¹⁶ though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. ^(A)They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate. ¹⁷ Or if I were to ^(B)bring a sword on that country and say, ‘A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I ^(C)eliminated human and animal life from it, ¹⁸ even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved.