20. What is this to me? Frankincense comes from Sheba, and the precious spice reed from a distant land. Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”
21. Therefore thus says Yahweh: “Look, I am about to put before this people stumbling blocks, and they will stumble against them, fathers and children together, neighbor and his friend will perish.”
22. Thus says Yahweh: “Look, a people is coming from the land of the north, a great nation is woken up from the farthest part of the earth.
23. The bow and the short sword they grasp are cruel, and they show no mercy. Their sound roars like the sea, and on horses they ride, drawn up like a man for battle against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24. We have heard news of it, our hands grow slack, anxiety has grasped us, pain as a woman who gives birth.
25. You must not go out into the field, and you must not walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword, terror is all around.
26. O daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth, and roll about in the ashes in mourning, a mourning ceremony as for an only child. Make for yourself wailing of bitterness, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
27. “I have made you an assayer among my people, a fortification, so that you may know and put to the test their ways.
28. All of them are stubborn rebels, going about talking slander. They are bronze and iron, they are all behaving corruptly.
29. The bellows are burned up, lead is consumed by fire. In vain he keeps on refining, but the wicked are not torn apart.
30. They are called rejected silver, For Yahweh has rejected them.”