“ Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.

“人子啊，你要拿一块砖，摆在你面前，将一座耶路撒冷城画在其上，

“你，人子啊，拿一块砖，摆在你面前，将一座城耶路撒冷画在上面。

“你，人子啊，拿一块砖，摆在你面前，将一座城耶路撒冷画在上面。

“人子啊，你去拿一块砖放在自己面前，把耶路撒冷城画在上面。

“人子啊！你要拿一块砖头，放在你面前，在上面刻一座城，代表耶路撒冷。

「人子啊，你要拿一塊磚，擺在你面前，將一座耶路撒冷城畫在其上，

「你，人子啊，拿一塊磚，擺在你面前，將一座城耶路撒冷畫在上面。

「你，人子啊，拿一塊磚，擺在你面前，將一座城耶路撒冷畫在上面。

「人子啊，你去拿一塊磚放在自己面前，把耶路撒冷城畫在上面。

“人子啊！你要拿一塊磚頭，放在你面前，在上面刻一座城，代表耶路撒冷。

『你呢、人子啊，你要拿一塊磚，擺在你面前，將一座城、耶路撒冷、畫在上頭。

惟爾人子、其取瓦置於前、繪耶路撒冷邑於上、

惟爾人子取瓦、置於前、以耶路撒冷城、圖刻於上、

惟爾人子、當取磚置於爾前、以耶路撒冷城、圖刻於上、

“ Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.

“ Son of man, get a block of clay. Put it in front of you. Draw the city of Jerusalem on it.

“ And you, son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and engrave on it a city, even Jerusalem.

“ And now, son of man, take a large clay brick and set it down in front of you. Then draw a map of the city of Jerusalem on it.

“ Now you, son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it— Jerusalem.

“ You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem.

Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem:

“ Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.

Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city,[ even] Jerusalem:

“ And you, son of man, take a brick and set it in front of you. Inscribe a city on it– Jerusalem.

“ You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem.

“ Now you, son of man, get your bags ready for exile and go into exile in their sight during the day. You will go into exile from your place to another place while they watch; perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.During the day, bring out your bags like an exile’s bags while they look on. Then in the evening go out in their sight like those going into exile.As they watch, dig through the wall and take the bags out through it.And while they look on, lift the bags to your shoulder and take them out in the dark; cover your face so that you cannot see the land. For I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”So I did just as I was commanded. In the daytime I brought out my bags like an exile’s bags. In the evening I dug through the wall by hand; I took them out in the dark, carrying them on my shoulder in their sight.In the morning the word of the LORD came to me:“ Son of man, hasn’t the house of Israel, that rebellious house, asked you,‘ What are you doing?’Say to them,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: This pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel living there.’You are to say,‘ I am a sign for you. Just as I have done, it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.’The prince who is among them will lift his bags to his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He will cover his face so he cannot see the land with his eyes.But I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he will not see it, and he will die there.I will also scatter all the attendants who surround him and all his troops to every direction of the wind, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.They will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine, and plague, so that among the nations where they go they can tell about all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me:“ Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand and make all the nations to whom I am sending you drink from it.They will drink, stagger, and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.”So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink from it.Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an example for scorn and cursing— as it is today;Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,and all the mixed peoples; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines— Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coasts and islands;Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who clip the hair on their temples;all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media;all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another; that is, all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth. Finally, the king of Sheshak will drink after them.“ Then you are to say to them,‘ This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you.’If they refuse to accept the cup from your hand and drink, you are to say to them,‘ This is what the LORD of Armies says: You must drink!For I am already bringing disaster on the city that bears my name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. This is the declaration of the LORD of Armies.’“ As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them: The LORD roars from on high; he makes his voice heard from his holy dwelling. He roars loudly over his grazing land; he calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a case against the nations. He enters into judgment with all humanity. As for the wicked, he hands them over to the sword— this is the LORD’s declaration.“ This is what the LORD of Armies says: Pay attention! Disaster spreads from nation to nation. A huge storm is stirred up from the ends of the earth.”Those slain by the LORD on that day will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the soil’s surface.Wail, you shepherds, and cry out. Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. Because the days of your slaughter have come, you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.Flight will be impossible for the shepherds, and escape, for the leaders of the flock.Hear the sound of the shepherds’ cry, the wail of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture.Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless because of the LORD’s burning anger.He has left his den like a lion, for their land has become a desolation because of the sword of the oppressor, because of his burning anger.

