The LORD says to Israel, "Long ago I predicted what would take place; then suddenly I made it happen.

Could anyone else have done what I did? Who could have predicted all that would happen from the very beginning to the end of time?

From the beginning I predicted the outcome; long ago I foretold what would happen. I said that my plans would never fail, that I would do everything I intended to do.

He promised through his holy prophets long ago

So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.'

"I alone am the LORD your God. No other god may share my glory; I will not let idols share my praise.

The things I predicted have now come true. Now I will tell you of new things even before they begin to happen."

We will do everything that we said we would. We will offer sacrifices to our goddess, the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out wine offerings to her, just as we and our ancestors, our king and our leaders, used to do in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food, we were prosperous, and had no troubles.

But ever since we stopped sacrificing to the Queen of Heaven and stopped pouring out wine offerings to her, we have had nothing, and our people have died in war and of starvation."