The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;I will bring war,<n id="2" /> starvation, and disease on them. I will treat them like figs that are so rotten<n id="3" /> they cannot be eaten.

<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.

that the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> has a message for him.<n id="2" /> Tell him,<n id="3" /> &#8216;On your own initiative<n id="4" /> you sent a letter<n id="5" /> to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah<n id="6" /> and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem.<n id="7" /> In your letter you said to Zephaniah,<n id="8" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns.p> <p class="poetry">When I do, they will again say<n id="2" /> of Jerusalem,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;May the <sc>Lordsc> bless you, you holy mountain,p> <p class="poetry">the place where righteousness dwells.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has made a promise to Israel.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by dayp> <p class="poetry">and the moon and stars to give light by night.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who is known as the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="1" />p>

&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8220;Take these documents, both the sealed copy of the deed of purchase and the unsealed copy. Put them in a clay jar so that they may be preserved for a long time to come.&#8221;&#8217;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all, say:<n id="1" /> &#8216;This place will indeed lie in ruins. There will be no people or animals in it. But there will again be in it and in its towns sheepfolds where shepherds can rest their sheep.

The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> told him, &#8220;Go and speak to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem. Tell them,<n id="2" /> &#8216;I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say:<n id="3" /> &#8220;You must learn a lesson from this<n id="4" /> about obeying what I say!<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Jeremiah spoke to the Rechabite community, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;You have obeyed the orders of your ancestor Jonadab. You have followed all his instructions. You have done exactly as he commanded you.&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc>, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel,<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;You must surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon. If you do, your life will be spared<n id="2" /> and this city will not be burned down. Indeed, you and your whole family will be spared.

&#8220;Go<n id="1" /> and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all says, &#8220;I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it.<n id="2" /> When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it.<n id="3" />

If you people who remain in Judah do that, then listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> says. The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;If you are so determined<n id="2" /> to go to Egypt that you go and settle there,

Then tell them,<n id="1" /> &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="2" /> says, &#8220;I will bring<n id="3" /> my servant<n id="4" /> King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones which I<n id="5" /> have buried. He will pitch his royal tent<n id="6" /> over them.

&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8216;You have seen all the disaster I brought on Jerusalem<n id="2" /> and all the towns of Judah. Indeed, they now lie in ruins and are deserted.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;So now the <sc>Lordsc>, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel,<n id="1" /> asks, &#8216;Why will you do such great harm to yourselves? Why should every man, woman, child, and baby of yours be destroyed from the midst of Judah? Why should you leave yourselves without a remnant?

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all<n id="1" /> says, &#8220;I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes.<n id="2" /> I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">So I, the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all, say:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will punish the king of Babylon and his landp> <p class="poetry">just as I punished the king of Assyria.p>

<p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="1" /> says,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Babylon&#8217;s thick wall<n id="2" /> will be completely demolished.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Her high gates will be set on fire.p> <p class="poetry">The peoples strive for what does not satisfy.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The nations grow weary trying to get what will be destroyed.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

Once again there will be sounds<n id="1" /> of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms.<n id="2" /> Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> and will say, &#8220;Give thanks to the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all. For the <sc>Lordsc> is good and his unfailing love lasts forever.&#8221;<n id="3" /> For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm<n id="4" /> that I will restore the land to what it was<n id="5" /> in days of old.&#8217;<n id="6" />p>

So I, the <sc>Lord,sc> the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, say:<n id="1" /> &#8220;I will soon bring on Judah and all the citizens of Jerusalem all the disaster that I threatened to bring on them. I will do this because I spoke to them but they did not listen. I called out to them but they did not answer.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;p>