18. You turned awayfrom God, your Creator;you forgot the Mighty Rock,the source of your life.
19. You were the Lord's children,but you made him angry.Then he rejected you
20. and said,“You are unfaithfuland can't be trusted.So I won't answer your prayers;I'll just watch and seewhat happens to you.
21. You worshipped worthless idols,and made me jealousand angry!Now I will send a crueland worthless nationto make you jealous and angry.
22. “My people, I will breathe out firethat sends you downto the world of the dead.It will scorch your farmlandsand burn deep downunder the mountains.
23. I'll send disaster after disasterto strike you like arrows.
24. You'll be struck by starvationand deadly diseases,by the fangs of wild animalsand poisonous snakes.
25. Young and old alikewill be killed in the streetsand terrified at home.
26. “I wanted to scatter you,so no one would rememberthat you had ever lived.
27. But I dreaded the soundof your enemies saying,‘We defeated Israel with no helpfrom the Lord.’ ”
28. People of Israel,that's what the Lordhas said to you.But you don't have good sense,and you never listento advice.
29. If you did, you could seewhere you are headed.
30. How could one enemy soldierchase a thousandof Israel's troops?Or how could two of theirspursue ten thousand of ours?It can only happen if the Lordstops protecting Israeland lets the enemy win.
31. Even our enemies knowthat only our Godis a Mighty Rock.
32. Our enemies are grapevinesrooted in the fieldsof Sodom and Gomorrah.The grapes they produceare full of bitter poison;
33. their wine is more deadlythan cobra venom.
34. But the Lord has writtena list of their sinsand locked it in his vault.