1. “The sins of Judah are written where they cannot be erased— cut into stone with an iron pen, cut deep with a hard tip into the stone that is the hearts of the people. Their sins are carved into the horns of their altars.
2. Their children remember the altars that were dedicated to false gods. They remember the wooden poles that were dedicated to Asherah. They remember those things under the green trees and on the hills.
3. They remember those things on the mountains in the open country. The people of Judah have many treasures. I will give those things to other people. People will destroy all the high places in your country. You worshiped there, and that was a sin.
4. You will lose the land I gave you. I will let your enemies take you to be their slaves. That is because I am very angry. My anger is like a hot fire, and you will be burned forever.”
5. This is what the Lord says: “Bad things will happen to those who put their trust in people. Bad things will happen to those who depend on human strength. That is because they have stopped trusting the Lord.
6. They are like a bush in a desert where no one lives. It is in a hot and dry land. It is in bad soil. That bush does not know about the good things that God can give.