Jeremiah 19

1 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “Go [to walk or proceed] and buy [to acquire or redeem] a clay jar [earthen bottle or flask] from a potter [one who forms or shapes]. Take [to get or obtain] some of the elders [old or elderly, respected leaders] of the people [a nation or community] and leaders [ancients or prominent ones] of the priests [those who serve God and lead in worship], word study 2 and go out [to depart, to leave a place] to the Valley [a deep, narrow gorge] of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom, a valley near Jerusalem] near the entrance [opening, doorway] of the Potsherd Gate [gate of broken pottery, a gate in Jerusalem]. Proclaim [to call out, to declare] there [in that place, at that time] the words [things, matters] I speak [communicate, utter] to you, word study 3 saying, ‘Hear [listen and obey] the word [message, declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], O kings [rulers, monarchs] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and residents [inhabitants, dwellers] of Jerusalem [the city of peace]. This is what the LORD [the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob], says: I am going to bring [cause to come, inflict] such disaster [evil, calamity] on this place [location, region] that the ears [organs of hearing] of all who hear [listen, perceive] of it will ring [tingle, quiver], word study 4 because they have abandoned [forsaken, turned away from] Me and made this a foreign [strange, alien] place [location, region]. They have burned incense [offerings, sacrifices] in this place to other gods [deities, idols] that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known [recognized, acknowledged]. They have filled this place with the blood [life force, sacrifice] of the innocent [guiltless, blameless]. word study 5 They have built [established, constructed] high places [cultic platforms, elevated shrines] to Baal [the Phoenician deity, a false god] on which to burn [sacrifice, immolate] their children [sons, descendants] in the fire [flames] as offerings [sacrifices, burnt offerings] to Baal—something [a thing, an act] I never [at no time, not ever] commanded [ordered, appointed] or mentioned [spoken of, uttered], nor did it even [or ever] enter My mind [heart, thoughts, intellect]. word study 6 So behold [look, see], the days [a period of time, an era] are coming, declares the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], when this place [location, site] will no longer [not anymore, never again] be called [named, referred to as] Topheth [a place of sacrifice, a valley of idolatry] or the Valley [a low area of land, a gorge] of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom, a valley near Jerusalem], but the Valley [a place of death, a region of slaughter] of Slaughter [killing, bloodshed]. word study 7 And in this place [this specific location, the designated spot] I will ruin [make void, bring to nothing] the plans [counsel, advice, purpose] of Judah [the tribe, the region] and Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital]. I will make them fall [be defeated, stumble] by the sword [the cutting instrument, the weapon of war] before their enemies [adversaries, those who hate them], by the hands [power, strength, direction] of those who seek [search for, desire] their lives [souls, living beings], and I will give [provide, set forth] their carcasses [dead bodies, corpses] as food [sustenance, nourishment] to the birds [fowl, winged creatures] of the air [heaven, the sky] and the beasts [animals, creatures] of the earth [land, ground]. word study 8 I will make this city [a desolate waste, an astonishment] a desolation and an object of scorn [a hissing, a cause of surprise]. All who pass by [every passerby, everyone who crosses over] will be appalled [horrified, astonished] and will scoff [hiss, make sounds of surprise] at all her wounds [plagues, troubles, damage]. word study 9 I will make them eat [devour, consume] the flesh [body, humanity] of their sons and daughters, and they will eat [feed on, cannibalize] one another’s flesh [humanity, bodies] in the siege [besiegement, encirclement] and distress [hardship, affliction] inflicted on them by their enemies [adversaries, foes] who seek [pursue, search for] their lives [souls, existence].’ word study 10 Then you are to shatter [break, smash] the jar [flask, bottle] in the presence [sight, before the eyes] of the men [individuals, people] who accompany [go with, walk alongside] you, word study 11 and you are to proclaim to them that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [a large group of people or things, often referring to an army] says: I will shatter [break or burst] this nation [a people or group of people] and this city [a place with a wall or a watchman], like one shatters [breaks into pieces] a potter’s jar [a vessel made of clay] that can never again be repaired [healed or mended]. They will bury [inter or lay to rest] the dead in Topheth [a place near Jerusalem, a valley where children were sacrificed to idols] until there is no more room [place or location] to bury [lay to rest] them. word study 12 This is what [thus, in this manner] I will do to this place [location, region] and to its residents [inhabitants, dwellers], declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. I will make [transform, bring about] this city [town, settlement] like [similar to, comparable with] Topheth [a place of desecration, idolatrous sacrifice]. word study 13 The houses [places of dwelling, including temples] of Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah] and the houses [palaces, royal residences] of the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Judah [the tribe and region] will be defiled [made unclean, spiritually polluted] like that place, Topheth [a valley of idolatrous sacrifice]—all the houses [families, households] on whose rooftops [upper rooms, high places] they burned incense [offerings of fragrance, worship] to all the host [army, celestial beings] of heaven [the sky, the spiritual realm] and poured out [libated, offered] drink offerings [liquid sacrifices, ceremonial pours] to other gods [idols, false deities].” word study 14 Then Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] returned from Topheth [a place of idolatrous sacrifice], where the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had sent him [to deliver a message] to prophesy [to speak under the divine spirit], and he stood [in a position of authority] in the courtyard [the open square] of the house [the dwelling place] of the LORD and proclaimed [to announce publicly] to all [every single one] the people [a nation or community], word study 15 “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants], says: ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city [a place with a wall or a watchman] and on all [everything, every single one] the villages [towns, cities] around it every disaster [evil, bad, or moral harm] I have pronounced [spoken, communicated] against them, because they have stiffened [hardened, made stubborn] their necks [the back of the neck, a turning point] so as not to heed [listen, obey] My words [things, matters, or affairs].’” word study