Because of their sins, the protecting hand of God was withdrawn from Israel, and they were left to the mercies of their enemies. The wild, fierce inhabitants of the desert, "as grasshoppers for a multitude," came swarming into the land, with their flocks and herds, and pitched their tents in plain and valley. They came as soon as the harvests began to ripen, and remained until the last fruits of the earth had been gathered. They stripped the fields of their increase, and robbed and maltreated the inhabitants, and then returned to the deserts. Thus the Israelites had been forced to abandon the open country, and to congregate in the walled towns; and many had even found shelter in caves among the mountains.

På grund af deres synder, var Guds hånd trukket tilbage fra Israel, og de blev overladt til deres fjenders nåde. De vilde og rasende indbyggere i ørkenen, ”som græshoppers mængder,” kom sværmende indi landet, med deres hjorde og hyrder, og slog deres telte op på sletten og i dalen. De kom ligeså snart som høsten begyndte, for t indhøste, og forbliv der indtil jordens frugter var blevet samlet. De skrællede markerne for deres udbytte, og berøvede og mishandlede indbyggerne, og vendte tilbage til ørkenerne. Således var israelitterne blevet tvunget til at forlade det åbne land, og samle sig i indmurede byer; og mange havde endog fundet ly i bjergenes huler.