not a god; would
you hold yourself as wise as God? °3 You consider yourself wiser than Daniel; no
secret is hidden from you. °4 Your wisdom and know-how have earned you
a fortune, gold
and silver flowed to your treasury. °5 Clever in trade, you became wealthy and
as your fortune increased, your
heart became prouder. °6 But now Yahweh has spoken to you, to
the one who is like God: °7 I am bringing foreigners against you, the
most feared of all the nations. Their
sword will challenge your wisdom and debase your refined culture. °8 They will bring you down to the pit and
you will die in the depths of the sea. °9 Will you be able to say ‘I am a god’ when
your murderers are killing you? You
are a man and not a god. °10 You will die the death of the
uncircumcised and perish at the hands of aliens, for
I have spoken – word of Yahweh.” °11 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °12 “Son of man, intone a lamentation for the king of
Tyre and say to him: This is what Yahweh says: You
were the model of perfection, full
of wisdom and perfect in beauty. °13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and
every kind of precious stone adorned you, ruby,
topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and emerald. The
trinkets on your robe were made of gold, prepared
for you on the day you were created. °14 I anointed you a guardian angel on
the holy mountain of God where
you walked amidst the spirits of God. °15 You were perfect in your ways from
the day you were created until
wickedness was found in you. °16 Because of your extensive trade you
were filled with violence and sinned; I
then deprived you of your dignity, driving
you away from the mountain of God, expelling
you from among the guardian angels; °17 your heart was proud because of your
beauty. As
your splendor corrupted your wisdom I have cast you down to the ground and
exposed you before kings, a
spectacle in their sight. °18 Your many sins and dishonest trade have
filled and defiled your sanctuaries. Then
I made fire break out in you and
reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who looked on. °19 The nations who knew you are appalled. You
have become an object of terror; you have gone forever.” °20 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °21 “Look towards Sidon and prophesy against her. You
will say: °22 Thus says Yahweh: I come against you, Sidon, and I
will be glorified in you. When I inflict punishment on her and make known my
holiness, they will know I am Yahweh. °23 I will
send pestilence against her and shed blood in her streets. The sword is
directed against her from all sides and they will know I am Yahweh when the
victims fall. °24 No longer will there be for the people of Israel
thorns that wound or briers that prick them among their neighbors. Then they
will know that I am Yahweh. °25 Thus says Yahweh: When I gather Israel from among
the nations where she has been dispersed, I will use them to show the nations
my holiness and they will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob. °26 They will live safely, build houses and plant
vineyards. They will live in safety when I punish all those neighbors who
treated them with contempt and they will know that I am Yahweh, their God.” § Against Egypt¤29 °1 On the tenth day of the twelfth month of
the tenth year the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °2 “Son of man, look towards Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
and prophesy against all Egypt. °3 Say: This is the word of Yahweh: I am
against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt! Huge monster wallowing in the midst of
your streams saying: ‘The Nile and its canals are mine; I made them.’ °4 I will put hooks in your jaws and make the fish of
your rivers cling to your scales. I will drag you from your rivers with all
the fish clinging to your scales. °5
I will throw you and
the fish of the rivers into the desert. You will fall on the ground with no
one to lift you up or bury you. I will give you as food to the wild beasts
and to the birds of the air, and °6 all who live in Egypt will know I am
Yahweh. You
have been but a staff of reed for Israel. °7 When
they took hold of you, you broke in their hands; you tore open all their
shoulder; when they leaned on you, you wrenched their backs. °8 That is why thus says Yahweh: I am bringing the
sword against you and I will destroy both people and animals. °9 Egypt will be a wasteland and a ruins, and the
Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when Egypt is made a ruins and a
wasteland. You
said: ‘The Nile is mine, I made it.’ °10 Because
of that I am coming against you in the midst of your streams. I will reduce
Egypt to a lonely ruins from Migdal to Aswan and to the border of Cush. °11 Neither foot of man nor hoof of animal will tread
its paths. Egypt will be uninhabited for forty years; °12 I will make it one of the wastelands and for forty
years its cities will be numbered among cities in ruins. I will scatter the
Egyptians among the nations and disperse them in other lands. °13 Thus says Yahweh: After forty years I will gather
the Egyptians from among the nations where they were dispersed; °14 I will bring back Egyptian captives to Pathros, the
land of their birth. There they will form a small kingdom, °15 weaker than other kingdoms, no longer strong enough
to dominate other nations. °16 I will decrease their number, so that
they may no longer conquer other lands. No longer will Israel be tempted to
trust in Egypt, nor will they sin by turning to Egypt for help. Then they
will know that I am Yahweh.” °17 It happened on the first day of the first month of
the twenty-seventh year that the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms: °18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon has
mobilized his army for an expedition against Tyre. All are worn out,
bald-headed, their shoulders raw, but neither he nor his people have received
any reward for this campaign against Tyre. °19 That is why thus says Yahweh: I intend to give Egypt
to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its riches, plunder it
and let his army have the loot in place of wages. °20 Because
these people have worked for me, I will give Egypt to them as a reward – word
of Yahweh. °21 On that day I will lift up the nation of Israel, and
as for you, I will let you speak among them again and they will know that I
am Yahweh.” ¤30 °1 The
word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °2 Son of
man, prophesy and say: This is the word of Yahweh: Moan! Ah! °3 the day is near; the day of Yahweh is coming! It
will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. °4 The sword is brought to strike Egypt and anguish
will come to Cush. The slain will fall throughout Egypt; people will carry
off its riches and its foundations will be torn away. °5 Cush, Put and Lydia, all Arabia, Libya and all the
people of the covenant will fall by the sword. °6 This is the word of Yahweh: “Those who support Egypt
will fall; her haughty power will crumble! From Migdal to Aswan, people will
be slain, word of Yahweh. °7 They will be numbered among desolate
lands, and her cities among ruined cities. °8 They
will know I am Yahweh when I set fire to Egypt and when all her allies are
crushed. °9 On that day my messengers will leave in ships to
shake the people of Cush out of their complacency and they will be in anguish
on the day of the fall of Egypt; for that day is coming. °10 Thus says Yahweh: I will put an end to the hordes of
Egypt by means of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and °11 his people with him, the most feared among the
nations. For I will lead them here to destroy the land. They
will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with victims. °12 I will dry up Egypt’s canals and hand over the
country to the wicked. I will use the hand of the foreigner to make the land
and all it contains a waste. I, Yahweh, have spoken. °13 This is the word of Yahweh: I will destroy the idols
and wipe out the false gods in Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in
the land of Egypt and I will put fear in the land. °14 I will
make a wasteland of Pathros, set fire to Zoan and inflict punishment on
Thebes. °15 I will pour out my fury on Pelusium, the
fortress of Egypt, and destroy the throngs of Thebes. °16 I will set fire to Egypt; Pelusium will writhe in
agony. They will enter Thebes through a breach and take her by storm. °17 The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will fall
by the sword and the women will be taken captive. °18 What a
dark day it will be in Tahpanhes when I break the leadership of Egypt and
destroy her arrogant might! As for this city a cloud will cover it and her
daughters will be taken captive. °19
I will inflict
punishment on Egypt and they will know that I am Yahweh.” °20 On the seventh day of the first month of the
eleventh year, the word of Yahweh came to me, °21 “Son
of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. No one has treated
it for healing or bandaged it to enable him to hold a sword. °22 That is why thus says Yahweh: See, I am against
Pharaoh, king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the one that is strong
and the wounded one as well. °23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the
nations and disperse them in other lands. °24 I will
strengthen the arm of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand; but
as for Pharaoh, I will break his arms, making him moan like a mortally
wounded man. °25 Yes, I will strengthen the arm of the
king of Babylon but make Pharaoh’s arm limp. They will know I am Yahweh when
I place my sword in the hand of the king of Babylon. °26 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and
disperse them in other lands and they will know that I am Yahweh.” ¤31 °1 On the
first of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of Yahweh came to me,
°2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt and to
his multitude: Who is comparable to you in your greatness? °3 You are like a very tall cedar in Lebanon, with
beautiful branches providing forest shade, with its top among the clouds. °4 It grew. The waters made it grow, and the streams
ascending from the deep springs that watered all the trees of the land
through the canals, flowed straight to its place. °5 Higher
than all the other trees, its boughs increased and its branches grew larger
because of the plentiful water. °6
The birds of the air
nested in its boughs and all the animals brought forth their young under its
branches. Numerous nations lived in its shade. °7 It became majestic in height and in the thickness of
its branches for its roots were turned towards plentiful water. °8 The other cedars in the garden of God could not
equal it. The pine trees could not equal its boughs nor could the plane trees
rival its branches. No other tree in God’s garden was comparable to it in
beauty. °9 I made it beautiful in the abundance of
its branches, the envy of the trees in the garden of God in Eden. °10 That is why thus says Yahweh: Because it grew tall
and reached the clouds and became proud, °11 I will
hand it over to the ruler of the nations who will treat it according to its
wickedness. I have rejected it. °12
Foreigners, the most
terrible among the nations, have felled it, cut it down on the mountains: its
boughs have fallen in all the valleys, its branches lie broken in ravines.
