“You leaders don’t know anything. You don’t understand anything. You are in the dark about what is right. Law and order have been destroyed all over the world.
Some people have teeth like swords. The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives. They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth. They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy.
When their twigs are dry, they will be broken off. Then women will come and make fires with them. The people of Jacob don’t understand the Lord. So the God who made them won’t be concerned about them. Their Creator won’t be kind to them.
So once more I will shock these people with many wonderful acts. I will destroy the wisdom of those who think they are so wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.”
“Come together, you people of the nations who escaped from Babylon. Gather together and come into court. Only people who do not know anything would carry around gods that are made out of wood. They pray to false gods that can’t save them.
So my people will be taken away as prisoners. That’s because they don’t understand what the Lord has done. Their nobles will die of hunger. The rest of the people won’t have any water to drink.
All of us have become like someone who is “unclean.” All the good things we do are like dirty rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind.
Pour out your great anger on the nations. They don’t pay any attention to you. They refuse to worship you. They have destroyed the people of Jacob. They’ve wiped them out completely. They’ve also destroyed the land they lived in.