Are you going to let them keep on emptying their nets? Will they go on destroying nations without showing them any mercy?

他岂可屡次倒空网罗，将列国的人时常杀戮，毫不顾惜呢？

但他岂可因此屡屡倒空罗网，时常杀戮列国的人，毫不顾惜呢？

但他岂可因此屡屡倒空罗网，时常杀戮列国的人，毫不顾惜呢？

难道他们要无休止地撒网，无情地毁灭列国吗？

这样，他们倒空自己的网，毫不留情地继续杀戮列国。

他豈可屢次倒空網羅，將列國的人時常殺戮，毫不顧惜呢？

但他豈可因此屢屢倒空羅網，時常殺戮列國的人，毫不顧惜呢？

但他豈可因此屢屢倒空羅網，時常殺戮列國的人，毫不顧惜呢？

難道他們要無休止地撒網，無情地毀滅列國嗎？

這樣，他們倒空自己的網，毫不留情地繼續殺戮列國。

因此他不斷地拔刀，殺戮列國人、毫不顧惜。

彼傾其網、恆戮列邦、而不之惜、可乎哉、

即罄斯網、復出害人、戮民無厭、爾何聽其然乎。

彼傾空其網、以復張害人、恆殺人民、毫不顧惜、何時為止、

Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?

Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?

Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests?

Will they therefore empty their net and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

Will they therefore empty their net, And continually slay nations without sparing?

Shall they therefore empty their net, And continue to slay nations without pity?

Shall he therefore empty his net, and spare not to slay the nations continually?

Will they therefore empty their net and continually slaughter nations without mercy?

Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

Will he then continue to fill and empty his throw net? Will he always destroy nations and spare none?

Will he therefore continually empty his net, and kill the nations without mercy?

A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet. It was about the nations.Here is what the Lord says about Egypt. Here is his message against the army of Pharaoh Necho. He was king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, won the battle over Necho’s army. That happened at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. It was in the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. The message says,“ Egyptians, prepare your shields! Prepare large and small shields alike! March out for battle!Get the horses and chariots ready to ride! Take up your battle positions! Put on your helmets! Shine up your spears! Put on your armor!What do I see? The Egyptians are terrified. They are pulling back. Their soldiers are losing. They run away as fast as they can. They do not look back. There is terror on every side,” announces the Lord.“ Those who run fast can’t get away. Those who are strong can’t escape. In the north by the Euphrates River they trip and fall.“ Who is this that rises like the Nile River? Who rises like rivers of rushing waters?Egypt rises like the Nile River. It rises like rivers of rushing waters. Egypt says,‘ I will rise and cover the earth. I’ll destroy cities and their people.’Charge, you horses! Drive fast, you chariot drivers! March on, you soldiers! March on, you men of Cush and Put who carry shields. March on, you men of Lydia who shoot arrows.But that day belongs to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. It is a day for me to pay back my enemies. My sword will eat until it is satisfied. It will drink until it is not thirsty for blood anymore. I am the Lord. I am the Lord who rules over all. I will offer a sacrifice. I will offer it in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.“ People of Egypt, go up to Gilead and get some healing lotion. You may try many medicines, but you will not be healed. There isn’t any healing for you.The nations will hear about your shame. Your cries of pain will fill the earth. One soldier will trip over another. Both of them will fall down together.”Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was coming to attack Egypt. Here is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about it. He said,“ Egyptians, here is what I want you to announce in your land. Announce it in the city of Migdol. Also announce it in Memphis and Tahpanhes. Say,‘ Take up your battle positions! Get ready! The sword eats up those around you.’Why are your soldiers lying on the ground? They can’t stand, because I bring them down.They will trip again and again. They will fall over one another. They will say,‘ Get up. Let’s go back home. Let’s return to our own people and our own lands. Let’s get away from the swords that will bring us great harm.’The Egyptian soldiers will cry out,‘ Pharaoh, our king, is only a loud noise. He has missed his chance to win the battle.’“ I am the King. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. Someone will come who is like Mount Tabor among the mountains. He is like Mount Carmel by the Mediterranean Sea. And that is just as sure as I am alive,” announces the King.“ So pack your belongings, you who live in Egypt. You will be taken away from your land. Memphis will be completely destroyed. Its buildings will be broken down. No one will live there.“ Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But Nebuchadnezzar is coming against her from the north. He will bite her like a fly.Hired soldiers are in Egypt’s army. They are like fat calves. All of them will turn and run away. They will not hold their positions. The day of trouble is coming on them. The time for them to be punished is near.The Egyptians will hiss like a snake that is trying to get away. A powerful army will advance against them. Their enemies will come against them with axes. They will be like those who cut down trees.Egypt is like a thick forest. But they will chop it down,” announces the Lord.“ There are more of their enemies than there are locusts. In fact, they can’t even be counted.The nation of Egypt will be put to shame. It will be handed over to the people of the north.”The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I am about to punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh. I will punish Egypt and its gods and kings. And I will punish those who depend on Pharaoh.I will hand them over to those who want to kill them. I will give them to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and his officers. But later, many people will live in Egypt again as in times past,” announces the Lord.“ People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. Israel, do not be terrified. I will bring you safely out of a place far away. I will bring your children back from the land where they were taken. Your people will have peace and security again. And no one will make them afraid.People of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant. I am with you,” announces the Lord.“ I will completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will not let you go without any punishment.”

