“ 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.

“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.

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

“ So now, son of man, pretend you are being sent into exile. Pack the few items an exile could carry, and leave your home to go somewhere else. Do this right in front of the people so they can see you. For perhaps they will pay attention to this, even though they are such rebels.Bring your baggage outside during the day so they can watch you. Then in the evening, as they are watching, leave your house as captives do when they begin a long march to distant lands.Dig a hole through the wall while they are watching and go out through it.As they watch, lift your pack to your shoulders and walk away into the night. Cover your face so you cannot see the land you are leaving. For I have made you a sign for the people of Israel.”So I did as I was told. In broad daylight I brought my pack outside, filled with the things I might carry into exile. Then in the evening while the people looked on, I dug through the wall with my hands and went out into the night with my pack on my shoulder.The next morning this message came to me from the Lord:“ Son of man, these rebels, the people of Israel, have asked you what all this means.Say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.’Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.“ Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them.And when I scatter them among the nations, they will know that I am the Lord.But I will spare a few of them from death by war, famine, or disease, so they can confess all their detestable sins to their captors. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me:“ Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it.When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them.”So I took the cup of anger from the Lord and made all the nations drink from it— every nation to which the Lord sent me.I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing.I gave the cup to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials, and all his people,along with all the foreigners living in that land. I also gave it to all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod.Then I gave the cup to the nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon,and the kings of Tyre and Sidon, and the kings of the regions across the sea.I gave it to Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and to the people who live in distant places.I gave it to the kings of Arabia, the kings of the nomadic tribes of the desert,and to the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media.And I gave it to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other— all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon himself drank from the cup of the Lord’s anger.Then the Lord said to me,“ Now tell them,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink from this cup of my anger. Get drunk and vomit; fall to rise no more, for I am sending terrible wars against you.’And if they refuse to accept the cup, tell them,‘ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You have no choice but to drink from it.I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city that bears my name. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!’“ Now prophesy all these things, and say to them,“‘ The Lord will roar against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout like those who tread grapes; he will shout against everyone on earth.His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with the sword. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!”In that day those the Lord has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered on the ground like manure.Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like a fragile vase.You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape.Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds. The leaders of the flock are wailing in despair, for the Lord is ruining their pastures.Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland by the Lord’s fierce anger.He has left his den like a strong lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the Lord’s fierce anger.

This is what the Lord said to me:“ Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you.Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben Hinnom, and give them this message.Say to them,‘ Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring!“‘ For Israel has forsaken me and turned this valley into a place of wickedness. The people burn incense to foreign gods— idols never before acknowledged by this generation, by their ancestors, or by the kings of Judah. And they have filled this place with the blood of innocent children.They have built pagan shrines to Baal, and there they burn their sons as sacrifices to Baal. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing!So beware, for the time is coming, says the Lord, when this garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.“‘ For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals.I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there.I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.’“ As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought.Then say to them,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them.This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the Lord. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth.Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth— all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’”Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, the garbage dump where he had delivered this message, and he stopped in front of the Temple of the Lord. He said to the people there,“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:‘ I will bring disaster upon this city and its surrounding towns as I promised, because you have stubbornly refused to listen to me.’”

As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe.And Samuel said to him,“ The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else— one who is better than you.

This is what the Lord said to me:“ Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather straps.Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors who have come to see King Zedekiah in Jerusalem.Give them this message for their masters:‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says:With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up. Then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon.So you must submit to Babylon’s king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon’s yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the Lord. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.“‘ Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say,“ The king of Babylon will not conquer you.”They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah.“ If you want to live, submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon and his people.Why do you insist on dying— you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the Lord will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon’s king?Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you,‘ The king of Babylon will not conquer you.’ They are liars.This is what the Lord says:‘ I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die— you and all these prophets, too.’”Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said,“ This is what the Lord says:‘ Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold articles taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie!Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed?If they really are prophets and speak the Lord’s messages, let them pray to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Let them pray that the articles remaining in the Lord’s Temple and in the king’s palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem will not be carried away to Babylon!’“ For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken about the pillars in front of the Temple, the great bronze basin called the Sea, the water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles.King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other nobles of Judah and Jerusalem.Yes, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about the precious things still in the Temple, in the palace of Judah’s king, and in Jerusalem:‘ They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them,’ says the Lord.‘ Then I will bring them back to Jerusalem again.’”