All the nations have fled from its shade and abandoned it. °13 The birds of the air alight on its broken boughs and
the animals are found among its fallen branches. °14 This
is to prevent well-watered trees from attaining such a height and reaching
the clouds. For all are destined to die and go below among those who descend
to the pit. °15 Thus says Yahweh: The day the cedar descended to the
netherworld I made the depths mourn for it. I restrained its rivers and held
back the abundant waters. Darkness covered Lebanon and all the trees of the
field were faint. °16 The nations were shaken at the noise of its
fall when I made it depart to the lower regions with those who go down to the
pit. Then all the trees from Eden, the finest trees of Lebanon, all that were
well-watered were comforted in the earth below. °17 Those
from among the nations who lived in its shade, they too went down together to
those slain by the sword. °18 O tree, splendid and glorious, who among
the trees of Eden was comparable to you? But you were made to go down to the
lower regions like the other trees of Eden. You lay among the uncircumcised
people, victims of the sword, you, Pharaoh and all your multitudes, word of
Yahweh.” ¤32 °1 On the
first of the twelfth month in the twelfth year, the word of Yahweh came to me
in these terms, °2 “Intone a lamentation for Pharaoh, king
of Egypt. You will say: Lion of the nations, you are lost! You were like a
monster of the sea, thrashing the water in the rivers, stirring and muddying
the water with your feet. °3 This is what Yahweh says: I will spread my nets over
you, and an assembly of many nations will haul you up into my net. °4 I will throw you on the ground, hurl you into the
open field and let the birds of the air settle on you and the beasts of the
earth feed on you. °5 I will scatter your flesh on the
mountains, fill the valleys with your remains and °6 drench
the earth with your liquids. When I blot you out, °7 the
skies will darken and the stars become dim; I will veil the sun with a cloud
and the moon shall not give its light. °8 Because
of you I will darken all the lights in the sky and cover the earth in
darkness, word of Yahweh. °9 Many nations will grieve when I spread the news of
your fall, even people you do not know; °10 their
kings will shudder because of you when I wave my sword before them. All of
them will tremble for their life, on the day of your fall. °11 For thus says Yahweh: The sword of the king of
Babylon is coming against you. °12
The sword of the
warriors, the most terrible among the nations will destroy your numerous
people. They will shatter the pride of Egypt and your multitudes will be
exterminated. °13 I will destroy all your cattle along the
shores of the great river, no longer to be trod by man or beast. °14 And then I will calm their rivers, and their streams
will flow like oil, word of Yahweh. °15 When I
make a wasteland of Egypt and destroy its inhabitants, striking all those who
live there, they will know that I am Yahweh. °16 This is the dirge which the cities of the nations
will chant for Egypt and its multitudes – word of Yahweh.” °17 On the fifteenth day of the month, in the eleventh
year, the word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °18 “Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt and
make them descend to the netherworld. °19 For I
will send them to the land of shadows with those who go down to the pit. °20 There they will meet all the victims of the sword.
Egypt has been taken; she has been dragged away with her multitudes. °21 The mighty heroes in the netherworld together with
Pharaoh’s allies, will say to her: ‘Why should you be more favored than
others? Come down and make your bed with the uncircumcised, with those fallen
by the sword.’ °22 Assyria is there with her entire army; she is
surrounded by the tombs of her victims fallen by the sword. °23 Their graves are at the bottom of the pit and her
army lies around her tomb; all those who spread terror in the land of the
living have been killed by the sword. °24 Elam is there with all her multitude around her
tomb, all of them slain, fallen by the sword. They are the uncircumcised, who
have gone down to the lower regions, those who spread terror in the land of
the living; °25 (
) they bear their shame
with those who go down to the pit. °26 Meschech and Tubal are there with the tombs of their
multitude around them. All these uncircumcised are there pierced by the
sword, for they spread terror in the land of the living. °27 They are not lying with the heroes of former times
who went to the grave with all their gear of war; the heroes whose terror
filled the land of the living, lie with their swords placed under their heads
their shields over their bones. °28 You instead will be among the uncircumcised victims
of the sword. °29 Edom is there with her kings and princes who despite
their bravery lie with those fallen by the sword. They are placed with the
uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit. °30 All the princes of the north are there and all the
Sidonians who have gone down in disgrace with the slain, despite the terror
caused by their power. They are shamed and lie with the uncircumcised,
victims of the sword. They bear their shame with those who go down to the
pit. °31 When Pharaoh and all his army see them, he will be
comforted because of all his multitudes killed by the sword, word of Yahweh. °32 Although I had him spread terror in the land of the
living, Pharaoh will be laid among the uncircumcised victims of the sword, he
and his multitudes, word of Yahweh.” §THE REESTABLISHMENT OF
ISRAEL
§ The prophet – watchman of the people¤33 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say
to them: Imagine that I bring the sword against a country, and the people of
that country choose one among them to be their sentry. °3 When this man sees the sword approach the land, he
shall sound the trumpet to warn the people; °4 then if
anyone hears the trumpet and does not heed the warning he shall be
responsible for his own death, °5 but the man who gave the warning will
save his life. °6 On the other hand when the sentry sees
the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, the people are not warned and
some are killed. In that case I will hold the sentry responsible and he will
answer for the victims’ death. °7 For your part, son of man, I have set you as a
watchman for Israel, and when you hear my word, you must give them my
warning. °8 When I say to the wicked: ‘Wicked man,
you shall die for sure,’ if you do not warn the wicked man to turn from his
ways, he will die because of his sin, but I will also call you to account for
his blood. °9 If you warn the wicked man to turn from
his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you yourself
will be saved. °10 Son of man, you know the people of Israel say: ‘We are wasting away because of our sin,
and our wrongdoing is weighing us down. How can we live?’ °11 Say to them: As I live, word of Yahweh, I do not
want the wicked to die but rather that they turn from their ways and live.
