(3). The Flock - Captivity of the LORD's Flock (13:18-27)

¹⁵ Hear ye,
and give ear;
be not proud:
for the LORD hath spoken.
¹⁶ Give glory to the LORD your God,
before he cause darkness,
and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains,
and, while ye look for light,
he turn it into the shadow of death,
and make it gross darkness.
¹⁷ But if ye will not hear it,
my soul shall weep in secret places for [for the face of] your pride;
and mine eye shall weep sore,
and run down with tears,
because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

¹⁸ Say unto the king and to the queen,
Humble yourselves,
sit down:
for your principalities shall come down,
even the crown of your glory.
¹⁹ The cities of the south shall be shut up,
and none shall open them:
Judah shall be carried away captive
all of it,
it shall be wholly carried away captive.

²⁰ Lift up your eyes,
and behold them that come from the north:
where is the flock that was given thee,
thy beautiful flock?
²¹ What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee [he visits upon you]?
for thou hast taught them to be captains,
and as chief over thee:
shall not sorrows take thee,
as a woman in travail?
²² And if thou say in thine heart,
Wherefore come these things upon me?
For the greatness of thine iniquity
are thy skirts discovered,
and thy heels made bare.
²³ Can the Ethiopian change his skin,
or the leopard his spots?
then may ye also do good,
that are accustomed to do evil.
²⁴ Therefore will I scatter them
as the stubble that passeth away
by the wind of the wilderness.
²⁵ This is thy lot,
the portion of thy measures from me,
saith the LORD;
because thou hast forgotten me,
and trusted in falsehood.
²⁶ Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face,
that thy shame may appear.
²⁷ I have seen thine adulteries,
and thy neighings,
the lewdness of thy whoredom,
and thine abominations
on the hills
in the fields.
Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem!
wilt thou not be made clean?
when shall it once be?