Leviticus 26:30-40

30 I will destroy your worship sites, cut down your incense altars, and pile your dead bodies on top of your dead idols. I will look at you with disgust.

31 I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices.

32 I will make your land so deserted that your enemies will be shocked as they settle in it.

33 I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted.

34 "Then the land will enjoy its time [to honor the LORD] while it lies deserted and you are in your enemies' land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time [to honor the LORD].

35 All the days it lies deserted, it will celebrate the time [to honor the LORD] it never celebrated while you lived there.

36 I will fill with despair those who are left in the land of their enemies. The sound of a windblown leaf will make them run. They will run away and fall, but no one will be chasing them.

37 They will stumble over each other, but no one will be after them. They will not be able to stand up to their enemies.

38 They will be destroyed among the nations. The land of their enemies will devour them.

39 Those who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors.

40 "But if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors--the treacherous things they did to oppose me--

Leviticus 26:30-40 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 26

In this chapter, after a repetition of some laws against idolatry, and concerning keeping sabbaths, and reverencing the sanctuary of God, Le 26:1,2; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the preceding, many promises are made of plenty, and peace, and safety from enemies, and of the presence of God with them, Le 26:3-13; and on the contrary, to such as should despise and break his commandments, the most grievous things are threatened, as diseases of body, destruction by their enemies, barrenness and unfruitfulness of land, the sore judgments of wild beasts, famine, sword, and pestilence, Le 26:14-39; and yet after all, when they should confess their sins, and were humbled for them, the Lord promises to remember the covenant he made with their ancestors, and would deal kindly with them, and not cast them away, and utterly destroy them, Le 26:40-46.