Thus says
the LORD
, "Go
and buy
a apotter's
earthenware
bjar
, and take some
of the celders
of the people
and some
of the 1 dsenior
priests
.
"Then go out to the avalley
of Ben-hinnom
, which
is by the entrance
of the potsherd
gate
, and bproclaim
there
the words
that I tell
you,
and say, `Hear
the word
of the LORD
, O akings
of Judah
and inhabitants
of Jerusalem
: thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, "Behold
I am about to bring
a bcalamity
upon this
place
, at which
the cears
of everyone
that hears
of it will tingle
.
"Because they have aforsaken
Me and have bmade
this
an alien
place
and have burned
1sacrifices
in it to cother
gods
, that neither
they nor
their forefathers
nor
the kings
of Judah
had ever known
, and because they have filled
this
place
with the dblood
of the innocent
and have built the ahigh
places
of Baal
to burn
their bsons
in the fire
as burnt
offerings
to Baal
, a thing which
I never
commanded
or spoke
of, nor
did it ever enter
My 1mind
;
therefore, behold
, adays
are coming
," declares
the LORD
, "when this
place
will no
longer
be called
bTopheth
or cthe valley
of Ben-hinnom
, but rather
the valley
of Slaughter
.
"I will amake void
the counsel
of Judah
and Jerusalem
in this
place
, and bI will cause them to fall
by the sword
before
their enemies
and by the hand
of those who seek
their life
; and I will give
over their ccarcasses
as food
for the birds
of the sky
and the beasts
of the earth
.
"I will also make this
city
a adesolation
and an object of hissing
; beveryone
who passes
by it will be astonished
and hiss
because
of all
its 1disasters
.
"I will make them aeat the flesh
of their sons
and the flesh
of their daughters
, and they will eat
one
another's
flesh
in the siege
and in the distress
with which
their enemies
and those who seek
their life
will distress
them."'
"Then you are to break the ajar
in the sight
of the men
who accompany
you
and say to them, `Thus
says
the LORD
of hosts
, "Just
so
will I abreak
this
people
and this
city
, even
as one breaks
a potter's
vessel
, which
cannot
again
be repaired
; and they will bbury
in Topheth
1because
there
is no
other place
for burial
.
"This is how
I will treat
this
place
and its inhabitants
," declares
the LORD
, "so as to make
this
city
like Topheth
.
"The ahouses of Jerusalem
and the houses
of the kings
of Judah
will be bdefiled
like the place
Topheth
, because of all
the chouses
on whose
rooftops
they burned
1sacrifices
to dall
the heavenly
host
and epoured
out drink
offerings
to other
gods
.""'
Then Jeremiah came
from Topheth
, where
the LORD
had sent
him to prophesy
; and he stood
in the acourt
of the LORD'S
house
and said
to all
the people
:
"Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, `Behold
, I am about to bring
on this
city
and all
its towns
the entire
calamity
that I have declared
against
it, because
they have astiffened
their necks
so bas not to heed
My words
.' "