Your land is ruined; your cities have been burned with fire. While you watch, your enemies are stealing everything from your land; it is ruined like a country destroyed by enemies.
These people have been defeated and robbed. They are trapped in pits or locked up in prison. Like robbers, enemies have taken them away, and there is no one to save them. Enemies carried them off, and no one said, “Bring them back.”
The Lord has made a promise, and by his power he will keep his promise. He said, “I will never again give your grain as food to your enemies. I will not let your enemies drink the new wine that you have worked to make.
Listen, family of Israel,” says the Lord, “I will soon bring a nation from far away to attack you. It is an old nation that has lasted a long time. The people there speak a language you do not know; you cannot understand what they say.
They will eat your crops and your food. They will eat your sons and daughters. They will eat your flocks and herds. They will eat your grapes and figs. They will destroy with their swords the strong, walled cities you trust.
From the land of Dan, the snorting of the enemy’s horses is heard. The ground shakes from the neighing of their large horses. They have come and destroyed the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there.”
So I am going to give you to the people of the East to be theirs. They will set up their camps among you and make their homes among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.
“Israel’s foolish plans are like planting the wind, but they will harvest a storm. Like a stalk with no head of grain, it produces nothing. Even if it produced something, other nations would eat it.
As a result, I will do this to you: I will cause terrible things to happen to you. I will cause you to have disease and fever that will destroy your eyes and slowly kill you. You will not have success when you plant your seed, and your enemy will eat your crops.
They will eat the calves from your herds and the harvest of your field, and you will be destroyed. They will not leave you any grain, new wine or oil, or any calves from your herds or lambs from your flocks. You will be ruined.
The Midianites came with their tents and their animals like swarms of locusts to ruin the land. There were so many people and camels they could not be counted.