13
Israel is doomed to be destroyed
1 Previously, when the leaders of Israel spoke,
the people trembled;
those leaders were highly respected by the Israeli people.
But the people sinned greatly by worshiping Baal,
so now they will be killed by their enemies.
2 Now they sin more and more;
they make idols for themselves
and coat the idols with their silver.
Those idols are statues that are very cleverly made,
but those statues are made by mere humans.
But the people are told, “Kiss those idols that resemble a calf,
and offer sacrifices to them!”
3 Therefore, those people will disappear quickly like [SIM] the morning mist or the dew that lies on the ground early in the morning;
they will disappear like [SIM] chaff that is blown away from where the wheat is threshed,
like [SIM] smoke that goes out of a chimney.
4 But Yahweh says to his people, “I am Yahweh, your God,
the one who brought your ancestors out of Egypt.
You must believe that only I am God
and that there is no other God,
and that there is no one else who can save you!
5 I took care of your ancestors when they were in the desert,
where it was extremely hot and dry.
6 When I provided food for them,
their stomachs were full, and they were satisfied.
But then they became proud
and they forgot about me,
and you are like your ancestors!
7 So I will attack you like [SIM] a lion attacks other animals;
I will be like [SIM] a leopard that waits beside the road to attack another animal.
8 Like [SIM] a female bear attacks anyone that steals her cubs,
I will attack you Israelis and rip you open.
I will completely destroy you
like [SIM] lions or other wild animals tear apart the animals that they catch and devour them.
9 You people of Israel, you will be destroyed
because you oppose me, the only one who ◄can help/helps► you.
10 You have a king;
◄why is he unable to save you?/but he is unable to save you.► [RHQ]
You have [RHQ] rulers in all your towns,
but they are not helping you, either.
Your ancestors said, ‘Appoint for us a king and other leaders to rule over us
like the other nations have!’
11 I was angry with them for requesting that,
but I appointed a king to rule over them.
But later I became very angry with them again,
so I took their king away.
12 I have written on a scroll a record of the sins that have been committed by you people of Israel,
and I have stored away that record.
13 You people are not wise;
and now you are helpless.
You are like [MET] a woman who is having birth pains
but who is unable to give birth to the baby.
14 I certainly will not [RHQ] save you from being killed
and from going to the place where the dead people are.
I will [RHQ] cause you to be afflicted by plagues
and to die and be buried in graves.
I will not be merciful to you.
15 Even if you people of Israel prosper more than the nearby nations do,
the army of Assyria will come like [MET] an east wind that blows from the desert;
the springs and wells in Israel will become dry;
and your enemies will take away all your valuable possessions.
16 You people of Samaria must be punished
because you have rebelled against me, your God.
You will be killed by your enemies’ swords;
your little children will be killed by being dashed/thrown to the ground;
the bellies ofpregnant women among you will be ripped open.”