Therefore, this is what the LORD of Armies says: I am about to refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of my dear people?

所以万军之耶和华如此说：“看哪，我要将他们熔化熬炼；不然，我因我百姓的罪该怎样行呢？

所以万军之耶和华如此说：“看哪，我要熬炼他们，考验他们；不然，为了我的百姓，我该如何行呢？

所以万军之耶和华如此说：“看哪，我要熬炼他们，考验他们；不然，为了我的百姓，我该如何行呢？

因此，万军之耶和华说：“看啊，我要熬炼、试验这些罪恶的子民，除此之外，我别无选择。

因此，万军之耶和华这样说：“看哪！我要熬炼他们，试验他们；因我子民（“我子民”原文作“我子民的女子”）的罪恶，我还可以作什么呢？

所以萬軍之耶和華如此說：看哪，我要將他們鎔化熬煉；不然，我因我百姓的罪該怎樣行呢？

所以萬軍之耶和華如此說：「看哪，我要熬煉他們，考驗他們；不然，為了我的百姓，我該如何行呢？

所以萬軍之耶和華如此說：「看哪，我要熬煉他們，考驗他們；不然，為了我的百姓，我該如何行呢？

因此，萬軍之耶和華說：「看啊，我要熬煉、試驗這些罪惡的子民，除此之外，我別無選擇。

因此，萬軍之耶和華這樣說：“看哪！我要熬煉他們，試驗他們；因我子民（“我子民”原文作“我子民的女子”）的罪惡，我還可以作甚麼呢？

因此萬軍之永恆主這麼說：『看吧，我必熬煉他們，試驗他們；不然，我因我子民的罪該怎樣行呢？

萬軍之耶和華曰、因我民女如是、我必陶鎔之、煆煉之、否則何以處之、

萬有之主耶和華又曰、我將何以處我民、必煆煉之而後可。

故萬有之主如是云、我民若此、我何以處之乎、必陶鎔之、試鍊之、

Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:“ See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people?

So the Lord who rules over all says,“ I will put them through the fire to test them. What else can I do? My people are so sinful!

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:“ Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people?

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ See, I will melt them down in a crucible and test them like metal. What else can I do with my people?

Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says:“ Behold, I will refine them and put them to the test; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people?

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:“ Behold, I will refine them and try them; For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?

Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how else should I do, because of the daughter of my people?

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: I am about to refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of My dear people?

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

Therefore the LORD who rules over all says,“ I will now purify them in the fires of affliction and test them. The wickedness of my dear people has left me no choice. What else can I do?

Therefore Yahweh of Armies says,“ Behold, I will melt them and test them; for how should I deal with the daughter of my people?

I will turn my hand against you and will burn away your dross completely; I will remove all your impurities.

He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

I have appointed you to be an assayer among my people— a refiner— so you may know and assay their way of life.

I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say,‘ They are my people,’ and they will say,‘ The LORD is our God.’”

Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I surrender you, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart; my compassion is stirred!I will not vent the full fury of my anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man, the Holy One among you; I will not come in rage.

so that the proven character of your faith— more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire— may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

“ Son of man, the house of Israel has become merely dross to me. All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace; they are just dross from silver.Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Because all of you have become dross, I am about to gather you into Jerusalem.Just as one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the furnace to blow fire on them and melt them, so I will gather you in my anger and wrath, put you inside, and melt you.Yes, I will gather you together and blow on you with the fire of my fury, and you will be melted within the city.As silver is melted inside a furnace, so you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out my wrath on you.”

The bellows blow, blasting the lead with fire. The refining is completely in vain; the evil ones are not separated out.They are called rejected silver, for the LORD has rejected them.

He will trample all your streets with the hooves of his horses. He will slaughter your people with the sword, and your mighty pillars will fall to the ground.They will take your wealth as spoil and plunder your merchandise. They will also demolish your walls and tear down your beautiful homes. Then they will throw your stones, timber, and soil into the water.

But the LORD, the God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes.This is why I have used the prophets to cut them down; I have killed them with the words from my mouth. My judgment strikes like lightning.

Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me, a delightful child? Whenever I speak against him, I certainly still think about him. Therefore, my inner being yearns for him; I will truly have compassion on him. This is the LORD’s declaration.

So the angel who was speaking with me said,“ Proclaim: The LORD of Armies says: I am extremely jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.I am fiercely angry with the nations that are at ease, for I was a little angry, but they made the destruction worse.Therefore, this is what the LORD says: In mercy, I have returned to Jerusalem; my house will be rebuilt within it— this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies— and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.