¹⁹ And when the people ask,^(A) ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods^(B) in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners^(C) in a land not your own.’

¹² Who is wise^(A) enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?

¹³ The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.^{(B) 14} Instead, they have followed^(C) the stubbornness of their hearts;^(D) they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” ¹⁵ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food^(E) and drink poisoned water.^{(F) 16} I will scatter them among nations^(G) that neither they nor their ancestors have known,^(H) and I will pursue them with the sword^(I) until I have made an end of them.”^(J)

¹⁰ “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?’^{(A) 11} then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped^(B) them. They forsook me and did not keep my law.^{(C) 12} But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors.^(D) See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts^(E) instead of obeying me. ¹³ So I will throw you out of this land^(F) into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known,^(G) and there you will serve other gods^(H) day and night, for I will show you no favor.’^(I)

⁸ “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’^{(A) 9} And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.^(B)’”