but since the water still covered all the land, the dove did not find a place to light. It flew back to the boat, and Noah reached out and took it in.

There is no safety for sinners," says the LORD.

A third of your people will die from sickness and hunger in the city; a third will be cut down by swords outside the city; and I will scatter the last third to the winds and pursue them with a sword.

Everyone from the nations around you who passes by will sneer at you and keep their distance.

I will cut off your supply of food and let you starve. You will feel the pains of hunger like sharp arrows sent to destroy you.

You have made up your minds that you want to be like the other nations, like the people who live in other countries and worship trees and rocks. But that will never be.

I will show you my power and my anger when I gather you together and bring you back from all the countries where you have been scattered.

If they are taken away into captivity by their enemies, I will order them to be put to death. I am determined to destroy them, not to help them."

"I will give the command and shake the people of Israel like grain in a sieve. I will shake them among the nations to remove all who are worthless.

The sinners among my people will be killed in war---all those who say, 'God will not let any harm come near us.' "

"I will make those of you who are in exile so terrified that the sound of a leaf blowing in the wind will make you run. You will run as if you were being pursued in battle, and you will fall when there is no enemy near you.

Jerusalem, wake up! Rouse yourself and get up! You have drunk the cup of punishment that the LORD in his anger gave you to drink; you drank it down, and it made you stagger.

"Mortal man," he said, "tremble when you eat, and shake with fear when you drink.

Tell the whole nation that this is the message of the Sovereign LORD to the people of Jerusalem who are still living in their land: They will tremble when they eat and shake with fear when they drink. Their land will be stripped bare, because everyone who lives there is lawless.

"My people will follow me when I roar like a lion at their enemies. They will hurry to me from the west.

They will come from Egypt, as swiftly as birds, and from Assyria, like doves. I will bring them to their homes again. I, the LORD, have spoken."

I hear all this, and I tremble; my lips quiver with fear. My body goes limp, and my feet stumble beneath me. I will quietly wait for the time to come when God will punish those who attack us.

People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses.

I will punish you. I will bring disaster on you---incurable diseases and fevers that will make you blind and cause your life to waste away. You will plant your crops, but it will do you no good, because your enemies will conquer you and eat what you have grown.

They will sing for joy, but you will cry with a broken heart.

Curse them and fill them with despair!

All these things are like the first pains of childbirth.

May their eyes be blinded so that they cannot see; and make them bend under their troubles at all times."