7. How shall I pardon you for this?Your children have forsaken Meand sworn by those who are not gods.When I had fed them to the full,then they committed adulteryand assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8. They were as fed horses in the morning;everyone neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9. Shall I not punish for these things? says the Lord,and shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10. Go up upon her walls and destroy,but make not a full end.Take away her battlements.For they are not the Lord’s.
11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judahhave dealt very treacherously againstMe,says the Lord.
12. They have lied about the Lord,and said, “Not He.Neither shall evil come upon us,nor shall we see sword or famine.”
13. And the prophets shall become wind,and the word is not in them.Thus it shall be done to them!
14. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Hosts: Because you speak this word,indeed I will make My words in your mouth fireand this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15. Truly, I will bring a nation upon you from far,O house of Israel, says the Lord.It is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation,a nation whose language you do not know,nor do you understand what they say.
16. Their quiver is as an open sepulcher,they all are mighty men.
17. They will eat up your harvest and your breadwhich your sons and your daughters should eat.They will eat up your flocks and your herds;they will eat up your vines and your fig trees;they will impoverish your fenced cities,in which you trusted, with the sword.
18. Nevertheless in those days, says the Lord, I will not make a full end of you.
19. It shall come to pass when they say, “Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?” then you shall answer them, “As you have forsaken Me and served strange gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.”
20. Declare this in the house of Jacoband publish it in Judah, saying:
21. Hear this now, O foolish people and without understanding,who have eyes but do not see,who have ears but do not hear.