God

Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel: Lo, I am turning round the weapons of battle That are in your hand, With which ye do fight the king of Babylon, And the Chaldeans, who are laying siege against you, At the outside of the wall, And I have gathered them into the midst of this city,

And I--I have fought against you, With a stretched-out hand, and with a strong arm, And in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath,

And I have smitten the inhabitants of this city, Both man and beast, By a great pestilence do they die.

And after this--an affirmation of Jehovah, I give Zedekiah king of Judah, And his servants, and the people, And those left in this city, From the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, Into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of their enemies, And into the hand of those seeking their life, And he hath smitten them by the mouth of the sword, He hath no pity on them, Nor doth he spare, nor hath he mercy.

And unto this people thou dost say, Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am setting before you the way of life, And the way of death!

For I have set My face against this city for evil, And not for good--an affirmation of Jehovah. Into the hand of the king of Babylon it is given, And he hath burned it with fire.

And as to the house of the king of Judah, Hear ye a word of Jehovah;

O house of David, thus said Jehovah: Decide ye judgment at morning, And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, Lest My fury go forth as fire, And hath burned, and none is quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.

Lo, I am against thee--an affirmation of Jehovah, O inhabitant of the valley, rock of the plain, Who are saying, Who cometh down against us? And who cometh into our habitations?

And I have laid a charge against you, According to the fruit of your doings, An affirmation of Jehovah, And I have kindled a fire in its forest, And it hath consumed--all its suburbs!

Thus said Jehovah, `Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and thou hast spoken there this word, and hast said,

Hear a word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, who art sitting on the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people, who are coming in at these gates,

Thus said Jehovah: Do ye judgment and righteousness, And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, And sojourner, orphan, and widow, ye do not oppress nor wrong, And innocent blood ye do not shed in this place.

And if ye do not hear these words, By myself I have sworn--an affirmation of Jehovah, That this house is for a desolation.

For thus said Jehovah, Concerning the house of the king of Judah: Gilead art thou to Me--head of Lebanon, If not--I make thee a wilderness, Cities not inhabited.

And I have separated for thee destroyers, Each with his weapons, And they have cut down the choice of thy cedars, And have cast them on the fire.

And many nations have passed by this city, And they have said, each to his neighbour, For what hath Jehovah done thus to this great city?

And they have said, `Because that they have forsaken The covenant of Jehovah their God, And bow themselves to other gods, and serve them.'

For thus said Jehovah concerning Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah, who is reigning instead of Josiah his father, who hath gone forth from this place: He doth not turn back hither again;

Who is saying, `I build for myself a large house, And airy upper chambers,' And he hath cut out for himself its windows, Ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

He decided the cause of the poor and needy, Then it is well--is it not to know Me? An affirmation of Jehovah.

Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: They do not lament for him, Ah, my brother, and Ah, sister, They do not lament for him, Ah, lord, and Ah, his honour.

I have spoken unto thee in thine ease, Thou hast said, `I do not hearken,' This is thy way from thy youth, For thou hast not hearkened to My voice.

I live--an affirmation of Jehovah, Though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah Were a seal on My right hand, Surely thence I draw thee away,

And I have given thee into the hand of those seeking thy life, And into hands of which thou art afraid, Into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of the Chaldeans.