Turn! turn from your wicked ways! Why, O Israel, should you die? °12 You, son of man, say to your people: The righteous
life of the upright will not save him on the day he turns to sin and the
wicked man will not be bound to his wickedness on the day he turns from his
evil ways; likewise for the upright: he will die. °13 When I
have said to the righteous: ‘You will live,’ if he takes advantage of his
righteousness to do evil, his former upright life will not be remembered; the
evil he is doing will make him die. °14 And if
I say to the wicked man, ‘You will certainly die,’ but he then turns from his
sin and does what is just and right, °15 gives
back what he took as a pledge on a loan, restores what he has stolen, obeys
the decrees that are life-giving and avoids evil, he will live, he will not
die. °16 His life in sin will no longer be held
against him. He has done what is just and right and because of that he will
live. °17 Yet your people say, ‘The position of the Lord is
not just.’ On the contrary it is theirs that is wrong. °18 The upright man who turns from what is just and
right and does evil, shall die; °19
and the wicked man
who turns from evil to do what is just and right shall live! °20 Though you say: ‘The Lord’s position is wrong,’ I
will judge you, Israel, each one according to his ways.” °21 On the fifth day of the tenth month in the eleventh
year of our exile, a fugitive arrived from Jerusalem to tell me: “The city
has fallen.” °22 Now the hand of Yahweh had been on me the evening
before the arrival of the fugitive. When I met him in the morning, Yahweh
opened my mouth. My tongue was loosened and no longer was I silent. °23 The word of Yahweh then came to me in these terms, °24 “Son of man, those who remain among the ruins in the
land of Israel reckon: ‘Abraham was alone when he received the land as a
possession; we are still numerous enough and it is to us that the country has
been given.’ °25 But you will say to them: thus says Yahweh: You eat
food with blood, you look towards idols, you shed blood, and you want to
possess the land! °26 You lean on your sword, you do what is
detestable, each one dishonors his neighbor’s wife and yet you want to
possess the land! °27 Say to them: This is the word of Yahweh: As I live,
those who settled among the ruins will fall by the sword; those in the open
country I will give as food to the beasts and those in strongholds and caves
shall die of the plague. °28 I will make the country a wasteland, a
lonely place. They will no longer lean on their power and the mountains of
Israel shall be deserted with no one crossing them. °29 Then they will know that I am Yahweh when I make
their country a lonely waste because of all the detestable things they have
done. °30 Son of man, your people talk about you along the
walls and at the doors of the houses, each one with his neighbor: ‘Come and
hear the latest word of Yahweh.’ °31 They go to you as they go to an assembly and sit in
front of you. They listen to your words but do not do what you say. Instead
they continue to lie and look only for their own interest. °32 For them you are no more than a singer of lovesongs
– a beautiful voice accompanied by beautiful music. They listen but do not
practice what they hear. °33 But when what is foretold comes true – and it is
about to happen – they will know that there was a prophet among them.” § The shepherds of Israel¤34 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °2 “Son of man, speak on my behalf against the shepherds of Israel! Say to the shepherds on my behalf: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? °3 But you feed on milk and are clothed in wool, and you slaughter the fattest sheep. You have not taken care of the flock, °4 you have not strengthened the weak, cared for the sick or bandaged the injured. You have not gone after the sheep that strayed or searched for the one that was lost. Instead you ruled them harshly and were their oppressors. °5 They have scattered for want of a shepherd and became prey of wild animals. °6 My sheep wander over the mountains and high hills; and when they are scattered throughout the land, no one bothers about them or looks for them. °7 Hear then shepherds, what Yahweh says: °8 As I live – word of Yahweh, – because my sheep have been the prey of wild animals and become their food for want of shepherds, because the shepherds have not cared for my sheep, because you shepherds have not bothered about them but fed yourselves and not the flocks, because of that, °9 hear the word of Yahweh. °10 This is what Yahweh says: I will ask an account of the shepherds and reclaim my sheep from them. No longer shall they tend my flock; nor shall there be shepherds who feed themselves. I shall save the flock from their mouths and no longer shall it be food for them. °11 Indeed Yahweh says this: I myself will care for my sheep and watch over them. °12 As the shepherd looks after his flock when he finds them scattered, so will I watch over my sheep and gather them from all the places where they were scattered in a time of cloud and fog. °13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from other countries. I will lead them to their own land and pasture them on the mountains of Israel in all the valleys and inhabited regions of the land. °14 I will take them to good pastures on the high mountains of Israel. They will rest where the grazing is good and feed in lush pastures on the heights of Israel. °15 I myself will tend my sheep and let them rest, word of Yahweh. °16 I will search for the lost and lead back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and strong will be eliminated. I will shepherd my flock with justice. °17 As for you, my flock – says Yahweh – I will distinguish between one sheep and another, and set apart rams and goats. °18 Was it not enough for you to feed on good pasture? Why did you trample under your feet the rest of the pasture? Were you not satisfied with drinking clear water? Why did you muddy the rest with your feet? °19 Must my sheep feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? °20 That is why thus says the Lord Yahweh to the shepherds: Here I am. I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean. °21 Because with flank, shoulder and horns you butt the weak sheep until you have driven them away, °22 I will rescue my flock and no longer will they be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. °23 Over them I will put one shepherd, my servant David who will tend them, pasture them and be a true shepherd for them. °24 I, Yahweh, will be their God and my servant David a ruler among them. I, Yahweh, have this to say: °25 I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts, so that they may live safely in the desert and sleep in forests. °26 I will settle them on my holy mountain, sending them rain in season, showers of rich blessings. °27 The trees of the field will give their fruit and the soil its produce, while they are safe in their land, and they will know that I am Yahweh. I will break the bars of their yoke and free them from the power of those who enslave them. °28 No longer will they be plundered by the nations or ravaged by wild beasts. They will live in security without anyone causing them to fear. °29 I will give them splendid crops; people will not die of hunger and no longer will you be scorned by other nations. °30 This people will know that I, Yahweh, am their God and that I am with them and that they, Israel, are my people – word of Yahweh. °31 You are my sheep, the flock of my pasture, and I am your God, declares Yahweh.” § Against Edom¤35 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me, °2 “Son of man, set your face against the mountain of
Seir, prophesy against it °3 and say: Thus says Yahweh: I come to
strike you, mountain of Seir! I have stretched out my hand against you and I
will make of you a mournful solitude. °4 I will
reduce your towns to ruins, make you a desolation and you shall know that I
am Yahweh. °5 I know your long-standing enmity and how you handed
over the people of Israel to the sword in the day of their disaster, when
their sins reached an end. °6 Because of that, as I live, word of
Yahweh, I intend to give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue
you. °7 I will make of the mountain of Seir a
mournful solitude and destroy all who come and go there. °8 The mountains will be filled with the slain; the
victims of the sword will fall on your hills, in your valleys and ravines. °9 I will reduce you to a desolate ruins forever; no
longer will your towns be inhabited and then you will know that I am Yahweh. °10 You said: ‘These two nations and these two countries
will be mine, we shall take possession of them,’ and you disregarded Yahweh
who was there. °11 Because of that, as I live, declares
Yahweh, I will deal with you according to your hatred towards them and I will
make myself known among them when I judge you. °12 Then
you will know that I, Yahweh, have heard all the insults uttered against the
mountains of Israel, such as: ‘They are devastated and have been given over
to us to be devoured.’ °13 For I heard when you boasted against me
without restraint. °14 Thus says Yahweh: When all the earth rejoices, you
will be desolate. °15 Since you rejoiced when the inheritance
of Israel became a deserted ruins, that is how I will deal with you. You will
become a desert, Mount Seir, and Edom likewise, and people will know that I
am Yahweh.” § Israel shall be gathered together¤36 °1 “Son of man, prophesy regarding the
mountains of Israel; say to them: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of
Yahweh: °2 Your enemies have said: ‘Aha! these
eternal heights have become our possession.’ °3 People
have envied you and ravaged you on all sides; other nations have taken
possession of you, so that you became the subject of talk and gossip. Because
of that, °4 mountains of Israel, hear this word of
Yahweh. Yahweh says to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys,
to the deserted ruins and the empty towns which have become the plunder and
target of mockery for other nations around: °5 Truly
in the fire of my jealousy I will speak against the other nations, namely all
of Edom, who with glee and malice in their hearts, have taken possession of
my land and plundered its pastures. °6 Now you shall prophesy concerning Israel. You shall
say to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: This is the
word of Yahweh who speaks in the fury of his jealousy! Because you have
suffered the scorn of the nations, °7 Yahweh
says: I swear with uplifted hand, the nations surrounding you will suffer
scorn. °8 But you, mountains of Israel, you shall
bring forth branches and produce fruit for my people Israel, for soon they
will return. °9 Indeed, I have turned in your direction and I have
bent towards you; you will be cultivated and sown with seed. °10 I will increase your population in all Israel; the
towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. °11 Both
people and animals will increase; they will be fruitful and multiply. I will
build up their numbers as in the past and they will know that I am Yahweh. °12 Men and women of Israel will walk on you again. They
will take possession of you; you will be their heritage again, and never
again will you let their children perish.” °13 Yahweh speaks, “People say that you devour men and
that you rob your people of children. °14 But
never again shall you devour men or rob your people of children – word of
Yahweh. °15 You shall no longer hear the mockery of
the nations or suffer the insults of other lands – word of Yahweh.” °16 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, °17 “Son of man, when Israel occupied her own land she
defiled it by her way of life and her actions. To me her conduct was like the
uncleanness of a woman in her period. °18 I poured out my fury on them because of the blood
they shed in the land and because they defiled it with their filthy idols. °19 Then I scattered them among the nations and
dispersed them in other lands. I judged them according to their conduct and
their actions. °20 But when they were brought to other nations, my holy
Name was profaned because others said of them: ‘The people of Yahweh had to
be exiled from his land!’ °21 Then I was concerned for my holy Name,
profaned by Israel among the nations where she had been dispersed. Now you
shall say to the people of Israel: § A new heart°22 It is not for your sake that I am about to act, but because of my holy Name that you have profaned in the places where you have gone. °23 I will make known the holiness of my great Name, profaned among the nations because of you, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I show them my holiness among you. °24 For I will gather you from all the nations and bring you back to your own land. °25 Then I shall pour pure water over you and you shall be made clean – cleansed from the defilement of all your idols. °26 I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. °27 I shall put my spirit within you and move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws. °28 You will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people and I will be your God. °29 I will free you from all your uncleanness. I shall summon the wheat and make it plentiful and so keep famine away from you. °30 I shall see that the fruits of the earth and the produce of the fields are plentiful and that you no longer suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. °31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked
actions and loathe yourselves for the sins you committed and for your
detestable practices. °32 I want you to know that it is not for
your sake I am doing this, word of Yahweh. Be ashamed and humbled because of
your conduct, Israel! °33 This is what Yahweh says: The day I
cleanse you from all your sins, I shall repopulate the cities and the ruins
will be rebuilt. °34 The devastated land will be cultivated
wherever passersby saw it desolate. °35 Everyone
will say, ‘This devastated land is now a garden of Eden and its cities once
in ruins and leveled to the ground have been rebuilt and populated.’ °36 And the nations that remain around you will know
that I, Yahweh, have rebuilt the ruined city and replanted what was desolate.
