¹⁷ “People of Judah, I am sending poisonous snakes^[a] to attack you.
    These snakes cannot be controlled.
They will bite you.”
    This message is from the Lord.

¹⁸ God, I am very sad and afraid.
¹⁹ Listen to my people.
    Everywhere in this country, people are crying for help.
They say, “Is the Lord still at Zion?
    Is Zion’s King still there?”

But God says,
“The people of Judah worshiped their worthless foreign idols.
    That made me very angry!
    Why did they do that?”