“ Wine makes the Babylonians do foolish things. They are proud. They never rest. Like the grave, they are always hungry for more. Like death, they are never satisfied. They gather all the nations to themselves. They take all those people away as prisoners.“ Won’t those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won’t they make fun of them? They will say to them,“‘ How terrible it will be for you who pile up stolen goods! You get rich by cheating others. How long will this go on?’Those you owe money to will suddenly rise up. They will wake up and make you tremble with fear. Then they will take away everything you have.You have robbed many nations. So the nations that are left will rob you. You have spilled human blood. You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

All of them are ready and willing to destroy others. Their huge armies advance like a wind out of the desert. They gather prisoners like sand.They mock kings and make fun of rulers. They laugh at all the cities that have high walls around them. They build dirt ramps against the walls and capture the cities.

So I will send for all the nations in the north. And I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will bring all of them against this land and against you who live here. They will march out against all the nations that are around this land. I will set apart Judah and the nations around it in a special way to be destroyed. People will be shocked because of them. And they will make fun of them. Those nations will be destroyed forever.I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. I will put an end to the voices of brides and grooms. The sound of grinding millstones will not be heard anymore. And lamps will not be lit anymore.This whole country will become dry and empty. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.“‘ But I will punish that king and his nation because they are guilty. I will do this when the 70 years are over,’ announces the Lord.‘ I will make that land a desert forever.I have spoken against that land. And I will make all these things happen to it. Everything will happen that is written in this book. And I will make everything Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations come true.The people of Babylon will become slaves of many other nations and great kings. I will pay them back for what they have done.’ ”The Lord is the God of Israel. He said to me,“ Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my great anger. Make all the nations to which I send you drink it.When they drink it, they will not even be able to walk straight. It will drive them out of their minds. I am going to send war against them.”So I took the cup from the Lord’ s hand. I made all the nations to which he sent me drink from it.He sent me to Judah’s kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would use their name in a curse. And that’s how things still are today.Here is a list of the other kings and nations he sent me to. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt his attendants, his officials, all his peopleall the people from other lands who lived there all the kings of Uz the Philistine kings of Ashkelon, Gaza and Ekron the Philistines still living in AshdodEdom, Moab, Ammonall the kings of Tyre and Sidon the kings of the islands and other lands along the Mediterranean SeaDedan, Teman, Buz all the other places far away in the eastall the kings of Arabia all the other kings of people who live in the desertall the kings of Zimri, Elam and Mediaall the kings in the north, near and far So he sent me to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth, one after the other. They will all drink from the cup of the Lord’ s anger. After they drink, the king of Babylon will drink from it too.

The harm they have done to Lebanon will bring them down. Because they have killed so many animals, animals will terrify them. They have spilled human blood. They have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

“ Those who see you stare at you. They think about what has happened to you. They say to themselves,‘ Is this the man who shook the earth? Is he the one who made kingdoms tremble with fear?Did he turn the world into a desert? Did he destroy its cities? Did he refuse to let his prisoners go home?’

Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 11 years. His mother’s name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah. She was from Libnah.Zedekiah did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did just as Jehoiakim had done.The enemies of Jerusalem and Judah attacked them because the Lord was angry. In the end he threw them out of his land. Zedekiah refused to obey the king of Babylon.Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. He marched out against Jerusalem. All his armies went with him. It was in the ninth year of the rule of Zedekiah. It was on the tenth day of the tenth month. The armies set up camp outside the city. They set up ladders and built ramps and towers all around it.It was surrounded until the 11th year of King Zedekiah’s rule.By the ninth day of the fourth month, there wasn’t any food left in the city. So the people didn’t have anything to eat.Then the Babylonians broke through the city wall. Judah’s whole army ran away. They left the city at night. They went out through the gate between the two walls that were near the king’s garden. They escaped even though the Babylonians surrounded the city. Judah’s army ran toward the Arabah Valley.But the armies of Babylon chased King Zedekiah. They caught up with him in the plains near Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him. They had scattered in every direction.The king was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. That’s where Nebuchadnezzar decided how Zedekiah would be punished.At Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah. He forced him to watch it with his own eyes. Nebuchadnezzar also killed all the officials of Judah.Then he poked out Zedekiah’s eyes. He put him in bronze chains. And he took him to Babylon. There he put Zedekiah in prison until the day he died.Nebuzaradan served the king of Babylon. In fact, he was commander of the royal guard. He came to Jerusalem. It was in the 19th year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. It was on the tenth day of the fifth month.Nebuzaradan set the Lord’ s temple on fire. He also set fire to the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. He burned down every important building.The armies of Babylon broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. That’s what the commander told them to do.Some of the poorest people still remained in the city along with the others. But the commander Nebuzaradan took them away as prisoners. He also took the rest of the skilled workers. That included the people who had joined the king of Babylon.But Nebuzaradan left the rest of the poorest people of the land behind. He told them to work in the vineyards and fields.The armies of Babylon destroyed the Lord’ s temple. They broke the bronze pillars into pieces. They broke up the bronze stands that could be moved around. And they broke up the huge bronze bowl. Then they carried away all the bronze to Babylon.They also took away the pots, shovels, wick cutters, sprinkling bowls and dishes. They took away all the bronze objects that were used for any purpose in the temple.The commander of the royal guard took away the bowls and the shallow cups for burning incense. He took away the sprinkling bowls, the pots, the lampstands and the dishes. He took away the bowls used for drink offerings. So he took away everything made out of pure gold or silver.The bronze was more than anyone could weigh. It included the bronze from the two pillars. It included the bronze from the huge bowl and the 12 bronze bulls under it. It also included the stands. King Solomon had made all those things for the Lord’ s temple.Each pillar was 27 feet high and 18 feet around. The pillars were hollow. The metal in each of them was three inches thick.The bronze top of one pillar was seven and a half feet high. It was decorated with a set of bronze chains and pomegranates all around it. The other pillar was just like it. It also had pomegranates.There were 96 pomegranates on the sides of each of the two tops. The total number of pomegranates above the bronze chains around each top was 100.The commander of the guard took many prisoners. They included Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the priest who reported to him. They also included the three men who guarded the temple doors.Some people were still left in the city. The commander took as a prisoner the officer in charge of the fighting men. He took the seven men who gave advice to the king. He also took the secretary who was the chief officer in charge of getting the people of the land to serve in the army. There were 60 people of the land still in the city.The commander Nebuzaradan took all of them away. He brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.There the king had them put to death. Riblah was in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah were taken as prisoners. They were taken far away from their own land.Here is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylon as prisoners. In the seventh year of his rule, he took 3,023 Jews.In his 18th year, he took 832 people from Jerusalem.In Nebuchadnezzar’s 23rd year, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the royal guard, took 745 Jews to Babylon. The total number of people taken to Babylon was 4,600.Awel- Marduk set Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, free from prison. It was in the 37th year after Jehoiachin had been taken away to Babylon. It was also the year Awel- Marduk became king of Babylon. It was on the 25th day of the 12th month.Awel- Marduk spoke kindly to Jehoiachin. He gave him a place of honor. Other kings were with Jehoiachin in Babylon. But his place was more important than theirs.So Jehoiachin put away his prison clothes. For the rest of Jehoiachin’s life the king of Babylon provided what he needed.The king did that for Jehoiachin day by day as long as he lived. He did it until the day Jehoiachin died.

A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,“ Son of man, turn your attention to the Ammonites. Prophesy against them.Tell them,‘ Listen to the message of the Lord and King. He says,“ You laughed when my temple was made‘ unclean.’ You also laughed when the land of Israel was completely destroyed. You mocked the people of Judah when they were taken away as prisoners.So I am going to hand you over to the people of the east. They will set up their tents in your land. They will camp among you. They will eat your fruit. They will drink your milk.I will turn the city of Rabbah into grasslands for camels. Ammon will become a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”The Lord and King says,“ You clapped your hands. You stamped your feet. Deep down inside, you hated the land of Israel. You were glad because of what happened to it.So I will reach out my powerful hand against you. I will give you and everything you have to the nations. I will bring you to an end among the nations. I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”The Lord and King says,“ Moab and Edom said,‘ Look! Judah has become like all the other nations.’So I will let Moab’s enemies attack its lower hills. They will begin at the border towns. Those towns include Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim. They are the glory of that land.I will hand Moab over to the people of the east. I will also give the Ammonites to them. And the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations.I will punish Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”The Lord and King says,“ Edom got even with Judah. That made Edom very guilty.”The Lord continues,“ I will reach out my hand against Edom. I will kill its people and their animals. I will completely destroy it. They will be killed by swords from Teman all the way to Dedan.I will use my people Israel to pay Edom back. They will punish Edom because my anger against it is great. They will know how I pay back my enemies,” announces the Lord and King.The Lord and King says,“ Deep down inside them, the Philistines hated Judah. So the Philistines tried to get even with them. They had been Judah’s enemies for many years. So they tried to destroy them.”The Lord continues,“ I am about to reach out my hand against the Philistines. I will wipe out the Kerethites. I will destroy those who remain along the coast.You can be sure that I will pay them back. I will punish them because my anger against them is great. When I pay them back, they will know that I am the Lord.”

The fishermen will moan. All those who drop hooks into the Nile will weep. Those who throw their nets on the water will become very sad.

When they became angry, they struck down nations. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again.