¹⁷ “See, I will send venomous snakes^(A) among you,
    vipers that cannot be charmed,^(B)
    and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.

³ Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,^(A)
    there I will hunt them down and seize them.^(B)
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,^(C)
    there I will command the serpent^(D) to bite them.^(E)
4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
    there I will command the sword^(F) to slay them.

“I will keep my eye on them
    for harm^(G) and not for good.^(H)”^(I)

Through a land of hardship and distress,^(C)
    of lions^(D) and lionesses,
    of adders and darting snakes,^(E)
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’^(F) backs,
    their treasures^(G) on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,

²⁹ Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,^(A)
    that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,^(B)
    its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.^(C)

“Cursed^(A) are you above all livestock
    and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
    and you will eat dust^(B)
    all the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring^[a](C) and hers;^(D)
he will crush^[b] your head,^(E)
    and you will strike his heel.”