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For thus says Yahweh concerning the sons and daughters born in this place and concerning their mothers who bear them and their fathers who beget them in this land:

"They will die of deadly diseases; they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth."

For thus says Yahweh, "Do not enter the house of the funeral meal, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people," declares Yahweh, "My lovingkindness and compassion.

Both great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried; they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them.

Men will not break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of comforting to drink for anyone's father or mother.

For thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I am going to cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.

"Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘For what reason has Yahweh declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against Yahweh our God?'

You too have done evil, even more than your fathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me.

So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.'

but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.' For I will return them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.

"Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares Yahweh, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the crevices of the rocks.

For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes.

Can man make gods for himself?Yet they are not gods!

O mountain of Mine in the countryside,I will give over your wealth and all your treasures for plunder,Your high places for sin throughout your borders.

And you will, even of yourself, let go of your inheritanceThat I gave you;And I will make you serve your enemiesIn the land which you do not know,For you have kindled a fire in My angerWhich will burn forever.

Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed;Save me and I will be saved,For You are my praise.

But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You,Nor have I longed for the sickening day;You Yourself know that the utterance of my lipsWas in Your presence.

Let those who pursue me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame;Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.Bring on them a day of calamity,And crush them with twofold crushing!

But they will say, ‘It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'

For My people have forgotten Me;They burn incense to worthless gods,And they have stumbled from their ways,From the ancient paths,To walk in bypaths,Not on a highway,