21 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.

22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:

26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.

28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.

29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.

30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.

31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.

33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.

34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

At that time, saith the Lord, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the Lord of hosts.

21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices(A) and eat(B) the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands(C) about burnt offerings and sacrifices,(D) 23 but I gave them this command:(E) Obey(F) me, and I will be your God and you will be my people.(G) Walk in obedience to all(H) I command you, that it may go well(I) with you. 24 But they did not listen(J) or pay attention;(K) instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.(L) They went backward(M) and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again(N) I sent you my servants(O) the prophets.(P) 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention.(Q) They were stiff-necked(R) and did more evil than their ancestors.’(S)

27 “When you tell(T) them all this, they will not listen(U) to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.(V) 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.(W) Truth(X) has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

29 “‘Cut off(Y) your hair and throw it away; take up a lament(Z) on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned(AA) this generation that is under his wrath.

The Valley of Slaughter

30 “‘The people of Judah have done evil(AB) in my eyes, declares the Lord. They have set up their detestable idols(AC) in the house that bears my Name and have defiled(AD) it. 31 They have built the high places of Topheth(AE) in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(AF) to burn their sons and daughters(AG) in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.(AH) 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter,(AI) for they will bury(AJ) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 33 Then the carcasses(AK) of this people will become food(AL) for the birds and the wild animals, and there will be no one to frighten them away.(AM) 34 I will bring an end to the sounds(AN) of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom(AO) in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem,(AP) for the land will become desolate.(AQ)

“‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones(AR) of the people of Jerusalem will be removed(AS) from their graves. They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served(AT) and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped.(AU) They will not be gathered up or buried,(AV) but will be like dung lying on the ground.(AW) Wherever I banish them,(AX) all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life,(AY) declares the Lord Almighty.’

22 Speak, Thus saith the Lord, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.

23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

Read full chapter

22 Say, “This is what the Lord declares:

“‘Dead bodies will lie
    like dung(A) on the open field,
like cut grain behind the reaper,
    with no one to gather them.’”

23 This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom(B)
    or the strong boast of their strength(C)
    or the rich boast of their riches,(D)

Read full chapter