Fear the Lord if you are wise! His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:“ The armies of destruction are coming; the Lord is sending them.

耶和华向这城呼叫，智慧人必敬畏他的名：“你们当听是谁派定刑杖的惩罚。

耶和华向这城呼叫—看重你的名是真智慧—你们当听惩罚和派定惩罚的人。

耶和华向这城呼叫—看重你的名是真智慧—你们当听惩罚和派定惩罚的人。

耶和华在向耶路撒冷呼喊，智者必敬畏祂的名。祂说：“聚在城里的众人啊，你们要听！

听啊！耶和华向这城呼叫，敬畏你的名就是智慧；支派和城里的会众啊！你们要听。

耶和華向這城呼叫，智慧人必敬畏他的名。你們當聽是誰派定刑杖的懲罰。

耶和華向這城呼叫－看重你的名是真智慧－你們當聽懲罰和派定懲罰的人。

耶和華向這城呼叫－看重你的名是真智慧－你們當聽懲罰和派定懲罰的人。

耶和華在向耶路撒冷呼喊，智者必敬畏祂的名。祂說：「聚在城裡的眾人啊，你們要聽！

聽啊！耶和華向這城呼叫，敬畏你的名就是智慧；支派和城裡的會眾啊！你們要聽。

聽啊，永恆主向這城呼叫呢！敬畏他的名是最有效的智慧；這城的支派和議會啊，聽哦！

耶和華之聲、向斯邑而呼、智者必寅畏其名、其聽厥杖、而知為誰所定、

耶和華降命於邑中、撲責斯民、苟有智慧者、無不遵從焉、

主之聲呼邑、爾其聽之、凡有智慧者、必敬畏主之名、凡有智慧者必敬畏主之名或作凡敬畏主名者必為有福爾必受撲責、亦當知定之者誰、

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom—“ Heed the rod and the One who appointed it.

The Lord is calling out to Jerusalem. And it would be wise to pay attention to him. He says,“ Listen, tribe of Judah and you people who are gathered in the city.

The voice of the Lord cries to the city— and it is sound wisdom to fear your name:“ Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!

The voice of the LORD calls out to the city( and it is wise to fear your name):“ Pay attention to the rod and the one who ordained it.

The voice of the Lord will call to the city— And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:“ Hear, you tribe. Who has designated its time?

The LORD’s voice cries to the city— Wisdom shall see Your name:“ Hear the Rod! Who has appointed it?

The voice of Jehovah crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

The voice of Yahweh calls out to the city( and it is wise to fear Your name):“ Pay attention to the rod and the One who ordained it.

The LORD’S voice crieth unto the city, and[ the man of] wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it.

Listen! The LORD is calling to the city! It is wise to respect your authority, O LORD! Listen, O nation, and those assembled in the city!

Yahweh’s voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name:“ Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.

No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God.

Look! The Lord is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke. His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire.

“ What sorrow awaits Assyria, the rod of my anger. I use it as a club to express my anger.I am sending Assyria against a godless nation, against a people with whom I am angry. Assyria will plunder them, trampling them like dirt beneath its feet.

I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

So I will send down fire on Judah, and all the fortresses of Jerusalem will be destroyed.”

When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser:“ Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do.”So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.She said to them,“ The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you,‘ This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true.For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’“ But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him:‘ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard:You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people— that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.’” So they took her message back to the king.

Then the Babylonians will come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground.’“ This is what the Lord says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t!Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

What is all the commotion in the city? What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against his enemies.

The city writhes in chaos; every home is locked to keep out intruders.Mobs gather in the streets, crying out for wine. Joy has turned to gloom. Gladness has been banished from the land.The city is left in ruins, its gates battered down.

If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy. If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation. The prophets and priests continue with their work, but they don’t know what they’re doing.”Lord, have you completely rejected Judah? Do you really hate Jerusalem? Why have you wounded us past all hope of healing? We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror.Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you.For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us.Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.

Then say to them,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. They will bury the bodies here in Topheth, the garbage dump, until there is no more room for them.This is what I will do to this place and its people, says the Lord. I will cause this city to become defiled like Topheth.Yes, all the houses in Jerusalem, including the palace of Judah’s kings, will become like Topheth— all the houses where you burned incense on the rooftops to your star gods, and where liquid offerings were poured out to your idols.’”

They said,“ Remember when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah,‘ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands.’

Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!

Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord, that you alone are the Most High, supreme over all the earth.

Because of you, Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins! A thicket will grow on the heights where the Temple now stands.

Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,“ Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

“ I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.“ I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away.People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.“ I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.“ I sent plagues on you like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and led all your horses away. The stench of death filled the air! But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.“ I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.“ Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!”

The lion has roared— so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign Lord has spoken— so who can refuse to proclaim his message?Announce this to the leaders of Philistia and to the great ones of Egypt:“ Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria, and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel.”“ My people have forgotten how to do right,” says the Lord.“ Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by theft and violence.Therefore,” says the Sovereign Lord,“ an enemy is coming! He will surround them and shatter their defenses. Then he will plunder all their fortresses.”This is what the Lord says:“ A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion’s mouth will recover only two legs or a piece of an ear. So it will be for the Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds, and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches.“ Now listen to this, and announce it throughout all Israel,” says the Lord, the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.“ On the very day I punish Israel for its sins, I will destroy the pagan altars at Bethel. The horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground.And I will destroy the beautiful homes of the wealthy— their winter mansions and their summer houses, too— all their palaces filled with ivory,” says the Lord.

A voice said,“ Shout!” I asked,“ What should I shout?”“ Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people.The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

For after all this punishment, the people will still not repent. They will not seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins?Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say,“ We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us.

The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude

On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds:“ Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes.Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:“ No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all.People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

The Lord is at the head of the column. He leads them with a shout. This is his mighty army, and they follow his orders. The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive?That is why the Lord says,“ Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting.Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray,“ Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,‘ Has the God of Israel left them?’”Then the Lord will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land.

What sorrow awaits you who lounge in luxury in Jerusalem, and you who feel secure in Samaria! You are famous and popular in Israel, and people go to you for help.

I will say to God,‘ Don’t simply condemn me— tell me the charge you are bringing against me.

But evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth.People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire.“ If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him.

then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”

O Lord, they pay no attention to your upraised fist. Show them your eagerness to defend your people. Then they will be ashamed. Let your fire consume your enemies.

There was a famine during David’s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said,“ The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”

For your land will be overgrown with thorns and briers. Your joyful homes and happy towns will be gone.The palace and the city will be deserted, and busy towns will be empty. Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze in the empty forts and watchtowers

Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

The fortified towns will be silent and empty, the houses abandoned, the streets overgrown with weeds. Calves will graze there, chewing on twigs and branches.

“ But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

The people of Samaria must bear the consequences of their guilt because they rebelled against their God. They will be killed by an invading army, their little ones dashed to death against the ground, their pregnant women ripped open by swords.”