I, Yahweh, have spoken and I will do it. °37 Thus says Yahweh: Once again I shall listen to the
plea of Israel and favor them. I shall make their people as numerous as
sheep, °38 as numerous as the flock they bring to
Jerusalem’s Temple at the time of her holy days. In the same way the ruined
cities will be filled with flocks of people and they will know that I am
Yahweh.” § “Dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh”¤37 °1 The hand of Yahweh was upon me. He brought me out and led me in spirit to the middle of the valley which was full of bones. °2 He made me walk to and fro among them and I could see there was a great number of them on the ground all along the valley and that they were very dry. °3 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live again?” I said, “Lord Yahweh, only you know that.” °4 He then said, “Speak on my behalf concerning these bones; say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of Yahweh! °5 Yahweh says: I am going to put spirit in you and make you live. °6 I shall put sinews on you and make flesh grow on you; I shall cover you with skin and give you my spirit, that you may live. And you will know that I am Yahweh.” °7 I prophesied as I had been commanded and then there was a noise and commotion; the bones joined together. °8 I looked and saw that they had sinews, that flesh was growing on them and that he was covering them with skin. But there was no spirit in them. °9 So Yahweh said to me, “Speak on my behalf and call on the Spirit, son of man! Say to the Spirit: This is the word of Yahweh: Spirit, come from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bones and let them live!” °10 I prophesied as he had commanded me and breath entered them; they came alive, standing on their feet – a great, immense army! °11 He then said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all Israel. They
keep saying: ‘Our bones are dry, hope has gone, it is the end of us.’ °12 So prophesy! Say to them: This is what Yahweh says: I
am going to open your tombs, I shall bring you out of your tombs, my people,
and lead you back to the land of Israel. °13 You
will know that I am Yahweh, O my people! when I open your graves and bring
you out of your graves, °14 when I put my spirit in
you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I,
Yahweh, have done what I said I would do.” °15 The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms, “Son
of man, take a piece of wood and write on it: ‘Judah and the Israelites loyal
to him.’ °16 Take another piece of wood and write:
‘Joseph, the branch of Ephraim and the Israelites loyal to him.’ °17 Join one to the other to make a single piece of wood
in your hand. °18 When your people say to you, ‘Won’t you
tell us what this means?’ °19 say to them: Yahweh says this: I am going
to take the branch of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes
of Israel loyal to him and put Judah’s branch with them, and they will be as
one in my hand. °20 And you will hold in your hand in their
sight the pieces of wood on which you wrote. °21 You will then say to them: Thus says Yahweh: I am
about to withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I
shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their land. °22 I shall make them into one people on the mountains
of Israel and one king is to be king of them all. They will no longer form
two nations or be two separate kingdoms, °23 nor
will they defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable
practices and their sins. I shall free them from the guilt of their
treachery; I shall cleanse them and they will be for me a people and I shall
be God for them. °24 My servant David will reign over them,
one shepherd for all. They will live according to my laws and follow and
practice my decrees. °25 They will settle in the land I gave to my
servant Jacob where their ancestors lived. There they will live forever,
their children and their children’s children. David my servant will be their
prince forever. °26 I shall establish a covenant of peace with them, an
everlasting covenant. I shall settle them and they will increase and I shall
put my sanctuary in their midst forever. °27 I
shall make my home at their side; I shall be their God and they will be my
people. °28 Then the nations will know that I am
Yahweh who makes Israel holy, having my sanctuary among them forever.” § Gog and Magog¤38 °1 The word of Yahweh came to me in these
terms, °2 “Son of man, turn towards Gog of the
country of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against
him. °3 Say to him: Hear the word of Yahweh: I
come to strike you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. °4 I will turn you round, fix hooks in your jaws and
bring you out, you and your entire army, horses and riders all perfectly
equipped, a great army, all with shields and bucklers and brandishing swords.
°5 Persia, Cush and Put are with them, all with buckler
and helmet. °6 Gomer and all his troops, and
Bethtogarmah from the far north with his battalions, a vast throng, are with
you. °7 Get ready, be prepared, you and all your troops
massed around you, and take command of them. °8 After
many days you will be given a mission. In the years ahead you will invade a
land recovered from war where the people are gathered from among many nations
on the mountains of Israel which had for long been barren. Its people were
brought from among the nations and now live in safety, all of them. °9 Then you will go up like a storm, like a cloud
covering the earth, you and all your troops and the many nations with you. °10 Thus says Yahweh: On that day thoughts will come to
your mind and you will plan an evil scheme °11 saying:
‘I will go up against unprotected towns, against peaceful people living in
safety, all of them living without walls, bars or gates. °12 I will plunder and loot; I will attack the land that
is inhabited again. I will go against this people gathered from among the
nations, who live by trading and are increasing their cattle at the center of
the world.’ °13 People of Sheba and Dedan and all the merchants of
Tarshish and its villages will ask you: ‘Have you come to plunder? Is it to loot
that you have assembled such an army?’ And they will come with silver and
gold, to take away the livestock and to buy your enormous booty. °14 Therefore prophesy, son of man and say to Gog on my
behalf: On that day when my people Israel are living in security you will
come from the far north, °15 you and the throngs with you, all on
horses, with many troops – a vast army. °16 You
will come against my people Israel like a cloud about to cover the earth. It
will be in the far-off days that you shall come against my people, and I
shall let you do so, that the nations may know me, for I shall manifest my
holiness through you, O Gog! °17 Thus says Yahweh: You are the one about whom I spoke
in former times through my servants, the prophets of Israel, saying that I
would bring you against them in far-off days. °18 On
that day when Gog will come to the land of Israel – word of Yahweh – my fury
will be aroused. °19 In the jealousy and heat of my anger I
declare: On that day there will be a great earthquake in Israel. °20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the
beasts of the field, the creatures that creep on the ground and every human
being on the earth will tremble before me. Mountains
will fall, cliffs crumble and walls collapse. °21 I will
summon the sword against Gog on all my mountains – word of Yahweh. Each one’s
sword will turn against his brother. °22 I will
punish Gog with plague and bloodshed. I will send torrential rain, hailstones
and burning sulfur on him and on his battalions and on the many nations with
him. °23 I will manifest myself as the Mighty and
Holy One in the sight of these many people, and they will know that I am
Yahweh. ¤39 °1 Son of
man, prophesy against Gog! Say to him: Thus says Yahweh: I come against you,
Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. °2 When I
have led, directed and brought you from the far north to the mountains of
Israel, °3 I shall break the bow in your left hand
and snatch the arrows from your right hand. °4 You
will fall on the mountains of Israel, you, your battalions and the nations
with you. And I shall give you over to all the birds of prey and wild beasts °5 when you have fallen in the open countryside, for I
have spoken, word of Yahweh. °6 I shall send fire to the land of Magog
and to those living peacefully in the islands and they will know that I am
Yahweh. °7 I will manifest my holy Name among my
people Israel, and never again allow my holy Name to be profaned, and the
nations will know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel. °8 All this will come about and take place – word of
Yahweh. This is the day I foretold. °9 After
that citizens of the towns of Israel will make a fire, using your weapons as
fuel: small and large bucklers, bows and arrows, clubs and javelins. For
seven years they will be used as fuel; °10 there
will be no need to bring wood from the country or to gather it in the forests
since they will have your weapons to burn. They will plunder their plunderers
and loot those who looted them – word of Yahweh. °11 On that day I shall give Gog a well-known burial
place in Israel, the valley of the Abarim, on the east of the sea, the valley
where the traveler has to stop. There they will bury Gog and his hordes and
they will call it the Valley of the Multitude of Gog. °12 It will take seven months to bury the dead and
cleanse the country. °13 All the population will work at burying
the dead and this will be their honor on the day I am glorified, word of
Yahweh. °14 Men will work on a regular basis going
around the country to bury those lying on the ground and so cleanse the land.
