The Lord is calling out to Jerusalem. And it would be wise to pay attention to him. He says,“ Listen, tribe of Judah and you people who are gathered in the city.

耶和华向这城呼叫，智慧人必敬畏他的名：“你们当听是谁派定刑杖的惩罚。

耶和华向这城呼叫—看重你的名是真智慧—你们当听惩罚和派定惩罚的人。

耶和华向这城呼叫—看重你的名是真智慧—你们当听惩罚和派定惩罚的人。

耶和华在向耶路撒冷呼喊，智者必敬畏祂的名。祂说：“聚在城里的众人啊，你们要听！

听啊！耶和华向这城呼叫，敬畏你的名就是智慧；支派和城里的会众啊！你们要听。

耶和華向這城呼叫，智慧人必敬畏他的名。你們當聽是誰派定刑杖的懲罰。

耶和華向這城呼叫－看重你的名是真智慧－你們當聽懲罰和派定懲罰的人。

耶和華向這城呼叫－看重你的名是真智慧－你們當聽懲罰和派定懲罰的人。

耶和華在向耶路撒冷呼喊，智者必敬畏祂的名。祂說：「聚在城裡的眾人啊，你們要聽！

聽啊！耶和華向這城呼叫，敬畏你的名就是智慧；支派和城裡的會眾啊！你們要聽。

聽啊，永恆主向這城呼叫呢！敬畏他的名是最有效的智慧；這城的支派和議會啊，聽哦！

耶和華之聲、向斯邑而呼、智者必寅畏其名、其聽厥杖、而知為誰所定、

耶和華降命於邑中、撲責斯民、苟有智慧者、無不遵從焉、

主之聲呼邑、爾其聽之、凡有智慧者、必敬畏主之名、凡有智慧者必敬畏主之名或作凡敬畏主名者必為有福爾必受撲責、亦當知定之者誰、

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom—“ Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

The voice of the Lord cries to the city— and it is sound wisdom to fear your name:“ Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!

Fear the Lord if you are wise! His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:“ The armies of destruction are coming; the Lord is sending them.

The voice of the LORD calls out to the city( and it is wise to fear your name):“ Pay attention to the rod and the one who ordained it.

The voice of the Lord will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:“ Hear, you tribe. Who has designated its time?

The LORD’s voice cries to the city— Wisdom shall see Your name:“ Hear the Rod! Who has appointed it?

The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

The voice of Yahweh calls out to the city( and it is wise to fear Your name):“ Pay attention to the rod and the One who ordained it.

The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and[ the man of] wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

Listen! The LORD is calling to the city! It is wise to respect your authority, O LORD! Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city!

Yahweh’s voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name:“ Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.

They don’t obey anyone. They don’t accept the Lord’ s warnings. They don’t trust in him. They don’t ask their God for his help.

The Lord will come from far away in all his power and glory. He will show his burning anger. Thick clouds of smoke will be all around him. His mouth will speak angry words. The words from his tongue will be like a destroying fire.

The Lord says,“ How terrible it will be for the people of Assyria! They are the war club that carries out my anger.I will send them against the ungodly nation of Judah. I will order them to fight against my own people. My people make me angry. I will order Assyria to take their goods and carry them away. I will order Assyria to walk on my people as if they were walking on mud.

‘ I warn and correct those I love. So be sincere, and turn away from your sins.

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

The king heard the words of the Book of the Law. When he did, he tore his royal robes.He gave orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. Akbor was the son of Micaiah. And Asaiah was the king’s attendant. Josiah commanded them,“ Go. Ask the Lord for advice. Ask him about what is written in this book that has been found. Do it for me. Also do it for the people and the whole nation of Judah. The Lord is very angry with us. That’s because our people who have lived before us didn’t obey the words of this book. They didn’t do everything written there about us.”Hilkiah the priest went to speak to Huldah the prophet. So did Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah. Huldah was the wife of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Tikvah. Tikvah was the son of Harhas. Shallum took care of the sacred robes. Huldah lived in the New Quarter of Jerusalem.Huldah said to them,“ The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,‘ Here is what you must tell the man who sent you to me.Tell him,“ The Lord says,‘ I am going to bring horrible trouble on this place and its people. Everything written in the book the king of Judah has read will take place.That’s because the people have deserted me. They have burned incense to other gods. They have made me very angry because of the statues of gods their hands have made. So my anger will burn like a fire against this place. And the fire of my anger will not be put out.’ ” ’The king of Judah sent you to ask the Lord for advice. Tell him,‘ The Lord is the God of Israel. He has a message for you about the things you heard. He says,“ 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.“ You will join the members of your family who have already died. You will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the trouble I am going to bring on this place.” ’ ” Huldah’s answer was taken back to the king.

