Here is what will happen in the whole land,” announces the Lord.“ Two- thirds of the people will be struck down and die. But one- third will be left.

耶和华说：“这全地的人，三分之二必剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。

这全地的人，三分之二将被剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。这是耶和华说的。

这全地的人，三分之二将被剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。这是耶和华说的。

地上三分之二的人必遭铲除、毁灭，只剩下三分之一的人存活。这是耶和华说的。

全地的人必有三分之二被除灭，只有三分之一存留下来。（这是耶和华的宣告。）

耶和華說：這全地的人，三分之二必剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。

這全地的人，三分之二將被剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。這是耶和華說的。

這全地的人，三分之二將被剪除而死，三分之一仍必存留。這是耶和華說的。

地上三分之二的人必遭剷除、毀滅，只剩下三分之一的人存活。這是耶和華說的。

全地的人必有三分之二被除滅，只有三分之一存留下來。（這是耶和華的宣告。）

永恆主發神諭說；將來此地全部的人其中兩分必被剪除而死去，只有三分之一得以存留。

耶和華宣告：「全地的人必有三分之二被剪除而死，有三分之一存留下來。

耶和華曰、四境之內、三分之二、將見絕滅而亡、三分之一、必得存留、

耶和華曰、斯土眾庶、三分之二、必遭殞亡、三分之一、猶可得生、

主曰、於斯全地、三分之二必滅絕死亡、三分之一猶可生存、

In the whole land,” declares the Lord,“ two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.

In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.

Two thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die,” says the Lord.“ But one third will be left in the land.

In the whole land— this is the LORD’s declaration— two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it.

And it will come about in all the land,” Declares the Lord,“ That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it.

And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord,“ That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it:

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith Jehovah, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

In the whole land— this is the Lord’s declaration— two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it.

And it shall come to pass,[ that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off[ and] die; but the third shall be left therein.

It will happen in all the land, says the LORD, that two-thirds of the people in it will be cut off and die, but one-third will be left in it.

It shall happen that in all the land,” says Yahweh,“ two parts in it will be cut off and die; but the third will be left in it.

A third of your people will die of the plague inside your walls. Or they will die of hunger there. Another third will be killed by swords outside your walls. And I will scatter the last third of your people to the winds. I will chase them with a sword that is ready to strike them down.

“ You can be sure the day of the Lord is coming. My anger will burn like a furnace. All those who are proud will be like straw. So will all those who do what is evil. The day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ Not even a root or a branch will be left to them.But here is what will happen for you who have respect for me. The sun that brings life will rise. Its rays will bring healing to my people. You will go out and leap for joy like calves that have just been fed.Then you will stomp on sinful people. They will be like ashes under your feet. That will happen on the day I judge,” says the Lord.

Burn up a third of the hair inside the city. Do this when you stop attacking the model of Jerusalem. Next, get another third of the hair. Strike it with a sword all around the city. Then scatter the last third to the winds. That is because I will chase the people with a sword that is ready to strike them down.But save a few hairs. Tuck them away in the clothes you are wearing.Next, get a few more hairs. Throw them into the fire. Burn them up. The fire will spread to all the people of Israel.”

The great city split into three parts. The cities of the nations crumbled and fell. God remembered Babylon the Great. He gave Babylon the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger.

Suppose only a tenth of the people remain there. Even then the land will be completely destroyed again. But when oak trees and terebinth trees are cut down, stumps are left. And my holy people will be like stumps that begin to grow again.”

There will be terrible suffering in those days. It will be worse than any other from the beginning of the world until now. And there will never be anything like it again.“ If the time had not been cut short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, it will be shortened.

The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up. A third of the trees were burned up. All the green grass was burned up.The second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood.A third of the living creatures in the sea died. A third of the ships were destroyed.The third angel blew his trumpet. Then a great star fell from the sky. It looked like a blazing torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter. Many people died from it.The fourth angel blew his trumpet. Then a third of the sun was struck. A third of the moon was struck. A third of the stars were struck. So a third of each of them turned dark. Then a third of the day had no light. The same thing happened to a third of the night.

The Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets also forced us to leave. They do not please God. They are enemies of everyone.They try to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles. These Jews don’t want the Gentiles to be saved. In this way, these Jews always increase their sins to the limit. God’s anger has come on them at last.

So I will make it your fate to be killed by swords. All of you will die in the battle. That’s because I called out to you, but you did not answer me. I spoke to you, but you did not listen. You did what is evil in my sight. You chose to do what does not please me.”So the Lord and King says,“ Those who serve me will have food to eat. But you will be hungry. My servants will have plenty to drink. But you will be thirsty. Those who serve me will be full of joy. But you will be put to shame.My servants will sing with joy in their hearts. But you will cry out because of the great pain in your hearts. You will cry because your spirits are sad.My chosen ones will use your names when they curse others. I am your Lord and King. I will put you to death. But I will give new names to those who serve me.

The ax is ready to cut the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.“ I baptize you with water, calling you to turn away from your sins. But after me, someone is coming who is more powerful than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His pitchfork is in his hand to clear the straw from his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”

He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said,“ We hope this never happens!”Jesus looked right at them and said,“ Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written,“‘ The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all.’( Psalm 118:22)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”

“ When they go out of Jerusalem, they will see the dead bodies of those who refused to obey me. The worms that eat their bodies will not die. The fire that burns them will not be put out. It will make everyone sick just to look at them.”

“ So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit.Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”

I will no longer have pity on the people in the land,” announces the Lord.“ I will hand all of them over to their neighbors and their king. They will destroy the land. And I will not save anyone from their power.”So I took care of the sheep set apart to be sacrificed. I took special care of those that had been treated badly. Then I got two shepherd’s staffs. I called one of them Favor. I called the other one Union. And I took care of the flock.In one month I got rid of three worthless shepherds. The sheep hated me, and I got tired of them.So I said,“ I won’t be your shepherd anymore. Let those of you who are dying die. Let those who are passing away pass away. Let those who are left eat one another up.”

“ I am the Lord and King. My eyes are watching the sinful kingdom of Israel. I will wipe it off the face of the earth. But I will not totally destroy the people of Jacob,” announces the Lord.“ I will give an order. I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations. They will be like grain that is shaken through a screen. Not a pebble will fall to the ground.

“ A time is coming when you will see armies surround Jerusalem. Then you will know that it will soon be destroyed.Those who are in Judea should then escape to the mountains. Those in the city should get out. Those in the country should not enter the city.This is the time when God will punish Jerusalem. Everything will come true, just as it has been written.How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! There will be terrible suffering in the land. There will be great anger against those people.Some will be killed by the sword. Others will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be taken over by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles come to an end.

“ If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it.

I am with you. I will save you,’ ” announces the Lord.“‘ I will completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you. But I will be fair. I will not let you go without any punishment.’ ”

Jesus turned and said to them,“ Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children.The time will come when you will say,‘ Blessed are the women who can’t have children! Blessed are those who never gave birth or nursed babies!’It is written,“‘ The people will say to the mountains,“ Fall on us!” They’ll say to the hills,“ Cover us!” ’( Hosea 10:8)

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel. He says,“ The number of people from Israel may be like the sand by the sea. But only a few of them will be saved.The Lord will carry out his sentence. He will be quick to carry it out on earth, once and for all.”( Isaiah 10:22, 23)Earlier Isaiah had said,“ The Lord who rules over all left us children and grandchildren. If he hadn’t, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.”( Isaiah 1:9)

The Lord who rules over all says,“ I will send my messenger. He will prepare my way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant will come. He is the one you long for.”But who can live through the day when he comes? Who will be left standing when he appears? He will be like a fire that makes things pure. He will be like soap that makes things clean.

The sun will become dark. The moon will turn red like blood. It will happen before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.Everyone who calls out to me will be saved. On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem some of my people will be left alive. I have chosen them. That is what I have promised.

