The officials may hear that I have talked with you. They may come to you and say, &#8216;Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you.<n id="1" /> Do not hide anything from us. If you do, we will kill you.&#8217;<n id="2" />

They will attack you but they will not be able to overcome you, for I will be with you to rescue you,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

&#8220;We will not listen to what you claim the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken to us!<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen! I am opposed to you, you proud city,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed,<n id="3" /> your day of reckoning<n id="4" /> has come,p> <p class="poetry">the time when I will punish you.<n id="5" />p>

&#8220;Get a scroll.<n id="1" /> Write on it everything I have told you to say<n id="2" /> about Israel, Judah, and all the other nations since I began to speak to you in the reign of Josiah until now.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to me,<n id="1" /> &#8220;When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you. When you call out to them, they will not respond to you.

<p class="poetry">So I said to the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="2" /> you are a just judge!p> <p class="poetry">You examine people&#8217;s hearts and minds.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I want to see you pay them back for what they have donep> <p class="poetry">because I trust you to vindicate my cause.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry"><sc>Lordsc>, you have always been fairp> <p class="poetry">whenever I have complained to you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Why are wicked people successful?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?p>

<p class="poetry">I will make you as strong as a wall to these people,p> <p class="poetry">a fortified wall of bronze.p> <p class="poetry">They will attack you,p> <p class="poetry">but they will not be able to overcome you.p> <p class="poetry">For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

Go out to the part of the Hinnom Valley which is near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate.<n id="1" /> Announce there what I tell you.<n id="2" />

<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">Listen, you<n id="1" /> who sit enthroned above the valley on a rocky plateau.p> <p class="poetry">I am opposed to you,&#8217;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;You boast, &#8220;No one can swoop down on us.p> <p class="poetry">No one can penetrate into our places of refuge.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">While you were feeling secure I gave you warning.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">But you said, &#8220;I refuse to listen to you.&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">That is the way you have acted from your earliest history onward.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, you have never paid attention to me.p>

&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel says,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Write everything that I am about to tell you in a scroll.<n id="2" />

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" />

&#8220;Find Jeremiah<n id="1" /> and look out for him.<n id="2" /> Do not do anything to harm him,<n id="3" /> but do with him whatever he tells you.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Your own wickedness will bring about your punishment.p> <p class="poetry">Your unfaithful acts will bring down discipline on you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Know, then, and realize how utterly harmful<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">it was for you to reject me, the <sc>Lordsc> your God,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to show no respect for me,&#8221;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">You people of this generation,p> <p class="poetry">listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> says.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel?p> <p class="poetry">Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why then do you<n id="2" /> say, &#8216;We are free to wander.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">We will not come to you any more?&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">As a matter of fact,<n id="1" /> even your own brothersp> <p class="poetry">and the members of your own family have betrayed you too.p> <p class="poetry">Even they have plotted to do away with you.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">So do not trust them even when they say kind things<n id="3" /> to you.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;So tell them,<n id="1" /> &#8216;The <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, says, &#8220;Every wine jar is made to be filled with wine.&#8221;&#8217;<n id="2" /> And they will probably say to you, &#8216;Do you not think we know<n id="3" /> that every wine jar is supposed to be filled with wine?&#8217;