24. devastating hunger, consuming plague, bitter sickness.I’ll send animal fangs after them,venom from dust crawlers too.
25. Outside, in the streets, the sword will bereave!Inside, in the safest room, there will be terrorfor young men and women,nursing baby and senior citizen.
26. I thought about it: I could have struck them down,erased them from human memory,
27. but their enemies’ rage concerned me;their opponents might misunderstand.They might say, "Our strong hands,not the Lord’s, did all this,"
28. because they are not a thoughtful nation;they lack any insight.
29. If they had any wisdom, they would understand this;they would discern what will become of them.
30. How could one person chase off a thousand in battle?How could two people make ten thousand flee for their lives?Only because their rock sold them off,only because the Lord handed them over!
31. But, no, their rocks can’t compare to our rock!Our enemies are completely stupid.
32. Their roots run straight from Sodom—from the fields of Gomorrah!Their grapes are pure poison;their grape clusters, nothing but bitter;
33. their wine is snake poison,venom from a cruel cobra.
34. Don’t I have this stored up,sealed in my vaults?
35. Revenge is my domain, so is punishment-in-kind,at the exact moment their step slips up,because the day of their destruction is just around the corner;their final destiny is speeding on its way!
36. But the Lord will acquit his people,will have compassion on those who serve him,once he sees that their strength is all gone,that both prisoners and free people are wiped out.
37. The Lord will ask, "Where are their gods—the rocks they trusted in—
38. who ate up the fat of their sacrifices,who drank their sacred wine?They should stand up and help you!They should protect you now!
39. Now, look here: I myself, I’m the one;there are no other gods with me.I’m the one who deals death and gives life;I’m the one who wounded, but now I will heal.There’s no escaping my hand.