15 Listen and pay attention.

Don’t be arrogant, because Yahweh has spoken.

16 Give honour to your god Yahweh before he brings darkness,

≈ and before he causes you all to stumble on the mountains at twilight,

because you’re hoping for light, but he’ll turn the place into deep darkness—into a dark cloud.

17 But if you all won’t listen,

I’ll weep in private because of your arrogance.

≈ Tears will run down my eyes because Yahweh’s flock has been taken captive.

18 Tell the king and the queen mother to take a low seat

because their splendid crowns have been removed from their heads.

19 The cities of the Negev have been shut up,

and there’s no one to open them again.

Yehudah has been taken into exile—

they’ve all been taken far away.

20 Look up and see them coming from the north.

Where’s the flock that was given to you—those beautiful sheep?

21 What will you say when the allies that you taught, he sets over you?

Won’t labour pains hit you like a woman giving birth?

22 Then as a country you’ll ask why those things have happened to you.

It’s the magnitude of your disobedience that’s caused your skirt to be lifted

and your body to be treated with violence.

23 An Ethiopian person can’t change their skin colour

≈ and a leopard can’t change its spots.

Similarly you all aren’t able to do good

as you’re all so accustomed to doing evil.

24 I’ll scatter them like straw that’s blown across the wilderness by the wind.

25 Yahweh declares that that’s your part of your inheritance

as you’ve forgotten me and trusted in lies.

26 So I’ll also pull your skirt up over your face

and then your shame will become visible.

27 I’ve seen your adultery and neighing—

the wickedness of your prostitution on the hills and across the countryside.

I’ve seen your detestable behaviour.

You won’t end well, Yerusalem.

How long will you remain ‘unclean’?