Jeremiah 4

1 If thou will return, O Israel, says Jehovah, if thou will return to me, and if thou will put away thine abominations out of my sight, then thou shall not be removed.

If thou wilt return to me, O Israel, saith Jehovah, Thou shalt return [[to thy land]]; If thou wilt put away thy abominations from my sight, Thou shalt no more be a wanderer [[in a foreign land]].

2 And thou shall swear, As Jehovah lives, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. And the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him they shall glory.

If thou wilt swear, As Jehovah liveth! In truth, in justice, and in righteousness, Then shall the nations bless themselves by thee, And in thee shall they glory.

3 For thus says Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Thus saith Jehovah to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: Break up your fallow ground, And sow not among thorns!

4 Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah; Yea, circumcise your hearts, Ye men of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Lest, for the evil of your doings, My fury break forth like fire, And burn so that none can quench it.

5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land. Cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.

Declare ye in Judah, And proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land; Cry ye aloud, and say, Gather yourselves together, And let us go into the fortified cities;

6 Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety, do not stay. For I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

Set up a standard toward Zion, Flee, make no stand! For I am about to bring evil from the north, Even great destruction.

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

The lion goeth up from his thicket, The destroyer of nations is on his way; He goeth forth from his place to make thy land desolate; Thy cities shall be laid waste so as to be without an inhabitant.

8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us.

For this cause gird on sackcloth, Lament and howl! For the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned away from us.

9 And it shall come to pass at that day, says Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the rulers, and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

In that day, saith Jehovah, Shall the heart of the king perish, And the heart of the princes; The priests shall be amazed, And the prophets confounded.

10 Then I said, Ah, lord Jehovah! Surely thou have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace, whereas the sword reaches to the life.

Then said I, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! Surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem; Thou hast said, “Ye shall have peace”; And the sword reacheth to the very life!

11 At that time it shall be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse,

At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A dry wind cometh from the hills of the desert, It cometh toward my people, Not to fan, nor to cleanse.

12 a full wind from these shall come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.

Yea, a wind stronger than this shall come; Now will I myself give sentence against them.

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

Behold, he cometh up like clouds, And his chariots are like a whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! for we are laid waste!

14 O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou may be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?

Wash thy heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, That thou mayst be saved! How long shall thy evil devices lodge within thee?

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

For a voice proclaimeth tidings from Dan, And announceth calamity from mount Ephraim.

16 Make ye mention to the nations. Behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

Proclaim ye to the nations, Behold, publish ye to Jerusalem, “Watchmen are coming from a far country, And lift their voice against the cities of Judah.”

17 They are as keepers of a field against her round about, because she has been rebellious against me, says Jehovah.

Like keepers of fields are they round about her Because she hath rebelled against me, saith Jehovah.

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things to thee. This is thy wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to thy heart.

Thy way and thy doings have brought this upon thee; This is the fruit of thy wickedness; It is bitter; it reacheth to thy heart.

19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart. My heart is disquieted in me. I cannot hold my peace, because thou have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

O my breast, my breast! I am pained in the walls of my heart; My heart trembleth within me; I cannot be silent; For thou hearest, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war!

20 Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.

There is a cry of destruction upon destruction; Yea, the whole land is laid waste; Suddenly are my tents destroyed, And my canopies in an instant.

21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

How long shall I see the standard, Hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 For my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are sottish sons, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

My people is foolish, They have no regard to me; Stupid children are they, And have no understanding; They are wise to do evil, But for doing good they have no knowledge.

23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.

I look to the earth, and lo! emptiness and desolation; To the heavens, and there is no light.

24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.

I look to the mountains, and lo! they tremble, And all the hills shake.

25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

I look, and lo! there is not a man, And all the birds of heaven are fled.

26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Jehovah, and before his fierce anger.

I look, and lo! Carmel is a desert, And all its cities are thrown down, Before the presence of Jehovah, Before the heat of his anger.

27 For thus says Jehovah: The whole land shall be a desolation, yet I will not make a full end.

For thus saith Jehovah: The whole land shall be desolate, Yet will I not make a full end.

28 For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not relented, nor will I turn back from it.

Therefore shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken, and I will not repent; I have purposed, and I will not recede from it.

29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in it.

At the noise of the horsemen and bowmen every city fleeth; They go into thickets, And climb up upon the rocks; All the cities are forsaken, And not a man dwelleth in them.

30 And thou, when thou are made desolate, what will thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with scarlet, though thou deck thee with ornaments of gold, though thou enlarge thine eyes with paint, in vain thou make thyself fair. Thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.

And thou, destined to perish, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothe thyself in scarlet, And deck thyself with ornaments of gold, And rend thine eyes with paint, In vain dost thou adorn thyself; Thy lovers despise thee; They seek thy life.

31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth 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.

I hear a cry, as of a woman in travail, Anguish, as of her that bringeth forth her first child. The voice of the daughter of Zion. She sobbeth, she spreadeth out her hands, “Ah! woe is me! I am dying by murderers!”