<p class="poetry">I looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desertp> <p class="poetry">and that all of the cities had been laid in ruins.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> had brought this all aboutp> <p class="poetry">because of his blazing anger.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will scatter them before their enemiesp> <p class="poetry">like dust blowing in front of a burning east wind.p> <p class="poetry">I will turn my back on them and not look favorably on them<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when disaster strikes them.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> again asked me, &#8220;What do you see?&#8221; I answered, &#8220;I see a pot of boiling water; it is tipped toward us from the north.&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But you, Jeremiah,<n id="1" /> get yourself ready!<n id="2" /> Go and tell these people everything I instruct you to say. Do not be terrified of them, or I will give you good reason to be terrified of them.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for<n id="1" /> these people, I would not feel pity for them!<n id="2" /> Get them away from me! Tell them to go away!<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="poetry">Here is what the <sc>Lordsc> says concerning the false prophets:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">My heart and my mind are deeply disturbed.p> <p class="poetry">I tremble all over.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I am like a drunk person,p> <p class="poetry">like a person who has had too much wine,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because of the way the <sc>Lordsc>p> <p class="poetry">and his holy word are being mistreated.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is like a lion who has left his lair.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">So their lands will certainly<n id="2" /> be laid wastep> <p class="poetry">by the warfare of the oppressive nation<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and by the fierce anger of the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p>

From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably<n id="1" /> prophesied war, disaster,<n id="2" /> and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms.

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> affirms,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The descendants of Israel will notp> <p class="poetry">cease forever to be a nation in my sight.p> <p class="poetry">That could only happen if the fixed ordering of the heavenly lightsp> <p class="poetry">were to cease to operate before me.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

To this day your people<n id="1" /> have shown no contrition! They have not revered me nor followed the laws and statutes I commanded<n id="2" /> you and your ancestors.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">So I will pull your skirt up over your facep> <p class="poetry">and expose you to shame like a disgraced adulteress!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Their peaceful dwelling places will be laid waste<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">by the fierce anger of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

Do not be afraid of those to whom I send you,<n id="1" /> for I will be with you to protect<n id="2" /> you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.

But I am not really the one being troubled!&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8220;Rather they are bringing trouble on themselves to their own shame!<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">I did not spend my time in the company of other people,p> <p class="poetry">laughing and having a good time.p> <p class="poetry">I stayed to myself because I felt obligated to you<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and because I was filled with anger at what they had done.p>

When they have drunk it, they will stagger to and fro<n id="1" /> and act insane. For I will send wars sweeping through them.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges.p> <p class="poetry">Their community will be reestablished in my favor<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will punish all who try to oppress them.p>

Since it was the ninth month of the year, the king was sitting in his winter quarters.<n id="1" /> A fire was burning in the firepot in front of him.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The following events also occurred<n id="1" /> while the Babylonian forces<n id="2" /> had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem<n id="3" /> because the army of Pharaoh was coming.

But Ishmael son of Nethaniah managed to escape from Johanan along with eight of his men, and he went on over to Ammon.p>