The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away. It will come from the ends of the earth. It will dive down on you like an eagle. You won’t understand that nation’s language.Its people will look mean. They won’t have any respect for old people. They won’t show any kindness to young people.They will eat up the young animals among your livestock. They’ll eat up the crops on your land. They’ll destroy you. They won’t leave you any grain, olive oil or fresh wine. They won’t leave you any calves or lambs. They’ll destroy you.They’ll surround all the cities throughout your whole land. They’ll attack those cities until the high, strong walls you trust in fall down. That’s what will happen to the cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you.Your enemies will surround you and attack you. They will make you suffer greatly. So you will eat your own children. You will eat the dead bodies of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you.There may be a gentle and caring man among you. But he will treat his own brother badly. He’ll be just as mean to the wife he loves and to any of his children who are still alive.He won’t give to a single one of them any part of the dead bodies of his children that he’s eating. It will be all he has left to eat. That’s how much your enemies will make you suffer when they surround all your cities and attack them.There may be a gentle and caring woman among you. She wouldn’t even touch the ground with her feet without first putting her sandals on. But she will not share anything with the husband she loves. She won’t share with her own children either.She will eat what comes out of her body after she has a baby. Then she’ll even eat her baby. She won’t share it with anyone in her family. In her great hunger she’ll plan to eat it in secret. There won’t be anything else for her to eat because the city she lives in will be surrounded. That’s an example of how much your enemies will make you suffer when they are attacking your cities.Be careful to follow all the words of this law. They are written in this scroll. Have respect for the glorious and wonderful name of the Lord your God. If you don’t,he will send terrible plagues on you and your children after you. He’ll send horrible and lasting troubles. He’ll make you very sick for a long time.He’ll bring on you all the sicknesses you were afraid of getting when you were in Egypt. You won’t be able to get rid of them.The Lord will also bring on you all other kinds of sickness and trouble. I haven’t even written those down in this Book of the Law. You will be destroyed.At one time you were as many as the stars in the sky. But there will only be a few of you left. That’s because you didn’t obey the Lord your God.It pleased the Lord to give you success and to cause there to be many of you. But it will please him just as much to wipe you out and destroy you. You will be removed from the land you are entering to take as your own.Then the Lord will scatter you among all the nations. He’ll spread you around from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship statues of gods made out of wood and stone. You and your people of long ago hadn’t known anything about those gods.Among those nations you won’t find any peace. There won’t be any place where you can make your home and rest your feet. The Lord will give you minds filled with worry. He’ll give you eyes worn out from looking for help. You won’t have any hope in your hearts.Your lives will always be in danger. You will be filled with fear night and day. You will never be sure you are safe.In the morning you will say,“ We wish it were evening!” In the evening you will say,“ We wish it were morning!” Your hearts will be filled with fear. The things you see will terrify you.The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships. He’ll send you on a journey I said you should never have to make again. You will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves in Egypt. But no one will buy you.

The day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem. At that time your enemies will steal everything your people own. They will divide it up within your walls.The Lord will gather all the nations together. They will fight against Jerusalem. They’ll capture the city. Its houses will be robbed. Its women will be raped. Half of the people will be taken away as prisoners. But the rest of them won’t be taken.

“ So I will come and put you on trial. I will be quick to bring charges against all of you,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ I will bring charges against you sinful people who do not have any respect for me. That includes those who practice evil magic. It includes those who commit adultery and those who tell lies in court. It includes those who cheat workers out of their pay. It includes those who treat widows badly. It also includes those who mistreat children whose fathers have died. And it includes those who take away the rights of outsiders in the courts.

So you will pay for all the godly people’s blood spilled on earth. I mean from the blood of godly Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. Zechariah was the one you murdered between the temple and the altar.What I’m about to tell you is true. All this will happen to those who are now living.“ Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me!

A covenant will be put into effect with many people for one‘ week.’ In the middle of the‘ week’ sacrifices and offerings will come to an end. And at the temple a hated thing that destroys will be set up. It will remain until that ruler who will come is destroyed. Then he will experience what the Lord has ordered.”

The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.

So here is what I ask. Did God turn his back on his people? Not at all! I myself belong to Israel. I am one of Abraham’s children. I am from the tribe of Benjamin.God didn’t turn his back on his people. After all, he chose them. Don’t you know what Scripture says about Elijah? He complained to God about Israel.He said,“ Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have torn down your altars. I’m the only one left. And they are trying to kill me.”( 1 Kings 19:10, 14)How did God answer him? God said,“ I have kept 7,000 people for myself. They have not bowed down to Baal.”( 1 Kings 19:18)Some are also faithful today. They have been chosen by God’s grace.

He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to weep.He said,“ I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a wall of dirt up against your city. They will surround you and close you in on every side.You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you. So your enemies will smash you to the ground. They will destroy you and all the people inside your walls. They will not leave one stone on top of another.”

So I have also made a choice. I will make them suffer greatly. I will bring on them what they are afraid of. When I called out to them, no one answered me. When I spoke to them, no one listened. They did what is evil in my sight. They chose to do what displeases me.”Listen to the word of the Lord. Listen, you who tremble with fear when he speaks. He says,“ Some of your own people hate you. They turn their backs on you because you are faithful to me. They make fun of you and say,‘ Let the Lord show his glory by saving you. Then we can see how happy you are.’ But they will be put to shame.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.