28
Thereforethussays the LORD, "Behold, I am about to givethiscity into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon, and he will take it.
29
"The Chaldeans who are fightingagainstthiscity will enter and setthiscity on fire and burn it, with the houseswhere people have offeredincense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drinkofferings to othergods to provoke Me to anger.
30
"Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doingonlyevil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been onlyprovoking Me to anger by the work of their hands," declares the LORD.
31
"Indeedthiscity has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to thisday, so that it should be removed from before My face,
32
because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judahwhich they have done to provoke Me to anger -they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
35
"They built the highplaces of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom* to cause their sons and their daughters to passthrough the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should dothisabomination, to cause Judah to sin.
36
"Nowthereforethussays the LORDGod of Israelconcerningthiscity of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.'
37
"Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in greatindignation; and I will bring them back to thisplace and make them dwell in safety.