Commentators explain that this verse paints a vivid picture of wasted effort. Israel diligently cultivated its plans and alliances, like a farmer tending a prize plant. They worked hard and expected a great reward. However, because their efforts were rooted in forgetting God (v. 10), their expected harvest of prosperity turned into a harvest of 'grief and desperate sorrow.' This serves as a timeless warning that human effort, no matter how diligent, is ultimately futile without God's blessing.