But the LORD says, "Israel and Judah, what am I going to do with you? Your love for me disappears as quickly as morning mist; it is like dew, that vanishes early in the day.

"The people of Israel have built palaces, but they have forgotten their own Maker. The people of Judah have built fortified cities. But I will send fire that will burn down their palaces and their cities."

They insist on turning away from me. They will cry out because of the yoke that is on them, but no one will lift it from them.

They were not loyal to him; they were not faithful to their covenant with him.

And after all this, Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, only pretended to return to me; she was not sincere. I, the LORD, have spoken."

The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.

"When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, it says to itself, 'I will go back to my house.'

Then it goes out and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in worse shape than at the beginning."

but were rebellious and disloyal like their ancestors, unreliable as a crooked arrow.

"They are doomed! They have left me and rebelled against me. They will be destroyed. I wanted to save them, but their worship of me was false.

"With our words we get what we want. We will say what we wish, and no one can stop us."

You make plans to ruin others; your tongue is like a sharp razor. You are always inventing lies.

I am surrounded by enemies, who are like lions hungry for human flesh. Their teeth are like spears and arrows; their tongues are like sharp swords.

They speak evil of God in heaven and give arrogant orders to everyone on earth,

Yes, Jerusalem is doomed! Judah is collapsing! Everything they say and do is against the LORD; they openly insult God himself.

Then the people said, "Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says."

"You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken.

So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!

That good man lived among them, and day after day he suffered agony as he saw and heard their evil actions.

The beast was allowed to make proud claims which were insulting to God, and it was permitted to have authority for forty-two months.

They offer sacrifices to me and eat the meat of the sacrifices. But I, the LORD, am not pleased with them, and now I will remember their sin and punish them for it; I will send them back to Egypt!

The people of Israel will not remain in the LORD's land, but will have to go back to Egypt and will have to eat forbidden food in Assyria.

When the disaster comes and the people are scattered, the Egyptians will gather them up---gather them for burial there at Memphis! Their treasures of silver and the places where their homes once stood will be overgrown with weeds and thorn bushes.

The Sovereign LORD says, "You will drink from your sister's cup; it is large and deep. Everyone will scorn and mock you; the cup is full.

Wherever they went, they brought disgrace on my holy name, because people would say, 'These are the people of the LORD, but they had to leave his land.'