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1. This is what the Lord said to me: "Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.
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1. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 , Go H1980 and get H7069 a potter H3335 's earthen H2789 bottle H1228 , and take of the ancients H4480 H2205 of the people H5971 , and of the ancients H4480 H2205 of the priests H3548 ;
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2. Take some of the older leaders of the people and the priests, and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the front of the Potsherd Gate. There speak the words I tell you.
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2. And go forth H3318 unto H413 the valley H1516 of the son H1121 of Hinnom H2011 , which H834 is by the entry H6607 of the east H2777 gate H8179 , and proclaim H7121 there H8033 H853 the words H1697 that H834 I shall tell H1696 H413 thee,
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3. Say, 'Kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem, listen to this message from the Lord. This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: I will soon bring a disaster on this place that will amaze and frighten everyone who hears about it.
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3. And say H559 , Hear H8085 ye the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 , O kings H4428 of Judah H3063 , and inhabitants H3427 of Jerusalem H3389 ; Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , the God H430 of Israel H3478 ; Behold H2009 , I will bring H935 evil H7451 upon H5921 this H2088 place H4725 , the which H834 whosoever H3605 heareth H8085 , his ears H241 shall tingle H6750 .
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4. The people of Judah have quit following me. They have made this a place for foreign gods. They have burned sacrifices to other gods that neither they, nor their ancestors, nor the kings of Judah had ever known before. They filled this place with the blood of innocent people.
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4. Because H3282 H834 they have forsaken H5800 me , and have estranged H5234 H853 this H2088 place H4725 , and have burned incense H6999 in it unto other H312 gods H430 , whom H834 neither H3808 they H1992 nor their fathers H1 have known H3045 , nor the kings H4428 of Judah H3063 , and have filled H4390 H853 this H2088 place H4725 with the blood H1818 of innocents H5355 ;
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5. They have built places on hilltops to worship Baal, where they burn their children in the fire to Baal. That is something I did not command or speak about; it never even entered my mind.
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5. They have built H1129 also H853 the high places H1116 of Baal H1168 , to burn H8313 H853 their sons H1121 with fire H784 for burnt offerings H5930 unto Baal H1168 , which H834 I commanded H6680 not H3808 , nor H3808 spoke H1696 it , neither H3808 came H5927 it into H5921 my mind H3820 :
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6. Now people call this place the Valley of Ben Hinnom or Topheth, but the days are coming, says the Lord, when people will call it the Valley of Killing.
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6. Therefore H3651 , behold H2009 , the days H3117 come H935 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 , that this H2088 place H4725 shall no H3808 more H5750 be called H7121 Tophet H8612 , nor The valley H1516 of the son H1121 of Hinnom H2011 , but H3588 H518 The valley H1516 of slaughter H2028 .
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7. "'At this place I will ruin the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. The enemy will chase them, and I will have them killed with swords. I will make their dead bodies food for the birds and wild animals.
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7. And I will make void H1238 H853 the counsel H6098 of Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 in this H2088 place H4725 ; and I will cause them to fall H5307 by the sword H2719 before H6440 their enemies H341 , and by the hands H3027 of them that seek H1245 their lives H5315 : and H853 their carcasses H5038 will I give H5414 to be meat H3978 for the fowls H5775 of the heaven H8064 , and for the beasts H929 of the earth H776 .
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8. I will completely destroy this city. People will make fun of it and shake their heads when they pass by. They will be shocked when they see how the city was destroyed.
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8. And I will make H7760 H853 this H2063 city H5892 desolate H8047 , and a hissing H8322 ; every one H3605 that passeth H5674 thereby H5921 shall be astonished H8074 and hiss H8319 because H5921 of all H3605 the plagues H4347 thereof.
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9. An enemy army will surround the city and will not let anyone go out to get food. I will make the people so hungry that they will eat the bodies of their own sons and daughters, and then they will begin to eat each other.'
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9. And I will cause them to eat H398 H853 the flesh H1320 of their sons H1121 and the flesh H1320 of their daughters H1323 , and they shall eat H398 every one H376 the flesh H1320 of his friend H7453 in the siege H4692 and straitness H4689 , wherewith H834 their enemies H341 , and they that seek H1245 their lives H5315 , shall straiten H6693 them.
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10. "While the people with you are watching, break that jar.
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10. Then shalt thou break H7665 the bottle H1228 in the sight H5869 of the men H376 that go H1980 with H854 thee,
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11. Then say this: 'The Lord All-Powerful says: I will break this nation and this city just as someone breaks a clay jar that cannot be put back together again. The dead people will be buried here in Topheth, because there is no other place for them.
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11. And shalt say H559 unto H413 them, Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 ; Even so H3602 will I break H7665 H853 this H2088 people H5971 and this H2063 city H5892 , as H834 one breaketh H7665 H853 a potter H3335 's vessel H3627 , that H834 cannot H3201 H3808 be made whole H7495 again H5750 : and they shall bury H6912 them in Tophet H8612 , till there be no H4480 H369 place H4725 to bury H6912 .
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12. This is what I will do to these people and to this place, says the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth.
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12. Thus H3651 will I do H6213 unto this H2088 place H4725 , saith H5002 the LORD H3068 , and to the inhabitants H3427 thereof , and even make H5414 H853 this H2063 city H5892 as Tophet H8612 :
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13. The houses in Jerusalem and the king's palaces will become as unclean as this place, Topheth, because the people worshiped gods on the roofsn of their houses. They worshiped the stars and burned incense to honor them and gave drink offerings to gods.'"
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13. And the houses H1004 of Jerusalem H3389 , and the houses H1004 of the kings H4428 of Judah H3063 , shall be H1961 defiled H2931 as the place H4725 of Tophet H8612 , because of all H3605 the houses H1004 upon H5921 whose H834 roofs H1406 they have burned incense H6999 unto all H3605 the host H6635 of heaven H8064 , and have poured out H5258 drink offerings H5262 unto other H312 gods H430 .
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14. When Jeremiah left Topheth where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, he went to the Lord's Temple, stood in the courtyard, and said to all the people:
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14. Then came H935 Jeremiah H3414 from Tophet H4480 H8612 , whither H834 H8033 the LORD H3068 had sent H7971 him to prophesy H5012 ; and he stood H5975 in the court H2691 of the LORD H3068 's house H1004 ; and said H559 to H413 all H3605 the people H5971 ,
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15. "This is what the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: 'I will soon bring disaster to Jerusalem and the villages around it, as I said I would. This will happen because the people are very stubborn and do not listen at all to what I say.'"
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15. Thus H3541 saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 , the God H430 of Israel H3478 ; Behold H2009 , I will bring H935 upon H413 this H2063 city H5892 and upon H5921 all H3605 her towns H5892 H853 all H3605 the evil H7451 that H834 I have pronounced H1696 against H5921 it, because H3588 they have hardened H7185 H853 their necks H6203 , that they might not H1115 hear H8085 H853 my words H1697 .
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