This is what the LORD says:“ Go, buy a potter’s clay jar. Take some of the elders of the people and some of the leading priestsand go out to Ben Hinnom Valley near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words I speak to you.Say,‘ Hear the word of the LORD, kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such a disaster on this place that everyone who hears about it will shudderbecause they have abandoned me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they, their ancestors, and the kings of Judah have never known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, something I have never commanded or mentioned; I never entertained the thought.“‘ Therefore, look, the days are coming— this is the LORD’s declaration— when this place will no longer be called Topheth and Ben Hinnom Valley, but Slaughter Valley.I will spoil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of those who intend to take their life. I will provide their corpses as food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.I will make this city desolate, an object of scorn. Everyone who passes by it will be appalled and scoff because of all its wounds.I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and they will eat each other’s flesh in the distressing siege inflicted on them by their enemies who intend to take their life.’“ Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the people going with you,and you are to proclaim to them,‘ This is what the LORD of Armies says: I will shatter these people and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again be mended. They will bury the dead in Topheth because there is no other place for burials.That is what I will do to this place— this is the declaration of the LORD— and to its residents, making this city like Topheth.The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will become impure like that place Topheth— all the houses on whose rooftops they have burned incense to all the stars in the sky and poured out drink offerings to other gods.’”Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, stood in the courtyard of the LORD’s temple, and proclaimed to all the people,“ This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says:‘ I am about to bring on this city— and on all its cities— every disaster that I spoke against it, for they have become obstinate, not obeying my words.’”

When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore.Samuel said to him,“ The LORD has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

This is what the LORD said to me:“ Make chains and yoke bars for yourself and put them on your neck.Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon through messengers who are coming to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem.Command them to go to their masters, saying,‘ This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Tell this to your masters:“ By my great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him.All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him.“‘“ As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and does not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish by sword, famine, and plague— this is the LORD’s declaration— until through him I have destroyed it.So you should not listen to your prophets, diviners, dreamers, fortune-tellers, or sorcerers who say to you,‘ Don’t serve the king of Babylon!’They are prophesying a lie to you so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish.But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will cultivate it and reside in it. This is the LORD’s declaration.”’”I spoke to King Zedekiah of Judah in the same way:“ Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and live!Why should you and your people die by the sword, famine, and plague as the LORD has threatened against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon?Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are telling you,‘ Don’t serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you.‘ I have not sent them’— this is the LORD’s declaration—‘ and they are prophesying falsely in my name; therefore, I will banish you, and you will perish— you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’”Then I spoke to the priests and all these people, saying,“ This is what the LORD says:‘ Do not listen to the words of your prophets. They are prophesying to you, claiming,“ Look, very soon now the articles of the LORD’s temple will be brought back from Babylon.” They are prophesying a lie to you.Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?If they are indeed prophets and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them intercede with the LORD of Armies not to let the articles that remain in the LORD’s temple, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem go to Babylon.’For this is what the LORD of Armies says about the pillars, the basin, the water carts, and the rest of the articles that still remain in this city,those King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take when he deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.Yes, this is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says about the articles that remain in the temple of the LORD, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem:‘ They will be taken to Babylon and will remain there until I attend to them again.’ This is the LORD’s declaration.‘ Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’”

“ for this city has caused my wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. I will therefore remove it from my presence

