Agricultural Fertility Withdrawn from Israel

2:8 Yet25 until now26 she has refused to acknowledge27 that I28 was the one

who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil;

and that it was I who29 lavished on her the silver and gold—

which they30 used in worshiping Baal!31

2:9 Therefore, I will take back32 my grain during the harvest time33

and my new wine when it ripens;34

I will take away my wool and my flax

which I had provided35 in order to clothe her.36

2:10 Soon37 I will expose her lewd nakedness38 in front of her lovers,

and no one will be able to rescue her from me!39

2:11 I will put an end to all her celebration:

her annual religious festivals,

monthly new moon celebrations,

and weekly Sabbath festivities—

all her appointed festivals.

2:12 I will destroy her vines and fig trees,

about which she said, “These are my wages for prostitution40

that my lovers gave to me!”

I will turn her cultivated vines and fig trees41 into an uncultivated thicket,

so that wild animals42 will devour them.

2:13 “I will punish her for the festival days

when she burned incense to the Baal idols;43

she adorned herself with earrings and jewelry,

and went after her lovers,

but44 she forgot me!”45 says the Lord.