16. Human beings won’t be able to trust each other. As they grow strong against each other, they will pay no respect to their king or to the powerful chief of their great men.
17. Someone will want to go into the city and won’t be able.
18. Cities will be thrown into confusion because of their pride. Houses will be destroyed; people will be afraid.
19. People will have no mercy on their neighbors. They will cause their neighbors trouble by breaking into their houses with swords, to pillage their property, because they are hungry for bread and in great distress.
20. Look, says the Lord, I am calling together all the kings of the earth, those from the north and from the south, from the east and from Lebanon. I am stirring them up to make them return and restore whatever my people gave them.
21. As they have done to my chosen ones even to this very day, so I will do to them: they will suffer full payback. This is what the Lord God says:
22. My strong hand won’t spare sinners, nor will my sword stop fighting against those who spill innocent blood on earth.
23. God’s anger has gone forth like fire to devour the earth’s foundations and sinners like kindled straw.
24. How terrible it will be for those who sin and don’t keep my laws, says the Lord.
25. I won’t spare them. Go away, faithless children! Don’t defile my sanctuary!
26. God knows all who sin against him. Therefore, he will hand them over to death and slaughter.
27. Even now disasters have swept over the world, and you will have to endure them. God won’t deliver you because you sinned against him.
28. Look! A terrible sight is appearing from the east!
29. The nations of the serpents of Arabia will go out with many chariots. From the day they begin their journey, their hissing will echo over the earth so that all who hear them fear and tremble.
30. The Carmonians will go forth from the forest in furious rage. They will come with great force and engage them in battle, and they will destroy part of the Assyrians’ land with their teeth.
31. After this, the serpents will remember their origin and become strong. They will turn, united in great strength, to pursue them.
32. Their enemies will be confused and silent because of their power, and they will turn around and run away.
33. From the Assyrians’ land an enemy will attack them in an ambush and will kill one of them. Their army will fall into fear and terror and their kings into indecision.