¹³ But the people don’t return to God after all His punishment.
    They don’t change their ways and right their paths
To seek the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies.
¹⁴ Therefore, He will take them to task.
    In a single day He’ll cut off from Israel the head and the tail;
He’ll cut down the noble palm and lowly reed.
¹⁵ The head are those charged with leadership—political and religious—
    who used their power in the worst possible ways;
And the tail are the prophets who slur their lies.
¹⁶ These misguided leaders have misled this people;
    and those who follow have become swallowed up in their deceit.
^17-18 Even now the Lord takes no joy in a single one, not even the young.
    Mercy has run out for even those without power—the widows and orphans.
For every single person is at fault and behaves badly.
    No one thinks or acts as God would have them do.
Every mouth utters foolishness like a wildfire, out of control;
    wickedness rages, leveling and clearing briars and thorns;
Forests and thickets burn, leaving the whole a smoking heap.
    Still, God’s anger smolders. His hand is raised; there’s more to come.