“And if thou shalt say in thy heart, wherefore came these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. Therefore will I scatter them as stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord: because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. Therefore, will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.” _Jer._ xiii. 22–26. “And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.” _Joel_ iii. 8. And what saith the same Spirit to those of opposite character? “The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet.” _Isa._ lx. 14. “And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vine-dressers.” _Ibid._ lxi. 5. “They (my people) shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth trouble; they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, before they shall call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” _Ibid._ lxv. 234. What are the threatenings announced in prospect of their deterioration and wickedness? “And thou (Judah) even thyself, shalt discontinue from thy heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee _to serve_ (עֲבַדְתִּיךָ _be a slave to_) thine enemies in a land which thou knowest not.” _Jer._ xvii. 4. “Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord. * * * Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon this sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord.” _Amos_ ix. 7, 8. The consequences of sin are degradation, slavery, and death: “A righteous man hateth lying; but a wicked man is loathsome and cometh to shame.” “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; and the fool shall be _servant_ (עֶֽבֶד _ebed_, _slave_) to the wise of heart.” “As righteousness tendeth to life, so he that pursueth evil, pursueth it to his own death.” _Prov._ * * * * *