Chapter 19 Thus saith the Lord, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle,
and take of the ancients of the people and of the ancients of the priests.
And go forth into the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east
gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, and say, Hear ye the word
of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring evil upon
this place.
The witch, whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle, because they have forsaken
me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other
gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah,
and have filled this place with the blood of innocents.
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for
burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came
it unto my mind.
Therefore behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no
more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of
slaughter.
And I will make void the council of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will
cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them
that seek their lives, and their carcasses will I give to be meat for the fowls of
the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
And I will make this city desolate and in hissing.
Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the
plagues thereof.
And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their
daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and
straightness, wherewith their enemies and they that seek their lives shall
straighten them.
Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,
and shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Even so will I break this
people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel that cannot be made whole
again, and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.
Thus will I do unto this place, saith the Lord, and to the inhabitants
thereof, and even make this city as Tophet.
And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be
defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs
they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out
drink-offerings unto other gods.
Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the Lord had sent him to prophesy.
And he stood in the court of the Lord's house, and said to all the people,
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring upon this
city, and upon all her towns, all the evil that I have pronounced against it,
because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.