The Consequences of Disobedience

26:14 “ ‘If, however,22 you do not obey me and keep23 all these commandments—26:15 if you reject my statutes and abhor my regulations so that you do not keep24 all my commandments and you break my covenant—26:16 I for my part25 will do this to you: I will inflict horror on you, consumption and fever, which diminish eyesight and drain away the vitality of life.26 You will sow your seed in vain because27 your enemies will eat it.28 26:17 I will set my face against you. You will be struck down before your enemies, those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when there is no one pursuing you.

26:18 “ ‘If, in spite of all these things,29 you do not obey me, I will discipline you seven times more on account of your sins.30 26:19 I will break your strong pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze. 26:20 Your strength will be used up in vain, your land will not give its yield, and the trees of the land31 will not produce their fruit.

26:21 “ ‘If you walk in hostility against me32 and are not willing to obey me, I will increase your affliction33 seven times according to your sins. 26:22 I will send the wild animals34 against you and they will bereave you of your children,35 annihilate your cattle, and diminish your population36 so that your roads will become deserted.

26:23 “ ‘If in spite of these things37 you do not allow yourselves to be disciplined and you walk in hostility against me,38 26:24 I myself will also walk in hostility against you and strike you39 seven times on account of your sins. 26:25 I will bring on you an avenging sword, a covenant vengeance.40 Although41 you will gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you and you will be given into enemy hands.42 26:26 When I break off your supply of bread,43 ten women will bake your bread in one oven; they will ration your bread by weight,44 and you will eat and not be satisfied.

26:27 “ ‘If in spite of this45 you do not obey me but walk in hostility against me,46 26:28 I will walk in hostile rage against you47 and I myself will also discipline you seven times on account of your sins. 26:29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.48 26:30 I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars,49 and I will stack your dead bodies on top of the lifeless bodies of your idols.50 I will abhor you.51 26:31 I will lay your cities waste52 and make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will refuse to smell your soothing aromas. 26:32 I myself will make the land desolate and your enemies who live in it will be appalled. 26:33 I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword53 after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste.

26:34 “ ‘Then the land will make up for54 its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land will rest and make up its Sabbaths. 26:35 All the days of the desolation it will have the rest it did not have55 on your Sabbaths when you lived on it.

26:36 “ ‘As for56 the ones who remain among you, I will bring despair into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a blowing leaf will pursue them, and they will flee as one who flees the sword and fall down even though there is no pursuer. 26:37 They will stumble over each other as those who flee before a sword, though57 there is no pursuer, and there will be no one to take a stand58 for you before your enemies. 26:38 You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will consume you.