16. The Lord, who is the inheritance of Jacob’s descendants, is not like them.He is the one who created everything.And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own.He is known as the Lord who rules over all.”
17. Gather your belongings together and prepare to leave the land,you people of Jerusalem who are being besieged.
18. For the Lord says, “I will now throw outthose who live in this land.I will bring so much trouble on themthat they will actually feel it.”
19. And I cried out, “We are doomed!Our wound is severe!We once thought, ‘This is only an illness.And we will be able to bear it!’
20. But our tents have been destroyed.The ropes that held them in place have been ripped apart.Our children are gone and are not coming back.There is no survivor to put our tents back up,no one left to hang their tent curtains in place.