I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes?

I looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desert and that all of the cities had been laid in ruins. The Lord had brought this all about because of his blazing anger.

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

The Lord says, “Watch out! The time is soon coming when I will punish all those who are circumcised only in the flesh.

The gates of the towns in southern Judah will be shut tight. No one will be able to go in or out of them. All Judah will be carried off into exile. They will be completely carried off into exile.’”

So their land will become an object of horror. People will forever hiss out their scorn over it. All who pass that way will be filled with horror and will shake their heads in derision.

But I will punish you as your deeds deserve,’ says the Lord. ‘I will set fire to your palace; it will burn up everything around it.’”

People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon and cry out in mourning. Go to the land of Bashan and cry out loudly. Cry out in mourning from the mountains of Moab. For your allies have all been defeated.

I made all of these other people drink it: Pharaoh, king of Egypt; his attendants, his officials, his people,

the people of Dedan, Tema, Buz, all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples;

Then some of the elders of Judah stepped forward and spoke to all the people gathered there. They said,

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

“The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says to all those he sent into exile to Babylon from Jerusalem,

‘So pay attention to what I, the Lord, have said, all you exiles whom I have sent to Babylon from Jerusalem.’

The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges. Their community will be reestablished in my favor and I will punish all who try to oppress them.

The land of Judah will be inhabited by people who live in its towns as well as by farmers and shepherds with their flocks.

Rather, each person will die for his own sins. The teeth of the person who eats the sour grapes will themselves grow numb.

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

We have lived in tents. We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab and done exactly as he commanded us.

Micaiah, who was the son of Gemariah and the grandson of Shaphan, heard Baruch read from the scroll everything the Lord had said.