Leviticus 26:18 (KJV)

Passage

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Leviticus 26:17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

Leviticus 26:18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

Leviticus 26:19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

Leviticus 26:20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hearken", "punish", "seven", "times", and "sins". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hearken" and "punish", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And I will set my face against..." into verse 19's "And I will break the pride of...", so "hearken" and "punish" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hearken" and "punish" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.