12. They should be ashamed of the evil things they do, but they are not ashamed at all. They don’t know enough to be embarrassed by their sins. So they will be punished with everyone else. They will be thrown to the ground when I punish the people.’” This is what the Lord said.
13. “‘I will take away their fruit and crops so that there will be no harvest, says the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree. Even the leaves will become dry and die. I will take away the things I gave them.’”
14. “They will say, ‘Why are we just sitting here? Come, let’s run to the strong cities. If the Lord our God is going to make us die, then let’s die there. We have sinned against the Lord, so he has given us poisoned water to drink.
15. We hoped to have peace, but nothing good has come. We hoped that he would forgive us, but only disaster has come.
16. From the land of the tribe of Dan, we hear the snorting of the enemy’s horses. The ground shakes from the pounding of their hooves. They have come to destroy the land and everything in it. They have come to destroy the city and all the people who live there.’”
17. “People of Judah, I am sending poisonous snakes to attack you. These snakes cannot be controlled. They will bite you.” This message is from the Lord.
18. God, I am very sad and afraid.
19. Listen to my people. Everywhere in this country, people are crying for help. They say, “Is the Lord still at Zion? Is Zion’s King still there?” But God says, “The people of Judah worshiped their worthless foreign idols. That made me very angry! Why did they do that?”
20. And the people say, “Harvest time is over. Summer is gone, and still we have not been saved.”
21. My people are hurt, so I am hurt. I am too sad to speak.
22. Surely there is some medicine in Gilead. Surely there is a doctor in Gilead. So why are the wounds of my people not healed?