Jeremias 4

1 Omvender du dig, Israel, lyder det fra HERREN, saa vend dig til mig; hvis du fjerner dine væmmelige Guder, skal du ikke fly for mit Aasyn.

“If you will return, Israel,” says the LORD, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed;

2 Sværger du: »Saa sandt HERREN lever, « redeligt, ærligt og sandt, skal Folkeslag velsigne sig ved ham og rose sig af ham.

and you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”

3 Thi saa siger HERREN til Judas Mænd og Jerusalems Borgere: Bryd eder Nyjord og saa dog ikke blandt Torne!

For the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow amongst thorns.

4 Omskær jer for HERREN og fjern eders Hjertes Forhud, Judas Mænd og Jerusalems Borgere, at min Vrede ikke slaar ud som Ild og brænder uslukket for eders onde Gerningers Skyld.

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 Forkynd i Juda og Jerusalem, kundgør og tal, lad Hornet gjalde i Landet, raab, hvad I kan, og sig: Flok jer sammen! Vi gaar ind i de faste Stæder!

Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the shofar in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’

6 Rejs Banner hen imod Zion, fly uden Standsning! Thi Ulykke sender jeg fra Nord, et vældigt Sammenbrud.

Set up a standard towards Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”

7 En Løve steg op fra sit Krat, en Folkehærger brød op, gik bort fra sin Hjemstavn for at gøre dit Land til en Ørk; dine Byer skal hærges, saa ingen bor der.

A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 Derfor skal I klæde jer i Sæk og klage og jamre, thi ej vender HERRENS glødende Vrede sig fra os.

For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the LORD hasn’t turned back from us.

9 Paa hin Dag, lyder det fra HERREN, skal Kongen og Fyrsterne tabe Modet, Præsterne stivne af Skræk og Profeterne slaas af Rædsel;

“It will happen at that day,” says the LORD, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder.”

10 og de skal sige: »Ak, Herre, HERRE! Sandelig, du førte dette Folk og Jerusalem bag Lyset, da du sagde: I skal have Fred! Nu har Sværdet naaet Sjælen.«

Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”

11 Paa hin Tid skal der siges til dette Folk og Jerusalem: Et glødende Vejr fra Ørkenens nøgne Høje trækker op mod mit Folks Datter, ej til Kastning og Rensning af Korn,

At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness towards the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse.

12 et Vejr for vældigt dertil kommer mod mig. Derfor vil jeg ogsaa nu tale Domsord imod dem.

A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgements against them.”

13 Se, det kommer som Skyer, dets Vogne som Stormvejr, dets Heste er hurtigere end Ørne; ve, vi lægges øde!

Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.

14 Rens dit Hjerte for ondt, Jerusalem, at du maa frelses! Hvor længe skal dit Indre huse de syndige Tanker?

Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?

15 Thi hør, en Raaber fra Dan, et Ulykkesbud fra Efraims Bjerge:

For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:

16 Kundgør Folkene: Se! Lad det høres i Jerusalem! Belejrere kommer fra et Land i det fjerne, de opløfter Røsten mod Byerne i Juda.

“Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 Som Markens Vogtere stiller de sig rundt omkring det, thi genstridigt var det imod mig, lyder det fra HERREN.

As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says the LORD.

18 Det kan du takke din Færd, dine Gerninger for; det skyldes din Ondskab; hvor bittert! Det gælder Livet.

“Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.”

19 Mit indre, mit Indre! Jeg skælver! Mit Hjertes Vægge! Mit Hjerte vaander sig i mig, ej kan jeg tie. Thi Hornets Klang maa jeg høre, Skrig fra Kampen;

My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, the alarm of war.

20 der meldes om Fald paa Fald, thi alt Landet er hærget. Mine Telte hærges brat, i et Nu mine Forhæng.

Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment.

21 Hvor længe skal jeg skue Banneret, høre Hornet?

How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the shofar?

22 Thi mit Folk er taabeligt, kender ej mig, de er dumme Sønner og uden Indsigt; de er vise til at gøre det onde, men Taaber til det gode.

“For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skilful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

23 Jeg saa paa Jorden, og se, den var øde og tom, paa Himlen, dens Lys var borte;

I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 Bjergene saa jeg, og se, de skjalv, og alle Højene bæved;

I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.

25 jeg saa, og se, der var mennesketomt, og alle Himlens Fugle var fløjet;

I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.

26 jeg saa, og se, Frugthaven var Ørken, alle dens Byer lagt øde for HERREN, for hans glødende Vrede.

I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, before his fierce anger.

27 Thi saa siger HERREN: Al Jorden bliver Ørk, men helt ødelægger jeg ikke.

For the LORD says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

28 Derfor sørger Jorden, og Himlen deroppe er sort; thi jeg talede og angrer det ikke, tænkte og gaar ikke fra det.

For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.”

29 For Larmen af Ryttere og Bueskytter flyr alt Landet, de tyr ind i Krat, stiger op paa Klipper; hver By er forladt, og ikke et Menneske bor der.

Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein.

30 Og du, hvad vil du mon gøre? Om end du klæder dig i Skarlagen, smykker dig med Guld og gør Øjnene store med Sminke — det er spildt, du gør dig smuk. Elskerne agter dig ringe, dit Liv vil de have.

You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life.

31 Thi jeg hører Raab som ved Barnsnød, Skrig som ved Førstefødsel. Hør, hvor Zions Datter stønner med udrakte Hænder: »Ve mig, min Sjæl bukker under for dem, som myrder.«

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”