<p class="bodytext">Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.p>

I also provided for<n id="1" /> the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the first fruits.p> <p class="bodytext">Please remember me for good, O my God.p>

<p class="poetry">Show me evidence of your favor!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for you, O <sc>Lordsc>, will help me and comfort me.<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to me, &#8220;Do not pray for good to come to these people!<n id="1" />

The <sc>Lordsc> will greatly multiply your children,<n id="1" /> the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil in the land which he<n id="2" /> promised your ancestors<n id="3" /> he would give you.

For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say that<n id="1" /> I am determined not to deliver this city but to bring disaster on it.<n id="2" /> It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will destroy it with fire.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

I will look after their welfare<n id="1" /> and will restore them to this land. There I will build them up and will not tear them down. I will plant them firmly in the land<n id="2" /> and will not uproot them.<n id="3" />

I will indeed<n id="1" /> see to it that disaster, not prosperity, happens to them.<n id="2" /> All the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will die in war or from starvation until not one of them is left.

<p class="poetry">Even when their enemies drive them into captivity,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">from there<n id="2" /> I will command the sword to kill them.p> <p class="poetry">I will not let them out of my sight;p> <p class="poetry">they will experience disaster, not prosperity.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> your God will make the labor of your hands<n id="1" /> abundantly successful and multiply your children,<n id="2" /> the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the <sc>Lordsc> your God will once more<n id="3" /> rejoice over you to make you prosperous<n id="4" /> just as he rejoiced over your ancestors,

I was embarrassed to request soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemy<n id="1" /> along the way, because we had said to the king, &#8220;The good hand of our God is on everyone who is seeking him, but his great anger<n id="2" /> is against everyone who forsakes him.&#8221;

Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what<n id="1" /> the king had said to me. Then they replied, &#8220;Let&#8217;s begin rebuilding right away!&#8221;<n id="2" /> So they readied themselves<n id="3" /> for this good project.

&#8220;I, the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, say: &#8216;The exiles whom I sent away from here to the land of Babylon<n id="1" /> are like those good figs. I consider them to be good.

&#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" />

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, &#8220;There is still one man through whom we can seek the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s will.<n id="1" /> But I despise<n id="2" /> him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always<n id="3" /> disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.<n id="4" /> Jehoshaphat said, &#8220;The king should not say such things!&#8221;