I did not send those prophets. Yet they were in a hurry to give their message. I did not tell them anything. Yet they prophesied anyway.

Each of you should merely ask the prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?’

But listen to what I say to you and to all these people.

So here is what the Lord has to say about Israel and Judah.

The prophet Jeremiah told all this to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem.

Ebed Melech departed the palace and went to speak to the king. He said to him,

“We will not listen to what you claim the Lord has spoken to us!

The Lord spoke concerning Babylon and the land of Babylonia through the prophet Jeremiah.

He spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak with you.”

You must speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.

They will know that I am the Lord; my threats to bring this catastrophe on them were not empty.’

The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard from the outer court, like the sound of the sovereign God when he speaks.

So I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning I acted just as I was commanded.

You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.’”

I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!

You will fall dead in the open field; for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.

Realize that it is coming and it will be done, declares the sovereign Lord. It is the day I have spoken about.