18. The Lord says,“Come, we will talk these things over.Your sins are red like deep red cloth.But they can be as white as snow.Your sins are bright red.But you can be white like wool.
19. If you will obey me,you will eat good crops from the land.
20. But if you refuse to obey and if you turn against me,you will be destroyed by your enemies’ swords.”The Lord himself said these things.
21. The city of Jerusalem once followed the Lord.But she is no longer loyal to the Lord.She used to be filled with fairness.People there lived the way God wanted.But now, murderers live there.
22. Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when silver is purified.You are like wine mixed with water.
23. Your rulers are rebels.They are friends of thieves.They all accept money for doing wrong things.They are paid to cheat people.They don’t try to help the orphans.And they don’t listen to the widows’ needs.
24. The Master, the Lord of heaven’s armies,the Mighty One of Israel, says:“You, my enemies, will not cause me any more trouble.I will pay you back for what you did.
25. I will turn against you.I will clean away all your wrongs as if with soap.I will take all the worthless things out of you.
26. I will bring back judges as you had long ago.Your counselors will be like the ones you had in the beginning.Then you will be called the City That Is Right with God.You will be called the Loyal City.”
27. Because the Lord does what is fair,he will rescue Jerusalem.Because the Lord does what is right,he will save her people who come back to him.
28. But sinners and those who turn against him will be destroyed.Those who have left the Lord will die.
29. “You will be ashamedbecause you have worshiped false gods under the oak trees.You will be disgracedbecause you have worshiped idols in your gardens.
30. You will be like an oak whose leaves are dying.You will be like a garden without water.
31. Powerful people will be like small, dry pieces of wood.And what they do will be like sparks.The people and what they do will burn together.And no one will be able to stop that fire.”