He sent me to Judah’s kings and officials. He told me to go to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. He wanted me to tell them they would be destroyed. Then people would be shocked because of them. They would make fun of them. They would use their name in a curse. And that’s how things still are today.

就是耶路撒冷和犹大的城邑，并耶路撒冷的君王与首领，使这城邑荒凉，令人惊骇、嗤笑、咒诅，正如今日一样。

其中有耶路撒冷和犹大的城镇，并耶路撒冷的君王与领袖；因此这城镇荒凉，令人惊骇、嗤笑、诅咒，正如今日一样。

其中有耶路撒冷和犹大的城镇，并耶路撒冷的君王与领袖；因此这城镇荒凉，令人惊骇、嗤笑、诅咒，正如今日一样。

我给耶路撒冷和犹大的城邑，以及犹大的君王和官员喝这杯烈怒，使他们的城邑沦为废墟，令人惊惧，被嘲笑和咒诅，正如今日一样。

包括耶路撒冷、犹大的城镇，和她的君王、领袖，使这些城镇荒废，成为令人惊骇、被人嗤笑、咒骂的对象，好像今天一样。

就是耶路撒冷和猶大的城邑，並耶路撒冷的君王與首領，使這城邑荒涼，令人驚駭、嗤笑、咒詛，正如今日一樣。

其中有耶路撒冷和猶大的城鎮，並耶路撒冷的君王與領袖；因此這城鎮荒涼，令人驚駭、嗤笑、詛咒，正如今日一樣。

其中有耶路撒冷和猶大的城鎮，並耶路撒冷的君王與領袖；因此這城鎮荒涼，令人驚駭、嗤笑、詛咒，正如今日一樣。

我給耶路撒冷和猶大的城邑，以及猶大的君王和官員喝這杯烈怒，使他們的城邑淪為廢墟，令人驚懼，被嘲笑和咒詛，正如今日一樣。

包括耶路撒冷、猶大的城鎮，和她的君王、領袖，使這些城鎮荒廢，成為令人驚駭、被人嗤笑、咒罵的對象，好像今天一樣。

就是耶路撒冷和猶大的城市，它的列王和首領，使這些城市荒廢，成了令人驚駭、令人嗤笑咒詛的對象，正如今日一樣的；

即耶路撒冷、猶大諸邑、及其君王牧伯、俾邑荒蕪、令人駭異、被嗤笑、服呪詛、有如今日、

至耶路撒冷及猶大諸邑、與厥王公、使彼喪亡、見之者無不駭愕、怨聲咒詛、今日之事為徵。

予耶路撒冷、及猶大諸邑、予厥王公、使邑毀滅、土地荒蕪、被人恥笑咒詛、有如今日、

Jerusalem and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an object of horror and scorn, a curse— as they are today;

Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day;

I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing.

Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an example for scorn and cursing— as it is today;

To Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings and its officials, to make them places of ruins, objects of horror, hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;

Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;

to wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is this day;

These included: Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of scorn and cursing— as it is today;

[ To wit], Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as[ it is] this day;

I made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. Such is already becoming the case!

Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, with its kings and its princes, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as it is today;

I will make all the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. In fact, they will hate them a great deal. They will shake their heads at them. They will curse them and make fun of them. All this will happen no matter where I force them to go.

You have shown your people hard times. You have made us drink the wine of your anger. Now we can’t even walk straight.

The Lord couldn’t put up any longer with the evil things you were doing. He hated the things you did. So your land became a curse. It became a dry and empty desert. No one lived there. And that’s the way it still is today.

I will strike down those who live in this city. I will kill people and animals alike. They will die of a terrible plague.After that, I will hand you over to your enemies. They want to kill you,” announces the Lord.“ I will hand over Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his officials. I will also hand over the people in this city who live through the plague, war and hunger. All of them will be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will kill them with swords. He will show them no mercy. He will not feel sorry for them. In fact, he will not have any concern for them at all.” ’“ Tell the people,‘ The Lord says,“ I am offering you a choice. You can choose the way that leads to life. Or you can choose the way that leads to death.Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But suppose some go out and give themselves up to the Babylonians attacking you. They will live. They will escape with their lives.I have decided to do this city harm and not good,” announces the Lord.“ It will be handed over to the king of Babylon. And he will destroy it with fire.” ’

The warnings you gave us and our rulers have come true. You have brought great trouble on us. Nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever happened anywhere else on earth.

