You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.
Thus were they divided by lot, one group as another; for the officials of the sanctuary, and officials of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that was stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
Therefore has the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell in it are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
I was angry with my people, I have profaned my inheritance, and given them into your hand: you did show them no mercy; upon the aged have you very heavily laid your yoke.
And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their harm, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I shall drive them.
The Lord has swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and has not pitied: he has thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought them down to the ground: he has polluted the kingdom and its princes.
So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about you, when I shall execute judgments on you in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
Yea, all Israel have transgressed your law, even by departing, that they might not obey your voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
And he has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven has not been done as has been done upon Jerusalem.
Therefore has the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he does: for we obeyed not his voice.
Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that steals shall be cut off according to the writing on this side; and every one that swears falsely shall be cut off according to the writing on that side.
And it shall come to pass, that as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.