Prophecy against the southern part of Israel

45 Yahweh gave me another message. He said, 46 “You human, turn toward the south. Preach about what will happen to that dry land, to the forest there. 47 Say to the forest in the southpart of Israel: 'Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: “I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all your trees, both the green trees and the withered/dry trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north. 48 Everyone will see that it is I, Yahweh, who have lit this fire, and no one will be able to put it out.” ' ”

49 Then I said, “Yahweh, my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, ‘He is only telling parables.’ ”