Then the armies of Babylon will come back here. They will attack this city. They will capture it. Then they will burn it down.’“ The Lord says,‘ Do not fool yourselves. You think,“ The Babylonians will leave us alone.” But they will not!Suppose you destroy all the armies of Babylon that are attacking you. Suppose only wounded men are left in their tents. Even then they will come out and burn down this city.’ ”

Hear the loud sounds coming from the city! Listen to the noise coming from the temple! I am the one causing it. I am paying back my enemies for everything they have done.

Destroyed cities will lie empty. People will lock themselves inside their houses.In the streets people will cry out for wine. All joy will turn into sadness. All joyful sounds will be driven out of the earth.All the buildings will be knocked down. Every city gate will be smashed to pieces.

Suppose I go into the country. Then I see people who have been killed by swords. Or suppose I go into the city. Then I see people who have died of hunger. Prophet and priest alike have gone to a land they hadn’t known about before.’ ”Lord, have you completely turned your back on Judah? Do you hate the city of Zion? Why have you made us suffer? We can’t be healed. We hoped peace would come. But nothing good has happened to us. We hoped we would finally be healed. But all we got was terror.Lord, we admit we’ve done evil things. We also admit that our people of long ago were guilty. It’s true that we’ve sinned against you.For the honor of your name, don’t turn your back on us. Don’t bring shame on your glorious throne in the temple. Remember the covenant you made with us. Please don’t break it.Do any of the worthless gods of the nations bring rain? Do the skies send down showers all by themselves? No. Lord our God, you send the rain. So we put our hope in you. You are the one who does all these things.

Tell them,‘ Here is what the Lord who rules over all says.“ This potter’s jar is smashed and can’t be repaired. And I will smash this nation and this city. People will bury their dead in Topheth. But they will run out of room.Here is what I will do to Jerusalem and those who live here,” ’ announces the Lord.‘“ I will make this city like Topheth.The houses in Jerusalem will be made‘ unclean’ like Topheth. So will the houses of the kings of Judah. All these people burned incense on their roofs to all the stars. They poured out drink offerings to other gods.” ’ ”

“ 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)

If someone is wise, they will realize that what I’ve said is true. If they have understanding, they will know what it means. The ways of the Lord are right. People who are right with God live the way he wants them to. But those who refuse to obey him trip and fall.

The Lord who rules over all says,“ Think carefully about how you are living.You have planted many seeds. But the crops you have gathered are small. So you eat. But you never have enough. You drink. But you are never full. You put on your clothes. But you are not warm. You earn your pay. But it will not buy everything you need.”He continues,“ Think carefully about how you are living.

May you, the Lord, let your enemies know who you are. You alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.

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.

Then the Lord came down in the cloud. He stood there with Moses and announced his name, the Lord.As he passed in front of Moses, he called out. He said,“ I am the Lord, the Lord. I am the God who is tender and kind. I am gracious. I am slow to get angry. I am faithful and full of love.I continue to show my love to thousands of people. I forgive those who do evil. I forgive those who refuse to obey me. And I forgive those who sin. But I do not let guilty people go without punishing them. I cause the sins of the parents to affect their children, grandchildren and great- grandchildren.”

“ I made sure your stomachs were empty in every city. You did not have enough bread in any of your towns. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ I also held back rain from you. The time to harvest crops was still three months away. I sent rain on one town. But I held it back from another. One field had rain. But another had no rain and dried up.People wandered from town to town to look for water. But they did not get enough to drink. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ Many times I kept your gardens and vineyards from growing. I sent hot winds to dry them up completely. Locusts ate up your fig and olive trees. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ I sent plagues on you, just as I did on Egypt. I killed your young men by swords. I also let the horses you had captured be killed. I filled your noses with the stink of your camps. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ I destroyed some of you, just as I did Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick that was pulled out of the fire. In spite of that, you still have not returned to me,” announces the Lord.“ So, people of Israel, I will judge you. Because I will do that to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God!”

A lion has roared. Who isn’t afraid? The Lord and King has spoken. Who can do anything but prophesy?Speak to the people in the forts of Ashdod and Egypt. Tell them,“ Gather together on the mountains of Samaria. Look at the great trouble in that city. Its people are committing many crimes.”“ They do not know how to do what is right,” announces the Lord.“ They store up stolen goods in their forts.”So the Lord and King says,“ Enemies will take over your land. They will pull down your places of safety. They will rob your forts.”The Lord says,“ Suppose a shepherd saves only two leg bones from a lion’s mouth. Or he might save only a piece of an ear. That is how the Israelites living in Samaria will be saved. They will only have a board from a bed and a piece of cloth from a couch.”“ Listen to me,” announces the Lord.“ Be a witness against the people of Jacob,” says the Lord God who rules over all.“ I will punish Israel for their sins. When I do, I will destroy their altars at Bethel. The horns that stick out from the upper corners of their main altar will be cut off. They will fall to the ground.I will tear down their winter houses. I will also pull down their summer houses. The houses they have decorated with ivory will be destroyed. And their princely houses will be torn down,” announces the Lord.

