Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves 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、

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?

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?

This is what the Lord Almighty says:“ Babylon’s thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”

But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.

The Lord said,“ If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.That is why it was called Babel— because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Edom may say,“ Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the Lord Almighty says:“ They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

The islands have seen it and fear; the ends of the earth tremble. They approach and come forward;they help each other and say to their companions,“ Be strong!”The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding,“ It is good.” The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.“ But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,

“ Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.

Now David had been told,“ Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed,“ Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

Then say,‘ So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.’” The words of Jeremiah end here.