Judgment against the Negev

45^fThen this message came to me from the Lord: 46“Son of man, turn and face the south^g and speak out against it; prophesy against the brushlands of the Negev. 47Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north. 48And everyone in the world will see that I, the Lord, have set this fire. It will not be put out.’”

49Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘He only talks in riddles!’”