<p class="poetry">&#8220;Who is this that rises like the Nile,p> <p class="poetry">like its streams<n id="1" /> turbulent at flood stage?p>

<p class="poetry">Poor dear Egypt<n id="1" /> will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">She will be handed over to the people from the north.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;You who live along the rivers of Babylon,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the time of your end has come.p> <p class="poetry">You who are rich in plundered treasure,p> <p class="poetry">it is time for your lives to be cut off.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> answered,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;If you have raced on foot against men and they have worn you out,p> <p class="poetry">how will you be able to compete with horses?p> <p class="poetry">And if you feel secure only<n id="2" /> in safe and open country,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">how will you manage in the thick undergrowth along the Jordan River?<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">If I go out into the countryside,p> <p class="poetry">I see those who have been killed in battle.p> <p class="poetry">If I go into the city,p> <p class="poetry">I see those who are sick because of starvation.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For both prophet and priest go about their own businessp> <p class="poetry">in the land without having any real understanding.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

For the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8220;I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations<n id="2" /> so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> also has something to say about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so.<n id="2" /> &#8216;I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and he will execute them before your very eyes.

Some who survive in battle will return to the land of Judah from the land of Egypt. But they will be very few indeed!<n id="1" /> Then the Judean remnant who have come to live in the land of Egypt will know whose word proves true,<n id="2" /> mine or theirs.&#8217;

Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity.<n id="2" /> But I will allow you to escape with your life<n id="3" /> wherever you go.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;p>

They broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king&#8217;s garden.<n id="1" /> (The Babylonians had the city surrounded.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.p> <p class="poetry">Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They have become powerful in the land,p> <p class="poetry">but they have not done so by honest means.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, they do one evil thing after another<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and do not pay attention to me.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;&#8216;But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation<n id="1" /> for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon<n id="2" /> an everlasting ruin.<n id="3" /> I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="4" />

and they brought Uriah back from there.<n id="1" /> They took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him executed and had his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Egypt rises like the Nile,p> <p class="poetry">like its streams turbulent at flood stage.p> <p class="poetry">Egypt says, &#8216;I will arise and cover the earth.p> <p class="poetry">I will destroy cities and the people who inhabit them.&#8217;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke<n id="1" /> about Damascus.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The people of Hamath and Arpad<n id="3" /> will be dismayedp> <p class="poetry">because they have heard bad news.p> <p class="poetry">Their courage will melt away because of worry.p> <p class="poetry">Their hearts will not be able to rest.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Shout the battle cry from all around the city.p> <p class="poetry">She will throw up her hands in surrender.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Her towers<n id="2" /> will fall.p> <p class="poetry">Her walls will be torn down.p> <p class="poetry">Because I, the <sc>Lordsc>, am wreaking revenge,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">take out your vengeance on her!p> <p class="poetry">Do to her as she has done!p>

Then say, &#8216;O <sc>Lordsc>, you have announced that you will destroy this place so that no people or animals live in it any longer. Certainly it will lie desolate forever!&#8217;

So I went and buried them at Perath<n id="1" /> as the <sc>Lordsc> had ordered me to do.

<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>

<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>