Your own wickedness will correct you, and your unfaithful ways will punish you. You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for you if you abandon the Lord your God and do not fear me,” declares the Almighty Lord of Armies.

This is what the Lord of Armies says: Cut down its trees. Build up dirt mounds to attack Jerusalem. This city must be punished. There is nothing but oppression in it.

This is what the Lord of Armies says: Thoroughly pick through the faithful few of Israel like someone picks through a grapevine. Like someone picking grapes, pass your hand over its branches again.

This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Change the way you live and act, and I will let you live in this place.

“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the meat.

“Then the few who remain from these wicked people will want to die rather than live where I will scatter them,” declares the Lord of Armies.

This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will now refine them with fire and test them. What else can I do for my dear people?

This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to feed these people bitterness and give them poison to drink.

This is what the Lord of Armies says: Consider this: Call for the women who cry at funerals. Send for those who are the most skilled.

Jacob’s God isn’t like them. He made everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. His name is the Lord of Armies.

The Lord of Armies planted you. He has pronounced disaster on you. This is because of the evil things that Israel and Judah have done. They have made him furious by burning incense as an offering to Baal.

O Lord of Armies, you judge fairly and test motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I’ve brought my case to you.

This is what the Lord of Armies says: I’m going to punish them. The young men will die because of war. Their sons and daughters will die because of famine.

This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I’m going to put a stop to the sounds of joy and happiness and the sounds of brides and grooms in this place. This will happen in your lifetime, while you watch.

Say, “Listen to the Lord’s word, you kings of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I’m going to bring such a disaster on this place that the ears of everyone who hears about it will ring.

Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will smash these people and this city as this potter’s jar was smashed beyond repair. They will bury ⌞the dead⌟ in Topheth until there’s no other place to bury them.

“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I’m going to bring on this city and on all its towns the disasters that I threatened. They’ve become impossible to deal with, and they refuse to obey me.”

But the Lord of Armies examines the righteous. He sees their motives and thoughts. I want to see you take revenge on them, because I’ve brought my case to you.

This is what the Lord of Armies says about the prophets: I will give them wormwood to eat and poison to drink. The prophets of Jerusalem have spread godlessness throughout the land.

This is what the Lord of Armies says: Don’t listen to what the prophets are saying to you. They fill you with false hope. They speak about visions that they dreamed up. These visions are not from the Lord.

They should never again say, ‘This is the Lord’s revelation,’ because each person’s word becomes the revelation. They will twist the words of the living God, the Lord of Armies, our God.

“This is what the Lord of Armies says: You did not listen to my words,

⌞The Lord said,⌟ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk, vomit, fall down, and don’t get up because of the wars that I’m going to send you.’

But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink from it, say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: You must drink from it!

I am going to bring disaster on the city that is named after me. Do you think you’ll go unpunished? You will not go unpunished! I’m declaring war on all those who live on earth, declares the Lord of Armies.’