15. A voice is speaking all the way from the city of Dan. From the hills of Ephraim it announces that trouble is coming.
16. "Tell the nations. Warn Jerusalem. Say, 'An army will attack you. It is coming from a land far away. It will shout a war cry against the cities of Judah.
17. It will surround them like people who guard a field. Judah has refused to obey me,' " announces the Lord.
18. "The army will attack you because of your conduct and actions. That is how you will be punished. It will be so bitter! It will cut deep down into your hearts!"
19. I'm suffering! I'm really suffering! I'm hurting badly. My heart is suffering so much! It's pounding inside me. I can't keep silent. I've heard the sound of trumpets. I've heard the battle cry.
20. One trouble follows another. The whole land is destroyed. In an instant my tents are gone. My home disappears in a moment.
21. How long must I look at our enemy's battle flag? How long must I hear the sound of the trumpets?
22. The Lord says, "My people are foolish. They do not know me. They are children who do not have any sense. They have no understanding at all. They are skilled in doing what is evil. They do not know how to do what is good."
23. I looked at the earth. It didn't have any shape. And it was empty. I looked at the sky. Its light was gone.
24. I looked at the mountains. They were shaking. All of the hills were swaying.
25. I looked. And there weren't any people. Every bird in the sky had flown away.