16. Their arrow bags are like open graves. All their men are strong soldiers.
17. They will eat all the crops that you gathered. They will eat all your food. They will destroy your sons and daughters. They will eat your flocks and your herds. They will eat your grapes and your figs. They will destroy your strong cities with their swords. They will destroy the strong cities that you trust in.”
18. This message is from the Lord: “But, Judah, when these terrible days come, I will not fully destroy you.
19. The people of Judah will ask you, ‘Jeremiah, why has the Lord our God done this bad thing to us?’ Give them this answer: ‘You people of Judah have left me, and you have served foreign idols in your own land. You did these things, so now you will serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you.’
20. “Tell this message to the family of Jacob, and tell it in the nation of Judah.
21. Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense. You have eyes, but you don’t see! You have ears, but you don’t listen!
22. Surely you are afraid of me.” This message is from the Lord. “You should shake with fear in front of me. I am the one who made the sandy shores to hold back the sea. I made it that way to keep the water in its place forever. The waves may pound the beach, but they will not destroy it. The waves may roar as they come in, but they cannot go beyond the beach.
23. But the people of Judah are stubborn. They are always planning ways to turn against me. They turned away from me and left me.
24. The people of Judah never say to themselves, ‘Let’s fear and respect the Lord our God. He gives us autumn and spring rains at just the right time. He makes sure that we have the harvest at just the right time.’
25. You don’t have these blessings because you have done wrong. Your sins have kept these good things away from you.
26. There are evil men among my people. They are like men who make nets for catching birds. They set their traps, but they catch people instead of birds.
27. Their houses are full of lies, like a cage full of birds. Their lies made them rich and powerful.
28. They have grown big and fat from the evil they have done. There is no end to the evil they do. They will not plead the case of children who have no parents. They will not help these orphans. They will not let the poor be judged fairly.
29. Should I punish the people of Judah for doing these things?” This message is from the Lord. “You know I should punish a nation such as this. I should give it the punishment it deserves.
30. “A terrible and shocking thing has happened in the land of Judah.