“You say, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets of good news ¹  for us here in Babylon.’

He asked them how they were doing. ¹  Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

But I will bring in your little ones, whom you said would become victims of war, ¹  and they will enjoy ²  the land that you have despised.

Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done ¹  everything you requested. ²  I have given you a king. ³ 

Then the Spirit of the Lord came ¹  upon me and said to me, “Say: This is what the Lord says: ‘This is what you are thinking, ²  O house of Israel; I know what goes through your minds. ³ 

Have you not seen a false vision and announced a lying omen when you say, “the Lord declares,” although I myself never spoke?

Seek good and not evil so you can live! Then the Lord, the God who commands armies, just might be with you, as you claim he is.

You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped ¹  by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all? ² 

When Joseph looked up ¹  and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” ² 

Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, ¹  and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, ²  will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it.

For you say, “We have made a treaty with death, with Sheol ¹  we have made an agreement. ²  When the overwhelming judgment sweeps by ³  it will not reach us. For we have made a lie our refuge, we have hidden ourselves in a deceitful word.” ⁴ 

“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, ¹  and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’