<p class="poetry">Babylon hammered the whole world to pieces.p> <p class="poetry">But see how that &#8216;hammer&#8217; has been broken and shattered!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">See what an object of horrorp> <p class="poetry">Babylon has become among the nations!p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;See how Babylon<n id="1" /> has been captured!p> <p class="poetry">See how the pride of the whole earth has been taken!p> <p class="poetry">See what an object of horrorp> <p class="poetry">Babylon has become among the nations!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Oh, how shattered Moab will be!p> <p class="poetry">Oh, how her people will wail!p> <p class="poetry">Oh, how she will turn away<n id="1" /> in shame!p> <p class="poetry">Moab will become an object of ridicule,p> <p class="poetry">a terrifying sight to all the nations that surround her.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">How can you men of Moab say, &#8216;We are heroes,p> <p class="poetry">men who are mighty in battle?&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">How deserted will that once-famous city<n id="1" /> be,p> <p class="poetry">that city that was once filled with<n id="2" /> joy!<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But how can it rest<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when I, the <sc>Lordsc>, have<n id="2" /> given it orders?p> <p class="poetry">I have ordered it to attackp> <p class="poetry">the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;How can you say, &#8216;I have not made myself unclean.p> <p class="poetry">I have not paid allegiance to<n id="1" /> the gods called Baal.&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Think about the things you have done there!p> <p class="poetry">You are like a flighty, young female camelp> <p class="poetry">that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Therefore the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all says,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will now purify them in the fires of affliction<n id="2" /> and test them.p> <p class="poetry">The wickedness of my dear people<n id="3" /> has left me no choice.p> <p class="poetry">What else can I do?<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">For the sound of wailing is soon to be heard in Zion.p> <p class="poetry">They will wail,<n id="1" /> &#8216;We are utterly ruined!<n id="2" /> We are completely disgraced!p> <p class="poetry">For our houses have been torn downp> <p class="poetry">and we must leave our land.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

Then they asked Baruch, &#8220;How did you come to write all these words? Do they actually come from Jeremiah&#8217;s mouth?&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I thought to myself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Oh what a joy it would be for me to treat you like a son!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">What a joy it would be for me to give<n id="3" /> you a pleasant land,p> <p class="poetry">the most beautiful piece of property there is in all the world!&#8217;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I thought you would call me, &#8216;Father&#8217;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">and would never cease being loyal to me.<n id="6" />p>