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I'm going to send for all the families of the north,' says Adonai , ‘and for my servant N'vukhadretzar the king of Bavel, and bring them against this land, against its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them, making them an object of horror and ridicule, a perpetual ruin.

This entire land will become a ruin, a waste; and these nations will serve the king of Bavel for seventy years.

But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Bavel and that nation for their sin,' says Adonai , ‘and I will turn the land of the Kasdim into everlasting ruins.

For they too will become slaves to many nations and to powerful kings; I will pay them back according to their deeds and the work of their own hands.'

"For here is what Adonai the God of Isra'el says to me: ‘Take this cup of the wine of fury from my hand, and make all the nations where I am sending you drink it.

For, look! — if I am bringing disaster on the city that bears my own name, do you expect to go unpunished? Yes, I will summon a sword for all the inhabitants of the earth,' says Adonai .

"As for you, [Yirmeyahu,] prophesy all these words against them; say to them, ‘ Adonai is roaring from on high, raising his voice from his holy dwelling, roaring with might against his own habitation, shouting out loud, like those who tread grapes, against everyone living on earth.

The sound resounds to the ends of the earth, for Adonai is indicting the nations, about to pass judgment on all humankind; the wicked he has handed over to the sword,' says Adonai ."

"Wail, shepherds! Cry! Wallow in the dust, you lords of the flock! For the days for your slaughter have come. I will break you in pieces, and like a prized vase you will fall."

Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wails of the lords of the flock! For Adonai is destroying their pasture,

Like a lion, he has abandoned his lair; for their land has become desolate because of the oppressor's fierce sword and because of Adonai 's fierce anger.

then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing for all the nations of the earth."'"

When Yirmeyahu had finished saying everything Adonai had ordered him to say to all the people, the cohanim, prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, "You will die for this!

But as for me, here, I am in your hands; do with me whatever seems good and right to you.

Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its inhabitants; because the fact is that Adonai sent me to you to speak all these words, so that you could hear them."

"Did Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah and all Y'hudah put him to death? Not at all. Rather, he feared Adonai , and prayed for Adonai 's favor; and Adonai relented from the disaster he had pronounced against them. So [if we put Yirmeyahu to death,] we might bring great disaster on ourselves."

Give them this message for their masters by telling their envoys that Adonai -Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says for them to tell their masters:

For now, I have given over all these lands to my servant N'vukhadnetzar the king of Bavel; I have also given him the wild animals to serve him.

for they are prophesying lies to you that will result in your being removed far from your land, with my driving you out, so that you perish.

Why would you want to die, you and your people, by sword, famine and plague — which is what Adonai has decreed for the nation that will not serve the king of Bavel?