5. Israel will be like wheat fieldsin Rephaim Valleypicked clean of grain.
6. It will be like an olive treebeaten with a stick,leaving two or three olivesor perhaps four or fiveon the highestor most fruitful branches.The Lord God of Israelhas promised this.
7. At that time the people will turn and trust their Creator, the holy God of Israel.
8. They have built altars and places for burning incense to their goddess Asherah, and they have set up sacred poles for her. But they will stop worshipping at these places.
9. Israel captured powerful cities and chased out the people who lived there. But these cities will lie in ruins, covered over with weeds and undergrowth.
10. Israel, you have forgottenthe God who saves you,the one who is the mighty rockwhere you find protection.You plant the finest flowersto honour a foreign god.
11. The plants may sproutand blossomthat very same morning,but it will do you no good,because you will sufferendless agony.
12. The nations are a noisy,thunderous sea.
13. But even if they roarlike a fearsome flood,God will give the commandto turn them back.They will be like dust,or like strawblowing across the hillsin a storm.
14. In the eveningtheir attack is fierce,but by morningthey are destroyed.This is what happens to thosewho raid and rob us.