Topheth has been made ready for a long time; it is ready for the king. It was made deep and wide with much wood and fire. And the Lord’s breath will come like a stream of burning sulfur and set it on fire.
They will panic, and their protection will be destroyed. Their commanders will be terrified when they see God’s battle flag,” says the Lord, whose fire is in Jerusalem and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Say to Israel: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will pull my sword out of its holder, and I will cut off from you both the wicked and those who do right.
“ ‘This is what the Lord God says: How terrible it will be for the city of murderers! How terrible it will be for the rusty pot whose rust will not come off! Take the meat out of it, piece by piece. Don’t choose any special piece.
Also remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other towns around them. In the same way they were full of sexual sin and people who desired sexual relations that God does not allow. They suffer the punishment of eternal fire, as an example for all to see.
They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the winepress as high as horses’ bridles for a distance of about one hundred eighty miles.
The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations were destroyed. And God remembered the sins of Babylon the Great, so he gave that city the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger.
But cowards, those who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies—all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”