3. Adonai, do Your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck them, but they did not grieve. You disciplined them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone. They refused to return.
4. Then I said: These are only the poor. They are foolish. For they do not know the way of Adonai, the ordinance of their God.
5. I will go to the distinguished and speak to them. Surely they know the way of Adonai, the ordinance of their God. But they too had broken the yoke and torn off the bonds.
6. Therefore a lion from the forest will kill them. A desert wolf will ravage them. A leopard watches over their cities. Everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces, For their rebellion is great, their backslidings frequent.
7. “Why therefore should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by those who are not gods. Even though I fed them well, they committed adultery and thronged to the prostitute houses.
8. They are well-fed, lustful stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
9. For such, should I not punish them?” It is a declaration of Adonai. “On such a nation as this should I not avenge Myself?
10. Go up into her vines and ravage them, but do not completely destroy them. Strip away her branches for they are not Adonai’s.
11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
12. They have lied about Adonai saying: “Not He! No harm will come to us. Nor will we see sword or famine.
13. The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them. Let what they say be done to them!”
14. Therefore thus says Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot: “Because you speak this word, behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire and this people wood— and it will devour them.
15. See, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “It is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you neither know nor understand what they say.
16. Their quiver is an open grave. They are all mighty warriors.
17. They will devour your harvest and your food. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will devour your flocks and your herds. They will devour your vines and your fig trees. They will demolish your fortified cities —the ones in which you trust— with the sword.
18. “Yet even in those days,” declares Adonai, “I will not completely destroy you.
19. So it will come to pass that when you ask, ‘Why has Adonai Eloheinu done all these things to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’