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The LORD spoke his word to me. He said,
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"Ask these rebellious people, 'Don't you know what this means?' Tell them, 'The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and captured its king and its leaders. He brought them home with him to Babylon.
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Then he took someone from the royal family, made a treaty with him, and made him promise to be loyal. He took away the leading citizens from Judah
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so that it would remain a humiliated country and be unable to regain its power. The country could only survive by keeping the treaty.
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But the king of Judah rebelled against the king of Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt to get horses and many soldiers. Will the king of Judah succeed? Will anyone who does such things escape? He can't break a treaty and go unpunished.
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"'As I live, declares the Almighty LORD, the king of Judah will die in Babylonia. He will die in the country of the king who appointed him king of Judah. The king of Judah broke his promise and his treaty with the king of Babylon.
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Even with a large army and many people, Pharaoh will not be able to help him in battle when the Babylonians put up dirt ramps and set up blockades to kill many people.
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The king of Judah broke the promise and the treaty that he pledged to keep. He did all these things, and he can't go unpunished.
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"'So this is what the Almighty LORD says: As I live, I will certainly punish you for rejecting my promise and hating my treaty.
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I will spread my net over you to catch you in my trap. I will take you to Babylon and judge you there for rebelling against me.
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The best of your troops will die in battle. Anyone who remains will be scattered in every direction that the wind blows. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.