“ Go. Speak to Ebed- Melek the Cushite. Tell him,‘ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,“ I am about to make the words I spoke against this city come true. I will not give success to it. Instead, I will bring horrible trouble on it. At that time my words will come true. You will see it with your own eyes.

“你去告诉古实人以伯米勒说，万军之耶和华以色列的神如此说：我说降祸不降福的话必临到这城，到那时必在你面前成就了。

“你去告诉古实人以伯‧米勒说，万军之耶和华—以色列的上帝如此说：看哪，我说降祸不降福的话必临到这城，到那时必在你面前实现。

“你去告诉古实人以伯‧米勒说，万军之耶和华—以色列的神如此说：看哪，我说降祸不降福的话必临到这城，到那时必在你面前实现。

“你去告诉古实人以伯·米勒，以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说，‘看啊，我必照我说的使这城遭受灾祸，得不到祝福。你必亲眼看见这一切发生。’

“你去告诉古实人以伯．米勒说：‘万军之耶和华以色列的神这样说：看哪！我必在这城实现我的话，降祸不降福；到那日，这一切都必在你面前实现。

「你去告訴古實人以伯‧米勒說，萬軍之耶和華－以色列的神如此說：我說降禍不降福的話必臨到這城，到那時必在你面前成就了。

「你去告訴古實人以伯‧米勒說，萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：看哪，我說降禍不降福的話必臨到這城，到那時必在你面前實現。

「你去告訴古實人以伯‧米勒說，萬軍之耶和華－以色列的神如此說：看哪，我說降禍不降福的話必臨到這城，到那時必在你面前實現。

「你去告訴古實人以伯·米勒，以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華說，『看啊，我必照我說的使這城遭受災禍，得不到祝福。你必親眼看見這一切發生。』

“你去告訴古實人以伯．米勒說：‘萬軍之耶和華以色列的神這樣說：看哪！我必在這城實現我的話，降禍不降福；到那日，這一切都必在你面前實現。

『你去告訴古實人以伯米勒說：「萬軍之永恆主以色列之上帝這麼說：看吧，我必使我所說降禍不降福的話臨到這城，到那日子就會實現在你面前。

往告古實人以伯米勒曰、萬軍之耶和華、以色列之上帝云、我言降災、不降福於斯邑、日至必應於爾前、

往告古實人以伯米勒云、萬有之主以色列族之上帝耶和華云、我言降災於斯邑、必有效驗、俾爾目睹、

萬有之主以色列之天主如是云、我言降災不降福於斯邑、必有效驗、使爾目睹、

“ Go and tell Ebed- Melek the Cushite,‘ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city— words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.

“ Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,‘ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day.

“ Say to Ebed melech the Ethiopian,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction,

“ Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite,‘ This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words for disaster and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day.

“ Go and speak to Ebed melech the Ethiopian, saying,‘ This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says:“ Behold, I am going to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day.

“ Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying,‘ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:“ Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you.

Go, and speak to Ebed- melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished before thee in that day.

“ Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill My words for harm and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day.

Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be[ accomplished] in that day before thee.

“ Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian,‘ The LORD God of Israel who rules over all says,“ I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it. When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it.

“ Go, and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying,‘ Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says:“ Behold, I will bring my words on this city for evil, and not for good; and they will be accomplished before you in that day.

The warnings you gave us and our rulers have come true. You have brought great trouble on us. Nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever happened anywhere else on earth.

I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them.“ Then they had a change of heart. They said,‘ The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.’ ”

The land of Israel enjoyed its sabbath years. It rested. That deserted land wasn’t farmed for a full 70 years. What the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah came true.

Uriah was another man who prophesied in the name of the Lord. He was from Kiriath Jearim. He was the son of Shemaiah. Uriah prophesied against this city and this land. He said the same things Jeremiah did.

But I am going to give an order,” announces the Lord.“ I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it. They will capture it and burn it down. And I will completely destroy the towns of Judah. No one will be able to live there.”

“‘ But there are also bad figs. In fact, they are so bad they can’t be eaten,’ says the Lord.‘ Zedekiah, the king of Judah, is like these bad figs. So are his officials and the people of Jerusalem who are still left alive. I will punish them whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.I will make all the kingdoms on earth displeased with them. In fact, they will hate them a great deal. They will shake their heads at them. They will curse them and make fun of them. All this will happen no matter where I force them to go.I will send war, hunger and plague against them. They will be destroyed from the land I gave them and their people of long ago.’ ”

“ Now I’m about to die, just as everyone else on earth does. The Lord your God has kept all the good promises he gave you. Every one of them has come true. Not one has failed to come true. And you know that with all your heart and soul.Every good thing has come to pass that the Lord your God has promised you. So you know that he can also bring against you all the evil things he has warned you about. He’ll do it until he has destroyed you. He’ll do it until he has removed you from this good land. It’s the land he has given you.

