“For Yisra’ĕl has forgotten his Maker, and has built palaces. And Yehuḏah has increased walled cities. But I shall send fire upon his cities, and it shall devour his strongholds.”
And it came to be, as though it had been a light matter for him to walk in the sins of Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat, that he took as wife Izeḇel the daughter of Ethba‛al, sovereign of the Tsiḏonians. And he went and served Ba‛al and bowed himself to it,
And in the fourteenth year of Sovereign Ḥizqiyahu, Sanḥĕriḇ sovereign of Ashshur came up against all the walled cities of Yehuḏah and captured them.
And he built towers in the wilderness, and dug many wells, for he had much livestock, both in the low country and in the plain, farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Karmel, for he loved the soil.
Because you have forgotten the Elohim of your deliverance, and have not remembered the Rock of your stronghold, therefore you shall plant pleasant plants and set out foreign seedlings,
“For when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they shall set apart My Name, and set apart the Set-apart One of Ya‛aqoḇ, and fear the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
So He has poured on him His burning displeasure and the strength of battle, and it set him on fire all around, yet he did not understand. And it burned against him, yet he did not take it to heart!
“But if you do not obey Me to set apart the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden when entering the gates of Yerushalayim on the Sabbath day, then I shall kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall consume the palaces of Yerushalayim, and not be quenched.” ’ ”
A voice was heard on the bare heights, weeping supplications of the children of Yisra’ĕl, because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten יהוה their Elohim.
“And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds, they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. With the sword they shall demolish your walled cities, in which you are trusting.
“Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall bear your wickedness and your whorings.’ ”
“And I shall punish her for the days of the Ba‛als to which she burned incense and adorned herself with her rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, and forgot Me,” declares יהוה.
“My people have perished for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being priest for Me. Since you have forgotten the Torah of your Elohim, I also forget your children.
“So I shall kindle a fire upon the wall of Rabbah, and it shall consume its palaces, with a shout in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind.