14. Wherefore thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15. Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16. Their quiver is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
17. And they shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall beat down thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword.
18. But even in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.
19. And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20. Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21. Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
22. Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.
23. But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good from you.
26. For among my people are found wicked men: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.
27. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
28. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness: they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they should prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29. shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30. A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land;