<p class="bodytext">Then I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;<sc>Lordsc>, pay attention to me.p> <p class="poetry">Listen to what my enemies are saying.<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> told me to say<n id="1" /> to the royal court<n id="2" /> of Judah,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p>

<p class="poetry">O land of Judah, land of Judah, land of Judah!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> has to say!p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Moab will be crushed.p> <p class="poetry">Her children will cry out in distress.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Tell them: &#8216;Hear this,p> <p class="poetry">you foolish people who have no understanding,p> <p class="poetry">who have eyes but do not discern,p> <p class="poetry">who have ears but do not perceive:<n id="1" />p>

Your ancestors,<n id="1" /> however, did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They stubbornly refused<n id="2" /> to pay attention or to respond to any discipline.&#8217;

<p class="poetry">While you were feeling secure I gave you warning.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">But you said, &#8220;I refuse to listen to you.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, you have never paid attention to me.p>

<p class="poetry">Yet which of them has ever stood in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s inner circle<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so they<n id="2" /> could see and hear what he has to say?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?p>

Over and over again<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> has sent<n id="2" /> his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention.<n id="3" />

You must pay attention to the exhortations of my servants the prophets. I have sent them to you over and over again.<n id="1" /> But you have not paid any attention to them.

When the king and all his bodyguards<n id="1" /> and officials heard what he was prophesying,<n id="2" /> the king sought to have him executed. But Uriah found out about it and fled to Egypt out of fear.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">I have indeed<n id="1" /> heard the people of Israel<n id="2" /> say mournfully,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;We were like a calf untrained to the yoke.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">You disciplined us and we learned from it.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Let us come back to you and we will do so,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">for you are the <sc>Lordsc> our God.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Make an announcement throughout Egypt.p> <p class="poetry">Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Take your positions and prepare to do battle.p> <p class="poetry">For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For messengers are coming, heralding disaster,p> <p class="poetry">from the city of Dan and from the hills of Ephraim.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;How long must I see the enemy&#8217;s battle flagsp> <p class="poetry">and hear the military signals of their bugles?&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Proclaim<n id="1" /> this message among the descendants of Jacob.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Make it known throughout Judah.p>

<p class="bodytext">So the <sc>Lordsc> said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Hear, you nations!p> <p class="poetry">Be witnesses and take note of what will happen to these people.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then I said to the people of Judah,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant!p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken.p>

&#8220;Go down at once<n id="1" /> to the potter&#8217;s house. I will speak to you further there.&#8221;<n id="2" />

When you call out to me and come to me in prayer,<n id="1" /> I will hear your prayers.<n id="2" />