“ I am the Lord, the God of Israel. Go to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. Tell him,‘ The Lord says,“ I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon. He will burn it down.You will not escape from his power. You will certainly be captured. You will be handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes. He will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

So the Lord God who rules over all speaks. The God of Israel says,“ Listen! I am going to bring horrible trouble on Judah. I will also bring it on everyone who lives in Jerusalem. I will bring on them every trouble I said I would. I spoke to them. But they did not listen. I called out to them. But they did not answer.”

“ Micah from Moresheth prophesied. It was during the time Hezekiah was king over Judah. Micah spoke to all the people of Judah. He told them,‘ The Lord who rules over all says,“‘ “Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.” ’( Micah 3:12)

I’ve seen my evil enemies destroyed. I’ve heard that they have lost the battle.

So the Lord says,“ I am about to hand this city over to the armies of Babylon. I will give it to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will capture it.The armies of Babylon are now attacking this city. They will come in and set it on fire. They will burn it down. They will burn down the houses where the people made me very angry. They burned incense on their roofs to the god named Baal. And they poured out drink offerings to other gods.

The Lord God rules over all. He says to me,“ The people have spoken these words. So my words will be like fire in your mouth. I will make the people like wood. And the fire will burn them up.”

Tell them,‘ Here is what the Lord who rules over all says.“ This potter’s jar is smashed and can’t be repaired. And I will smash this nation and this city. People will bury their dead in Topheth. But they will run out of room.Here is what I will do to Jerusalem and those who live here,” ’ announces the Lord.‘“ I will make this city like Topheth.

Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.

Ebed- Melek was an official in the royal palace. He was from the land of Cush. He heard that Jeremiah had been put into the well. The king was sitting by the Benjamin Gate at that time.Ebed- Melek went out of the palace. He said to the king,“ My king and master, everything these men have done to Jeremiah the prophet is evil. They have thrown him into an empty well. Soon there won’t be any more bread in the city. Then he’ll starve to death.”So the king gave an order to Ebed- Melek the Cushite. He said,“ Take with you 30 men from here. Lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the well before he dies.”Then Ebed- Melek took the men with him. He went to a room in the palace. It was under the place where the treasures were stored. He got some old rags and worn- out clothes from there. Then he let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the well.Ebed- Melek the Cushite told Jeremiah what to do. Ebed- Melek said,“ Put these old rags and worn- out clothes under your arms. They’ll pad the ropes.” So Jeremiah did.Then the men pulled him up with the ropes. They lifted him out of the well. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

I will punish him and his children and his attendants. I will punish them for their sinful ways. I will bring on them all the trouble I said I would. And I will bring it on the people of Jerusalem and Judah. They have not listened to me.” ’ ”

After that, I will hand you over to your enemies. They want to kill you,” announces the Lord.“ I will hand over Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his officials. I will also hand over the people in this city who live through the plague, war and hunger. All of them will be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. He will kill them with swords. He will show them no mercy. He will not feel sorry for them. In fact, he will not have any concern for them at all.” ’“ Tell the people,‘ The Lord says,“ I am offering you a choice. You can choose the way that leads to life. Or you can choose the way that leads to death.Those who stay in this city will die of war, hunger or plague. But suppose some go out and give themselves up to the Babylonians attacking you. They will live. They will escape with their lives.I have decided to do this city harm and not good,” announces the Lord.“ It will be handed over to the king of Babylon. And he will destroy it with fire.” ’

But you can be sure of one thing. If you put me to death, you will be held responsible for spilling my blood. And I haven’t even done anything wrong. You will bring guilt on yourselves and this city and those who live in it. The Lord has sent me to you. He wanted me to say all these things so you could hear them. And that’s the truth.”

Some will not be killed. They will return to Judah from Egypt. But they will be very few. Then all the people of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know the truth. They will know whether what I say or what they say will come true.“‘ I will give you a sign that I will punish you in this place,’ announces the Lord.‘ Then you can be sure that my warnings of harm against you will come true.’

You will see with your own eyes how God punishes sinful people.Suppose you say,“ The Lord is the one who keeps me safe.” Suppose you let the Most High God be like a home to you.