The LORD says, "Come, everyone who is thirsty--- here is water! Come, you that have no money--- buy grain and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk--- it will cost you nothing!

God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done.

But if you do not keep your promise, I warn you that you will be sinning against the LORD. Make no mistake about it; you will be punished for your sin.

So the LORD brought the king of Babylonia to attack them. The king killed the young men of Judah even in the Temple. He had no mercy on anyone, young or old, man or woman, sick or healthy. God handed them all over to him.

He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall.

And so what the LORD had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "The land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for the Sabbath rest that has not been observed."

But when my servant makes a prediction, when I send a messenger to reveal my plans, I make those plans and predictions come true. I tell Jerusalem that people will live there again, and the cities of Judah that they will be rebuilt. Those cities will rise from the ruins.

But be sure of this: if you kill me, you and the people of this city will be guilty of killing an innocent man, because it is the LORD who sent me to give you this warning."

But a few of you will escape death and return from Egypt to Judah. Then the survivors will know whose words have come true, mine or theirs.

I, the LORD, will speak to them, and what I say will be done. There will be no more delay. In your own lifetime, you rebels, I will do what I have warned you I would do. I have spoken," says the Sovereign LORD.

"Mortal man, the Israelites think that your visions and prophecies are about the distant future.

All Israel broke your laws and refused to listen to what you said. We sinned against you, and so you brought on us the curses that are written in the Law of Moses, your servant.

You did what you said you would do to us and our rulers. You punished Jerusalem more severely than any other city on earth,

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

"But if you disobey the LORD your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you:

"All these disasters will come on you, and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and keep all the laws that he gave you.

If with all their hearts they will accept the religion of my people and will swear, 'As the LORD lives'---as they once taught my people to swear by Baal---then they will also be a part of my people and will prosper.

The sinners among my people will be killed in war---all those who say, 'God will not let any harm come near us.' "

But you, friends, are not in the darkness, and the Day should not take you by surprise like a thief.

You have gone far enough. Stop being unjust. Don't condemn me. I'm in the right.

Once again my people will see the difference between what happens to the righteous and to the wicked, to the person who serves me and the one who does not."

"But the LORD is just, for I have disobeyed him. Listen to me, people everywhere; look at me in my pain. My young men and women have been taken away captive.

The LORD has finally done what he threatened to do: He has destroyed us without mercy, as he warned us long ago. He gave our enemies victory, gave them joy at our downfall.

The LORD turned loose the full force of his fury; he lit a fire in Zion that burned it to the ground.

No one anywhere, not even rulers of foreign nations, believed that any invader could enter Jerusalem's gates.

God said to me, "Mortal man, the people of Israel are like these bones. They say that they are dried up, without any hope and with no future.

If you do not drive them out, I will destroy you, as I planned to destroy them."

and it will not end until he has done everything he intends to do. In days to come his people will understand this clearly."

"If you do evil and reject the LORD, he will bring on you disaster, confusion, and trouble in everything you do, until you are quickly and completely destroyed.

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

The righteous will be happy, and things will go well for them. They will get to enjoy what they have worked for.

Keep your covenant with me, your LORD, and dedicate yourselves to me, you people of Judah and Jerusalem. If you don't, my anger will burn like fire because of the evil things you have done. It will burn, and there will be no one to put it out."

but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would.

but then that nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would.

Then you will remember all the disgraceful things you did and how you defiled yourselves. You will be disgusted with yourselves because of all the evil things you did.

The LORD says, "All their evildoing began in Gilgal. It was there that I began to hate them. And because of the evil they have done, I will drive them out of my land. I will not love them any more; all their leaders have rebelled against me.

So I am going to fence her in with thorn bushes and build a wall to block her way.

She would never acknowledge that I am the one who gave her the grain, the wine, the olive oil, and all the silver and gold that she used in the worship of Baal.

I will strip her naked in front of her lovers, and no one will be able to save her from my power.