21. The Lord will fight as he did at Mount Perazim. He will be angry as he was in Gibeon Valley. He will do what he must do. It will be what some stranger should do, but he will finish his work. Yes, this is a stranger’s job.
22. Now don’t complain about these things. If you fight against them, you will only tighten the ropes around you. The words I heard will not change. They came from the Lord GOD All-Powerful, the ruler of all the earth, and these things will be done.
23. Listen closely to the message I am telling you.
24. Does a farmer plow his field all the time? No, he doesn’t work the soil all the time.
25. A farmer prepares the ground, and then he plants the seed. He plants different kinds of seeds different ways. He scatters dill seeds, he throws cumin seeds on the ground, and he plants wheat in rows. A farmer plants barley in its special place, and he plants spelt seeds at the edge of his field.
26. Our God is using this to teach you a lesson. This example shows us that God is fair when he punishes his people.
27. Does a farmer use large boards with sharp teeth to crush dill seeds? No, and he doesn’t use a wagon to crush cumin seeds. A farmer uses a small stick to break the hulls from these seeds of grain.