4. Then I said, “They are just simple people, they are foolish, for they know not the way of Yahweh, the law of their God.
5. Let me go to the great, and let me speak with them, for they know the way of Yahweh, the law of their God.” However, they together have broken the yoke, they have torn to pieces the bonds.
6. Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them, A wolf from the desert plains will devastate them. A leopard is watching their cities, everyone who goes out from there will be torn, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are numerous.
7. “How can I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me, and they have sworn by those who are not gods. But I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery, and flocked to the house of a prostitute.
8. They were well-fed lusty horses, they neighed each to the wife of his neighbor.
9. Because of these things shall I not punish?” declares Yahweh, “and on a nation who is like this, shall I not take revenge?
10. Go up through her vineyards and destroy, but you must not make complete destruction. Remove her branches, for they are not to Yahweh.
11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt utterly treacherously with me,” declares Yahweh.
12. “They have denied Yahweh, and have said, ‘Not he, for evil will not come on us, we will see neither sword nor famine.
13. And the prophets are like wind, and the word is not in them.’ Thus it will be done to them.”
14. Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, “Because you have spoken this word, look, I am making my words in your mouth like a fire, and this people wood, and it will devour them.
15. Look, I am about to bring on you a nation from afar, O house of Israel,” declares Yahweh. “It is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation. A nation whose language you do not know, and you cannot understand what they speak.
16. Their quiver is like an open tomb, all of them are warriors.
17. And they will eat your harvest and your food, they will eat your sons and your daughters, they will eat your flock and your herd, they will eat your vine and your fig tree, they will smash with the sword your fortified cities, in which you trust.
18. “But even in those days,” declares Yahweh, “I will not make you a complete destruction.
19. And then, when you people say, ‘Why has Yahweh our God done all of these things to us?’ Then you will say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and have served gods of a foreign land in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that does not belong to you.’
20. “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21. ‘Hear this please, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.’