But Israel's sins will be forgiven only when the stones of pagan altars are ground up like chalk, and no more incense altars or symbols of the goddess Asherah are left.
All through the night get up again and again to cry out to the Lord; Pour out your heart and beg him for mercy on your children— Children starving to death on every street corner!
“When I am angry and furious with you and punish you, all the nations around you will be terrified. They will look at you with disgust and make fun of you.
“I will abandon my people until they have suffered enough for their sins and come looking for me. Perhaps in their suffering they will try to find me.”
Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.
At that very moment there was a violent earthquake; a tenth of the city was destroyed, and seven thousand people were killed. The rest of the people were terrified and praised the greatness of the God of heaven.