¹⁶ though these three men were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate (ruined, deserted). ¹⁷ Or if I were to bring a sword on that land and say, ‘Let a sword go through the land and cut off man and animal from it,’ ¹⁸ even though these three men were in the land, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved.