18. “Mortal man,” he said, “tremble when you eat, and shake with fear when you drink.
19. Tell the whole nation that this is the message of the Sovereign Lord to the people of Jerusalem who are still living in their land: they will tremble when they eat and shake with fear when they drink. Their land will be stripped bare, because everyone who lives there is lawless.
20. Cities that are now full of people will be destroyed, and the country will be made a wilderness. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
21. The Lord spoke to me.
22. “Mortal man,” he said, “why do the people of Israel repeat this proverb: ‘Time goes by, and predictions come to nothing’?
23. Now tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, have to say about that. I will put an end to that proverb. It won't be repeated in Israel any more. Tell them instead: the time has come, and the predictions are coming true!