“‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by water. It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered.

Those both near and far from you will mock you, you with your bad reputation, full of turmoil.

It has tried my patience; yet its thick rot is not removed from it. Subject its rot to the fire!

The Dedanites were your clients. Many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

Your rowers have brought you into surging waters. The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.

When your products went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with the abundance of your wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth.

It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters.

I will disturb many peoples, when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among countries you do not know.

I will exalt and magnify myself; I will reveal myself before many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

When I had returned, I noticed a vast number of trees on the banks of the river, on both sides.

The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent –

“Then the king of the south and one of his subordinates will grow strong. His subordinate will resist him and will rule a kingdom greater than his.

Those who share the king’s fine food will attempt to destroy him, and his army will be swept away; many will be killed in battle.

These who are wise among the people will teach the masses. However, they will fall by the sword and by the flame, and they will be imprisoned and plundered for some time.

But reports will trouble him from the east and north, and he will set out in a tremendous rage to destroy and wipe out many.

Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake – some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence.

But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.

Many will be purified, made clean, and refined, but the wicked will go on being wicked. None of the wicked will understand, though the wise will understand.

Many nations have now assembled against you. They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, so we can gloat over Zion!”

The Lord who rules over all says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people – residents of many cities – will come.