¹ 耶和華的話臨到我說：

² 人子啊，葡萄樹比別樣樹有甚麼強處？葡萄枝比眾樹枝有甚麼好處？

³ 其上可以取木料做甚麼工用，可以取來做釘子掛甚麼器皿麼？

⁴ 看哪，已經拋在火中當作柴燒，火既燒了兩頭，中間也被燒了，還有益於工用麼？

⁵ 完全的時候尚且不合乎甚麼工用，何況被火燒壞，還能合乎甚麼工用麼？

⁶ 所以，主耶和華如此說：眾樹以內的葡萄樹，我怎樣使他在火中當柴，也必照樣待耶路撒冷的居民。

⁷ 我必向他們變臉；他們雖從火中出來，火卻要燒滅他們。我向他們變臉的時候，你們就知道我是耶和華。

⁸ 我必使地土荒涼，因為他們行事干犯我。這是主耶和華說的。

⁵ 地被其上的居民污穢；因為他們犯了律法，廢了律例，背了永約。

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (the same was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),

² which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:

³ From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years, the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; but you have not listened.

⁴ Yahweh has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them (but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear)

⁵ saying, Return now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forevermore;

⁶ and don't go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don't provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no harm.

⁷ Yet you have not listened to me, says Yahweh; that you may provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt.

⁸ Therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies: Because you have not heard my words,

⁹ behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says Yahweh, and [I will send] to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.

¹⁰ Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.

¹¹ This whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

¹² It shall happen, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says Yahweh, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever.