who is building his stairway to heaven and setting its foundation on earth; who is calling for the waters of the sea and pouring them out over the surface of the land the LORD is his name!

All sinners among my people will die by the sword, especially all who are saying, "Disaster will not come upon or conquer us!'"

so my people may inherit the remnant of Edom and all of the nations that bear my name," declares the LORD who is bringing this about.

"Look! The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the one who sows will overtake the harvester and the treader of grapes will overtake the planter. Fresh wine will drip down from the mountains, cascading down from the hills.

The arrogance in your heart has deceived you, who inhabit hidden places on rocky cliffs, whose dwelling is in the heights, who say continuously to yourself, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?'

The exiles, the Israeli host, will possess the territory of the Canaanites all the way to Zarephath. The exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.

"I'm a Hebrew," he replied, "and I'm afraid of the LORD God of heaven, who made the sea along with the dry land!"

Those who cling to vain idols leave behind the gracious love that could have been theirs.

Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?"

So why shouldn't I be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 human beings who do not know their right hand from their left, as well as a lot of livestock?

"Woe to those who are crafting iniquity, planning evil well into the night! When morning's light comes, they carry out their plans because they have the power to do so.

To those who speak out, they will declare, "Don't prophesy to anyone!' so their shame won't go away.

"It is said, house of Jacob, "The Spirit of the LORD is limited, if he acts this way, is he not?' "But my words benefit those who live righteously, do they not?

Lately my people have acted like an enemy you strip travelers who thought they were as secure as those who return from war.

Suppose a man who keeps company with a deceiving spirit prophesies like this: "Drink wine and strong drink!' Won't the people accept him as a prophet?"

you who despise good and love evil, who tear off the skin of my people, along with the flesh from their bones.

"This is what the LORD says about the prophets who are causing my people to go astray, who are calling out "Peace' when they're being fed, but who declare war against those who won't feed them:

Those who see visions will be put to shame, and the diviners will be disgraced every one of them they will cover their faces, because there will be no answer from God.'"

Please listen to this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you officials of the house of Israel, you who hate administering justice, who pervert the very meaning of equity,

who are building up Zion by means of bloodshed, and Jerusalem by means of iniquity.

"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will assemble the lame; and I will gather those whom I have scattered, along with those whom I have afflicted.

I will transform the lame into survivors, and those who were scattered into a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion, now and forever."

"As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, even though you remain least among the clans of Judah, nevertheless, the one who rules in Israel for me will emerge from you. His existence has been from antiquity, even from eternity.

The survivors of Jacob will live among the nations; they will live among many nations, like a lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, will trample and tear down with no one to deliver.

I will execute vengeance, anger, and fury on the nations who do not obey."

The voice of the LORD cries out to the city wisdom fears your name: "Heed the rod, and the one who prepared it!

Will I tolerate those who maintain deceptive standards and who use deceitful weights in their business?

Poor me! I feel like those who harvest summer fruit, or like those who pick grapes there are no clusters to eat or any fresh fruit that I want.

But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God who will deliver me. My God will hear me.

Then my enemy will observe it, and shame will engulf the ones who asked me, "Where is the LORD your God?' My own eyes will see them, they will be trampled on like mud in the streets.

Is there any God like you, forgiving iniquity, passing over transgressions by the survivors who are your heritage? He is not angry forever, because he delights in gracious love.

Who can stand before his fury? And who can endure his fierce anger? His displeasure pours out like fire, and rocks are broken to pieces because of him.

The LORD is good a refuge in troubled times. He knows those who are confiding in him.

Someone has left you who plans evil against the LORD. He is a demonic counselor.

Look! There on the mountains! The feet of the one who brings good news, who broadcasts a message of peace. Judah, celebrate your solemn festivals and keep your vows, because the wicked will never again invade you. Nineveh will be completely eliminated!

Innumerable are the harlotries of this well-favored whore, this mistress of witchcraft, who enslaves nations through her fornication and families through her sorcery.

It will be that everyone who looks at you will run away, saying, "Nineveh has been violently overthrown! Who will mourn for her? Where will I find anyone to comfort you?'"

There is no healing for your injury your wound is fatal. Everyone who hears about you will applaud, because who hasn't escaped your endless evil?"

Watch out! For I am bringing in the Chaldeans, that cruel and impetuous people, who sweep across the earth dispossessing people from homes not their own.

They make fun of kings, deriding those who rule. They laugh at all of the fortified places, constructing ramps to seize them.

Your eyes are too pure to gaze upon evil; and you cannot tolerate wickedness. So why do you tolerate the treacherous? And why do you stay silent while the wicked devour those who are more righteous than they are?

"Will not all of these ridicule him with mocking scorn? They will say, "Woe to the one who hordes for himself what isn't his. How long will you enrich yourself by extortion?'

Won't your creditors revolt unexpectedly? Won't those who make you tremble wake up? As a result, you'll become their prey!

Because you plundered many nations, all of their remnants will plunder you. Human blood has been shed, and violence has been done to the land, to the city, and to all who live in it."

"Woe to the one who amasses profit upon unjust profit in order to establish his household, so he can establish a secure place on the heights and escape from the power of evil.

"Woe to the one who founds a city upon bloodshed, and constructs a city by lawlessness.

"Woe to the one who supplies his neighbor with a drink! You are forcing your bottle on him, making him drunk so you can see them naked.

Indeed, the violence done to Lebanon will overtake you, and the destruction of the beasts will terrorize you because you shed human blood and did violence to the land, to the city, and to all who live in it."

"Woe to the one who says to a tree, "Wake up!' or "Arise!' to a speechless stone. Idols like this can't teach, can they? Look, even though it is overlaid with gold and silver, there's no breath in it at all."

With his own lances you pierced the heads of his warriors, who came out like a windstorm to scatter us their joy is to devour the afflicted who are in hiding.

as for me, I will rejoice in the LORD. I will find my joy in the God who delivers me.

I'll wipe out those who worship the stars that they view from their housetops, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and who also swear by Milcom,

those who turn away from the LORD, don't seek the LORD, and never ask for his help."

Remain silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, because the Day of the LORD approaches, and because the LORD has prepared a sacrifice for those whom he has invited to be consecrated.

"It will come about during the LORD's sacrifice that I'll punish the officials, the royal descendants, and all who wear foreign clothing.

At the same time, I'll punish every idol worshipper, especially those who are filling their master's temple with violence and deceit.

"Wail, you who live in the market district, because all of the merchants will be crushed and all of their customers will be eliminated.

And it will come about that I will search Jerusalem with candles, punishing the self-satisfied and complacent, who say to themselves, "The LORD will do neither good nor evil.'

seek the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who do what he commands. Seek righteousness! Seek humility! Maybe you will be protected in the Day of the LORD's anger."

Woe to those who live along the coast, the people of Philistia! This message from the LORD is being spoken against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines: "I'll destroy you until no one lives there!'

Therefore as I'm alive and living," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, "Moab will surely become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a place overrun by weeds and salty marshes, unpopulated forever. The survivors of my people will confiscate their property, and those who remain of my nation will inherit what was theirs.

This is that carefree city that lived irresponsibly, that told herself, "Me first!' and, "There will be no one else!' How ruined she has become a habitat for wild animals! Everyone who passes by her will sneer at her and make obscene gestures!"

The righteous LORD who lives within her will do no wrong; he will bring justice to light morning by morning. He never fails, but the unjust are shameless.

When this happens, you will not be ashamed of your actions by which you sinned against me, because I will remove from among you those who revel in pride. Arrogance will have no place in my holy mountain.

I will gather the afflicted from the solemn assembly; those who were with you, who were bearing a burden of disgrace.

"Watch how I deal with everyone who oppresses you! At that time I will rescue the one who is lame, and I will draw to me the one who has been driven away. I will honor them with praise and with a good reputation in every land where they have been put to shame.

"Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And what does it look like now? From what you can see, it seems like nothing, doesn't it?

So Haggai responded, "If someone who is unclean because of contact with a dead body were to touch any of these things, would they become unclean?" The priests responded, "They would be unclean."

I will overthrow royal thrones. I will annihilate the strength of national governments. I will overthrow chariots along with those who drive them. Both horses and their riders will fall, each one by means of his comrade's weapon.

Don't be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "It's time to turn from your evil lifestyles and from your evil actions," "but they would neither listen nor pay attention to me,'" declares the LORD.'

Then I asked, "Who are these, sir?" The messenger who was talking to me answered, "I will tell you who these are."

The man who stood among the myrtle trees answered, "These are the ones whom the LORD sent out to wander throughout the earth."

Then they reported to the angel of the LORD who stood among the myrtle trees, "We have wandered throughout the earth and look! the entire earth is at rest. Everything is quiet and peaceful."

And the angel of the LORD replied, "LORD of the Heavenly Armies, how long will it be until you show mercy to Jerusalem and to the cities of Judah, with whom you have been angry for these past seventy years?"

So the LORD answered the angel who was speaking to me with kind and comforting words.

Then the angel who was speaking to me told me, "Announce this: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I have a deep concern for Jerusalem, a great concern for Zion.

I am deeply angry with the nations who are complacent, with whom I was only a little displeased but they made things worse!"

I asked the angel who was talking to me, "What are those?" So he answered me, "Those are the forces that have dispersed Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

Look! That angel who was talking to me left, and another angel came forward to meet him.

""Come now, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the residents of Babylon.

For this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "In pursuit of glory I was sent to the nations who plundered you, because whoever injures you injures the pupil of my eye.

The LORD told Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan in fact, may the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! This man is a burning brand plucked from the fire, is he not?"

So the angel continued to tell those who were standing in his presence, "Remove his filthy clothes." And he told Joshua, "Look how I've removed your iniquity. Now I'm clothing you with fine garments."

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "If you will live according to my ways, and if you will keep what I have entrusted to you, then you will also administer my Temple, and you will also guard my courtyards. And I will give you access to these who serve here.

""Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and those companions of yours who sit with you, for these men are a sign that I am presenting my servant, the Branch.

Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me up as if I had been asleep.

Then I asked the angel who had been speaking with me, "Sir, what are these?"

The angel who had been speaking with me answered by asking, "You don't know what these mean, do you?" So I responded, "No, sir."

"Who are you, great mountain? You will become a plain in Zerubbabel's presence, and he will position the capstone, exulting over it, "How beautiful! How beautiful!"'"

For who has despised the time of insignificant things? They will rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven lights represent the eyes of the LORD, which are looking throughout all of the earth."

He said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand continuously beside the Lord of the whole earth."

"I am bringing this about," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "The curse will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who lies in my name. The curse will remain in his house until that house has been completely destroyed, right down to its timber and stones."

Then the angel who had been talking with me stepped forward and told me, "Please look up and see what's going out."

So I asked the angel who was talking to me, "Where are they taking the basket?"

In response, I asked the angel who had been talking with me, "Sir, what are these?"

"Go take up an offering from those who came out of the Babylonian exile, that is, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from Jedaiah. Go along with them today into the house of Zephaniah's son Josiah, who returned from Babylon.

Those who are now far away will come and do reconstruction work in the Temple of the LORD. Then you will know that the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sent me to you. This will come about if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."'"

"This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "Be strong so the Temple can be built, you who are now listening to this message spoken by the prophets when the foundation was laid to the Temple of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

I will set a garrison around my Temple, to hinder those who might come and go, and to guard against oppressors who intend to invade; for I have taken note of this with my eyes."

Return to your fortress, you prisoners who have hope. Even today I am telling you: In return I will repay you double.