9. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10. Go ye 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 Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.
12. They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13. And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done to them.
14. Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15. Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16. Their quiver is as an open sepulcher, they are all mighty men.
17. And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees: they shall impoverish with the sword thy fortified cities, in which thou hast trusted.
18. Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
19. And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Why doeth the LORD our God all these things to us? then shalt thou answer them, As ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20. Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21. Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and see not; who have ears, and hear not:
22. Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though its waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23. But this people have a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.
24. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season: he reserveth to us the appointed weeks of harvest.