The Lord speaks about the palace of the king of Judah. He says,“ You are like the land of Gilead to me. You are like the highest mountain in Lebanon. But I will make you like a desert. You will become like towns that no one lives in.

耶和华论到犹大王的家如此说：“我看你如基列，如黎巴嫩顶；然而，我必使你变为旷野，为无人居住的城邑。

耶和华论到犹大王的家如此说：“我看你如基列，如黎巴嫩的山顶；然而，我必使你变为旷野，成为无人居住的城镇。

耶和华论到犹大王的家如此说：“我看你如基列，如黎巴嫩的山顶；然而，我必使你变为旷野，成为无人居住的城镇。

论到犹大王的宫殿，耶和华说：“虽然它在我眼中美如基列，又像黎巴嫩的山峰，但我必使它变成不毛之地，变成杳无人烟的城邑。

因为耶和华论到犹大王的宫殿这样说：“虽然在我看来，你好像基列，好像黎巴嫩的山峰；我却要使你变为旷野，变为无人居住的城市。

耶和華論到猶大王的家如此說：我看你如基列，如黎巴嫩頂；然而，我必使你變為曠野，為無人居住的城邑。

耶和華論到猶大王的家如此說：「我看你如基列，如黎巴嫩的山頂；然而，我必使你變為曠野，成為無人居住的城鎮。

耶和華論到猶大王的家如此說：「我看你如基列，如黎巴嫩的山頂；然而，我必使你變為曠野，成為無人居住的城鎮。

論到猶大王的宮殿，耶和華說：「雖然它在我眼中美如基列，又像黎巴嫩的山峰，但我必使它變成不毛之地，變成杳無人煙的城邑。

因為耶和華論到猶大王的宮殿這樣說：“雖然在我看來，你好像基列，好像黎巴嫩的山峰；我卻要使你變為曠野，變為無人居住的城市。

因為永恆主論猶大的王室是這麼說的：『你在我看固然如基列，如利巴嫩的山頂，我卻要使你變為曠野，變為無人居住的城市。

耶和華論猶大王家曰、我視爾若基列、若利巴嫩之巔、然我必使爾成為曠野、無人居處之邑、

耶和華又告猶大王宗室曰、昔我視爾若基列地、利巴嫩巔、今我使爾荒蕪、若無人居處之邑、

主諭諭或作論猶大王之家如是云、昔我視爾若基列、若利巴嫩山巔、今我使爾荒蕪、如無人居處之邑、

For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:“ Though you are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a wasteland, like towns not inhabited.

For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah:“‘ You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.

Now this is what the Lord says concerning Judah’s royal palace:“ I love you as much as fruitful Gilead and the green forests of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, with no one living within your walls.

For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah:“ You are like Gilead to me, or the summit of Lebanon, but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness, uninhabited cities.

For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:“ You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you a wilderness, Cities that are not inhabited.

For thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah:“ You are Gilead to Me, The head of Lebanon; Yet I surely will make you a wilderness, Cities which are not inhabited.

For thus saith Jehovah concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.

For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are like Gilead to Me, or the summit of Lebanon, but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness, uninhabited cities.

For thus saith the LORD unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou[ art] Gilead unto me,[ and] the head of Lebanon:[ yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness,[ and] cities[ which] are not inhabited.

“‘ For the LORD says concerning the palace of the king of Judah,“ This place looks like a veritable forest of Gilead to me. It is like the wooded heights of Lebanon in my eyes. But I swear that I will make it like a wilderness whose towns have all been deserted.

For Yahweh says concerning the house of the king of Judah:“ You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited.

Then I said,“ Lord, how long will it be like that?” He answered,“ It will last until the cities of Israel are destroyed. It will last until no one is living in them. It will last until the houses are deserted. The fields will be completely destroyed.

He turned land that produced crops into a salty land where nothing could grow. He did it because the people who lived there were evil.

So because of what you have done, Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.

Cities that have high walls around them will become empty. They will be settlements with no one in them. They will be like a desert. Calves will eat and lie down in them. They will strip bare the branches of their trees.

I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness. The voices of brides and grooms will not be heard anymore. There will be no sounds of joy in the towns of Judah. And there will be no joy in the streets of Jerusalem. The land will become a desert.

The Lord says,“ I will knock down all of Jerusalem’s buildings. I will make it a home for wild dogs. The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed. No one will be able to live in them.”

“ Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all the people of Judah. He told them,‘ The Lord who rules over all says,“‘ “Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.” ’( Micah 3:12)

Then they sat down to eat their meal. As they did, they saw some Ishmaelite traders coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, lotion and myrrh. They were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

Let me go across the Jordan River. Let me see the good land beyond it. I want to see that fine hill country and Lebanon.”

So I will make this house like Shiloh. All the nations on earth will use the name of this city in a curse.” ’ ”Jeremiah spoke these words in the Lord’ s house. The priests, the prophets and all the people heard him.Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say. But as soon as he did, the priests, the prophets and all the people grabbed him. They said,“ You must die!Why do you prophesy these things in the Lord’ s name? Why do you say that this house will become like Shiloh? Why do you say that this city will be empty and deserted?” And all the people crowded around Jeremiah in the Lord’ s house.

But I will punish you in keeping with what you have done,” announces the Lord.“ I will start a fire in your forests. It will burn down everything around you.” ’ ”

“ Tell them,‘ Here is what the Lord and King says.“ The people who are left in those broken- down buildings will be killed by swords. Wild animals will eat up those who are out in the country. Those who are in caves and other safe places will die of a plague. And that is just as sure as I am alive.I will turn the land into a dry and empty desert. The strength Jerusalem is so proud of will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be deserted. No one will travel across them.

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.

One trouble follows another. The whole land is destroyed. In an instant my tents are gone. My home disappears in a moment.

“ King Jehoiachin, you are the son of Jehoiakim,” announces the Lord.“ Suppose you were a ring on my right hand. And suppose the ring even had my royal mark on it. Then I would still pull you off my finger. And that is just as sure as I am alive.

The Lord is going to completely destroy everything on earth. He will twist its surface. He’ll scatter those who live on it.Priests and people alike will suffer. So will masters and their servants. And so will women and their female servants. Sellers and buyers alike will suffer. So will those who borrow and those who lend. And so will those who owe money and those who lend it.The earth will be completely destroyed. Everything of value will be taken out of it. That’s what the Lord has said.The earth will dry up completely. The world will dry up and waste away. The heavens will fade away along with the earth.The earth is polluted by its people. They haven’t obeyed the laws of the Lord. They haven’t done what he told them to do. They’ve broken the covenant that will last forever.So the Lord will send a curse on the earth. Its people will pay for what they’ve done. They will be burned up. Very few of them will be left.

His legs are like pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. He looks like the finest cedar tree in the mountains of Lebanon.

“ Also speak to Judah’s royal family. Tell them,‘ Listen to the Lord’ s message.

“‘ “In this place I will make the plans of Judah and Jerusalem as useless as a broken jar. I will use their enemies to kill my people by swords. They will die at the hands of those who want to take their lives. I will give their dead bodies as food to the birds and the wild animals.I will completely destroy this city. I will make it a horrible thing. People will make fun of it. All those who pass by it will be shocked. They will laugh at its people because of all their wounds.