7. "Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And trooped to the harlot's house.
8. "They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor's wife.
9. "Shall I not punish these people," declares the Lord, "And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?
10. "Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the Lord's.
11. "For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me," declares the Lord.
12. They have lied about the Lord And said, "Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine.
13. "The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!"
14. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them.
15. "Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel," declares the Lord. "It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.
16. "Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are mighty men.
17. "They will devour your harvest and your food; They will devour your sons and your daughters; They will devour your flocks and your herds; They will devour your vines and your fig trees; They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.
18. "Yet even in those days," declares the Lord, "I will not make you a complete destruction.
19. It shall come about when they say, 'Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?' then you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'