1. I was still being held as a prisoner. I was kept in the courtyard of the guard. Then another message came to me from the Lord. He said,
2. "I made the earth. I formed it. And I set it in place. The Lord is my name.
3. Call out to me. I will answer you. I will tell you great things you do not know. You will not be able to understand them."
4. The Lord is the God of Israel. He speaks about the houses in Jerusalem. He talks about the royal palaces of Judah. The people had torn many of them down. They had used their stones to strengthen the city walls against attack.
5. That was during their fight with the armies of Babylonia. The Lord says, "The houses will be filled with dead bodies. They will be the bodies of the men I will kill when my anger burns against them. I will hide my face from this city. That is because its people have committed so many sins.
6. "But now I will bring health and healing to Jerusalem. I will heal my people. I will let them enjoy great peace and security.