"So nowlet Me tellyou whatI am going to doto My vineyard:I will removeits hedgeand it will be consumed;I will breakdownits walland it will becometrampledground.
They said,"Come,let us buildfor ourselves a city,and a towerwhose top[will reach] into heaven,and let us makefor ourselves a name,otherwisewe will be scatteredabroad overthe faceof the wholeearth."
"Come,let Us godownand thereconfusetheir language,sothat they will not understandoneanother'sspeech."
I saidto the king,"Let the kingliveforever.Whyshould my facenot be sadwhenthe city,the placeof my fathers'tombs,lies desolateand its gateshave been consumedby fire?"
You have brokendownallhis walls;You have broughthis strongholdsto ruin.
Allwho passalongthe wayplunderhim; He hasbecomea reproachto his neighbors.
And behold,it was completelyovergrownwith thistles;Its surfacewas coveredwith nettles,And its stonewallwas brokendown.
A timeto killand a timeto heal;A timeto teardownand a timeto buildup.
I sendit against a godlessnationAnd commissionit againstthe peopleof My furyTo capturebootyand to seizeplunder,And to tramplethem downlike mudin the streets.
For the handof the LORDwill reston thismountain,And Moabwill be troddendownin his placeAs strawis troddendownin the waterof a manurepile.
"Your covenantwith deathwill be canceled,And your pactwith Sheolwill not stand;Whenthe overwhelmingscourgepassesthrough,Then you becomeits trampling[place].
The proudcrownof the drunkardsof Ephraimis troddenunder foot.
Withina yearand [a few] daysYou will be troubled,O complacent[daughters]; For the vintageis ended,[And] the [fruit] gatheringwill not come.
"So nowthen, speakto the menof Judahand againstthe inhabitantsof Jerusalemsaying,'Thussaysthe LORD,"Behold,I am fashioningcalamityagainstyou and devisinga planagainstyou. Ohturnback,eachof you from his evilway,and reformyour waysand your deeds."'
Thussaysthe LORDGodof Israel,"Behold,I am about to turnbackthe weaponsof warwhichare in your hands,with whichyou are warringagainstthe kingof Babylonand the Chaldeanswho are besiegingyou outsidethe wall;and I will gatherthem into the centerof thiscity.
"The prophetswhowere beforeme and beforeyou from ancienttimesprophesiedagainstmanylandsand againstgreatkingdoms,of warand of calamityand of pestilence.
"Thusyou are to sayto him, 'Thussaysthe LORD,"Behold,whatI have builtI am about to teardown,and whatI have plantedI am about to uproot,that is, the wholeland."
"The Lordhas rejectedallmy strongmenIn my midst;He has calledan appointedtimeagainstme To crushmy youngmen;The Lordhas trodden[as in] a winepressThe virgindaughterof Judah.
And He has violentlytreatedHis tabernaclelike a garden[booth]; He has destroyedHis appointedmeetingplace.The LORDhas caused to be forgottenThe appointedfeastand sabbathin Zion,And He has despisedkingand priestIn the indignationof His anger.
The kingsof the earthdid not believe,Nor[did] anyof the inhabitantsof the world,That the adversaryand the enemyCould enterthe gatesof Jerusalem.
Then I hearda holyonespeaking,and anotherholyonesaidto that particularonewho was speaking,"Howlongwill the vision[about] the regularsacrificeapply, while the transgressioncauseshorror,so as to allowboth the holyplace and the hostto be trampled?"
"I will destroyher vinesand figtrees,Of whichshe said,'Theseare my wagesWhichmy lovershave givenme.' And I will makethem a forest,And the beastsof the fieldwill devourthem.
"Therefore,behold,I will allureher, Bringher into the wildernessAnd speakkindlyto her.
and they will fallby the edgeof the sword,and will be led captiveinto allthe nations;and Jerusalemwill be trampled underfoot by the Gentilesuntilthe timesof the Gentilesare fulfilled.
"Leaveout the courtwhich is outsidethe templeand do not measureit, for it has been givento the nations;and they will tread under footthe holycityfor forty-twomonths.
