12. I feel a stronger wind than that. Now even I will announce judgments against the people of Judah.”
13. Look! The enemy rises up like a cloud,and his chariots come like a tornado.His horses are faster than eagles.How terrible it will be for us! We are ruined!
14. People of Jerusalem, clean the evil from your hearts so that you can be saved.Don’t continue making evil plans.
15. A voice from Dan makes an announcementand brings bad news from the mountains of Ephraim.
16. “Report this to the nations.Spread this news in Jerusalem:‘Invaders are coming from a faraway country,shouting words of war against the cities of Judah.
17. The enemy has surrounded Jerusalem as men guard a field,because Judah turned against me,’ ” says the Lord.
18. “The way you have lived and actedhas brought this trouble to you.This is your punishment.How terrible it is!The pain stabs your heart!”
19. Oh, how I hurt! How I hurt!I am bent over in pain.Oh, the torture in my heart!My heart is pounding inside me.I cannot keep quiet,because I have heard the sound of the trumpet.I have heard the shouts of war.
20. Disaster follows disaster;the whole country has been destroyed.My tents are destroyed in only a moment.My curtains are torn down quickly.
21. How long must I look at the war flag?How long must I listen to the war trumpet?
22. The Lord says, “My people are foolish.They do not know me.They are stupid children;they don’t understand.They are skillful at doing evil,but they don’t know how to do good.”
23. I looked at the earth,and it was empty and had no shape.I looked at the sky,and its light was gone.
24. I looked at the mountains,and they were shaking.All the hills were trembling.
25. I looked, and there were no people.Every bird in the sky had flown away.
26. I looked, and the good, rich land had become a desert.All its towns had been destroyedby the Lord and his great anger.