They said to each other, "Come, let us make oven-fired bricks." They had brick for stone and asphalt for mortar.

And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another's speech."

Therefore, the king of Aram said, "Go and I will send a letter [with you] to the king of Israel." So he went and took with him 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 changes of clothes.

Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit."

Come now, you rich people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you.

Then certain ones said, "Come, let's make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost from the priest, or counsel from the wise, or an oracle from the prophet. Come, let's denounce him and pay no attention to all his words."

I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty. [I looked] to the heavens, and their light was gone.

for I was like a docile lamb led to slaughter. I didn't know that they had devised plots against me: "Let's destroy the tree with its fruit; let's cut him off from the land of the living so that his name will no longer be remembered."

Sharpen the arrows! Fill the quivers! The LORD has put it into the mind of the kings of the Medes because His plan is aimed at Babylon to destroy her, for it is the LORD's vengeance, vengeance for His temple.

Therefore, the LORD says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time.

If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn't such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have played the prostitute with many partners-- can you return to Me? [This is] the LORD's declaration.

Return, you faithless children. I will heal your unfaithfulness. "Here we are, coming to You, for You are the LORD our God.

"This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Correct your ways and your deeds, and I will allow you to live in this place.

He announced, 'Turn, each of you, from your evil way of life and from your evil deeds. Live in the land the LORD gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever.

Perhaps they will listen and return-- each from his evil way of life-- so that I might relent concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.

So now, correct your ways and deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God so that He might relent concerning the disaster that He warned about.

Time and time again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: Turn, each one from his evil way of life, and correct your actions. Stop following other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I gave you and your ancestors. But you would not pay attention or obey Me.

Perhaps, when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their wrongdoing and sin."

Perhaps their petition will come before the LORD, and each one will turn from his evil way, for the anger and fury that the LORD has pronounced against this people are great."

Still, the LORD warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets."

"Go and inquire of the LORD for me, the people, and all Judah about the instruction in this book that has been found. For great is the LORD's wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us."

"Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil.

"Come, let us discuss this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool.

Seek the LORD while He may be found; call to Him while He is near.

Let the wicked one abandon his way, and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive.

Why should [any] living person complain, [any] man, because of the punishment for his sins?

Let us lift up our hearts and [our] hands to God in heaven:

Because you have disheartened the righteous person with lies, even though I have not caused him grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked person not to turn from his evil way to save his life,

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?" [This is] the declaration of the Lord God. "Instead, don't I [take pleasure] when he turns from his ways and lives?

"Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God. "Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment.

For I take no pleasure in anyone's death." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God. "So repent and live!

So tell the people: This is what the LORD of Hosts says: Return to Me"-- [this is] the declaration of the LORD of Hosts-- "and I will return to you, says the LORD of Hosts.

Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.