²⁴ All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land?^(A) Why this fierce, burning anger?”

²⁵ And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt.^{(B) 26} They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. ²⁷ Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book.^{(C) 28} In furious anger and in great wrath^(D) the Lord uprooted^(E) them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”

²⁹ The secret things belong to the Lord our God,^(F) but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.^(G)

¹⁰ “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?’^{(A) 11} then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped^(B) them. They forsook me and did not keep my law.^{(C) 12} But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors.^(D) See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts^(E) instead of obeying me. ¹³ So I will throw you out of this land^(F) into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known,^(G) and there you will serve other gods^(H) day and night, for I will show you no favor.’^(I)