I will make human beings more scarce than pure gold, and people more scarce than gold from Ophir.

When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple.

Hezekiah said, “What is the confirming sign that I will go up to the Lord’s temple?”

The grass dries up, the flowers wither, when the wind sent by the Lord blows on them. Surely humanity is like grass.

So I defiled your holy princes, and handed Jacob over to destruction, and subjected Israel to humiliating abuse.”

I have not spoken in secret, in some hidden place. I did not tell Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain!’ I am the Lord, the one who speaks honestly, who makes reliable announcements.

Who would have believed what we just heard? When was the Lord’s power revealed through him?

But for now I, the Lord, say: “I will send many enemies who will catch these people like fishermen. After that I will send others who will hunt them out like hunters from all the mountains, all the hills, and the crevices in the rocks.

When they have drunk it, they will stagger to and fro and act insane. For I will send wars sweeping through them.”

I will provide the priests with abundant provisions. My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide.”

We and our wives and our sons and daughters have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. We have never drunk wine.

The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

Moab’s might will be crushed. Its power will be broken. I, the Lord, affirm it!

Moab, you are doomed! You people who worship Chemosh will be destroyed. Your sons will be taken away captive. Your daughters will be carried away into exile.

The exiles from Judah will say, ‘The Lord has brought about a great deliverance for us! Come on, let’s go and proclaim in Zion what the Lord our God has done!’

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

You will fill up at my table with horses and charioteers, with warriors and all the soldiers,’ declares the sovereign Lord.

The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence by my own mighty strength and for my majestic honor?”

I heard, but I did not understand. So I said, “Sir, what will happen after these things?”

I led them with leather cords, with leather ropes; I lifted the yoke from their neck, and gently fed them.