8 All of Judah's defenses crumbled.When that happened, you brought weapons out of the arsenal.
9-10 You found the places where the walls of Jerusalem needed repair. You inspected all the houses in Jerusalem and tore some of them down to get stones to repair the city walls. In order to store water,
11 you built a reservoir inside the city to hold the water flowing down from the old pool. But you paid no attention to God, who planned all this long ago and who caused it to happen.
12 The Sovereign Lord Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth.
13 Instead, you laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat, and you drank wine. You said, “We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we'll be dead.”
14 The Sovereign Lord Almighty himself spoke to me and said, “This evil will never be forgiven them as long as they live. I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken.”
15 The Sovereign Lord Almighty told me to go to Shebna, the manager of the royal household, and say to him,