The LORDof hosts,who plantedyou, has pronouncedevilagainstyou becauseof the evilof the houseof Israeland of the houseof Judah,whichthey have doneto provokeMe by offeringup sacrificesto Baal.
"I will also appointa placefor My peopleIsraeland will plantthem, that they may livein their own placeand not be disturbedagain,norwill the wickedafflictthem anymoreas formerly,
In everycityof Judahhe madehighplacesto burnincenseto othergods,and provokedthe LORD,the Godof his fathers,to anger.
You with Your own handdroveout the nations;Then You plantedthem; You afflictedthe peoples,Then You spreadthem abroad.
Even the shootwhichYour righthandhas planted,And on the sonwhom You have strengthenedfor Yourself.
You removeda vinefrom Egypt;You droveout the nationsand plantedit.
He dugit all around,removedits stones,And plantedit with the choicestvine.And He builta towerin the middleof it And alsohewedout a winevatin it; Then He expected[it] to produce[good] grapes,But it produced[only] worthlessones.
To grantthose who mourn[in] Zion,Givingthem a garlandinsteadof ashes,The oilof gladnessinsteadof mourning,The mantleof praiseinsteadof a spiritof fainting.So they will be calledoaksof righteousness,The plantingof the LORD,that He may be glorified.
Then the LORDsaidto me, "Out of the norththe evilwill breakforthon allthe inhabitantsof the land.
Thereforethussaysthe LORD,"BeholdI am bringingdisasteron them whichthey will not be ableto escape;though they will cryto Me, yet I will not listento them.
"For your godsare as manyas your cities,O Judah;and as manyas the streetsof Jerusalemare the altarsyou have setup to the shamefulthing,altarsto burnincenseto Baal.
You have plantedthem, they have alsotakenroot;They grow,they have evenproducedfruit.You are nearto their lipsBut farfrom their mind.
For My peoplehave forgottenMe, They burnincenseto worthlessgods And they have stumbledfrom their ways,From the ancientpaths,To walkin bypaths,Not on a highway,
if that nationagainstwhichI have spokenturnsfrom its evil,I will relentconcerningthe calamityI plannedto bringon it.
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,'Behold,I am about to bringon thiscityand allits townsthe entirecalamitythat I have declaredagainstit, becausethey have stiffenedtheir necksso as not to heedMy words.'"
"Yet I plantedyou a choicevine,A completelyfaithfulseed.Howthen have you turnedyourself before Me Into the degenerateshoots of a foreignvine?
For I will setMy eyeson them for good,and I will bringthem againto thisland;and I will buildthem up and not overthrowthem, and I will plantthem and not pluckthem up.
"Nowtherefore amendyour waysand your deedsand obeythe voiceof the LORDyour God;and the LORDwill changeHis mindaboutthe misfortunewhichHe has pronouncedagainstyou.
"Did Hezekiahkingof Judahand allJudahputhim to death?Did he not fearthe LORDand entreatthe favorof the LORD,and the LORDchangedHis mindaboutthe misfortunewhichHe had pronouncedagainstthem? But we are committinga greatevilagainstourselves."
"The Chaldeanswho are fightingagainstthiscitywill enterand setthiscityon fireand burnit, with the houseswhere[people] have offeredincenseto Baalon their roofsand pouredout drinkofferingsto othergodsto provokeMe to anger.
"Indeedthe sonsof Israeland the sonsof Judahhave been doingonlyevilin My sightfrom their youth;for the sonsof Israelhave been onlyprovokingMe to angerby the workof their hands,"declaresthe LORD.
"Thereforethussaysthe LORD,the Godof hosts,the Godof Israel,'Behold,I am bringingon Judahand on allthe inhabitantsof Jerusalemallthe disasterthat I have pronouncedagainstthem; becauseI spoketo them but they did not listen,and I have calledthem but they did not answer.'"
"Perhapstheir supplicationwill comebeforethe LORD,and everyonewill turnfrom his evilway,for greatis the angerand the wraththat the LORDhas pronouncedagainstthispeople."
Now the captainof the bodyguardhad takenJeremiahand saidto him, "The LORDyour Godpromisedthiscalamityagainstthisplace;
and the LORDhas brought[it] on and donejustas He promised.Becauseyou [people] sinnedagainst the LORDand did not listento His voice,therefore thisthinghas happenedto you.
Ifyou will indeedstayin thisland,then I will buildyou up and not tearyou down,and I will plantyou and not uprootyou; for I will relentconcerningthe calamitythat I have inflictedon you.
But they did not listenor inclinetheir earsto turnfrom their wickedness,so as not to burnsacrificesto othergods.
provokingMe to angerwith the worksof your hands,burningsacrificesto othergodsin the landof Egypt,whereyou are enteringto reside,sothat you might be cutoffand becomea curseand a reproachamong allthe nationsof the earth?
"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 childrengatherwood,and the fatherskindlethe fire,and the womenkneaddoughto makecakesfor the queenof heaven;and [they] pourout drinkofferingsto othergodsin orderto spiteMe.
"Will you steal,murder,and commitadulteryand swearfalsely,and offersacrificesto Baaland walkafterothergodsthat you have not known,
"He also tooksomeof the seedof the landand plantedit in fertilesoil.He placed[it] besideabundantwaters;he setit [like] a willow.
Israelis a luxuriantvine;He producesfruitfor himself. The morehis fruit,The morealtarshe made;The richerhis land,The betterhe madethe [sacred] pillars.
