“For a remnant will leave Jerusalem; survivors will come out of Mount Zion. The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies will accomplish this.

What can I say? He has decreed and acted. I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief.

“I announced events beforehand, I issued the decrees and made the predictions; suddenly I acted and they came to pass.

For my sake alone I will act, for how can I allow my name to be defiled? I will not share my glory with anyone else!

the one who made his majestic power available to Moses, who divided the water before them, gaining for himself a lasting reputation,

When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

Then the Lord said, “You have observed correctly. This means I am watching to make sure my threats are carried out.”

You have brought all this on yourself, Israel, by deserting the Lord your God when he was leading you along the right path.

You will not always be angry with me, will you? You will not be mad at me forever, will you?’ That is what you say, but you continually do all the evil that you can.”

All this will happen because the Lord said, “The whole land will be desolate; however, I will not completely destroy it.

The Lord commanded the enemy, “March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches for these people do not belong to the Lord.

The prophets will prove to be full of wind. The Lord has not spoken through them. So, let what they say happen to them.’”

Yet even then I will not completely destroy you,” says the Lord.

Do you see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

The Lord is the one who by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

You plant them like trees and they put down their roots. They grow prosperous and are very fruitful. They always talk about you, but they really care nothing about you.

So I went down to the potter’s house and found him working at his wheel.

But they just keep saying, ‘We do not care what you say! We will do whatever we want to do! We will continue to behave wickedly and stubbornly!’”

I, the Lord, say: ‘That is how I will deal with this city and its citizens. I will make it like Topheth.

The Lord told me, “Make a yoke out of leather straps and wooden crossbars and put it on your neck.