The Lord told me, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Give him a message from me there.

Moreover, the Lord says, “Both the prophets and priests are godless. I have even found them doing evil in my temple!

We have not built any houses to live in. We do not own any vineyards, fields, or crops.

Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am no longer allowed to go into the Lord’s temple.

Since it was the ninth month of the year, the king was sitting in his winter quarters. A fire was burning in the firepot in front of him.

(Now Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison. So he was still free to come and go among the people as he pleased.

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

The people of Moab will be disappointed by their god Chemosh. They will be as disappointed as the people of Israel were when they put their trust in the calf god at Bethel.

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

“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must give them a warning from me.

I will bring the most wicked of the nations and they will take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the arrogance of the strong, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.

(The cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.)

Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.

They say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; the city is a cooking pot and we are the meat in it.’

For there will no longer be any false visions or flattering omens amidst the house of Israel.

You have not gone up in the breaks in the wall, nor repaired a wall for the house of Israel that it would stand strong in the battle on the day of the Lord.

I will do this in order to capture the hearts of the house of Israel, who have alienated themselves from me on account of all their idols.’

“Son of man, offer a riddle, and tell a parable to the house of Israel.

Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”

I will multiply your people – the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities will be populated and the ruins rebuilt.