“ From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it.

This is what the Lord said to me:“ Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.”So I bought the loincloth as the Lord directed me, and I put it on.Then the Lord gave me another message:“ Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.”So I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord had instructed me.A long time afterward the Lord said to me,“ Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.”So I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.Then I received this message from the Lord:“ This is what the Lord says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem.These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth— good for nothing!As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory— an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.“ So tell them,‘ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: May all your jars be filled with wine.’ And they will reply,‘ Of course! Jars are made to be filled with wine!’“ Then tell them,‘ No, this is what the Lord means: I will fill everyone in this land with drunkenness— from the king sitting on David’s throne to the priests and the prophets, right down to the common people of Jerusalem.I will smash them against each other, even parents against children, says the Lord. I will not let my pity or mercy or compassion keep me from destroying them.’”

“ Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.”So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel.But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.Then the Lord gave me this message:“ O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed,but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom,but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.“ Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them,‘ This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”But the people replied,“ Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through.

I sent my prophets to warn you with many visions and parables.”

and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.Then he said to Jeroboam,“ Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:‘ I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!

“ Son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a razor to shave your head and beard. Use a scale to weigh the hair into three equal parts.Place a third of it at the center of your map of Jerusalem. After acting out the siege, burn it there. Scatter another third across your map and chop it with a sword. Scatter the last third to the wind, for I will scatter my people with the sword.Keep just a bit of the hair and tie it up in your robe.Then take some of these hairs out and throw them into the fire, burning them up. A fire will then spread from this remnant and destroy all of Israel.“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is an illustration of what will happen to Jerusalem. I placed her at the center of the nations,but she has rebelled against my regulations and decrees and has been even more wicked than the surrounding nations. She has refused to obey the regulations and decrees I gave her to follow.“ Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You people have behaved worse than your neighbors and have refused to obey my decrees and regulations. You have not even lived up to the standards of the nations around you.Therefore, I myself, the Sovereign Lord, am now your enemy. I will punish you publicly while all the nations watch.Because of your detestable idols, I will punish you like I have never punished anyone before or ever will again.Parents will eat their own children, and children will eat their parents. I will punish you and scatter to the winds the few who survive.“ As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will cut you off completely. I will show you no pity at all because you have defiled my Temple with your vile images and detestable sins.A third of your people will die in the city from disease and famine. A third of them will be slaughtered by the enemy outside the city walls. And I will scatter a third to the winds, chasing them with my sword.Then at last my anger will be spent, and I will be satisfied. And when my fury against them has subsided, all Israel will know that I, the Lord, have spoken to them in my jealous anger.“ So I will turn you into a ruin, a mockery in the eyes of the surrounding nations and to all who pass by.You will become an object of mockery and taunting and horror. You will be a warning to all the nations around you. They will see what happens when the Lord punishes a nation in anger and rebukes it, says the Lord.“ I will shower you with the deadly arrows of famine to destroy you. The famine will become more and more severe until every crumb of food is gone.And along with the famine, wild animals will attack you and rob you of your children. Disease and war will stalk your land, and I will bring the sword of the enemy against you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz,“ Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot.Then the Lord said,“ My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign— a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.For the king of Assyria will take away the Egyptians and Ethiopians as prisoners. He will make them walk naked and barefoot, both young and old, their buttocks bared, to the shame of Egypt.

Then the Lord said to me,“ Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.Then I said to her,“ You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.”This shows that Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols!But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.

“ From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins.”

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him,“ Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.And the Lord said,“ Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence.I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea,“ Name your daughter Lo ruhamah—‘ Not loved’— for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies— not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”After Gomer had weaned Lo ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son.And the Lord said,“ Name him Lo ammi—‘ Not my people’— for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.