23 Then Yahweh gave me another message: 24 “Son of humanity, the people inhabiting those ruins back in Yisrael (Israel) are saying, ‘Avraham was only one person, and he inherited the land, but there’s lots of us now. The land has been given to us as an inheritance.’

25 Therefore tell them that the master Yahweh says this: You eat blood, and you pay your respect to your idols, then you pour out people’s blood. Should you then inherit that land? 26 You people rely on your swords for protection, and you’ve done disgusting things—each man defiles his neighbour’s wife. Should you really possess that land?’

27 Tell them that the master Yahweh says this: As I live, surely the ones in the ruins will be killed by swords, and I’ll give those in the countryside to the wild animals as food, and those in fortresses and in caves will die from deadly diseases. 28 Then I’ll turn the country into a desolation and a horror, and the pride that came from its power will end, because Yisrael’s mountains will be deserted, and there’ll be no one to walk through them.’ 29 Then they’ll know that I am Yahweh, when I make the country a desolation and a wasteland because of all the disgusting things they’ve done.