So this is what the Lord All-Powerful says about the prophets: “I will make those prophets eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because the prophets of Jerusalem spread wickedness through the whole country.”
I will send war, hunger, and disease against them. I will attack them until they have all been killed. Then they will no longer be in the land I gave to them and their ancestors.’ ”
The Lord, the God of Israel, said this to me: “My anger is like the wine in a cup. Take it from my hand and make all the nations, to whom I am sending you, drink all of my anger from this cup.
I am watching over them, not to take care of them, but to hurt them. The Jews who live in Egypt will die from swords or hunger until they are all destroyed.
I will terrify Elam in front of their enemies, who want to destroy them. I will bring disaster to Elam and show them how angry I am!” says the Lord. “I will send a sword to chase Elam until I have killed them all.
“Why are we just sitting here? Let’s get together! We have sinned against the Lord, so he has given us poisoned water to drink. Come, let’s run to the strong, walled cities. The Lord our God has decided that we must die, so let’s die there.
A third of you will die by disease or be destroyed by hunger inside your walls. A third will fall dead by the sword outside your walls. And a third I will scatter in every direction as I chase them with a sword.
Burn one-third with fire in the middle of the city when the days of the attack on Jerusalem are over. Then take one-third and cut it up with the knife all around the city. And scatter one-third to the wind. This is how I will chase them with a sword.
Make sure no man, woman, family group, or tribe among you leaves the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. They would be to you like a plant that grows bitter, poisonous fruit.