For seven months they will go searching. °15 If, as
they go through the land, they come across human remains, they will make a
pile of stones beside them until the grave diggers bury them in the Valley of
the Multitude of Gog °16 (the name of the town is Multitude). In
that way the land will be cleansed. °17 Son of man, Yahweh says this: Say to every kind of
bird and wild beast: Assemble and come together from all parts to the
sacrifice I am preparing for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of
Israel at which you will eat flesh and drink blood, °18 the flesh of heroes and the blood of the world’s
princes. They are all rams, lambs, goats, bullocks, all fattened animals from
Bashan. °19 You will eat all the fat you want and drink
blood until you are drunk at the sacrifice I am preparing for you. °20 You will have your fill of horses, riders, heroes
and warriors of all kinds – word of Yahweh. °21 I will
show my glory among all the nations and they will know my judgment and the punishment
I shall inflict on them. °22 Then Israel will know from that day onward that I am
Yahweh, their God. °23 And the nations will know that Israel was
exiled because they were unfaithful to me, and this was why I hid my face
from them; I handed them over to their enemies and they perished by the
sword. °24 I dealt with them as their defilement and
sins deserved, and I hid my face from them. °25 That is why thus says Yahweh: Now, moved by my
compassion for Israel, I am going to bring back the captives of Jacob and I
will give glory to my holy name. °26 They will forget their shame and the
treachery they committed towards me, when they live safely in their own land
with no one to disturb them. °27 When I gather them from among the nations
and take them from the land of their enemies, I will show my holiness through
them to many nations. °28 They will know that I am Yahweh their God
when, after their exile among the nations, I bring them together in their own
land and leave no one behind. °29 Never again shall I hide my face from
them because I shall pour out my Spirit on Israel – word of Yahweh.” §THE FUTURE TEMPLE
¤40 °1 In the
twenty-fifth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the
tenth day of the month, fourteen years after Jerusalem had been taken, the
hand of Yahweh was upon me. °2 In a divine vision he took me away to the
land of Israel and put me down on a very high mountain, on the south of which
there seemed to be built a city. °3 He took me to it, and there I saw a man
who seemed to be made of bronze. He had a flax cord and a measuring rod in
his hand and was standing in the gateway. °4 The man
said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and pay attention to
everything I show you, since they brought you here for me to show it to you.
Tell the people of Israel everything that you see.” °5 The House was surrounded with a wall, and the man
was holding a measuring rod that was three meters long (six great cubits). He
measured the thickness of this construction – one rod; and its height – one
rod. °6 He went to the east gate, climbed the steps and
measured its threshold: one rod deep. °7 Each
guardroom one rod by one rod; and the walls between the guardrooms five
cubits thick; °8 and the threshold of the gate inward from
the porch of the gate: one rod. °9
He measured the porch
of the gate: eight cubits; its jambs: two cubits; the porch of the gate was
at the inner end. °10 There were three guardrooms on each side
of the east gate, all three the same size; the walls between them all the
same thickness on each side. °11 He measured the width of the entrance:
ten cubits; and the width all down the gateway: thirteen cubits. °12 There was a rail in front of the guardrooms; each
rail on either side was one cubit. And the guardrooms on either side were six
cubits square. °13 He measured the width of the gate from
the back wall of one guardroom to the back wall of the other; it was
twenty-five cubits across from window to window. °14 He
measured the entrance: twenty cubits; after the porch of the gate came the
outer court. °15 From the entrance end of the gate to the
porch opposite: fifty cubits. °16 On each side of the gate there were
windows with screens both in the guardrooms and in the spaces between, and
there were openings all around inside the porch as well, and palm trees
decorating the pillars. °17 He took me through to the outer court. There were
rooms and a paved terrace going all the way around; there were thirty rooms
on this terrace. °18 This terrace, which came right up to the
sides of the gates and matched their depth, is the Lower Terrace. °19 He measured across the outer court from the lower
gate to the outside of the inner court: a hundred cubits. °20 He measured the length and breadth of the north gate
of the outer court. °21 It had three guardrooms on each side; the
thickness of the walls between them, and its porch too, all measured the same
as those of the first gate: fifty cubits by twenty-five cubits. °22 Its windows, its entrance and its palm-tree
decoration all measured the same as those of the east gate. There were seven
steps up to it, and its porch was at the inner end. °23 In the inner court there was, opposite the north
gate, a gate like the one opposite the east gate. He measured the distance
from one gate to the other: a hundred cubits. °24 He took me to the south and there was a gate to the
south gate; he measured its guardrooms, the thickness of its walls and porch;
they were of the same dimensions as the others. °25 All
around it and its entrance were windows, like the other windows; it measured
fifty cubits by twenty-five cubits, °26 and it
had seven steps up to it; its entrance was at the inner end and had palm-tree
decorations on its pillars, one on each side. °27 The
inner court had a southern gate; he measured the distance southward from one
gate to the other: a hundred cubits. °28 He then took me into the inner court by the south
gate; he measured the south gate which was the same size as the others. °29 Its guardrooms, the thickness of its walls and entrance
all measured the same as the others. °30 Its
entrance had windows all around. It measured fifty cubits by twenty-five
cubits. Its entrance, measured in all, all around, was twenty-five cubits by
five cubits. °31 The entrance gave on to the outer court.
It had palm trees on its pillars, each side, and eight steps leading up to
it. °32 He took me to the east gate and measured it. It was
the same size as the others. °33 Its guardrooms, the thickness of its
walls, its entrance all measured the same as the others. The gate and its
entrance had windows all around. Its area was fifty cubits by twenty-five
cubits. °34 Its porch gave on to the outer court.
There were palm trees on its pillars on either side, and eight steps leading
up to it. °35 He took me to the north gate and measured it. Its
guardrooms, the thickness of its walls and its entrance all measured the same
as the others. °36 It had windows all around. Its area was
fifty cubits by twenty-five cubits. °37 Its
entrance gave on to the outer court. There were palm trees on its pillars on
either side, and eight steps leading up to it. °38 There was a room entered from the entrance of the
gates. It was here that they had to wash the holocaust. °39 And on either side of the entrance of the gate there
were two tables for slaughtering the burnt offering, the sacrifice for sin
and the sacrifice of repayment. °40
Going northward up to
the gate, there were two tables outside and two more tables at the entrance
end of the gate. °41 There were four tables on the inside and
four tables on the outside of the entrance; in all, eight tables on which the
sacrifices were offered. °42 There were also four tables of dressed
stone for burnt offerings, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide
and a cubit high, on which all the things necessary for killing the burnt
offering and the sacrifices were put. °43 Rims,
a handbreadth broad, went all around the top, and on these tables was put the
flesh of the offerings. °44 He took me into the inner court; there were two lodges
in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate, facing south, the
other at the side of the south gate, facing north. °45 He
told me, “The lodge looking south is for the priests in charge of the Temple,
°46 and the lodge looking north is for the
priests who serve the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, the only sons of
Levi who approach Yahweh to serve him.” °47 He measured the inner court. It was a quadrangle, a
hundred cubits by a hundred cubits, with the altar in front of the House. °48 He took me to the Hall of the House and measured its
door pillars – five cubits each side; and the width of the entrance was
fourteen cubits with a three-cubit wall each side. °49 The
Hall was twenty cubits by twelve cubits. There were ten steps leading up to
it, and there were columns by the door pillars, one on each side. ¤41 °1 He took
me into the Sanctuary and measured its door pillars: six cubits deep on the
one side, six cubits deep on the other. °2 The
width of the entrance was ten cubits. The walls on each side of the entrance
were five cubits on the one side and five cubits on the other. He measured
its length: forty cubits; and its width: twenty cubits. °3 He went in and measured the door pillars at the
entrance: two cubits; then the entrance: six cubits; and the walls on each
side of the entrance: seven cubits. °4 He
measured its length: twenty cubits; and its width measured across the end
wall of the Sanctuary: twenty cubits. He then said to me, “This is the most
holy place.” °5 He measured the wall of the House: six cubits. The
width of the side cells was four cubits, all around the House. °6 The cells were one above the other, thirty of them
in three stories. °7 The supports for the surrounding cells
were fixed into the House wall, so that the cells were not recessed into the
wall of the House. The width of the cells increased, story by story, for they
