The Lord made the moon to mark off the seasons. The sun knows when to go down.

I was there when he set the heavens in place. When he marked out the place where the sky meets the sea, I was there.

It was when he set limits for the sea so that the waters had to obey his command. When the Lord marked out the foundations of the earth, I was there.

Do Many Things to Succeed

Sell your grain in the market overseas. After a while you might earn something from it.

Instead of smelling sweet, the women will smell bad. Instead of wearing belts, they will wear ropes. Instead of having beautiful hair, they won’t have any hair at all. Instead of wearing fine clothes, they’ll wear rough clothes to show how sad they are. Instead of being beautiful, on their bodies they’ll have the marks of their owners.

In the streets they wear the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. On their roofs and in the market places all of them are crying. They fall down flat with their faces toward the ground. And they weep.

Grain from Egypt came across the mighty waters. The harvest of the Nile River brought wealth to Tyre. It became the market place of the nations.

Who has measured the oceans by using the palm of his hand? Who has used the width of his hand to mark off the sky? Who has measured out the dust of the earth in a basket? Who has weighed the mountains on scales? Who has weighed the hills in a balance?

A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line. He draws a pattern on it with a marker. He cuts out a statue with sharp tools. He marks it with compasses. He shapes it into the form of a beautiful human being. He does this so he can put it in a temple.

No One Is Honest

The Lord says, “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look around. Think about what you see. Search through the market. See if you can find one honest person who tries to be truthful. If you can, I will forgive this city.

Death has climbed in through our windows. It has entered our forts. Death has removed the children from the streets. It has taken the young men out of the market.

“King Jehoiachin, you are the son of Jehoiakim,” announces the Lord. “Suppose you were a ring on my right hand. And suppose the ring even had my royal mark on it. Then I would still pull you off my finger. And that is just as sure as I am alive.

Weeping is the only sound in Moab. It is heard on all its roofs. It is heard in the market. I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants,” announces the Lord.

I will stir up great nations that will join forces against Babylon. I will bring them from the land of the north. They will take up their battle positions against Babylon. They will come from the north and capture it. Their arrows will be like skilled soldiers. They will not miss their mark.

The Lord said to him, “Go all through Jerusalem. Look for those who are sad and sorry about all the things being done there. I hate those things. Put a mark on the foreheads of those people.”

Kill the old men and women, the young men and women, and the children. But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Start at my temple.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.

Your people built up mounds for themselves in every market. They put little places of worship on them.

Your people built up mounds at every street corner. You put little places of worship on them in every market. But you did not really act like a prostitute. That’s because you refused to let your lovers pay you anything.

“Son of man, mark out on a map two roads for the sword to take. The sword belongs to the king of Babylon. Both roads start from the same country. Put up a sign where the road turns off to the city of Rabbah.

Mark out one road for the sword to take against Rabbah in Ammon. Mark out another against Judah and the walls of Jerusalem.

In your market they traded beautiful clothes, blue cloth, and needlework to you. They also traded colorful rugs that had twisted cords and tight knots.

As they go through the land here is what they’ll do. When anyone sees a bone, they will put a marker beside it. Then those who dig the graves will take the bone to the Valley of Gog’s Armies. There they will bury it.

The Lord God rules over all. The Lord says, “People will weep in all the streets. They will be very sad in every market place. Even farmers will be told to cry loudly. People will mourn for the dead.

Cry out, you who live in the market places. All your merchants will be wiped out. Those who trade in silver will be destroyed.

“ ‘Zerubbabel, at that time I will pick you,’ announces the Lord. ‘You are my servant,’ announces the Lord. ‘You will be like a ring that has my royal mark on it. I have chosen you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all.”