Be sure of this! The LORD who commands armies has decreed: The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing.

众民所劳碌得来的被火焚烧，列国由劳乏而得的归于虚空，不都是出于万军之耶和华吗？

看哪，这不都是出于万军之耶和华吗？万民劳碌得来的被火焚烧，万族辛苦建造的，归于虚空。

看哪，这不都是出于万军之耶和华吗？万民劳碌得来的被火焚烧，万族辛苦建造的，归于虚空。

列邦的财富都化为灰烬，列国劳碌却是一场空。这不都是出于万军之耶和华吗？

众民劳碌得来的，被火焚烧；列国辛劳而得的，终归无有。这不都出于万军之耶和华吗？

眾民所勞碌得來的被火焚燒，列國由勞乏而得的歸於虛空，不都是出於萬軍之耶和華嗎？

看哪，這不都是出於萬軍之耶和華嗎？萬民勞碌得來的被火焚燒，萬族辛苦建造的，歸於虛空。

看哪，這不都是出於萬軍之耶和華嗎？萬民勞碌得來的被火焚燒，萬族辛苦建造的，歸於虛空。

列邦的財富都化為灰燼，列國勞碌卻是一場空。這不都是出於萬軍之耶和華嗎？

眾民勞碌得來的，被火焚燒；列國辛勞而得的，終歸無有。這不都出於萬軍之耶和華嗎？

看哪，萬族之民只為了給火焚燒而勞碌，列國之民只為了虛空而疲乏，不都是出於萬軍之永恆主麼？

諸民勞力乃為火、列邦辛苦歸於虛、此非由於萬軍之耶和華乎、

爾使列邦之民、屬役良苦、竭力築城、萬有之主耶和華、必使之焚燬殆盡、歸於烏有、

眾民辛苦經營、悉為火所焚、萬族劬勞疲憊、俱屬徒然、皆萬有之主所命、

Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?

I am the Lord who rules over all. Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire. So the nations wear themselves out for nothing.

Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing?

Has not the Lord of Heaven’s Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain!

Is it not from the LORD of Armies that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?

Is it not indeed from the Lord of armies That peoples labor merely for fire, And nations become weary for nothing?

Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain?

Behold, is it not of Jehovah of hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

Is it not from the Lord of Hosts that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?

Behold,[ is it] not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?

Behold, isn’t it of Yahweh of Armies that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for vanity?

This is what the LORD who rules over all says,“ Babylon’s thick wall will be completely demolished. Her high gates will be set on fire. The peoples strive for what does not satisfy. The nations grow weary trying to get what will be destroyed.”

Look, all of you who start a fire and who equip yourselves with flaming arrows, walk in the light of the fire you started and among the flaming arrows you ignited! This is what you will receive from me: you will lie down in a place of pain.

There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against the LORD.

He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is brought to a quick end.They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope about in the noontime as if it were night.

And the LORD said,“ If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them.Come, let’s go down and confuse their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.”So the LORD scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city.That is why its name was called Babel– because there the LORD confused the language of the entire world, and from there the LORD scattered them across the face of the entire earth.

If the LORD does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain. If the LORD does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain.It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep.

Edom says,“ Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the LORD who rules over all responds,“ They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as the land of evil, the people with whom the LORD is permanently displeased.

Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food!

The coastlands see and are afraid; the whole earth trembles; they approach and come.They help one another; one says to the other,‘ Be strong!’The craftsman encourages the metalsmith, the one who wields the hammer encourages the one who pounds on the anvil. He approves the quality of the welding, and nails it down so it won’t fall over.”“ You, my servant Israel, Jacob whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham my friend,

Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

Now David had been told,“ Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed,“ Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O LORD!”

Then say,‘ In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the judgments I am ready to bring upon her; they will grow faint.’” The prophecies of Jeremiah end here.