This is what the LORD said to me:“ Go and buy yourself a linen undergarment and put it on. But do not put it in water.”So I bought underwear as the LORD instructed me and put it on.Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:“ Take the underwear that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to the Euphrates and hide it in a rocky crevice.”So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.A long time later the LORD said to me,“ Go at once to the Euphrates and get the underwear that I commanded you to hide there.”So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined— of no use at all.Then the word of the LORD came to me:“ This is what the LORD says: Just like this I will ruin the great pride of both Judah and Jerusalem.These evil people, who refuse to listen to me, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who have followed other gods to serve and bow in worship— they will be like this underwear, of no use at all.Just as underwear clings to one’s waist, so I fastened the whole house of Israel and of Judah to me”— this is the LORD’s declaration—“ so that they might be my people for my fame, praise, and glory, but they would not obey.“ Say this to them:‘ This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Every jar should be filled with wine.’ Then they will respond to you,‘ Don’t we know that every jar should be filled with wine?’And you will say to them,‘ This is what the LORD says: I am about to fill all who live in this land— the kings who reign for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the residents of Jerusalem— with drunkenness.I will smash them against each other, fathers and sons alike— this is the LORD’s declaration. I will allow no mercy, pity, or compassion to keep me from destroying them.’”

“ Go down at once to the potter’s house; there I will reveal my words to you.”So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel.But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potter’s hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.The word of the LORD came to me:“ House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”— this is the LORD’s declaration.“ Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it.However, if that nation about which I have made the announcement turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it.At another time I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it.However, if it does what is evil in my sight by not listening to me, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it.So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem,‘ This is what the LORD says: Look, I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds.’But they will say,‘ It’s hopeless. We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

For this is what the LORD of Armies says: Cut down the trees; raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished. There is nothing but oppression within her.

I will speak through the prophets and grant many visions; I will give parables through the prophets.

Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into twelve pieces,and said to Jeroboam,“ Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD God of Israel says:‘ I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten tribes,

“ Now you, son of man, take a sharp sword, use it as you would a barber’s razor, and shave your head and beard. Then take a set of scales and divide the hair.You are to burn a third of it in the city when the days of the siege have ended; you are to take a third and slash it with the sword all around the city; and you are to scatter a third to the wind, for I will draw a sword to chase after them.But you are to take a few strands from the hair and secure them in the folds of your robe.Take some more of them, throw them into the fire, and burn them in it. A fire will spread from it to the whole house of Israel.“ This is what the Lord GOD says: I have set this Jerusalem in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.She has rebelled against my ordinances with more wickedness than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that surround her. For her people have rejected my ordinances and have not walked in my statutes.“ Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have been more insubordinate than the nations around you— you have not walked in my statutes or kept my ordinances; you have not even kept the ordinances of the nations around you—therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments within you in the sight of the nations.Because of all your detestable practices, I will do to you what I have never done before and what I will never do again.As a result, fathers will eat their sons within Jerusalem, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your survivors to every direction of the wind.“ Therefore, as I live”— this is the declaration of the Lord GOD—“ I will withdraw and show you no pity, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your abhorrent acts and detestable practices. Yes, I will not spare you.A third of your people will die by plague and be consumed by famine within you; a third will fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter a third to every direction of the wind, and I will draw a sword to chase after them.When my anger is spent and I have vented my wrath on them, I will be appeased. Then after I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD, have spoken in my jealousy.“ I will make you a ruin and a disgrace among the nations around you, in the sight of everyone who passes by.So you will be a disgrace and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations around you when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and furious rebukes. I, the LORD, have spoken.When I shoot deadly arrows of famine at them, arrows for destruction that I will send to destroy you, inhabitants of Jerusalem, I will intensify the famine against you and cut off your supply of bread.I will send famine and dangerous animals against you. They will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

during that time the LORD had spoken through Isaiah son of Amoz, saying,“ Go, take off your sackcloth from your waist and remove the sandals from your feet,” and he did that, going stripped and barefoot—the LORD said,“ As my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush,so the king of Assyria will lead the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, stripped and barefoot, with bared buttocks— to Egypt’s shame.

Then the LORD said to me,“ Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and nine bushels of barley.I said to her,“ You are to live with me many days. You must not be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way toward you.”For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols.Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the last days.

I have known only you out of all the clans of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.

When the LORD first spoke to Hosea, he said this to him: Go and marry a woman of promiscuity, and have children of promiscuity, for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the LORD.So he went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.Then the LORD said to him: Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.On that day I will break the bow of Israel in Jezreel Valley.She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the LORD said to him: Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel. I will certainly take them away.But I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them by the LORD their God. I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry.After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son.Then the LORD said: Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people, and I will not be your God.