Four Devastating Judgments

¹² The word of the Lord came to me: ¹³ “Son of man, suppose a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its supply of bread,^(A) to send famine through it, and to wipe out both people and animals from it. ¹⁴ Even if these three men^(B)—Noah,^(C) Daniel,^(D) and Job^(E)—were in it, they would rescue only themselves by their righteousness.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.

¹⁵ “Suppose I allow dangerous animals^(F) to pass through the land and depopulate it so that it becomes desolate, with no one passing through it for fear of the animals. ¹⁶ Even if these three men were in it, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“they could not rescue their sons or daughters. They alone would be rescued, but the land would be desolate.^(G)

¹⁷ “Or suppose I bring a sword^(H) against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I wipe out both people and animals from it.^{(I) 18} Even if these three men were in it, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“they could not rescue their sons or daughters, but they alone would be rescued.

¹⁹ “Or suppose I send a plague into that land^(J) and pour out my wrath on it with bloodshed to wipe out both people and animals from it. ²⁰ Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“they could not rescue their son or daughter. They would rescue only themselves by their righteousness.

²¹ “For this is what the Lord God says: How much worse will it be when I send my four^(K) devastating judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague—in order to wipe out both people and animals from it! ²² Even so, there will be survivors left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out. Indeed, they will come out to you, and you will observe their conduct and actions.^(L) Then you will be consoled about the devastation I have brought on Jerusalem, about all I have brought on it. ²³ They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done what I did to it.”^(M) This is the declaration of the Lord God.