³ For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah^(A) son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again,^(B) but you have not listened.^(C)

⁴ And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets^(D) to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.^{(E) 5} They said, “Turn^(F) now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land^(G) the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. ⁶ Do not follow other gods^(H) to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

⁷ “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused^(I) my anger with what your hands have made,^(J) and you have brought harm^(K) to yourselves.”

⁸ Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹ I will summon^(L) all the peoples of the north^(M) and my servant^(N) Nebuchadnezzar^(O) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy^[a](P) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,^(Q) and an everlasting ruin.^(R)