Jeremiah 4

1 "If you will return, Israel," says Jehovah, "if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you shall not be removed;

“O Israel, if you would return, says the Lord, then be converted to me. If you remove your offense from before my face, then you will not be shaken.

2 and you shall swear, 'As Jehovah lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."

And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth and in judgment and in justice.” And the Gentiles will bless him, and they will praise him.

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

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and of Jerusalem: “Break new ground, and do not choose to sow upon thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you 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.

Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.

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

Declare it in Judah, and make it known in Jerusalem! Speak out and sound the trumpet in the land! Cry out strongly and say: ‘Gather yourselves! And let us go forth to fortified cities!’

6 Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety. Do not wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction."

Lift up a standard in Zion. Be strengthened! Do not choose to stand still. For I am bringing an evil from the north, with great destruction.

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

The lion has ascended from his den, and the pillager of the nations has lifted himself up. He has gone forth from his place, so that he may set your land in desolation. Your cities will be laid waste, remaining without an inhabitant.

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

Concerning this, wrap yourselves in haircloth, mourn and wail: ‘For the wrath of the fury of the Lord has not been turned away from us.’

9 "It shall happen at that day," says Jehovah, "that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the officials; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder."

And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: The heart of the king will perish, with the heart of the princes. And the priests will be stupefied, and the prophets will be in consternation.”

10 Then I said, "Ah, Lord Jehovah. Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You shall have peace;' whereas the sword reaches to the heart."

And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Could it be that you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘Peace shall be yours,’ while, behold, the sword reaches even to the soul?”

11 At that time shall it 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;

“In that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: ‘A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert, along the way of the daughter of my people, but not to winnow and not to cleanse.’

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

A full spirit from these places will come to me. And now I will speak my judgments over them.

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

Behold, he will ascend like a cloud, and his chariot will ascend like a tempest. His horses are swifter than eagles. ‘Woe to us! For we are being devastated!’

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

Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?

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

For there is a voice, of someone announcing from Dan, and he is making known the idol from mount Ephraim.

16 "Tell the nations; look, publish against Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

Say to the nations: ‘Behold, it has been heard in Jerusalem! Guardians are coming from a far away land, to utter their voice against the cities of Judah.’

17 As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,'" says Jehovah.

They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.

18 "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."

Your ways and your thoughts have brought these things upon you. This is your own wickedness. And it is bitter, because it has touched your heart.

19 My anguish, my anguish. I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can't hold my peace; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

I am afflicted in my heart, in my heart. The senses of my heart have been stirred up within me. I will not remain silent. For my soul has heard the voice of the trumpet, the clamor of the battle.

20 Destruction on destruction is proclaimed; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.

Destruction upon destruction has been called forth. And the entire earth has been devastated. My tabernacles have been destroyed suddenly, and my tents in an instant.

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

How long shall I watch those who are fleeing, and listen to the voice of the trumpet?

22 "For my people are foolish, they do not know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."

For my foolish people have not known me. They are foolish and mad sons. They are clever in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good.

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

I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.

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

I watched the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills were shaken.

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

I looked, and there was no man. And all the flying things of the air had gone away.

26 I saw, and look, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of Jehovah; before his fierce anger they were destroyed.

I gazed, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and all its cities were destroyed before the face of the Lord, and before the face of the wrath of his fury.”

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

For thus says the Lord: “All the earth will be desolate, but I will not yet bring about its consummation.

28 For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not relented, neither will I turn back from it."

The earth will mourn, and the heavens will lament from above. For I have spoken, I have decided, and I have not regretted. Neither will I be turned away from it.

29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers; they go into caves, and they hide themselves in the thickets, and climb up on the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in it.

Before the voice of the horsemen and of those who send forth arrows, the entire city has fled. They have entered steep places, and they have ascended the cliffs. All of the cities have been abandoned, and no man lives within them.

30 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you dress yourselves with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain do you make yourself beautiful; your lovers despise you, they seek your life.

So then, when you have been devastated, what will you do? Though you will clothe yourself with scarlet, though you will adorn yourself with a gold necklace and tint your eyes with cosmetics, you will be dressing yourself up in vain. Your lovers have spurned you; they will be seeking your 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."

For I have heard a voice, like that of a woman giving birth, during the difficulties of labor. It is the voice of the daughter of Zion, dying, extending her hands: ‘Woe to me! For my soul is failing because of those who have been slain!’”