14. Does the snow ever completely vanish from the rocky slopes of Lebanon?Do the cool waters from those distant mountains ever cease to flow?
15. Yet my people have forgotten meand offered sacrifices to worthless idols!This makes them stumble along in the way they liveand leave the old reliable path of their fathers.They have left them to walk in bypaths,in roads that are not smooth and level.
16. So their land will become an object of horror.People will forever hiss out their scorn over it.All who pass that way will be filled with horrorand will shake their heads in derision.
17. I will scatter them before their enemieslike dust blowing in front of a burning east wind.I will turn my back on them and not look favorably on themwhen disaster strikes them.”
18. Then some people said, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
19. Then I said,“Lord, pay attention to me.Listen to what my enemies are saying.
20. Should good be paid back with evil?Yet they are virtually digging a pit to kill me.Just remember how I stood before youpleading on their behalfto keep you from venting your anger on them.
21. So let their children die of starvation.Let them be cut down by the sword.Let their wives lose their husbands and children.Let the older men die of diseaseand the younger men die by the sword in battle.