Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that<n id="1" /> the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, &#8220;If I answer you, you will certainly kill me.<n id="1" /> If I give you advice, you will not listen to me.&#8221;

Then Jeremiah answered, &#8220;You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the <sc>Lordsc> by doing what I have been telling you.<n id="1" /> Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared.<n id="2" />

I will certainly save you. You will not fall victim to violence.<n id="1" /> You will escape with your life<n id="2" /> because you trust in me. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

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" />

To this day your people<n id="1" /> have shown no contrition! They have not revered me nor followed the laws and statutes I commanded<n id="2" /> you and your ancestors.&#8217;p>

&#8216;You have said, &#8220;I feel so hopeless!<n id="1" /> For the <sc>Lordsc> has added sorrow to my suffering.<n id="2" /> I am worn out from groaning. I can&#8217;t find any rest.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;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">Fathers will hear the hoofbeats of the enemies&#8217; horses,p> <p class="poetry">the clatter of their chariots and the rumbling of their wheels.p> <p class="poetry">They will not turn back to save their childrenp> <p class="poetry">because they will be paralyzed with fear.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The destroyer will come against every town.p> <p class="poetry">Not one town will escape.p> <p class="poetry">The towns in the valley will be destroyed.p> <p class="poetry">The cities on the high plain will be laid waste.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, have spoken!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But I will strip everything away from Esau&#8217;s descendants.p> <p class="poetry">I will uncover their hiding places so they cannot hide.p> <p class="poetry">Their children, relatives, and neighbors will all be destroyed.p> <p class="poetry">Not one of them will be left!p>

<p class="poetry">Edom will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrahp> <p class="poetry">and the towns that were around them.p> <p class="poetry">No one will live there.p> <p class="poetry">No human being will settle in it,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.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">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Army of Babylon,<n id="2" /> go and attackp> <p class="poetry">a nation that lives in peace and security.p> <p class="poetry">They have no gates or walls to protect them.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They live all alone.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Hazor will become a permanent wasteland,p> <p class="poetry">a place where only jackals live.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">No one will live there.p> <p class="poetry">No human being will settle in it.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They will ask the way to Zion;p> <p class="poetry">they will turn their faces toward it.p> <p class="poetry">They will come<n id="1" /> and bind themselves to the <sc>Lordsc>p> <p class="poetry">in a lasting covenant that will never be forgotten.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">All who encountered them devoured them.p> <p class="poetry">Their enemies who did this said, &#8216;We are not liable for punishment!p> <p class="poetry">For those people have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>, their true pasture.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc> in whom their ancestors<n id="2" /> trusted.&#8217;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">After I vent my wrath on it Babylon will be uninhabited.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">It will be totally desolate.p> <p class="poetry">All who pass by will be filled with horror and will hiss out their scornp> <p class="poetry">because of all the disasters that have happened to it.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">I set a trap for you, Babylon;p> <p class="poetry">you were caught before you knew it.p> <p class="poetry">You fought against me.p> <p class="poetry">So you were found and captured.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;For Israel and Judah will not be forsaken<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">by their God, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the land of Babylonia is<n id="3" /> full of guiltp> <p class="poetry">against the Holy One of Israel.<n id="4" />p>