surrounded the House in the stories that went right around it. °8 Then I saw that there was a paved terrace all around
the House. The height of this, which formed the base of the side cells, was a
full rod of six cubits. °9 The outer wall of the side cells was five
cubits thick and the pavement formed a veranda outside the cells of the
House. °10 Beyond the rooms was an area twenty
cubits wide right around the House. °11 And
for access from the side cells onto the courtyard there was one entrance on
the north side and one entrance on the south side. The width of the courtyard
was five cubits all around. °12 The building to the west of this surrounding area was
seventy cubits by ninety cubits, and the wall of the building was five cubits
thick, all around. °13 He measured the length of the House: a
hundred cubits. The length of the court plus the building and its walls: a
hundred cubits. °14 The breadth of the facade of the House
with the quadrangle: a hundred cubits. °15 He
measured the length of the building plus the surrounding area at the back,
plus the side depth of its door: a hundred cubits. The
inside of the Sanctuary and the entrance of the court, their thresholds, the
window screens, the three sets of doors, one at each threshold, °16 were all paneled with wood, from floor to windows,
and the windows were screened with lattice-work. °17 From
the door to the inner part of the House, and right around the whole wall of
the inner room, outside and inside, °18 were
carved cherubs and palm trees, palm trees and cherubs alternating; each
cherub had two faces – °19 the face of a man turned toward the palm
tree on one side and the face of a lion toward the palm tree on the other,
all around the House. The cherubs and palm trees were carved °20 from the floor to above the entrance, as also on the
wall of the hall. °21 The pillars of the House were square. In
front of the Most Holy Place, °22 there appeared to be a wooden altar,
three cubits high and two cubits square. Its corners, base and sides were of
wood. He said to me, “This is the table before Yahweh.” °23 There was a double door for the Temple, and a double
door for the Sanctuary. °24 These doors had two hinged leaves, two
leaves for the one door, two leaves for the other. °25 On
them, on the doors of the Sanctuary, were carved cherubs and palm trees like
those carved on the walls. A wooden screen outside went across the front of
the Hall. °26 There were screened windows with flanking
palm trees on the walls of the House, and of the cells at the side of the
House. ¤42 °1 He took
me northward into the court and led me to the rooms facing the outer court,
and the building to the north. °2 They were one hundred cubits long on the
north side and fifty cubits wide. °3
On the sides facing
the entrance of the inner court and the paving of the outer court was a
gallery in front of the triple gallery, °4 and in
front of the rooms was a walk, ten cubits broad measured inward and a hundred
cubits long; their doors looked north. °5 The
top-floor rooms were narrow because the galleries took up part of the width,
being narrower than those on the ground floor or those on the middle floor of
the building. °6 They were in three stories and had no
columns such as those in the court had. Hence they were narrower than the
groundfloor ones or the middle-floor ones below them. °7 The outer wall parallel to the rooms, facing them
and giving on to the outer court, was fifty cubits long, °8 the length of the rooms facing the outer court being
fifty cubits, while on the side facing the building it was a hundred cubits. °9 Beneath the rooms there was an entrance from the
east, leading in from the outer court. °10 In the thickness of the wall of the court, on the
south side fronting the court and the building, were rooms. °11 A walk ran in front of them, as with the rooms built
on the north side; they were of the same length and breadth, and had similar
design and doors in and out. °12 They were like the entrances of the
southern rooms; one entrance at the end of each walk, fronting the eastern
wall, being the way in. He said to me, °13 “The
northern and southern rooms giving on to the court are holy rooms, in which
the priests who approach Yahweh will eat the most holy things. In them will
be placed the most holy things: the offering, the sacrifice for sin and the
sacrifice of repayment, since this is a holy place. °14 Once the priests have entered they will not go out
of the holy place into the outer court without leaving their liturgical
vestments there, since these vestments are holy; they will put on other
clothes before going near the room assigned to the people.” °15 When he had finished measuring the inside of the
Temple, he took me out to the east gate and measured the whole area of the
court. °16 He measured the east side with his
measuring rod: a total of five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. °17 He then measured the north side: five hundred cubits
by the measuring rod. °18 He then measured the south side: five
hundred cubits by the measuring rod. °19 On the
west side he measured five hundred cubits. °20 So he
measured the entire enclosing wall on all four sides: length five hundred,
breadth five hundred. This separated the sacred from the profane. ¤43 °1 He took
me to the gate, facing east. °2 Then I saw the Glory of the God of Israel
approaching from the east with a sound like the sound of the ocean, and the
earth shone with his Glory. °3 This vision was like the one I had seen when
he came for the destruction of the city, and like the one I had seen on the
bank of the river Chebar. Then I threw myself to the ground. °4 The Glory of Yahweh arrived at the Temple by the
east gate. °5 The spirit lifted me up and brought me
into the inner court: the Glory of Yahweh was filling the House. °6 And I heard someone speaking to me from the Temple
while the man stood beside me. °7 The voice said, “Son of man, you have
seen the place of my throne, where I will place the soles of my feet, and live
among the Israelites forever; and the people of Israel, they and their kings,
will no longer defile my holy name with their prostitutions and the kings, °8 setting their threshold beside my threshold and
their door beside my door, with a common wall shared by them and me. They
used to defile my holy name by their filthy practices, and this is why I
destroyed them in my anger. °9 From now on if they take their
prostitutions and the corpses of their kings away from my presence, I shall
live among them forever. °10 Son of man, describe this House to the people of
Israel, to shame them out of their filthy practices. °11 If they are ashamed of their behavior, draw up the
plan and show them the design of the Temple, its exits and entrances, its
shape, how all of it is arranged, its rules and its laws. Give them all this
in writing so that they can see and take note of its design and the way it is
all arranged and carry it out. °12
This is the law of
the Temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain is a most holy
area. °13 Here are the dimensions of the altar (in big cubits,
each of a cubit plus a handbreadth). The base: one cubit high and one cubit
wide. The ledge all around it: one span. This is the height of the altar: °14 from the ground level of the base up to the lower
base, two cubits high and one cubit wide; from the lesser plinth to the
greater base, four cubits high and one cubit wide. °15 The
altar hearth: four cubits high, with four horns projecting from the hearth, °16 the hearth being square: twelve cubits by twelve
cubits; °17 and the square base: fourteen cubits by
fourteen cubits; and the ledge all around: half a cubit; and the base: one
cubit all around. The steps are on the east side.” °18 He said to me, “Son of man, Yahweh says this: As
regard the altar, this is how things are to be done when it has been built
for the offering of the holocaust and for the pouring of blood. °19 To those levitical priests of the race of Zadok who
approach me to serve me – it is Yahweh who speaks – you must give a young
bull as sacrifice for sin. °20 You are to take some of its blood and put
it on the four horns and the four corners of the base and the surrounding
ledge. °21 In this way you will purify it and make
atonement on it. Then take the bull of the sacrifice for sin and burn it in a
room of the House apart from the sanctuary. °22 On the
second day, you must offer an unblemished he-goat as sacrifice for sin, and
the altar is to be purified again as with the bull. °23 When you have finished the purification you must
offer a young bull without blemish and an unblemished ram chosen from the
flock. °24 You are to present them before Yahweh,
and the priests will sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a holocaust to
Yahweh. °25 As a sacrifice for sin, every day for
seven days you must offer a he-goat, a bull and an unblemished ram chosen
from the flock, for a week. °26 In this way the altar will be atoned for
and will be purified and inaugurated. °27 At the
end of that time, on the eighth day and afterwards, the priest is to offer
your burnt offerings and your communion offerings on the altar, and I will
look kindly on you – it is Yahweh who speaks.” § New regulations for worship¤44 °1 He brought me back to the outer east gate
of the sanctuary. It was shut. °2 Yahweh said to me, “This gate will be
kept shut. No one will open it or go through it, since Yahweh the God of
Israel has been through it. And so it must be kept shut. °3 The prince himself, however, may sit there to take
his meal in the presence of Yahweh. But he is to enter through the entrance
of the gate and leave through the same way.” °4 He led me through the north gate to the front of the
House. I looked; I saw the Glory of Yahweh filling his House, and I threw
myself to the ground. °5 Yahweh said to me, “Son of man, pay
attention, look carefully and listen closely to everything while I explain to
you all the rules of the House of Yahweh and all its laws. Be careful about
which men are admitted to the House and which are excluded from the sanctuary.
