“ How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build cities by spilling the blood of others. They establish towns by doing what is wrong.

以人血建城、以罪孽立邑的有祸了！

祸哉！那以鲜血建城、以罪孽造镇的人！

祸哉！那以鲜血建城、以罪孽造镇的人！

“以人血建城邑，以罪恶造城池的人啊，你们有祸了！

你这用人血做城，凭邪恶立镇的，有祸了！

以人血建城、以罪孽立邑的有禍了！

禍哉！那以鮮血建城、以罪孽造鎮的人！

禍哉！那以鮮血建城、以罪孽造鎮的人！

「以人血建城邑，以罪惡造城池的人啊，你們有禍了！

你這用人血做城，憑邪惡立鎮的，有禍了！

以人血建城、以罪孽立都市的、有禍啊！

以血建邑、以惡築城、其人禍哉、

爾殺戮人、強奪人、以構城邑、禍必不遠、

禍哉爾歟、殺人流血以建城、行諸不義以造邑、

“ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!

“ Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity!

“ What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption!

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice!

“ Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed, And founds a town with violence!

“ Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, Who establishes a city by iniquity!

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice!

Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead– he who starts a town by unjust deeds.

Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity!

You build up Zion by spilling the blood of others. You build Jerusalem by doing what is evil.

How terrible it will be for Nineveh! It is a city of murderers! It is full of liars! It is filled with stolen goods! The killing never stops!

So the Lord and King said to me,“ How terrible it will be for this city! It has so many murderers in it. I too will pile the wood high.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people. They are the ones who are witnesses about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very amazed.

So I am putting a curse on you. I am driving you away from this ground. It has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.When you farm the land, it will not produce its crops for you anymore. You will be a restless person who wanders around on the earth.”Cain said to the Lord,“ You are punishing me more than I can take.Today you are driving me away from the land. I will be hidden from you. I’ll be a restless person who wanders around on the earth. Anyone who finds me will kill me.”But the Lord said to him,“ No. Anyone who kills you will be paid back seven times.” The Lord put a mark on Cain. Then anyone who found him wouldn’t kill him.So Cain went away from the Lord. He lived in the land of Nod. It was east of Eden.Cain loved his wife and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city. He named it after his son Enoch.

At that time Joshua made a promise and called down a curse. He said,“ May the person who tries to rebuild this city of Jericho be under the Lord’ s curse.“ If that person lays its foundations, it will cost the life of his oldest son. If he sets up its gates, it will cost the life of his youngest son.”

In Ahab’s time, Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son Abiram. When he set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son Segub. That’s what the Lord had said would happen. He had spoken it through Joshua, the son of Nun.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.“ What can we do?” they asked.“ This man is performing many signs.If we let him keep on doing this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come. They will take away our temple and our nation.”One of the Jewish leaders spoke up. His name was Caiaphas. He was high priest at that time. He said,“ You don’t know anything at all!You don’t realize what is good for you. It is better if one man dies for the people than if the whole nation is destroyed.”

So, Your Majesty, I hope you will accept my advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you.”All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.It took place twelve months later. He was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon.He said,“ Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.”He was still speaking when he heard a voice from heaven. It said,“ King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you.

The Lord says,“ How terrible it will be for King Jehoiakim! He builds his palace by mistreating his people. He builds its upstairs rooms with money gained by sinning. He makes his own people work for nothing. He does not pay them for what they do.He says,‘ I will build myself a great palace. It will have large rooms upstairs.’ So he makes big windows in it. He covers its walls with cedar boards. He decorates it with red paint.“ Jehoiakim, does having more and more cedar boards make you a king? Your father Josiah had enough to eat and drink. He did what was right and fair. So everything went well with him.He stood up for those who were poor or needy. So everything went well with him. That is what it means to know me,” announces the Lord.“ Jehoiakim, the only thing on your mind is to get rich by cheating others. You would even kill people who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. You would mistreat them. You would take everything they own.”