7. “Israel’s foolish plans are like planting the wind.But they will harvest a whirlwind.Her plans are like a stalk with no head of grain.It produces nothing.Even if it produces something,other nations would eat it.
8. Israel is destroyed.The people are mixed among the other nations.They have become useless to me.
9. Like a wild donkey,Israel has run to Assyria.Israel has hired other nations to protect her.
10. Although Israel is mixed among the nations,I will gather them together.They will become weaker and weakeras they suffer under the great king of Assyria.
11. “The more altars Israel built to remove sin,the more they have become altars for sinning.
12. They reject the many teachings I have written for them.They act as if the teachings were strange and foreign to them.
13. The Israelites offer sacrifices to meand eat the meat.But the Lord is not pleased with them.He remembers the evil they have done.And he will punish them for their sins.They will be slaves again as they were in Egypt.
14. The people of Israel have forgotten their Maker.They trust in the palaces they have built.And Judah trusts in her many strong, walled cities.But I will send fire on their citiesand destroy their strong towers.”