"But did not My wordsand My statutes,whichI commandedMy servantsthe prophets,overtakeyour fathers?Then they repentedand said,As the LORDof hostspurposedto doto us in accordance with our waysand our deeds,soHe has dealtwith us.'"'"
Thisis the wordof the LORDwhichHe spoketo Jehu,saying,"Your sonsto the fourthgeneration shall siton the throneof Israel."And soit was.
"Desistnow,let there be noinjustice;Even desist,my righteousnessis yetin it.
and the remainderof the numberof bowmen,the mightymenof the sonsof Kedar,will be few;for the LORDGodof Israelhas spoken."
Confirmingthe wordof His servantAnd performingthe purposeof His messengers.[It is I] who saysof Jerusalem,'She shall be inhabited!'And of the citiesof Judah,They shall be built.'And I will raiseup her ruins[again].
"Ho!Everyonewho thirsts,cometo the waters;And you whohavenomoneycome,buyand eat.Come,buywineand milkWithoutmoneyand withoutcost.
Sowill My wordbe whichgoesforthfrom My mouth;It will not returnto Me empty,WithoutaccomplishingwhatI desire,And without succeeding[in the matter] for whichI sentit.
"The angerof the LORDwill not turnbackUntilHe has performedand carriedout the purposesof His heart;In the lastdaysyou will clearlyunderstandit.
"Onlyknowfor certainthat ifyou putme to death,you will bringinnocentbloodon yourselves, and on thiscityand on its inhabitants;for trulythe LORDhas sentme to you to speakallthesewordsin your hearing."
So Hananiahthe prophetdiedin the sameyearin the seventhmonth.
Behold,the siegerampshave reachedthe cityto takeit; and the cityis giveninto the handof the Chaldeanswho fightagainstit, becauseof the sword,the famineand the pestilence;and whatYou have spokenhas cometo pass;and behold,You see[it].
"Takeagainanotherscrolland writeon it allthe formerwordsthat were on the firstscrollwhichJehoiakimthe kingof Judahburned.
"Goand speakto Ebed-melechthe Ethiopian,saying,'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,"Behold,I am about to bringMy wordson thiscityfor disasterand not for prosperity;and they will takeplacebeforeyou on that day.
"Circumciseyourselves to the LORDAnd removethe foreskinsof your heart,Menof Judahand inhabitantsof Jerusalem,OrelseMy wrathwill goforthlike fireAnd burnwith noneto quenchit, Becauseof the evilof your deeds."
"Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel,'You yourselveshave seenallthe calamitythat I have broughton Jerusalemand allthe citiesof Judah;and behold,thisdaythey are in ruinsand noonelivesin them,
Those whoescapethe swordwill returnout of the landof Egyptto the landof Judahfewin number.Then allthe remnantof Judahwho have goneto the landof Egyptto residetherewill knowwhosewordwill stand,Mineor theirs.
Thiswill be the signto you,' declaresthe LORD,'that I am going to punishyou in thisplace,sothat you may knowthat My wordswill surelystandagainstyou for harm.'
Therefore My wrathand My angerwere pouredout and burnedin the citiesof Judahand in the streetsof Jerusalem,so they havebecomea ruinand a desolationas it is thisday.
Therefore,thussaysthe LORD,the Godof hosts,"Becauseyou have spokenthisword,Behold,I am makingMy wordsin your mouthfireAnd thispeoplewood,and it will consumethem.
"The LORDis righteous;For I have rebelledagainstHis command;Hearnow,allpeoples,And beholdmy pain;My virginsand my youngmenHave goneinto captivity.
The LORDhas donewhatHe purposed;He has accomplishedHis wordWhichHe commandedfrom daysof old.He has throwndownwithoutsparing,And He has caused the enemyto rejoiceoveryou; He has exaltedthe mightof your adversaries.
We have transgressedand rebelled,You have not pardoned.
"Thereyou will rememberyour waysand allyour deedswith whichyou have defiledyourselves; and you will loatheyourselves in your own sightfor allthe evilthingsthat you have done.
Then He saidto me, "Sonof man,thesebonesare the wholehouseof Israel;behold,they say,Our bonesare driedup and our hopehas perished.We are completely cutoff.'
"All[this] happenedto Nebuchadnezzarthe king.
Ephraimwill becomea desolationin the dayof rebuke;Among the tribesof IsraelI declarewhat is sure.
Alltheir evilis at Gilgal;Indeed,I came to hatethem there!Becauseof the wickednessof their deedsI will drivethem out of My house!I will lovethem nomore;Alltheir princesare rebels.
"Allthe sinnersof My peoplewill dieby the sword,Those who say,The calamitywill not overtakeor confrontus.'
On the twenty-fourthdayof the eleventhmonth,whichis the monthShebat,in the secondyearof Darius,the wordof the LORDcameto Zechariahthe prophet,the sonof Berechiah,the sonof Iddo,as follows:
So you will againdistinguishbetweenthe righteousand the wicked,betweenone who servesGodand one whodoes not serveHim.
"Godis not a man,that He should lie,Nora sonof man,that He should repent;Has He said,and will He not doit? Or has He spoken,and will He not makeit good?
"But ifyou will not doso,behold,you have sinnedagainst the LORD,and be sureyour sinwill findyou out.
And as I planto doto them, so I will doto you.'"
"Heavenand earthwill passaway,but My wordswill not pass away.
"But it shall comeabout, ifyou do not obeythe LORDyour God,to observeto doallHis commandmentsand His statuteswith whichI chargeyou today,that allthesecurseswill comeupon you and overtakeyou:
"Alltheseblessingswill comeupon you and overtakeyou ifyou obeythe LORDyour God:
"The LORDwill sendupon you curses,confusion,and rebuke,in allyou undertaketo do,untilyou are destroyedand untilyou perishquickly,on accountof the evilof your deeds,becauseyou have forsakenMe.
"So allthesecursesshall comeon you and pursueyou and overtakeyou untilyou are destroyed,becauseyou would not obeythe LORDyour Godby keepingHis commandmentsand His statuteswhichHe commandedyou.
But you, brethren,are not in darkness,that the daywould overtakeyou likea thief;
