⁶ The Lord said to me, “Here is what I want you to announce in the towns of Judah. Say it also in the streets of Jerusalem. Tell the people, ‘Listen to the terms of my covenant. Obey them. ⁷ Long ago I brought your people up from Egypt. From that time until today, I warned them again and again. I said, “Obey me.” ⁸ But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. Instead, they did what their stubborn and evil hearts wanted them to do. So I brought down on them all the curses of the covenant. I commanded them to obey it. But they refused.’ ”

⁹ The Lord continued, “The people of Judah have made some evil plans. So have those who live in Jerusalem. ¹⁰ All of them have returned to the sins their people of long ago committed. Those people refused to listen to what I told them. And now the people of Israel and Judah alike have worshiped other gods and served them. They have broken the covenant I made with their people who lived before them. ¹¹ So I say, ‘I will bring trouble on them. They will not be able to escape it. They will cry out to me. But I will not listen to them.