It was at this time that evil days came upon the Empire of Assyria. It was crumbling to pieces. From north of the Black Sea and from east of the Carpathian Mountains savage hordes of Scythians were swarming over Assyria. Nomads, without any settled country whatever, they were sweeping eastward and southward, down across the shores of the Mediterranean, creating devastation everywhere. They were not only eager for the far-famed riches of Assyria, but looked toward the south, even as far as Egypt. And the little kingdom of Judah lay directly in their path, as it did during former attempted conquests of Egypt. Jeremiah once more recalled the vision of the seething caldron, with the strong wind from the north, threatening to pour out the hot contents over the land. Poor Judah! The country was seething with destructive idolatry within, and the seething hordes of Scythians were endangering its life from without. Poor Jeremiah! What was there for him to do now? A double calamity was hanging over his people and his beloved country. Even if he stood alone he must try to save them both. So he began a campaign, the burden of which was two-fold. He undertook to warn the people against the danger which even King Josiah had recognized and of the new danger that was threatening from the north. He felt sure, as had the other prophets before him, that unless the people turned from their backsliding they would lack the moral courage to withstand the foreign foe and could never gain God's help and protection in fighting their enemies. Once more he returned to his early methods of pleading with the people. He appealed to them to restore the relationship of children and father that had existed between them and God from the earliest days. He recounted their history from the slavery of Egypt to his own day. He pointed to the wonderful things that God had performed for them, but it all seemed of no avail. Then he turned to the people with the threats of the danger from the north. He tried to impress them with the idea that God was sending the Scythians as an instrument with which to punish the idolatrous and immoral Judeans. "Behold a people is coming from the northland, And a great nation is arousing itself from the uttermost parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their din is like the roaring of the sea, and they ride upon horses. Everyone is arrayed as a man for battle against thee, O daughter of Zion. "We have heard the report of it, our hands become feeble; Anguish taketh hold upon us; Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the highway, For there is the sword of the enemy, terror on every side. O, my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and sprinkle thyself with ashes; Take up mourning as for an only son, bitter lamentation; For the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us."