<p class="bodytext">Therefore the <sc>Lordsc>, the God of Israel, says, &#8216;I really did say<n id="1" /> that your house and your ancestor&#8217;s house would serve<n id="2" /> me forever.&#8217; But now the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;May it never be!<n id="3" /> For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!

So I am ready to bring disaster<n id="1" /> on the dynasty<n id="2" /> of Jeroboam. I will cut off every last male belonging to Jeroboam in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated.<n id="3" /> I will burn up the dynasty of Jeroboam, just as one burns manure until it is completely consumed.<n id="4" />

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says about the king of Assyria:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;He will not enter this city,p> <p class="poetry">nor will he shoot an arrow here.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will not attack it with his shield-carrying warriors,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will he build siege works against it.p>

&#8216;Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.<n id="1" /> You will not have to witness<n id="2" /> all the disaster I will bring on this place.&#8217;&#8221;&#8217;&#8221; Then they reported back to the king.p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore, as flaming fire<n id="1" /> devours straw,p> <p class="poetry">and dry grass disintegrates in the flames,p> <p class="poetry">so their root will rot,p> <p class="poetry">and their flower will blow away like dust.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For they have rejected the law of the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">they have spurned the commands<n id="3" /> of the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So<n id="1" /> here is what the sovereign master, the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, says: &#8220;My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of Assyria, even though they beat you with a club and lift their cudgel against you as Egypt did.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">So in this way Jacob&#8217;s sin will be forgiven,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and this is how they will show they are finished sinning:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They will make all the stones of the altars<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">like crushed limestone,p> <p class="poetry">and the Asherah poles and the incense altars will no longer stand.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc>, the one who delivered Abraham, says to the family of Jacob:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Jacob will no longer be ashamed;p> <p class="poetry">their faces will no longer show their embarrassment.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says about the king of Assyria:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;He will not enter this city,p> <p class="poetry">nor will he shoot an arrow here.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will not attack it with his shielded warriors,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">nor will he build siege works against it.p>

<p class="poetry">So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because he willingly submitted<n id="3" /> to deathp> <p class="poetry">and was numbered with the rebels,p> <p class="poetry">when he lifted up the sin of manyp> <p class="poetry">and intervened<n id="4" /> on behalf of the rebels.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">So this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty!p> <p class="poetry">Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!p>

<p class="bodytext">Because of that,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, the God who rules over all,<n id="2" /> said to me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Because these people have spoken<n id="4" /> like this,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire.p> <p class="poetry">And I will make this people like woodp> <p class="poetry">which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Are they ashamed because they have done such shameful things?p> <p class="poetry">No, they are not at all ashamed.p> <p class="poetry">They do not even know how to blush!p> <p class="poetry">So they will die, just like others have died.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">So, this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;I will assuredly<n id="1" /> make these people stumble to their doom.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Parents and children will stumble and fall to their destruction.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Friends and neighbors will die.&#8217;p>

So,&#8221; the Lord <sc>Godsc><n id="1" /> says, &#8220;my raging fury will be poured out on this land.<n id="2" /> It will be poured out on human beings and animals, on trees and crops.<n id="3" /> And it will burn like a fire which cannot be extinguished.&#8221;p>

So, watch out!&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8220;The time will soon come when people will no longer call those places Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom. But they will call that valley<n id="2" /> the Valley of Slaughter and they will bury so many people in Topheth they will run out of room.<n id="3" />

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">So I will give their wives to other menp> <p class="poetry">and their fields to new owners.p> <p class="poetry">For from the least important to the most important of them,p> <p class="poetry">all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.p> <p class="poetry">Prophets and priests alike,p> <p class="poetry">all practice deceit.p>

<p class="poetry">Are they ashamed because they have done such disgusting things?p> <p class="poetry">No, they are not at all ashamed!p> <p class="poetry">They do not even know how to blush!p> <p class="poetry">So they will die just like others have died.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, &#8216;No war or famine will happen in this land.&#8217; But I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say this about<n id="1" /> them: &#8216;War and starvation will kill those prophets.&#8217;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Because of this, the <sc>Lordsc> said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;You must repent of such words and thoughts!p> <p class="poetry">If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">If you say what is worthwhile instead of what is worthless,p> <p class="poetry">I will again allow you to be my spokesman.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They must become as you have been.p> <p class="poetry">You must not become like them.<n id="4" />p>