26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Behold, I am the Lord, (A)the God of all flesh. (B)Is anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore, thus says the Lord: (C)Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city (D)shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, (E)with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal (F)and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, (G)to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight (H)from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but (I)provoke me to anger (J)by the work of their hands, declares the Lord. 31 This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, (K)so that I will remove it from my sight 32 because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—(L)their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 (M)They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them (N)persistently, they have not listened (O)to receive instruction. 34 They set up (P)their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. 35 They built the high places of Baal (Q)in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, (R)to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, (S)though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do (T)this abomination, (U)to cause Judah to sin.

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A Prediction of Jerusalem’s Fall

26 Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will hand this city over to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 29 The Babylonians outside the walls will come in and set fire to the city. They will burn down all these houses where the people provoked my anger by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out liquid offerings to other gods. 30 Israel and Judah have done nothing but wrong since their earliest days. They have infuriated me with all their evil deeds,” says the Lord. 31 “From the time this city was built until now, it has done nothing but anger me, so I am determined to get rid of it.

32 “The sins of Israel and Judah—the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets—have stirred up my anger. 33 My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return. Even though I diligently taught them, they would not receive instruction or obey. 34 They have set up their abominable idols right in my own Temple, defiling it. 35 They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly!

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