“ So now the Sovereign Lord asks: Will this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it up, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army.

你要说，主耶和华如此说：这葡萄树岂能发旺呢？鹰岂不拔出它的根来，芟除它的果子，使它枯干，使它发的嫩叶都枯干了吗？也不用大力和多民，就拔出它的根来。

你要说，主耶和华如此说：这棵葡萄树岂能发旺呢？鹰岂不拔出它的根来，摘光它的果子，使它枯干，连长出的嫩叶都枯萎了吗？要把它连根拔除，并不需要费大力或动用许多人。

你要说，主耶和华如此说：这棵葡萄树岂能发旺呢？鹰岂不拔出它的根来，摘光它的果子，使它枯干，连长出的嫩叶都枯萎了吗？要把它连根拔除，并不需要费大力或动用许多人。

“你要告诉他们，主耶和华这样说，‘这树能长得枝繁叶茂吗？难道那鹰不把它连根拔起，摘掉它的果子，使树和嫩叶全部枯萎吗？不必费多大力气，也不需要多少人就可以把它连根拔起。

你要说：‘主耶和华这样说：这葡萄树怎能茂盛呢？鹰不是要拔出它的根来，啄光它的果子，使它和它长出的一切嫩叶都枯干吗？其实，要把它连根拔起，并不需要很多人或很大的气力。

你要說，主耶和華如此說：這葡萄樹豈能發旺呢？鷹豈不拔出它的根來，芟除它的果子，使它枯乾，使它發的嫩葉都枯乾了嗎？也不用大力和多民，就拔出它的根來。

你要說，主耶和華如此說：這棵葡萄樹豈能發旺呢？鷹豈不拔出它的根來，摘光它的果子，使它枯乾，連長出的嫩葉都枯萎了嗎？要把它連根拔除，並不需要費大力或動用許多人。

你要說，主耶和華如此說：這棵葡萄樹豈能發旺呢？鷹豈不拔出它的根來，摘光它的果子，使它枯乾，連長出的嫩葉都枯萎了嗎？要把它連根拔除，並不需要費大力或動用許多人。

「你要告訴他們，主耶和華這樣說，『這樹能長得枝繁葉茂嗎？難道那鷹不把它連根拔起，摘掉它的果子，使樹和嫩葉全部枯萎嗎？不必費多大力氣，也不需要多少人就可以把它連根拔起。

你要說：‘主耶和華這樣說：這葡萄樹怎能茂盛呢？鷹不是要拔出它的根來，啄光它的果子，使它和它長出的一切嫩葉都枯乾嗎？其實，要把它連根拔起，並不需要很多人或很大的氣力。

你要說：主永恆主這麼說：這葡萄樹哪能發旺呢？鷹難道不將它的根拔起，將它的枝子芟除，使發生的嫩葉都枯乾掉麼？這也不必用大力和許多人去從根那裏將它拔出呀。

爾當曰、主耶和華云、厥樹豈得繁盛乎、彼鷹豈不拔其根、摘其果、俾其憔悴、嫩葉枯槁乎、毋庸強臂眾民、拔其根株、

爾當傳我耶和華之命、曰、斯葡萄豈得枝繁葉盛、鷹將拔其根、所發之枝必槁、毋庸巨邦眾民、刪其根株、

爾當言曰、主天主如是云、斯葡萄樹、豈能發旺發旺原文作亨通下同乎、鷹必拔其根、去其果、根株皆枯、葉盛之枝必槁、毋庸巨力眾民以拔其根、

“ Say to them,‘ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.

“ Ezekiel, tell the Israelites,‘ The Lord and King asks,“ Will the vine grow? Won’t it be pulled up by its roots? Won’t all its fruit be stripped off? Won’t it dry up? All its new growth will dry up. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up.

“ Say, Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots.

“ You are to say,‘ This is what the Lord GOD says: Will it flourish? Will he not tear out its roots and strip off its fruit so that it shrivels? All its fresh leaves will wither! Great strength and many people will not be needed to pull it from its roots.

Say,‘ This is what the Lord God says:“ Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers— so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.

“ Say,‘ Thus says the Lord GOD:“ Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, Cut off its fruit, And leave it to wither? All of its spring leaves will wither, And no great power or many people Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? and not by a strong arm or much people can it be raised from the roots thereof.

You are to say: This is what the Lord God says: Will it flourish? Will he not tear out its roots and strip off its fruit so that it shrivels? All its fresh leaves will wither! Great strength and many people will not be needed to pull it from its roots.

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

“‘ Say to them: This is what the sovereign LORD says:“‘ Will it prosper? Will he not rip out its roots and cause its fruit to rot and wither? All its foliage will wither. No strong arm or large army will be needed to pull it out by its roots.

“ Say,‘ The Lord Yahweh says:“ Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people.

Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said,“ Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”

So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!”

“ What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord.“ You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade.But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes,all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you.”This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev: The caravan moves slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt— donkeys weighed down with riches and camels loaded with treasure— all to pay for Egypt’s protection. They travel through the wilderness, a place of lionesses and lions, a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live. All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.Egypt’s promises are worthless! Therefore, I call her Rahab— the Harmless Dragon.

But when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well.”

“ Nevertheless, this man of Israel’s royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?No! For as surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, the king of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he disregarded and broke.Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives.

‘ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will make your weapons useless against the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside your walls attacking you. In fact, I will bring your enemies right into the heart of this city.I myself will fight against you with a strong hand and a powerful arm, for I am very angry. You have made me furious!I will send a terrible plague upon this city, and both people and animals will die.And after all that, says the Lord, I will hand over King Zedekiah, his staff, and everyone else in the city who survives the disease, war, and famine. I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and to their other enemies. He will slaughter them and show them no mercy, pity, or compassion.’

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:“ Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

“ Huddle together, you nations, and be terrified. Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, but you will be crushed! Yes, prepare for battle, but you will be crushed!Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless. Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed. For God is with us!”

He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and I will deal with him there,’ says the Lord.‘ If you fight against the Babylonians, you will never succeed.’”

Then a section of the city wall was broken down. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, the soldiers waited for nightfall and escaped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden. Then they headed toward the Jordan Valley.But the Babylonian troops chased the king and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.They made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.

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 sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers.For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.

But Moses said,“ Why are you now disobeying the Lord’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work.

Then a section of the city wall was broken down, and all the soldiers fled. Since the city was surrounded by the Babylonians, they waited for nightfall. Then they slipped through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden and headed toward the Jordan Valley.But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.They captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as he slaughtered his sons. He also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.Then he gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in bronze chains, and the king of Babylon led him away to Babylon. Zedekiah remained there in prison until the day of his death.

“ But the bad figs,” the Lord said,“ represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like bad figs, too rotten to eat.I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them.And I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors.”