The <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Do not say, &#8216;I am too young.&#8217; But go<n id="1" /> to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.

<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>

<p class="poetry">The people I call my own attack me like birds of prey or like hyenas.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">But other birds of prey are all around them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Let all the nations gather together like wild beasts.p> <p class="poetry">Let them come and destroy these people I call my own.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Yet my people have forgotten mep> <p class="poetry">and offered sacrifices to worthless idols!p> <p class="poetry">This makes them stumble along in the way they livep> <p class="poetry">and leave the old reliable path of their fathers.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They have left them to walk in bypaths,p> <p class="poetry">in roads that are not smooth and level.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Wail and cry out in anguish, you rulers!p> <p class="poetry">Roll in the dust, you who shepherd flocks of people!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The time for you to be slaughtered has come.p> <p class="poetry">You will lie scattered and fallen like broken pieces of fine pottery.<n id="2" />p>

But he only got as far as the Benjamin Gate.<n id="1" /> There an officer in charge of the guards named Irijah,<n id="2" /> who was the son of Shelemiah and the grandson of Hananiah, stopped him. He seized Jeremiah and said,<n id="3" /> &#8220;You are deserting to the Babylonians!&#8221;<n id="4" />

So now, tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem<n id="1" /> this: The <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;I am preparing to bring disaster on you! I am making plans to punish you.<n id="2" /> So, every one of you, stop the evil things you have been doing.<n id="3" /> Correct the way you have been living and do what is right.&#8217;<n id="4" />

So I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say: &#8220;You have not really obeyed me and granted freedom to your neighbor and fellow countryman.<n id="1" /> Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom<n id="2" /> to die in war, or by starvation or disease. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="3" /> I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to you.<n id="4" />

You must change<n id="1" /> the way you have been living and do what is right. You must treat one another fairly.<n id="2" />

I will bring on you lasting shame and lasting disgrace which will never be forgotten!&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Edom will become an object of horror.p> <p class="poetry">All who pass by it will be filled with horror;p> <p class="poetry">they will hiss out their scornp> <p class="poetry">because of all the disasters that have happened to it.<n id="1" />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">When his voice thunders,<n id="1" /> the heavenly ocean roars.p> <p class="poetry">He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain.p> <p class="poetry">He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it.<n id="3" />p>

I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I<n id="1" /> am the <sc>Lordsc>. I will be their God and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly<n id="2" /> return to me.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">All your allies have abandoned you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They no longer have any concern for you.p> <p class="poetry">For I have attacked you like an enemy would.p> <p class="poetry">I have chastened you cruelly.p> <p class="poetry">For your wickedness is so greatp> <p class="poetry">and your sin is so much.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But<n id="1" /> all who destroyed you will be destroyed.p> <p class="poetry">All your enemies will go into exile.p> <p class="poetry">Those who plundered you will be plundered.p> <p class="poetry">I will cause those who pillaged you to be pillaged.<n id="2" />p>

This will happen because<n id="1" /> the people of this city have aroused my anger and my wrath since the time they built it until now.<n id="2" /> They have made me so angry that I am determined to remove<n id="3" /> it from my sight.

<p class="poetry">&#8220;The people of Israel are like scattered sheepp> <p class="poetry">which lions have chased away.p> <p class="poetry">First the king of Assyria devoured them.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.p> <p class="poetry">They are cruel and show no mercy.p> <p class="poetry">They sound like the roaring seap> <p class="poetry">as they ride forth on their horses.p> <p class="poetry">Lined up in formation like men going into battle,p> <p class="poetry">they are coming against you, fair Babylon!<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Give the signal to attack Babylon&#8217;s wall!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Bring more guards!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Post them all around the city!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Put men in ambush!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will do what he has planned.p> <p class="poetry">He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon.<n id="5" />p>