The Lord and King says,“ I will punish you in keeping with what you have done. I sealed with a promise the covenant I made with you. You hated that promise. And you broke my covenant.

“主耶和华如此说：你这轻看誓言、背弃盟约的，我必照你所行的待你。

“主耶和华如此说：你这轻看誓言而背约的，我必照你所做的报应你。

“主耶和华如此说：你这轻看誓言而背约的，我必照你所做的报应你。

“‘主耶和华说，你背誓毁约，我必照你的所作所为报应你。

主耶和华这样说：你这藐视誓言、背弃盟约的，我必照着你所行的报应你。

「主耶和華如此說：你這輕看誓言、背棄盟約的，我必照你所行的待你。

「主耶和華如此說：你這輕看誓言而背約的，我必照你所做的報應你。

「主耶和華如此說：你這輕看誓言而背約的，我必照你所做的報應你。

「『主耶和華說，你背誓毀約，我必照你的所作所為報應你。

主耶和華這樣說：你這藐視誓言、背棄盟約的，我必照著你所行的報應你。

主永恆主這麼說：你這藐視所起的誓、違犯了盟約的、我必照你所行的辦你；

主耶和華曰、爾藐誓爽約、我必依爾所行以報爾、

主耶和華又曰、爾爽盟約、予必因爾所行以報之。

主天主如是云、爾輕視誓言、背棄盟約、我必循爾所行以待爾、

“‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.

“ For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant,

“ Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give you what you deserve, for you have taken your solemn vows lightly by breaking your covenant.

“‘ For this is what the Lord GOD says: I will deal with you according to what you have done, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

For this is what the Lord God says:“ I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

For thus says the Lord GOD:“ I will deal with you as you have done, who despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will also deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

“ For this is what the Lord God says: I will deal with you according to what you have done, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

“‘ For this is what the sovereign LORD says: I will deal with you according to what you have done when you despised your oath by breaking your covenant.

“‘ For the Lord Yahweh says:“ I will also deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

The earth is polluted by its people. They haven’t obeyed the laws of the Lord. They haven’t done what he told them to do. They’ve broken the covenant that will last forever.

“‘ The Lord and King says,“ Zedekiah didn’t keep the promise he made in my name. He broke the treaty. So I will pay him back. And that is just as sure as I am alive.

The Lord said to Moses,“ You and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel must come to worship the Lord. Do not come close when you worship.Only Moses can come close to me. The others must not come near. And the people may not go up with him.”Moses went and told the people all the Lord’ s words and laws. They answered with one voice. They said,“ We will do everything the Lord has told us to do.”Then Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said. Moses got up early the next morning. He built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He set up 12 stone pillars. They stood for the 12 tribes of Israel.Then he sent young Israelite men to sacrifice burnt offerings. They also sacrificed young bulls as friendship offerings to the Lord.Moses put half of the blood in bowls. He splashed the other half against the altar.Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They answered,“ We will do everything the Lord has told us to do. We will obey him.”Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people. He said,“ This is the blood that puts the covenant into effect. The Lord has made this covenant with you in keeping with all these words.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar made a peace treaty with Zedekiah. He was a member of Jerusalem’s royal family. Nebuchadnezzar made him promise he would keep the treaty. He also took away the leading men of the land as prisoners.He did it to bring down their kingdom. It would not rise again. In fact, it would be able to last only by keeping his treaty.But Zedekiah turned against him. He sent messengers to Egypt. They went there to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does things like that escape? Can he break the peace treaty and still escape?“‘ Zedekiah will die in Babylon,’ announces the Lord and King.‘ And that is just as sure as I am alive. He will die in the land of King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him on the throne. Zedekiah didn’t keep his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and broke his treaty.

But there are others who only look out for themselves. They don’t accept the truth. They go astray. God will pour out his great anger on them.There will be trouble and suffering for everyone who does evil. That is meant first for the Jews. It is also meant for the Gentiles.

But how terrible it will be for those who do what is evil! Trouble is about to fall on them. They will be paid back for the evil things they’ve done.

“‘ I will not feel sorry for you. I will not spare you. You can be sure that I will pay you back for how you have lived. I will judge you for your evil practices. I hate them. You will know that I am the Lord.’

And the answer will be,‘ This happened because of what its people have done. They have turned away from the covenant the Lord their God made with them. They have worshiped other gods. And they have served them.’ ”

“‘ I am about to pour out all my great anger on you. I will judge you based on how you have lived. I will pay you back for all your evil practices. I hate them.“‘ I will not feel sorry for you. I will not spare you. I will pay you back for how you have lived. I will judge you for your evil practices. I hate them. You will know that I am the one who strikes you down. I am the Lord.

You will be punished because you have sinned. You will be corrected for turning away from me. I am the Lord your God. If you desert me, bad things will happen to you. If you do not respect me, you will suffer bitterly. I want you to understand that,” announces the Lord who rules over all.

“ Do not judge other people. Then you will not be judged.You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others.

Speak to them. Tell them,‘ The Lord and King says,“ Suppose any of the Israelites think about other gods. And they fall into the evil trap of worshiping them. Then they go to a prophet to ask for advice. If they do, I myself will tell the prophet to answer them in keeping with their worship of many gods.

It will not be like the covenant I made with their people of long ago. That was when I took them by the hand. I led them out of Egypt. But they broke my covenant. They did it even though I was like a husband to them,” announces the Lord.

The king stood next to his pillar. He agreed to the terms of the covenant in front of the Lord. The king promised to serve the Lord and obey his commands, directions and rules. He promised to obey them with all his heart and with all his soul. So the king promised to obey the terms of the covenant that were written in that book.Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and in Benjamin commit themselves to the covenant. The people of Jerusalem did it in keeping with the covenant of the God of Israel.

Today all of you are standing here in the sight of the Lord your God. Your leaders and chief men are here. Your elders and officials are here. So are all the other men of Israel.Your children and wives are here with you too. So are the outsiders living in your camps. They chop your wood and carry your water.All of you are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God. He is making the covenant with you today. He’s giving you his word.Today he wants to show you that you are his people and that he is your God. That’s what he promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.I’m making this covenant and the promise that goes along with it. I’m making this covenant with you.You are standing here with us today in front of the Lord our God. And I’m also making this covenant with those who aren’t here today.

And they will hear the answer,“ It’s because the people living there have broken the covenant of the Lord. He’s the God of their people of long ago. He made that covenant with them when he brought them out of Egypt.