26. Wear sackcloth, and roll around in ashes, my people.Mourn as if you have lost your only child, and cry bitterly.The destroyer will suddenly attack us.
27. “Jeremiah, I have put you in charge of testing and refining my people.You will know how to test their ways.
28. They are all vicious rebels.They go around slandering.They are all like bronze and iron.They corrupt themselves.
29. The bellows of the blast furnace blow fiercelyto make the fire melt away the lead.It is useless to go on refiningbecause the impurities can’t be removed.
30. ⌊People⌋ will call them useless silverbecause the Lord has rejected them.”