10. They will ask, “Why has the Lord our God threatened us with so many disasters? Have we done something wrong or sinned against him?”
11. Then tell them I have said:People of Judah, your ancestors turned away from me; they rejected my laws and teachings and started worshipping other gods.
12. And you have done even worse! You are stubborn, and instead of obeying me, you do whatever evil comes to your mind.
13. So I will throw you into a land that you and your ancestors know nothing about, a place where you will have to worship other gods both day and night. And I won't feel the least bit sorry for you.
14. A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living God who rescued Israel from Egypt.
15. Instead, you will call me the Living God who rescued you from that country in the north and from the other countries where I had forced you to go.Some day I will bring you back to this land that I gave your ancestors.
16. But for now, I am sending enemies who will catch you like fish and hunt you down like wild animals in the hills and the caves.
17. I can see everything you are doing, even if you try to hide your sins from me.
18. I will punish you double for your sins, because you have made my own land disgusting. You have filled it with lifeless idols that remind me of dead bodies.
19. Our Lord, you are the onewho gives me strengthand protects me like a fortresswhen I am in trouble.People will come to youfrom distant nations and say,“Our ancestors worshippedfalse and useless gods,
20. worthless idolsmade by human hands.”
21. Then the Lord replied,“That's why I will teach themabout my power,and they will knowthat I am the true God.”