<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;At that time<n id="1" /> I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals,p> <p class="poetry">the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground.p> <p class="poetry">I will abolish<n id="2" /> the warrior&#8217;s bow and swordp> <p class="poetry">&#8211; that is, every weapon of warfare<n id="3" /> &#8211; from the land,p> <p class="poetry">and I will allow them to live securely.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> is watching<n id="1" /> the sinful nation,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will destroy it from the face of the earth.p> <p class="poetry">But I will not completely destroy the family<n id="3" /> of Jacob,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;I will destroy people and animals;p> <p class="poetry">I will destroy the birds in the skyp> <p class="poetry">and the fish in the sea.p> <p class="poetry">(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.)<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will remove<n id="2" /> humanity from the face of the earth,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

Moreover, I have called for a drought that will affect the fields, the hill country, the grain, new wine, fresh olive oil, and everything that grows from the ground; it also will harm people, animals, and everything they produce.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

And the <sc>Lordsc> smelled the soothing aroma<n id="1" /> and said<n id="2" /> to himself,<n id="3" /> &#8220;I will never again curse<n id="4" /> the ground because of humankind, even though<n id="5" /> the inclination of their minds<n id="6" /> is evil from childhood on.<n id="7" /> I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.p>

You<n id="1" /> stood before the <sc>Lordsc> your God at Horeb and he<n id="2" /> said to me, &#8220;Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands.<n id="3" /> Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.&#8221;

know for certain that the <sc>Lordsc> our God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. They will trap and ensnare you;<n id="1" /> they will be a whip that tears<n id="2" /> your sides and thorns that blind<n id="3" /> your eyes until you disappear<n id="4" /> from this good land the <sc>Lordsc> your God gave you.p>

But in the same way every faithful promise the <sc>Lordsc> your God made to you has been realized,<n id="1" /> it is just as certain, if you disobey, that the <sc>Lordsc> will bring on you every judgment<n id="2" /> until he destroys you from this good land which the <sc>Lordsc> your God gave you.

Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, &#8216;Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death<n id="1" /> of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.&#8217; They want to extinguish my remaining coal,<n id="2" /> leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.&#8221;p>

I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, &#8220;Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right.<n id="1" /> Do not pay allegiance to other gods<n id="2" /> and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.&#8221; But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.