ירמיהו, פרק ט׳, פסוק ט״ו

The punishment of the Israelites unfolds as a devastating double blow, combining forced exile in strange lands with a relentless enemy pursuit that offers no true safe haven. God decrees that the people will be scattered across distant, unfamiliar territories, living among nations that neither they nor their ancestors had ever encountered [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This specific destination is not a random choice but a precise, measure-for-measure consequence. Because the Israelites chose to worship strange, foreign idols that were completely unknown to them and their forefathers, they are appropriately punished by being banished to the lands of foreign, unknown nations [מלבי״ם].

Merely enduring the exile is not the end of their suffering. Even as they scatter and attempt to find refuge in these distant places, the sword of the enemy will be sent to chase them down [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This violent pursuit will continue until they face near total destruction [מצודת ציון]. Yet, this extreme judgment does not mean the absolute end of the nation. The destruction is meant to cut off the vast majority of the people, stopping just short of wiping them out completely [רד״ק].