°6 And say to the rebels of the people of Israel, the
Lord Yahweh says this: There has been enough of all your filthy practices,
House of Israel. °7 You let aliens enter, uncircumcised in
heart and body, to frequent my sanctuary and profane my Temple when you gave
me for my food the fat and the blood; and you broke my covenant with all your
filthy practices °8 when you let them perform your duties in
my sanctuary. °9 For, the Lord Yahweh said this: No alien,
uncircumcised in heart and body, is to enter my sanctuary, none of those
aliens living among the Israelites. °10 The Levites who abandoned me when Israel strayed far
from me, and followed their idols, must bear the weight of their own sin. °11 They are to be servants in my sanctuary, responsible
for guarding the gates and serving the House. They will kill the burnt
offering and the sacrifice for the people, and hold themselves at the service
of the people. °12 But since they used to be at their
service in front of their idols and made Israel sin, (and I have raised my
hand against them) it is Yahweh who speaks – they must bear the weight of
their sin. °13 They are never to approach me again to
perform the priestly office in my presence, or to touch my holy things and my
most holy things; they must bear the disgrace of their filthy practices. °14 I shall let them work in the House and serve it and
do everything to be done in it. °15 The levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who did
their duty to me in the sanctuary when the Israelites strayed far from me,
may still approach me to serve me. They may stand in my presence to offer me
the fat and blood – it is Yahweh who speaks. °16 They
may enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me; they may perform my
liturgy. °17 Once they enter the gates of the inner
court, they are to wear linen garments; they are to wear no wool when they
serve inside the gates of the inner court and in the House. °18 They are to wear linen caps on their heads, and
linen breeches about their loins; they are not to wear belts that may make
them sweat. °19 When they go out to the people in the
outer court, they are to remove the garments in which they have performed the
liturgy and leave them in the rooms of the Holy Place, and put on other
clothes, so as not to hallow the people with their vestments. °20 They are neither to shave their heads nor to let
their hair grow long, but must cut their hair to a reasonable length. °21 No priest is to drink wine on the day he enters the
inner court. °22 They are not to marry widows or divorced
women, but only virgins of the race of Israel; they may, however, marry
widows, if it is the widow of a priest. °23 They
are to teach my people what is sacred and what is profane and make them know
what is clean and what is unclean. °24 They
are to be judges in disputes; they must judge in the spirit of my statutes;
they must follow my laws and ordinances at all my feasts and keep my sabbaths
holy. °25 They are not to go near a dead person,
lest they become unclean, except for father, mother, daughter, son, brother
or unmarried sister. °26 After one of them has been purified,
seven days must elapse; °27 then on the day when he enters the
sanctuary – the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer his
sacrifice for sin – it is Yahweh who speaks. °28 They
are to have no inheritance in Israel; I myself will be their inheritance. You
are to give them no patrimony in Israel; I myself will be their patrimony. °29 Their food is to be the offering, the sacrifice for
sin and the sacrifice of repayment. Everything in Israel consecrated by
anathema shall be for them. °30 The best of all your first fruits of
every sort and of all that you offer, is to go to the priests; and the best
of your dough you are also to give to the priests, so that a blessing may
rest on your houses. °31 Priests are not to eat the flesh of
anything that has died a natural death or been savaged, neither the flesh of
a bird nor of any other creature. ¤45 °1 When
you divide the country into portions by lot, you are to allocate a sacred
portion of the country to Yahweh: twenty-five thousand cubits long and twenty
thousand wide. °2 The whole of this land is to be sacred,
and of this square area five hundred by five hundred cubits is to be for the
sanctuary, with a boundary fifty cubits wide all around. °3 Out of this area you are also to measure a section
twenty-five thousand by ten thousand cubits, in which there shall stand the
sanctuary; this is a very holy land. °4 This is
to be the sacred portion of the country; it shall belong to the priests who
officiate in the sanctuary and approach Yahweh to serve him. There they are
to have their houses and also a district set apart for the sanctuary. °5 An area twenty-five thousand by ten thousand cubits
is to be kept for the Levites serving the House to own, with towns to live
in. °6 You are to give the city possession of an
area five thousand by twenty-five thousand cubits, near the land belonging to
the sanctuary; this is to be for the whole people of Israel. °7 The prince is to have a domain on either side of the
very holy land and of the land belonging to the city, and adjacent to both of
them, stretching westward from the west and eastward from the east, its size
equal to one of the portions between the west and the east frontiers of the country.
°8 This is to be his possession in Israel. Then my
princes will no longer oppress my people; they must leave the rest of the
country for the people of Israel, for its tribes. °9 Yahweh says this: Let this be enough for you,
princes of Israel! Give up your violence and plundering, practice justice and
integrity, crush my people no more with taxation – it is Yahweh who speaks. °10 Have scales that are fair, a fair ephah, a fair
bath. °11 Let the ephah and bath be equal, let the
bath hold one tenth of a homer and the ephah one tenth of a homer. °12 Let the measures be based on the homer. The shekel
is to be twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels plus fifteen
shekels are to make one mina. °13 This is the tax that you are to levy: the sixth of
an ephah for every homer of wheat, and the sixth of an ephah for every homer
of barley. °14 The dues on oil: one bath of oil out of
every ten baths or out of every cor (which is equal to ten baths or one
homer, since ten baths equal one homer). °15 You are
to levy one sheep on every flock of two hundred from the patrimony of Israel
for the oblation, the burnt offering and the communion sacrifice. This is for
the atonement – it is Yahweh who speaks. °16 Let
all the people of the country be bound to give this offering for the prince
of Israel. °17 The prince is to provide the burnt
offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings for feasts, New Moons and
sabbaths, for all the solemn festivals of Israel. He is to provide the
sacrifice for sin, oblation, holocaust and communion sacrifices atoning for
Israel. °18 Yahweh says this: On the first day of the first
month, you must take a young bull without blemish, to purify the sanctuary. °19 The priest is to take blood from the sacrifice for
sin and put it on the doorposts of the House, on the four corners of the
altar base and on the doorposts of the gates of the inner court. °20 You must do the same on the seventh of the month, on
behalf of anyone who has sinned through inadvertence or ignorance. This is
how you are to make atonement for the House. °21 On the
fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the feast of the
Passover. For seven days everyone is to eat unleavened loaves. °22 On that day, the prince must offer a bull as a
sacrifice for sin, for himself and all the people in the country. °23 For the seven days of the feast, he must offer
Yahweh a burnt offering of seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, daily
for a week, and one he-goat daily as a sacrifice for sin, °24 with a grain offering of one ephah for each bull and
one ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil for every ephah for the oblation. °25 For the feast on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, he must do the same for seven days, offering the sacrifice for sin,
burnt offering, drink offering and the oil. § The sabbath and the new moon¤46 °1 Thus speak Yahweh: The east gate of the
inner court must be kept shut for the six working days. On the sabbath day it
is to be opened, as also on the day of the New Moon; °2 and the prince is to go in through the entrance of
the outer gate and stand by the doorposts of the gate. The priest must then
offer his holocaust and his communion sacrifice. He must prostate himself on
the threshold of the gate and go out, and the gate is not to be shut again until
the evening. °3 The people of the country are to
prostrate themselves in the presence of Yahweh at the entrance to the gate on
sabbaths and days of the New Moon. °4 On the
sabbath day the prince shall offer six unblemished lambs and one unblemished
ram for the burnt offering. °5 The grain offering is of one ephah for
the ram, with such oblation as he pleases for the lambs, and a hin of oil for
every ephah. °6 On the day of the New Moon he shall offer
a young bull without blemish, six unblemished lambs and one unblemished ram; °7 he must make a grain offering of one ephah for the
bull and one ephah for the ram, and what he pleases for the lambs, and a hin
of oil for every ephah. °8 When the prince goes in, he is to enter by the
entrance of the gate, and he must leave by the same way. °9 When the people of the country come into the
presence of Yahweh at the solemn festivals to prostrate themselves, those who
have come in by the north gate are to go out by the south gate, and those who
have come in by the south gate are to go out by the north gate; no one is to
turn back to leave through the gate by which he entered but is to go out on
the opposite side. °10 The prince is to come with them, coming in like them
and going out like them. °11 On feast days and solemn festivals the
oblation must be one ephah for every bull, one ephah for every ram, what he
pleases for the lambs, and a hin of oil for every ephah. °12 When the prince offers Yahweh a voluntary communion
sacrifice, the east gate is to be opened for him, and he is to offer his
holocaust and his communion sacrifice as he does on the sabbath day; when he
