10. “Go along and cut down Judah’s vineyards.But do not completely destroy them.Cut off all her people as if they were branches.Do it because they do not belong to the Lord.
11. The families of Israel and Judahhave been completely unfaithful to me,” says the Lord!
12. Those people have lied about the Lord.They have said, “The Lord will not do anything to us!Nothing bad will happen to us.We will never see war or hunger.
13. The prophets are like an empty wind.The word of God is not in them.Let these bad things they say happen to them.”
14. So this is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says:“The people said I would not punish them.So, Jeremiah, the words I give you will be like fire.And these people will be like wood the fire burns up.
15. Listen, family of Israel,” says the Lord.“I will soon bring a nation from far away to attack you.It is an old nation that has lasted a long time.The people there speak a language you do not know.You cannot understand what they say.
16. Their arrows bring death.All their men are strong warriors.
17. They will eat your crops and your food.They will eat your sons and daughters.They will eat your flocks and herds.They will eat your grapes and figs.They will destroy with their swordsthe strong, walled cities you trust in!
18. “Yet even then,” says the Lord, “I will not destroy you completely.
19. The people of Judah will ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done this terrible thing to us?’ Give them this answer: ‘You have left the Lord. You have served foreign idols in your own land. So now you will serve foreigners in a land that does not belong to you!’
20. “Announce this message to the family of Jacob.And tell it to the nation of Judah:
21. Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense.You have eyes, but you don’t really see.You have ears, but you don’t really listen.
22. Surely you are afraid of me,” says the Lord.“You should shake with fear in my presence.I am the one who made the beaches to be a border for the sea.They keep the water in its place forever.The waves may pound the beach, but they can’t win over it.The waves may roar,but they cannot go beyond it.
23. But the people of Judah are stubborn and have turned against me.They have turned aside and gone away from me.
24. They do not say to themselves,‘We should fear the Lord our God.He gives us autumn and spring rains in their seasons.He makes sure we have the harvest at the right time.’
25. But your evil has kept away both rain and harvest.Your sins have kept you from enjoying good things.
26. There are wicked men among my people.They are like men who make nets for catching birds.But they set their traps to catch men instead of birds.
27. Like cages full of birds,their houses are full of lies.They have become rich and powerful.