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.

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?

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?

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.

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

The Lord who rules over all says,“ Babylon’s thick walls will fall down flat. Its high gates will be set on fire. The nations wear themselves out for no reason at all. Their hard work will only be burned up in the flames.”

But all you sinners who light fires should go ahead and walk in their light. You who carry flaming torches should walk in their light. Here’s what I’m going to do to you. I’ll make you lie down in great pain.

No wisdom, wise saying or plan can succeed against the Lord.

Some people think they are so wise. But God catches them in their own tricks. He sweeps away the evil plans of sinful people.Darkness covers them in the daytime. At noon they feel their way around as if it were night.

He said,“ All these people are united and speak the same language. That is why they can do all this. Now they will be able to do anything they plan.Come on! Let us go down and mix up their language. Then they will not be able to understand one another.”So the Lord scattered them from there over the whole earth. And they stopped building the city.There the Lord mixed up the language of the whole world. That’s why the city was called Babel. From there the Lord scattered them over the whole earth.

If the Lord doesn’t build a house, the work of the builders is useless. If the Lord doesn’t watch over a city, it’s useless for those on guard duty to stand watch over it.It’s useless for you to work from early morning until late at night just to get food to eat. God provides for those he loves even while they sleep.

Edom might say,“ We have been crushed. But we’ll rebuild our cities.” The Lord who rules over all says,“ They might rebuild their cities. But I will destroy them. They will be called the Evil Land. My anger will always remain on them.

Why spend money on what is not food? Why work for what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me. Then you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the richest food there is.

The people on the islands have seen that king coming. And it has made them afraid. People tremble with fear from one end of the earth to the other. They come and gather together.They help one another. They say to one another,“ Be strong!”One skilled worker makes a statue of a god. Another covers it with gold. The first worker says to the second,“ You have done a good job.” Another worker smooths out the metal with a hammer. Still another gives the statue its final shape. The one who hammers says to the one who shapes,“ You have done a good job.” Then they nail the statue down so it won’t fall over.The Lord says,“ People of Israel, you are my servants. Family of Jacob, I have chosen you. You are the children of my friend Abraham.

People are only shadows as they go here and there. They rush around, but it doesn’t mean anything. They pile up wealth, but they don’t know who will finally get it.

David had been told,“ Ahithophel, along with Absalom, is one of the people making secret plans against you.” So David prayed,“ Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice look foolish.”

Then say,‘ In the same way, Babylon will sink down. It will never rise again. That is because I will bring such horrible trouble on it. And its people will fall along with it.’ ” The words of Jeremiah end here.