has gone out, the gate is to be shut after him. °13 Every
day he must offer an unblemished lamb one year old as a holocaust to Yahweh;
he must offer this every morning. °14
Every morning, in
addition, he is to offer an oblation of one sixth of an ephah and one third
of a hin of oil, for mixing with the flour. This is an eternal law. °15 The lamb, the oblation and the oil are to be offered
morning after morning forever. °16 Yahweh says this: If the prince gives his sons part
of his inheritance, the gift is to pass to the ownership of his sons, and
become their heritage. °17 But if he gives part of his inheritance
to one of his servants, it shall only belong to the man until the year of
liberation and is then to revert to the prince. Only his sons may retain his
inheritance. °18 The prince may not take any part of the
people’s inheritance and thus rob them of their rightful possessions; he must
provide the patrimony of his sons out of his own property, so that no member
of my people will be robbed of his rightful possessions.” °19 He took me through the entrance at the side of the
north gate that leads to the rooms of the Holy Place set apart for the
priests. And there before us, to the west, was a space at the end. °20 He said to me, “This is where the priests are to
boil the slaughtered animals for the sacrifice for sin and the sacrifice of
reparation, and where they are to bake the oblation. They shall not carry
them into the outer court lest they hallow the people.” °21 He took me into the outer court and led me to each
of its four corners; °22 in each corner was a compound; there were
four small compounds, forty cubits by thirty, all four being the same size. °23 Each of the four was enclosed by a wall, with
hearths all around the bottom of the wall. °24 He
said, “These are the kitchens where the Temple servants are to boil the
sacrifices offered by the people.” § The river that flows from the Temple¤47 °1 The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the altar. °2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from the south side. °3 The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As he went towards the east he measured off a thousand cubits and led me across the water which was up to my ankles. °4 He measured off another thousand cubits and made me cross the water which came to my knees. He measured off another thousand cubits and we crossed the water which was up to my waist. °5 When he had again measured a thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent for it had swollen to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming. °6 The man then said to me, “Son of man, did you see?” He led me on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. °7 There I saw a number of trees on both sides of the river. °8 He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. °9 Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound. °10 Fishermen will stand on the banks and spread nets from En Gedi to En Eglaim. Fish of many kinds will be found there, like the fish of the open sea and very plentiful. °11 The swamps and the marshes will not become wholesome; they will be used as saltbeds. °12 Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing. § The frontiers of the land°13 Yahweh says this: Here are the boundaries of the
territories to be allotted between the twelve tribes of Israel, with two
portions for Joseph. °14 You must share it out equally between
you, since I swore to your ancestors that I would give them this land which
now falls to you as your inheritance. °15 Here
are the frontiers of the land. On the north, from the Great Sea by the way of
Hethlon to the Pass of Hamath and on to Zedad, °16 Berothah,
Sibraim lying between the territories of Damascus and Hamath – and to
Hazer-Hatticon on the borders of Hauran. °17 The
frontier will extend from the sea to Hazar-Enon, marching with Damascus and
Hamath on the north; this is the northern frontier. °18 On the east the Jordan will serve as frontier
between Hauran and Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel, down to
the Eastern Sea as far as Tamar; this is for the eastern frontier. °19 On the south, from Tamar southward to the waters of
Meribah in Kadesh, to the torrent of Egypt and the Great Sea; this is for the
southern frontier. °20 On the west the Great Sea will serve as
frontier straight up towards Hamath; so much for the western frontier. °21 You are to share out this land among yourselves,
between the tribes of Israel. °22 You are to divide it into inheritances
for yourselves and the aliens settled among you who have had children among
you, since you are to treat them as citizens of Israel. They are to draw lots
with you for their inheritance, with the tribes of Israel. °23 You must give the alien his inheritance in the tribe
in which he is living – it is Yahweh who speaks. § The distribution of the land among the twelve tribes¤48 °1 This is the list of the tribes. In the
far north by way of Hethlon to Hamath, to Hazar-Enon, with the frontier of
Damascus lying to the north, bordering Hamath – each portion extends from the
eastern frontier to the western frontier: Dan, one portion. °2 Bordering Dan, from the eastern frontier to the
western frontier: Asher. °3 Bordering Asher, from the eastern
frontier to the western frontier: Naphtali. °4 Bordering
Naphtali, from the eastern to the western frontier: Manasseh. °5 Bordering Manasseh, from the eastern frontier to the
western frontier: Ephraim. °6 Bordering Ephraim, from the eastern
frontier to the western frontier: Reuben. °7 Bordering
Reuben, from the eastern frontier to the western frontier: Judah. °8 Bordering Judah, from the eastern frontier to the
western frontier, is the part you are to set aside, twenty-five thousand
cubits wide, and as long as each of the other portions from the eastern
frontier to the western frontier. The sanctuary will be in the center of it. °9 The part you must set aside for Yahweh is to be
twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide. °10 This consecrated portion is to belong to the
priests, being on the north side, twenty-five thousand cubits; on the west
side ten thousand cubits wide, on the east side ten thousand cubits wide and
on the south side twenty-five thousand cubits long, and the sanctuary of
Yahweh will be the center of it. °11
This is to belong to
the consecrated priests, to those of the sons of Zadok who maintained my
liturgy and did not go astray with the straying Israelites, as the Levites
went astray. °12 And so their portion is to be taken out
of the most holy portion of the land, at the side of the territory of the
Levites. °13 The territory of the Levites, like the
territory of the priests, is to be twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten
thousand wide – the whole length being twenty-five thousand and the width ten
thousand. °14 They must not sell or exchange any part
of it, and their part can never be alienated, since it is consecrated to
Yahweh. °15 The remainder, an area of five thousand
cubits by twenty-five thousand, is to be a non-sacred space for the city, for
houses and pastures. The city is to stand in the center. °16 Here are its measurements: on the north side, four
thousand five hundred cubits; on the south side, four thousand five hundred
cubits; on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits; on the west
side, four thousand five hundred cubits. °17 And
the city pastures are to extend two hundred and fifty cubits to the north,
two hundred and fifty to the south, two hundred and fifty to the east, two
hundred and fifty to the west. °18
What remains of the
part set aside, after keeping out the consecrated portion, consists of ten
thousand cubits eastward and ten thousand westward, alongside the consecrated
portion; this will bring in a revenue for feeding the people working inside
the city. °19 These people are to be drawn from all the
tribes of Israel and shall till this land. °20 The
portion is to have a total area of twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five
thousand cubits. So the sacred portion has a square shape and is located
beside the land belonging to the city. °21 What
is left over on either side of the sacred portion and of the land belonging
to the city, shall be for the prince, extending along the twenty-five
thousand cubits eastward to the eastern frontier, and extending along the
twenty-five thousand cubits westward to the western frontier – running
parallel with the other portions. This is the portion for the prince with,
the consecrated portion and the sanctuary of the Temple at the middle. °22 Thus, apart from the property of the Levites and
property of the city which lie inside the prince’s portion, everything
between the borders of Judah and the borders of Benjamin is to belong to the
prince. °23 Here are the rest of the tribes: from the eastern
frontier to the western frontier: Benjamin. °24 Bordering
Benjamin, from the eastern frontier to the western frontier: Simeon. °25 Bordering Simeon, from the eastern frontier to the
western frontier: Issachar. °26 Bordering Issachar, from the eastern
frontier to the western frontier: Zebulun. °27 Bordering
Zebulun, from the eastern frontier to the western frontier: Gad. °28 The southern border of Gad will be formed by the
southern frontier running through Tamar to the waters of Meribah in Kadesh,
to the Wadi and the great Sea. °29
This is the
inheritance of the tribes of Israel and this is how you will apportion it –
it is Yahweh who speaks. °30 Here are the ways out of the city. On the north
side, being four thousand five hundred cubits long, °31 three gates: the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah,
the gate of Levi; the gates of the city are to be named after the tribes of
Israel. °32 On the east side, which is to be four
thousand five hundred cubits long, three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate
of Benjamin, the gate of Dan. °33 On the south side, which is to be four
thousand five hundred cubits long, three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate
of Issachar, the gate of Zebulun. °34
On the west side,
which is to be four thousand five hundred cubits long, three gates: the gate
of Gad, the gate of Asher, the gate of Naphtali. °35 The
total perimeter will be eigthteen thousand cubits, and the name of the city
is to be:Yahweh-Is-There. The
End. |