Today I am appointing you to speak to nations and kingdoms. I give you authority to pull them up by the roots and tear them down. I give you authority to destroy them and crush them. I give you authority to build them up and plant them.”

But keep away from the things that have been set apart to the Lord. If you take any of them, you will be destroyed. And you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. You will cause it to be destroyed.

This whole country will become dry and empty. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.

So I will send fire to destroy Judah. It will burn up Jerusalem’s forts.”

Tell the people,‘ Listen to the Lord’ s message, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ Listen! I am going to bring trouble on Jerusalem. It will be so horrible that it will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring.My people have deserted me. They have made this city a place where other gods are worshiped. They have burned incense to them here. They, their people of long ago and the kings of Judah had never known these gods. My people have also filled this place with the blood of those who aren’t guilty.They have built the high places where they worship Baal. There they sacrifice their children in the fire as offerings to Baal. That is something I did not command or talk about. It did not even enter my mind.So watch out!” announces the Lord.“ The days are coming when people will not call this place Topheth anymore. And they will not call it the Valley of Ben Hinnom either. Instead, they will call it the Valley of Death.“‘ “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.I will make the people of this city eat their sons and daughters. And they will eat one another. They will do this because things will be so bad during the attack. The enemies who want to take their lives will bring all this trouble on them.” ’

We are filled with it. It has been like that ever since the days of our people who lived long ago. Kings of other countries have killed many of us and our kings and priests with their swords. They’ve forced others to leave their own land. They’ve taken them away as prisoners. They’ve robbed others. They’ve made still others feel ashamed and dishonored. All these things have happened to us because we’ve committed so many sins. And that’s how things still are to this day.

“ Out of all the families on earth I have chosen only you. So I will punish you because you have committed so many sins.”

It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And since it begins with us, what will happen to people who don’t obey God’s good news?

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.

Wake up, Jerusalem! Wake up! Get up! The Lord has handed you the cup of his great anger. And you have drunk from it. That cup makes people unsteady on their feet. And you have drunk from it to the very last drop.Among all the children who were born to you there was none to guide you. Among all the children you brought up there was none to lead you by the hand.Nothing but trouble has come to you. You have been wiped out and destroyed. And you have suffered hunger and war. No one feels sorry for you. No one can comfort you.Your children have fainted. They lie helpless at every street corner. They are like antelope that have been caught in a net. They have felt the full force of the Lord’ s great anger. Jerusalem, your God had to warn them strongly.So listen to me, you suffering people of Jerusalem. You have been made drunk, but not by drinking wine.Your Lord and King speaks. He is your God. He stands up for his people. He says,“ I have taken from you the cup of my great anger. It made you unsteady on your feet. But you will never drink from that cup again.

You have kept your promise to my father David. He was your servant. With your mouth you made a promise. With your powerful hand you have made it come true. And today we can see it.

“ Your heart was tender. You made yourself humble in the eyes of the Lord. You heard what I spoke against this place and its people. I said they would be under a curse. I told them they would be destroyed. You tore your royal robes and wept in front of me. And I have heard you,” announces the Lord.

“ Now look at us. We are slaves today. We’re slaves in the land you gave our people of long ago. You gave it to them so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces.

I heard him speak to the six men. He said,“ Follow him through the city. Do not show any pity or concern.Kill the old men and women, the young men and women, and the children. But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Start at my temple.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.Then he said to the men,“ Make the temple‘ unclean.’ Fill the courtyards with dead bodies. Go!” So they went out and started killing people all through the city.While they were doing it, I was left alone. I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out,“ Lord and King, are you going to destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive? Will you pour out your great anger on all those who remain in Jerusalem?”