"I will winnowthem with a winnowingforkAt the gatesof the land;I will bereave[them] of children,I will destroyMy people;They did not repentof their ways.
The wickedare not so,But they are like chaffwhichthe winddrivesaway.
"You will winnowthem, and the windwill carrythem away, And the stormwill scatterthem; But you will rejoicein the LORD,You will gloryin the HolyOneof Israel.
The Arameanson the eastand the Philistineson the west;And they devourIsraelwith gapingjaws.In [spite of] allthis,His angerdoes not turnawayAnd His handis stillstretchedout.
Yet the peopledo not turnbackto Him who struckthem, Nordo they seekthe LORDof hosts.
Therefore,givetheir childrenover to famineAnd deliverthem up to the powerof the sword;And let their wivesbecomechildlessand widowed.Let their menalso be smittento death,Their youngmenstruckdownby the swordin battle.
O LORD,do not Your eyes[look] for truth?You have smittenthem, [But] they did not weaken;You have consumedthem, But they refusedto takecorrection.They have madetheir facesharderthanrock;They have refusedto repent.
"I will dispatchforeignersto Babylonthat they may winnowher And may devastateher land;For on everysidethey will be opposedto her In the dayof [her] calamity.
For deathhas comeup through our windows;It has enteredour palacesTo cutoffthe childrenfrom the streets,The youngmenfrom the townsquares.
Speakto the houseof Israel,"Thussaysthe LordGOD,'Behold,I am about to profaneMy sanctuary,the prideof your power,the desireof your eyesand the delightof your soul;and your sonsand your daughterswhomyou have leftbehindwill fallby the sword.
As for you, sonof man,will [it] not be on the daywhen I takefrom them their stronghold,the joyof their pride,the desireof their eyesand their heart'sdelight,their sonsand their daughters,
Yes, I will cause men--My peopleIsrael--to walkon you and possessyou, so that you will becometheir inheritanceand neveragainbereavethem of children.'
"Do not be like your fathers,to whomthe formerprophetsproclaimed,saying,'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Returnnowfrom your evilwaysand from your evildeeds."'But they did not listenor giveheedto Me," declaresthe LORD.
"His winnowing forkis in His hand,and He will thoroughly clearHis threshing floor;and He will gatherHis wheatinto the barn,but He will burnup the chaffwith unquenchablefire."
"Cursed[shall be] the offspringof your bodyand the produceof your ground,the increaseof your herdand the youngof your flock.
"Your sonsand your daughtersshall be givento anotherpeople,while your eyeslookon and yearnfor them continually;but therewill be nothingyou can do.
"You shall havesonsand daughtersbut they will not be yours, for they will gointo captivity.
