It was the Lord All-Powerful who planned this. He decided to make these proud people unimportant; he decided to disgrace those who were greatly respected.
They will spread their arms in it like a person who is swimming. But God will bring down their pride, and all the clever things they have made will mean nothing.
He will destroy the proud city, and he will punish the people living there. He will bring that high city down to the ground and throw it down into the dust.
So he became very angry with us and brought terrible wars against us. It was as if the people of Israel had fire all around them, but they didn’t know what was happening. It was as if they were burning, but they didn’t pay any attention.
“Human, say to the ruler of Tyre: ‘This is what the Lord God says: Because you are proud, you say, “I am a god. I sit on the throne of a god in the middle of the seas.” You think you are as wise as a god, but you are a human, not a god.
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right and fair, and he is able to make proud people humble.
“There is a day coming that will burn like a hot furnace, and all the proud and evil people will be like straw. On that day they will be completely burned up so that not a root or branch will be left,” says the Lord All-Powerful.
I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great.”
My anger has started a fire that burns down to the place of the dead. It will burn up the ground and its crops, and it will set fire to the base of the mountains.