The Skeptics Annotated Bible (570 page)

14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts,
Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them
.

(5.14)
“Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.”
God will burn people to death for discovering his non-existence.

(5.15-17) God again talks of bringing a foreign nation to destroy his chosen ones and take their lands.

15 Lo,
I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD
: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

(15.15)
“I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.”

16 Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.

17 And
they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees
: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.

(15.17)
“They shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees.”

18
Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.

(15.18)
“Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you.”
But God says he won’t starve all of his chosen people to death. He’ll keep a few alive to torment later.

19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not your’s.

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

22
Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence
, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

(5.22)
“Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence.”
132 Should we fear God?

23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

26 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

31
The prophets prophesy falsely
, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

(5.31)
“The prophets prophesy falsely.”

6
O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.

6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.

8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear?
behold, their ear is uncircumcised
, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.