The Valley of Slaughter

30 “For the sons of Judah have done evil in my sight, declares the Lord. They have set (A)their detestable things in the house (B)that is called by my name, to (C)defile it. 31 And they have built the high places of (D)Topheth, which is in (E)the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, (F)to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, (G)which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind. 32 (H)Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when it will no more be called (I)Topheth, or (J)the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; (K)for they will bury in Topheth, because there is no room elsewhere. 33 (L)And the dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth, (M)and none will frighten them away. 34 (N)And I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, (O)for the land shall become a waste.

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30 The people of Judah have done what displeases me, declares the Lord. They have corrupted the temple that bears my name by setting up their disgusting idols. 31 They have built shrines at Topheth in the Ben-hinnom Valley to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, although I never commanded such a thing, nor did it ever cross my mind. 32 So now the time is coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer speak of Topheth or the Ben-hinnom Valley, but the Carnage Valley. They will bury in Topheth until no space is left. 33 The corpses of this people will be food for birds and wild animals, with no one to drive them off. 34 I will silence the sound of joy and delight as well as the voice of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, for the country will be reduced to a wasteland.

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