Another messenger says,“ Cry out.” And I said,“ What should I cry?”“ Cry out,‘ All people are like grass. They don’t stay faithful to me any longer than wildflowers last.The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them. So people are just like grass.The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.’ ”

But his people have not returned to the God who struck them down. They haven’t turned for help to the Lord who rules over all.

A person who is still alive shouldn’t blame God when God punishes them for their sins.Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living. Let’s return to the Lord.Let’s lift up our hands to God in heaven. Let’s pray to him with all our hearts.Let’s say,“ We have sinned. We’ve refused to obey you. And you haven’t forgiven us.

The Lord is known to be fair by the things he does. Evil people are trapped by what they have done.

Jonah began by going one whole day into the city. As he went, he announced,“ In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed.”The people of Nineveh believed God’s warning. So they decided not to eat any food for a while. And all of them put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. That’s what everyone did, from the least important of them to the most important.Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh. He got up from his throne. He took off his royal robes. He also dressed himself in the clothing of sadness. And then he sat down in the dust.Here is the message he sent out to the people of Nineveh.“ I and my nobles give this order. Don’t let people or animals taste anything. That includes your herds and flocks. People and animals must not eat or drink anything.Let people and animals alike be covered with the clothing of sadness. All of you must call out to God with all your hearts. Stop doing what is evil. Don’t harm others.Who knows? God might take pity on us. He might not be angry with us anymore. Then we won’t die.”God saw what they did. He saw that they stopped doing what was evil. So he took pity on them. He didn’t destroy them as he had said he would.

The Lord thunders with his mighty voice as he leads his army. He has so many forces they can’t even be counted. The army that obeys his commands is mighty. The day of the Lord is great and terrifying. Who can live through it?The Lord announces to his people,“ Return to me with all your heart. There is still time. Do not eat any food. Weep and mourn.”Don’t just tear your clothes to show how sad you are. Let your hearts be broken. Return to the Lord your God. He is gracious. He is tender and kind. He is slow to get angry. He is full of love. He won’t bring his judgment. He won’t destroy you.Who knows? He might turn toward you and not bring his judgment. He might even give you his blessing. Then you can bring grain offerings and drink offerings to the Lord your God.Priests, blow the trumpets in Zion. Announce a holy fast. Tell the people not to eat anything. Gather them together for a special service.Bring them together. Set all of them apart to me. Bring together the elders. Gather the children and the babies who are still nursing. Let the groom leave his bedroom. Let the bride leave their marriage bed.Let the priests who serve the Lord weep. Let them cry between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say,“ Lord, spare your people. Don’t let others make fun of them. Don’t let the nations laugh at them. Don’t let them tease your people and say,‘ Where is their God?’ ”Then the Lord was concerned for his land. He took pity on his people.

How terrible it will be for you men who are so contented on Mount Zion! How terrible for you who feel secure on the hill of Samaria! You are famous men from the greatest nation. The people of Israel come to you for help and advice.

I say to God,‘ Don’t find me guilty. Instead, tell me what charges you are bringing against me.

Hard times don’t just grow out of the soil. Trouble doesn’t jump out of the ground.People are born to have trouble. And that’s just as sure as sparks fly up.“ If I were you, I’d make my appeal to God. I’d bring my case to be judged by him.

So I will make this house like Shiloh. All the nations on earth will use the name of this city in a curse.” ’ ”

Lord, you have raised your hand high to punish them. But they don’t even see it. Let them see how much you love your people. Then they will be put to shame. Let the fire you are saving for your enemies burn them up.

For three years in a row there wasn’t enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn’t blessing his people. The Lord said,“ It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death.”

My people’s land is overgrown with thorns and bushes. Mourn for all the houses that were once filled with joy. Cry over this city that used to be full of wild parties.The royal palace will be left empty. The noisy city will be deserted. The fort and lookout tower will become a dry and empty desert forever. Donkeys will enjoy being there. Flocks will eat there.

Let those who are wise pay attention to these things. Let them think about the loving deeds of the Lord.

God, your fame reaches from one end of the earth to the other. So people praise you from one end of the earth to the other. You use your power to do what is right.

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.

“ Blessed is the person God corrects. So don’t hate the Mighty One’s training.

Wise people see danger and go to a safe place. But childish people keep going and suffer for it.

The people of Samaria must pay for their sins. They have refused to obey me. They will be killed by swords. Their little children will be smashed on the ground. Their pregnant women will be ripped wide open.”