Should you not have obeyed the words that the <sc>Lordsc> cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem<n id="1" /> was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah<n id="2" /> were also populated?p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment<n id="1" /> of a prophet to deceive the people.<n id="2" />

&#8220;Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets called out, saying, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all says, &#8220;Turn now from your evil wickedness,&#8221;&#8217; but they would by no means obey me,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.

But have my words and statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, not outlived your fathers?<n id="1" /> Then they paid attention<n id="2" /> and confessed, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all has indeed done what he said he would do to us, because of our sinful ways.&#8217;&#8221;p>

by asking both the priests of the temple<n id="1" /> of the <sc>Lord who rules over allsc> and the prophets, &#8220;Should we weep in the fifth month,<n id="2" /> fasting as we have done over the years?&#8221;

Indeed, they made their heart as hard as diamond,<n id="1" /> so that they could not obey the Torah and the other words the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all had poured out great wrath.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all also says, &#8216;Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all,<n id="1" /> so that the temple might be built.

And also on that day,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all, &#8220;I will remove<n id="1" /> the names of the idols from the land and they will never again be remembered. Moreover, I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.