<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="1" /> you test and prove the righteous.p> <p class="poetry">You see into people&#8217;s hearts and minds.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Pay them back for what they have donep> <p class="poetry">because I trust you to vindicate my cause.p>

<p class="poetry">So the paths they follow will be dark and slippery.p> <p class="poetry">They will stumble and fall headlong.p> <p class="poetry">For I will bring disaster on them.p> <p class="poetry">A day of reckoning is coming for them.&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> affirms it!<n id="2" />p>

I will bring war, starvation, and disease<n id="1" /> on them until they are completely destroyed from the land I gave them and their ancestors.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, to the glad celebration of brides and grooms in these lands.<n id="1" /> I will put an end to the sound of people grinding meal. I will put an end to lamps shining in their houses.<n id="2" />

For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation<n id="1" /> too. I will repay them for all they have done!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Do not listen to them,<n id="1" /> because their prophecies are lies.<n id="2" /> Listening to them will only cause you<n id="3" /> to be taken far away from your native land. I will drive you out of your country and you will die in exile.<n id="4" />

Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve<n id="1" /> the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you.

For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> that I did not send them. They are prophesying lies to you. If you<n id="2" /> listen to them, I will drive you and the prophets who are prophesying lies out of the land and you will all die in exile.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

And all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use them as examples when they put a curse on anyone. They will say, &#8220;May the <sc>Lordsc> treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab whom the king of Babylon roasted to death in the fire!&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and they will be my people.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety<n id="1" /> and Jerusalem<n id="2" /> will live in security. At that time Jerusalem will be called &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has provided us with justice.&#8221;<n id="3" />

This happened because of the wickedness the people living there did.<n id="1" /> They made me angry<n id="2" /> by worshiping and offering sacrifice to<n id="3" /> other gods whom neither they nor you nor your ancestors<n id="4" /> previously knew.<n id="5" />

<p class="poetry">What do I see?&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The soldiers<n id="3" /> are terrified.p> <p class="poetry">They are retreating.p> <p class="poetry">They have been defeated.p> <p class="poetry">They are overcome with terror;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">they desert quicklyp> <p class="poetry">without looking back.p>

<p class="poetry">The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest.p> <p class="poetry">But I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="1" /> that the enemy will cut them down.p> <p class="poetry">For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts.p> <p class="poetry">They will be too numerous to count.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Their tents and their flocks will be taken away.p> <p class="poetry">Their tent curtains, equipment, and camels will be carried off.p> <p class="poetry">People will shout<n id="1" /> to them,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Terror is all around you!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

In those days, your population will greatly increase<n id="1" /> in the land. At that time,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;people will no longer talk about having the ark<n id="2" /> that contains the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s covenant with us.<n id="3" /> They will not call it to mind, remember it, or miss it. No, that will not be done any more!<n id="4" />

Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.&#8221;<n id="1" /> That is the very land that you still live in today.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" /> And I responded, &#8220;Amen! Let it be so,<n id="3" /> <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221;p>

They have gone back to the evil ways<n id="1" /> of their ancestors of old who refused to obey what I told them. They, too, have paid allegiance to<n id="2" /> other gods and worshiped them. Both the nation of Israel and the nation of Judah<n id="3" /> have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors.

<p class="poetry">For though I, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="1" /> planted you in the land,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I now decree that disaster will come on you<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because the nations of Israel and Judah have done evilp> <p class="poetry">and have made me angry by offering sacrifices to the god Baal.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

These wicked people refuse to obey what I have said.<n id="1" /> They follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts and pay allegiance<n id="2" /> to other gods by worshiping and serving them. So<n id="3" /> they will become just like these linen shorts which are good for nothing.