6. Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities, every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
7. How can I pardon thee? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.
8. They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.
9. shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10. Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take 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 against me, saith the LORD.
12. They have denied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13. and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
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.