to speak to the family of Israel. The Lord GOD said, ‘Look, I will destroy my holy place. You are proud of that place and sing songs of praise about it. You love to see it. You really love that place. But I will destroy it, and your children that you left behind will be killed in battle.
The Lord destroyed the houses of Jacob. He destroyed them without mercy. In his anger he destroyed the fortresses of Daughter Judah. He threw the kingdom of Judah and its rulers to the ground. He ruined the kingdom of Judah.
“So the Lord has kept his promises. I am the king now in place of my father David. I rule the people of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.
“Make a special altar for me. You should use dirt to make this altar. Offer sheep and cattle as burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on this altar. Do this in every place where I tell you to remember me. Then I will come and bless you.
Nebuchadnezzar and his army burned the Temple. They broke down Jerusalem’s wall and burned all the houses that belonged to the king and his officials. They took or destroyed every valuable thing in Jerusalem.
He pulled up his own tent as if it were a garden. He has ruined the place where the people came together to worship him. The Lord has made people forget the special assemblies and special days of rest in Zion. He rejected the king and the priests. He was angry and rejected them.
I will bring evil people from other nations, and they will get all the houses of the people of Israel. I will stop all you powerful people from being so proud. Those people from other nations will get all your places of worship.